NSMB - 2023 - Hardtails Leaning Against Stuff Thread

I’ve not had another brake prone to ingesting like the 4. You can see the seals leak, tiny bubbles, so not a business as usual maintenance operation. Bleeding is easy, replacing seals is a ball ache.

I've been riding a lot with other folks lately and doing a lot of tour guiding. I enjoy the company and not having to look at Trailforks all ride is great so I'm happy to help share some local knowledge. That said I'm an introvert at heart so I was stoked when my GF told me she had ride plans yesterday and I was on my own. My first ever visit to Cumberland [~10 years ago] was with a mountain bike club trip and they took me to the top of the trail network to ride a trail called Switchbacks. So I headed up there for some nostalgia. The trails up top get used a lot less often than the main part of the network. So they are rougher and more natural which I love. You also don't see many people so enjoying some solitude is easy.

There was an enduro race on the go when I was back down in the main part of the trails. So I had to navigate around the course as I went, but that was fun in that I rode some trails in directions I don't normally go. I also ran into an old friend from my Victoria days and had a good chat as he course marshalled the race. He has hand built himself a couple hardtails so we talked shop a bit. He's keen on long bikes and very steep STAs so it was interesting to compare/contrast notes. Another great day on the bike.

If I was going to run one tire insert on a rigid bike, front or rear wheel? 2.35" front and rear, might switch the front to a 2.6". Looking to prevent rim dents, mostly.

Posted by: TristanC

If I was going to run one tire insert on a rigid bike, front or rear wheel? 2.35" front and rear, might switch the front to a 2.6". Looking to prevent rim dents, mostly.

I'd definitely run the insert in the rear, along with a bigger tire if you can. Definitely 2.6 on the front. I don't ride a rigid bike, but putting a 2.6 with Tannus insert on the back of my HT was a game changer in terms of comfort and increased traction

Posted by: skooks

I'd definitely run the insert in the rear, along with a bigger tire if you can. Definitely 2.6 on the front. I don't ride a rigid bike, but putting a 2.6 with Tannus insert on the back of my HT was a game changer in terms of comfort and increased traction

I've got a Tannus in the rear with a 2.6" tire as well. I haven't bothered with a front insert since I have a suspension fork, but if you are running rigid than it could be worth considering as well.

I had some friends pass through Comox on their way to Powell River so I joined them for a "quick" lap on Civil Disobedience. Riding from the ferry it was a solid climb up to the top of Mount Mahony.

https://www.trailforks.com/trails/civil-disobedience/

The trail itself was a hardtail friendly natural tech gnar flow trail that was dense with features so you really felt like you got your climb's worth of shredding going down.

It was warm verging on hot so we made a beeline for a patio with ice cold beer, water and Mexican food post-ride. Then I left them in Powell River and took a sunset BC Ferries cruise back home rolling in close to 11pm. A long, but satisfying day on the bike.

Nice to see Vik! It's a great lap.

Nice one, Vik! Having Powell River just a ferry ride away from Comox adds so many riding opportunities.

Posted by: PowellRiviera

Nice to see Vik! It's a great lap.

We'll make some plans to hook up and cruise some of the lower trails this summer. I'll be interested to see some local knowledge on how to connect trails in PR.

Posted by: [email protected]

Nice one, Vik! Having Powell River just a ferry ride away from Comox adds so many riding opportunities.

Yes. Accessing PR and the rest of the SC by bike is pretty easy. Lots of great camping options so you can dump gear and explore local trails unencumbered. It's just a matter of making the time.

For sure man

Winter is here. Hardtail leaning on the moon last night. 

Got time for a longer lunchtime dusty, smokey climb to a favourite leaning post. I bumped into a hiker who was descending from the top of Per Gynt because they popped a knee, I offered to help them down but they just wanted to slowly walk back down using poles. I ended up doing a few more laps than I expected to so I could keep track of their descent because it was getting hot and who knows what could have happened with that knee.
I'm enjoying doing a lot of long climbs keeping in that good heart zone with a 50% commitment/ripping on the way down. It's kinda mellow and a nice change when I want to clear my mind and concentrate on the trail.

For years I spent countless hours, and way too much money, trying desperately to find that “perfect” bike. I tried 15+ full squish bikes from many different brands, but it always ended up the same… they just didn’t perform the way I felt they should. I fought rear suspension for over 15 years, thinking that surely I’d find that perfect platform that suited my style. Although two that I tried were close, (Ibis Mojo HD3 & Yeti SB150) they too had their flaws, or downsides, at least in my mind…

I bought my first hardtail (a 2017 Kona Honzo AL for winter riding) and while it was super fun, the aluminum frame rattled the eyeballs out of my head and the geo was too conservative for my liking. I decided to sell it and try a steel frame. I wanted to decide for myself if “steel is real”.

After much research, in early 2021, I bought a Pipedream Moxie Mk3. From the very first decent, I was in love. I loved it so much that I sold my SB150 (my last fully) and bought a Sirius S5, as well. Just when I thought it couldn’t get any better, the Sirius absolutely blew away all my expectations. It’s like a fighter jet that, when needed, acts like a monster truck! Siriusly - it’s so good. The Moxie is my go-to when things are going to be super fast and rowdy for most of a ride, but for everything else, the Sirius gets the call.

If anyone made it this far, you’re probably wondering why I’m unloading all of this random information… well, I live in an area where being active is not super common, so mountain biking is sort of a strange concept to most. The idea you wouldn’t just use a motor is mind-boggling! Needless to say, I don’t have too many people close to me that care about this sort of thing... Also, I’ve just ridden both bikes back-to-back in a sweet location. After the ride I realized I’m just as stoked on them now as when I bought them, and I had to share that with somebody. :)

Thanks for listening, and keep posting those sweet hardtail pics! ;)