Pimp new bike on the way!

I went to a bike demo last year with Whiteroom and tried every bike under the sun. I saved the Giants for last and was very impressed with the Maestro suspension, so I had to get one myself. It should be here next week. 

Of course being the bike Ho that I am, I've already ordered some upgrades for it. The Avid brakes and rapidfire shifters are going away to make room for Shimano dualcontrol levers, XTR brakes and a rapid-rise derailleur. Slap some Time pedals and tubeless tires (maybe some Contis?) on and I'll be good to go.

Quote:

Originally Posted by epic 

I went to a bike demo last year with Whiteroom and tried every bike under the sun. I saved the Giants for last and was very impressed with the Maestro suspension, so I had to get one myself. It should be here next week. 

Of course being the bike Ho that I am, I've already ordered some upgrades for it. The Avid brakes and rapidfire shifters are going away to make room for Shimano dualcontrol levers, XTR brakes and a rapid-rise derailleur. Slap some Time pedals and tubeless tires (maybe some Contis?) on and I'll be good to go.

welcome to the club

if you buy a FS xc/trail bike that isnt Maestro or DW link IMO your really shouldnt of bought it. Best suspesnion design ever.

Quote:

Originally Posted by BushwackerinPA 

 

  

if you buy a FS xc/trail bike that isnt Maestro or DW link IMO your really shouldnt of bought it. Best suspesnion design ever.

VPP is OK too. I'd totally buy an Intense (or a Santa Cruz if they fit me, which they don't). My feeling from the demo was that most other brands are doing the best they can to "hide" their suspension with gizmos. The 4" travel Maestro felt "plusher" than the 5 and 6 travel bikes from other companies and pedaled just as well. Biggest revelation for me was stepping directly from an $8800 Specialized to a $2100 Giant and liking the Giant more!

Some would say that Maestro IS DW link, Dave just doesn't have the funds to sue to protect his patent. I'd disagree with that statement... I ride a VPP, now a VPP2 and think it's pretty darn good. The Special'ed 4bar w/Horst link is pretty darn good also.

I'd say: "if you are serious about mt biking (or want to be) and don't have a FS bike with gears you're doing yourself a disservice... like skiing on straight skis. You can buy instant skill with a FS bike."

Fixie's, SS's, Fully Rigid... their all cool but better as a 'second ride' once you are into the sport.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Whiteroom 

Some would say that Maestro IS DW link, Dave just doesn't have the funds to sue to protect his patent. I'd disagree with that statement... I ride a VPP, now a VPP2 and think it's pretty darn good. The Special'ed 4bar w/Horst link is pretty darn good also.

 

I'd say: "if you are serious about mt biking (or want to be) and don't have a FS bike with gears you're doing yourself a disservice... like skiing on straight skis. You can buy instant skill with a FS bike."

 

Fixie's, SS's, Fully Rigid... their all cool but better as a 'second ride' once you are into the sport.

Epic I actaully have to laugh at how many people got of rocky mountian, spez eds, Ellsworth have gotten on to my bike and been like wow you paid 500 bucks for this thing?

The picture you showed is a trance X but you said 4 inches of Maestro felt plusher than 5 and 6 inch of other bikes. did you get a Trance X(5) or an Anthem X(4)?

I do agree with the FS bike statement as well.

I have a  hardtail SS thats fun but the FS bike is SO much faster despite more weight.

Trance X - but the Anthem X rode really well. It was the one I rode right after the S-Works 120. I can't wait to see what the Trance X will be like on real trails.

Quote:

Originally Posted by BushwackerinPA 

 

 

 

Epic I actaully have to laugh at how many people got of rocky mountian, spez eds, Ellsworth have gotten on to my bike and been like wow you paid 500 bucks for this thing?

 

The picture you showed is a trance X but you said 4 inches of Maestro felt plusher than 5 and 6 inch of other bikes. did you get a Trance X(5) or an Anthem X(4)?

 

 

I do agree with the FS bike statement as well.

 

I have a  hardtail SS thats fun but the FS bike is SO much faster despite more weight.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Whiteroom 

 

I'd say: "if you are serious about mt biking (or want to be) and don't have a FS bike with gears you're doing yourself a disservice... like skiing on straight skis. You can buy instant skill with a FS bike."

 

Fixie's, SS's, Fully Rigid... their all cool but better as a 'second ride' once you are into the sport.

Quote:

Originally Posted by BushwackerinPA 

 

 

I do agree with the FS bike statement as well.

 

I have a  hardtail SS thats fun but the FS bike is SO much faster despite more weight.

