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How an Enve rim changed my life.

SCARY

Not long enough
So,I went to the Angelfire Pro Grt last weekend,and after months of upgrade-itis and some more than average riding.(which still ain't alot,compared to most)Getting ready for my 4th Pro race at age 43.Yeah,start thinking of jokes,later.

I've been infatuated with the Enve rims since they came out.Anyone that knows me,knows I like a sweet looking bike and love the newest techy stuff.On occasion,since I was a kid ,I get tunnel vision on something I want.And ,sometimes it's a good thing.Makes me work for something,go out and get more business.etc.etc.This wasn't necessarily one of those things.

I sold my KX450f this last year after it was determined that it was trying to dismember me .So,I tapped out.I sold to a friend that needed a year to pay me.That was ok,I needed a year to recover.

I couldn't fathom giving up 2 sports,one which I loved,the other was fun,but I didn't have the same passion for.So while I was trying to get myself back together and healed,I determined that the the money I got from the MX bike was "free" money and could transfer that amount to bike parts,guilt free.Makes sense to me.

I also had built up an Intense Carbine(sweet bike) to aid in my recovery.Got new gear,helmet,tires,shoes...OH..and 2 pair of those sweet-ass enve rims that I'd been frothing about.Got a "good" deal on them.But,they are still stupid expensive.Everyone knows that.I don't care....I have tunnel vision,remember?

So,Angelfire.This should be everything that I should love in a course .Fast,rough,big tables,minimal pedaling.
So,I poked through the first run,as you usually do,looking at generally where everything goes.
Second run,maybe 60%effort,still checking out the huge long course.But this time I was paying attention to the wheels,too.You really can feel how stiff they are laterally and all around.Really noticeable.I liked it.Super precise on where you pointed them and using what felt like alot less body English to get through some sections.Some of that did transfer to the hands too,so I actually stopped twice to soften my fork a click or two.I tend to run a pretty stiff front and higher tire pressures to avoid flatting.Today I was at 33 front and 37 rear.Normally I'm around 30 front 35 rear for races,but never below that.

I kinda lost track of the guys I came up with,so I went back to the condo and they were there tending flats and broken spokes and wheel issues....suckers..
You all shoulda spent all your collective tax returns on some of these sweet-ass ENV......what is that?..............WTF is that??........hmm...................................................................that's a 1/2" crack right on the hook bead part of the rim.
you know,....the kind of crack that costs $500 to replace under "warranty".

That,caused me to go into an introspective tailspin of money,time ,purpose,self reflection and doubt.

So,do I chance it and go home with possibly 2g's of warranty costs?Or,should I sit here,catch up on ALOT of sleep,reflect on my situation.

I chose the latter.I realized that probably without this very expensive disappointment,I wouldn't have fully figured out that I'm mentally done with DH racing.If i came with a pile of aluminum wheels and dented them all,or broke one enve rim on my race run i dont know if id come to my final conclusion.Id just end up mad for an 80% effort in my run ,or with a broken body part because of the 100% effort.

I just don't have that focus and anger at the ground that I used to have.I caught myself thinking about work and running my dog while on the bike at times.Thats why I used to come to races.To come and be pure focus on what's in front of me.I loved that.I didn't have that anymore.

DH occupied so much of my mind since I started in 1998 ,that I realized that I was at the point that the thought of racing and daydreaming about getting faster and better really kept me sane throughout the year.I was very motivational to ride ,workout,aspire to something greater.

I'm kinda scared about letting go of this because ive really defined myself as this racer in my own head for a long time,but I'm glad I'm listening to my gut and doing what I know is right.Time to find new challenges and experiences.Ive got alot of stuff to make for the house ....and hopefully my wife dosent figure out how much all this DH stuff cost over the years by extroplating how much I get done on the house.

I'll keep the trail bike and use the remaining rims on that(I got a spare)..with DH tires...and 40 psi.
I don't know how much I'll ride or not yet,but I'll be getting rid of the M9 so that I'm not tempted to convince myself I can make a "comeback"
I can't really ride DH for fun,I always will try and go faster and ride the edge of my ability, which I know will decrease as I ride less.Its just a recipe to get hurt.So,I guess I just play it by ear and practice being a better husband,father and human.

I'm kinda glad to not have the compulsion to fill this huge void with some other activity.I think that's why I'm OK with it,now.Still scared though.

So,thanks?Enve?.....I think?
 

SCARY

Not long enough
Yeah, I know.It seems too predictable.
Plus, those generally are the opposite of what I would like.Flat, pedally, climbing.

Who knows.I just am trying not to think too much about it all right now.
I gotta stay open to anything or nothing.
 

