The Surly Mountain Biking Thread

[TwiceHorn 31450]

Also, kind of interesting note on my hot slog of a ride yesterday.

As discussed upthread, I was a childhood allergic asthmatic.  That means that even years later, decades past my last asthma attack, being out of breath is unusually uncomfortable and akin to claustrophobia.  Heat contributes to that as well, at least until I get used to it.

I forgot to wear my glasses yesterday.  And I think they contribute a little bit to that whole claustrophobic feeling, especially when they fog, which happens when I'm super hot and sweaty and there's no breeze or I'm not moving fast enough to generate one.

Edited June 4, 2020 by TwiceHorn

[Al_4_ISU 12457]

Feel like a riding drought is coming on.  We're a little short handed on the farm (we have seasonal employees from South Africa who keep getting their flights pushed back due to COVID) so we're all working later and more on weekends.  Plus it's been raining more than earlier this year.  Every few days we get a round of thunderstorms that are followed by an immediate build up of humidity and nothing dries.  

And it's getting pretty hot.  It was north of 95 (saw 101 on a local bank, but don't quite trust that) on Tuesday, which was actually (a bit) warmer than what my buddy in Plano had at his place (88).  I'll ride in heat, but I was working outside all day and was pretty well drained.

Hopefully the help shows up and we dry out a bit.  10 day forecast looks promising, with an unseasonable cold front moving in late next week.  We have highs in the 90's for Monday and highs in the 60's on Thursday (storms on Wednesday of course).  Fucking classic Iowa. 

Edited June 4, 2020 by Al_4_ISU

[TwiceHorn 31450]

What's the story on South African farm help?  Seems like travel cost would make things uneconomical.

I banged out 8 miles in 91 degrees today (real feel 104, woooohooo) on the relatively flat Rowlett Creek.  But I did involve some of the newer, to me, loops with some climbs and drops and acquitted myself reasonably well.

Aaaand, since I hadn't ridden it in a while. didn't get low enough under a tree (or it sank a few inches with the rains) and bashed my head and neck.  I was very much talking dirty to the animals at that point.  Ow. Fuck.

Also saw two ded copperhed snek.  And when that happens, errthang starts looking like snek.

[Pescado_Rojo 19416]

welp, managed to give myself an umbilical hernia on my ride yesterday. Didn't do anything unusual or crash or anything. Got home and my lower abdomen was sore. Thought maybe I'd pulled a muscle, but when I went to get in the shower, by bellybutton was puffy and red, and sore to the touch. Reading up, it seems like if everything goes well it will be a month post surgery before I can ride. Shit. 

 

[TwiceHorn 31450]

Oh, ow.  Furk. Sorry man.

Since I seem to be finding new ways to fuck myself up without actually crashing, I hope this doesn't happen.

[Al_4_ISU 12457]

welp, managed to give myself an umbilical hernia on my ride yesterday. Didn't do anything unusual or crash or anything. Got home and my lower abdomen was sore. Thought maybe I'd pulled a muscle, but when I went to get in the shower, by bellybutton was puffy and red, and sore to the touch. Reading up, it seems like if everything goes well it will be a month post surgery before I can ride. Shit. 
 

Shit, man. Condolences.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Pescado_Rojo 19416]

reading up, it seems like most Drs do it in the office now with a local and sedation. Worst part might be that I have to go get a Coronavirus screening before my consult next week. 

 

[Al_4_ISU 12457]

What's the story on South African farm help?  Seems like travel cost would make things uneconomical.
I banged out 8 miles in 91 degrees today (real feel 104, woooohooo) on the relatively flat Rowlett Creek.  But I did involve some of the newer, to me, loops with some climbs and drops and acquitted myself reasonably well.
Aaaand, since I hadn't ridden it in a while. didn't get low enough under a tree (or it sank a few inches with the rains) and bashed my head and neck.  I was very much talking dirty to the animals at that point.  Ow. Fuck.
Also saw two ded copperhed snek.  And when that happens, errthang starts looking like snek.