Have to disagree with the above blanket statements, as I believe singlespeeds can be just as fast, if not faster, than FS geared bikes.  Of course this depends on the terrain, i.e. my full suspension Intense trail bike is definitely faster and more fun on technical descents, but overall my Ventana 29'er hardtail singlespeed is faster by far.  

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tyrone Shoelaces 

 

 

Have to disagree with the above blanket statements, as I believe singlespeeds can be just as fast, if not faster, than FS geared bikes.  Of course this depends on the terrain, i.e. my full suspension Intense trail bike is definitely faster and more fun on technical descents, but overall my Ventana 29'er hardtail singlespeed is faster by far.  

 

 

 

the problem with most FS geared bike is that most FS bikes  are not good pedalers compared to a DW or maestro suspension. So most people never get to ride a good FS bike and just assume that thier hardtail or SS hardtail is faster.

You full blown suspension bike is not a XC race bike, it aint even close. My trance is closer but is still about 5 lb to heavy to be consider a XC race bike IMO.

I have been running a 2 to 1 steel hardtail with a suspesnion fork with lock out, VS my geared 4 inch travel trance. The trance  ALLWAYS carries a higher average speed. Flat out in 15 mile loop  on the Trance I will average 11-13 mph while on the single speed I have only broken 10mph a couple time. This is 100 Percent Singletrack with tons of obstacle up and down and across the trail. Climbing is 1600 vertical feet but it come in very short and steep sections. I do not have to walk a single bit of trail on either bike though. to get an idea of the trail I have been doing the testing on just check out the video I posted.

your an amazing rider ty and noone is going to deny that, did you ever think that you saying a SS is faster is just thats what you love to ride and can really flow, sprint, and groove on it? Its almost like what all the old codgers says on here how thier skinny short skis are just as good as something as wider longer skis off trail. Which me and you know is NOT true.

Quote:

Originally Posted by epic 

 

 Biggest revelation for me was stepping directly from an $8800 Specialized to a $2100 Giant and liking the Giant more!

whats really funny is Giant actually makes both those frames.

If I was any manufactoring company in the world I would be like "sure we would gladly build you inferior product that your going to sell for 4 times as much for you" its pretty much win win for giant on all parts.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tyrone Shoelaces 

 

 

Have to disagree with the above blanket statements, as I believe singlespeeds can be just as fast, if not faster, than FS geared bikes.  

 

 

 

Believe what you want, but if a 29er hardtail SS was faster, guys would be winning World Cup races on them. As it stands, I don't think a 29er or an SS has ever won a World Cup race. Those guys aren't racing geared fulls because they are more fun, they're racing for money.

Quote:

Originally Posted by BushwackerinPA 

 

 

 

whats really funny is Giant actually makes both those frames.

 

If I was any manufactoring company in the world I would be like "sure we would gladly build you inferior product that your going to sell for 4 times as much for you" its pretty much win win for giant on all parts.

Obviously, there was a big difference in terms of componentry, SLX vs. XTR, and I'll bet that the Giant weighed 5 pounds more, but I still liked it better.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tyrone Shoelaces 

 Have to disagree with the above blanket statements, as I believe singlespeeds can be just as fast, if not faster, than FS geared bikes.  Of course this depends on the terrain, i.e. my full suspension Intense trail bike is definitely faster and more fun on technical descents, but overall my Ventana 29'er hardtail singlespeed is faster by far.  

 

 

 

 Quote:

Originally Posted by Whiteroom 

 

 

 

I'd say: "if you are serious about mt biking (or want to be) and don't have a FS bike with gears you're doing yourself a disservice... like skiing on straight skis. You can buy instant skill with a FS bike."

 

Fixie's, SS's, Fully Rigid... they're all cool but better as a 'second ride' once you are into the sport.

Tyrone, are you SURE you disagree???

Would you start someone new to the sport (that you wanted to actually like and participate in the sport) off on a SS or on a bike with gears? What about sus vs. front sus vs. rigid? We're talking new to the game here... not racing expert class XC.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Whiteroom 

 

 Quote:

Tyrone, are you SURE you disagree???

 

Would you start someone new to the sport (that you wanted to actually like and participate in the sport) off on a SS or on a bike with gears? What about sus vs. front sus vs. rigid? We're talking new to the game here... not racing expert class XC.

I would start someone off with gears and at least front suspesnion and FS if they had enough money to not get a totally crap design. When I take my former motocrosser of a girlfriend out I put her on my Trance and I ride my SS. Makes it alot easier for her she said its like riding her Xr100 but you have to work your legs more.

with this just said I am officially riding for a shop now(so pyched!!!) and just ordered a Monocog Flite for a retardly cheap price. So I am hippocrit and will be racing SS this year, but with a Reba instead of rigid fork.  I get to race against the other SS guys which a roughly plus or minus a minute or 2 vs the "expert" class. I think they are faster than the expert guys because they are better riders though, not because they are on SS hardtails.

