At this point, I have been on three trips to Snowshoe this year. I bought a new helmet camera, the ContourHD, and have some footage of this year's trips compiled into a few videos I thought I'd share. All of these are available in full HD. Enjoy.
August 2009 - Highlights Video
June 2009 - Basin Trail Montage
June 2009 - Ball-n-Jack Trail
June 2009 - Chainsmoke Trail
June 2009 - Pro DH Trail
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Big Hit Make Over
I built up my Downhill bike last June. It has been to Snowshoe three times and worked great each time. At 6'5", I'm a tall rider and have a hard time finding bikes that fit me well. Although the Big Hit rode really well (and I just love the Monster T fork on that thing), I decided I'd see if I can get a better fitting bike; but more about the new bike later.
On my last trip to Snowshoe (June 2009), I damaged the rear derailleur and bottom bracket. So it was time to give the Big Hit some new parts. Today was the big day for the Big Hit. All of the parts arrived this week and it was time to strip it down and built it from the ground up.
Here it is broken down to just the frame, shock, and headset cups.
The Monster T had started leaking oil recently, so I broke it down, too. Completely dismantled it, replaced the oil seals and dust seals plus I replaced all the oil - nearly a liter (960 ml to be exact).
After a day's work getting everything just right, here's how she looks.
Here's a rundown of the build specs:
On my last trip to Snowshoe (June 2009), I damaged the rear derailleur and bottom bracket. So it was time to give the Big Hit some new parts. Today was the big day for the Big Hit. All of the parts arrived this week and it was time to strip it down and built it from the ground up.
Here it is broken down to just the frame, shock, and headset cups.
The Monster T had started leaking oil recently, so I broke it down, too. Completely dismantled it, replaced the oil seals and dust seals plus I replaced all the oil - nearly a liter (960 ml to be exact).
After a day's work getting everything just right, here's how she looks.
Here's a rundown of the build specs:
- 2003 Specialized Big Hit, Size Large
- 2003 Marzocchi Monster T with integrated headset
- Avid Juicy 3 brakes
- NEW SRAM X.9 rear derailleur
- SRAM X.7 shifter
- Truvativ Hussefelt DH Riser Bar
- Bontrager Big Earl pedals
- NEW Panaracer Fire FR rear tire
- Maxxis Holly Roller front tire
- Nearly new Truvativ Howitzer XR bottom bracket
- NEW Truvativ Hussefelt DH cranks with 38t chainring
- MRP Chainguide (ISCG mounted)
- Stock Fox Vanilla R rear shock
- NEW chain
- NEW 12-23 cassette
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Niner RIP 9 Update
I've had the 2009 Niner RIP 9 for about 4 months now. I thought I'd post a preliminary review.
I've taken time to play around with shock pressures now and think I have it where I like it. I'm 220 lbs, 6'5" and ride an XL RIP 9. I have 160 psi in the RP23 and about 90-95 in the Fox fork.
I only have one complaint about the RIP 9: the bottom bracket height is too low. I'm constantly hitting rocks and roots with my pedals, feet and big chainring. I've already destroyed my outer chainring thanks to a collision with a rock. Bummer. I had the same low-bottom bracket problems when I test rode the Gary Fisher Hi-Fi Deluxe 29er, although the Fisher was quite a bit worse.
I've had to warranty my rear triangle already because the press-fit bearings on the top of the non-drive side seat stay loosened. (see image above) I guess the frame around the press-fit bearing enlarged allowing the bearing to move freely within the frame. This caused a few scary moments when g-ing out on big whoop-de-dos. Basically, the rear triangle moved out of plane from the front triangle during the heaviest g-forces at the bottom of the whoop-de sending me shooting a few feet off trail in a hurry.
I checked Niner's website and found the closest Niner dealer - Back Alley Bikes in Chapel Hill. Rob at Back Alley promptly called Niner and got everything taken care of for me. To Niner's credit, they wasted no time in replacing the rear triangle.
Today was my first ride since the bike was repaired and it's back to its original rock-solid platform.
Overall, I love this bike. The ride is wonderful, stable and plush. There's no noticable frame flex when riding. The 29 inch wheels just eat up the roots and rocks, which makes climbing loads easier for me.
