Definitely interested. Will try and bring my bikes. If my girlfriend comes along we wont be super fast, but she is competent and can ride most trails.

 

Kind of want:

 

Bad news, I have **** floating around in my elbow.

 

This too shall pass.

 

... into your aorta.

 

so a friend of mine has a trek 5200 carbon road bike just hanging in the basement. It looks pretty worn, and covered in dust. how much should I offer for it, considering I'd probably have to rebuild everything? Would $150 be an insult? Judging from pix on the web, its early-mid 90s vintage

 

Would it be reasonable to slam that muthafucking stem on the Stigmata for road riding, put the 2cm spacer under the stem for off-road and CX? I am determined to ride the Stigmata when I return to cycling after all this injury ****.

Also, I hate my life, a lot

 

MTB suspension geekout

Linkage Design

 

Friend of mine just got his first road bike. He was on a tight budget and got a good price at $367 out the door for a Fuji Sportif 2.7 (26lbs, 2x7 speed, shimano a050 components, 22tpi tires). I told him to spring for the $500 2.5 which at least had the integrated shifters with brake levers, even offered to lend him the money, but he said he'd be OK. Now I know people have used frame and bar end shifters, maybe I'm just spoiled by my STI stuff, but I can't imagine using those since I shift while sprinting, and also shift while braking to set up for sections of road. I don't think he realizes quite what he's giving up by not going to the 2.5.

He's definitely a stronger mountain rider than me, but I can't imagine him hanging with for instance a B group ride on a 26lb road bike wearing 22tpi tires, with those shifters, considering he's not really even wanting clipless pedals. It actually scares the crap out of me knowing that if I have to shift, I can't brake. I really wish he had taken my $150 and bumped up to a 2.5, but hopefully he doesn't hate the 2.7 too much and gets a better platform come spring. He was talking about upgrading it to 10 speed, shifters, etc., so I asked one of my buddies at the shop where he bought it to talk him out of it, as we both cringe at the idea of dumping money into this platform. We both told him he'd be best off saving his pennies over winter and finding a used bike in the spring, or using his trek credit card to get something nice. Personally, I tried to steer him towards a TREK 1.1 or 1.2 at a minimum, but I also remember being 19 and making bullshit money, and thinking I knew best no matter what people told me, so I can't be mad at him.

I've got an exciting week ahead. My boyd comes back from the freehub conversion tomorrow, going to drop it off at the shop to have the cassette swapped over, then have a group ride tuesday which I might ride to the meet spot instead of driving, should get me 70 miles that day (and then trail at night). Wednesday I will be taking the above mentioned friend out for a christening road ride on his 2.7, will be a slower paced one but still 40 miles or so.

 

I'm kind of thinking about selling both bikes and all wheels, getting a BMC Road Machine at break-even, riding for fun rather than racing. Am I insane?

 

Just do what makes you happy man. Keep it fun, always.

 

Now that I'm looking at elbow surgery which will certainly cost me $15k or whatever, spending $28k three years ago, I'm kind of over-it. These kinds of injury and it's frequency makes me sad. Is this normal? I've been thinking about parting the green Miata too, need to buy a house. I'm just a mess right now, need to drink. I should be getting ready to race a 24 in Colorado and then riding bikes and kayaking all week; instead I'm nursing injuries and whining.

 

If you still love riding then keep riding. No further rationale needed. If you no longer love riding, no longer miss it, then don't ride. If the risk that you are averse to only comes when you race or train for racing, then quit racing. I left cycling for almost 10 years. Burnt on the masters-dopers relegating me to a long string of 2nd places. One of the key riders eventually got busted, the other never got caught though everyone knew he was juiced. Started 949 Racing then realized I really missed cycling. Came back with and edict to be ok with 2nd place as long as I gave it my best and truly enjoyed racing. I no longer have my entire season mapped out. I just race or do fun events at a whim. No pressure put on myself to be what I think it means to be elite. No need to be the best in the country anymore. Just riding for fun, not duty, expectation, guilt or any other reason.

 

I have been riding 25 years or so and not had anywhere near the troubles you have had. I tried racing early on and decided it was not for me. It does not mean that I ride anywhere less hard, suffer less, blow up less, etc. I am reasonably fast and have fun running people down out on the road. In the end I ride for fun and the feeling it gives me at the end of the day and not for race results. And it allows me to have more beer and not gain any weight.

 

I don't know how I feel about those numbers tbh. I'm not a huge specialized fan any more (mostly due to how they treated the local LBS that I frequent). The recent enduro's haven't been all that great to pedal on imo. The pedal kick back numbers look good, but the anti-squat numbers are still sorta meh.

Definitely interesting... i've been wanting to try out one of these aggro 29rs just for ***** and giggles. The 29r geo has really progressed a huge amount over the last 18 months, that's for sure.

 

The 17 Enduro has reworked leverage vs the prior gen. Those numbers look about right. Bike screams 'meh' to me though. Smart money is on Hightower.

 

A few people told me they've never been in a pile-up like that, and I'm the youngest rider in that group with the least experience. I suppose I just need to relax but not riding and basically sitting inside, drinking all day is killing me. Hopefully tomorrow I can start the trainer, but still don't have the road bike fixed.

 

I just picked a bike at random off the site. Link was more to share the resource in general. I ride a Pivot

 

I am indeed 100% addicted to that site. On the subject, when does 949racing expand to mountain bike suspension? I could really use some of that xida goodness on my trail bike!

 

With Ohlins, Cane Creek, Push, DVO, FOX, Rock Shox, etc, there's some pretty stiff competition they'd be up against