Any mountain bikers out there 2.0

Shooter McGavin said:

This gets me, why pay $80 to $150 for MTB shorts that are made in China just because they say Fox, Troy Lee or Pearl IZUMI? Any American made brands I should look at? If I am going to pay that much they better be made by Americans in America.

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Kitbow is one option. I believe there are now others.

I gotta be honest - most of my gear is whatever Pearl Izumi, Alpinestars, Louis Garneau, etc. stuff that I can get at closeout prices, because to me, it's basically as disposable as socks or underwear. Not really willing to put a few hundred bucks at risk every time I go over the bars.

The exception to this is shoes and a couple pieces of cold-weather gear. I exclusively run Sidi footwear because they fit my feet well and last damn near forever. I've worn out one pair in my cycling career, and it took 18 years to do so.

E. Bryant said:

Kitbow is one option. I believe there are now others.

I gotta be honest - most of my gear is whatever Pearl Izumi, Alpinestars, Louis Garneau, etc. stuff that I can get at closeout prices, because to me, it's basically as disposable as socks or underwear. Not really willing to put a few hundred bucks at risk every time I go over the bars.

The exception to this is shoes and a couple pieces of cold-weather gear. I exclusively run Sidi footwear because they fit my feet well and last damn near forever. I've worn out one pair in my cycling career, and it took 18 years to do so.

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Another problem is trying to find good deals and keep getting links to ebay. You don't know if it's real or a knock off. I am not sure it matters as they are both made in China, probably at the same factory.

I'm done with the Fox shorts. They suck now.

My Leatt shorts have held up pretty good so far.

I thought I lost a back shock last week, got lucky the damper bleed screw came loose

Shooter McGavin said:

Another problem is trying to find good deals and keep getting links to ebay. You don't know if it's real or a knock off. I am not sure it matters as they are both made in China, probably at the same factory.

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I typically shop a variety of 2nd-tier online retailers (Cambria, Performance, Nashbar, etc.) as well as the manufacturers' own sites for deals. Now is a bit early in the year for sales; the off-season is usually when the industry decides that one particular shade of blue is no longer cool and it's time to go to a different color from the Crayola box.

E. Bryant said:

I typically shop a variety of 2nd-tier online retailers (Cambria, Performance, Nashbar, etc.) as well as the manufacturers' own sites for deals. Now is a bit early in the year for sales; the off-season is usually when the industry decides that one particular shade of blue is no longer cool and it's time to go to a different color from the Crayola box.

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Yes, these are good places to keep an eye on and Competitive Cyclist & EVO as well. They have filters to search just sale items, but you got to check often and catch them at the right time or all that's in stock is Small or XXXL.
Sometimes you do have to pay for quality though. I bought a pair of last year's POC resistance shorts and they were still in the ballpark of $90 at a decent holiday discount. Absolutely the best shorts I own regarding fit, material and quality. They have great zippered pockets (not baggy cargo pockets like FOX) for a trail snack or cell phone which is really nice.
Shirts, socks and gloves are pretty easy to find at good discounts or closeouts and I'm not really that picky.
Other things like shoes, helmet and shorts....I'll pay more for these items.

Trophy Case said:

Yes, these are good places to keep an eye on and Competitive Cyclist & EVO as well. They have filters to search just sale items, but you got to check often and catch them at the right time or all that's in stock is Small or XXXL.
Sometimes you do have to pay for quality though. I bought a pair of last year's POC resistance shorts and they were still in the ballpark of $90 at a decent holiday discount. Absolutely the best shorts I own regarding fit, material and quality. They have great zippered pockets (not baggy cargo pockets like FOX) for a trail snack or cell phone which is really nice.
Shirts, socks and gloves are pretty easy to find at good discounts or closeouts and I'm not really that picky.
Other things like shoes, helmet and shorts....I'll pay more for these items.

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I haven't tried the POC stuff. I see the GMBN guys riding in it. I think Piece of Crap every time I see it and have a hard time buying it!

I said fuck it and bought a pair of these (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08CN569PY/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) to try out. I order a pair of Zoic liner pants to go with them. Yeah they are mad in China just like all the named brands selling for 3X the price. I looked at Kitbow, but $195 for what looks like golf shorts and not even a good looking pair.

The current shorts suck so bad I am still wearing my Roach shorts ten+ years later.
The rear pockets are long gone and they have rips and tears I sew up periodically but they still work.
Best MTB shorts ever made (in Canada).

So Colorado riders, where to ride????

Were gonna be in Colorado Springs Monday for the week. Thinking about making a day trip to Trestle. Going to go ride Cheyenne state park, couple easier trails around CO springs, a couple days in the mountains, one of them at one of the other state parks north west of CO springs. I'll have one day to ride where ever I feel like without the crew.

missed said:

So Colorado riders, where to ride????

Were gonna be in Colorado Springs Monday for the week. Thinking about making a day trip to Trestle. Going to go ride Cheyenne state park, couple easier trails around CO springs, a couple days in the mountains, one of them at one of the other state parks north west of CO springs. I'll have one day to ride where ever I feel like without the crew.