Two Big Thumbs Up for the redesigned Niner RIP 9!
I've taken time to play around with shock pressures now and think I have it where I like it. I'm 220 lbs, 6'5" and ride an XL RIP 9. I have 160 psi in the RP23 and about 90-95 in the Fox fork.
I only have one complaint about the RIP 9: the bottom bracket height is too low. I'm constantly hitting rocks and roots with my pedals, feet and big chainring. I've already destroyed my outer chainring thanks to a collision with a rock. Bummer. I had the same low-bottom bracket problems when I test rode the Gary Fisher Hi-Fi Deluxe 29er, although the Fisher was quite a bit worse.
I've had to warranty my rear triangle already because the press-fit bearings on the top of the non-drive side seat stay loosened. (see image above) I guess the frame around the press-fit bearing enlarged allowing the bearing to move freely within the frame. This caused a few scary moments when g-ing out on big whoop-de-dos. Basically, the rear triangle moved out of plane from the front triangle during the heaviest g-forces at the bottom of the whoop-de sending me shooting a few feet off trail in a hurry.
I checked Niner's website and found the closest Niner dealer - Back Alley Bikes in Chapel Hill. Rob at Back Alley promptly called Niner and got everything taken care of for me. To Niner's credit, they wasted no time in replacing the rear triangle.
Today was my first ride since the bike was repaired and it's back to its original rock-solid platform.
Overall, I love this bike. The ride is wonderful, stable and plush. There's no noticable frame flex when riding. The 29 inch wheels just eat up the roots and rocks, which makes climbing loads easier for me.
Two Big Thumbs Up for the redesigned Niner RIP 9!
Friday, February 13, 2009
Ride Report - Delta Ridge Trails
95% of my riding over the last few years is done on weekdays during my lunch "hour". There is a good crew of about ten riders at my work that share my passion for moutain biking. A subset of them head out at lunch time just about every day.
We've heard about some new trail relatively close by and have wanted to sample them, but the weather hasn't been very cooperative. The Southeast has had a wonderful break in the Winter weather this week, so today was the day we tried out the Delta Ridge trails.
We knew where to find the trailhead and understood that it was a pretty good distance from work. Slghtly further than our usual trail systems. After having ridden five days in a row this week, it turned out to be a long haul to get to the trailhead for me. I felt exactly like Ben Stiller describes in his account of a night mountain bike ride. After biking for 30 minutes, I was tired, ready to turn around and declare the ride a successful workout. That’s when we got to the trailhead.
The trail itself was great. It’s a varied trail system - flowy in some sections; technical in others. I remembered riding parts of this trail 10 years ago. We were surprised to find a lot of new trail. Some of it a few months old, and one or two sections that must have been cleared within the last few days. I’m not sure how much trail there is – 6 miles? There were lots of spur trails off of spur trails. At one point, it felt a bit like our Behind the Rocks epic adventure at Moab – the trail kept going and going; getting further and further from where the trailhead was.
It’s definitely a challenging trail system. Of the four riders today, three of us had some really hard falls. When we finally emerged from the trailhead having completed the ride, we were left with a very hilly ride back to work. Long, grinding climbs are not my strength. This was reinforced as I watched Eric and Jon pull away from me fast on the first climb. We regrouped at the top of that climb, but they were gone again once we started the grind up the next big hill. I believe they beat me back to work by a good 15 minutes.
Overall, I had a lot of fun on these trails. We’ll definitely incorporate them in our normal routine, but we’ll need to find a better route there and back.
We've heard about some new trail relatively close by and have wanted to sample them, but the weather hasn't been very cooperative. The Southeast has had a wonderful break in the Winter weather this week, so today was the day we tried out the Delta Ridge trails.
We knew where to find the trailhead and understood that it was a pretty good distance from work. Slghtly further than our usual trail systems. After having ridden five days in a row this week, it turned out to be a long haul to get to the trailhead for me. I felt exactly like Ben Stiller describes in his account of a night mountain bike ride. After biking for 30 minutes, I was tired, ready to turn around and declare the ride a successful workout. That’s when we got to the trailhead.
