ParadigmDawg

ParadigmDawg

Audioholic Overlord
Fortunately for me a medium is too small so there is no temptation.
I can put a large sticker on it. Problem solved.

I shipped it to you this morning please PP me the money by noon or my lawyer will be calling you.
 
ParadigmDawg

ParadigmDawg

Audioholic Overlord
Well, I picked her up today for our first date. I decided that instead of making her try to set a <acronym title="Google Page Ranking" style="border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); cursor: help; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); background-color: rgb(250, 250, 250);">PR</acronym>, I would spend some time getting to know her and discover her likes and dislikes and what turns her on and what shuts her down.

She may like long walks through the park and the feeling of a cool breeze or she may just like to be held and cuddled. On the other hand; she may like it rough and just blast through gardens, or maybe she’s just a biotch and likes to be beat on.

I took it slow and easy for about 3 miles and all my fears of a 29’er vanished quickly.

Tight switchbacks: no problem.

Tight high speed corners: took them faster than I ever have.

Small jumps: felt long and awkward on the first 2 or 3 and then felt completely normal.

Short, technical climbs: Took them like a scalded ape.

Long climbs: NA, I live in North Texas

Downhills: I still live in Texas but on the downhill’s we have, I have never felt so fast and in control.

Rock gardens, roots, logs and ruts: I thought someone removed them as I didn’t seem to really notice them anymore. This is where I always thought that a 29’er would shine and the only place I thought it would shine. Boy have I changed my mind on that.

The CVA suspension had the best feel to it of any bike I have ridden. All and all, the bike just seemed so balanced and perfect. The XX1 was dead quite and shifted so smoothly. It didn't even seem like there was a chain on it.
The SID fork also did a good job although I set the pressures wrong and bottomed out several times. I forgot my number one rule, of bringing the shock pump with me, on my first ride.

I absolutely loved the SLR wheels, they seemed very stiff and spun easily and made about the right amount of noise to my ears.

Now the one thing that my LBS and I argued over was the brakes. I have always loved Shimano and wanted XTRs. He wanted me to try Magura. He finally talked me into the MT6, with the understanding that he would switch them out to XTRs, if they didn’t work for me. To my surprise, when I picked up the bike, it had MT8’s on it with no upcharge

With time running low and me eager to hit the trail I didn't do a bed-in procedure and just started riding. I was cursing these darn brakes for the first 4 miles. They were squealing like a pig, had no power and I was blowing through corners. At mile 5, they became my favorite brakes and were silent with good stopping power and great modulation.

I couldn't be happier with the purchase of this bike. It really did have me smiling from ear to ear the whole ride. It turns out that she likes to be beat on and when I downloaded my Garmin, I had just set a new personal record, on a 12 mile loop, by a little over 4 minutes.

Oh and the final weight loaded up was 23.46 lbs









 
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G

gholt

Full Audioholic
That looks nice. I just recently bought a 26 Ibis f/s (Last spring), and I sometimes wonder if I should have waited to get a good 29. I love how my bike handles. But, all the stuff I hear about the 29 makes me 2nd guess myself. They said that the frame would fit a 27.5 wheel.

It will probably be a few years before I can get my wife to go for a 29 bike or switch to 27.5 for me, but just curious, what did the final tally $ end up being, if you don't mind?

Looks awesome in any event. I love new bikes. I've never had one, mine are always used, but I love the tech in the new bikes.
 
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ParadigmDawg

ParadigmDawg

Audioholic Overlord
That looks nice. I just recently bought a 26 Ibis f/s, and I sometimes wonder if I should have waited to get a good 29. I love how my bike handles. But, all the stuff I hear about the 29 makes me 2nd guess myself. They said that the frame would fit a 27.5 wheel.

It will probably be a few years before I can get my wife to go for a 29 bike or switch to 27.5 for me, but just curious, what did the final tally $ end up being, if you don't mind?

Looks awesome in any event. I love new bikes. I've never had one, mine are always used, but I love the tech in the new bikes.
27.5 would be cool on an Ibis. I held out forever on a 29 as I thought I would lose more than I would gain, boy was I wrong. 4 minutes faster and .5 mph, on a trail I ride all the time is nothing to sneeze at and that was on a bike I have never ridden. Once I get use to it and dial it in a little more, I bet it's ungodly.

There is no way I'm talking about the price, my wife could find out. You can get on Competitive Cyclist and build a similar one out and see the MSRP but they don't offer a wheelset this nice. I worked out a pretty sweet deal that was way below MSRP.
 
G

gholt

Full Audioholic
27.5 would be cool on an Ibis. I held out forever on a 29 as I thought I would lose more than I would gain, boy was I wrong. 4 minutes faster and .5 mph, on a trail I ride all the time is nothing to sneeze at and that was on a bike I have never ridden. Once I get use to it and dial it in a little more, I bet it's ungodly.

