Quantcast

What is Gary up to? A time travel thread.

Udi

Udi

RM Chief Ornithologist
Mar 14, 2005
4,918
1,213
I thought this would be a cool thread, to wash down the stupid new standard discussions.

Last I saw he had a pretty cool Sunday going with period-correct parts (including a super light Ti spring, they don't make 'em like they used to ).





I'd be interested in hearing some commentary on the singlespeed.

Everyone who worked at QT Bikepark last season was on SS (both old bikes and new) which was pretty cool to see, also pretty close to zero pedalling there which I rate. Made me wonder if I should try it sometime since it'd free up a bit of weight to "spend" on bigger brakes / rotors or something useful.

I think he also has a new YT trailbike with tiny wheels so maybe we could see. @Gary

Maybe other monkeys could share their various antiquated contraptions too?
 
Gary

Gary

my pronouns are hag/gis
Aug 27, 2002
8,493
6,379
UK
Ha ha...

My own thread!!! Day after my Birthday too. :cupidarrow:

What have I been upto? Actually injured hence being here a l'il too often. smashed my shoulder into tarmac and gave myself a pretty hefty concussion 5 weeks ago and have a lower back injury. Wet Pumptracks and Conti tyres HURT! Riding again. but taking it easy.

http://scontent.cdninstagram.com/t50.2886-16/17551872_1872908376258638_6372639257080627200_n.mp4
Luke Cryer: Local 4X legend. general pinner and all round nice guy NOT riding Contis in the wet (@ our local Pump/skate spots)

SS DH is awesome. Quiet as hell and so far. even with no top guide. super secure. It probably suits a certain kind of rider (and maybe not for racing competitively). I tend to like spinning up in just a few revolutions after any slow speed section (or sprinting out of corners) rather than pedalling through the gears anyway and the gear I chose is perfect for that. I also have a couple of spare DX sprockets in smaller sizes for tracks that don't have so much of that. (Ft Bill springs to mind). on the road I can manage a freakishly super high max cadence but it can't be held for super long and it certainly isn't the best option off-road on rougher ground so it's not a super spinny gear.

I'm injured just now which is a bit of a pisser. it's been bone dry for a month and the lifts just opened at Ft Bill and Glencoe for the season. hoping to be back on the Sunday before the end of the month.

I'm riding the Capra a fair bit. Where I'd usually be riding my hardtails. Damage limitation an' all that. but I'm absolutely loving that bike. The BB height is just so much nicer. and I don't have to re-calibrate anything to ride stupid 650bs. I'm running a DHRII up front. Wow! What a tyre. I thought I'd be a DHF guy 4LYFYO. but this thing brakes sooo well and turns with all the predictability of the DHF. Win Win!. Mated to one of the last remaining BlingBlings on the earth (pretty sure I have all the unused stock). those old tyres rail when on the edge knobs but drift like a MF whenever you choose. so massive fun. They roll pretty good too and actually work ok in mud as there's no tread to clog in the first place.

Winton DERP.jpg


Boredom/injury/frustration meant I've attempted tubeless again... I've run it up front on a few bikes over the years. but never got it to work well rear. The Capra already has Stans flows. I had proper tape and valves so got some stans sealant and since my track pump decided to die on me one of these...


so far it's holding up. but there has been some wetness around the bead/rim (and not from the local MILFs in awe of the old guy who rides round on a pushbike like he thinks he's still 13).
Nothing much else new on there. YT spec'd it with sensible parts I'm more than happy with.
 
Last edited:
Flo33

Flo33

Turbo Monkey
Mar 3, 2015
2,135
1,364
Styria
Tiny wheels rule. Smashing corners too.

IMG_20170222_clean.jpg

IMG_20170217_171035clean.jpg


The Wild Rock'R 2 sucks in damp rooty conditions, DHR2 rules. I trashed an unused Slow Reezay BlingBling about 2 weks ago, if I had known, it would have been in the FullOn box, sorry.

Single speed DH might work for cruising and fun purpose.


