Mountain Bike - Hard tail

right on, i'll ask my buddy. i might be out there in Feb for a couple weeks. i dunno what The Hub is, but i feel like i've heard of it. i always stop in The Path to see what ill shit they have on sale when i'm out there, plus its right near Cream Pan which has the best croissants on earth. but my buddy does all his own work so i dunno what other shops he goes to ever for stuff. i'm sure he knows it tho.

 

This comes to mind:

 

the radio towers are on santiago peak (that is the highest point in OC). the trail your prob referring to is joplin. everyone loves it, but there is no good way to get to the top other than burnin some lung. i like it....keeps the riff-raff out! lol

i didnt know that. i actually dont usually go down that way (telonics) just because its a bit of a bitch where you end up and i generally avoid backtracking if possible. that said, i'm contemplating heading over there today. hmmm. for the record, car wreck actually comes down the other side of the ridge toward aliso creek.

thnaks! glad it wasnt just me!!

vince

 

i like the path too. good folks, good shop.

vince

 

that sounds like a good tip. that area is really nice, so i can imagine the pedaling there is good. is it wrong that i consider it too far? lol

any particular trails you recall being good, monte?

i'd love to get up your way sometime. can only imagine some of the good chit you have up there....

vince

 

I've been riding a KHS Alite 1000 since 2005ish (hardtail 26, MSRP around $600). My bike is getting pretty wore out, so I've been looking at the used market and found this one:
http://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/1697024/?directtofirstphoto&directtofirstphoto

From what I have read, I don't really need a FS bike, but that's all I have been looking at. I guess I just want something new and different. I originally was looking in the FS 29er market, but am starting to think I won't like the slow speed maneuverability of them. I rode a friend's HT 29er (abeit it was a size too large for me) and really didn't like how lethargic it felt. From this I've decided that maybe 650b is the way to go.

I also rode a couple of Trek FS 29er's (Fuel EX8 and Superfly AL100) back to back in a urban bike park. I really felt uncomfortable on the Fuel, but the Superfly felt tight and fast and alot more fun to me. From what the salesman told me, the Fuel was more of a trail bike and the Superfly more of a "race" bike. From that I'm thinking a more race like bike would be more fun for me.

I have no expectations to race any MTB. My typical rides are ~1hr in rolling hill singletrack in KY. I just ride for fun and some exercise, so I don't need the fastest/lightest bike. A bike that is durable and fun is the goal.

All of that said, does the KHS SixFifty sound like a good match? It will have to be shipped from GA, so I won't get a chance to ride it. Also, it has been converted to a 1x10 setup, which I'm sure is a mistake for me. I think 2x10 would work, but I'm too lazy to have to work that hard at climbing hills. If I want to convert back, will I just need the other chainrings, derailleur, shifter and cable?

Thanks. :up:

 

I've talked him down a bit, but we still haven't made a deal yet. Hoping to hear back from him today.

 

Thoughts on 2014 Scott 970 for $799 new at the local shop? Just getting back into this bike thing.

 

So has anyone put on some wider rims for running tubeless? Like something in the range of 35-40mm like the Ibis carbon rims.

I'm curious if anyone can coment on actual real world advantages.

 

What can you guys tell me about Single Speed MTBing? I've been doing some reading and it makes me wanna try it. What sayeth the beeb??

What would it take to convert a standard 3x10 bike? Or just find a used bike that already SS?

 

you could just leave it in one gear and pedal...that would be easy.
The guys that volunteer on trail maintenance days are SS nut jobs. Trail might only be 14" wide but it has to be 10' tall for them. They are always outta the saddle!

 

A few years ago I got curious about SS and a local shop had a sale on a Kona Unit so I bought it. As it was around Thanksgiving I had to wait until spring to give it a goos ride. Forget about sitting and spinning on the hills. If you don't stand and hammer on the pedals you will not make it to the top without walking. Could not complete the local trail (Tree Farm in Novi,MI) without walking. It will change the way you ride and make you a better rider. Not to mention the workout. I swap between a FS and the SS. I liken riding the SS to doing interval training. Bursts of energy when needed and sometimes resting to catch my breath. I can complete the trail now with no trouble. Another aspect of the SS is the silence. Riding through the woods with no bicycle noise is really nice. You also have to pick your lines on the uphills more carefully to keep your momentum up. I say give it a try.

Gordon

 

This could be a decent test, but what gear to choose from that is closest to a standard SS gear? I have 30! lol

I'm kinda thinking about it from the exercise perspective. Also, quietness in the woods would be wonderful... Anyway, I don't get a ton of time to ride. When I do, I get after it and try to finish the trail as fast as possible. I'm not out just perusing around all day... So I thought, in times when I need a quick and legit exercise, a SS would be great?

 

For my area and main riding venue (Brown county state park, Indiana) it works very well. If you have a lot of steep (10% or greater) climbs, or even worse, mostly flat with slight grade changes, then it doesn't work as well.

 

SS actually has three speeds:

Sitting
Standing
Walking

 

Usually close to "middle middle" on 29ers. 32-20 is what my Crave came with and I'll be doing some walking for a while! Rigid SS makes the geared bike feel like cheating! 26" closer to 2:1 from what I see.

 

Anyone have any experience with the Novara Tupelo sold at REI? Looks like a decent bike but I can't find many reviews on it. I did find that the frame is made by Giant. 29 inch wheels, disk brakes and 80mm fork. 850 retail I found for 300 which is a last year 2014 model. I think I'm going to get it.

http://www.rei.com/product/874992/novara-tupelo-29er-bike-2015

 

if you're going to use the bike to ride paved paths and fire roads, it's probably a great buy, however, you may find the performance of the front shock to be critically lacking if you intend to use it as a mountain bike.

 

If I decide to swap the front shock will a higher end model mount and work with the existing frame, wheel, brakes?

 

Maybe. That looks like it might have a 44mm head tube/headset. If so, you could get an adapter headset to upgrade to a tapered shock. you could upgrade the brakes easily and cheaply enough, but between wheels, brakes & shock upgrades, you could easily be spending at least $1500, or more. At that rate, you'll have $1800 invested in a $500 bike. you'd be much better off spending between $1200-1500 on a better bike that will give you a much better platform to start from