Just hanging out shooting the bull
05-24-18, 10:56 PM
Idiot Emeritus
Well, I guess it's congrats on the TM01, @gsteinb!
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05-25-18, 03:34 AM
out walking the earth
Well, I guess it's congrats on the TM01, @gsteinb!
05-25-18, 03:02 PM
Idiot Emeritus
That is really significant! Quite a savings. It gives you some accessory options, doesn't it?
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05-25-18, 07:44 PM
fuggitivo solitario
Yeah, a bit of irony. When we moved three years ago it was to here
We live on that lake that's sorta in the middle. Meaning I can ride out my garage, head into the woods, and disappear. This park links to other parks, which link to others. Endless riding. But trees and rocks are hard too. In those three years I've ridden in the woods maybe 5 or 6 times. One of the first autumns I went for a ride, did a low speed over the bars when the wheel jammed in a rock garden and broke 4 ribs. For that reason and others, I just don't enjoy it as much. What I really like doing is a workout where I know the difference between 3xx watts and 3xx +1 watts. So TTs seems to fit the bill.
Did make a (low) offer on a TM01 today and had it accepted. Was surprised, and pleased.
We live on that lake that's sorta in the middle. Meaning I can ride out my garage, head into the woods, and disappear. This park links to other parks, which link to others. Endless riding. But trees and rocks are hard too. In those three years I've ridden in the woods maybe 5 or 6 times. One of the first autumns I went for a ride, did a low speed over the bars when the wheel jammed in a rock garden and broke 4 ribs. For that reason and others, I just don't enjoy it as much. What I really like doing is a workout where I know the difference between 3xx watts and 3xx +1 watts. So TTs seems to fit the bill.
Did make a (low) offer on a TM01 today and had it accepted. Was surprised, and pleased.
I can relate.
After once again getting the call to come collect me at the emergency room my significant other gave me a detailed and explicit synopsis of what the "cost" to her was of my somewhat cavalier attitude to racing shunts.
I could be stoic about my injuries but not about her distress and concern(s).
The resolution: I can no longer say "Mountain Bike" without also saying "Emergency Room" and retired from NORBA racing.
Hasn't hurt either of us any since.
As always, suit yourself.
-Bandera
After once again getting the call to come collect me at the emergency room my significant other gave me a detailed and explicit synopsis of what the "cost" to her was of my somewhat cavalier attitude to racing shunts.
I could be stoic about my injuries but not about her distress and concern(s).
The resolution: I can no longer say "Mountain Bike" without also saying "Emergency Room" and retired from NORBA racing.
Hasn't hurt either of us any since.
As always, suit yourself.
-Bandera
TT training, otoh, has its own hazards, as one really doesn't get time to react to anything before going down. My worst crash since the one that got me nice titanium hardwares was on my TT bike. Wide-ish shoulders that seemed pretty debris free, and the next thing I know, I was on the ground with serious road rashes... Had no idea what hit me... I eventually decided to forgo TT bike training on the road in Northern NJ, as there weren't many places with wide shoulders. That said, 7-Lake Drive is a great place to get in miles, as it has 10 miles of road with really wide shoulders (only potential danger would be animals darting out of the woods).
05-25-18, 08:39 PM
~>~
05-26-18, 03:03 AM
out walking the earth
Mountain biking is a very different discipline. Your limitation might be something like a combination of your physical ability and technical skill, it gets harder to just work on the physical. As Bandera said, if you're going to push your limits than you're going to hit things. Especially in northern jersey with the density of rocks on the trails.
05-26-18, 06:41 AM
~>~
To put things in perspective regarding riding off pavement for club and competitive riders there are tangible benefits in improving bike handling skills by learning the "feel" for the limits of traction, quick decisive commitment to line and calm confidence that can be explored w/o the high learning cost of getting it wrong on the road. The best bike handlers that I know all came up through 'Cross and later MTB racing. In particular the hybrid MTB riding style that I saw emerge in the early days of NORBA racing when roadies, 'cross riders and the "BMX kids" all came together on the course changed how the bike is ridden both on/off road today. That's a good thing, as displayed by Sagan and others in this generation.
Although it's unlikely that one will be run down by a bus or texting teenager in a mommy-van on the local trail a frank and serious assessment of one's skills, the terrain, location of large hard immovable objects and the consequences of being down and disabled in an unknown location far from aid should temper undue enthusiasm for solo warp speed endeavors or "Hey, watch This!" stupidity.
Having said that a race is a race: Have at it.
