On Sunday I dropped off the frame and fork to have the headset pressed in and have the Reba adjusted to 120mm.
Monday night I built it up on Mark's living room rug using a free (used) blackbox ceramic bearing GXP bottom bracket. Hopefully this one will last longer than the 4 that I've destroyed over the past 1.5 years.
Last night I got a quick ride in at Bent Creek (really wanted Laurel/Pilot but the weather looked horrendous). This bike hauls ass! I don't even have it dialed in yet, but it is so eager to take on any turn, berm, jump, or rocky section. The rear end has a touch more compliance than the ti frame, although I might be feeling a touch more chatter from the shorter wheelbase when going over long root balls. One ride is not really enough to make that call though. I am not kidding when I say that the nimble 9 is already the best mountain bike I've owned. I now have a new standard as to how a bike should feel on the trail. On one steeper section the front did try to wander a bit while climbing, but moving my hands to the bar ends and shifting my weight around almost immediately made the feeling go away.
Today it rains... Thursday through Sunday look promising, but sweet baby Jesus it is going to be 88 on Saturday?
http://www.weather.com/weather/5-day/Mills+River+NC+28759:4:US
Looks like I'll have to get out early...
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Laurel>Pilot and a new frame
Rode last Thursday afternoon, so as I write this it has been almost a week since my last ride... and I feel it! Riding relieves stress and gives me more optimism and energy; hopefully I can get out tomorrow afternoon.
Anyways, the scenery while riding Laurel>Pilot last week was some of the most beautiful I've ever seen in the mountains. At those higher elevations everything feels like its a month behind the valleys and flat land. All of the foliage still had that "bright green look" and lots of little flowers were blooming. And the weather was perfect!!! I still have only ridden Laurel>Pilot less than half a dozen times, which is a real shame. The first time I rode it was about a year ago with Keith. I think it took us about 3.5 hours to get from N.M.R. campground to the connector trail that leads to Pilot Rock. I was struggling and was like what the hell with the hike-a-bike?
When I rode it last Thursday I started at Yellow Gap and did the whole loop back to the car in 1:50! This included a couple of wrecks on the switchbacks, cleaning the rock garden, and about a 10 minute stop to fix a loose cleat on my shoe. I'm sure there are plenty of guys that can do it faster but I was pretty proud by how much time I've dropped in a year. Just for kicks and giggles I'm going to aim for doing the loop in 1:30 in the near future.
Also, I have a Canfield Nimble 9 frame awaiting assembly! It should be super fun with its super short chain stays (16.25") and slack head angle. Hopefully it will eliminate that awkwardness and monster truck handling that I sometimes feel with my current 29er. I'll put up some pictures when its ready to ride.
Super nice guys, check them out:
Canfield Brothers
Anyways, the scenery while riding Laurel>Pilot last week was some of the most beautiful I've ever seen in the mountains. At those higher elevations everything feels like its a month behind the valleys and flat land. All of the foliage still had that "bright green look" and lots of little flowers were blooming. And the weather was perfect!!! I still have only ridden Laurel>Pilot less than half a dozen times, which is a real shame. The first time I rode it was about a year ago with Keith. I think it took us about 3.5 hours to get from N.M.R. campground to the connector trail that leads to Pilot Rock. I was struggling and was like what the hell with the hike-a-bike?
When I rode it last Thursday I started at Yellow Gap and did the whole loop back to the car in 1:50! This included a couple of wrecks on the switchbacks, cleaning the rock garden, and about a 10 minute stop to fix a loose cleat on my shoe. I'm sure there are plenty of guys that can do it faster but I was pretty proud by how much time I've dropped in a year. Just for kicks and giggles I'm going to aim for doing the loop in 1:30 in the near future.
Also, I have a Canfield Nimble 9 frame awaiting assembly! It should be super fun with its super short chain stays (16.25") and slack head angle. Hopefully it will eliminate that awkwardness and monster truck handling that I sometimes feel with my current 29er. I'll put up some pictures when its ready to ride.
Super nice guys, check them out:
Canfield Brothers
Sunday, May 6, 2012
PMBAR 2012 Race Report
Yesterday was Caleb and I's first PMBAR. We waited a few minutes at the starting line for most of the pack to start up Black Mtn. Perhaps we should have waited a little longer, because we didn't even make it to the singletrack before the traffic jam started. It kinda felt like a long trip to Pressley Gap with the hiking and the stop and go pace. Once at Pressley, we got our Passport and planned most of the day in a span of about 15 minutes. We took a red Sharpie with us, turns out the off limits trails were marked in red. Doh! Luckily it didn't mess us up. From there we went:
Black Mtn>Turkey Pen>S. Mills>Bradley Creek (CP #1 was at the start of Bradley)>1206 (5015 was off limits)>Yellow Gap (snacked and drank Cokes)>Yellow Gap trail>Bottom of lower Trace (CP #2)>Trace>FS5000>water at N. Mills campground>1206>more cokes at Yellow Gap.
When we got back up to Yellow Gap we had pretty much ruled out going up Laurel to get CP #5 at Sassafrass Gap. As enticing as a 3 hour time bonus was, I don't think either of us had the will power or energy to head up Laurel.
So, continuing from Yellow Gap:
1206>276>477>Club Gap (what a sucky hike)>Avery Creek (CP #3 was maybe a mile down Avery from Club Gap)>Back up Avery>Club Gap>477>276>475B>225 (CP #4 was on Cove Creek Rd. I ate two energy bars and a GU at this CP so its a wonder that I didn't get sick)>Cove Creek (By far the most fun trail of the day!)>Fish Hatchery Rd.>276>477>Clawhammer>Maxwell>Black>Finish!!!
Rode about 75 miles over 11.5 hours. I'm stoked with how things turned out given that we didn't really train that hard and our longest day prior was something like 48 miles. I'm sure we would have been faster on geared bikes but that's just not how we roll.
Black Mtn>Turkey Pen>S. Mills>Bradley Creek (CP #1 was at the start of Bradley)>1206 (5015 was off limits)>Yellow Gap (snacked and drank Cokes)>Yellow Gap trail>Bottom of lower Trace (CP #2)>Trace>FS5000>water at N. Mills campground>1206>more cokes at Yellow Gap.
When we got back up to Yellow Gap we had pretty much ruled out going up Laurel to get CP #5 at Sassafrass Gap. As enticing as a 3 hour time bonus was, I don't think either of us had the will power or energy to head up Laurel.
So, continuing from Yellow Gap:
1206>276>477>Club Gap (what a sucky hike)>Avery Creek (CP #3 was maybe a mile down Avery from Club Gap)>Back up Avery>Club Gap>477>276>475B>225 (CP #4 was on Cove Creek Rd. I ate two energy bars and a GU at this CP so its a wonder that I didn't get sick)>Cove Creek (By far the most fun trail of the day!)>Fish Hatchery Rd.>276>477>Clawhammer>Maxwell>Black>Finish!!!
Rode about 75 miles over 11.5 hours. I'm stoked with how things turned out given that we didn't really train that hard and our longest day prior was something like 48 miles. I'm sure we would have been faster on geared bikes but that's just not how we roll.
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