I got to sit in with another band last night. Hooked up with the Frederick Five for a gig in the north Shed. Being early July, I'm well into my Old, Soft, Grumpy stage of the bike season. A week of 100 degree days had me dreading the thought of a slow rock crawl over trails with icy names. Driving up Route 15 towards Mountaindale, staring at the dark clouds west and north, hoping for a shower to knock the dust down on the gravel drive up the mountain. Turned out to be about a 45-minute most welcome downpour which dropped the temp about 25-30 degrees. Soooo nice. Wet rocks, yeah, whatever...
Riding Iceberg right off the gate, and right after a rain shower is like being handed an automatic Mulligan, a pass, an instant excuse. You're never gonna clean it when it's wet, so you may as well relax and not even try to kill yourself.
Ended up with several great runs, cleaned more spots than I usually do, and was even given a couple of solos by the frontman. This trail, and it's neighbor F2, are a lot like parts of Buzzard Rocks Trail, where if you can stay on your bike for 75 yards at a time, you're thrilled. I'm pretty sure I hit 80 yds on a few occasions last night. Some of the large angled rocks were grippy when wet, some of the flat ones weren't. Hard to know which rocks were gonna hold you. Hard to believe that that didn't stop us from trying the angles. It's cool that the skills can still grow while the fitness and body fades....
Riding Iceberg right off the gate, and right after a rain shower is like being handed an automatic Mulligan, a pass, an instant excuse. You're never gonna clean it when it's wet, so you may as well relax and not even try to kill yourself.
Ended up with several great runs, cleaned more spots than I usually do, and was even given a couple of solos by the frontman. This trail, and it's neighbor F2, are a lot like parts of Buzzard Rocks Trail, where if you can stay on your bike for 75 yards at a time, you're thrilled. I'm pretty sure I hit 80 yds on a few occasions last night. Some of the large angled rocks were grippy when wet, some of the flat ones weren't. Hard to know which rocks were gonna hold you. Hard to believe that that didn't stop us from trying the angles. It's cool that the skills can still grow while the fitness and body fades....
Soooo, I'm in need of some opinions/suggestions/links etc.I need a fork. a 100mm one, preferably reallll simple, and cheep (though I've been told cheep and forks are not a good combo (like parachutes or something). How 'bout used? Old? Closeouts? I'm pretty sure any fork is gonna feel different for me, and I doubt I'd appreciate all the blingyness of the latest $1000 offerings from Fox. I know about as much about springy bike things as Ghana know about taking penalty kicks. And I don't really care to learn that much about them. I don't like taking forks apart, and I like putting them back together even less.
Help a rider out
9 comments:
get a Reba from Jes.
100 mm is alot for a 29'er. I use 80 mm fox forks.
new rebas are infinitely better than old rebas, i must admit.
used? you want QR. i have TA. sorry.
I am also a PA biker and I like 100 mm on my 29er. I have had close to no trouble with my Reba.
but you ride with the grace of a wee spritely faerie whilst i ride like a lumbering drunken gorilla.
I ran an 07 Reba for 2 years and it only required a little topping of air once a month (or so). It died and now I have an 09. My "new" 09 Reba is incredible. Much smoother & stiffer than the 07 it replaced. It's at 100mm now, but, I'm thinking about dropping it down to 80. They can be had for less than a Fox. I payed $399 from BlueSky a month ago.
Sounds like you don't really want a suspension fork.
I got a new Marzoochi and for all the bad reviews it performs flawless, unlike the rider!
I think Reba's have come a long way too. Many good reviews on those.
A Reba has been purchased. Thanks for all the suggestions. Apparently, the 2010 Rebas were so popular they weren't available to G-burg. Found a 2009 from an online shop.
Josh here man... Just catching up, had not talked to you in ages. send me an email snowbd2u@yahoo.com, Started talking to a buddy of mine the other day and you came up from the biking scene! Anyways hope all is well.
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