Bicycle Thread

[Mr Eps]

well my other bike is a hardtail...haven't ridden it for a while but deff want somehting i can go trails with. ive got some neat ones jsut 5 up the road + i was something a bit more cruisey for the streets etc etc...

whats this alias you speak off...i havent really looked at bikes for quite a while.

2009 giant alias

9 speed shimano deore gearing (27 speeds all up)

hydraulic disc brakes

rockshock tora shock absorber with a remote lockout function (switch is on the handlebar to lock the shock off)

raceface handlebar, extender, and seatpost

fast. very very fast.

does skids

looks wicked

get a hard tail. soft tails take away all your power!

[mad082]

and make the bike heavier, and cost extra to get the same quality bike, and are shit, LOL

[Mr Eps]

^^^what he said

basically soft tails are acceptable if you have a REALLY weak / bad back and can't handle any form of a bumpy ride, and even in the event you *do* have a weak back, riding a bike will soon fix that

[mad082]

or if you are doing down hill racing. for cross country/road picking one would be like picking a f250 for city driving. sure it will do the job but costs more, isn't as efficient, more things to go wrong, and generally is just a waste.

[Gus-]

mad thanks...i think i was looking at the model below that...or maybe its on special...might have a looksee on friday

[xALmoN]

Well, i think soft tails are something else entirely from full sussers. There's a khs something thats classified as a soft tail, not much travel, waste of time.

I do like the Santa Cruz Heckler. Wheelie machine. With the rear shock set right anyway.

I just got a Giant Acid, frame only, no headsets, nothing. Was thinking of building it up, but i'm not exactly a fan of hardtails with long front end travel forks. I wonder if it can take a 100mm fox vanilla r.

Edited June 1, 2009 by xALmoN

[mad082]

there are 2 types of rear suspension setups. there is the down hill style that will sag the moment you sit on it, then there is the cross country style that is designed to not move from weight down, but designed to articulate when the rear wheel is hit from the front. this way you don't lose any pedalling motion and don't suffer from 'bobbing'. things like the giant XTC NRS range (well that's what it was called back when i worked in a shop that sold giant). they give the feel of a hard tail when climbing but give a smoother ride. however you day pay quite a bit for a decent bike like this where it actually works. a lot of the cheap bikes try to copy the geometry but it doesn't work. these are the ones that have the main triangle as 1 piece and the shock is usually in front of the seat tube and is positioned vertically.

like this

[xALmoN]

i actually liked the giant nrs for awhile. But i ended up getting an xtc team.

[PHATR32]

seems to me the guys bagging "soft tales" dont know jack shit about riding them.

have any of you guys ridden a proper FS (full suspension) bike? not talking about the K MArt bikes either.

With the suspension technology these days power loss is mininmal, e.g. the rear shock on my bike doesnt move while im sitting down and powering up a hill, no matter how hard i pedal, yet it responds to anything on the ground.

Best thing to do is borrow a mates bike (decent bike) for a day out in the bush and see for your self.

steve

^^^what he said

basically soft tails are acceptable if you have a REALLY weak / bad back and can't handle any form of a bumpy ride, and even in the event you *do* have a weak back, riding a bike will soon fix that

[mad082]

what do you have (you may have said it but i have forgotten)

and yes i have ridden plenty of high end dual suspension bikes, from shitters to top of the range stuff. i have ridden high end bikes that sagged over an inch just from sitting on the seat. i have ridden cross country ones that didn't move at all when bouncing on the seat but once i got up the street and went over the speed bump it did.

[PHATR32]

i have a 2008 stump jumper pro, full 07 xtr group set, 07 rock shox revelation fork, some average shimano wheels.

All bike suspension needs to have some sag, otherwise it wont work properly!! even the short travel xc stuff.

if it doesnt sag slightly then it isnt tuned to the riders weight.

steve

[xALmoN]

Heard of chumba bikeS?

[mad082]

nope

[mad082]

i just got an email from one of my suppliers saying they are getting in a shipment of fixies. they are from a bmx company. seems to be running some pretty good gear. full chromoly frame, forks, bars, sealed bearing wheels, cranks, headset. it is styled like a bmx. it has one of the best bmx chains on the market on it, bmx grips, seat and post

[JAS-25T]

how much?

[Mr Eps]

i prefer giant's "CR" frame

but that does look sick pending price, no brakes is a bit of a worry...

what is the gear ratios?

any bigger than 46/17t?

[xALmoN]

No front brake mounts?

[mad082]

46/16 gearing, don't know price, will come with brakes (legal requirement in australia)

[xALmoN]

I probably would put a freewheel on it, something like the White industries Eno, fixie kills knees. Thats if i'm getting a fixie.

Edited June 4, 2009 by xALmoN

[Mr Eps]

xalmon fix gear and free wheel are different. obviously you know this difference, fix gear you accelerate with your legs, and brake... with your legs...

im FINALLY getting a single speed this weekend =)