-Bandera
Although it's unlikely that one will be run down by a bus or texting teenager in a mommy-van on the local trail a frank and serious assessment of one's skills, the terrain, location of large hard immovable objects and the consequences of being down and disabled in an unknown location far from aid should temper undue enthusiasm for solo warp speed endeavors or "Hey, watch This!" stupidity.
Having said that a race is a race: Have at it.
-Bandera
05-26-18, 06:48 PM
Has a magic bike
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I just bought a mtb from a teammate who I guess was experiencing too much winning because she’s decided to give up mtb racing and just stick with road racing.
I’ve ridden twice and I’m completely smitten. 2018 Scott Contessa Spark 900RC, which is a light full suspension cross country race bike, 22 pounds. She put 100 miles on the thing. It’s 6-7 pounds lighter than my current mtb.
I have zippedty squat MTB skills and am not prone to getting in over my head on a MTB but I could see pushing more limits on this bike. I’m looking at a MTB Fondo type event for late September. Not a race but a timed event associated with a MTB race in Big Bear Lake, CA called the Grizzly 100. Already messaged some friends who have a cabin up there, place to stay but they don’t want to do it.
Registered for a women’s mtb clinic in Mammoth Lake, CA for July and so far two women from an LA Women’s MTB group I belong to have registered as well.
Need to figure out how to mesh more MTB and gravel stuff with TTing, because organizationally TTing is just a little jacked up in SoCal. But I’m thinking Jan-June focus on TT and June-Dec focus on mtb and gravel stuff. I’ll probably still race some TTs during mtb season but might just let that garden get a bit weedy over the summer and fall...
I’ve ridden twice and I’m completely smitten. 2018 Scott Contessa Spark 900RC, which is a light full suspension cross country race bike, 22 pounds. She put 100 miles on the thing. It’s 6-7 pounds lighter than my current mtb.
I have zippedty squat MTB skills and am not prone to getting in over my head on a MTB but I could see pushing more limits on this bike. I’m looking at a MTB Fondo type event for late September. Not a race but a timed event associated with a MTB race in Big Bear Lake, CA called the Grizzly 100. Already messaged some friends who have a cabin up there, place to stay but they don’t want to do it.
Registered for a women’s mtb clinic in Mammoth Lake, CA for July and so far two women from an LA Women’s MTB group I belong to have registered as well.
Need to figure out how to mesh more MTB and gravel stuff with TTing, because organizationally TTing is just a little jacked up in SoCal. But I’m thinking Jan-June focus on TT and June-Dec focus on mtb and gravel stuff. I’ll probably still race some TTs during mtb season but might just let that garden get a bit weedy over the summer and fall...
05-26-18, 07:21 PM
~>~
-Bandera
05-26-18, 07:34 PM
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Testosterone aside, even riding with non aggro men is different from riding with women. Everything the other women did you knew you are physically capable of too, in theory. You know OTOH that men can power through some stuff that you probably can’t. So you know you can’t necessarily just follow and do what they do.
Also, stopping and waiting with women has a different feel. Or at least for me it does: every male friend I ride mtb with is so much better at it than me that I feel badly I’m making them wait. I feel ungainly that I can’t do some skilled thing he can. I feel embarrassed that I’m not more bold about it. But riding with women, I don’t feel most of those things. We just ride and I don’t think about the rest of it.
When I rode in Scotland, I rode two days with this woman mtb guide. She was awesome. At the end of our second day of riding, I was picking her brain for things to do to improve my mtbing. She said, “you know what? Just find a girlfriend with a mtb and ride.”
05-27-18, 02:40 AM
out walking the earth
05-27-18, 05:14 PM
fuggitivo solitario
I just bought a mtb from a teammate who I guess was experiencing too much winning because she’s decided to give up mtb racing and just stick with road racing.
I’ve ridden twice and I’m completely smitten. 2018 Scott Contessa Spark 900RC, which is a light full suspension cross country race bike, 22 pounds. She put 100 miles on the thing. It’s 6-7 pounds lighter than my current mtb.
I have zippedty squat MTB skills and am not prone to getting in over my head on a MTB but I could see pushing more limits on this bike. I’m looking at a MTB Fondo type event for late September. Not a race but a timed event associated with a MTB race in Big Bear Lake, CA called the Grizzly 100. Already messaged some friends who have a cabin up there, place to stay but they don’t want to do it.
Registered for a women’s mtb clinic in Mammoth Lake, CA for July and so far two women from an LA Women’s MTB group I belong to have registered as well.
Need to figure out how to mesh more MTB and gravel stuff with TTing, because organizationally TTing is just a little jacked up in SoCal. But I’m thinking Jan-June focus on TT and June-Dec focus on mtb and gravel stuff. I’ll probably still race some TTs during mtb season but might just let that garden get a bit weedy over the summer and fall...
