NSMB - 2022 - Hardtail Thread...

^ Good looking bike and good looking tree too.

Posted by: craw

That seems about right to me. One person who can make a distinction like that and saying it out loud versus 100 fanboys who love the brand and probably wouldn't consider a HT if Chromag and its BC pedigree hadn't been actively promoting HTs for 20+ years. 

Is there another brand that has done more to legitimize HTs as a daily driver on the gnarliest trails as Chromag? They earned that spot.

I call it Chromagwhore. LOL

But seriously there is more to it. Can go on about having had a On One Inbred at the same time as the Samurai trying to analyze the shit out of the why's but simply just preferred the Samurai as to me felt the better of the two. It was the one was happy on and like to ride. 

Though it would be fair to say it is a bit more than that now. Haven't told the full story from 3 years ago and bear with me as there was alot dealing with then so memory is a wee bit fucked up. This arrived 3 years ago on April 4th. 4 weeks after taken out and Samurai destroyed.  3-4 days after left to die get a phone call from our MTB club president checking up and starts asking about the Samurai and what it's status. The mtb club we have is on private land so do a bunch of trail work and such including as race crew. My wife had confirmed destroyed. And wasn't exactly paying attention to the conversation as just had a bunch of injuries including TBI. Though was already kind of looking on my own for anything used.

Forgot about the call and such while borrowing the wife's bike to do the riding was a told to start doing about two weeks later by the docs. Now about 3 and a half to 4  weeks out get a call from the club president with some info while in Toronto. Find out that they had quietly reached out to the Chromag crew about things. I never knew. And minus the fork which had scored on my own while in Toronto. The frame and all the bits like stem, seat, grips, bar, and seatpost came a week and a half later. So on April 4th weeks after getting hit get a call from the club president asking if was around and tell him am at the gym. Well says wait there and will be by. And comes hauling the box with the parts and the early Wideangle prototype frame in it.  Chromag didn't have to do this but they did. While had been doing stuff already to start working my way out of the hole was in mentally and physically. Having this happen I think 3 years ago may have been the one thing that gave me a bit of direction that was more me. Hard to explain.

Just to get it running scrounged everything from the spare parts bins and such as the broken Samurai was still in police evidence storage. 

In July 2019 while visiting parents and in Whistler went by Chromag HQ to thank them in person. Even now am still grateful that they did what they did.

That's a great story. We get really into the nitty gritty of the gear, but a lot of what makes mountain biking special is the people you ride with and deal with directly [LBS] and indirectly [bike companies/trail builders/photogs/writers/Etc...].

Well I guess this is a Rigid, but also HT:-) My 2018 Kona Unit XL running 29+. Absolutely love this bike, great all around geo with the external lower cup, if I want slacker, I can throw a 650B+ in the rear and slacken the HTA by about 1.5 degrees. Sadly though, just came to the realization that I have to put it aside for the time being as it's just too much for my knee to handle right now, hoping that by end of year the knee will be strong enough I can be back on it, but 2+ days to recover from a basic XC ride isn't cool.

It's seen a few iterations/parts swap since I built it in early 2018, initially I just swapped all the parts from my '08 Monkey onto it, but found I didn't like how slack it was for general all around riding with the 650B+ R/29+ F setup, so decided to try full 29+ and it fit/worked and have been running that ever since. I've taken it down our steepest and gnarliest trails without much issue, just takes a good bit more rider input and speed reduction, to get it down.

Posted by: Lynx

Well I guess this is a Rigid, but also HT:-) My 2018 Kona Unit XL running 29+. Absolutely love this bike, great all around geo with the external lower cup, if I want slacker, I can throw a 650B+ in the rear and slacken the HTA by about 1.5 degrees. Sadly though, just came to the realization that I have to put it aside for the time being as it's just too much for my knee to handle right now, hoping that by end of year the knee will be strong enough I can be back on it, but 2+ days to recover from a basic XC ride isn't cool.

It's seen a few iterations/parts swap since I built it in early 2018, initially I just swapped all the parts from my '08 Monkey onto it, but found I didn't like how slack it was for general all around riding with the 650B+ R/29+ F setup, so decided to try full 29+ and it fit/worked and have been running that ever since. I've taken it down our steepest and gnarliest trails without much issue, just takes a good bit more rider input and speed reduction, to get it down.

Love the look of that, very cool as a 29+ (hope you stocked up on Chronicles!).  Is that a "manual" 2x setup in the front?

