gdharries profile

Yes, me too. What's Alex's physical height, inseam and saddle height?

The XL only has a 475mm seat tube so with that 200mm dropper post, I'm curious.

A previous version of this fork came on my 2018 Norco Torrent HT which I no longer own.

The fork was overly harsh at first, but lubing the lowers and seals made a big difference. I also learned to appreciate the elegance of their axle system. The fork was also very stiff, flex-wise. But, it always felt, cheap.

Would I pick it over a Z1, Pike or Lyrik? No, but that's not comparing the same fruits.

I did replace it with a Z2 Bomber after one season. To me, the Z2 is a better fork and worth the cost to upgrade if you can find someone to buy the Zeron. I couldn't. Everyone wants the RS, Fox or Marzocchi brand name.

Our 10-year old has inherited what used to be my wife's, then our older son's 2012 Devinci Dexter XP (example) in size small. He likes how squishy it is and how he can run directly into curbs and it bounces up and over.

Right now the Dexter has a 2x9 drivetrain that I'm thinking I'll replace with a lightly used NX 11-speed derailleur, Gripshift shifter and a 30T RaceFace narrow-wide ring combo that I have kicking around.

Do you have any suggestions for the cassette size?

There's been a few times where for me it's hilariously the opposite: the lock-on bolts get stripped and those grips ain't ever comin' off. Or worse, the bolts are stripped and the grips turn, but they can't be tightened.

Thankfully my bolt-tightening skills have (mostly) improved over the years. I think.

Thanks for sharing your story, Alex.

As a middle-aged white male I need to do my part to ensure people who don't look like me are not only accepted, but welcomed in cycling. This continues to be a challenge if you're not shown the way (speaking of role models).

That said, I am in awe of the positive changes that have been happening in our sport as of late, as Alex highlights. But, we can do so much more!

Also, It feels shallow but as a fellow big guy I'd sure like to see a bike check.

Dave - What certain things related to bike sizing are you re-thinking?

Burton has always had pretty phenomenal customer service, at least in my experience (and yours, too apparently!).

Agreed. I've broken handlebars, seatposts, a fork brace and frames (one sheared at the headtube, another the seat tube and another the seat stay) all because I'm bigger, not because of badly landed stunts. Simply fatigue from getting pounded on trails by someone over 200 lbs.

I've broken a couple of Kona frames, and warranty has always been very smooth and easy through our local shop. This is a big reason why I tend to buy Kona bikes.

David - How do you find running the XT 12-speed drivetrain (presuming a Shimano chain) with the Blackspire Snaggletooth chainring? Any issues or weird noises?

That's good to know. What ring did you buy; a Shimano product or something else?

Posted by: t_w

I gave up "real" mountain biking around 5 years ago and hung onto my full suspension/enduro/whatever it's called bike for years afterwards just so I would have a bike to ride around on once in a while. Last winter I finally admitted that I had no real interest in getting back into trail riding like I used to so I decided to sell it and build up a "gravel" bike. I looked at drop bar gravel bikes and they seemed to be the worst of both worlds so I finally decided to build a rigid 29'er and try to keep the steeper geometry that all the bikes I grew up riding 20 years ago used.

I frickin love this thing, reminds me of when we used to ride the same bike for everything. I often pump the tires up to 60psi and do 15-20km pavement rides then let some air out of the tires and ride gravel or mellow singletrack back home. Steel frame and fork, light wheels, 2x10 with lots of gearing and bars with a comfortable rise and sweep all make it pretty good for long rides. Bathroom scale says it's around 28.5lbs with a boat anchor saddle, wire bead tires and tubes. When I wear through these tires I'll swap to tubeless and something like the Schwalbe g-one for all around use.

Great backstory and bike. The green of that versatile Surly is also magnificent.

Posted by: craw

Posted by: gdharries

Posted by: craw

I made a few monster cross mountain bike conversion type road bike things over the years and never really rode them. It always seemed like the worst of both worlds. My gravel bike tries to blend a bunch of positive traits and it must be working because I ride mine as much as my mountain bike. It's got classic 90s mtb geometry at 71/73 but it's got a long road bike head tube and 700c/29" wheels. Also hydraulic discs and moderate 38mm tires since I use it more as a road bike  + than pure gravel. I'm not really trying to push the limit of what I can do on this bike terrain-wise because I have a mountain bike for that. The gravel bike is for tearing around the city, exploring stuff and finding unusual spots on the map.