I’ve ridden twice and I’m completely smitten. 2018 Scott Contessa Spark 900RC, which is a light full suspension cross country race bike, 22 pounds. She put 100 miles on the thing. It’s 6-7 pounds lighter than my current mtb.
I have zippedty squat MTB skills and am not prone to getting in over my head on a MTB but I could see pushing more limits on this bike. I’m looking at a MTB Fondo type event for late September. Not a race but a timed event associated with a MTB race in Big Bear Lake, CA called the Grizzly 100. Already messaged some friends who have a cabin up there, place to stay but they don’t want to do it.
Registered for a women’s mtb clinic in Mammoth Lake, CA for July and so far two women from an LA Women’s MTB group I belong to have registered as well.
Need to figure out how to mesh more MTB and gravel stuff with TTing, because organizationally TTing is just a little jacked up in SoCal. But I’m thinking Jan-June focus on TT and June-Dec focus on mtb and gravel stuff. I’ll probably still race some TTs during mtb season but might just let that garden get a bit weedy over the summer and fall...
that said, what a bike. Most full suspension bikes struggle to get under 25lbs; yours get under 25 and then some.
Thanks to the connections of our mutual friend, I'm getting a very good deal on a SRM. Would you be slapping a SRM on your bike as well?
The more I think about it, the more I think my MTB may eventually become my do-it-all bike, as the geometry may just allow me to put road bars on it. Swap out the wide tires for some narrower ones, and I should be good to go.
05-27-18, 05:31 PM
~>~
Good to go.
-Bandera
05-27-18, 07:09 PM
Has a magic bike
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post is worthless without pics
that said, what a bike. Most full suspension bikes struggle to get under 25lbs; yours get under 25 and then some.
Thanks to the connections of our mutual friend, I'm getting a very good deal on a SRM. Would you be slapping a SRM on your bike as well?
The more I think about it, the more I think my MTB may eventually become my do-it-all bike, as the geometry may just allow me to put road bars on it. Swap out the wide tires for some narrower ones, and I should be good to go.
that said, what a bike. Most full suspension bikes struggle to get under 25lbs; yours get under 25 and then some.
Thanks to the connections of our mutual friend, I'm getting a very good deal on a SRM. Would you be slapping a SRM on your bike as well?
The more I think about it, the more I think my MTB may eventually become my do-it-all bike, as the geometry may just allow me to put road bars on it. Swap out the wide tires for some narrower ones, and I should be good to go.
05-27-18, 07:12 PM
Has a magic bike
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Light bike. ��
05-29-18, 03:39 AM
out walking the earth
TT training, otoh, has its own hazards, as one really doesn't get time to react to anything before going down. My worst crash since the one that got me nice titanium hardwares was on my TT bike. Wide-ish shoulders that seemed pretty debris free, and the next thing I know, I was on the ground with serious road rashes... Had no idea what hit me... I eventually decided to forgo TT bike training on the road in Northern NJ, as there weren't many places with wide shoulders. That said, 7-Lake Drive is a great place to get in miles, as it has 10 miles of road with really wide shoulders (only potential danger would be animals darting out of the woods).
Subquestion- don't most of us have shoes older than you?
05-29-18, 03:54 PM
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05-31-18, 05:42 AM
Senior Member
Just checking in after a long hiatus from the forum, Some serious happenings to people here!
Glad to read every is relatively okay or mending nicely! Must say it would be sad to see this sub forum stop as it is the most personable forum I am a member of. This includes being taken in by RacerEx when he heard I was coming to the States in 2013 for a col ticking trip when I had only posted in this forum and he didn't know me from a bar of soap!
Personally I'm still not riding outside of commuting. Really had no motivation to start training let alone racing! Keeping active with lunchtime sports offered at work every day (I call it my mental health hour where I can forget about my life) which is a couple of days a week of basketball, couple of days badminton and one indoor soccer. And on weekends activities that fill much of the days such as social tennis and rock climbing. Plus recently purchased a seasons resort pass to ski through this coming winter.
Glad to read every is relatively okay or mending nicely! Must say it would be sad to see this sub forum stop as it is the most personable forum I am a member of. This includes being taken in by RacerEx when he heard I was coming to the States in 2013 for a col ticking trip when I had only posted in this forum and he didn't know me from a bar of soap!
