Corey

iTrader: (1)

He he he, maybe a future bike Bob, but I pretty much just want to walk in and get one to ride for now.
I may only make it up to the mountains with it five times a year, hard to say with my job.
I am burned out from work, weekends I feel pretty sluggish.

Little did anyone know with the mass Boeing layoffs they did/are still doing is that the work has not slowed down one bit.
Many of us including myself have picked up extra work there on top of an already full schedule.

I am so looking forward to my vacation next month.
Camping the whole week by a creek to swim in, hang out, and ride some mountain bike trails.

Hey, here are those pedals I mentioned earlier that I bought several years ago.
Shimano SPD part # PD-M324
http://www.mtbr.com/cat/drivetrain/p...93_135crx.aspx

http://www.mtbr.com/cat/drivetrain/P...69_135crx.aspx

They look the same as the pictures online, I guess they have not changed.
They are a dual pedal.
Flip it to ride in normal soles, flip it over to ride with SPD soles.



I also mentioned earlier that I almost bought a mountain bike back when I bought these.
It was my X wife's husbands, one of his two sons bike.
I think this was pre YotaTech, as the pics are not on my server or on my hard drive.
May have lost them when I had a bad crash a few PCs back.
Anyways, it was a famous downhill racing mountain bike full suspension.
Back Fox shock was blown though.
Shop told me the frame was to big for me though, so I passed on buying it.

Do you think these pedals are worth putting on a new bike?

BT17R

Corey, those are the same pedals I have fitted to the "visitor" bike, a hybrid. They're outstanding, smooth and great for training to adjust to cleats. The downside is that they tend to clog with mud making clipping in sketchy at times. Otherwise, great choice.

I use platform pedals on my road bikes, great stability, power transfer and comfort:

Corey

iTrader: (1)

Bob, some of those reviews said they clog with mud too.
And...it may be a PITA to flip them over depending on which shoe.

Lemme see if I can find the straps I had on my old mountain bike, as I had mentioned I took off those plastic shoe holders.

One second to find with
http://powergrips.mrpbike.com/





They worked great, you twist your foot to get into them, then your foot is held tight until you twist out of them.
You would never go back to the toe clip type again as seen below.
In fact many feel the Power Grips are better than SPDs.
I really liked mine a lot.

BT17R

Those Power Grips look interesting especially if they align your foot properly (ball of foot over axle centerline more or less for comfort) AND allow quick release. I'd take something like that, or nothing at all over a cleated shoe and clip pedal for MTB use. It's exciting falling over and being unable to unclip quickly enough for a save.

Corey

iTrader: (1)

Bob, you should give those a try.
If the store has them, I will pick up some to put on my bike.

They have been out for eons, I bought mine back around '92 '93 or so.
Design has not changed one bit, as they work good.
I remember going up hills with them and having much more power since my feet were planted in tight.

And spills, no problem, as you can pull your feet out fast.
Setup has different holes to size to your shoes.

Bob, here is a cool pack.
I let my trunk pack go with my old bike.
This is much more compact, will not hold as much, but it holds the essentials.
http://centercycle.com/itemdetails.cfm?libid=46886



Come with tools too, some that I already have, but I like how the pack holds the tools in place.
Here is the extras included.



Amazon is cheaper though.
http://www.amazon.com/Topeak-Surviva.../dp/B000FICAX2
Good reviews at the above too.

Corey

iTrader: (1)

Break time here at work.

Found another one a little more $$$ than the Kona Hoss, I want to stay around the $1.1K to $1.2 range.
It is the Rockhopper Pro.
http://centercycle.com/itemdetails.cfm?libid=48707



$100 more than the Hoss.
http://centercycle.com/itemdetails.cfm?libid=53530



If that bike can handle my weight, it will be a toss up between these to, but I will look at Giants too, but they do not have one in that price group.
Either a lot cheaper, or much more.

Been hearing good things too about this Renton, WA. shop, a lot of Boeing folk's have dealt with them for years.
I will see if they offer a Boeing discount too, but I am not banking on it.

