mountain bike - my woods vehicle.

JV3

Joined
Mar 17, 2010
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anyone else a mountain biker? for those who haven't ridden one, depending on terrain, you can travel faster with heavier loads with less effort...it's a great tool to have even in an urban setting...anyway, some pics from yesterday's trip with good friends.

welcome to the jungle! jungle habitat, that is...one of the roughest trails here that's why it's my favorite place to ride.

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niner rip 9.

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i'm still riding my now 5-yrs old fuel ex 8...the only bike in the group not built from the ground up..it's safe to say it's the mora in a sea of custom knives on this trip :D

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another niner rip 9.

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the bike bondsman with a devinci.

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carbon fiber frame.

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giant trance advanced.

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if it can be made with carbon fiber it is carbon fiber...better be at $10k :eek:

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freaking thing is a motorcycle with no engine!

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29ers just roll over rocks like they weren't there.

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i'm the last one i think that still rides a 26er.

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endless rock garden...i can barely walk today...but i still like my 26er and won't be upgrading anytime soon...one day it'll be retro cool :p

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thankfully, the only casualty of the trip...i'm impressed that stan's sealed up perfectly even with a slice this big.

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thankfully, the only casualty of the trip...i'm impressed that stan's sealed up perfectly even with a slice this big.

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Am I seeing the inner threads of the tire on the sidewall? Is that from rubbing at the chainstays? Yikes! I'm glad it held together for you.

I've been in the process of getting my old Cannondale "Beast of the East" tuned up and remember lots of fun in the woods. Luckily we moved just a couple miles from a great mountain bike park.

I've been lusting after a fat tire bike (maybe a Surly Krampus or something like that). They are so much fun to bomb through stuff.
 
Am I seeing the inner threads of the tire on the sidewall? Is that from rubbing at the chainstays? Yikes! I'm glad it held together for you.

I've been in the process of getting my old Cannondale "Beast of the East" tuned up and remember lots of fun in the woods. Luckily we moved just a couple miles from a great mountain bike park.

I've been lusting after a fat tire bike (maybe a Surly Krampus or something like that). They are so much fun to bomb through stuff.

yes, those are the sidewall threads...not from the chainstays but rubbing against all the rocks...that's my friend's bike by the way - the orange niner rip 9.

you're lucky you live close to a park! it definitely helps if you can ride weekly. i always have a hard time keeping up with my friends because they ride weekly (their only hobby is mtb/road bike) whereas i divide my time between bikes and hiking...even with just a week off i can tell my "lung capacity" has a significant decrease in performance.

i see fat bikes a lot nowadays..they're definitely fun to ride i've heard. surly is nice! fat bikes in general, they have full suspension models now too.
 
I love mountain biking! I used to get out a lot more, I hear you with the getting blown away by regular riders. 29ers are definitely more forgiving on rough trails, but 26" is more nimble. Cool pics, and really cool bikes!
 
I don't ''get'' those super fat tired bikes. Wouldn't it require more effort to peddle them because of the increased weight and rolling resistance ?
 
Yeah I mountain bike. Was born & raised in Marin County, the birthplace of mountain biking. Earlier this morning was actually just driving by Mt. Tamalpais -- where it all began. Anyway, my current ride is an Intense Tracer 275C that admittedly has been sitting in my room for the last several months collecting dust. Need to get back on that thing. Fall and spring are my favorite times to ride though.

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I don't ''get'' those super fat tired bikes. Wouldn't it require more effort to peddle them because of the increased weight and rolling resistance ?

Nope. They roll really well. They're like ATV tires so low ground pressure means you can ride on sand, snow, muskeg, etc. so they can be year round bikes.

There was a convergence of popularity and tire tech & the other parts like wider hubs and bottom brackets so you can find decent ones in good supply at a good price just about anywhere.
 
I don't ''get'' those super fat tired bikes. Wouldn't it require more effort to peddle them because of the increased weight and rolling resistance ?

Yes, the weight and friction might make it seem 'slower' in some circumstances 'compared to some other bikes.' At the same time, the better 'grip' can help on steep climbs, certain terrain, and technical stuff. Like so many things, gearing and 'engine' strength can make it work. :) I'm not a big fan but continue to see them more and more on various trails.
 
