Any mountain bikers out there 2.0

Need to get a SH Bentonville trip going! Were going to be halfway there for the Texas State 3D archery match early July. We are thinking about going to Bentonville after for a few days then come home.

Were planning on an late September/early October trip also.
Ha, a SH gathering for a MTB weekend would actually be a hoot to put faces with the screen names and posts on this site!
Jbell would just leave us all in the dust. 😂😂
 
Rode our annual Palisade rim trail ride this morning. Unreal views never get old. Consequences for not being 100% on your game in certain sections will reward you with serious injury or death. On the edge of 80 foot cliffs in spots. Rowdy fricken trail…almost as exhausting going down as going up! I-70 snaking through the canyon in the distance.
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I'm hoping next summer to make it to Colorado again for some good trail rides.

I think we would have to be on e-bikes to keep up with jbell on the flats and climbs at least! This year has sucked for fitness I'm finally pointed in the right direction again.
 
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I'm hoping next summer to make it to Colorado again for some good trail rides.

I think we would have to be on e-bikes to keep up with jbell on the flats and climbs at least! This year has sucked for fitness I'm finally pointed in the right direction again.

eBike for sure. After I jacked up my back last year my fitness went in the tank. Getting back after it now but it’s a slow process.

Sounds like all you guys need to make a trip to the self proclaimed Mountain Bike Capital of the World! 😜
 
I'm hoping to be out there soon!

@Rerun7
Are you still riding a bunch in July and August? I'm sure it's hot and humid, and it is here also. If we can hit some morning riding and evening riding we may still try to do it.
 
Man, injuries and muscle strains have been killing me and all of them happened doing something other than mtb. The problem is it's been keeping off the bike. I injured my calf and that took six weeks to heal. I got in one ride and then strained a muscle in my back trimming trees. I fucking hate getting old. Oh yeah we have rain that's been keeping the trails close when I could have gotten in a ride. I am really jonesing to get back on the trail. BTW, it's raining hard right now.
 
Man, injuries and muscle strains have been killing me and all of them happened doing something other than mtb. The problem is it's been keeping off the bike. I injured my calf and that took six weeks to heal. I got in one ride and then strained a muscle in my back trimming trees. I fucking hate getting old. Oh yeah we have rain that's been keeping the trails close when I could have gotten in a ride. I am really jonesing to get back on the trail. BTW, it's raining hard right now.
Yeah there injuries have been hammering me too, getting old really sucks. Our dirt turns into peanut butter when it's wet. The rains have been somewhat isolated on the west side. Quanah Hill is still open and Dino. I'll probably go to Dino or Quanah Friday morning.


Rerun we will try to get it worked in to make it out there after the state archery match in the middle of July if we can get it all to work out. Were already prepped for the heat.
 
Yeah there injuries have been hammering me too, getting old really sucks. Our dirt turns into peanut butter when it's wet. The rains have been somewhat isolated on the west side. Quanah Hill is still open and Dino. I'll probably go to Dino or Quanah Friday morning.


Rerun we will try to get it worked in to make it out there after the state archery match in the middle of July if we can get it all to work out. Were already prepped for the heat.
You’re way west of me. We have the same problem with our trails North of Dallas when it rains. I have been riding Erwin Park lately. Before that Binkley and Warterloo. Just check the DORBA app and they are all open, lol. It just rain like cats and dogs here.
 
It's been really hot here and I have not been motivated enough to get out there to deal with the heat and humidity. Shit at 7:00am it's been 85 with what feels like 100% humidity (actual humidity in the 70% range). Looks like better weather in a few weeks.
 
It's been really hot here and I have not been motivated enough to get out there to deal with the heat and humidity. Shit at 7:00am it's been 85 with what feels like 100% humidity (actual humidity in the 70% range). Looks like better weather in a few weeks.
Yeah no shit this summer has been a challenge. This side of the Metro mess has been cooler and less humid in the morning. Up till last week it's been 108-110 every day.

POA in Aledo 0800 tomorrow morning.......
 
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The heat here has been oppressive. We’ve had some nice days here and there so I’ve been trying to take advantage whenever possible.

Not gonna lie, you can call it cheating if you want but the e-bike has been a game changer. I can’t imagine going back.

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I'm waiting for some of the bikes with the integrated Pinion system to show up in the US. Thinking real hard about it.
 
Which motor and drivetrain do you have? I want one with the SRAM transmission if I get a traditional setup instead of the Pinion. The thought of no derailleur or cassette is pretty awesome.
 
I’ve got a YT Decoy so it’s the EP8 and Shimano XT.