BT17R

Corey, the best "tool" I have is a Camelbak. I have a 3L model that extended my endurance significantly. I "burn" about 1L/hr. when riding, so my range went from about 20 miles (two water bottles) to over 50 miles now. Plus it's much more convenient and safer than grabbing for a bottle at speed. Besides the water, I also carry a spare tire, tube, pump, tools, rainjacket, energy bars, phone, and some other stuff all inside. It's heavy when full, but you only need fill to match ride duration. Highly recommended:

http://www.camelbak.com/sports-recre...ion-packs.aspx

Corey

iTrader: (1)

I have one of those, I got it for free when I worked at REI part time after my last layoff.
Never used it yet, but it was a good one.

Carrying one of those off road mountain biking, does it not get in the way quite a bit?

Toddski

You got that right BT!!!
Its amazing how much you burn. I usually go through my 75 oz camelbak on a typical ride.
Before i purchased my camelbak a buddy and i got lost. We had nothing but a water bottle on each bike.
I now throw food, a flashlight and my GPS in the back along with the tool kit and an extra tire tube.

Its amazing how little some packs are but can hold so much. When we go on vacation i use it to house my video camera and a bunch of other items.
I ended up with the M.U.L.E.

Toddski

If you keep it tight to your body you will not even know its there.
Its amazing stopping for a cold drink and an energy bar how it will re-charge your batteries!

Corey

iTrader: (1)

I will dig mine out tonight and look at it Todd.

Hey, reading reviews now on the Rockhopper Pro.
http://www.mtbr.com/cat/bikes/xc-har...8_1527crx.aspx

http://centercycle.com/itemdetails.cfm?libid=48707

25 lbs compared to the 32 to 33 for the Kona Hoss.
One thing about the Kona is it is made like Hoss Cartwright (Dan Blocker) from Bonanza.
Other shops have been telling me it is hard to destroy this beefy bike, but the trade off is it weighs more.

These are the two main ones I am looking/buying tomorrow.

Corey

iTrader: (1)

Hey, I saw the term 29'er the other day, and I found out today from my X's husband (into bikes big time) that refers to 29" tires.
He says they are better off road than the standard 26" tire.

Seems that Rockhopper Pro has 29s from this site.
http://www.jacksbikes.com/contents/en-us/d886.html

BT17R

Toddski, I have a M.U.L.E. and a smaller model, 1.5L for short rides.

Corey, with a new bike warranty I wouldn't worry about a 25 lb. bike, only slightly less than average but huge compared to a Hoss. Given your riding conditions are similar to mine, I'd go for the lighter bike if it passed the test ride.

BT17R

Corey, forget the 29's, go big:



No experience with 29's but sounds interesting if you can still turn it with a bigger gyro effect. Guess they compensate with frame geometry.

Toddski

Geez...
Once again i agree with ya BT. Go with the lightest bike!
My old mt bike was heavy. I was so tired at the end of the ride i would almost pass out. Some of the obstacles you had to maneuver your bike over was a killer.
It was night and day when i got my Diamondback. Its still heavy but i was able to at least handle it over some downed trees.

Corey

iTrader: (1)

Just called the shop, the Rockhopper has slightly better shifters on it he said.

Hoss:
Front Derailleur Shimano Deore
Rear Derailleur Shimano XT Shadow

Rockhopper Pro:
Front Derailleur Shimano Deore
Rear Derailleur SRAM X-7

25 lbs verses 33 lbs is quite a bit really.
The Hoss can take a beating racing down hills, but I do not think I really need the beef if I am not riding it like a twenty year old stud muffin

I wish they had the silver Rockhopper in, but they only have the orange.
So for the price I want to spend, it is narrowed down to these two.

The Rockhopper however has 2" not so great tires from the reviews I read, he said he can swap them out to whatever floats my boat.
They do not have the Rockhopper with the 29" tires, and he says it does not make a HUGE amount of difference anyways.

Can ya tell I am getting excited getting back into this again?
Todd, we will have to hit GReenwater sometime.
The guy mentioned the name of the trail on the phone I told him I rode before up there, but I forgot the name.

flashkl

Okay... so I kind of skimmed most of this over so I might repeat some stuff, if I do then sorry.

