Mountain bikes

[rainman]

Bro, you can not just drive by and drop that without photos!!


Meanwhile this frame is in the mail to me this week for a 29+ rigid build. Can go as short at 420mm in the rear but I plan to run 435 with 32x22 gearing.

Hey Doc G, not quite the current configuration of my bike, but here's a link to the 'glamour pics' the builder posted on his website...
https://www.44bikes.com/builds/rays-29-fat/

What's linked is 'as-built/delivered' in August 2014.

Changes I've made since then...

Replaced the Surly Krampis tires with Bontrager Chupacabra. Similar looking tires; light-years difference in performance.

Replaced Avid BB7 brakes with Shimano XT hydros (needed the BB7s for my single speed!).

Replaced Thomson aluminum seat post with Eriksen titanium (more cush for the backside!).

Currently running a Rockshox Pike 29+ fork (100mm).

New wheelset with Derby carbon rims built by Dave Thomas at Speed Dream Wheels (https://daves-wheels.com/). I had to buy a new front wheel (boost spacing for the Pike vs the fat-bike 'standard' at the time) and had Dave re-lace the rear with a Derby rim.


I think that's about it for changes. The fork and wheels were changed early 2017...sorry, no current pic. The frame was never designed for a suspension fork, so the bottom bracket height is a tad high, but hasn't had an appreciable/negative effect on handling.

I'm in the process of gathering the pieces to convert from 1x10 to 1x12/Shimano.

I ride this thing mostly in the mid-Atlantic states; so far been able to handle anything/everything between State College PA to Brevard NC.

I call this one my 'fat-chick'; always ready and willing, and nothing is off-the-table! Seriously, this has been an incredibly fun bike and working with Kris Henry at 44 Bikes was a great experience. I'm sure that the 'new' geometry of my next bike will be an adjustment (I'm not just old-school, I'm OLD! ), but still happy with this one after >6 years.



-Rainman

[taadski]

Great little jaunt to the desert SW for some riding last week. We rode South Mountain in Phoenix, Prescott and finished up in Sedona. Had to dodge some inhospitable weather, but managed 9 days of riding out of 10 on the road.

The new Offering continues to impress. I bumped the Lyric to 160 mms and am pleased to report the bike still maintains it's playful and poppy nature while taking a bit more edge off in the chunkier stuff.

[rainman]

Great little jaunt to the desert SW for some riding last week. We rode South Mountain in Phoenix, Prescott and finished up in Sedona. Had to dodge some inhospitable weather, but managed 9 days of riding out of 10 on the road.

The new Offering continues to impress. I bumped the Lyric to 160 mms and am pleased to report the bike still maintains it's playful and poppy nature while taking a bit more edge off in the chunkier stuff.

Nice trip report and BEAUTIFUL scenery. My experience with AZ is mostly southern (Tucson, Sierra Vista) and I forget that parts-north are different.

Also, nice Casita! Don't see so many of those here on the east coast. The RV market has gone nuts but I'm looking for something along the lines of that.

BTW, I placed a deposit on an Esker Rowl; ETA August. Still looking at other options (a friend received a Ripley AF about 2 weeks ago) but only had to put down $100 to reserve a Rowl.

Good to hear the Offering is meeting your expectations.


-Rainman

[Coyotesfan97]

Great little jaunt to the desert SW for some riding last week. We rode South Mountain in Phoenix, Prescott and finished up in Sedona. Had to dodge some inhospitable weather, but managed 9 days of riding out of 10 on the road.

The new Offering continues to impress. I bumped the Lyric to 160 mms and am pleased to report the bike still maintains it's playful and poppy nature while taking a bit more edge off in the chunkier stuff.

Nice trip report and BEAUTIFUL scenery. My experience with AZ is mostly southern (Tucson, Sierra Vista) and I forget that parts-north are different.

No No No Arizona is just sand dunes with blazing heat. Biking must be done at speed through the sand to avoid Radscorpions. Don’t listen to this misinformation

Glad you had good time riding here!

[taadski]

Here are a few more shots from some of the Dels terrain. Gorgeous landscape and a couple cool pics, courtesy of our tour guide (a venerable PF veteran no less!)

















And a couple more action shots from the trip....

[Doc_Glock]

Somehow I feel like that was one of the most heavily armed mountain bike group rides ever.

[MD7305]

Today I discovered the bladder in my Dakine Hot Laps hip pack is leaking. I can get a replacement bladder but I had been contemplating trying a new pack like a Camelbak Skyline, Camelbak Repack, or EVOC. RaceFace has a pack that I've looked at as well. Anybody have any experience with these?
The Dakine has been ok but the belt has no contour like some of the packs listed above and it's not always comfortable. I usually carry 1 to 2L of water in my bladder, wallet, phone, a couple small tools, and an M&P9 M2.0 compact. Tube and CO2 cartridges are strapped to my frame.

Any suggestions?

[Doc_Glock]

Today I discovered the bladder in my Dakine Hot Laps hip pack is leaking. I can get a replacement bladder but I had been contemplating trying a new pack like a Camelbak Skyline, Camelbak Repack, or EVOC. RaceFace has a pack that I've looked at as well. Anybody have any experience with these?
The Dakine has been ok but the belt has no contour like some of the packs listed above and it's not always comfortable. I usually carry 1 to 2L of water in my bladder, wallet, phone, a couple small tools, and an M&P9 M2.0 compact. Tube and CO2 cartridges are strapped to my frame.

Any suggestions?

A friend here has a Skyline and has no trouble fitting his Taurus 365 clone into it. He likes it quite a bit.

[taadski]

Not on your list but I was gifted an Osprey Seral 7 hydration butt pack last year. It has an internal 1.5 liter bladder and a couple substantial pockets. I have no trouble carrying my tools (to include a regular and HP shock pump), a rain layer and a compact sized pistol with a reload. It’s quite nice and worth a look.

https://www.osprey.com/us/en/product...SERAL7S21.html

[MD7305]

Not on your list but I was gifted an Osprey Seral 7 hydration butt pack last year. It has an internal 1.5 liter bladder and a couple substantial pockets. I have no trouble carrying my tools (to include a regular and HP shock pump), a rain layer and a compact sized pistol with a reload. It’s quite nice and worth a look.

https://www.osprey.com/us/en/product...SERAL7S21.html

Thanks, Osprey hadn't been on my RADAR but I like the features of that pack. Is the waist belt fairly comfortable?