Dwdrums00

Monkey
Mar 31, 2007
224
0
After a hand full of broken bones over the last four years I thought about giving up DH last summer. After I broke my collarbone and shoulder blade last August, (3rd collar bone break) I sold my M9, even though I was riding my Carbine. During my recovery I ended up purchased a 2013 KX450f. I waited another month or two until I slowly started riding my moto. I also rode my carbine, (with Enve's) which I loved, but I really missed having a big bike. Unfortunately I have the same mentality as you, it is either all or nothing.

Once again, I completely disregarded my well being and bought a 2013 V10c. Last weekend I rode it for the first time after being off a DH steed for nearly a year. At that point I fully determined I couldn’t be without a DH bike again.

I commend you for hanging it up and putting family first. I am sure you will find other things in your life that will be fulfilling; perhaps in a different way.
 
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Kanye West

220# bag of hacktastic
Aug 31, 2006
3,740
470
Yup. I just built up a DH bike again for the first time in a couple years since my last one got stolen, and I really haven't enjoyed it much (pretty fresh Banshee Legend size L for sale btw). My Enduro is way more enjoyable and better exercise.

Moto has stolen my attention for really aggressive riding. I realized this once I was riding DH trails faster and hitting corners faster on my YZ than I was on my DH bike, and when I tried to ride the DH bike like a moto, it just bounced all of the place and bottomed out a lot. That and sending 80' step-ups and stepdowns all day on the moto seems like nothing. And coincidentally, it's cheaper. My bikes cost $1500-3000 used after I go through them completely and get them fresh. That's less than a top-end DH bike either used or at some kind of non-retail cost. And I can be riding trails aggressively and fast on them ALL DAY LONG, not for a few minutes here and there.

DH is cool if you live somewhere with lift access, or somewhere with trails steep enough to warrant the extreme angles of a DH bike (in reality these places are few and far between). Otherwise what's the damn point? Get a 6" bike

$500 buys me a whole new wheelset that I can put 100+ actual riding hours on for my YZ. That includes desert racing, which is probably the worst thing in the world for wheels. Paying that for a repair on a mountain bike wheel is, well, moronic.
 

SCARY

Not long enough
After a hand full of broken bones over the last four years I thought about giving up DH last summer. After I broke my collarbone and shoulder blade last August, (3rd collar bone break) I sold my M9, even though I was riding my Carbine. During my recovery I ended up purchased a 2013 KX450f. I waited another month or two until I slowly started riding my moto. I also rode my carbine, (with Enve's) which I loved, but I really missed having a big bike. Unfortunately I have the same mentality as you, it is either all or nothing.

Once again, I completely disregarded my well being and bought a 2013 V10c. Last weekend I rode it for the first time after being off a DH steed for nearly a year. At that point I fully determined I couldn’t be without a DH bike again.

I commend you for hanging it up and putting family first. I am sure you will find other things in your life that will be fulfilling; perhaps in a different way.
Wow.The similarities are weird.We might be retarded brothers.I also play drums.

do you weld and make furniture too?

thanks for the props.
 

SCARY

Not long enough
I'm with ya on the moto stuff.

I got sucked into it for a few years to try and cross train for Dh...and it took me over.

it just turned out that impatience mixed with mediocre skill and a dash of low self preservation instinct was not the best combination for me to be able to do it long term.
 

gemini2k

Turbo Monkey
Jul 31, 2005
3,526
117
San Francisco
Yup. I just built up a DH bike again for the first time in a couple years since my last one got stolen, and I really haven't enjoyed it much (pretty fresh Banshee Legend size L for sale btw). My Enduro is way more enjoyable and better exercise.
And exactly, what good trails have you even ridden on that thing yet?
 

Kanye West

220# bag of hacktastic
Aug 31, 2006
3,740
470
I'm with ya on the moto stuff.

I got sucked into it for a few years to try and cross train for Dh...and it took me over.

it just turned out that impatience mixed with mediocre skill and a dash of low self preservation instinct was not the best combination for me to be able to do it long term.
So, grow up?
 

SCARY

Not long enough
Nancy said "You no bdake ouwah rimuh laik uh duh enuh vee rimuh.

Why you no buy?!!

We make uh you new rimuh now?

We make uh you beddy speshuh strong rimuh jussah fow you? We can make!

You can orderuh now? You needuh many.You old.And fat...You buy!
 

Kanye West

220# bag of hacktastic
Aug 31, 2006
3,740
470
Yeah.i stopped.
I got it.

Good grief,you're just a miserable sob all the friggen time.
No, I meant to keep riding moto, just don't be a retard about it. It's really not that hard, and you'd get your fix.