We have had an almost negative unemployment rate in north Iowa for years. We need way more help from April through November then the rest of the year. There just aren’t enough locals to fully staff for our needs.

The government runs a program call H2A which brings in foreign workers on 9 month visas. They set employment rates which are much lower than the going wage for locals, but blow their home countries out of the water. It’s a win-win.

South Africa is a great source. They have a large English speaking population looking to get the fuck out as they have a pretty broken economy/nation. The guys make bank for 9 months, then go home and party for 3. We have a willing and quality work force.

We provide housing and pay for them to get here. It pencils out.

[orangecat92 306]

10 hours ago, TwiceHorn said:

Where are you?

San Antonio for four weeks, then HEB area for 3 weeks, then back to rural Alaska.  Looking for something I can ship.  Back up plan is to walk into a bike shop in Anchorage, pay for it in late July, have it shipped to the teacher compound where I live.  Yes, I picked literally the worst time in history to become interested in bikes.  At least I am aware of that fact.  The positive is I know pretty much what I want.  I want a 1 X system, and I will not be jumping.  The roads in the area are combination rocks/gravel.  I figure a mtb will hold up pretty well.  I am not young or light and will go easy on the bike.  My neighbor in Alaska is good at maintaining bikes, so he will help me with that. 

[TwiceHorn 31450]

4 minutes ago, orangecat92 said:

San Antonio for four weeks, then HEB area for 3 weeks, then back to rural Alaska.  Looking for something I can ship.  Back up plan is to walk into a bike shop in Anchorage, pay for it in late July, have it shipped to the teacher compound where I live.  Yes, I picked literally the worst time in history to become interested in bikes.  At least I am aware of that fact.  The positive is I know pretty much what I want.  I want a 1 X system, and I will not be jumping.  The roads in the area are combination rocks/gravel.  I figure a mtb will hold up pretty well.  I am not young or light and will go easy on the bike.  My neighbor in Alaska is good at maintaining bikes, so he will help me with that. 

The reason I asked is in some places with a healthy MTB community, you can find good stuff used without too much trouble, probably even on craigslist.  Most of Texas is not like that.

A hardtail should suffice for what you want and you may not even need or want a suspension fork if you don't ride rough stuff.  The unfortunate thing is that "rigid" bikes with mountain bike geometry and construction, but no suspension at all, tend to be kind of nichey bikes made by pretty boutique manufacturers like Surly.  Great bikes, but not cheap.

1x is a good choice and will winnow a lot of lesser bikes from consideration.

Marin makes a really solid, low-cost bike, but they're not a large enough volume mfr that you'll find a whole lot of "last years model" deals like you might Specialized, Trek, or Giant.

[KuЯdt 248]

1 hour ago, orangecat92 said:

then HEB area for 3 weeks

Does this mean...Texas?

 

I'm about to list my 2012 Santa Cruz Tallboy Carbon for sale.  If you can't find anything else and are interested, PM me.  It's older geo, but I upgraded it to a Shimano XT 1x11 setup in 2018. 

[Braff Zacklin 13558]

Hurst-Euless-Bedford

HEB

[KuЯdt 248]

Hurst-Euless-Bedford
HEB

So, Oklahoma then.

[Al_4_ISU 12457]

Reverse jinx strikes again. Snuck one in tonight. Started at 5:45, which is later than normal and the light in the woods was very weird. It was hard to see the ground if that makes sense. Flubbed a few old problem spots as a result. On the good side, I was climbing as strong as I have all year.

[dingleberryswitzer 2724]

How hot does it have to get before y'all tap out for the summer? I rode yesterday at like 93F and again this morning in the upper 80s.  I didn't push myself but was still dripping with sweat.  I might have to start riding in the evening. 

[TwiceHorn 31450]

11 minutes ago, dingleberryswitzer said:

How hot does it have to get before y'all tap out for the summer? I rode yesterday at like 93F and again this morning in the upper 80s.  I didn't push myself but was still dripping with sweat.  I might have to start riding in the evening. 