All hail @Gary :monkeydance:


PS: that Reign was a compromise. Wanted the :monkey:-approved MT, but (c/w)ouldn't afford the shipping and tax extra costs. Stumbled upon the unused Reign frame for 700 Euro-$, no brainer.
 
Last edited:
Gary

Gary

my pronouns are hag/gis
Aug 27, 2002
8,493
6,379
UK
Flo33 said:
I trashed an unused Slow Reezay BlingBling about 2 weeks ago, if I had known, it would have been in the FullOn box, sorry.
Click to expand...
No worries... Slow Reezay and Blings don't make sense to me. Blings are all about rolling speed, drifting and railing that sweet edge. a soft compound only hinders those attributes IMO.
How did you trash it BTW?
 
Flo33

Flo33

Turbo Monkey
Mar 3, 2015
2,135
1,364
Styria
Gary said:
If there's any other purpose... you're probably doing it wrong.
Click to expand...
Did. I used to race, quite a bit to be honest. It came with frequently using shifters after turns :blink:

Gary said:
No worries... Slow Reezay and Blings don't make sense to me. Blings are all about rolling speed, drifting and railing that sweet edge. a soft compound only hinders those attributes IMO.
How did you trash it BTW?
Click to expand...
Just put it in the big trash pin outside my flat. At least I think I did, because they have so thin like paper sidewalls I thought I will never ever use it. Got it from a Maxxis sponsored rider some time ago. Hmm, maybe I was sane or sober enough to keep it. You have me confused right now, but I'm at work, so no problem. :D
 
bdamschen

bdamschen

Turbo Monkey
Nov 28, 2005
3,378
157
Spreckels, CA
Are we sharing old DH bikes?

Still riding my 951 in the background and even though I'm the same size that I was in 2009, the cockpit sure feels small now compared to my newer trail bikes.



Picture taken in newly created bongshed last year. Bike has since had a layer of dirt added, but otherwise no change.


Even older and more ironhorsey-



Wife's old 4x bike, now with front derailleur added and on loan to a friend.
 
Last edited:
jonKranked

jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
88,640
26,885
media blackout
bdamschen said:
Are we sharing old DH bikes?

Still riding my 951 in the background and even though I'm the same size that I was in 2009, the cockpit sure feels small now compared to my newer trail bikes.



Picture taken in newly created bongshed last year. Bike has since had a layer of dirt added, but otherwise no change.


Even older and more ironhorsey-



Wife's old 4x bike, now with front derailleur added and on loan to a friend.
Click to expand...
Whoa that IH is a blast from the past
 
jonKranked

jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
88,640
26,885
media blackout
HAB said:
I just found the one that you included when I bought the Draco a couple weeks ago.

I threw it in the trash. :rofl:
Click to expand...
Big mistake. It's on the verge of being retro. Which means pretty soon you could have overcharged some hipster for it so they could experience an era of shitty mtb components they were too young the first time around and too stupid to realize they're better off for it.
 
T

trib

not worthy of a Rux.
Jun 22, 2009
1,636
639
jonKranked said:
Big mistake. It's on the verge of being retro. Which means pretty soon you could have overcharged some hipster for it so they could experience an era of shitty mtb components they were too young the first time around and too stupid to realize they're better off for it.
Click to expand...
How long till we can say that about those new Polygon and Marin sliding tube bikes...
 
HAB

HAB

Chelsea from Seattle
Apr 28, 2007
11,589
2,021
Seattle
jonKranked said:
Big mistake. It's on the verge of being retro. Which means pretty soon you could have overcharged some hipster for it so they could experience an era of shitty mtb components they were too young the first time around and too stupid to realize they're better off for it.
Click to expand...
I think I rode that 5th Element for about 3 runs at Whiteface, because the Roco I was running blew up in the middle of a race weekend. Then the 5th blew up too, so I drank a bunch of Jack Daniels in the pits with Mickey, from Spooky, then took a run on one of the dirt jumper demo bikes he had with him. Pretty sure it only had a rear brake. That was enough of a near death experience that I packed it in and just went back to drinking. :rofl:
 
HAB

HAB

Chelsea from Seattle
Apr 28, 2007
11,589
2,021
Seattle
In other news, I saw a woman who must have weighed at least 350lbs riding a Klein Mantra on a sidewalk in North Bend today. This was on my way home from riding this steel, 26" wheeled abomination.