I do like SRAM better than Shimano but it’s fine. The Decoys didn’t offer a SRAM option but the specs for price was a no brainer for me.
Finally had a chance to experience the iconic 401 in Crested Butte,CO today! After pedaling to the trailhead at 11k feet the real climb started before the epic descent back to the valley. Yes an e-bike crossed my mind several times. I’m just not ready to give in just yet.
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DEMO DAY!!!
Yeti cycles has a demo trailer in town this weekend and they were gracious enough to bring over a XXL SB140. Very much appreciated as we never see bikes this big in the local shop. A bit longer and more slack than my XL SB130 and she really comes alive on the downhill
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and eats the chunk up soooo good! XO1 build with AXS electric shifting. That took a bit to bet used to tonight. Cool tho.
I get 2 more days in this beauty….whooo hoooo!
 

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Very cool! I had my wife demo a SB 115 a month ago so I put a little Time in on it even though it was way too small and the suspension was set up for her. It pedaled really good, the switch infinity system is cool…
 
You’re way west of me. We have the same problem with our trails North of Dallas when it rains. I have been riding Erwin Park lately. Before that Binkley and Warterloo. Just check the DORBA app and they are all open, lol. It just rain like cats and dogs here.
where were CX nationals held where the tree huggers had a conniption over an oak? Was that Dallas or Austin?

Either way, all the $$ that racers, staff, etc bring to the area isn't going to come to the area ever again

I was training for the Hilly Billy Roubaix and then CX season before the virus kerfuffle. Everything stopped except work. I was working 50-60hrs/week as a mobile mechanic and didn't have time to ride. Afterwards I kept riding, but slowed down and stopped intervals, etc JRA is more fun, but since Hilly Billy is coming back next summer, I need to get back into a shape that isn't round

M
 
where were CX nationals held where the tree huggers had a conniption over an oak? Was that Dallas or Austin?

Either way, all the $$ that racers, staff, etc bring to the area isn't going to come to the area ever again

I was training for the Hilly Billy Roubaix and then CX season before the virus kerfuffle. Everything stopped except work. I was working 50-60hrs/week as a mobile mechanic and didn't have time to ride. Afterwards I kept riding, but slowed down and stopped intervals, etc JRA is more fun, but since Hilly Billy is coming back next summer, I need to get back into a shape that isn't round

M
I haven't race in over 25 years, so I don't keep up with any of that stuff. I see CX has a Non Binary race series, so that wouldn't be for me.

 
I'm ready for an Arkansas ride trip.... Were planning to go in November, weather has finally cut us a break and I have been managing some more riding.

We are getting quite a bit of rain right now. I got a ride in on Tuesday right before it hit and it’s been raining every day since then. They have a couple wet weather routes but it’s not the style of riding I usually enjoy
 
We have been missing all that rain here, it's going north of us and hitting y'all. We did get a little bit of it and it closed the trails for a couple days. Our wet weather routes are pavement and the trainer.....
 
We are getting quite a bit of rain right now. I got a ride in on Tuesday right before it hit and it’s been raining every day since then. They have a couple wet weather routes but it’s not the style of riding I usually enjoy
We can use all the wet stuff we can get in Arkansas. My AO is under a burn ban still.
 
Fall riding season is the best!! We can always use the rain here in western Colorado, but at least the temperature has come down to a “not kill you” level while riding in the afternoon.
Photo this morning iof day 2 Demo.
Steeper seat angle on the new Yeti gets us big guys over the pedals better and not hanging off the back. She’s really good so far. Still shifting like an idiot with the electronic shifters tho.😂
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I keep thinking about getting a Commencal Meta power MX or the Pivot Shuttle....

But I really want to see that new Pinon integrated motor / drivetrain be put in some more frames and be avaliable in the US. I have been half temped to find an aluminum frame and build the bracket for it.

I am a fan of the steeper seat angles also, being 6'2" with some ape index it helps.
 
New bike day. First ride getting it set up. Ripped the XX1 AXS & Roval Control SL wheels off and installed my trusty XO1 mechanical and my NEXT wheels. I still need to get rid of the Transfer SL dropper and put an ultralight saddle on it. That should get the weight down to the low 23's high 22's.

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One of my favorite days every few years....NEW BIKE DAY!!
I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on this vs. your Santa Cruz.
Sweet ride brother.
 
New bike day. First ride getting it set up. Ripped the XX1 AXS & Roval Control SL wheels off and installed my trusty XO1 mechanical and my NEXT wheels. I still need to get rid of the Transfer SL dropper and put an ultralight saddle on it. That should get the weight down to the low 23's high 22's.

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Did it have the new XX1 AXS? I understand you can shift and continue to peddle hard on it instead of having to let off after you shift.
 
I know you can do this with the Transmission, I couldn’t do it with the AXS I got last year.
The transmission does like to be shifted under load, shifts much better loaded than not.

I may swap my Smash/Gnaranna to transmission and put the AXS on my hard tail as that frame does not have UDH at the moment.

Since SRAM launched there Ebike motor that brings all the components into a complete ecosystem. It's just lacking the ABS brakes....I got to ride one of the Bosch equipped e-bikes with the ABS brakes on it and I was very surprised with how well it worked. I'm torn on getting one of those or the Pinion equipped bikes.
 
