| Author | Message | ||
     Lemonchili_x1 |
My bike had been sitting for several years, and I kept telling myself I'd get some more road oriented tires for it as the knobbies were old and hard and starting to split from lack of use... Well, I finally did get new tires a few weeks ago, and then I discovered the paths/trails through the local wetlands   Maybe I should have got another set of knobbies???  I've been riding it a couple of times a week for the last few weeks. I came back home one morning covered in mud and grinning ear to ear, and all V had to say was "Who are you and what have you done with my husband!?" Hehehe, mud is fun  I now have the itch to upgrade and find more places to ride, this thing is FUN Anybody else into mountain bikes? | ||
| Crackhead |
before my wife had my son, I was big in the mt biking. I would suggest getting another bike and not upgrading the Mongoose. If i where to get a new MTB, i would get a 29er. The wheels/rims are bigger and nice for when you want to swap from road to dirt tires. Check out Specialized Rockhopper 29er. Unless you are riding on nasy stuff, a hardtail will be lighter and faster. | ||
| Two_seasons |
I've been into mtn biking since I bought my first one...Trek 850 in 1983. Used to do Triathlons with it, but got a real race bike for that eventually. Averaged 18mph on the road with it. But I have to admit it, I like my Buells more these days  | ||
| Xl1200r |
I did a fair amount when I was a teenager, before I had a car and such, and then again when I was going to school in Pittsburgh. I live so close to work now that I need to get to my dad's to pick it up and go through it - I'm sure it needs tires and a tune up. It's an older Trek, I think an 800, not very expensive and I'm sure it's heavy as hell, but it'll get the job done. (Message edited by xl1200r on May 10, 2011) | ||
| Tiltcylinder |
Still beating my 1995 (? dam'n I am gettin on in years) Gary Fisher Joshua through the woods regularly. Upgraded a few years back to a Rockshox Pilot and disc brake, 9 speed and RaceFace crank setup. If you're going to go in the woods.. I can't say enough about the WTB Velociraptor tires (or whatever the current 'raptor is now). They've been my favorites for many years. | ||
| Tbolt98 |
I just upgraded to a hardtail 29er and I love it! It rolls over everything compared to my other full-suspension bike. | ||
| Billp |
This is what I ride (stock photo). Its older but still gets the job done.  | ||
| Kyrocket |
I love mtn. biking, it's just so dang hard to find anyone to go. I hate going by myself because I've been known to go over the handlebars on occasion. Last time I rode the front wheel about 30 ft. hoping I could bring it back down but to no avail. Ended up with a nice chunk of flesh bouncing around every bump I hit. | ||
| Lemonchili_x1 |
Unless you are riding on nasy stuff, a hardtail will be lighter and faster. Actually, I'm kinda hoping to go hunting for nasty stuff  I'm only just getting back into it, and absorbing info like a sponge at the moment, but my plan for now is to ride more and more, and find some places to ride which are challenging, both up and downhill, and see how well I go with doing some little drop offs and jumps. If I keep riding regularly and get into that sort of "all-mountain" kinda thing, then I'll look into another full suspension bike. I've put flat pedals and new brake pads on the Mongoose, and I'll try and leave it at that for the moment, though maybe some more all terrain tires would help with the mud! The Mongoose is ok for what it is, but it certainly seems I can get a bike which is a couple of years old for what I could spend on upgrades. What I do need is some new gear for me - new helmet and shoes are on the shopping list next. I'm curious about 29er's... And lockable suspension... and disc brakes... Why do I always love such expensive hobbies??? Lol! (Actually, I think I could have a lot of fun with this without spending too much) | ||
| Sifo |
I've done a fair share. Some of my thoughts... 29 inch wheels are not ideal for getting good geometry for a freeride type of bike. 26 inch are the standard and will give you a huge selection of tires. Today's full suspension bikes are great. Horst link set ups are among the best, but others can work very well too, especially with a good platform shock that is set up correctly. If you want a hard tail, get a steel frame. Aluminum can be very harsh. I had a Klein Attitude that was incredibly harsh until I trimmed the knobbies off the sides of some down hill tires to get between the frame stays. I would have been better off with a heavier frame that would absorb some of the harshness and lighter wheels. Flat pedals are great IMO. When a foot slips off landing a jump the pedal can rip your shin right into the bone though. Knee/shin guards will save you lots of pain. Don't spend lots of cash on high end component groups unless you are strictly doing path or XC riding. When you start free riding you tend to brake things more and the light weight stuff doesn't matter that much. Spend your money on good wheels and a good frame. If matched to the type of riding you plan to do they will last much longer than cheap stuff. A good wheel builder can do magic with mid level components. A word of warning... I'm saving money now that I'm back into motorcycles rather than mountain bikes. Seriously!    | ||
| Mnrider |
I ride on wed. nights with a group of crazies. We been doing the wed. night thing since 1994. Even if you spend a $1000 on a bike it's still cheap fun and great for your body till you crash. | ||
| Sifo |
