Official mountain biking thread

14420276:Kevinb5 said:
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This is my bike for the summer

it is a fezzari Abajo peak which I think is a smaller brand from Utah. it has a sram nx drivetrain and an xfusion McQueen 140mm fork. I’m really new to mtb and don’t know a lot but there are some small trails by my house and better stuff close to Knoxville a couple hours away so hopefully I can have some fun with it
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Hell yeah you'll have some fun! (I hope) Fezzari is probably better known for their road bikes, but that also means you get a bit better pricing for a solid manufacturer.

One small upgrade that might take you a long ways would be a shorter stem. At 140mm fork travel, that xc-length stem is going to limit a bit of your cornering while gaining pedaling on flats or slight climbs. Ofc, if you love it keep it!

Have fun shredding, feel free to hmu if you ever have any questions!
 
14420337:dognuts said:
that looks so sweet. im jealous

rip

at least give us a pic of its sexy steel glory
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Forgive the lighting/angle, just took this for warranty to prove I hadn't run over it with a truck.

I'll probably post better pics and specs tomorrow, but probably not the brand until I get to experience the warranty process.
 
14420348:Byron_tha_gr8 said:
View attachment 1038091

Forgive the lighting/angle, just took this for warranty to prove I hadn't run over it with a truck.

I'll probably post better pics and specs tomorrow, but probably not the brand until I get to experience the warranty process.
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very very nice

single pivot steelys are so sexxy
 
14420352:dognuts said:
very very nice

single pivot steelys are so sexxy
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Yeahhhhh I thoroughly loved how it rode. You can feel the steel start to flex through a corner, than spring it back out at the end. The closest I've felt are ti hardtails.

However the warranty goes the next bike will probably be plastic and from a bigger brand. I love supporting tiny companies, but when part of my job is riding reliability becomes too important.

I do wish a big brand would look at materials, even as a niche product with big markups. Bike geo is understood well enough, someone like Santa Cruz could design steel. The alloy hightower is already around 34+ lbs for a $5k build, my 145mm rear travel steel is 32. If I could buy a $6k steel build for 32-34lbs with vpp...

**This post was edited on Mar 30th 2022 at 12:00:39am
 
14420362:Byron_tha_gr8 said:
Yeahhhhh I thoroughly loved how it rode. You can feel the steel start to flex through a corner, than spring it back out at the end. The closest I've felt are ti hardtails.

However the warranty goes the next bike will probably be plastic and from a bigger brand. I love supporting tiny companies, but when part of my job is riding reliability becomes too important.

I do wish a big brand would look at materials, even as a niche product with big markups. Bike geo is understood well enough, someone like Santa Cruz could design steel. The alloy hightower is already around 34+ lbs for a $5k build, my 145mm rear travel steel is 32. If I could buy a $6k steel build for 32-34lbs with vpp...

**This post was edited on Mar 30th 2022 at 12:00:39am
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Can we get pics of the bb and the crack? I'd be livid if the frame wasn't 100% bombproof at that pricepoint and with steel. And I get it, you can break every bike but when it's a weld particularly on a low-volume bike that's pretty concerning.
 
14420533:Deez_Mcskis said:
Which races ya doin?
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i'm doing Lake Superior Gravity Series, mostly UP and Northshore MN races

I wanna try to get down to Colorado and do a couple but I have an internship up here in Wisco which might make getting a week off to travel to CO difficult
 
14420536:CrunnchyPissFart said:
i'm doing Lake Superior Gravity Series, mostly UP and Northshore MN races

I wanna try to get down to Colorado and do a couple but I have an internship up here in Wisco which might make getting a week off to travel to CO difficult
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Sick, i got a couple friends who made the trek out to purgatory in CO and they loved it. Me, I'm in CA so I'm gonna do china peak, shasta and ashland enduros.

Gonna try my hand at expert u18, feel like I actually have a bike that's not holding me back this year, and I've been training pretty frequently. Getting hyped already, sitting in the back of the class watching gopro footage from last summer and wishing I could be racing already.
 
Went to Moab last weekend and got a ride to the trails in a Rivian! Also finally got to ride Pipe Dream and the Mag 7 trails for the first time.

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14420547:Deez_Mcskis said:
Sick, i got a couple friends who made the trek out to purgatory in CO and they loved it. Me, I'm in CA so I'm gonna do china peak, shasta and ashland enduros.

