Any Mtn Bikers on RME?

[sixstringsteve]

I'm not a huge fan of any of those brands, but that's just me. Your money goes a lot farther if you buy used.

 

[sixstringsteve]

Rephrase that Steve. Day 3 got the best of you but that doesn't mean you didn't ride 30+ miles on day 3. Day 4 was fun and tragic. Still a great trip. We saw some beautiful country, you and others from the seat of your bike, me from the seat of my jeep

I don't consider it a failure at all, it was a fantastic week. Thanks for playing ambulance duty Russ.

I heard tell of an injury.

Yup, my body Cody (fattony on RME) broke and dislocated his ankle on the kokopelli section right above UPS. Bummer to go down like that, but at least he was in an area where Russ could rescue him and we didn't need a medivac. We got the footage on video. The video will be out in the next month.

 

[moab_cj5]

I'm not a huge fan of any of those brands, but that's just me. Your money goes a lot farther if you buy used.

What is it you don't like?

 

[moab_cj5]

I went to Biker's Edge at lunch today and looked at the new 27.5+ bikes. These look really promising. Anyone have any experience with them yet? Also, Deore Components, are they good or should I look at spending more for higher?

 

[glockman]

27.5 is the new standard. It is already getting harder to find 26" stuff. It's still there but most manufactures are shifting their main focus to 27.5. I have ridden a few and they are a good compromise. I didn't like the 3 or 4 29ers that I have ridden even though they are really smooth. When I eventually replace my bike it will be with a 27.5.

I grew up working in a bike shop. I had a dozen mountain bikes before I got above Deore components. They worked for thousands of miles. If you are just starting out, they will be fine. You can always upgrade components later once you figure out if you really like biking that much. That said, I have SLX and XT stuff on my current bike and it is really nice. Ignorance is bliss sometimes

 

[Herzog]

I rode a 29" last year. This year I'm on a 27.5. I love my 27.5.

 

[sixstringsteve]

What is it you don't like?

I don't like their geometry, and the feel while riding them. Components are great though. I put a lot of emphasis on geometry.

That being said, most bikes today are better than almost any bike 5 years ago.

 

[sixstringsteve]

I went to Biker's Edge at lunch today and looked at the new 27.5+ bikes. These look really promising. Anyone have any experience with them yet? Also, Deore Components, are they good or should I look at spending more for higher?

Deore will be just fine. It's cheap, but super reliable. I'd focus more on the fork that comes with the bike, since that'll make the most difference.

27.5+ looks like a lot of fun. I secretly (or not so secretly) want one, just cuz they look so cool. I will say though, that I don't currently suffer from a lack of traction, so I don't "need" one. I have a fantastic bike, I couldn't be happier, but I definitely feel the draw of the 27.5+

My buddy had a Canondale Beast from the East on our 140+ mile kokopelli trip last week. It's a 27.5+ hardtail. He rode stuff that would beat you up on a normal hardtail, but because he had those fatter tires, he could air down and it was no problem. I didn't care for the geometry of his bike, but those 27.5+ tires were WAY fun. If I were to go back to riding a hardtail in Utah (and I LOVE hardtails), it'd have to be a 27.5+, simply because it's so rocky here.

A few companies are making 29+ bikes too, which can be cool if the geometry is right. The trek stache is supposed to be super fun. I had my eye on the specialized fuze since it has one of the most playful geometries of any 27.5+

 

[sixstringsteve]

here's what I've heard about 27.5+

if you ride for fun, and you don't care about speed, weight, or beating your friends up a climb or down a stretch, you'll love it. People say these are just a ton of fun. The wheels (and tubes) are extremely heavy though, and they're not as "spirited" as a performance bike (they feel a little more sluggish uphill and down), but they're a lot of fun. My buddy's hardtail Canondale Beast weighed in at 29lbs. That's a lot for a $2800 bike with a lefty and no rear shock. The tubes alone weighed 1lb each. (he switched to tubeless). I didn't like the geometry of the canondale beast (too steep of a head tube angle), but he loved it.


Personally, I'm a bit frustrated that the bike industry keeps changing standards. 26, 29, 27.5, fat bikes, 27.5+, 29+, 27 speeds, 1x10, 1x11, 1x12, boost rear hub spacing, pedal-assist, what's next? I kind of want to see where the 27.5+ movement goes and if it sticks. Long gone are the days where you could stroll into any bike shop and find a tire that fits your bike. I really feel for the shop owners, now they need multiple different tires in multiple different sizes, where in the past, they could order 10 different 26" tires.

The good news is that bikes just keep getting better and better and they're more and more fun to ride. The bad news is that they're getting insanely expensive ($4500 is considered "entry level") and if you want to buy a replacement part, or upgrade a fork or something like that, good luck finding one that happens to match your wheel size, headset size (fortunately tapered head tubes are now the standard), etc. I used to swap parts back and forth between bikes. Now that's nearly impossible.

 

[moab_cj5]

I looked at a Specialized 27.5+ today at lunch and it looks promising. I would definitely go tubeless to reduce the rolling resistance. I've read some cool stuff about them too. Now I just need to see about frame size and brand. I'll find the extra $$$ to get the bike I want. Thanks for all the input here guys!