I ride all summer, but earlier.  Well into the 90s during the rides.

The evening doesn't help.  While it may not be the hottest, it's nearly so, and the earth is just radiating sickening waves of heat.

[Wiler77 1566]

If I'm going for a serious ride in the summer, I try to be on the bike by 8:30-9am.  I want to be finished no later than 10-10:30am.  Anything later than that and it's too hot to be fun.

[TwiceHorn 31450]

Wheels down at 10:30 this morning at Harry Moss.  Said 82 when I left the house.  Expected a heat slog, but it was quite pleasant.  Low 90s when I finished at noon.  Maybe my heat shields are activating.

[Pescado_Rojo 19416]

12 minutes ago, TwiceHorn said:

Wheels down at 10:30 this morning at Harry Moss.  Said 82 when I left the house.  Expected a heat slog, but it was quite pleasant.  Low 90s when I finished at noon.  Maybe my heat shields are activating.

I've found high humidity is the killer for me. I can ride in the mid-90s fine as long as it's pretty dry. I find high-80s with high humidity much worse. 

[Al_4_ISU 12457]

I shockingly had my best ride of the year. Temps are in the high 70’s/low 80’s and little humidity. We tied it on a little after the ride yesterday, but it didn’t seem to hurt at all today. Climbed well, and didn’t flub anything. Descended the gnarliest switch back in the park for the first time ever. Thank you dropper post.

 

[TwiceHorn 31450]

10 minutes ago, Pescado_Rojo said:

I've found high humidity is the killer for me. I can ride in the mid-90s fine as long as it's pretty dry. I find high-80s with high humidity much worse. 

What do you consider high?  I generally agree, but sometimes what the weather pages say the humidity is doesn't gibe with what I feel.  Of course a lot of our trails are in river bottoms or lowlands around lakes, so the humidity is probably exaggerated.

Says 47%RH today, but I note the temp is still 90 by NWS at 115, so it is actually cooler for this time of day than the last couple.  I tend to think much over 50% makes it nasty.

Although it was pleasant, little breeze, I was still sweatin like a whore in church.

Edited June 7, 2020 by TwiceHorn

[dingleberryswitzer 2724]

20 minutes ago, Pescado_Rojo said:

I've found high humidity is the killer for me. I can ride in the mid-90s fine as long as it's pretty dry. I find high-80s with high humidity much worse. 

See that's my feeling as well.  Seems like mornings are "cool" but humid, afternoon is hot but drier.  That's why I was thinking of super late evening.  Like ride 7-830 or try to get as close to sunset as possible.  Always seems like right after sunset is the coolest part of the day.  I'll give both a try.  

[TwiceHorn 31450]

Well it's 8:30 in Dtown.  Not quite too dark to ride, but getting close.  NWS says 90, like it did at 1:15, and 44%RH vs. 47 then.

I didn't check NWS when I rode from 10 to noon, approximately, but it was 80s into 90s then by other apps.

[TwiceHorn 31450]

I should add that I'm not dismissing riding later in the day out of hand.  The humidity point is valid.

I had tried it some years ago and my impression was that it doesn't work as well as the morning.  I'd like to think I backed that up with temp and humidity data, but it may have been just feel.

I will continue to observe and maybe give it a go.

[Braff Zacklin 13558]

 Go home, Twice. You're drunk.

 

Oh, wait. That's me.

 

Shit.

[lonestar3 274]

On 6/4/2020 at 9:26 PM, KuЯdt said:

Does this mean...Texas?

 

I'm about to list my 2012 Santa Cruz Tallboy Carbon for sale.  If you can't find anything else and are interested, PM me.  It's older geo, but I upgraded it to a Shimano XT 1x11 setup in 2018. 

God dammit. I was trying to get you to shoot me the details on this before you listed it.

