STOLEN BIKE - Metallic Red Transition Blindside in SLC - One of a kind

[phatfreeheeler]

My one of a kind Metallic Red Blindside was stolen from the top of my car today. Thieves cut the thickest cable you can buy in probably 2 sec and forced it off of a locked Thule Sidearm just as fast without doing more then slightly bending the rack.

Early '08 med frame, w/Ceramic bearings in half the pivots - Metallic red is custom so there is no other frame like it - The whole frame was covered in clearbra to keep it pristine.
Matching Floating brake
DHX5 w/Ti spring
'05 888RC with Go-ride crowns and all upgrades - I loved this fork so much
White Azonic Outlaw wheels
2.5" (really ~3") Hutchinson Octopus Tires
Hone Cranks
X9 shifters and Rear D, Shimano E-type Front D
Avid Code's w/8" rotors (These pics are old and show Juicy's)
E13 DRS
Thompson seatpost
WTB saddle which is beaten and torn
FSA Extreme Pro Headset
Easton pedal painted metallic red
Bars I painted metallic red as well
Oury grips

I had just started changing the rear der cable so it had housing but no cable in it I was was rerouting both it and the brake line down the downtube so there wasn't even my normal cover over the right side chainstay.

I leave for my yearly trip to Whistler on Friday so this is a huge blow. Losing the bike is one thing, losing my only DH sled 3 days before Whistler is completely different. It's like having all your pow skis stolen before you head to Alaska.

If you see it, please contact me.

[powderwhore]

F'n thieves suck! I almost feel you can't leave a bike locked anywhere anymore.

[phatfreeheeler]

So I am frantically putting together my Reign X to fill in the gap for the 6 days of riding Whistler and have some quick questions I never planned to need answered. I built the Blindside to take abuse and I was always confident that I could case a brick wall if I had too. It was my 46lb afraid-i -bike! The Reign X I have treated as a bit more of a finesse bike where I make sure to land on good tranni's and actually use brakes entering rockgardens. I'm definitely not as confident on it, but I hope some of that is purely due to huge tires.

I think wheels are the big question mark since right now. I currently only run 2.35 tires on it and just a Mavic xm719 as a rear rim. Unfortunately, the heaviest rear wheel I have built up is a ridiculously light WTB Laserdisc Lite hub laced to a WTB Dual Duty rim (about the same weight as the singletrack ~570g). This was the original rear wheel from the Reign. The other option I have is a bolt on XT hub that I could lace with something like an MTX for pretty cheap. Would you go with these options or get something else?

For the front, I have an old wheel off my 1st DH bike which is still fine but it's only a Sun Singletrack rim. At the time it was plenty, but thanks to my friends I think my skills are significantly improved at this point, and I won't have a 888 to absorb impacts. If I throw a big tire on it, do you think that will cut it?

I was trying to avoid buying fully built wheels, I usually build my own wheels, but this is crunch time and I don't want to taco my wheels day one and then either get hammered or spend the next day and big $'s fixing things there.

Other things I will change will be swapping the RP23 off for my Romic Coil (I hope that doesn't spew, but I really like that shock), and then also pulling the Gravity Dropper cause it's just not worth risking that in the park and I would also like the ability to slam the saddle farther down.

Lucky for me I put a Totem coil on it earlier this season.

I so didn't want to have this issue leading into Whistler. I just don't have the time for this right now. Thanks in advance for any help you can provide.

[Vt-Freeheel]

Really sucks your bike was stolen. I am nervous as hell leaving my bike locked in the rack if I can not see it, like looking out of the bar window post ride. Hope someone sees this unique ride and sends the thief over a cliff.

[bagtagley]

That's bullshit, James, sorry to hear it. This is definitely a little worse than me breaking my 888 24 hours before Whistler departure.

Was this at work? I wonder if somebody has been eyeballing it for a while, planning the heist? Kinda sketchy cause I used to have the bike on my car all day at work with just the crappy sidearm lock. I was essentially parked at a police station, though, so probably not the same thing.

It totally blows to lose your planned Whistler bike, but the Reign will be a great bike for that place. You don't need a bike that can take a brick-wall beating there, and the Reign will probably be more fun on most of the stuff you like to ride. With the Totem on there, it'll handle the technical stuff fine as well. I, personally, wouldn't really be concerned about riding on the WTB rear and the Singletrack up front either.

[eldereldo]

Don't you want to just kick someones ass? You wonder just what you can do to protect your stuff these days. Maybe bike in the back of a truck with a rotweiller leashed to it?

Better keep an eye out on EBay and Craiglist, thiefs probably aren't going to be riding it, just parting it out.

I wonder if the only way to avoid things like this is to make sure the bike looks like a piece of shit, IE no pretty paint jobs, peel the stickers off the fork and stick some from a crappy knockoff fork on, beadblast off the markings from the calipers and brakes, scrape up the shifters etc etc so any thief looking at it figures it is a beat up worthless scrap heap and leaves it alone.

[Trackhead]

Sorry to hear that. Seems there are two or three maggots a year getting their bikes stolen.

[Dantheman]

That BLOWS!!!

I will definitely keep an eye out.

[monkeywrenchMoose]

Another one? gawdamnit. I hate thieves. i'm nervous about leaving my bike at work, locked up, in my boss's office. i'll keep an eye out for the last 5 days i'm here. sorry man.

