Vikb profile

I had to do a doubletake. I'm so used to running absurdly high spacer stacks with absurdly high rise bars that my brain wasn't able to recognize this ^^ photo as the "after" higher rise setup. ;-)

I'm glad you found the extra bar height useful to diagnose the bike's handling even if it's too high for long term riding.

Back when I had my longest bike to date [Cotic BFeMAX in L] one of my gripes with that bike was I lacked confidence in the front end as well as having to spend so much mental energy thinking about weighting the front or back wheels. After 18 months I gave up. I could make it work, but it just didn't seem worth it. At least for me the long wheelbase stability only was a benefit if I could trust the tires would hook up reliably.

I was riding my, admittedly way too small for current MTB fashion, hardtail yesterday on icy rocks/wood and was waiting for some sliding drama, but was rewarded with far more traction/predictability than I deserved in those conditions. Weighting both wheels was just so easy/natural.

I'll be interested to hear how you fare adapting to the front end of the CS. I'm also interested in the fact that you are experiencing that feeling when you are on the smaller size of the two you considered.

It only takes one company owner/product manager to "get it". ;-)

Thanks for all the best vest related content online Andrew. I hope a company offers you a pro model vest. You deserve it.

If you are looking for a wind vest vs. a full waterproof breathable garment I really like the Sugoi Versa II Jacket with the sleeves off. The only downside is that it's not super light/packable, but sounds like that not what you are after. Fit is not roadie and comes down quite low on my hips [L at 5'11"]. It has a hood which I like YMMV. I wear it without the sleeves 90%+ of the time. The sleeves are nice if you can only have one shell on a trip. Pockets are useful. Breathes well for MTBing and running.

My GF got one and loves it. It's a hit with several friends as well. 

https://www.sugoi.com/en_ca/versa-2-jacket-u702010m

I get excited when there is snow on the trails. It's a fun change from normal and it's a pretty limited time situation on the coast. Keeps the "golfers" away as well! I like having the trails to myself. ;-)

I hope you and Claire get another really "bad" ride like this in the books before winter 2023/24 is over.

Happy Birthday!

Wow. Looking at that Honzo photo it's pretty clear that bike theft was at extreme levels in 2013. ;-)

Thanks for all the great articles in 2023 Andrew. All the best to you and your family for a great 2024.

Welcome Matt! We need more details on the hardtail in the top photo. :-)

That's what I did. My Super Deluxe Coil is amazing post-vacation at Vorsprung. When you factor in the cost for a normal full service getting the shock customized was a bargain. I'd 100% rather have a customized "regular" shock than a premium production shock.

If you are willing to have a dedicated rigid frame/fork that opens up design options not possible for bike that needs room for a suspension fork and moving front wheel.

Thanks. I'm spoiled for options in the fleet at the moment.

Building an ATB would be a great idea. Lots of fun riding for a machine like that around here.

I'll keep an eye out for your Prime porn over in the FS thread. Enjoy the monkey motion.

Looks nice.

Posted by: Endurimil

Vik, where is that? Can you share some better photos?

That's the only photo I have. Google says it was a part of a power plant & saw mill for the area.

http://tinyurl.com/289z979t

Icy AF today. Rocks and bridges were super slippery. Dirt was heroic. 

There were a surprising number of people out early running and riding. I guess that's the NY Resolution Effect. Hopefully people will go back to slacking in a couple weeks. ;-)

Very limited white stuff. We might get some real snow this week. **fingers crossed**

Posted by: fartymarty

Vik - that first pic is awesome.  What's the building / structure?

Thanks FM. I actually don't know what that is. I'll see if I can find out.

We checked out some singletrack in a network I haven't ridden before. I forgot to take any photos on the trails, but I got a snap on the way in and out. Really fun old school natural riding. It's going to take us quite a few more missions before we ride everything enough to really master the network. 

The singletrack was empty of traffic except one dog walker. It's going to be a great summer long weekend riding destination.

Posted by: shoreboy

We got a smart trainer for the winters a couple of years ago. Definitely helps keep the fitness up on the cold/dark days. Make sure you have a few fans, a table to put stuff on (we used an ironing board until we found a dedicated trainer table) and a bike that you can leave on the trainer (so you don't have to mess around with taking it on/off all the time). Zwift definitely makes it more interesting than just spinning away on a trainer with no goal in mind.

Her commuter bike lasted on the trainer a week. We picked a cheap old road bike off FB Marketplace as her Zwift rig. It can stay on their permanently. It also has vertical dropouts which work better in the trainer than her commuter's horizontal dropouts. The bike is a bit ugly looking so if it's a keeper I'll give it a spray bomb makeover when I am doing some maintenance in the summer.

She's enjoying Zwift so far.

I'm working on putting together a gravel/ATB route linking up some fun areas in the valley. I needed to connect up two areas so I convinced my buddy he wanted to spend a day looking at a phone, trying trails/tracks, looking at a phone some more, back tracking, hike-a-biking, and even riding some of the time.

Eventually we punched a route through that mostly didn't suck. Some "adventure" was desirable, but not so much nobody would enjoy riding it. A day well spent!

2018 GG The Smash. Unapologetically metal. It was already obsolete when GG went full carbon, but now that GG went full KIA it's truly a relic of the past. I have no plans to get rid of it or replace it. It's a super fun FS bike and it's paid for so when I want to ride with full monkey motion I'll grab it. That urge has not been frequent the last few years, but I did get in 18 rides in 2023 down in UT/AZ on a road trip. I see that mission as its future. Smashing rocks in the desert seems like a fine way for The Smash to live out its days.

Other than maintenance no upgrades/changes planned. If something wears out or breaks I'll replace it. If I damage or break the frame I'll hang it up on the wall of the garage.