Gonna try my hand at expert u18, feel like I actually have a bike that's not holding me back this year, and I've been training pretty frequently. Getting hyped already, sitting in the back of the class watching gopro footage from last summer and wishing I could be racing already.
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sick bro, id love to ride out there too

I feel u on the bike thing. last year I got a 2017 RM Slayer off PinkBike which is a major upgrade from the full suspension XC bike I had before, not to mention all the shit ive put onto the new bike to make it rip even harder. also gonna actually train this year and push my limits even more

im gonna go full expert this year too. last year I dabbled between sport and expert last summer cuz it was my first season doing the full series and depending on my familiarity with the race locations. but now that I know im gonna go bigger this season
 
My partner has been insistent that she wants a full suspension bike, which I’ve been kinda dreading since 95% of the FS bike that come through the co-op are either trashed, have unserviceable shocks, have completely antiquated suspension, or a combination of the three. But I just scored this 2011 Fuel EX 5 for an absolute crazy deal, looks like it hasn’t been ridden more than 50 miles, and fits her pretty well.

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Most of the components are going to be stripped and replaced with all of the parts that we’ve put on her trail-adapted-townie

Specialized Ariel that really wasn’t up for the task of trail riding.

A 27.5 Manitou Markhor fork at either 100 or 120mm depending on how the A-C compares to the original fork. Maybe I’ll try to get a Works Components 1 degree EC34 headset, but I doubt it will be all that necessary.

27.5 front wheel and maybe on the rear too depending on how big of a tire it will fit, if not probably a 26x2.4 Maxxis Rekon for the ultimate trendy mullet setup.

Microshift Advent X 1x10. Dropper post.

Maybe a different bar and stem setup.

Maybe newer brakes but the Avid Juicy 3s that are on it honestly feel better than the mismatched Avid Elixirs she has currently. Maybe I’ll do a brake upgrade on my Enduro bike and do some trickle down brake swaps so she ends up with the Shimano 2 piston brakes from my fatbike, so that she can have brakes from this decade.
 
It's just the beginning. The future is here. For now, it's supply and demand pricing.

14420554:BrandoComando said:
Those Rivians are so cool. I love all the new Tesla-level contenders in the EV space. Brands are finally releasing vehicles that could convince me to switch from ICE. If only Rivians weren't $85k+
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14420749:ThaLorax said:
It's just the beginning. The future is here. For now, it's supply and demand pricing.
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I don't mind the rivian but the future will only be here when an 80k electric truck has the same if not better range than a 35 gallon-tank diesel and we're pretty far off that mark unfortunately. Batteries in trucks that do truck things just doesn't quite make sense yet. Rivians are rad tho don't get me wrong I just wish they hit their range numbers they advertised at startup.
 
14420757:Biffbarf said:
I don't mind the rivian but the future will only be here when an 80k electric truck has the same if not better range than a 35 gallon-tank diesel and we're pretty far off that mark unfortunately. Batteries in trucks that do truck things just doesn't quite make sense yet. Rivians are rad tho don't get me wrong I just wish they hit their range numbers they advertised at startup.
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I mean, nobody was asking for a Rivian to be equatable to a 35 gallon diesel work truck. The owner drove from Denver to Moab and only had to charge once. He chose to charge twice to avoid putting stress on a brand new battery, to help with it's longevity. That's easily comparable with my 18 gallon Subaru Legacy. Except, when you drive the Rivian, you can pick your economy/torque settings, and even control how much regenerative breaking there is.
 
14420829:ThaLorax said:
I mean, nobody was asking for a Rivian to be equatable to a 35 gallon diesel work truck. The owner drove from Denver to Moab and only had to charge once. He chose to charge twice to avoid putting stress on a brand new battery, to help with it's longevity. That's easily comparable with my 18 gallon Subaru Legacy. Except, when you drive the Rivian, you can pick your economy/torque settings, and even control how much regenerative breaking there is.
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I think diesel electric hybrids will be the solution for that market. Diesel power plant so people who drive really far or tow shit don’t have to worry about charging and can refuel anywhere, but electric drivetrain so that the diesel can just act as a generator and operate at maximum efficiency. Electric motors on the trailer axle for some additional regenerative braking.
 
