Go forth and ride, then bring back pics

[creaky fossil]

Those things (what does IMBA call them? technical trail features?) look dangerous. Can't they send someone out there to dry the moisture to make it safer? I'm just going out for a ride, I don't need to risk my life!

Seeing that Pike makes me think it may not be so bad, though. Even with that old cheap bike. 2014 Pike is the best fork ever designed and 100% ENDURO!, so that mitigates the wetness I suppose, at least from here at my desk.

[kidwoo]

WTB is already making a goofy saddle so that pivot can force feed 27.5s to their dh bike. Us sub 6' folks are going to need some more ass protection in the future for this obviously superior wheelsize.

[LeeLau]

Notice the gorilla taped ass? That's from riding long travel 29ers down steeps.

I will say one thing that's noticeable from the 650b wheels. Don't have to get back as much so you can be a bit more forward on the bike and steer better even on steeps. Kinda the same feeling as 29ers

Schwalbe Hans Dampfs do not do well on wet rock though. The rear breaks loose even on the lightest of touches say compared to the Minions or HR2 or even Ardent

That Firebird with the 650b wheels is such a kludge job. Same as the Specialized joke 650b half-assed frame botched together.



CF that Pike is pretty good. Compression and other dials that actually make a difference when you use them.

Dunno - maybe I've become a kool-aid guzzler but the new SRAM brakes and the RS Pike are pretty darn good. The Pike does come dry though as usual so stick some extra oil in the lowers. At least the qc is consistent

[kidwoo]

I will say one thing that's noticeable from the 650b wheels. Don't have to get back as much so you can be a bit more forward on the bike and steer better even on steeps. Kinda the same feeling as 29ers

Oh for sure. What annoys me more though is popping over rocks and such as speed when you need to tuck your bike up underneath you. It's like having your seatpost limiting your body english by being in your gut, except it's a wheel up your ass. It's kind of dangerous actually.

I'm actually shocked that there are ANY tires that 'work' on that slimy stuff that coats all the rocks up there. No matter what's on my wheels, it's hold on and eyeball a runout almost exclusively. Steerin n' brakin' is scary.

Anybody who thinks pikes are 'koolaid' either hasn't ridden one, got a lemon or is just an fool who shits on things because they're popular. Those are pretty much the best trail bike forks made to date. And that sentiment is fairly universal from anyone who knows how to setup suspension. They're lighter than anything as stiff, they've got the most simple to set yet most refined riding LS damping, and they pretty much want you to tweak the air spring till you're happy. I can understand skepticism, especially with some of the dumb things the industry is doing right now, but that's pretty much an undisputed winner, especially if they fixed the occasional binding thing that a handful of people have talked about.

aight: this is the pics thread, I need to shut up now.

[Conundrum]

..........

[LeeLau]

Oh for sure. What annoys me more though is popping over rocks and such as speed when you need to tuck your bike up underneath you. It's like having your seatpost limiting your body english by being in your gut, except it's a wheel up your ass. It's kind of dangerous actually.

I'm actually shocked that there are ANY tires that 'work' on that slimy stuff that coats all the rocks up there. No matter what's on my wheels, it's hold on and eyeball a runout almost exclusively. Steerin n' brakin' is scary.

Anybody who thinks pikes are 'koolaid' either hasn't ridden one, got a lemon or is just an fool who shits on things because they're popular. Those are pretty much the best trail bike forks made to date. And that sentiment is fairly universal from anyone who knows how to setup suspension. They're lighter than anything as stiff, they've got the most simple to set yet most refined riding LS damping, and they pretty much want you to tweak the air spring till you're happy. I can understand skepticism, especially with some of the dumb things the industry is doing right now, but that's pretty much an undisputed winner.

On the pumpy stuff the 650bs hold back the bike. Probably will take these things (Covert and Hustler) to the Bike Park opening day just to see how they do. That and the Della downhill.

On the really steep stuff as you know all you do is brake till they cut loose - which is usually in the top 10% of a trail then you pick a spot for your wheels to bounce off; like say a rootball or rock that will send you the right way. Then let go and hope for the best. No wheel size is going to help there.

That Pike has awesome mid-stroke support in particular. In many ways I'm beginning to feel the Pikes paired with Fox rear suspension exposes the inadequacies of the Fox rear suspension. Sharon is going to get a RS Pike and CCDB for her Knolly Warden. That seems to be the ticket. I'm wondering if the Pike and Monarch would also do the trick.

[Dromond]

Coverting in Pemby and whistler

Those trails look fun! I've got to check out the Pemberton riding some time.

[beaterdit]

On the pumpy stuff the 650bs hold back the bike. Probably will take these things (Covert and Hustler) to the Bike Park opening day just to see how they do. That and the Della downhill.

On the really steep stuff as you know all you do is brake till they cut loose - which is usually in the top 10% of a trail then you pick a spot for your wheels to bounce off; like say a rootball or rock that will send you the right way. Then let go and hope for the best. No wheel size is going to help there.