There is no way I'm talking about the price, my wife could find out. You can get on Competitive Cyclist and build a similar one out and see the MSRP but they don't offer a wheelset this nice. I worked out a pretty sweet deal that was way below MSRP.
I'll call them. The are just down the street ( 30 miles) part of Backcountry.com. Great store. You could go with the Enve carbon wheel with Chris King Hubs to make it even better, they are built here in Ogden. They will only set you back about $2k for the set.
 
adk highlander

adk highlander

Sith Lord
Greg, I believe I like you a little less now. Very very nice.

I'm demoing a couple of Santa Cruz models this week. I'll have to buy my wife a bike at the same time but at least I will get a better deal that way.
 
ParadigmDawg

ParadigmDawg

Audioholic Overlord
Greg, I believe I like you a little less now. Very very nice.

I'm demoing a couple of Santa Cruz models this week. I'll have to buy my wife a bike at the same time but at least I will get a better deal that way.
My wife likes me a lot less now...

The guy hasn't picked up my Yeti yet...I'm just saying...
 
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ParadigmDawg

ParadigmDawg

Audioholic Overlord
I'll call them. The are just down the street ( 30 miles) part of Backcountry.com. Great store. You could go with the Enve carbon wheel with Chris King Hubs to make it even better, they are built here in Ogden. They will only set you back about $2k for the set.
I had a spare pair of Chris King hubs in my garage I planned on using, unfortunately, CK isn't making a XX1 freehub body and they know know when they will. Had I been able to use those, I would have went with Enve Carbons.
 
G

gholt

Full Audioholic
I had a spare pair of Chris King hubs in my garage I planned on using, unfortunately, CK isn't making a XX1 freehub body and they know know when they will. Had I been able to use those, I would have went with Enve Carbons.
Are you hanging on to those hubs?

If not and they are 10 speed rear, let me know how much you would like to get rid of them.
 
ParadigmDawg

ParadigmDawg

Audioholic Overlord
Are you hanging on to those hubs?

If not and they are 10 speed rear, let me know how much you would like to get rid of them.
The expense of my new bike just got way higher. My wife decided she wanted all my gear off of my ASR5. She took the CK/Stan's wheels, the full 2x10 XTR drivetrain, Thompson seatpost, carbon bars and everything else that would fit her. My poor Yeti went from 23lbs to almost 28 lbs but now her's is nice and light.
 
slipperybidness

slipperybidness

Audioholic Warlord
The expense of my new bike just got way higher. My wife decided she wanted all my gear off of my ASR5. She took the CK/Stan's wheels, the full 2x10 XTR drivetrain, Thompson seatpost, carbon bars and everything else that would fit her. My poor Yeti went from 23lbs to almost 28 lbs but now her's is nice and light.
You should have used all those parts as the bargaining-chip for the new bike!
 
G

gholt

Full Audioholic
That is so cool that your wife likes to mountain bike. I have just got my wife used to the idea of road biking.
 
ParadigmDawg

ParadigmDawg

Audioholic Overlord
That is so cool that your wife likes to mountain bike. I have just got my wife used to the idea of road biking.
She prefers road biking and I have a feeling she is going to leverage my new buy with getting a new road bike.
 
darien87

darien87

Audioholic Spartan
You guys are nuts! Thousands of dollars for a bicycle?!?!?! :eek:

Guess we all have our priorities though.
 
slipperybidness

slipperybidness

Audioholic Warlord
You guys are nuts! Thousands of dollars for a bicycle?!?!?! :eek:

Guess we all have our priorities though.
Yup, it's hard to get used to, when you can buy a pretty good motorcycle for that price. But once you ride a nice bike, you understand.
 
ParadigmDawg

ParadigmDawg

Audioholic Overlord
You guys are nuts! Thousands of dollars for a bicycle?!?!?! :eek:

Guess we all have our priorities though.
It's crazy, I have about $19,000 worth of bikes in my garage right now and I am always too hung over to ride them.

The good news is that I could sell them all today for about 100 bucks...lol...

Hey what do you expect us to spend all our money on...stereos and TVs...?
 
G

gholt

Full Audioholic
You guys are nuts! Thousands of dollars for a bicycle?!?!?!

That's Crazy talk. That is almost as bad as spending thousands on TVs and speakers, wait we do that too.

I've had decent bikes for years, until I bought the Ibis, a really nice bike. Good bikes with good components ride so, so, so much better. I couldn't believe it until I got the new bike. It is totally worth the cost, but you have to ride alot to want to spend that.
 
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slipperybidness

slipperybidness

Audioholic Warlord
That's Crazy talk. That is almost as bad as spending thousands on TVs and speakers, wait we do that too.

I've had decent bikes for years, until I bought the Ibis, a really nice bike. Good bikes with good components ride so, so, so much better. I couldn't believe it until I got the new bike. It is totally worth the cost, but you have to ride alot to want to spend that.
The other side of that argument is "I spent this much, I better be riding the heck out of it"
 
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