rigidjunkie profile

This being a potential only bike is music to my ears.  I bought a Stumpjumper (the basic alloy cheapest suspension thing in the shop version) for my son a couple years ago and after riding it a couple of times discovered that the modern geometry makes for an amazingly versatile bike.  Over time it has become my main bike.  My other bike is a V1 Hightower that is better for jumps, but lags in all other situations.  

Where the Stumpjumper fails is at the bike park.  Something like this that could take the bike park and normal all mountain riding sounds perfect for what I need these days.  I always sit and spin so hearing that is the preferred climbing sounds good to me.  My out of the box upgrades mirror yours I wouldn't even bed in the pads on those brakes.  We have been working on getting all our bikes on Shimano for brakes and drivetrains.  The new heavy but cheap Shimano stuff is great for this and would be a first winter upgrade.  

The one thing I don't do is upgrade wheels.  I have a spare set and have employed a see if I can destroy the cheap wheels approach.  So far again I have been amazed at how capable a modern mountain bike is, even the cheapest version.

My daily is a first gen Hightower or the base Stumpjumper I bought for my son a couple years ago. 

My other bike is a 1990's El Mariachi that does exactly what you are talking about :)  The thing is other than drops there are still no features that I can't ride on the hardtail. I really miss logs from back east, here in Montana logs just get cut out due to the shared use of most of our trails.

Reading this brings back memories.  For years I rode with a group called the Spokejunkies.  It was a casual group who in general had a disdain for racing and a penchant for group rides and good eats.  To this day if a long ride is not followed by some homestyle meal it just doesn't feel right.  

The rituals I miss are the sessioning... well sessions.  When we found a feature, we would try it over and over again.  I remember a particular log that I think took me 12 tries to clean.  Features would mark the rest spots where we would mother up.  Features were the subject of post ride story telling.  Features were the thing that got me off the couch and to the rides.  

This past weekend I rode with a couple of friends and one really wanted to figure out a tricky switchback.  I think she rode it 12 times and we provided coaching and support.  It brought me back to that place I love of watching progression.  

The problem I have is where I ride today the trails are fun but not especially challenging.  I can ride from my house with access to around 100 miles of trail.  But there is not a single feature I can't clean 95% of the time.  What I miss is that feeling of failure over and over again followed by that just right adjustment to ride a bike over something odd.

A couple weeks ago I spotted an odd rock with a perfect backside but an off camber wall on the other side.  There is not a small trail to the rock and so far only one set of tire marks across it.  Unfortunately that tire mark has a foot mark in the duff next to it.  I will spend most of the winter itching to get back out next spring and figure that thing out.

I coach NICA and they provide a basic medical kit.  At the end of the season we give them back and this year I have felt naked without the kit in my pack.  Sooo I just ordered a kit for myself so I will never be without.  

A friend laughed at me last week when he saw how many gloves were in my hip pack.  3 pair all different weights all worn in the past month.  There is absolutely nothing like pulling out a dry pair of gloves if your hands get wet on a ride.

I just want a Shimano build with Rock Shox suspension.  I know that is counter to the SRAM empire, but I hate SRAM brakes and Fox suspension.

Can't wait for the this vs. WeR1 content :)  

Couldn't agree more on the Shimano build with better suspension being the right answer on this.

I have been saying for years there should be left and right watches.  I wore a Timex Weekender for 20 years, it created a dent in my hand where the turny thing rubbed.  I switched to a Garmin and now half the time I look at my watch it is getting ready for me to go for a run because the back of my hand has pressed a button.  

Especially with smart watches just make it so there are knobs / buttons on one side then let me flip it so the buttons are always on the top side.  Sorry this review points to something that bothers me way more than it should.

I feel like Propain and Pivot are similar in their longer travel bikes pedal like their short travel bikes.  I have demoed every Pivot made in the past 5 years and I have no idea why anybody buys anything other than a Firebird.  It climbs just like the others then you point it down and it is so much fun.  

Out of curiosity how tall are you? I am 6' and am leaning towards an XL, but I think brand sizing would put me on a L.

I pedaled one around a parking lot and it had some serious giddy up.  It reminded me of a Pivot, in that it felt like energy was transferred very efficiently.  With how well many modern bikes pedal it feels silly to NOT get the longest travel bike possible.  

Last year we shifted to about half our riding being in a bike park so I am looking for a bigger bike so I can keep up with a talented teenage for another year or so.  My current bike is a gen 1 Hightower that has taken a beating.  It is amazing the things you can ride on it if you are precise.  My issue is as I get older riding that way gets scary.  I want something that gives me a little more room for error and comfort for long days at the bike park.  But can also be pedaled when we do backcountry days.

We Are One might need to pay you a commission if you keep talking like this :) 

The other bike I have been eyeing is the Spindrift, any chance you have ridden one enough to give some comparison?