That Pike has awesome mid-stroke support in particular. In many ways I'm beginning to feel the Pikes paired with Fox rear suspension exposes the inadequacies of the Fox rear suspension. Sharon is going to get a RS Pike and CCDB for her Knolly Warden. That seems to be the ticket. I'm wondering if the Pike and Monarch would also do the trick.

Lee I've actually remarked to some who've asked me, in regards to the CCDB and other inquiries in general, that the Pike up front/Monarch+ out back is a great combo and feels very well balanced. The Monarch+ also has great mid stroke support, even run wide open, and I guess there's something to the "Rapid Recovery" as well. My new bike has a slightly higher leverage ratio but otherwise the same kinematics, and it doesn't sag like my old bike did, especially on the steep climbs. It's a feeling I was never able to achieve with the Float 36/RP23 on my old bike. this is comparing a 26" 2011 Tracer2 to a 27.5 T275. Granted, it's known that RP23 is not a great shock for anything more than mellowish XC riding (Not "BC XC" ).

[LeeLau]

Thanks - will probably ask for a RS Monarch to try out on a bike

Here's some video Coverting the 650b tread

[WaistDeepGroomers]

Lee I really wish I could ride the trails you do on a daily basis... all I dreamed of as a kid was being able to bike trails with a log bridge or skinny log ride every 15 feet! Otherwise, the few trails that are open in JH have been super tacky and fun in between the rain and snow. Here's a few from last night... corner on corners on corners!

[jamal]

Yeah, cool stuff Lee.

Here is a recent picture



And one from a "road" race:

[LeeLau]

Decommissioning some mudholes







and my new fav sign

[scrublover]

From a long weekend trip down into VA.


Don't even think of it. This is MY fucking squirrel!






Pre or post ride at Ninham, it's still pretty damn fine tasting.

[east or bust]

Very cool owl pic^!

[biggins]

From a long weekend trip down into VA.

Love that view. Douthat, right?

[Vt-Freeheel]

Very cool owl pic^!

Owl? [/rollseyes]

It is a nice capture.

[creaky fossil]

Owl? [/rollseyes]

It is a nice capture.

those big-eyed birds all look the same. they even have their own lingo, 'n' shit.

[east or bust]

Owl? [/rollseyes]

It is a nice capture.

those big-eyed birds all look the same. they even have their own lingo, 'n' shit.

Wow, well that might be an all time low for me. As much as I want to say that was a joke it wasn't. Never looked at the head

[creaky fossil]

no worries dude, my quick first glance said "owl" until I looked for real. from that angle the head looks round and the face looks flat, two owlish qualities. owls also rarely hang out on the ground, usually they're on the wing when near the forest floor.

in any case it's clearly not WOODSY! he's in NYC.

[scrublover]

*ahem* it's red-shouldered or broad-winged hawk. Or so my cursory research shows.

Either way, fockin' beautiful. I was about 8' off with this shot. Got to ~6' and backed the fuck off when he/she started to ruffle feathers. Off the side of the road when entering the parking area for Sprain Ridge. Absolutely didn't give a fuck about anything other than chowing his squirrel - so long as I kept distance.

Got some other shots, but my excitedness (?) and crappy P&S camera could only do so much.





My riding buddy (in the passenger seat) noticed him about 25' off the road. If not for him, would have missed the bird. Actually looped back through the parking area in the hopes he was still there/to get some pics.

[joetron]

Yes! I fucking love raptors.

[Swine]

That Firebird with the 650b wheels is such a kludge job. Same as the Specialized joke 650b half-assed frame botched together.

I demo'ed the old 26 Firebird and thought it was awesome. They fucked up the "awesome new 650 b" huh? I'm surprised... Oh, and thanks for hating that new piece of shit "Behind the Scenes" of the new "Enduro" movie on PB as much as I did.

Any fucking way, pic from last summer. I'm thinking about holding on to the old girl now

[kidwoo]

It's not a firebird, it's a phoenix I was talking about. Their dh bike.

[Swine]

Oh, I actually rode that back to back with the Firebird (both 26) and thought the Phoenix sucked. It was night and day between that and the Firebird. BB felt too low, and the Fox 40 was terrible. The demo dude tried to tell me that it was because it had the wrong spring for my weight... he was wrong. I'm perpetually mystified by the shitty setups that demos force out to testers though - and, this was a closed event. Do they want us to hate their bikes?

[kidwoo]

Hard to say.

I mean you are saying a dh bike with the exact same BB height measurement as some of the best bikes made is too low. And that the best out of the box dh fork at the time was terrible.

It wouldn't be the first time someone rode a beat demo bike that was long overdue for some attention. Or at least 5 minutes spent setting it up for the person riding it. I know every demo bike I've ever ridden got one complete run stopping about 20 times to change something before 'really' riding it.


But anyway.......my point was just that the industry is trying too hard. If you need to redesign saddles, your big fatass wheel needs a less forward axle path. But since there's a dw link contract involved that isn't going to happen. And lawdy lawd, you shaw caint be sellin no 26" wheeled bike in 2014.