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I still say that late 80s-late 90s MTBs are still a great value. Fully rigid ones can be really light and strong with good tubing, always have rack mounts, and you can make them super comfy. Some late 90s versions like my Fisher Mt. Tam even have discs! And you can find those things for pennies, though the often need some love.
 
I still say that late 80s-late 90s MTBs are still a great value. Fully rigid ones can be really light and strong with good tubing, always have rack mounts, and you can make them super comfy. Some late 90s versions like my Fisher Mt. Tam even have discs! And you can find those things for pennies, though the often need some love.
I guess I just don't know where to look. Every time I see a Fisher or Ritchie or Ellsworth or Specialized from that time period, the seller is asking a king's ransom.
 
Hey quick question, is it worth trying to salvage a misaligned fork? I bought my recent used bike knowing the fork would be damaged so I have a replacement on order. After examining the fork, it's still structurally intact, but the fork ends aren't properly aligned. I read that the Park Tool FFS-2 fork straightener was made to handle fixes like this on steel forks. I was thinking of calling the local LBS in the morning to see if they can do it. If so it'll save me some money and make my recent bike purchase an even better score for under $200 for a modern 4130 chromoly steel bike! All the local CL bike sales for similar single speeds start at $200 and up, for old and rusted frames!
 
I took Big Red out to play in the snow this morning. My wheels were the first to break the snow on the trail. I also discovered my bike can track stand on its own without the aid of sticks or rocks. :D

A bit over 20 miles (32km) this morning. I was trying to get to 25, but much of the trail was riding through 2" or so of fine granulated snow. At one point a bit more than halfway through the ride, the composition of the trail seemed to suddenly change, and the pedaling suddenly got harder and my progress slower. I didn't want to change gears, so I pushed on, but I ended up cutting the ride a couple of miles shorter than I intended.

As to Jonathan's question, I don't know the answer to that one. I'd guess the LBS will know.

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I took Big Red out to play in the snow this morning. My wheels were the first to break the snow on the trail. I also discovered my bike can track stand on its own without the aid of sticks or rocks. :D

A bit over 20 miles (32km) this morning. I was trying to get to 25, but much of the trail was riding through 2" or so of fine granulated snow. At one point a bit more than halfway through the ride, the composition of the trail seemed to suddenly change, and the pedaling suddenly got harder and my progress slower. I didn't want to change gears, so I pushed on, but I ended up cutting the ride a couple of miles shorter than I intended.

As to Jonathan's question, I don't know the answer to that one. I'd guess the LBS will know.

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Nice snowy terrain! I thought it was cold when my friend made me get out in 40 degree morning weather last Sunday! Are you able to comfortably ride with those size tires? I don't remember ever riding my mountain bike in snowy weather and it seems fat bikes are quite popular for really difficult conditions.
 
Nice snowy terrain! I thought it was cold when my friend made me get out in 40 degree morning weather last Sunday! Are you able to comfortably ride with those size tires? I don't remember ever riding my mountain bike in snowy weather and it seems fat bikes are quite popular for really difficult conditions.
Yeah, no problem. They're only 27.5 x 2.1, and are advertised as fast XC tires. I used to have a fat bike with 26 x 4 tires, and while it was a lot of fun, it wasn't the easiest thing to try to push through snow. It being 45 pounds probably didn't help. I see pics and videos of people pushing along through snow on their fat bikes, and I just never had that kind of success when I tried it.

40 degrees would almost be a heat wave this time of year. :D
 
Hey quick question, is it worth trying to salvage a misaligned fork? I bought my recent used bike knowing the fork would be damaged so I have a replacement on order. After examining the fork, it's still structurally intact, but the fork ends aren't properly aligned. I read that the Park Tool FFS-2 fork straightener was made to handle fixes like this on steel forks. I was thinking of calling the local LBS in the morning to see if they can do it. If so it'll save me some money and make my recent bike purchase an even better score for under $200 for a modern 4130 chromoly steel bike! All the local CL bike sales for similar single speeds start at $200 and up, for old and rusted frames!

Given that it's steel, then you're in the realm of possibility. It'll depend on HOW tweaked it is, and if a local shop is comfortable heating / resetting it. Here are the factors as I would rate them, in importance:

1. How tweaked is it? If it's more than a tiny bit out of alignment, then maybe no-go.

2. What's your tolerance for risk? A fork failure isn't like a derailluer failure, or one of your 2 brakes going - it is a 1-way express ticket to the pavement, at full speed. If you tended to be riding in the woods, on softer ground, at slower speeds.... again, maybe that's a little more pallatable. But cruising at 18-22mph on asphalt, with cars close by?

If we're voting, I vote "the replacement fork you already bought is cheap insurance. Use it." But I'm not a zealot about other peoples' safety... you're a grown-ass man, who's aware of the risks, so you won't hear me armchair quarterbacking you. :)
 
If we're voting, I vote "the replacement fork you already bought is cheap insurance. Use it." But I'm not a zealot about other peoples' safety... you're a grown-ass man, who's aware of the risks, so you won't hear me armchair quarterbacking you. :)

Just to follow up, I ended up scoring a good deal on a brand new aftermarket 1 1/8th chromoly fork off Ebay. It was the last one in stock with disc IS mounts at that price point. The fork looks better than the old fork with smooth welds and nicer finish. Yesterday I dropped both the old and new fork at my local LBS (to make sure they cut it to exact length) and was quoted just $10 for the job. That's cheaper than me actually buying a proper fork tube cutter and a 5 pack of star nuts off Amazon needed to tighten the top bolt! So far I'm coming in under budget and should have the new bike ready for the weekend to test out!
 