About pedals, any toeclip system is dangerous to use on the trail. A clipless pedal (spd, crank brothers, look etc) will reliably allow you to release when you need to whereas a toeclip will snag on somnething. Besides, a quality shoe with a proper stiff sole (which is what you want. The stiffer the better) will be waaaay more efficient than anything with sneakers. I ride crankborthers eggbeaters which arent super expensive, are super easy to use and very safe, and are impervious to mud clogging (low end SPD pedals, especailly the double sided m324s will not let you clip back in after its been submerged in mud).

It is ALWAYS a better deal to buy a prebuilt bike than to select a frame, fork, components etc in a bunch of different steps. Specialized buys a boatload of components at a time so they pay less for everything which translates directly to the buyer. And as for the comment about not patronizing yuour local shop, well, some shops dont deserve to be patronized. But always find out about the perks there might be for buying from a shop. My shop gives our customers 2 free tune ups (usually 70 bucks, including a full cleaning of the bike) and 2 years of free minor adjustments. Plus, when you go in for parts or repairs, if they know you bought the bike there, chances are they will treat you better and maybe even start to give you deals once you know them better (again, speaking from my experience working at a shop).

As far as the bike goes, I say buy specialized. I am a bit biased, but what I do know is that they ride everty one of the bikes that they make from their hybrids to their downhill bikes. They are a passionate group of people, who have a boss that has a lot of money and will spend it where it is needed to do research and development. For the money, a ro ckhopper comp or expert cannot be beaten. Plus, the current rockhopper frame is nearly identical to the stumpjumper (race hardtail mtb) frame of about 3 years ago. Its a really light, stable, and all around good frame.

29ers are good. I dunno how tall you are, but if you are 5 foot 7 or above get a 29er. They are easier to get over obstacles, ride smoother, dont bog down as easily in sand etc etc etc. Just like 33s are better than 225-70s for offroading, a 29er will outperform a 26inch mtb in every scenario except maybe really really really tight maneuvering. Ive had my 29er stumjumper for almost a year now and I love it. It handles great and doesnt feel all that ´big´at all. If you are not that tall, specialized makes 29er frames down to a 15.5 frame, but I would test it out and see how it works for you before you commit to buying one.

As for tire options, my favorite 29er (and 26, acutally) mtb tire for all around dirt, some loose stuff, rocks and roots is the Maxxis ignitor. Very sitcky and grabs well in anything. I agree, the Specialized fast trak tires that come on a rockhopper suck unless you ride hardpack all the time. Get the ignitors, you wont be dissappointed (Im just guessing on what trails in WA are like here, these tires could be completely wrong for you, but everywhere Ive had mine theyve been great and thats moab to jackson hole to montauk)

Dont wanna go on too much longer here so Ill wrap up. Get a Rockhopper expert 29er, or if you dont wanna swing that kinda cash get the comp 29er. Either way, get the 29er, and dont worry too much about components. Everything specialized specs on these mid range mtbs are perfectly good to do the job, and its all SRAM stuff too so it holds up fine. Get the tires and pedals you want, have them mount a couple water bottle cages, maybe even do a stans tubeless conversion while youre getting the new tires so you dont have to worry about flats, and hit the trail!!

Kai

Corey

iTrader: (1)

Kai, thanks for the info!
I just called the shop, the only 29'er they have is a low end Specialized.
They brought a few in early in the year, and he says they are not selling very well here in my neck of the woods for some reason.

That is good to know about the Specialized company.
They have been around for eons, ever since I bought my old mountain bike.

I will be asking about free tune ups and other stuff when I am there tomorrow.
Also I mentioned that I read the Maxxis Fast Track tires suck, and they know.
I told him you mentioned the Ignitor, and he said that is a very good tire, and he also mentioned another good one, but I forget the name, but they will show it to me tomorrow.
I asked about the tubeless conversion, and what happens if you have a blowout, is it as easy repairable as patching a tube?
Good reviews on the Ignitor.
http://www.mtbr.com/cat/tires-and-wh...58_151crx.aspx

http://www.mtbr.com/cat/tires-and-wh...1_1508crx.aspx

I am 5'10.5", cough cough...225 lb.
That was why I was eying that Hoss, but I believe the Rockhopper Pro is going to be a better bike for me, plus it has a much better warranty.