One of my favorite days every few years....NEW BIKE DAY!!
I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on this vs. your Santa Cruz.
Sweet ride brother.
I need to get more time on the Epic before I can compare. But initially it feels a little less plush. But that could be how I have it set up. The Blur is a killer bike though!
 
On drivetrains I just much prefer mechanical (XO1 or XX1) over AXS. But I have not ridden Transmission. I have had several AXS builds both mountain and road and just don't like the sluggish / delayed feeling it has and I really don't like having to charge batteries.
The Yeti I demoed had the X01 AXS set up and I didn't care for it either. Mostly because it really is so different than cable shifting, but by the end of day 3 on the bike it was Okay at best. I missed that mechanical "click" when pushing the shift button and I thought the touch of the AXS was pretty vague. My LBS mechanic pulled out his phone to make setting changes on the bikes shift "buttons". I could choose one push for each gear change or a burst of 3 if you hold the button or rapid fire. :rolleyes: Oh and don't forget to charge the battery about every 2 weeks to be on the safe side.
More crap to go wrong in my opinion.
 
I love my AXS, I have over 1000 miles on it with no issues what so ever. I just added the Transmission to my Yeti SB120 and honestly prefer the AXS over it. I keep an extra battery in my bike bag so no worries.
Glad to hear the long term reliability of the system. I had about 6 hours of ride time and basically no problems other than shifting like an idiot at times in transition to a quick technical section.
 
I have actually been pretty happy with the AXS, I'm at about 1600 miles on mine right now. The derailleur took a pretty damn hard hit on a rock a few months ago and shrugged it off like it was no big deal. I bought them last year when SRAM had the big sale on them and bought my son one too. I have been on a couple transmission bikes and will upgrade the smash at some point. The transmission likes to be shifted under load.
 
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I took the Scott out two weeks ago, but it was still hot. I ended up over heating and had to push my bike out. It was pretty deflating. I have so little time to exercise due to work, and I’m over weight. Yes I know it, but damn, that was a kick in the balls. I have three months until I retire, and then this weight is coming off. I can’t wait to start riding and exercising on a regular basis again.
 
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The Yeti I demoed had the X01 AXS set up and I didn't care for it either. Mostly because it really is so different than cable shifting, but by the end of day 3 on the bike it was Okay at best. I missed that mechanical "click" when pushing the shift button and I thought the touch of the AXS was pretty vague. My LBS mechanic pulled out his phone to make setting changes on the bikes shift "buttons". I could choose one push for each gear change or a burst of 3 if you hold the button or rapid fire. :rolleyes: Oh and don't forget to charge the battery about every 2 weeks to be on the safe side.
More crap to go wrong in my opinion.

I love my AXS, I have over 1000 miles on it with no issues what so ever. I just added the Transmission to my Yeti SB120 and honestly prefer the AXS over it. I keep an extra battery in my bike bag so no worries.

Glad to hear the long term reliability of the system. I had about 6 hours of ride time and basically no problems other than shifting like an idiot at times in transition to a quick technical section.
I have quite a lot of miles on AXS (non-transmission) bikes over the last several years, and tried my best to like the system. It works fine, it‘s durable, and it is easy enough to use the app to tune & update the software. It is a very good system, no doubt. However I just prefer mechanical, I like how I can dump a bunch of gears way faster if I need to. No matter how much I try I can’t get used to electronic shifting on a MTB, I am fine with it on my drop bar bikes as far as shifting goes. But I have seen a few times where shifter batteries quit on people during races, both gravel and MTB. In all of those cases they told me the batteries were fresh, like less than a month old. I also don’t like having to take the batteries off to transport via a car to prevent the shifter and derailleur from communicating while driving and slowly draining the battery. It’s just the little things I don’t care for…
 
I took the Scott out two weeks ago, but it was still hot. I ended up over heating and had to push my bike out. It was pretty deflating. I have so little time to exercise due to work, and I’m over weight. Yes I know it, but damn, that was a kick in the balls. I have three months until I retire, and then this weight is coming off. I can’t wait to start riding and exercising on a regular basis again.
Not to tell you your business, but don’t wait until you retire! Start now by getting your diet dialed in and building good habits around consistent exercise. Workouts are important and I am a firm believer that cycling is an excellent way to get into and stay in shape, but as the saying goes you can not outrun a bad diet. Nutrition and sleep are the most important aspects of health, followed by exercise. I assume you are at least in your late 40’s where you are about to retire, which means diet is even more important. I am now 45 and am starting to notice poor diet choices that I occasionally make actually having some negative impacts on my subaqueous fat %. I train like a man possessed so I have always been able to absorb about any poor diet choice without any effect, but that is changing for me. Also as we get older weight training gets more and more important, not just for lean mass retention but also bone density.

Best of luck with the fitness gains and congrats on the retirement!