My new (used) bike is complete! It's basically the same bike as my current bike, but setup as more of an urban attack gravel bike with smaller/stiffer frame with 700x38C Panaracer GravelKing slicks, allowing me to get into a tuck position easier with faster cornering! The other bike is setup as an urban cruiser with less aggressive gearing, shorter stem for more upright riding, WTB Riddler tires and two chainrings to allow for hillclimbing when needed. The second bike is basically built with all the spare parts I had lying around from my first bike. Eventually my daughter will probably take over the new bike, so I plan on shortening the stem for her later on.

My original intention was just to get a 2nd wheel set, but I ended getting a second bike! :roflmao:

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Bicycles GAS is as devious as camera GAS. I have been looking at Panaracer GravelKing SK 27.5 x 2.1 gravel tires, even though my Bontrager XR1 tires only have about 100 miles on them right now. The XR1s are really more XC tires, but their knobs are small, more like an aggressive gravel tire. I also got the XR1s super cheap, like $25 for a brand new set. A set of Panaracers is about 3X that much.
 
Bicycles GAS is as devious as camera GAS. I have been looking at Panaracer GravelKing SK 27.5 x 2.1 gravel tires, even though my Bontrager XR1 tires only have about 100 miles on them right now. The XR1s are really more XC tires, but their knobs are small, more like an aggressive gravel tire. I also got the XR1s super cheap, like $25 for a brand new set. A set of Panaracers is about 3X that much.
The Panaracers are a bit spendy especially for the colored ones, but they look cool! 😎 I bought my pair from Ebay, which had the cheapest prices for the slicks.
 
I recently picked up some Pearl Izumi (now owned by Shimano) X-Alp flat pedal mountain biking shoes. I have SPD pedals, but I wanted more versatile shoes when not riding. I was actually going to get Vans Old Skool BMX shoes, but my size was sold out and I found these shoes on clearance while doing research. I'm using both toe clip pedals and wide MTB bike pedals w/straps on my bikes, and these shoes work well with a pedal optimized stiffer midsole. The shoes are fairly lightweight, with solid construction and looks good with a gum rubber bottom surface. They come in EU sizes, so it was recommended to buy one size up (ex: 43 to 44) due to foot expansion while riding. At first I thought they were loose when I tried them on, but after riding the slight extra size helped out!

Highly recommended!

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I recently picked up some Pearl Izumi (now owned by Shimano) X-Alp flat pedal mountain biking shoes. I have SPD pedals, but I wanted more versatile shoes when not riding. I was actually going to get Vans Old Skool BMX shoes, but my size was sold out and I found these shoes on clearance while doing research. I'm using both toe clip pedals and wide MTB bike pedals w/straps on my bikes, and these shoes work well with a pedal optimized stiffer midsole. The shoes are fairly lightweight, with solid construction and looks good with a gum rubber bottom surface. They come in EU sizes, so it was recommended to buy one size up (ex: 43 to 44) due to foot expansion while riding. At first I thought they were loose when I tried them on, but after riding the slightly extra size helped out!

Highly recommended!

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Glad you posted this. I've been looking for a better pair of shoes for flat pedal riding, but I've spent hundred$$$ over the past few years searching for that elusive "best shoe". I'll have to look into these.
 
Glad you posted this. I've been looking for a better pair of shoes for flat pedal riding, but I've spent hundred$$$ over the past few years searching for that elusive "best shoe". I'll have to look into these.
Here's a direct link on the Pearl Izumi website. For some reason it doesn't show up if you do a search and it will only show the latest models? Also you can use the promo code EXTRA10 for 10% off or on any other item on the site. It took about 2 days to ship to my house. I highly recommend using a runner's loop for these shoes as well. ;)
 
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Took my annual birthday ride on Friday, and this time I took a friend. It's a brutally steep climb up a former logging road in the woods, unused for at least 30 years. The grade is at least 17% in places, the surface is rough, it's.... it's what I do to make sure I still can, I guess. Took full suspension mtb's this time, which have low gearing to help with that climb, and then to help with bouncing FAST back downhill.

Great views up there, across town and then facing the other way, the Columbia. Great to share it with a friend, this time. I never take anyone up there.
 

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Took my annual birthday ride on Friday, and this time I took a friend. It's a brutally steep climb up a former logging road in the woods, unused for at least 30 years. The grade is at least 17% in places, the surface is rough, it's.... it's what I do to make sure I still can, I guess. Took full suspension mtb's this time, which have low gearing to help with that climb, and then to help with bouncing FAST back downhill.

Great views up there, across town and then facing the other way, the Columbia. Great to share it with a friend, this time. I never take anyone up there.

Happy Birthday! Looks like you had a good ride! Also the steeper the hills, the more fun on the downhill! 😁
 
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