Night riding with some good lights is a blast too. One of the scariest things I did on a bike was a jump over a creek at night where you couldn't see the landing at all. Easy jump in the daytime, but jumping into the dark void at night is terrifying. P.S. Ride with good friends that will get you home! | ||
| Scooter808484 |
Here's my baby... It's not as clean anymore, and I could definitely pick up used Buell for less than what it cost me. "Even if you spend a $1000 on a bike it's still cheap fun and great for your body till you crash." If you are looking for a full suspension bike, it will take almost twice that to get something you'll like, unless you get used. And in my opinion if you really want to ride nasty stuff, drops and jumps, then you prob'ly should steer clear of a 29er. Big wheels bend easier and don't accelerate as quickly. Just find somewhere to ride, then try the bike you have, after a bit you'll get a better idea of what you need. "(Actually, I think I could have a lot of fun with this without spending too much)" Possible, not likely!!  }} | ||
| Sifo |
Hey Scooter, Is Knolly getting into any shops in your area or are they still more of a special order kind of thing? I remember hearing of his bikes some years ago when I was doing that sort of riding, but have never run across one in the wild. One more thing, is that seat controlled from the bars? | ||
| Eboos |
I did a lot of MTBing in the 90's when I lived in Chile. Recently, I started to get really into roadbiking. | ||
| Scooter808484 |
Sifo, I live about 30 miles from Vancouver, BC, where they are made. There's at least one shop in town that handles them, but I drove across the border to pick up my frame when they went on sale. I think mine was the last size L Delirium T available, before they changed the model. The guys at that shop, right at the base of Mt. Seymour, on the North Shore, told me the guys up there build up a bike like mine as their LIGHT bike. Ha...a 38 lb light bike. Now Knolly has at least 6 models and I know a number of shops where you can get them. They are a bit on the higher end of the scale, so they tend to get special ordered though. That post is a Crank Brothers, and yes it is controlled from the bars. I ended up taking it off this bike because I ended up not needing it so much, and it tends to be a maintenance headache. I've got one on my XC bike though and it is indispensable on that bike. | ||
| Cityxslicker |
the love of mt biking is what led me to this......  and leads me to do things like this on the Buell   | ||
| Sifo |
38 pounds is pretty light for that kind of bike. That's about what my Santa Cruze Bullit weighs. I've been known to pedal it around our XC trails. More fun doing down hill runs at Vail though. I was wondering how that post worked out. I hate maintenance headaches! I hope that Knolly has some nicks and scratches on it by now. It looks waaay to pretty! | ||
| Scooter808484 |
I hope that Knolly has some nicks and scratches on it by now. It looks waaay to pretty} That was before she ever touched dirt. She's got a good 14 month of Pacific Northwest Mud caked into her now. That does not include the six weeks I had off last summer after I cased a jump and pulled my hamstring so bad that I couldn't walk! As far as dropper posts, I think the next generation is improved and there are several other companies making them now. | ||
| Ted |
i used to love single track, but found i just dont bounce as good as i used to ,when i have a tumble. | ||
| Rick_a |
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| Bikertrash05 |
Rick_a, nice old school! I go slightly older, when that fork was known as a Girvin. Hardly ever ride it ever since I built my 29er.   | ||
| Azxb9r |
Mt biking is one of my favorite activities (and how I met my wife). I have a Titus Supermoto and my wife rides a Maverick ML5. \popjpeg Funny thing...I often take a camera on rides, but I tend to get carried away riding and forget to stop for "action shots". Most of my Mt biking pix are scenery shots taken during rest stops.   | ||
| Azxb9r |
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| Tiltcylinder |
Lemonchili, lockable suspension is a wonderfull thing... allows climbing like a hardtail, and then with the flick of a lever... suspension. Have it both front and rear as it makes the six or eight miles of road bearable. The Joshua design suffers from a lot of 'bobbing' as one pedals, not bothersome when off road. Disc on the front is the way to go. So much more controllable that I don't end up on my head anymore. Inexpensive cable operated Avid systems work great without the need to go with hydraulics (I think I'm using 9 series levers and 5 or 7 series calipers with someone elses 'gator' series wave rotor). Your picture shows the mounts on the fork... if you've got a hub with the mounts for the disc, the cost would be less than $100. Try pricepoint.com's bargain basement. | ||
| Sifo |
