skooks profile

My elbows are just as exposed as my knees, and I always wear knee pads, so it makes sense to me to wear elbow pads as well. I have been running the RF Indy elbow pads for the last 5 years and they work great for me.  They fit well and stay in place (sizing is on the small side as Trevor mentioned). Very unobtrusive, and they offer enough protection. I haven't injured my elbows while wearing them, but I certainly have when not wearing them!

Nobody in any of my riding groups wear glasses. I know some people wear them all the time, but I would say the majority of people around here don't. Definitely not a must have item.

I added a good quality pressure gauge to my floor pump. Makes it fast and easy to top up tire pressures before a ride. No need for a seperate pressure gauge.

Also, how long before these get plugged with sealant?

That doesn't sound good. Looks like I will be (happily) running my trusty XT 11-speed for a while yet.

IMO, Shimano is better value and is more robust than SRAM. SRAM works beautifully when it is new and properly tuned, but Shimano seems more tolerant of wear and misalignment. I have been running the 11-speed sunrace cassettes for quite a while now and they're great. They shift fine and last reasonably well.

That's brutal, and yeah you aren't the only one with this problem. I am hoping microspline is a better design.

Me! I run Shimano 11-speed with the Sunrace 11-46 on all my MTB's. Very cost-effective, reliable, and acceptable level of shifting performance. I much prefer the smaller gear-tooth steps on the Sunrace compared to the Shimano cassette. I love all the new drivetrain stuff because it helps drive down the cost of the tried-and-true previous generations.

That was great Cam, thanks for writing it. I think there is a word for that feeling you are describing. Joy. 

I am 59 and appreciate every day I get out on my bike. None of us know how long we will have that ability. There is something special about a ride with friends/family, and the post-ride beer never tasted sweeter.

Definitely. And it's very noticeable when you have gone past the sweet spot. Tried running a 160 mm fork on a spitfire and it felt wrong. Dropped it to 150 and it felt perfectly balanced. I just upped the travel on my Fugitive from 150 to 160, and I initially didn't love it. Removed a token, dropped some pressure, and lowered the stem a couple of mm and it's now perfect.

Well said sir. I couldn't agree more.

Posted by: Mic

Posted by: Ddean

^Progression still matters to you - which is awesome. It may always or perhaps your priorities will change one day; there's no wrong answer. People's priorities are what they are on any given day and people are allowed to change them whenever they want!

The only thing that matters is that people get to do what they want. Im glad that I get to ride with some absolutely incredible riders, who are also great people, and they dont care whether I skip stuff or not. Its all about the great times on bikes!

Word....great times on bikes, the most beautiful and fun machines ever created.

I totally get what you mean about progression, and I understand why it's a powerful motivator. Personally I have reached the point where the primary motivator is maximizing the amount of years I will be able to keep enjoying outdoor pursuits under my own power at some reasonable level of performance.  Trying to keep the dreaded e-bike at bay for as long as possible!

Cool. I am (hopefully) still a long ways from needing one  of these to get me up the hill, but I'm hoping by the time I do they will weigh 25 pounds, have a 200km range and cost < $5K.

Posted by: AlanB

Rule #1 - When you ride up to a stunt you can see the future. If you don't see yourself riding off it cleanly, then don't do it!

Rule #2 - It's not what you can ride, it's when you can ride it.

I would add a third rule:

Rule #3 - It's when you can no longer ride it.

I am finding there are a bunch of features that I used to ride that no longer make sense to me as I get older.  I am still pretty good at riding steep rock rolls and skinnies that aren't too high above the ground, but elevated structures and high skinnies no longer seem worth the risk.

Posted by: AlanB

Rule #1 - When you ride up to a stunt you can see the future. If you don't see yourself riding off it cleanly, then don't do it!

Rule #2 - It's not what you can ride, it's when you can ride it.

Words of wisdom Alan!

I went from a 155/160 Warden to the 135/150 Fugitive LT, and never wish I had more travel.  I occasionally wish I was back on the smaller wheels, but 95% of the time I prefer the 29er.

Posted by: J.Stubb

Interesting thread for me. Until 2015 I had only really had dh bikes when I bought a 2015 Norco Range. Having a capable "enduro" style bike opened up a lot of riding for me and the Range has turned out to be great bike for me. I've been smashing that bike for 5 years now and thinking about upgrading but the prices of new bikes have me a little gun shy. I've noticed the new Status and been thinking it might be one of those high performing smiles\dollar bikes. They're decently spec'd for around $3600 cdn. As opposed to 7k for a Santa Cruz.

2010 Range was a game changer for me. Loved that bike. I have helped quite a few of my friends find deals on used ranges, and it has worked out well for all of them.

It's highly variable for me, and depends totally on how I am feeling/riding that day. I haven't been able to fully identify why I am 'on' one day and 'off' the next. The crew I am riding with makes a difference, as does my energy level, state of mind, and weather conditions. Most of it is in my head though. I skipped the woodwork onto the millenium log the other morning, even though I had ridden all of the skinnies on pangor and all of the woodwork on boundary a few days before. Some features will always be a hard pass though, such as the gangler and the egg on ladies. I used to ride the high log on 7th and the Boogie man bridge, but the risk no longer seems worth it to me.

Posted by: JBV

i've been committing to using my IXS trigger on every ride in the last few weeks and i'm used to it now. it's such a light and well fitting lid and easy to doff anytime i want to take a drink, etc.  the fidlock is the bomb and the back of the head dial is perfect for snugging it up before a descent. no wobble on fast chundery trails. love it.

I feel the same way about my TLD stage, although I usually take it off for fire road climbs like fromme or Burke. No problem drinking with it on. I absolutely love it on the way back down. Lots of air flow and no excess movement. IXS sounds like a great option for a light weight FF too.

Posted by: Poz

On this topic of custom wheels. What are some good resources for someone who wants to learn how to build wheels? I've got a Park stand, the home mechanic one. Thinking this could be a good winter project.

Youtube?

Sheldon Brown?

Any other solid sources to check out?

Worth every penny. Even has plans for a really nice, simple DIY truing stand.

https://www.wheelpro.co.uk/wheelbuilding/book.php

2009 Rocky Mountain Slayer. Bought used for $500 and was my first FS rig. I hadn't been mountain biking for a decade or so, and this bike reignited the spark. Ended up selling it to a buddy who was just getting into the sport, and it did the same thing for him. Last I heard he had passed it on to a young kid just starting out. Best Joy/$ I can think of.