The trail itself was great. It’s a varied trail system - flowy in some sections; technical in others. I remembered riding parts of this trail 10 years ago. We were surprised to find a lot of new trail. Some of it a few months old, and one or two sections that must have been cleared within the last few days. I’m not sure how much trail there is – 6 miles? There were lots of spur trails off of spur trails. At one point, it felt a bit like our Behind the Rocks epic adventure at Moab – the trail kept going and going; getting further and further from where the trailhead was.
It’s definitely a challenging trail system. Of the four riders today, three of us had some really hard falls. When we finally emerged from the trailhead having completed the ride, we were left with a very hilly ride back to work. Long, grinding climbs are not my strength. This was reinforced as I watched Eric and Jon pull away from me fast on the first climb. We regrouped at the top of that climb, but they were gone again once we started the grind up the next big hill. I believe they beat me back to work by a good 15 minutes.
Overall, I had a lot of fun on these trails. We’ll definitely incorporate them in our normal routine, but we’ll need to find a better route there and back.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Sanford Trails
Some biking buddies and I drove an hour south to Sanford today. We rode San Lee Park and Governors Creek trails. The most surprising thing about riding these trails was how groomed they were. Over-groomed, in my opinion. Not one log crossing in 2 hours of riding. Don't get me wrong, we had a blast. There were plenty of creek crossings, climbs and all-out fun descents - but no logs.
At the end of the day, we all agreed that the trails were really fun, but not quite enough to warrant coming back too soon. With three kids, I don't have the luxury to drive 2 hours in addition to my biking time. It was precisely this problem that caused me to shift from primarily mountain biking over to road biking ten years ago. There are three decent trails in the immediate area. Otherwise, I have to drive 45 minutes or more to find some trails to ride.
But I digress. Back to Sanford.
The 29er loved the fast, flowy Sanford-area trails. I was especially pleased with the RIP9's performance in the rock gardens in San Lee Park. I dabbed only once in The Gauntlet, and saw many preferred lines in Free Fall. Although I dabbed many times in Free Fall and tried more than a few sections over again, I was really pleased with how well the RIP9 lead me through these technical sections on my first attempt. Having ridden those sections now, I'm certain I can get through The Gauntlet with no dabs and Free Fall with only a couple.
Back at the San Lee trailhead, we met some guys from 29eronline.com. They were really nice and were shocked to see a 2009 Niner RIP 9 on the trail. The frame isn't supposed to be shipping to customers for another month. After tooling around the parking lot on a Turner Sultan while he test rode my RIP9, I realized that my rear shock is setup too stiff. I'll lower the air pressure in the RP23 and see if I can find the buttery smooth plushness I felt on the Sultan. Wow, the DW-Link on that bike was plush! It felt way too soft - like it would bottom out on a small 2-foot drop, though. I think it was under-sprung for my weight. Regardless, it did feel really nice.
Considering I have never bottomed out the fork or rear shock on the RIP9, it's time to lower the pressure a little. I'll do that and report back. Current pressure is 100 lbs up front (25% sag) and 180 lbs. in the RP23 (27% sag). The weather this week looks phenomenal. I'll have plenty of trail time to play with sag in the next few days.
At the end of the day, we all agreed that the trails were really fun, but not quite enough to warrant coming back too soon. With three kids, I don't have the luxury to drive 2 hours in addition to my biking time. It was precisely this problem that caused me to shift from primarily mountain biking over to road biking ten years ago. There are three decent trails in the immediate area. Otherwise, I have to drive 45 minutes or more to find some trails to ride.
But I digress. Back to Sanford.
The 29er loved the fast, flowy Sanford-area trails. I was especially pleased with the RIP9's performance in the rock gardens in San Lee Park. I dabbed only once in The Gauntlet, and saw many preferred lines in Free Fall. Although I dabbed many times in Free Fall and tried more than a few sections over again, I was really pleased with how well the RIP9 lead me through these technical sections on my first attempt. Having ridden those sections now, I'm certain I can get through The Gauntlet with no dabs and Free Fall with only a couple.