Agreed. This is why I went the lightweight, quick handling 29er route instead. The King Kahuna in 22" (558mm seat tube) also has a crazy high stack height - 676 mm! - which I've been forever wanting on a XC bike.

Many gravel bikes are turning into what we rode 10 years ago. It's interesting to watch.

It all depends on what you want to ride. Mine really it set up to be a road bike+ and it's great for that. I'd set it up differently if I wanted to tackle gnarlier terrain and at some point it would morph into an XC mountain bike but then it would lose the roadie traits that I enjoy most about it (for my current particular application). I love seeing the huge range of gravel bike setups.

Yeah, my terrain has a lot of rough gravel and steep pitches that I find more comfortable and safer on a XC bike. If I hit asphalt in a group, it's definitely harder to keep up.

Posted by: craw

I made a few monster cross mountain bike conversion type road bike things over the years and never really rode them. It always seemed like the worst of both worlds. My gravel bike tries to blend a bunch of positive traits and it must be working because I ride mine as much as my mountain bike. It's got classic 90s mtb geometry at 71/73 but it's got a long road bike head tube and 700c/29" wheels. Also hydraulic discs and moderate 38mm tires since I use it more as a road bike  + than pure gravel. I'm not really trying to push the limit of what I can do on this bike terrain-wise because I have a mountain bike for that. The gravel bike is for tearing around the city, exploring stuff and finding unusual spots on the map.

Agreed. This is why I went the lightweight, quick handling 29er route instead. The King Kahuna in 22" (558mm seat tube) also has a crazy high stack height - 676 mm! - which I've been forever wanting on a XC bike.

Many gravel bikes are turning into what we rode 10 years ago. It's interesting to watch.

Last summer I found a new-old-stock 2013 Kona King Kahuna 22” frame that would become my gravel and XC bike. Took the winter to collect random but carefully selected parts for it, and started riding the completed bike in April this year.

12 speed XT, 120mm Pike and a smattering of Raceface parts. 2.2 tires. Code brakes.

Weights about 25 lbs. and allows me to go most anywhere. I probably ride it more than my full suspension bike, to be honest. I dig the versatility and speed. The longest ride I’ve done on it is 90 km.

Posted by: a-d-s

Thanks guys. I managed to find a shop that had a L and XL on the floor (props to North Shore Bike Shop) and they let me parking lot test them back to back. The Xl felt totally fine, it's big for sure, but when standing and going down a slope it felt totally fine. Unfortunately that XL was an A2, out of my price range, so I'll wait for the A3 from Norco North Shore next week.

Awesome! It’s a COVID bike shopping miracle.

If you’ve got that length of inseam, the Sight’s stubby seat tube may be too short. Same with its low stack height.

I have a 37” inseam and ride a XL Process which has about 20mm more seat tube length than the Norco. Here’s a photo of where my saddle height is at. You can see how far back I am over the rear wheel.

I have also gone to 50mm rise bars to get more front end height, not pictured here.

If you can manage to get out for a proper test ride on the XL, do it. It may fit you, but may not. I love my Process, but I do wish they made a XXL.

Being big is hard!

Nice! Is that a Giant Trance?

Posted by: thaaad

You should reach out to Kona anyways IMO. 

Tell them the truth about it being second hand, tell them that you love it and want to stay on a Kona, ask about crash replacement / loyalty programs.  They very well might help you out on a new frame price.

I agree. I’ve found Kona customer service to be very good, hence why I’ve long stuck with the brand.

I agree with @DanLees1978.

On my old Torrent I had a SR Suntour Zeron 35 (an even lower end model) and it was stiff and solid, although the suspension action itself was rudimentary. I've also had a Revelation and that thing was flexy!

Posted by: RAHrider

I haven't ridden an aluminum hardtail in 20 years. How do they ride these days. It looks burly and stiff but do the big tires take the edge off?

I had an aluminum Norco Torrent in 2018 and a steel Kona Explosif in 2019. There was a significant difference between the two bikes; I preferred the steel.

The Torrent felt somewhat lifeless and empty, whereas the Explosif had more spring to its step.

The Torrent's larger 27.5" x 2.8" tires did in fact take the edge off, but at the expense of more drag. I switched the rear Minion to a faster-rolling but still fat tire and that got rid of some of the clumsy feeling but it never approached the energy of the Explosif.