Personally I'm still not riding outside of commuting. Really had no motivation to start training let alone racing! Keeping active with lunchtime sports offered at work every day (I call it my mental health hour where I can forget about my life) which is a couple of days a week of basketball, couple of days badminton and one indoor soccer. And on weekends activities that fill much of the days such as social tennis and rock climbing. Plus recently purchased a seasons resort pass to ski through this coming winter.
05-31-18, 09:46 AM
fuggitivo solitario
My outdoor riding is really very minimal. As in virtually none. I do live spitting distance from 7 lakes drives, and the old long meadow TT course is "around the corner." Though since the Jehovah's Witnesses bought up the properties and moved their campuses there the bus and general traffic has increased a great deal. I actually nearly lived on that road, buried deep in sterling forest state park.
Subquestion- don't most of us have shoes older than you?
Subquestion- don't most of us have shoes older than you?
I would love to ride on 7 lakes if the drive over didn't take so long. I was doing either that or Canal Drive (in Somerset) last year; ~45-50 minute one way for either, to get in interval training for the TT bike. That was really a drain mentally; when I got injured, just lost desire to make that sort of drive anymore
as for my age, I'm flattered that I would appear young (though hopefully not because of being immature). I can race master's category now in certain races; one more year, and I'd be fully allowed to do 35-45 master's races
Yikes, I came here for innuendo-free banter
Jest aside, will update the photo when the SRM that @Racer Ex facilitated gets in. I'm thinking of turning this one into an all rounder of sort, as my primary outdoor bike. The geometry appears okay for installation of drop bars. Moving over to Di2 would certainly facilitate that.
In the mean time, need to work on my handling skills. Already ate dirt/grass once while trying to clear the tamest of curbs. Tried the whole load the rear suspension then jump routine, except I think I hugely mistimed it. Now my hand is chewed up, though not as bad as it was in that TT crash alluded to above. Putting in an order for MTB gloves in the near future.
Btw, I don't think you actually showed us your bike. It needs a garage/wall shot
05-31-18, 10:43 AM
Idiot Emeritus
I got a new track bike - wait - we're talking mountain bikes? I'm out....
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05-31-18, 11:28 AM
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Got a message I was mentioned here. Apologies for being mostly absent but I've been incredibly busy of late. I may be able to come up for air soon and will post some updates.
05-31-18, 02:27 PM
Has a magic bike
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What are the technical specs on that bike?
The Spark is 1 x 12 with this remote handlebar control of the front and rear suspension. Right hand controls shifting and left hand controls suspension. There are three suspension modes- unlocked front/rear, totally locked front/rear, and an intermediate setting that is meant for technical climbing and non technical descending. Supposedly its not your typical suspension control but three different bike geometries. (Who knows? That last part could be BS). But the functionality is pretty swell. No dropper post which is fine by me.
Next weekend I'll take it up to the mountains and try some trails out. Cant wait.
05-31-18, 04:08 PM
fuggitivo solitario
Nice. I like the blue/blue coloring. My Liv MTB is similar.
What are the technical specs on that bike?
The Spark is 1 x 12 with this remote handlebar control of the front and rear suspension. Right hand controls shifting and left hand controls suspension. There are three suspension modes- unlocked front/rear, totally locked front/rear, and an intermediate setting that is meant for technical climbing and non technical descending. Supposedly its not your typical suspension control but three different bike geometries. (Who knows? That last part could be BS). But the functionality is pretty swell. No dropper post which is fine by me.
Next weekend I'll take it up to the mountains and try some trails out. Cant wait.
What are the technical specs on that bike?
The Spark is 1 x 12 with this remote handlebar control of the front and rear suspension. Right hand controls shifting and left hand controls suspension. There are three suspension modes- unlocked front/rear, totally locked front/rear, and an intermediate setting that is meant for technical climbing and non technical descending. Supposedly its not your typical suspension control but three different bike geometries. (Who knows? That last part could be BS). But the functionality is pretty swell. No dropper post which is fine by me.
Next weekend I'll take it up to the mountains and try some trails out. Cant wait.
. Just so happens that the shoes I bought and most gear I have is blue. Didn't plan it that way, but hopefully it matches. For components, it's Sram X01 all around. I actually don't like it so much, as the shifting has been less than crisp. If it keeps annoying me, I'll get Di2 down the road. I already have a shifter and would just need the junctions, battery, and a RD. Apparently the fork and shock are nothing to write home about, but they serve their purposes now. The bike also has a dropper tube, which I may or may not keep, as I think i'll be eschewing from the super technical trials where such a contraption would come in handy.
Also, a picture with a mountain in the background (say your bike leaning against a post reading : Elevation 8000 ft) may be submitted in lieu of a picture having a wall or garage door background