Lemonchili, lockable suspension is a wonderfull thing... allows climbing like a hardtail, and then with the flick of a lever... suspension. Have it both front and rear as it makes the six or eight miles of road bearable. The Joshua design suffers from a lot of 'bobbing' as one pedals, not bothersome when off road. If that's Joshua as in a Gary Fisher Joshua, then yes they do suffer from terrible bob. I had the trek version in carbon way back. There are far better suspension designs available these days at reasonable prices where IMO you wont need the lockout, at least on the rear. The suspension is still beneficial even when climbing, keeping the tire in good contact over rocks and roots. It really sucks too when you start bombing down hill forgetting to unlock the suspension. On the front, a lock out that locks in a compressed state can be nice in that it helps keep the front down when climbing. Adjustable travel forks can also be nice when engineered correctly. Not meaning to pick on the Joshua, but response to pedaling was never it's strong suit. There are local trails where that design works better than any of my other frames, but not that many. The URT design does do a great job of eliminating suspension feed back into the pedals. It gets hard to understand the strengths and weaknesses of various designs without spending a fair amount of time on them. I still think one of the best overall designs is the Horst link. Many have modified this design to get around patent issues, but they do not ride the same. It's biggest weakness is the number of pivots it has that can lead to play in the rear triangle if the manufacturer hasn't done it's homework to build pivots that will stay tight. This, along with paying for patent rights also makes it a fairly expensive suspension. Often times you do get what you pay for. | ||
| Tiltcylinder |
Sifo, dead on... some places the bike's glued to the trail.. others... not so much. Rock strewn descents are a horror show. Way back when I bought it, I was riding a nice Cannondale with a Judy(?) on the front. Broke a few toes in an encounter with an unmovable object and was off the bike(s) for a couple of months. I kept seeing the bike at a local emporium and I wanted it bad. When healed, they allowed me to demo it... sold. For tight, twisty single track through the woods it's fabulous. It's the pedal equivalent of the XT, plush, well mannered and handles. Serious climbing or downhillin' would require a different bike altogether... I'm not that serious about anything anymore! Like Ted, I don't bounce well anymore. I see people, crazy people... doing things on bicycles that I wouldn't even attempt (like those 'boardwalk' trails in the woods!!) It wasn't uncommon to rack up 10,000 miles a year on my road bikes in the eighties (yeah... skinny tires and spandex... what was I thinking!), a 'century' was a leisurely morning out, until I got bored. Now it's 12 miles of asphalt (45 min) and 10 miles in the woods (90 min), and I'm lucky to get 1,000 miles saddle time in a year. Just so many other things to enjoy, like the Buell. Scooter, Rhino Lites and XT hubs... I'm with you. I 'potato chipped' the Maverick rims early on. | ||
| Scooter808484 |
It's biggest weakness is the number of pivots it has that can lead to play in the rear triangle if the manufacturer hasn't done it's homework to build pivots that will stay tight The Knolly is a modified Horst link. That thing is stiff as they come. Of course, they use double row bearings in the main pivot and it weighs >36 lbs!! My other bike is a Felt, with their version of a DW-Link or VPP. It pedals like a hardtail, but all those pivots catch the crud here in the PNW, then rot out. I'd like to try that Motolite out! Too bad Titus is kind of in limbo. | ||
| Scooter808484 |
Lemonchili... I had a thought. You should check out a Santa Cruz Heckler. Not the lightest bike, but 6" of rear travel. Simple single pivot suspension, can't break it with a hammer. Not the best pedaler, but slap a Fox RP23 with platform on there and you'll be laughin'. They've been around for quite awhile in one flavor or another, so you might find a good used one. | ||
| Lemonchili_x1 |
Thanks for all the tips and thoughts folks, and the pics of your toys Lots of stuff to think about. Shin/knee guards are on the shopping list. I'd had the K-mart plastic clips in the photo on there for ages, always thinking I'd eventually get shoes and clipless pedals, but am glad I've got the flats now. Any suggestions on shoes? People seem to rave about FiveTens, but they're pricey. I was thinking of getting a pair of Vans bike shoes on my trip. Another set of tires is on the list too, something that will handle a bit of everything - gravel, hard sand, soft sand and mud Despite the fact it's getting colder I actually hauled myself out of bed for a 40 minute ride before work this morning... I need to ride more, I'm so unfit! Following the general advice above my plan now is ride the snot out of the Mongoose and figure out what I want. I'm also going to try and get to some local XC and DH events just to watch what goes on (though DH events seem to be rare here due to issues with use of trails). I've subscribed to a couple of mtb magazines on Zinio too. Once I've worked out the features I want I'm thinking I'll buy something used, possibly a few years old, see what I can find for $500-$1000 (don't tell V!), and ride it for a year or so. Scanning ebay it seems it's not unusual for something to pop up which can be 2 to 7 years old with virtually no use. The most popular and available well-known brand here is definitely Giant. The next most common brands are probably Specialized, Norco and GT, then Kona and Mongoose. Cannondale, Trek and Jamis bikes come up occasionally. Maybe I might dig up a base model suspension bike from one of these brands. The spec I'm thinking so far is 26" wheels, 4 to 6 inches of travel, lockable suspension, and tough and sturdy rather light. Kind of a light freeride bike or a no-nonsense all-mountain bike. (If I was buying new, something like a Specialized Camber Comp or Elite looks about right Specialized Camber ) I really like my Mongoose, it hasn't let me down, but I don't think it's worth upgrading. The fork is it's weakest link, no damping (no adjustment either) and it feels like there is slop in the forks. The frame is a small and probably a little too small for me, I find the bars to pedal distance a bit close for steep uphill stuff. I'd prefer something a little less nervous on downhill sections too. |