Epic FYI someone jsut won the sea otter short track on a 29er FS bike whatever that mean.

epic, bwpa, & whiteroom ---- Indeed you guys ARE correct, honestly, I'm not sure what I was thinking last night when I wrote that, but I blame it on a combination of being awake at 2 AM and having some recent race results where myself and a few of the other top guys SS Expert class, would have won the Expert GEARED class on our singlespeeds and many of those geared bikes are FS (this particular example I'm thinking of just happened to me....at Sea Otter).  So in my little bubble, my observations have been skewed abit recently.  But I know you guys are right and I should know better.....the World Cup analogy was perfect.

sorry for the thread hijack :)

So my bike hasn't gotten here yet (fingers crossed for tomorrow!). But my wife got a new bike.

2008 Giant Trance X2 with a few hand me downs - full XTR brakes and drivetrain and Crossmax Sls. Bars and stem may change. Saddle will change. Just under 26lbs as pictured.

Mrs Epic has good taste.

epic you got to let me know how it compares to the Anthem X.

From XC racing perspective I am starting to think I would like the trance over the Anthem.

My new baby, plus my 10 year old babe (sorry Trev).  I bought this just before winter so I am just beginning to enjoy it now. No substitute for skiing for me personally (is there any substitute?), but I still love it!

Quote:

Originally Posted by epic 

 

 

Believe what you want, but if a 29er hardtail SS was faster, guys would be winning World Cup races on them. As it stands, I don't think a 29er or an SS has ever won a World Cup race. Those guys aren't racing geared fulls because they are more fun, they're racing for money.

Though the Deckorator comes darn close.  On Bend's smooth pine needle covered trails those bikes rule.

Decker picks singlespeed for some non-singlespeed races

By Sue George and Steve Medcroft

Removing the hanger Photo ©: Steve Medcroft

Shimano Deore XT cranks Photo ©: Steve Medcroft

The Fox F80X fork Photo ©: Steve Medcroft

Lightweight front tires Photo ©: Steve Medcroft

A Michelin Hard Terrain rear Photo ©: Steve Medcroft

Not everyone Photo ©: Steve Medcroft

Giant's carbon composite Photo ©: Steve Medcroft

The spacers give Photo ©: Steve Medcroft

The short track course at the mid-July 2006 NORBA USA National Championship in Sonoma, California got racers thinking about their equipment.

one of the most unusual choices of equipment to bring to such a high-caliber event was made by Team Giant's Carl Decker; he brought his singlespeed, on which he won the singlespeed national championships the day before, to the start line. "I ran faster laps in the singlespeed cross-country than I did on my regular bike on Friday (in the open cross-country race)," he said at the time. "I did a lap of the course on both bikes and brought what I thought would be fastest."

Expect to see more of Decker on his singlespeed at races. If his sixth place short track finish, only fifteen seconds off the winner, is any indication, there will be no reason for him to add more gears any time soon

 

There goes the neighborhood! 

 UPS lost my bike!

After searching for a week they have given up and Giant has sent a new one. Hopefully it will be in today or tomorrow. I have a new front wheel built for it and some brakes sitting here waiting for it.

Arghhhh!

I've never seen that happen.  I often buy bikes for friends, and I do worry about that.  Good to hear Giant is taking care of you.

  sorry to hijack this thread, BUT, our club is bringing a bunch of people to the road nationals in Bend this summer.  We are all mostly roadies, but a couple of the dads were thinking about bringing their mountain bikes to ride.  Are there some nice MB trails in Bend itself, our would they have to drive out of town to reach them?

Quote:

Originally Posted by newfydog 

 

Though the Deckorator comes darn close.  On Bend's smooth pine needle covered trails those bikes rule.

 

 

What do you know about pimps, Eric? Do you think it's cool to prostitute your women? Just curious. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by telerod15 

What do you know about pimps, Eric?

I know that pimpin' ain't easy. I do not possess any women.

Get you some bitches, dog.

http://cotamtb.com/trails/

There's about 300 miles of singletrack, starting darn near downtown.  Some stupid magazine called this place the #1 mtb town in the US.

Send me a pm when you come.  The road biking sucks here.

UPS delivered bike #2 yesterday. Gonna build her up today. Pretty excited to ride the Maestro suspension in the real world and compare to FSR and VPP. 

Here she is. Did a quick maiden voyage tonight. Very nice, need to make a few adjustments, but first impression is that the bike is much more balanced than the Specialized I've been on for the past 5 years.

 You, you, you, you  got it dirty!!!!