I haven't ridden a bike much in 20 years. I have a mountain bike and a racing bike. Both are dated so to speak, especially the mountain bike that is pretty heavy. Things have changed a lot with mountain bikes in the past 10 years. Probably would be a great idea for me to get back into it again for the exercise. Last bike ride I made was a couple years ago around the Cades Cove loop in the Smoky Mt NP. It is a nice ride, but you still need to be in relatively good shape.
 
Cool stuff JV3!

Yeah the regular riders can really eat up the miles/terrain.

There are a LOT of fat bikes around here (Front Range, Colorado). I bike to work semi-frequently ~14 miles one-way on my beloved 1990 Schwinn High Plains w/26" wheels - luv it!!!

I also can tell when i've not been riding as much - getting dropped by the hipsters on their fixies...... though i typically am carrying my office clothes in panniers and my EDC pack (which weighs ~25lbs on it's own!).
 
I don't ''get'' those super fat tired bikes. Wouldn't it require more effort to peddle them because of the increased weight and rolling resistance ?

Those bikes are designed to ride on shifting surfaces like snow and sand. More surface area is needed to ride on surfaces like that. Even wider deflated 700c tires will sink in looser snow. Actually, Surly Bikes (Quality Bike Products) out of Minneapolis originally came up with the idea due to the needs of 24/7/365 Minneapolis bike commuters. Most of the testing before product launce was done in northern Minnesota and Alaska during the winter. After that, they knew they had a great idea on their hands and the bikes went mass market. At this point they are mostly a product category, more or less.
 
Another mountain biker here! My main hobby is XC MTB racing, and I ride a 2013 Trek Superfly Elite SL

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I love mountain biking! I used to get out a lot more, I hear you with the getting blown away by regular riders. 29ers are definitely more forgiving on rough trails, but 26" is more nimble. Cool pics, and really cool bikes!

thanks! that's what i keep hearing from friends - that 26" is more nimble, and they miss riding on one sometimes.


I don't ''get'' those super fat tired bikes. Wouldn't it require more effort to peddle them because of the increased weight and rolling resistance ?

ditto what others already said. also, in the case of my friends who do ride one they're in such great shape that they use a fatbike sort of a handicap or more of a challenge to make it harder on themselves...if they rode a normal bike i'd never see them again once we leave the parking lot so they use a less ideal bike to slow themselves down a bit...same goes for the crazy ones who ride a full rigid, single speed and i still barely keep up with them!


Yeah I mountain bike. Was born & raised in Marin County, the birthplace of mountain biking. Earlier this morning was actually just driving by Mt. Tamalpais -- where it all began. Anyway, my current ride is an Intense Tracer 275C that admittedly has been sitting in my room for the last several months collecting dust. Need to get back on that thing. Fall and spring are my favorite times to ride though.

nice bike!


Yes, the weight and friction might make it seem 'slower' in some circumstances 'compared to some other bikes.' At the same time, the better 'grip' can help on steep climbs, certain terrain, and technical stuff. Like so many things, gearing and 'engine' strength can make it work. :) I'm not a big fan but continue to see them more and more on various trails.

"engine strength" - got that right! my fastest friends tend to handicap themselves to slow them down enough so the rest of us can actually ride with them...put them on an ideal bike for the terrain and we'll never see them again.


I haven't ridden a bike much in 20 years. I have a mountain bike and a racing bike. Both are dated so to speak, especially the mountain bike that is pretty heavy. Things have changed a lot with mountain bikes in the past 10 years. Probably would be a great idea for me to get back into it again for the exercise. Last bike ride I made was a couple years ago around the Cades Cove loop in the Smoky Mt NP. It is a nice ride, but you still need to be in relatively good shape.

definitely a good idea to get back to riding...easy on the joints (compared to running) and the benefits roll over to hiking as well since your legs will be stronger.


Cool stuff JV3!

Yeah the regular riders can really eat up the miles/terrain.

There are a LOT of fat bikes around here (Front Range, Colorado). I bike to work semi-frequently ~14 miles one-way on my beloved 1990 Schwinn High Plains w/26" wheels - luv it!!!

I also can tell when i've not been riding as much - getting dropped by the hipsters on their fixies...... though i typically am carrying my office clothes in panniers and my EDC pack (which weighs ~25lbs on it's own!).

thanks! i wish i can commute on a bike...one of my slowest friends started commuting on a citi bike (citi started a bike share program here where you can just dock a bike in specific locations and ride a different one...started in nyc) every day and he's now almost always up front in group rides...really shocking improvement.