14420854:Biffbarf said:
When they're the same price they are lol
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Diesel trucks are not new technology and have an established market with ample supply and demand. New technology is always more expensive due to cost of production and limited supply with high demand...... as i already stated above....
 
14420860:ThaLorax said:
Diesel trucks are not new technology and have an established market with ample supply and demand. New technology is always more expensive due to cost of production and limited supply with high demand...... as i already stated above....
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They would need to be half the price to compete with similar trucks or twice as capable to compete at the current price point. Regardless, cost aside the tech just isn't quite there yet anyways. It's great for being a daily driver, truck things not so much.
 
14420869:Biffbarf said:
They would need to be half the price to compete with similar trucks or twice as capable to compete at the current price point. Regardless, cost aside the tech just isn't quite there yet anyways. It's great for being a daily driver, truck things not so much.
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It lacks in areas like hauling and towing, but it makes up for it in other places. No other vehicle is going 0-60 in 3 seconds on 33s. Not having axles or differentials means the ground clearance is much higher than similar vehicles. The approach and departure angles are also best-in-class since the wheels are located at ends of the vehicle (one of the biggest complaints about wheeling in the Jeep Gladiator). Having 100% available torque is great for off-roading as well. No need for lockers or overbuilt axles either. The offroad technology is seriously impressive if you're into that sort of thing. The gear tunnel, bike lock, tonneau cover, roof/bed rack, air compressor, bluetooth speaker, etc are some of the most innovative features I've seen in a new vehicle in a long time. It's like you took someone who'd never seen a pickup truck before, told them the general shape and function, and asked them to design one from scratch.

Yeah sure it won't tow a boat 600 miles. But you can do the Rubicon Trail stock and beat a Ferrari in a drag race, all while hauling your skis and bikes in the bed. $85k doesn't seem that unreasonable for a vehicle that capable.

**This post was edited on Mar 31st 2022 at 1:10:53am
 
This is now a Rivian thread!

On a more bike related note, headed west to ski Hood and ride bikes in about a week. Gonna be coming through Hood River, White Salmon, Olympia, Port Angeles, Darrington and maybe a few other places as well. So holler if you want to ride bikes. I'll be loaded with free paintings and stickers and crap if you're into that. Always stoked to meet internet friends in real life.
 
14420925:BrandoComando said:
It lacks in areas like hauling and towing, but it makes up for it in other places. No other vehicle is going 0-60 in 3 seconds on 33s. Not having axles or differentials means the ground clearance is much higher than similar vehicles. The approach and departure angles are also best-in-class since the wheels are located at ends of the vehicle (one of the biggest complaints about wheeling in the Jeep Gladiator). Having 100% available torque is great for off-roading as well. No need for lockers or overbuilt axles either. The offroad technology is seriously impressive if you're into that sort of thing. The gear tunnel, bike lock, tonneau cover, roof/bed rack, air compressor, bluetooth speaker, etc are some of the most innovative features I've seen in a new vehicle in a long time. It's like you took someone who'd never seen a pickup truck before, told them the general shape and function, and asked them to design one from scratch.

Yeah sure it won't tow a boat 600 miles. But you can do the Rubicon Trail stock and beat a Ferrari in a drag race, all while hauling your skis and bikes in the bed. $85k doesn't seem that unreasonable for a vehicle that capable.

**This post was edited on Mar 31st 2022 at 1:10:53am
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It's all about the range man. If you could guarantee I could go ski or camp in variable/cold weather conditions, or not be worried about getting stuck in the mountains or desert without a charger I'd be all for it. Until then, the rivian isn't going to be some super viable 4x4 that will get you off the beaten path, ev advantages aside. All that said it is aluminum for the most part with independent suspension with cv joints while weighing more than 7k lbs, it will never be a prominent offroader for these reasons alone. It was designed for urban people who want a daily driver that can make trips to home depot or to fee campsites near their homes. Nothing wrong with that, but it's not honest to put them in the same practicality of ice trucks yet.
 
Man I just straight will never care if a truck goes zero to sixty quickly, that's just a silly metric designed to get small minded people to get something obnoxious.

Anyway, I have to go back to the bike shop for a new wheel again.
 
Scored a wheelset that is exactly what I have been trying to get parts to lace up for over a year. Hope Pro4 hubs with 110mm front and 197mm rear, laced to Ibis s35 aluminum wheels. The 4 season bike is finally coming together. The only hiccup is I now have to find an XD cassette somehow, or get a different freehub body to use my HG cassette.