IMG_20170510_142338_568.jpg


I got a little ambitious regarding the snowline...
 
troy

troy

Turbo Monkey
Dec 3, 2008
1,026
785
I think the SS idea for bikepark riding is great. Was thinking myself about throwing out the derailleur this season. I do not pedal that much, I am already using 5sp cassette, and using 2-3 gears top... one cog for getting from the parking lot to the lift, and 2 other just to get some speed at the beginning of the track. But I live in europe, so that might be not so beneficial for other riders.

I would like to try this 2gen. clutch equipped ss tensioner is now much cheaper 190Eur (previous ver. was like 300EUR)
 
troy

troy

Turbo Monkey
Dec 3, 2008
1,026
785
Yeah, because paying +250 Euros for Chinese made derailleurs is a real deal these days :D
 
troy

troy

Turbo Monkey
Dec 3, 2008
1,026
785
jonKranked said:
yea but those deraillers actually.... derailluerate your chain.
Click to expand...
yea but one is made by a single guy from Germany on his CNC mill and the other is made in a Chinese factory in few houndred thousand pieces per batch, yet You are not whining about ridiculous pricetag
 
jonKranked

jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
88,640
26,885
media blackout
troy said:
yea but one is made by a single guy from Germany on his CNC mill and the other is made in a Chinese factory in few houndred thousand pieces per batch, yet You are not whining about ridiculous pricetag
Click to expand...
you're missing the point. 200 euro for a glorified chain tensioner is Super Dentist Status.
 
Sandwich

Sandwich

Pig my fish!
Staff member
May 23, 2002
21,784
7,045
borcester rhymes
I have no doubt that thing works very well, but it's very expensive. I'd rather flip a cable around and clamp it at the right length to keep it steady. An SLX derailleur is like $50.
 
troy

troy

Turbo Monkey
Dec 3, 2008
1,026
785
Maybe, but it is the only one with a clutch on the market right now. I'm not saying that this price is a bargain.

Sure, You can ride a SLX for 40 bucks, but there are tons of ppl on enve wheels, bos suspension and carbon demos that easily costs 5k+ and they won't put a SLX der. on their bike.It won't bother them that it is 190 Euros, coz their front rim costs 1000 fuckin bucks man.
 
Udi

Udi

RM Chief Ornithologist
Mar 14, 2005
4,918
1,213
I couldn't care less where my parts are made as long as they work well and I can afford them.

If every part on my bike was hand-made in Germany to its current standard of quality, I wouldn't own my bike because I couldn't afford it. High volume = high quality and low weight at reasonable prices.
 
Udi

Udi

RM Chief Ornithologist
Mar 14, 2005
4,918
1,213
slyfink said:
And wouldn't a clutch actually inhibit the free movement of the suspension?
Click to expand...
Totally!
Clutches are stupid in my book, if you're dropping chains then use a chainguide, and if your bike is loud dampen the noise where it occurs. The worst part is that derailleur clutches are very archaic friction dampers (actually a one-way bearing, which technically isn't even a clutch - originally designed to lock completely in one direction) - with by far the greatest amount of friction at initial breakaway.

So basically it's a little stiction generator for your suspension.
 
Sandwich

Sandwich

Pig my fish!
Staff member
May 23, 2002
21,784
7,045
borcester rhymes
Udi said:
Totally!
Clutches are stupid in my book, if you're dropping chains then use a chainguide, and if your bike is loud dampen the noise where it occurs. The worst part is that derailleur clutches are very archaic friction dampers (actually a one-way bearing, which technically isn't even a clutch - originally designed to lock completely in one direction) - with by far the greatest amount of friction at initial breakaway.

So basically it's a little stiction generator for your suspension.
Click to expand...
the only answer is no suspension extension on compression. BB pivots for all!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom