Great bike rides today

[ParadigmDawg]

Cuz the fat white dude took the picture...and they're both beanpoles.

That makes me feel much better.

 

[lovinthehd]

I'm just glad I can still outrun many of the younger ones coming down the hill Still working on the uphills, where never was and ain't ever gonna be very fast, but can be faster than I am right now! Working on it, did one of the two rides again today....

 

[slipperybidness]

I'm just glad I can still outrun many of the younger ones coming down the hill Still working on the uphills, where never was and ain't ever gonna be very fast, but can be faster than I am right now! Working on it, did one of the two rides again today....

You missed one of my key bike questions, it seems.

That Hightower is a 1x drive train? How are you liking that? Does it live up to the hype?

I'm running a 2x on 1 bike and a 3x on my older bike. But, I'm really interested in the 1x, if the advantages are real out on the trails, and if the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?

 

[ski2xblack]

A buddy who rides w/ 1x9 says the only real limits are the lack short gearing for steep uphills, but that's about it. It seems to suit his former racer, hammerhead riding style pretty well. If you're also on the fast side you would probably like it too. He has a Tallboy with 2x for the steeper trails.

I personally liked it because of the aesthetics on his bike, very clean looking without the extra chain ring, derailleur, cables, and shifter. The i9 hubs, custom ti frame, and other bling didn't hurt.

 

[ski2xblack]

OMG, have you guys seen this? Danny Macaskill thrashing a Hightower with 1x9 drivetrain...this is freakin awesome!

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[Pogre]

OMG, have you guys seen this? Danny Macaskill thrashing a Hightower with 1x9 drivetrain...this is freakin awesome!

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That's pretty incredible! The bloopers at the end made me feel a little better though, lol. That man has some talent. I really enjoyed that video.

 

[lovinthehd]

You missed one of my key bike questions, it seems.

That Hightower is a 1x drive train? How are you liking that? Does it live up to the hype?

I'm running a 2x on 1 bike and a 3x on my older bike. But, I'm really interested in the 1x, if the advantages are real out on the trails, and if the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?

Sorry, yes, the Hightower is a 1x only (no front derailleur mount), I have the Eagle X01 (1x12) 27.5+ kit. Love it, don't miss the second shifter at all (replacing it with my dropper post lever) and with a 30t front and 10-50t in back, so it has a sufficient low. Three of my other bikes are Shimano 9sp with triple chainrings, so a pretty big change for me but I took to the new one immediately. The replacement cassette is pretty expensive, tho, even if I get a special deal thru the shop (seems most pricing I've seen is around $360). It's simpler (no calculating combos of front/rear) and quieter (none of my older 9sp had the derailleur clutch thing to quiet it down). Hard not to like, maybe I give up a little top gear when spinning out on a road or something...

 

[lovinthehd]

OMG, have you guys seen this? Danny Macaskill thrashing a Hightower with 1x9 drivetrain...this is freakin awesome!

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="

" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

The patience that guy has to set up and repeat each of those stunts until it's just right....the riding into the big puddle cracks me up. Have you seen his descent on Isle of Skye?

 

[slipperybidness]

Sorry, yes, the Hightower is a 1x only (no front derailleur mount), I have the Eagle X01 (1x12) 27.5+ kit. Love it, don't miss the second shifter at all (replacing it with my dropper post lever) and with a 30t front and 10-50t in back, so it has a sufficient low. Three of my other bikes are Shimano 9sp with triple chainrings, so a pretty big change for me but I took to the new one immediately. The replacement cassette is pretty expensive, tho, even if I get a special deal thru the shop (seems most pricing I've seen is around $360). It's simpler (no calculating combos of front/rear) and quieter (none of my older 9sp had the derailleur clutch thing to quiet it down). Hard not to like, maybe I give up a little top gear when spinning out on a road or something...

That's about what I figured. Honestly, even with a 2x or 3x, I stay in a single chainring probably 80% of the time, so going 1x seems pretty logical to me too.

What are your other bikes that you have mentioned?

I currently own 3 bikes. 2017 Cannondale Cujo 2 27.5+, 2012 Specialized Carve Comp 29er, 1979 Mongoose BMX.

I put in many, many miles on a 2001 Specialized Rockhopper FSR, but sold that in 2012 when I bought the carve.

EDIT: Any rec on a good, cheap floor pump? I've been thinking about this one
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LW0HAYJ/_encoding=UTF8?coliid=I2T7059I1ASD4P&colid=1HG08ZEAX2T4Q

 

[lovinthehd]

That's about what I figured. Honestly, even with a 2x or 3x, I stay in a single chainring probably 80% of the time, so going 1x seems pretty logical to me too.

What are your other bikes that you have mentioned?

I currently own 3 bikes. 2017 Cannondale Cujo 2 27.5+, 2012 Specialized Carve Comp 29er, 1979 Mongoose BMX.

I put in many, many miles on a 2001 Specialized Rockhopper FSR, but sold that in 2012 when I bought the carve.

I've got a second generation Santa Cruz Heckler (Heckler 2) as well as a last generation Santa Cruz Heckler (Heckler 6), the latter having been my main bike for the last 9 years before the Hightower (and I switched out the original 26" wheels on that for a set of 27.5" wheels I built back in early 2009; didn't need to mod the bike to accommodate, 27.5 was pretty rare, there were like only one decent set of mountain bike tires at that time, lol). I had a Heckler 5 at one point as well.

I also have hanging out there a custom Moots YBB (8 sp XTR still on that one) from about 97. A Trek Carbon Pro from around the same time (a replacement frame for a 9800 I had before it), that's now a single speed. Also a first gen Santa Cruz Nomad (26", aluminum). Plus a coupla road bikes.

My first mountain bike was a Schwinn High Sierra back in 84 I think. Broke a coupla Bianchi Grizzlies after that one.

 

[slipperybidness]

I've got a second generation Santa Cruz Heckler (Heckler 2) as well as a last generation Santa Cruz Heckler (Heckler 6), the latter having been my main bike for the last 9 years before the Hightower (and I switched out the original 26" wheels on that for a set of 27.5" wheels I built back in early 2009; didn't need to mod the bike to accommodate, 27.5 was pretty rare, there were like only one decent set of mountain bike tires at that time, lol). I had a Heckler 5 at one point as well.

I also have hanging out there a custom Moots YBB (8 sp XTR still on that one) from about 97. A Trek Carbon Pro from around the same time (a replacement frame for a 9800 I had before it), that's now a single speed. Also a first gen Santa Cruz Nomad (26", aluminum). Plus a coupla road bikes.

My first mountain bike was a Schwinn High Sierra back in 84 I think. Broke a coupla Bianchi Grizzlies after that one.

Nice fleet! Nothing wrong with a stable of bikes
Except they probably don't get ridden as often as they should.

But, yeah, I like having more than 1 bike. That way you can still ride when 1 needs some maintenance.

Obviously, you are a bit older than me, I was quite young in 84. I sure as heck hope that I have the ability and the time to enjoy biking like you are now.

 

[lovinthehd]

Nice fleet! Nothing wrong with a stable of bikes
Except they probably don't get ridden as often as they should.

But, yeah, I like having more than 1 bike. That way you can still ride when 1 needs some maintenance.

Obviously, you are a bit older than me, I was quite young in 84. I sure as heck hope that I have the ability and the time to enjoy biking like you are now.

I keep 'em "just in case", but you're right, they don't all get ridden regularly but I do keep them up and even loan one on occasion; part of it is simply nostalgia....like keeping a turntable around LOL. Have a fairly complete setup in my workshop for maintenance, build my own wheels, that sort of thing.

I was in my late 20s when I got the cycling bug again (since the time I got a driver's license), actually as recommended therapy for some knee surgery from something that happened playing softball. That same knee now sometimes keeps me off the bike....they didn't replace the meniscus back then.

 

[slipperybidness]

I keep 'em "just in case", but you're right, they don't all get ridden regularly but I do keep them up and even loan one on occasion; part of it is simply nostalgia....like keeping a turntable around LOL. Have a fairly complete setup in my workshop for maintenance, build my own wheels, that sort of thing.

I was in my late 20s when I got the cycling bug again (since the time I got a driver's license), actually as recommended therapy for some knee surgery from something that happened playing softball. That same knee now sometimes keeps me off the bike....they didn't replace the meniscus back then.

Yeah, when I see the bike that I paid $1400 for new 5 years ago is now only worth about $700, I think I will just keep it. It's worth more to me than it is on the open market. Serves as a backup and like you said, a loaner when a friend wants to ride that doesn't own a bike.

I had a serious ankle break on my Rockhopper, almost 10 years ago now. Broke in 3 places, I now have 8 screws and a steel plate in my ankle

It took several years before I was really confident on a bike again. And, I don't go looking for the types of terrain that I used to go looking for either. Nowadays, I'm more of an XC rider.

On the good note, I'm 95% normal on that ankle, though it is visibly larger than the other ankle.

 

[lovinthehd]

Yeah, when I see the bike that I paid $1400 for new 5 years ago is now only worth about $700, I think I will just keep it. It's worth more to me than it is on the open market. Serves as a backup and like you said, a loaner when a friend wants to ride that doesn't own a bike.

I had a serious ankle break on my Rockhopper, almost 10 years ago now. Broke in 3 places, I now have 8 screws and a steel plate in my ankle

It took several years before I was really confident on a bike again. And, I don't go looking for the types of terrain that I used to go looking for either. Nowadays, I'm more of an XC rider.

On the good note, I'm 95% normal on that ankle, though it is visibly larger than the other ankle.

I hear ya on the ankle, twisted mine badly putting my foot into a leaf-covered hole on a trail I was running down, still bugs me 20 years later (altho no screws/plates, but have some of that in an arm from a simple fall on a bike, sometimes its them little slow motion falls that are the worst, rarely have I hurt myself at speed). While I like fast technical riding, am not doing, nor ever did, some of the stuff my friends can do, like going into a tight downhill switchback and nose wheelie to get the rear around or get big fat air or even a lowly tailwhip....just too late to the game for some of that stuff.