I can't get a Pro4 Freehub body on QBP, and after emailing the US Hope rep it was suggested to buy one for $120 on ebay.

I originally though I wanted to go singlespeed, and I even bought a really nice narrow-wide cog for an HG Freehub, now the least expensive option would be an $80 Problem Solvers Zinger.

I'm really really hoping that a buddy will let me buy his spare 11 speed groupset that has a cassette for an XD driver, this will also be the best option because having a 51t climbing gear has made me soft, gotta get back to the times when 42t was a huge gear.
 
Getting burnt out from skiing. Hiked a rail today on a patch of snow and just wasn’t the same. So ready for bike season

**This post was edited on Apr 2nd 2022 at 10:15:16pm
 
hey real quick I just got a job on trail crew for a bike park but have never actually done any mountain biking stuff lol

Does anyone have any direct advice on buying a mountain bike? I've been told to go for enduro, I'm just concerned with what to avoid/look for, how people might try to fuck with you on a sale, warning signs, etc. Also looking for a bike

**This post was edited on Apr 4th 2022 at 5:05:25pm
 
14422485:Fancy_Latte said:
hey real quick I just got a job on trail crew for a bike park but have never actually done any mountain biking stuff lol

Does anyone have any direct advice on buying a mountain bike? I've been told to go for enduro, I'm just concerned with what to avoid/look for, how people might try to fuck with you on a sale, warning signs, etc. Also looking for a bike

**This post was edited on Apr 4th 2022 at 5:05:25pm
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Pinkbike has a bunch of good articles and videos about buying used bikes.

If there's a shop affiliated with your bike park look into renting/demoing a few bikes from them.

Or you can just go full hog and buy a bike. I'd recommend this. It's about as good a deal as I've seen for the price.

But honestly, borrowing/demoing/renting a bike for few weeks, as you learn about the sport and decide if you like it enough to commit is a better idea than just buying a bike right out the gate.
 
14422485:Fancy_Latte said:
hey real quick I just got a job on trail crew for a bike park but have never actually done any mountain biking stuff lol

Does anyone have any direct advice on buying a mountain bike? I've been told to go for enduro, I'm just concerned with what to avoid/look for, how people might try to fuck with you on a sale, warning signs, etc. Also looking for a bike

**This post was edited on Apr 4th 2022 at 5:05:25pm
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Which park are you working at? I just want to know which place to avoid like the fucking plague.
 
14422493:cydwhit said:
Pinkbike has a bunch of good articles and videos about buying used bikes.

If there's a shop affiliated with your bike park look into renting/demoing a few bikes from them.

Or you can just go full hog and buy a bike. I'd recommend this. It's about as good a deal as I've seen for the price.

But honestly, borrowing/demoing/renting a bike for few weeks, as you learn about the sport and decide if you like it enough to commit is a better idea than just buying a bike right out the gate.
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thanks I didnt know that was a thing with bikes, I'll def try the rent thing out
 
14422485:Fancy_Latte said:
hey real quick I just got a job on trail crew for a bike park but have never actually done any mountain biking stuff lol

Does anyone have any direct advice on buying a mountain bike? I've been told to go for enduro, I'm just concerned with what to avoid/look for, how people might try to fuck with you on a sale, warning signs, etc. Also looking for a bike

**This post was edited on Apr 4th 2022 at 5:05:25pm
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I wouldn't be surprised if some of your co-workers give you a little shit for not being a mountain biker and working on a bike park trail crew, but they will probably be the ones most excited about and invested in getting you on a bike. They could be the ones with the know how and connections to good bikes for sale. If the mountain you are working at has a demo fleet they may have some previous model years for sale, but the best time to buy those was at the end of last season most likely. I would also assume that as an employee you might get discounts on bike demos, most parks will likely have both DH and Enduro bikes available for demo.

If you are only wanting to ride park, get a DH bike that can handle that kind of abuse. If you wanna do any climbing get an enduro bike with 140-170mm of travel. Bikes are really good these days, and it's honestly hard to get a bad new bike, a direct sales company or a company that you can get with employee/industry discount through your employer will be your best deal for a new bike.