Back at the San Lee trailhead, we met some guys from 29eronline.com. They were really nice and were shocked to see a 2009 Niner RIP 9 on the trail. The frame isn't supposed to be shipping to customers for another month. After tooling around the parking lot on a Turner Sultan while he test rode my RIP9, I realized that my rear shock is setup too stiff. I'll lower the air pressure in the RP23 and see if I can find the buttery smooth plushness I felt on the Sultan. Wow, the DW-Link on that bike was plush! It felt way too soft - like it would bottom out on a small 2-foot drop, though. I think it was under-sprung for my weight. Regardless, it did feel really nice.
Considering I have never bottomed out the fork or rear shock on the RIP9, it's time to lower the pressure a little. I'll do that and report back. Current pressure is 100 lbs up front (25% sag) and 180 lbs. in the RP23 (27% sag). The weather this week looks phenomenal. I'll have plenty of trail time to play with sag in the next few days.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Dry, Warm Weather Finally
For a nice change of pace, the wet, chilly East coast weather subsided for a few days. The trails are dry enough to ride and it's warm enough for shorts and only a single layer of shirts - well, it was toward mid-day.
I met a group of four guys this morning at a not-so-local trail system - Garner Recreational Park. It was my second single-track ride on the Niner RIP 9. Ah, what fun.
This trail was an excellent opportunity to get used to the new bike. These are some of the most varied trails in the area. Technical climbs, a few 2' drops, jumps, creek crossings, rooty descents and the ubiquitous log crossings.
Of course, the RIP 9 ate up the trail. The Niner is really more bike than I need for this area, but it's nice to know that I'm not pushing the bike too close to its limits. At 215 lbs., I really prefer a bike that feels stable no matter what I do to it.
Looks like tomorrow's weather will be a repeat of today. Yea! I just love a taste of Spring in the middle of Winter.
I met a group of four guys this morning at a not-so-local trail system - Garner Recreational Park. It was my second single-track ride on the Niner RIP 9. Ah, what fun.
This trail was an excellent opportunity to get used to the new bike. These are some of the most varied trails in the area. Technical climbs, a few 2' drops, jumps, creek crossings, rooty descents and the ubiquitous log crossings.
Of course, the RIP 9 ate up the trail. The Niner is really more bike than I need for this area, but it's nice to know that I'm not pushing the bike too close to its limits. At 215 lbs., I really prefer a bike that feels stable no matter what I do to it.
Looks like tomorrow's weather will be a repeat of today. Yea! I just love a taste of Spring in the middle of Winter.
Yeti For Sale
It's a bitter sweet moment for me. As I put the finishing touches on building the Yeti, it's time to offer it for sale. A comment was added to my last posting asking about the bike build. Here you go:
* PUSH'd Fox RP3 rear shock
* Cane Creek S2 headset
* SRAM X-9 shifters
* Shimano XT front derailleur
* SRAM X-0 rear derailleur
* Race Face Evolve XC stem, seatpost and cranks
* Avid Juicy Five brakes with 185mm rotors
* Yeti grips
* Mavic 317 Disc rims, Shimano Deore rear hub, ARC front hub
* WTB saddle
All pivot and rocker (dogbone) bearings are brand new.
All cables and cable housing are brand new.
She weighs 30 lbs. as shown in photos with heavy Maxxis Minion DH Downhill Specific tires. You can get a sub 28 lbs build really easy with the 575's.
Classified Ad over at MTBR.
* PUSH'd Fox RP3 rear shock
* Cane Creek S2 headset
* SRAM X-9 shifters
* Shimano XT front derailleur
* SRAM X-0 rear derailleur
* Race Face Evolve XC stem, seatpost and cranks
* Avid Juicy Five brakes with 185mm rotors
* Yeti grips
* Mavic 317 Disc rims, Shimano Deore rear hub, ARC front hub
* WTB saddle
All pivot and rocker (dogbone) bearings are brand new.
All cables and cable housing are brand new.
She weighs 30 lbs. as shown in photos with heavy Maxxis Minion DH Downhill Specific tires. You can get a sub 28 lbs build really easy with the 575's.
Classified Ad over at MTBR.
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