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I have not done much riding on that side of the mountains, but I just pulled up my Trailforks app and there are all kinds of trails in the foothills just outside of Colorado Springs. If you get over to the Western part of Colorado I could point you in the direction of some killer trails.
I've heard Tressel is a good time and hopefully you can get there. Be sure to check out Banana Peel!!
https://www.trestlebikepark.com/the-stoke/trail-previews/banana-peel.html
"Expert Only, Sign your waiver, Watch the safety video"

I was out doing some gravel roads this morning and my old seat post decided it would loosen up. It's an old LightSpeed Ti seat post. The bolt that tightens the clap came loose. I have never had this happen, it's almost like someone loosened it. Anyway I was 2.5 miles out when the seat fell off. I lost the bolt, but recovered everything else. I'll be looking for a new seat post today.

Edit:

New seat post ordered. I got an Easton EC70 27.2 20mm offset weighing at 223 grams. It's replacing my old one that weight 268 grams. Just lost 45 grams, lol.

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Just posting to say I have had good luck with the ZOIC Ether mentioned above. I use them for both biking and running. When going on longer rides I will layer a Garneau Optimum short underneath. Have used this combo for 25-100 mile rides without issues. The ZOIC shorts have are nicely adjustable in the waist, and have a good pocket layout to throw in keys, or other small things. The front pockets work well for my phone when I run. If you watch for sales they are a good value

Shooter McGavin said:

I was out doing some gravel roads this morning and my old seat post decided it would loosen up. It's an old LightSpeed Ti seat post. The bolt that tightens the clap came loose. I have never had this happen, it's almost like someone loosened it. Anyway I was 2.5 miles out when the seat fell off. I lost the bolt, but recovered everything else. I'll be looking for a new seat post today.

Edit:

New seat post ordered. I got an Easton EC70 27.2 20mm offset weighing at 223 grams. It's replacing my old one that weight 268 grams. Just lost 45 grams, lol.

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That sucks, at least you weren’t out too far. No dropper post??
I know you guys keep em light but that style of seat post isn’t even a consideration around here. IMHO the invention of the dropper post was one of the greatest things to happen in the MTB industry.

Trophy Case said:

I have not done much riding on that side of the mountains, but I just pulled up my Trailforks app and there are all kinds of trails in the foothills just outside of Colorado Springs. If you get over to the Western part of Colorado I could point you in the direction of some killer trails.
I've heard Tressel is a good time and hopefully you can get there. Be sure to check out Banana Peel!!
https://www.trestlebikepark.com/the-stoke/trail-previews/banana-peel.html
"Expert Only, Sign your waiver, Watch the safety video"

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I'm pretty sure we're going to Trestle. Were all just a bit out of shape. This year has sucked. One of the riding buddies just came back from there. The only thing I was thinking is kinda sketchy on banana peel is the gap jump onto the corkscrew to the drop. It's really just the gap at the beginning of the corkscrew. My buddy said he jumped the gap twice before figuring out how much speed he could carry around the corner for the drop. I don't see anything else there that is extra sketchy there.

Trestle is awesome. Plenty of fun runs, no reason to go BANANAS.

Were ready for it, the kids are too. Just need to find some places for some fun XC rides some of the other days. Looks like there are quite a few good ones around the Springs.

Trophy Case said:

That sucks, at least you weren’t out too far. No dropper post??
I know you guys keep em light but that style of seat post isn’t even a consideration around here. IMHO the invention of the dropper post was one of the greatest things to happen in the MTB industry.

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Of the various advancements over the last 25 years, I put the dropper post at #2 (just behind disc brakes).

My only mountain bike not so equipped is my dirt jumper.

E. Bryant said:

Of the various advancements over the last 25 years, I put the dropper post at #2 (just behind disc brakes).

My only mountain bike not so equipped is my dirt jumper.

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Disc brakes and droppers in that order I definitely agree.

Don't forget tubeless tires + sealant guys.
We take it for granted we can flat and ride on...

Trophy Case said:

That sucks, at least you weren’t out too far. No dropper post??
I know you guys keep em light but that style of seat post isn’t even a consideration around here. IMHO the invention of the dropper post was one of the greatest things to happen in the MTB industry.

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This bike is over 20 years old I don’t think a dropper post would fit. I have a Pivot on order that has a dropper post.

E. Bryant said:

Of the various advancements over the last 25 years, I put the dropper post at #2 (just behind disc brakes).

My only mountain bike not so equipped is my dirt jumper.

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Yes they have come a long way over the years, but I still see some of the old vintage mountain bikes out on the trails. I love seeing people getting back out on the trails and enjoying the great outdoors. They have made huge improvements in the industry and it's been fun to watch and experience.
*disc brakes
*dropper post
*tubless tires
*27.5 and even better 29" wheels
*1x drivetrain
*longer and slacker geometry (in general across the board)
*30 mm stems
*800 mm wide bars

Vintage 1992 on my Gary Fisher CR7.....still have the cracked frame hanging on my garage wall!!!