For used bikes the biggest green flag in a sale posting is a thorough description of any upgrades and service that has been done to the bike. Lots of good pictures, and especially detailed pictures that show any damage or wear are important. Even just a thorough listing of all of the components is a good sight to see. If you can tell that someone was emotionally attached to the bike they are selling its a good sign. Watch out for old bikes (older than 2015?) with vague descriptions and shitty pictures, people just trying to take advantage of the high demand in the used market. There are also probably a lot of people out there who bought a bike when the Covid boom first started and are getting rid of it because they never ended up riding as much as they thought they would, which could mean either getting a bike with very minimal wear and tear but could also mean they are ignorant to any issues with the bike. Beware that you may need to budget a few hundred extra bucks to spend if any suspension needs to be rebuilt/serviced. When viewing a bike in person beware of any clunks and clicks coming from suspension pivots, brakes can be bled and drivetrains can be tuned with relative ease, but if the pivots or bearings need work it can get expensive fast.

What is your budget?
 
14422509:No.Quarter said:
I wouldn't be surprised if some of your co-workers give you a little shit for not being a mountain biker and working on a bike park trail crew, but they will probably be the ones most excited about and invested in getting you on a bike. They could be the ones with the know how and connections to good bikes for sale. If the mountain you are working at has a demo fleet they may have some previous model years for sale, but the best time to buy those was at the end of last season most likely. I would also assume that as an employee you might get discounts on bike demos, most parks will likely have both DH and Enduro bikes available for demo.

If you are only wanting to ride park, get a DH bike that can handle that kind of abuse. If you wanna do any climbing get an enduro bike with 140-170mm of travel. Bikes are really good these days, and it's honestly hard to get a bad new bike, a direct sales company or a company that you can get with employee/industry discount through your employer will be your best deal for a new bike.

For used bikes the biggest green flag in a sale posting is a thorough description of any upgrades and service that has been done to the bike. Lots of good pictures, and especially detailed pictures that show any damage or wear are important. Even just a thorough listing of all of the components is a good sight to see. If you can tell that someone was emotionally attached to the bike they are selling its a good sign. Watch out for old bikes (older than 2015?) with vague descriptions and shitty pictures, people just trying to take advantage of the high demand in the used market. There are also probably a lot of people out there who bought a bike when the Covid boom first started and are getting rid of it because they never ended up riding as much as they thought they would, which could mean either getting a bike with very minimal wear and tear but could also mean they are ignorant to any issues with the bike. Beware that you may need to budget a few hundred extra bucks to spend if any suspension needs to be rebuilt/serviced. When viewing a bike in person beware of any clunks and clicks coming from suspension pivots, brakes can be bled and drivetrains can be tuned with relative ease, but if the pivots or bearings need work it can get expensive fast.

What is your budget?
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A little shit would be warranted haha. I work park crew in winter so I figured why not since I know a few people. Thanks for all the info, its exactly what I needed. I gotta do my research, but 3-4k should be my budget. From what I've been told so far enduro seems the best bet for my location, as we are the only bike park in the greater area. I wanted to consider resale value too, so I don't end up stuck with a bike if I call it quits in a few years.
 
[video]https://www.newschoolers.com/videos/watch/1038793/trim-1EBFDD27-63A2-4225-A7C2-C8DF25003598-MOV[/video]super stoked to get the confidence up on the new bike!! Shuttle days with friends are god tier
 
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In-progress pic of my partner’s bike. Always love how much a new cockpit and fork can change the look of a bike. Got a whole bunch of parts coming for this and my hard tail build. Gonna be spending quite a bit of time in the shop the next couple weeks. Currently have 5 unfinished projects in the works, 2 that are destined to my garage and 3 to be sold at the co-op.
 
https://www.commencalusa.com/clash-essential-ash-grey-2022-c2x35182075

14422520:Fancy_Latte said:
A little shit would be warranted haha. I work park crew in winter so I figured why not since I know a few people. Thanks for all the info, its exactly what I needed. I gotta do my research, but 3-4k should be my budget. From what I've been told so far enduro seems the best bet for my location, as we are the only bike park in the greater area. I wanted to consider resale value too, so I don't end up stuck with a bike if I call it quits in a few years.
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If ur riding a good chunk of park. This bike might just be perfect for ya. Commencals are alloy and the bike/frame will keep its value longer and less risk of getting internal damage. 27.5inch wheels and 180mm front and 170mm rear will be super fun in the park, and and climb pretty good too.
 
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