[KuЯdt 248]

19 minutes ago, lonestar3 said:

God dammit. I was trying to get you to shoot me the details on this before you listed it.

I believe you PM'd me about the singlespeed, which I haven't listed yet.  I've gotten crazy interest in the Tallboy, seems demand is still really high for bikes.  

If you want more info, let me know.

[lonestar3 274]

4 hours ago, KuЯdt said:

I believe you PM'd me about the singlespeed, which I haven't listed yet.  I've gotten crazy interest in the Tallboy, seems demand is still really high for bikes.  

If you want more info, let me know.

Ah, my bad. Ended up buying the gf some GT piece from REI or Dick's or somewhere.

[TwiceHorn 31450]

Wheels down at 11AM.  Temp high 80s.  54%RH and still a pretty pleasant ride in the shade.  I'm staying off some of the more strenuous trails until I get my heatshields fully activated.  Getting close.

[KuЯdt 248]

I was watching some of that Lance Armstrong 30 for 30. Nothing new really and he is still a dick, but the most interesting part to me was this pic of Floyd Landis with a GT Zaskar LE and Mag 21

[Braff Zacklin 13558]

Like Cadel Evans, Landis was heavy into MTB before he became an elite roadie.

[orangecat92 306]

What are annoying things about Diamondback bikes?  I have decided I like the hook and the line.  The attraction is the 1 X system and the durability.   I plan on taking good care of the bike.  

Also, I am going where there is no hint of a bike shop, so if you had one thing to put in your suitcase for your bike, what would it be?  Of course there is Amazon, but sometimes Amazon takes 3 weeks or more. 

My neighbor already has a good toolkit.  

 

 

 

[dingleberryswitzer 2724]

Just a get a comprehensive multi tool.  I have a smaller crank Bros version, but this one has most everything you need.

https://bikecloset.com/product/tools-m19-black-red/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI89O4j-Pz6QIVENbACh06lwpkEAQYASABEgKAbvD_BwE

 

But I'd also sneak in a small pump, tire levers, and spare tube. Or patch kit if you run tubes.  The most common repairs are flats and loose bolts.  

[TwiceHorn 31450]

51 minutes ago, orangecat92 said:

What are annoying things about Diamondback bikes?  I have decided I like the hook and the line.  The attraction is the 1 X system and the durability.   I plan on taking good care of the bike.  

Also, I am going where there is no hint of a bike shop, so if you had one thing to put in your suitcase for your bike, what would it be?  Of course there is Amazon, but sometimes Amazon takes 3 weeks or more. 

My neighbor already has a good toolkit.   

 

 

Diamondback makes a quite decent low-cost bike.  They were killing it 2-3 years ago, but haven't heard much of their latest models.

You will probably want an under-saddle bag with a tube, some levers, a multitool and a CO2 inflator (get the kind that can use 12g pellet gun carts, may take two to fill a tire but they're easy to find and cheap).  Might as well get a multitool with a spoke wrench and a chain tool.

[orangecat92 306]

Thanks for the recommendations. I went to a bike shop in San Antonio just now, and called another.  They say 0 bikes in stock, and I ended up having a conversation with one pretty informative guy who said he could order a Diamondback, but his computer indicated nothing available.  I told him I had emailed them and they had some bikes.  He offered to call to see if they were just predicting they would have them in a month or so.  He called back and told me they told him they do have bikes for customers directly, but not for bike shops.  

Looks like I am going for the slightly higher priced Line, and one question for you guys.  The shop I went to this morning said I should buy dry lubricant.  I didn't want to ask him for an internet source- it would be competing with him.  Which online source do you guys recommend for the dry lube, and how much do you buy at one time?  

[orangecat92 306]

Last question for now: 

 

Here is a response from Diamondback about the Line vs. the Hook.  "Hello, the Line and Hook share the same frame. However the Line gets a slightly nicer drive train and hydraulic brakes. Otherwise not much else. The warranty is 5 years on the frame one year on the parts due to manufacturing defects, when you order one or the other it will be the 2020 season model."  