I take it I will need either the 17" or 19" frame.

The kind of terrain I will encounter up in the mountains is loose pine needles, some muddy sections, loose dirt to packed dirt.
Lets see if I can the trail I use to ride up in Greenwater before.
These are all trails up by where I camp and 4wheel.
Here is one I have seen, but never been on.
Quite a few of us on the forum here have gone 4wheeling up at Suntop Lookout.
http://www.dirtworld.com/trails/Wash...Biketrails.asp
http://www.singletracks.com/bike-trails/sun-top.html
http://www.singletracks.com/bike-tra...ger-creek.html

I have done this one long ago.
http://www.dirtworld.com/trails/trai...20Bike%20Trail

http://www.dirtworld.com/trails/trai...20Bike%20Trail

http://www.dirtworld.com/trails/trai...20Bike%20Trail

And here is the trail I have ran before, Skookum Flats.
http://www.dirtworld.com/trails/trai...20Bike%20Trail
They are all about the same texture, loose forest dirt with pine needles, moss, wet areas, ect.

I take it the Maxxis is a good choice for this?

Corey

iTrader: (1)

Without further ado, I present to you, the newest member to my expedition/overlanding/camping family

I took both the Rockhopper Pro and the Kona Hoss for test drives.
The Rockhopper was silent and light weight.
The Kona was heavier and noisy.
The Rockhopper Pro just felt better to me.
Not use to double shifting levers, but it is easy to get the hang of it.

The rack we looked at earlier in the week does not fold down, then we looked at another one that did, but it was flimsy.
One of the sales guys had this burly rack on his hitch that is meant for off road.
Company sold the rights to Thule, and the newer one (his was four years old or so) is lighter weight with some improvements.
The rack folds up against the spare tire when not in use, and when down the door will hit it, but you can pull a pin and lay it down more onto the ground.
Nice!
Door clears it perfectly for accessing my camping gear then.

I had three guy's taking care of me plus two guy's prep the bike.
Manager and two sales guys were great!

They swapped out the tires for Kenda Nevegal kevlar tires sized at 2.1, 2.3s are a little big to clear the brakes and frame.
The stock tires were 2.0s, and not beefy like these.

Got a couple of nice alloy water bottles based on the same technology as my Kleen Kanteen bottles I use at work and in the rig.
Water stays cool lots longer.

Got a nice floor pump with gauge, and the filler you do not have to changed anything to go from Schrader to Presta vales, nice!

I got that Topeak seat bag/toolkit, and instead of getting a mini me tire pump, I went with CO2 after Jeff saw my Powertank setup in the back of the FJ.
They were all digging the roof top tent too.
One CO2 cartridge will fill one mountain bike tire and then some.
Got some spare tubes too to carry in the seat bag, and also got some Finish Line Dry Teflon lube for the chain.
I already had a chain cleaner setup that you put in degreaser and put the chain in and run the chain through a bath to clean it.

2010s are coming out shortly, so they knocked off some for me from the $1.2K price, plus all accessories were 10% off too since I bought it all that day.

The first three pics at the shop I took with my LG Dare cell phone, last three with my Sony digital.













In the future I may look into a 29er, but 36er's are on the horizon.

Going to squeeze in a ride later tonight, and early tomorrow morning.
We have a massive heat wave starting in tomorrow that can last all into next week.

Links:
Specialized 2009 Rockhopper Pro
Thule T2 2" 2 bike rack (expensive, but the shop was much cheaper than Thules site.
Genuine Innovations Powered Inflation Kit
Extra Big Air refill
Topeak Survival Tool Wedge Pack
Kenda Nevegal 26x2.1" tires
Kendal tires from the shop
Kenda Nevegal reviews
Specialized Airtool Comp floor pump in camo
Kryptonite Kryptoflex 1007 Looped Cable 7' cable (to lock the bike to the rack)

Few odds and ends such as the water bottles and brackets.

BT17R

I'm speechless. That bike is too beautiful for words. The FJ ain't bad, either. Congrats and have fun!

PS: Now see what you've done? I'm putting one of my road bikes on Craigslist today to finance one of those. Payback for me getting you interested in an FJ way back when.