He's even worse IRL
I'm probably about the same in real life. You, on the other hand are..."special" in real life.
 

tabletop84

Monkey
Nov 12, 2011
891
15
Man you shouldn't go out riding mountainbikes. It's dangerous and you can brake stuff! Why don't you just let yourself lace up some new Enfe-wheelset and keep raving about how laterally stiff they are on mtb-forums? Nothing can go wrong with that.
 

daisycutter

Turbo Monkey
Apr 8, 2006
1,651
124
New York City
Don't give up on DH racing just use bigger rims like Mavic 823 rims. They are heavy but much cheaper to replace, resistant to cracking and denting. Are you running tires with 2-ply DH casings? I find that helps preserve my rims
 

bizutch

Delicate CUSTOM flower
Dec 11, 2001
15,928
24
Over your shoulder whispering
Larry, the most sarcastic, comedic and for some reason COMPETITIVE person I've met.

You're a competitor and you thrive on reaching goals, but you're setting Bill Gates goals rather than Mitt Romney goals!

If you like and love racing, set a goal that's attainable. You're just refusing to acknowledge your age and trying to quit on racing because of your desire to be the top dog in the wrong age bracket.

Father time is undefeated, but you can still dance in his shadow for a long time to come. I ride with a guy who's 50 and can out ride 20 year olds. He loves RIDING DH and now even enjoys racing. Heck, his personality is infectious and he's practically propping up our whole gravity scene.

Pay it forward.
 

dump

Turbo Monkey
Oct 12, 2001
8,194
4,419
I guess sometimes it takes a $2500 wheelset for you to take a step back and reflect on priorities.

Imo, these evne wheels don't seem like they're worth the trouble.
 

SCARY

Not long enough
I agree with some of that, Butch.But, honestly its when I get even get near a goal, tend to lose interest.They have to be Bill Gates type goals for me to even stay interested.
I mean really, the only goal I could have would be to race world cups and im nowhere near that skill or fitness level.Maybe if I made alot more money and had a bunch of employees so I could train all the time.
All the pro races ive done, I would have won by 5-10 seconds in 40 cat1.It just dosent appeal to me.
I extrapolated my past results to The Angelfire race and looked at who I beat and who beat me and I probably would have bern sround 22nd.Which is where I usually am.
I still think im in the right class, just the effort and time required to move up more is too much with all the other stuff in my life.And frankly, im getting tired of a "me" centered existence that racing requires. It gets old thinking about what "I "need to do all the time.
Id like to be of value to the people around me, more.
So, thats just where it is.And its fine.
 

OGRipper

back alley ripper
Feb 3, 2004
10,647
1,116
NORCAL is the hizzle
I'm also 43. I ride all the time but getting on a DH bike is more and more rare. I ride because I like it, not because it's a means to some goal. The riding itself had always been enough for me. Finding those moments where your head clears and nothing else matters is easier if you focus on the ride itself and not the result.
 

kidwoo

Artisanal Tweet Curator
Cute.But according to every single person Ive met that dosent do ANYTHING with their own life,I've been in a mid life crisis since I was 25. Xc,Mx,Dh,Ducati 749,rock climbing,canyoneering.

As a DH'r and a skier?,you should get this as much as me.
Where I live? Shlt I'm nothing in this area because I didn't piss away my family savings on heli trips at 19 years old chasing a video career in AK. :D

But yeah I still do all the same things too.

I just don't have overly emotional self redefining revelations about them every year when I crack an expensive part.

If you like riding dh bikes fast do it. If not, don't. If the idea of not being a 'racer' with all it's flashy bullshlt hurts you in the tummy then just keep buying the expensive parts and drive around with the bikes on the car riding them about once a month. You have no idea how well this system works for so many people.

Maybe even have a secret black-eyed bloody lipped bike you keep chained up in the basement that you ride every day, just in secret.

This part though.......
I just don't have that focus and anger at the ground that I used to have.I caught myself thinking about work and running my dog while on the bike at times.Thats why I used to come to races.To come and be pure focus on what's in front of me.I loved that.I didn't have that anymore.
I heard a commercial about testosterone supplements on the radio. I think they were talking to you. ;)

Take up photography. I don't think I'll ever stop being angry because whiskey is awesome but one day my body just won't work the way I want it to. So yes. I have cameras. What's your camera friend?
 

FlipFantasia

Turbo Monkey
Oct 4, 2001
1,659
492
Sea to Sky BC
woo, keep killing it....this is gold "...I just don't have overly emotional self redefining revelations about them every year when I crack an expensive part."
 

Jeremy R

<b>x</b>
Nov 15, 2001
9,698
1,053
behind you with a snap pop
At first I was all like, I spent $2500 for plastic wheels and now I am ready to race some DH!


Then, I was like, a crack in my rim! I am way too sensitive and feel too much on the inside for this sport.
 

jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
85,558
24,181
media blackout
this is such a sob story that bright eyes could write an entire album about it.


i went through something sorta similar earlier this year. but it didn't involve breaking anything. first time on the DH bike i was just super slow. it was frustrating. in the end i just chalked it up to not being able to do a ton of downhill the previous season, so instead of cashing in my chips, i went riding again. turns out i was right, and i just had to dust the cobwebs of my box of riding skillz.