Cycling - post your rides

[ahtoxa]

What's the drivetrain group?

 

[Palmaris]

Drivetrain is SRAM X9 2x10. I've never tried 2 x 10, so we'll see how that goes. 1 x 11 XX1 was also available for a little bit more. But I really don't mind being able to shift gears!

 

[Scot]

Older Ventana El Ray 29er. Rest of the parts come tomorrow

 

[ahtoxa]

I sort of want a 29'er but cannot justify getting rid of my 26'er for it. To get a 29er with equal or better components and what not, I'd have to spend about $3200 and, in essence, just to go from 26'er to a 29'er for that kind of money is not justifiable to me.

I've rebuilt most of my bike now and couldn't let it go just like that.

 

[mitdr774]

My Trek 4300 (2002 model) needs retired and I have debated getting a 29" bike. Might need to go visit the local Trek dealer soon and price shop. Something tells me I need to expect $800+. Who knows, I may just invest a couple hundred in the 4300 and keep it going if that is the case.

 

[ahtoxa]

Might as well post another pic of it. From a couple weeks ago.

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[mitdr774]

Based on the long term use of my current bike, I plan on getting a Trek. I am looking at a few options. Tomorrow I will be taking the little ladies Trek 3700 (its actually a mens bike not a ladies bike) for a ride. It has mechanical disc brakes, front suspension, 24 speed, and its a 26" bike.

A 3700 is one option and the others I am looking at are the X-Caliber 5 and 6. The X-Caliber bikes are 29", front suspension, 24 speed, and disc brakes. The main differences are the front fork and cable vs hydraulic brakes. The 6 steps up to hydraulic and has a lockout on the front fork. My guess is that I would probably never really use the lockout feature as I like having some front suspension action. Having not had much experience with disc brakes on a bike, I really dont know if the hydraulic is worth the extra $90.

 

[ahtoxa]

Good mechanical disks are far better than cheap hydro's. Choose wisely.

But, if you compare good hydro's to good mechanicals, hydraulic disks are definitely worth the extra cost. You get better modulation and better power, which means you can do smooth, hard actuation with just one finger. This gives you better grip on the bars, and better stopping will give you better confidence coming into corners and braking later.

 

[ahtoxa]

Also, when shopping entry level, IF you can find a new 26er you will have a better deal on that than a 29er of the same price. Components will be better and that's what you need at this price level.

 

[mitdr774]

3700-$560
X-Caliber 5-$660
X-Caliber 6-$750

Not exactly cheap bikes, but also not top of the line. My 4300 has been an awesome bike for the past 12 years. It is just getting to the point that it needs lots of parts replaced.

 

[ahtoxa]

Unfortunately 500-600 bucks only buys you a marginally better than department store bike. Forks are pogo sticks, drive train is imprecise and components are meh.

My first bike was a $550 specialized hardrock. Exactly as I described.

Granted, this bike is fine, unless one plans to ride trails frequently. As an all-around bike it would be plenty.

If one rides trails often, the drive train frustrations alone aren't worth it.

 

[mitdr774]

I have taken my 4300 on trails, but most of its life is on the street. It was a $400 bike when I got it. Lasted far longer than the department store bikes I was using.

Shimano seems to be decent drive train based on my past experience. I had to replace my front gear set once and the rear cassette needs replaced soon. In the first few years of owning it I put at least 5000 miles on it. I have not kept track since.

 

[ahtoxa]

On the street they will last well. It was the constant adjustments to low end drjvetrain components that aren't suited for rougher trail use vs street.

 

[mitdr774]

That is how I just about removed all the teeth from a few gears on my bike. Chances are that 80-90% of the use will be on the street. If a gear set wears out in a few years I would just replace it. Last bike took about 5 years to take out the front set.

 

[mitdr774]

I ended up going with a 3700. Its 26" bike, but that is what I used to, have spare tires for, and it fits decent on the rack. The 29" bikes stuck out slightly more than I would like.

If it holds up as well as my last one I will be looking for a new bike when i am 41-43 years old.

 

[Jcordo93]

At the moment I am currently looking for a new bike, I figure this thread would be a good place to ask, does anyone recommend one of those fat bikes? I am really interested in the Surly Moonlander but I would like to know anyone's feedback on then before I spend that much on a bicycle.

 

[Palmaris]

I don't have a Fat Bike, but I see that people are using them all summer long. They must really enjoy them if that is all they ride. I rode with a few of them last weekend. Surly is a established name in the fatbike world. I heard that the more aggressive Surly bike might be the best one to get. He called it the Surly Ice Cream Truck.

There has got to be a way for you to test drive one before ordering. I got to ride one last month from a custom bike frame manufacturer (True North Cycles). So some people are even going custom with these bikes.

 

[ahtoxa]

At the moment I am currently looking for a new bike, I figure this thread would be a good place to ask, does anyone recommend one of those fat bikes? I am really interested in the Surly Moonlander but I would like to know anyone's feedback on then before I spend that much on a bicycle.

I think the important question here, is what's your intended use for the bike? What kind of trails do you ride? What kind of conditions do you plan to ride in?

When I lived in IL, I've seen a few Surly Fat bikes one the trails. Mainly, they were used when trail conditions are soft, sandy or slightly wet. The tires will float better and get better grip while not tearing up the trail if ridden responsibly. Here in TX I've only seen them in bike shops. I personally don't see the benefit here, as the trails are tight and dry vast majority of the time. Few people ride on the beach and once I saw tracks from one of these bikes on the beach.

TLDR: if you ride on the beach or trails that involve a lot of deep sand, shale or other very loose soil - get the Surly. Otherwise, there are other, better options, depending on how and where you ride.

 

[Jcordo93]

I think the important question here, is what's your intended use for the bike? What kind of trails do you ride? What kind of conditions do you plan to ride in?



When I lived in IL, I've seen a few Surly Fat bikes one the trails. Mainly, they were used when trail conditions are soft, sandy or slightly wet. The tires will float better and get better grip while not tearing up the trail if ridden responsibly. Here in TX I've only seen them in bike shops. I personally don't see the benefit here, as the trails are tight and dry vast majority of the time. Few people ride on the beach and once I saw tracks from one of these bikes on the beach.



TLDR: if you ride on the beach or trails that involve a lot of deep sand, shale or other very loose soil - get the Surly. Otherwise, there are other, better options, depending on how and where you ride.

I originally was just thinking of a bike I could ride anywhere, on the road, in the woods, or in the snow since it snows quite a bit here in Utah. Pretty much just a great all terrain bike

 

[ahtoxa]

To be honest, I don't think a fat bike could be an all around bike. It does great on loose soil, but reading rewiews on it state that the fat tires are sketchy when turning at higher speeds as they float more and bite in less. It is also a heavy bike. I like to ride fast and corner hard, which this bike wasn't meant to do.

If I had other bikes in my stable, maybe. As the only bike - absolutely not. It makes too many sacrifices in the standard MTB genre in order to fill a niche riding environment.