For the first time in 10 years - LETS OFF ROAD!!!!
Discussion
I used to love a bit of mountain biking - In 2000 I was 20, and had a KHS Montana Descent Pro rigid MTB. XT throughout and wonderful, until it got nicked....
Since then I've been on Road Bikes and Fixies and nothing more bumpy than an unmade road on my crappy (now scrapped) GT or else some borrowed MTB.
Today, that changed. As of today, I own this:
I can't describe how happy I am with it. I took it out for a 30Km blast with the wife, just on trails to shake it down and sort out seating position etc. Then, this afternoon I brushed off the SPD's and took it around the bridleways from my front door - undulating groud, short sharp climbs, firetrails, woodland and rooty hard packed soil. 10Km Later I'm grinning like a loon and popping wheelies.
It's a Charge Duster Mid 18" Steel frame. £599 from Wiggle.
Rock Shox Tora TK Air fork with remote lock out.
Tektro Hydraulic brakes (they're twin piston! that's more advanced than my car!)
SRAM X7 shifters/rear mech, X5 front. To be replaced as they wear out.
Wheels are half decent - Deore hubs and Alex Rims.
The Tyres blew me away! Kenda 2.0 something or others, knobbly. So. Much. Traction! Tyres have moved on in 10 years. And yet they don't have obscene rolling resistance.
So, all in all, really really chuffed. The only contender I could find was a Merlin Malt 2, but that was another £100 and has an Alu frame. I really wanted a Steel framed Hardtail, and I'm pleased with the one I got!
Oh yeah:
Bike racks are overrated:
Five bikes and a dead dog:
I'm approaching the optimal number of bikes, but I'm sub-optimal for dead dogs.
Since then I've been on Road Bikes and Fixies and nothing more bumpy than an unmade road on my crappy (now scrapped) GT or else some borrowed MTB.
Today, that changed. As of today, I own this:
I can't describe how happy I am with it. I took it out for a 30Km blast with the wife, just on trails to shake it down and sort out seating position etc. Then, this afternoon I brushed off the SPD's and took it around the bridleways from my front door - undulating groud, short sharp climbs, firetrails, woodland and rooty hard packed soil. 10Km Later I'm grinning like a loon and popping wheelies.
It's a Charge Duster Mid 18" Steel frame. £599 from Wiggle.
Rock Shox Tora TK Air fork with remote lock out.
Tektro Hydraulic brakes (they're twin piston! that's more advanced than my car!)
SRAM X7 shifters/rear mech, X5 front. To be replaced as they wear out.
Wheels are half decent - Deore hubs and Alex Rims.
The Tyres blew me away! Kenda 2.0 something or others, knobbly. So. Much. Traction! Tyres have moved on in 10 years. And yet they don't have obscene rolling resistance.
So, all in all, really really chuffed. The only contender I could find was a Merlin Malt 2, but that was another £100 and has an Alu frame. I really wanted a Steel framed Hardtail, and I'm pleased with the one I got!
Oh yeah:
Bike racks are overrated:
Five bikes and a dead dog:
I'm approaching the optimal number of bikes, but I'm sub-optimal for dead dogs.
WeirdNeville said:
shalmaneser said:
lovely looking bike!
Get that reflector off though - not cool!
But but but.... Then I'd be illegal!!!!!Get that reflector off though - not cool!
Nice looking bike BTW, I thought at first it was a mint 90s hardtail until I noticed the disk brakes.
Digga said:
I'm not sure about 'optimal' numbers for bikes; anything over 1 is, in some respects too many, but you can never really have enough.
There are two formula that can be used to calculate the optimum number of bikes. Use the first until you reach the vaule in the second.Optimum number = B + 1
(Where B = the number of bikes you currently own.)
Optimum number = S - 1
(Where S = the number of bikes that result in the other half divorcing you, resulting in you being single and having to cook your own tea.)
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