 

So, I am leaning towards the more expensive model, which has 9 speeds, vs. 8 speeds, and the hydraulic brakes vs. the regular disc brakes.  Is there additional maintenance to be done for the hydraulic brakes vs. the regular disc brakes? 

 

$100 more for the Line.  Appreciate any opinions. 

 

 

[TwiceHorn 31450]

Just now, orangecat92 said:

Last question for now: 

 

Here is a response from Diamondback about the Line vs. the Hook.  "Hello, the Line and Hook share the same frame. However the Line gets a slightly nicer drive train and hydraulic brakes. Otherwise not much else. The warranty is 5 years on the frame one year on the parts due to manufacturing defects, when you order one or the other it will be the 2020 season model."  

 

So, I am leaning towards the more expensive model, which has 9 speeds, vs. 8 speeds, and the hydraulic brakes vs. the regular disc brakes.  Is there additional maintenance to be done for the hydraulic brakes vs. the regular disc brakes? 

 

$100 more for the Line.  Appreciate any opinions. 

 

 

With a 1x, the main sacrifice for avoiding the fiddliness of a front derailleur (and the weight and the occupancy of space on your handlebar) is a reduction in available gear ratios compared to a 2x or 3x.  So one more cog is probably worthwhile.  The SRAM X3 on the lower end is a fairly obsolescent derailleur, to the point that SRAM doesn't even sell it anymore.  The Shimano Acera is also lower-end, but it is a clutched derailleur, which is a nice thing to have with 1x.  Don't know about the X3.

Hydraulic brakes are definitely a step up from mechanical in terms of stopping power.  Maintenance is about a wash.  Hydros need bleeding sometimes, mechanicals have cable issues.  You may not need the stopping power if you aren't descending a lot, but it's nice to have.

[TwiceHorn 31450]

50 minutes ago, orangecat92 said:

Last question for now: 

 

Here is a response from Diamondback about the Line vs. the Hook.  "Hello, the Line and Hook share the same frame. However the Line gets a slightly nicer drive train and hydraulic brakes. Otherwise not much else. The warranty is 5 years on the frame one year on the parts due to manufacturing defects, when you order one or the other it will be the 2020 season model."  

 

So, I am leaning towards the more expensive model, which has 9 speeds, vs. 8 speeds, and the hydraulic brakes vs. the regular disc brakes.  Is there additional maintenance to be done for the hydraulic brakes vs. the regular disc brakes? 

 

$100 more for the Line.  Appreciate any opinions. 

 

 

With a 1x, the main sacrifice for avoiding the fiddliness of a front derailleur (and the weight and the occupancy of space on your handlebar) is a reduction in available gear ratios compared to a 2x or 3x.  So one more cog is probably worthwhile.  The SRAM X3 on the lower end is a fairly obsolescent derailleur, to the point that SRAM doesn't even sell it anymore.  The Shimano Acera is also lower-end, but it is a clutched derailleur, which is a nice thing to have with 1x.  Don't know about the X3.

Hydraulic brakes are definitely a step up from mechanical in terms of stopping power.  Maintenance is about a wash.  Hydros need bleeding sometimes, mechanicals have cable issues.  You may not need the stopping power if you aren't descending a lot, but it's nice to have.

One drawback to both those bikes (same frame) is the 1.125" non-tapered headtube.  That means it may be hard to find an air fork, which would be a logical upgrade.

Edited June 9, 2020 by TwiceHorn

[orangecat92 306]

thanks a bunch, twice.  I don't think I will be upgrading anytime soon.  And it looks like all systems are go for the Line.  

[Braff Zacklin 13558]

2 hours ago, orangecat92 said:

I didn't want to ask him for an internet source- it would be competing with him.  Which online source do you guys recommend for the dry lube, and how much do you buy at one time?  

For domestic online bike parts shopping, start at JensonUSA.com. They pretty much run the market.

