jt profile

This was back in the days of 2x9 drivetrains. 22x32 FTW! The Hustler's main pivot was right in line with the granny. The bike floated over stuff in the gear that saw the least use. Heady days in early years of full sussers. Much was to grok still.

Right on all accounts. Brake jack on long travel HP bikes is well known, and the bit about how chainring size affects suspension came to light to me on my old Cove Hustler. The first time I got it into an area that required tech climbing in the granny I was absolutely blown by how much the sus opened up compared to pedaling in the 32, just sucking up holes and roots without fanfare or pedal kick. It was a feel I wish I had in that 32.

Nodding approvingly over the morning cup. There's a local system that's had several rocks removed from the trail by unknown folks. On one hand, yes, it'll make the trail faster. On the other, controlling a rider's speed is half the intent as it's a multi use trail. On another hand, it was possible to keep a bit of speed if you bump jumped the rocks, so it shows it's likely due to the rider's skillset and trail vision being at fault. The part that really doesn't compute is why anyone would mess with signage in addition to dumbing down the trail. Those seem a bit at ends with each other. And thanks for the refresh on the Pipeline advert. That trail looks like a helluva good time, and one of the reasons I venture out three hours from home when I get the chance: to get to the good and tough dirt as opposed to the flowy stuff much closer. I've yet to see a vid of Wade that didn't have me smiling.

Fairly well confirms what I expected out of the group, it works without much fuss. I am curious if the cassette galled into the freehub body as happens with HG setups. Did those individual cogs cut into the body?

Me? Jumps. In the last four years or so I have just gotten so worry warted about jumps, especially the new school variety that are popping up all around, the big, long tranny table tops. Coming from a BMX background, having learned 360's on on a 97 Kona Chute with a 130mm Z1 and Tioga 66's over a proper box jump,  and learned suicides on an old Bontrager Race, it just maddens and bums me out that I'm breaking before the tranny that my friends are banging over. Mentally I KNOW I can clear it, but there's a gut reaction to slow the f down and not do so. Currently trying to peg down a weekend day where i can drive the hour to the closest jumps and just session the line most of the day, to work like Stella and get my groove back. The screwy bit: drops? Yeah, pretty much not an issue. Just a total one dimensional mental wall.

Using spray adhesive I've just had to use an air nozzle on the compressor. Requires a bit of wiggling, but that's expected. I've been able to reuse the grips without issue.

Chromag's Semenuk grip has become my fav. The extra length allows me to keep the bars stock at 780 but set the cockpit up like the 760 width I prefer, giving me that oh so tiny bit of extra leverage out on the ends when climbing that requires a bit of horking on the bar. I used to secure my grips with tubular cement but have since moved on to spray adhesive. Spray the bar, let it set, then a quick 360deg spray in the grip to put em on. I've had no need to wire them to the bar after winter slush or other seasons' rains.

Pert near nailed it. MS with it's trapezoidal rather than square splines supporting near every cog on the cassette is an improvement on the HG interface. That alone makes it cost effective when producing cassettes at all pricepoints while getting rid of the only real downside to HG freehubs: the galling the inevitably occurs when the loose cogs cut into the freehub body on alloy freehub bodies.

Yup, the Al version. It was a helluva deal, but not THAT much of a deal :D

A buddy who works at a bike co-op at a local high school got a donated SB66 frame that he sold me for a song, a very short song. Problem with it was the 20" seat tube and it didn't have internal routing. With warranty thoughts no where to be had, I lopped off 35mm from the top of the seat tube and poked a hole through a spot in the BB forging (after consulting a friend who's a prototype machinist) to run a 150mm dropper. I wasn't looking to go back to 26 from my 27.5, but Yeti>Trek near any model year.