[MikeD]

Just built this up because I was getting sort of bored and frustrated with the downhill scene...still love it, but needed some time to just get deep into some nice mountains on my own without the hassles of shuttling, unreliable friends, broken parts, too much technology, etc. etc. Just needed to get back to why I started biking in the first place.

I didn't think, though, that a true XC bike would fit the way I ride now...so I slapped this baby together, figuring it'd be nice and stiff, both frame and fork. Had to put some wide, swept bars on, too...but I did go flat, at least. Geometry seems perfect; glad I guessed well on the stem length. Can't wait to put some miles in on it.

So here it is...hope it's more than just a fad or material purchase for me. I figure, though, that this is about as neoclassic as one of my bikes will ever be...so I hope it remains practical through all seasons, so to speak.

By the way, how the hell do you turn with your seatpost this high???

MD

 

[reflux]

By the way, how the hell do you turn with your seatpost this high???

I guess it's kinda something you get used to, I can't say I've ever thought too much about it.

I won't be around this next weekend, but shoot me a pm sometime if you want to take that baby out to San Juan or Whiting Ranch.

Btw, nice ride.

 

[Serial Midget]

Thats a beefy XC frame... what are the spec's?

 

[MikeD]

It's more of a slalom-type frame than a real XC frame...but the BB is spec'd at 12.5", I think, the TT at 23", and the chainstays at 16.5...so it seemed perfect for me. Front end is high, I know, but with the negative rise stem and flat bars it's OK in the end.

Reflux, yeah, we'll have to do San Juan...or ride up Chiquito or something sometime. Never been to Whiting Ranch.

 

[rockracing]

looks good, plus you'll probably improve your line picking.

 

[McGRP01]

Just built this up because I was getting sort of bored and frustrated with the downhill scene...so I slapped this baby together

Man people kill me. Always "slapping" bikes together... I gotta
find a job where I have a unlimited amount of spending money to buy toys with.

 

[MikeD]

looks good, plus you'll probably improve your line picking.

Heh. I ride DH on a hardtail a lot, too. However, that one's a lot easier to get in the air than this one is, so maybe I will need some brush-up on my line choosing. I still feel a little like I'm on my road bike on it. Picking uphill lines is going to be the hardest thing for me. Tech climbing was my favorite a long time ago...skills have long since atrophied.

As to 'slapping' bikes together...yeah, I need to stop doing that. But at least I have no other vices, and only buy stuff at super-cheap sale and hookup prices...but the new car is going to put a major dent in bike spending, too.

Being single with no mortgage is easy on the wallet.

MD

Ed: Lunchtime ride says, "This is fun!" Just a long fireroad spin, really, but the feeling of climbing again for real was pretty inspiring. Going up bigass hills in the middle ring without having an absolute meltdown or back spasms was a neat feeling. Looking forward to some looong rides on it. I'm no racer, but this sure looks like a way back to the times when biking was simpler... I wonder how I'll feel on technical riding, though.

 

[reflux]

Man people kill me. Always "slapping" bikes together... I gotta
find a job where I either have a unlimited amount of spending money to buy toys with.

hehe. for most of us, being able to "slap" bikes together means that we've been riding a long time and have simply accumulated parts over the years. at one point this past winter, i had one marzocchi marathon, a forx float, a forx vanilla, and only one working bike. makes sense huh?

 

[elewis]

Just built this up because I was getting sort of bored and frustrated with the downhill scene...still love it,..

Who makes that frame? Couldn't quite read the name with the reflection in the photo. I like the geometry. Looks like a good trail blazer.

How does is ride? Is is taking you back to the roots you sought?

 

[MikeD]

It's a Mountain Cycle Rumble. They make the SLiX or something as an actual XC frame...this is the slalom/jump frame. It was on closeout at Greenfish. Love the ride so far, but haven't hit anything technical yet, just fireroads (only the first day since I built it...will thrash it this weekend).

 

[BurlyShirley]

...bar ends

 

[MikeD]

Dude, they RULE. I love my barends. It's how I know it's an XC bike. At least they're not curved...

Plus, they help me hook on to trailside objects, and may one day assist in an open-air kidney biopsy.

 

[Zark]

Dude, they RULE. I love my barends......and may one day assist in an open-air kidney biopsy.

They did for me

Sweet XC ride Mike! Enjoy it!

 

[Skookum]

By the way, how the hell do you turn with your seatpost this high???

MD

You shouldn't have a problem turning with the seat high. You should be able to be in a good pedal position and still be able to get out/over/behind the saddle with no probs to manuever the bike thru technical stuff proper....

...bar ends

bar ends are gnarcore dude, get with the times already....

 

[MikeD]

You shouldn't have a problem turning with the seat high. You should be able to be in a good pedal position and still be able to get out/over/behind the saddle with no probs to manuever the bike thru technical stuff proper....

I turn by keeping my body as upright as possible and leaning the bike underneath me...pedals level, riding bowlegged and low to allow the bike to lean as far as possible. Especially here in SoCal, where it's sandy and loose, that's the best way to turn. It keeps the tires' contact patch underneath your weight, so you can drift without washing out. So, having that seat poking way up to run into your thigh as you try to lean the bike is just no good.

You can move way forward or way aft, but then you're not in the best place to corner, and will wash out or push the front end...and the seat is really a hazard at that point anyhow.

I'm still dropping the seat for any sustained singletrack descending. I think I need a Hite-Rite...

MD

 

[Skookum]

i'm with you, i understand your boggle. There are 3 positions of where i position my seatpost, which changes of course to the demands of the trail.
1. High for climbing
2. drop 2 inches descending
3. slammed for dropping/jumping
But really sometimes i'm just confident and comfortable keeping the seat high, but my manueverability in the saddle isn't as bad as i've seen some riders who seem to have huge frames or their saddles super super high.
But this doesn't answer your question i know.....

I turn by keeping my body as upright as possible and leaning the bike underneath me...pedals level, riding bowlegged and low to allow the bike to lean as far as possible.

Yes proper high speed cornering, yes your bike-fu is strong i know this....

Especially here in SoCal, where it's sandy and loose, that's the best way to turn. It keeps the tires' contact patch underneath your weight, so you can drift without washing out. So, having that seat poking way up to run into your thigh as you try to lean the bike is just no good.

If you go on the other side of the mountains here, i've heard it's alot like California trails.... but yeah i understand if you are in that hard of a lean, but when i'm rippin that fast i have it dropped a few inches down to minimize "the touch". But really just let it touch your inner thigh, all's it's really doing it just adding another point on the bike where you have some wieght, it's not like it's going to kick your leg off the pedal, but i ride clipless sooo.....

You can move way forward or way aft, but then you're not in the best place to corner, and will wash out or push the front end...and the seat is really a hazard at that point anyhow.

Yah i was talking about low speed techy climbing, popping up on stuff, or on chute descents where the bottom falls out you can still get behind the seat.

and after all this blowhard blah blah i give you my premise.
i'd say find that inbetween seat position that you can still pedal seated with some comfort, but still have good manueverability for riding xc on that higher faster technical level.