[Particle]

Duuuuuuude! So sorry James. I was going to say something yesterday about it - the other bike that got stolen from the lot had a big cable lock on it apparently - but I know you were aware.

FWIW your Reign with the Totem should still be really fun up there. I'd still rather have the Blindside but I don't think you'll be bummin on the Reign too bad.

[Conundrum]

Check pm's.

I agree with IG. Time to go old skool on horse thieves.

[powderwhore]

I'll make you a deal on a Cuervo.

[Gowboy From Hell]

I'll make you a deal on a Cuervo.

That Cuervo does have experience at Whistler.

[phatfreeheeler]

Bags - I lack your smooveness, so I'm gonna run the singletrack front, but I'm building up the XT hub with an MTX for the rear. Super cheap and reliable. I've been working on whips more and figure I want the extra beef.

No buying a bike yet for me. We'll see how the Reign does in BC and hopefully find out what my insurance will pay out. Then I should have a better idea on what to do long term. Thanks for all the concern and help.

[powder4breakfast]

I assume that by mentioning getting an MTX cheap, you're aware of go-ride's MTX deal. Pretty cheap.

[GoldenBear]

All I can say is FUCK SLC THIEVES. I can't stand that shit. The night I moved to SLC I had my entire life stolen from me. Everything I owned was stolen along with my whip. They even took the photographs and journals from my travels.

Unfortunately you will probably never see the bike again. I hope the fucks that stole such a sweet ride end up crashing and dying on it.

Have fun in whistler.

[TuaDog]

Damn dude, that sucks.

Lucky for you your Reign with a Totem is slacker, lower and has more travel up front than what was my dedicated Whistler bike.....Uzzi with 170mm 66rc2x.

All I can say is that Whister destroys wheels. Don't put anything nice on there for riding the lifts unless they are bomb proof. Too many braking bumps.

WTF...you get a week at Whistler while the wife stays home with the baby? Despite the stolen bike you are still one lucky SOB.

[bagtagley]

...than what was my dedicated Whistler bike.....Uzzi with 170mm 66rc2x.

"was"? ....

[Trackhead]

I hope the fucks that stole such a sweet ride end up crashing and dying on it.

The dirtbag who stole it doesn't ride a bike. They probably needed a couple hundred bucks to buy some Oxycontin or heroin. Meth is out of fashion now in SLC.

[phatfreeheeler]

We are actually pretty sure it's a group of pro bike thieves, not some single dirtbag. Also, vehicles witnessed scouting the parking lot are not junk cars, but actually quite nice. I didn't realize you could make enough money off petty thievery but it kinda looks like it. A sting will be in order when Whistler is done.

Damn dude, that sucks.

Lucky for you your Reign with a Totem is slacker, lower and has more travel up front than what was my dedicated Whistler bike.....Uzzi with 170mm 66rc2x.

All I can say is that Whister destroys wheels. Don't put anything nice on there for riding the lifts unless they are bomb proof. Too many braking bumps.

WTF...you get a week at Whistler while the wife stays home with the baby? Despite the stolen bike you are still one lucky SOB.

Yes, yes I am. I tried to convince her to come with, even if she wasn't up to the lifts yet at least she would get a trip in and I would gladly take some days off riding to hang out with the little dude while she rode XC. He's pretty damn cool you know I think your wife's accident is a sobering reminder for her to take it easy until she's really ready and it would be hard seeing everyone else out at the lifts all day when that's where she really wants to be.

As for the travel on the bike, yep pretty much what you and Bags had last year, but I am not nearly the rider you guys are. However, I'm going with your direction, burly and cheap wheels at least in the rear. I'm usually easier on fronts, so the Singletrack should cut it once I put a massive tire on.

BTW - I have never run Maxxis tires on my bikes, but Von didn't think I could fit more then a 2.5 High roller on the rear so that's what I stuck on the MTX. They should be ashamed to call that a 2.5" tire. By that standard I could run a 3" tire. Why didn't I just buy a pile of Hutchinson's when I had the time? Oh yeah, cause I had a perfectly good set on the fucking Blindside. I know it will grip, but man it doesn't inspire me Good thing I don't have to look at it while riding. It's going to look funny with a 2.5 Octopus on the front. It's easily 50% wider

[utsnowgirl]

WTF...you get a week at Whistler while the wife stays home with the baby? Despite the stolen bike you are still one lucky SOB.

Yep, I'm stuck at home this year, but it's ok. I have little dude to keep me busy here. We thought about making it a family trip, but he's still pretty little - next year for sure, though! I can't wait!

It's probably going to be a long 9 days of single-motherhood, but I'm already booking my spa day for the day after J gets home. It will definitely be well deserved!

[rotorhead]

That sucks buddy. Until today I was leaving both bikes on the back of my truck. for weeks at a time while I work. Wish i could lend you my rig for a week.

[monkeywrenchMoose]

A sting? you'll definitely have to let us know how that turns out.

Also, how did you paint your bars and pedals? Did you do it yourself?

[BaconMan]

Keep us posted - will be watching the usual sites for the bike. This sucks. Karma will be a nasty thing for these thieves.

[phatfreeheeler]

Also, how did you paint your bars and pedals? Did you do it yourself?

Yeah, it's total Ghetto, but it gave the bike a nice touch and covered up parts that would have detracted from the bikes look. Just sand blasted off the old finish, primed and painted w/rattle cans from auto parts store. BTW - Sand blasting and open bearings means lots of cleaning required afterward.