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[sixstringsteve]

what size did they recommend?

FWIW, I heard that Fezarri bikes are relabeled ebay chinese frames. Not sure if it's true or not. i heard that about the Fat Bikes at least.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/3K-UD-Carbo...466559?hash=item2eedf0a47f:g:GUoAAOSwZ8ZXDUC5

Crazy how cheap you can get one of those. It's the parts, however, that get expensive.

 

[sixstringsteve]

This frame looks pretty decent (by the numbers at least)
http://www.ebay.com/itm/max-3-0-tir...303571?hash=item25ba4b8d93:g:AYAAAOSwubRXGMh1

 

[moab_cj5]

what size did they recommend?

FWIW, I heard that Fezarri bikes are relabeled ebay chinese frames. Not sure if it's true or not. i heard that about the Fat Bikes at least.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/3K-UD-Carbo...466559?hash=item2eedf0a47f:g:GUoAAOSwZ8ZXDUC5

Crazy how cheap you can get one of those. It's the parts, however, that get expensive.

The Specialized shop recommends a large, the Cannondale shop recommends a Medium. I'm going to go demo, or at least hit the parking lot, tomorrow morning to narrow it down.

I'm leaning heavy toward 27.5+ hardtail. I want the best rake for helping with downhill since that is when I wreck and need the help. I'm looking at the Specialized ~$1600, Norco ~$1600, and Cannondale ~$2000. I have a hookup that may be able to save me some $$$ on the Norco or Cannondale, but I need to make sure I get the right bike for me.

 

[benjy]

Great summary Steve! Completely agree with everything. I feel like one thing that gets lost on the bike industry, and that is that you can take any bike out and have a great time. Whenever I feel like I "need" a new bike, I remind myself that bike companies operate for profit and they're just wanting to sell more bikes. Pretty sure my next bike will be 1x12 with electronic shifting although the new YT Jeffsy looks like a pretty awesome setup

and if you want to buy a replacement part, or upgrade a fork or something like that, good luck finding one that happens to match your wheel size, headset size (fortunately tapered head tubes are now the standard), etc. I used to swap parts back and forth between bikes. Now that's nearly impossible.

Funny you say that, I currently have to replace my rear shock on a 5 year old bike and it has proven nearly impossible. Wouldn't be the case with most bikes, but trek uses proprietary shock mounts and length from fox.

 

[rholbrook]

I looked at a Specialized 27.5+ today at lunch and it looks promising. I would definitely go tubeless to reduce the rolling resistance. I've read some cool stuff about them too. Now I just need to see about frame size and brand. I'll find the extra $$$ to get the bike I want. Thanks for all the input here guys!


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My son Harrison just got a new Specialized. He loves it, I know nothing about it but it worked well for him on the Kokopelli last week. Come over and take it for a spin

 

[moab_cj5]

My son Harrison just got a new Specialized. He loves it, I know nothing about it but it worked well for him on the Kokopelli last week. Come over and take it for a spin

What model and size frame did he get?

 

[sixstringsteve]

I want the best rake for helping with downhill since that is when I wreck and need the help.

Cool. Rake is measured via the head tube angle.

A bike with a steep head angle (70* for example) is going to feel straight up and down and twichy. (good for climbs, bad for downhill, kinda feels like a road bike's steering)
A bike with a relaxed or slack head angle (~65*) will be best for downhill (in my opinion). It'll be far more stable at speed and downhill, though slightly little less nimble in the twisty trees. Personally, I like the slackest head angle I can find. My bike has a 65* head angle. When you have a slack head angle, you steer by counter-steering, and by leaning the bike, just like a motorcycle. When you have a steep head angle, it feels more like your'e riding on top of the bike, rather than "in" the bike, and steering is all done via lots of handlebar movement.

I'd recommend something in the 66-67* head angle area. The Cannondale beast from the east that I rode had a 68.5* head angle that was far too steep for me. It wasn't nearly as fun on the downhills as something with a 66-67* head angle. It's going to be tough to find any hardtails with a head tube slacker than 67*.

That being said, there are thousands of guys who can ride a bike with a steep head angle faster than I'll ever be able to. I just really prefer the feel of a slack steer angle

 

[Kevin B.]

Yup, my body Cody (fattony on RME) broke and dislocated his ankle on the kokopelli section right above UPS. Bummer to go down like that, but at least he was in an area where Russ could rescue him and we didn't need a medivac. We got the footage on video. The video will be out in the next month.

Yuck. Give him my best when you talk to him next.

 

[moab_cj5]

I ended up getting the Norco Torrent 7.2 from Bikers Edge in Kaysville.

It has the same head tube angle as the Specialized, but cheaper and the shop was super awesome to work with.

I went tubeless, and large frame 1x10. It's fun in the parking lot. I can't wait to get it out on the trail.


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[sixstringsteve]

AWESOME! Congrats, norcos are super fun bikes. I love how short that chainstay is. We saw one of these on the kokopelli trail and the guy absolutely loved it; it looked awesome. We should plan a group ride sometime before I leave.