 

[ParadigmDawg]

Well, looks like I am out again. I can't seem to make it into summer without surgery. I swear, I don't know if old age is killing me or trying to fight getting old is killing me. Two years ago it was my back and the RF ablation, last year is was the torn Achilles's and now I am a proud new owner of a shoulder injury.

I look like I am in the best shape of my life, been riding well, lifting great and perfect diet for about a year now. Walking around at 10% bodyfat and nice muscularity but looks don't mean a lot.

My shoulder has been bothering me a little the past 2 months and then the last 2 weeks it has been getting worse. During chest and shoulder work last week, it made a noise and then popped out of socket and now it fried. I saw my Orthopedic Surgeon on Friday and he said 99% certain it is a torn Labrum and the only solution is surgery. I have that 1% chance that he is wrong and maybe a steroid shot and PT can correct it but the MRI tomorrow will tell the truth. He said that most of the time he can scope it but it depends on exactly where it is torn. Here goes another crappy incapacitated summer.

 

[lovinthehd]

That's about what I figured. Honestly, even with a 2x or 3x, I stay in a single chainring probably 80% of the time, so going 1x seems pretty logical to me too.

What are your other bikes that you have mentioned?

I currently own 3 bikes. 2017 Cannondale Cujo 2 27.5+, 2012 Specialized Carve Comp 29er, 1979 Mongoose BMX.

I put in many, many miles on a 2001 Specialized Rockhopper FSR, but sold that in 2012 when I bought the carve.

EDIT: Any rec on a good, cheap floor pump? I've been thinking about this one
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LW0HAYJ/_encoding=UTF8?coliid=I2T7059I1ASD4P&colid=1HG08ZEAX2T4Q

Missed the floor pump thing before. More a fan of Silca, Park, Topeak or Zefal myself. If it's re-buildable that's a plus, disposable not so much. My mini pump I keep in my backpack costs more than that Bell (big fan of Topeak's Mountain Morph).

 

[lovinthehd]

Well, looks like I am out again. I can't seem to make it into summer without surgery. I swear, I don't know if old age is killing me or trying to fight getting old is killing me. Two years ago it was my back and the RF ablation, last year is was the torn Achilles's and now I am a proud new owner of a shoulder injury.

I look like I am in the best shape of my life, been riding well, lifting great and perfect diet for about a year now. Walking around at 10% bodyfat and nice muscularity but looks don't mean a lot.

My shoulder has been bothering me a little the past 2 months and then the last 2 weeks it has been getting worse. During chest and shoulder work last week, it made a noise and then popped out of socket and now it fried. I saw my Orthopedic Surgeon on Friday and he said 99% certain it is a torn Labrum and the only solution is surgery. I have that 1% chance that he is wrong and maybe a steroid shot and PT can correct it but the MRI tomorrow will tell the truth. He said that most of the time he can scope it but it depends on exactly where it is torn. Here goes another crappy incapacitated summer.

Bummer. Old age is trying to kill us, though. I've had some elbow/shoulder issues myself, keeps me off the bike occasionally but more keeps me from trail maintenance days lately. Wishing you a speedy resolution and recovery!

 

[slipperybidness]

Well, looks like I am out again. I can't seem to make it into summer without surgery. I swear, I don't know if old age is killing me or trying to fight getting old is killing me. Two years ago it was my back and the RF ablation, last year is was the torn Achilles's and now I am a proud new owner of a shoulder injury.

I look like I am in the best shape of my life, been riding well, lifting great and perfect diet for about a year now. Walking around at 10% bodyfat and nice muscularity but looks don't mean a lot.

My shoulder has been bothering me a little the past 2 months and then the last 2 weeks it has been getting worse. During chest and shoulder work last week, it made a noise and then popped out of socket and now it fried. I saw my Orthopedic Surgeon on Friday and he said 99% certain it is a torn Labrum and the only solution is surgery. I have that 1% chance that he is wrong and maybe a steroid shot and PT can correct it but the MRI tomorrow will tell the truth. He said that most of the time he can scope it but it depends on exactly where it is torn. Here goes another crappy incapacitated summer.

Well, to be fair, Summer isn't exactly the best riding season in the south.

Bummer nonetheless! Sending good juju your way.

 

[slipperybidness]

Missed the floor pump thing before. More a fan of Silca, Park, Topeak or Zefal myself. If it's re-buildable that's a plus, disposable not so much. My mini pump I keep in my backpack costs more than that Bell (big fan of Topeak's Mountain Morph).

Yeah, well I already bought the Bell. $16 so we will see. Exact same pump at Wal-mart is $30, so I feel like a winner either way.

I have a good mini pump, I just wanted to get something a bit quicker/easier while I am in the garage. I will almost certainly get my $16 out of it.

 

[slipperybidness]

Bummer. Old age is trying to kill us, though. I've had some elbow/shoulder issues myself, keeps me off the bike occasionally but more keeps me from trail maintenance days lately. Wishing you a speedy resolution and recovery!

As my boss likes to say, "getting old is much better than the alternative"