I buy my lube (*cough, cough*) a quart at a time and use it to refill a 4 oz bottle that I use between rides.

That Line seems like a good starter bike. Have fun, be safe, and please share pics, stories, whatever else strikes your fancy.

[TwiceHorn 31450]

One thing you might look at @orangecat92 is the Diamondback "corporate discount."  Google it.  It's easy to sign up for and tons of people qualify.  It will knock a few bucks off one you order direct from them.  This assumes you can figure out your size from demos or "on paper."

[dingleberryswitzer 2724]

Amazon has a surprising amount of bike stuff.  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002IDZXRM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_SVm4EbYPBKYG7

 

Also I highly recommend upgrading to the hydro brakes.  

 

[dingleberryswitzer 2724]

Also orangecat, you said your in San Antonio, so you know all the main places to ride?  Leon Creek, McAllister, and government canyon.  Flatrock($) is probably half hour away with no traffic.  

[TwiceHorn 31450]

Cool front passed through last night, taking the temps down a notch.  Headed to Arbor Hills for short and climby, but it was closed for maintenance, so went to Katie Jackson instead.  Wheels down about 11, temp low 80s, 26%RH and 10+ mph breeze.  Pretty glorious.  Enjoyable ride, but didn't go particularly far or fast.

[TwiceHorn 31450]

Also a lot of ticking and creaking from the front that I have not heard before.  Headset seems solid, bars are tight.

Time for a fork service, perhaps?  Couldn't make it make any noise bouncing it, but it did seem a little sticky.

[Pescado_Rojo 19416]

Well, had the consult with my surgeon yesterday. Turns out he's a mountain biker, so we spent probably 15 minutes post consult talking bikes and trails. The bad news, I'll be off the bike 4-6 weeks post op. The good news, he told me I can't make it worse riding so he cleared me to ride up to my surgery date. I'm going to try to get in 3-4 rides before next Thursday, and got in 8 miles last night. I may use the time off to drop the bike with Sport Shop and get the suspension serviced. 

[dingleberryswitzer 2724]

Woke up at 6 for the first time I months to take advantage of the cool weather.  Got 19 miles in. Was actually  a little chilly until the sun came over the trees. Pretty sweet 

[TwiceHorn 31450]

1 hour ago, dingleberryswitzer said:

Woke up at 6 for the first time I months to take advantage of the cool weather.  Got 19 miles in. Was actually  a little chilly until the sun came over the trees. Pretty sweet 

That's a pretty massive ride.  Do you have to repeat loops to do that?

Yeah, I have racked up the bike at 7ish-8ish this week and thought it was almost too brisk.  Then rode at 10ish-11ish.

Today I tempted fate and didn't wheels down until after noon.  NWS says temp 87, RH27.  Car said 90+.  Was reasonable in the shade.  I banged out 5+ miles pretty quick, but hadn't gone but half an hour, so had to force myself to do another couple of miles, during which I slowed a bit, but was mostly flowing pretty well.  Good ride.

[dingleberryswitzer 2724]

A few sections I repeat, but mostly an out and back.  This was at Leon Creek I. San Antonio.  It's mostly flat too.  Also went early so no traffic to slow me down. 

[TwiceHorn 31450]

Tempting fate again, wheels down at 1130.  NWS said 87, 27RH, car reading in the low 90s.  Rode at OCNP, which has some sunny spots, including one that follows a rather sustained climb then some climb and drop that gets the adrenaline going and a final little bursty climb out into the sun.  Kills me every time.  Geez.

The shady riding was nice, the sunny spots were a beating, though.  May have just been one of those days.  Still a decent ride.

This is not the climb in question, but it is one that goes from the shade into the sun.  Early enough in the ride that it doesn't beat me down.  However, I have never cleaned it.  It is at the top of a climb, so it's hard to manage your momentum properly and the ledge and turn are just hard to pull off.  I should have gotten the right-hand line, too, as I think it's less appealing although it is a straight shot.