Looking good.
I roll a Kona Honzo. 29r hardtail.

nice bike! i sometimes miss a hardtail.


Those bikes are designed to ride on shifting surfaces like snow and sand. More surface area is needed to ride on surfaces like that. Even wider deflated 700c tires will sink in looser snow. Actually, Surly Bikes (Quality Bike Products) out of Minneapolis originally came up with the idea due to the needs of 24/7/365 Minneapolis bike commuters. Most of the testing before product launce was done in northern Minnesota and Alaska during the winter. After that, they knew they had a great idea on their hands and the bikes went mass market. At this point they are mostly a product category, more or less.

there's a shop here that rents fatbikes...one of these winters i'm finally going to try riding one.


Another mountain biker here! My main hobby is XC MTB racing, and I ride a 2013 Trek Superfly Elite SL

nice bike! i only raced once - back in 2011. i beat one of the fastest friends i have because he's mostly a road biker and the rocks slowed him down enough...i retired after that and tease him about it once in awhile :p
 
nice to see so many fellow bikers! on a side note, i met gary fisher at a local shop a few years ago.

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nice to see so many fellow bikers! on a side note, i met gary fisher at a local shop a few years ago.
Yep, that's him. Did he move to the East Coast? I used to see him all the time in San Rafael (always rocking that same hat) but haven't noticed him in recent years. Still see Charlie Kelly fairly often. If you ever come out to NorCal bring your bike and I'll show you some epic rides. Hell you don't even need to bring your bike there's always some kind of mountain bike festival going on here with free day demos. The one just an hour south in Santa Cruz is awesome, you'd have a total blast.
 
Yep, that's him. Did he move to the East Coast? I used to see him all the time in San Rafael (always rocking that same hat) but haven't noticed him in recent years. Still see Charlie Kelly fairly often. If you ever come out to NorCal bring your bike and I'll show you some epic rides. Hell you don't even need to bring your bike there's always some kind of mountain bike festival going on here with free day demos. The one just an hour south in Santa Cruz is awesome, you'd have a total blast.

Good ole Gary, I usually spot him in my neighborhood every few weeks or so, we go to the same coffee joint, think he travels a bit more now with Trek. Diggin this thread, thanks JV3!
 
Biking is a great activity. You can cover a lot more ground more quickly and still "smell the roses" so to speak. Easy to stop and wander around too.

I stopped by a bike shop here. Was asking about having them go over my bikes, probably new tires, brakes, new handle bar wraps, and so forth. They said probably looking at $200ish per bike depending on what they need to do. They suggested that I consider a new modest bike (Giant) since mostly what I would do is 75% highway and 25% dirt and gravel roads (versus trails). My mountain bike does not have shocks, has very aggressive tires, and is not so much fun to ride on the highway. So, I'm considering this a bit and probably go with a (using an old term) hybrid bike that is best suited for pavement but okay for light off road use. The decision at this point is "big diameter tires" versus more mountain bike size tires and of course the cost and how it fits into my budget.

It is a question of just how much I would ride when considering cost. I think I may get my mountain bike out (tires are still very good), clean it up a bit, and do some riding to get back into the feel of things. Then make a decision.
 
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Since this is blade forums, do you carry a knife while you mountain bike, and if so what?

Personally I don't have a knife on me while I mountain bike.. [emoji33]

I don't stop much and I try to be pretty minalmistic... All of my spares and tools fit in the smallest seat bag I could find and I carry 2 water bottles in cages on my frame. No phone or knife, and I stash my car key in either the wheel well or the bike rack as I don't want to ride with it in my pocket

Sorry for the thread hijack


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22RF, a decent low-cost alternative is put replace your MTB tires with 26x1.75 Panaracer Paselas. They're a touring tire and do great on pavement, gravel roads and even light single track. These tire can transform a MTB from a dirt only machine to a decent all-rounder bike. Also, if you are handy with tools, really the only thing you need a shop for are: truing your wheels, dealing with headsets and dealing with removing cranks or replacing bottom brackets. And unless you have major problems in these areas, you can ignore them until you have a problem. Everything else on the bike can be handled with basic metric tools and a willingness to get dirt under your finger nails. Park Tools and Sheldon Brown are both great resources for DYI bike repair advice.
 
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