My new bike

[asmallsol]

One of the bikes I picked up this summer...

If you can't tell from the pics, its a 29er. I have the gearing currently at 33x16 and for around here it's perfect.

I'm normally a roadie, and one of the groups I ride is also really big into MTB racing. They commented how fast I was on a road bike and asked if I would do a race for them if they found me a bike. So someone supplied me with a nice built up hard tail (full XTR) and I ended up posting faster times then most of the guys on the team. So needless to say, they have been bugging me to buy a MTB, however, after spending TONS of money on a road bike build, I just didn't have the cash. Well finally one of the guys on the team who owns a bike shop, pointed this bike out for me. Basically, its half the price of a normal geared bike, so I said ok.

Anyways, I've had it for 2 weeks now, (first MTB in 7 years) and I've done only 5 laps at the nearest MTB trail and right now, my lap times are only 30 seconds behind the fastest guys on the team. Overall its been fun.

 

[totalburnout]

Nicely done.

You always have good threads about exciting outdoor activities.

 

[phyregod]

Wheres the motor? I don't see it anywhere..

 

[MXDesa]

:bo:

Wheres the motor? I don't see it anywhere..

 

[asmallsol]

here's an engine shot. Peaks HP is just a tad over 2hp...

For power to weight ratio, it kinda sucks, 85 lbs/hp (including bike weight)

 

[posol]

wait.... you're doing races on a fixed gear? wtf

 

[MXDesa]

wait.... you're doing races on a fixed gear? wtf

yeah... wtf? is that possible?

 

[get_nick]

maybe he's doing that downhill mountain shit where jumps and logs my snag/break gearing.

 

[asmallsol]

That picture of me is on someone elses bike, but now that I have my own, I will be racing on a SS. There is a SS class or you can just ride with your age group where the gearing doesn't matter. Since the SS is one class with all age groups and catigory racers, its one of the fastest groups out there. As for racing on it it, why not. Around here, there aren't really any climbs, so if your a strong rider (which I qualify) your lap times are almost identical.

 

[get_nick]

i might be the only one who doesn't understand, but what kind of racing is this?

 

[asmallsol]

Cross country mountain bike racing. The two formats are a mass start (cross country start), and you do x amount of laps around a trail, first crossing the finish line wins. The other is Time trial, where your let off in 30 second or minute intervals and who ever posts the fastest lap time wins. Mass start is a little more fun because you can play a little strategy. Stick with the pace of the leader then drop the hammer at the end were TT is bawls out the entire time, and when you finish, you have no clue to where you stand until everyone in your class comes in.

As with all racing, they are split up into classes. Typically in MTB racing (at least in the MMBA series around here), there is beginner, sport, and Elite, along with divisions within those classes for age groups. Since there has become more and more people riding single speed, there is now even a single speed class.

 

[posol]

dont know if this is popular around you-- but check this out.
Connecticut Mountain Biking Community :: Crankfire.com

mainly do CT, but they have other states in the trail DB

 

[asmallsol]

mmba.org is the site for my area. They have basicly every trial around here covered.

 

[Dustin_m]

You could probably find a lot of trails on mtbr.com also if you haven't checked it out yet. Thats a nice bike. I was checking out a 29er at the bike shop a while back. I thin i'ma little too short to feel comfortable on one. I grew up on bmx and moved to hardtail mtb a couple years ago.

here's mine. nothing special at all, doesn't even have discs, which to me is the main drawback of it, but i got a steal on it. I mostly ride street and jumps, so i love the x-small frame.

wow, when i previewed the post i realized how high i have the seat. it usually sits down almost as far as it can go, but i was riding on the road a while back and had to raise it up.

 

[asmallsol]

Nice. I have always kinda wanted a park/trial bike like that. They look like they'd be a ton of fun. I still love riding my old school BMX, and hitting up anything that I can. I'm about 5'11" so with a medium frame (on a cross country bike, I should probally ride a large/19 c-c bike) makes up for the bigness of the 29's

 

[Dustin_m]

Nice. I have always kinda wanted a park/trial bike like that. They look like they'd be a ton of fun. I still love riding my old school BMX, and hitting up anything that I can. I'm about 5'11" so with a medium frame (on a cross country bike, I should probally ride a large/19 c-c bike) makes up for the bigness of the 29's

yea its a blast. it doesn't really feel much larger than the bmx at all. I want a f/s next because i want to do more trail stuff. probably going to look toward a Stinky. two of my friends have em and love em.

 

[MoSeS]

damnthis thread made me miss riding bmx... maybe its time to bust my schwinn out again