Posted by: Lynx

Well I guess this is a Rigid, but also HT:-) 

Rigid = Double Hardtail!

https://meatengines.com/f/does-this-count-as-rigid-mountain-biking-groad-v-atb-v-dht

Gorgeous! I really wish I could have found a Unit frameset, they look like such a good time

Posted by: Vikb

That's a great story. We get really into the nitty gritty of the gear, but a lot of what makes mountain biking special is the people you ride with and deal with directly [LBS] and indirectly [bike companies/trail builders/photogs/writers/Etc...].

True. 

It should be noted left working in bike shops in 2009 when the local one worked for went under. And never desired to return to that. Now do 95% of my own work. And learned more since leaving that world.

Posted by: michel77

Love the look of that, very cool as a 29+ (hope you stocked up on Chronicles!). Is that a "manual" 2x setup in the front?

Thanks man. No, didn't stock up on Chronicle's, actually not my fav tyre, got it with a CST BFG Proto to compare when I was testing it and so I run it, give enough traction, but for all the knobs not as grippy as it should be and rolls slow compared to the BFG, only the BFG is wire bead and much heavier. I have determined I have to take time off it until prob end of year, but next set of tyres I'd like to try are either Rekon 29x2.8" or XR4 29x3", maybe XR2/XR4.

Good eye and yes, it's a Dingle ring setup, 36-32 (it's now actually 38-32). 36 for the road, smoother faster stuff, 32 for proper trails and climbing. Don't swap much, but why not have more range without much weight penalty. Used to run it when I ran 9spd and could drop the chain to the smaller ring with me heel and pick it back up onto the bigger one with my fingers, but with 10spd and the clutch, have to stop and do it now.

Posted by: Vikb

Rigid = Double Hardtail!

https://meatengines.com/f/does-this-count-as-rigid-mountain-biking-groad-v-atb-v-dht

Yeah, I know Andrew's been trying to get that to catch on ad was going to use it, but I don't know, sounds a bit weird/off to me, just prefer the term rigid.

Posted by: Lynx

Yeah, I know Andrew's been trying to get that to catch on ad was going to use it, but I don't know, sounds a bit weird/off to me, just prefer the term rigid.

No problem. I think a rear Mudhugger makes a bike look better. We all have our personal preferences. ;-)

Posted by: Vikb

No problem. I think a rear Mud-hugger makes a bike look better. We all have our personal preferences. ;-)

You just wait until the folks at Mud Hugger take my advice and start marketing those things as passive anti-theft devices (& fenders).

Charge double the money, have some kind of lame ‘insurance’ setup where the customer gets a % of their stolen bike as long as they have a video of the thief cutting the MH off, and at least three witnesses that a secondary anti-theft device was being used (maybe tan-wall tires or one of those saddles with no nose?).

All the hydrophobes who want dry butts but can’t take the aesthetics will rejoice at having a two reasons to run them!

Mud Hugger 1 & 2 are goin’a be mountain bike rich. 4x4 Sprinter Vans and the craftiest beers for everyone.

I probably have a lifetime supply of Mudhuggers. So any change to their business policies won't affect me much. They seem pretty hard to kill so I shouldn't need a new one anytime soon.. Nobody is going to steal my bikes anyways. Hardtails and Double Hardtails are pretty far down the list as far as catching the eye of a bike thief.

You make a good point though. I am surprised Camelback has not marketed the additional benefits of their packs yet - namely being so F-Ugly [big old lump on the back, lack of self-confidence in choosing gear so you had to pack it all and that anti-sexy middle aged belly enhancing belt] that they act as a passive birth control mechanism and making you top heavy so you can initiate front flips easier. Missed opportunity right there. ;-)

Posted by: Vikb

I probably have a lifetime supply of Mudhuggers.

Yeah, they kind of F’d up like CushCore in making something that lasts ~ forever. I’m surprised MH aren’t selling installation tools. The new Fender Friend (tm) trims those deadly zip-ties perfectly flush whilst also playing reinforcing messages that aesthetics are secondary to dry underpants.

Actually, I’m surprised they aren’t selling their own branded line of frame bags, Hawaiian-patterned riding shirts, and beard trimmers - know your audience.

Posted by: Vikb

You make a good point though. I am surprised Camelback has not marketed the additional benefits of their packs yet - namely being so F-Ugly [big old lump on the back, lack of self-confidence in choosing gear so you had to pack it all and that anti-sexy middle aged belly enhancing belt] that they act as a passive birth control mechanism and making you top heavy so you can initiate front flips easier. Missed opportunity right there. ;-)

I can’t remember if #dadbod is in or out of style right now but either way you’re on to something. Camelbak is always hungry for another feature to advertise so a new cut of waist strap that hides/accentuates the bod (reversible?!) would be right up their alley.

Just need a good name for the (tm) marketing campaign.