I still ride my IF steel deluxe HT

Trophy Case said:

Yes they have come a long way over the years, but I still see some of the old vintage mountain bikes out on the trails. I love seeing people getting back out on the trails and enjoying the great outdoors. They have made huge improvements in the industry and it's been fun to watch and experience.
*disc brakes
*dropper post
*tubless tires
*27.5 and even better 29" wheels
*1x drivetrain
*longer and slacker geometry (in general across the board)
*30 mm stems
*800 mm wide bars

Vintage 1992 on my Gary Fisher CR7.....still have the cracked frame hanging on my garage wall!!!
View attachment 7669799

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Are those the 1 1/2" travel Manitous ?

Tigerbikes said:

Don't forget tubeless tires + sealant guys.
We take it for granted we can flat and ride on...

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Distant 3rd for me, behind the two items I'd previously mentioned. I like the ability to seal small leaks and love running sub-20 PSI pressure, but they are certainly not zero-hassle or zero-maintenance, and I don't know that I would unconditionally recommend them to casual or occasional riders. Then again, if I lived in a dry area with murderous thorns, perhaps I'd feel more strongly in favor.

Yeah the tubeless was a huge improvement also. Along with that came much better wheels that were lighter and could take way more abuse.

One of the guys I ride with every once in a while is somewhat of a weight weenie, doesn't race, but the dropper adds too much weight.....I won't ride without one. For the endurance racing I can see where shedding anything helps.

E. Bryant said:

Distant 3rd for me, behind the two items I'd previously mentioned. I like the ability to seal small leaks and love running sub-20 PSI pressure, but they are certainly not zero-hassle or zero-maintenance, and I don't know that I would unconditionally recommend them to casual or occasional riders. Then again, if I lived in a dry area with murderous thorns, perhaps I'd feel more strongly in favor.

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Haha sub 20 psi here lol. I'm 200# even with inserts mid 20psi can still be a little low. The limestone rocks can be brutal here lots and lots of 90 degree corner broken rock that's sharp.

Thorny said:

Are those the 1 1/2" travel Manitous ?

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I think 1.5" of travel on those would be a generous figure, but back in the day they were glorious for taking away that harsh rigid ride in the front end. Those are the original Manitou elastomer bumper forks and my buddy bought the Gen one gold tone Rockshox....we were in heaven.

missed said:

Haha sub 20 psi here lol. I'm 200# even with inserts mid 20psi can still be a little low. The limestone rocks can be brutal here lots and lots of 90 degree corner broken rock that's sharp.

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I'm a bit lighter and am running a 27.5+ setup (Maxxis 27x2.8"), so I can usually get away with 15 front and 18 rear. That being said, I did burp the rear when riding some particularly chunky stuff the other day (Ishpeming RAMBA trails, which might be the roughest in MI) and paid the price by getting chewed on by deer flies while re-inflating.

jbell said:

Being someone who does endurance racing and rides personally I think tubeless is the best improvement overall. I can't imagine how much time of trail side repairs I have saved since tubeless came out, I bet it would be several hours!

I have been high posting for so long now I'll take the weight savings over the dropper on my XC race bike. I just cut almost a pound off the highest point of my bike by taking the Fox Transfer SL off and putting the Mt. Zoom on. Over a long race (I have a 24 hour solo in 3 weeks) the weight matters more to me.

But different strokes for different folks...

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Dang jbell, thats some superhuman stuff right there!! Please post back after the 24 hour race and update on how it went.
Yep, you need the lightest yet most durable rig money can buy for the riding you do.
Good luck!!

Im a bit lighter and am running a 27.5+ setup (Maxxis 27x2.8"), so I can usually get away with 15 front and 18 rear. That being said, I did burp the rear when riding some particularly chunky stuff the other day (Ishpeming RAMBA trails, which might be the roughest in MI) and paid the price by getting chewed on by deer flies while re-inflating.



I bet with the plus you can get away with it. I thought 27.5+ was going to be awesome when it came out. But not for my kind of riding. The vauge cornering, the weird things it would do in high speed berms. It was awesome crawling over rocks and tree roots. Just the cornering issues a could never get it right. It was either squirmy or bouncy I'll have to find a picture my wife got of me coming into a big corkscrew berm, how the front tire stayed on the rim I have no idea, looked like the entire tire was to one side of the rim. I think the shape of the cushcore was what was keeping it on there.

I like the fatter tires in MI - we really don't have much high-speed stuff; just sand, tree roots, and the occasional rocks. So 27.5+ it is for my all-purpose bike. Hell, a lot of riders run their fat bikes year-round and don't give up much in the way of speed.

If I had the opportunity to rail berms at high speed on a regular basis, there's a lot about my setup that would need to change. Not gonna happen until we get another round of volcanic activity in MI, and I think that last happened about a billion years ago.

Talk to me about saddle bags. I had one many moons ago, but ditched it in favor of a back pack because of the miles that I used to do. I use to carry a spare tire and two tubes along with tools and water. Lately I have been riding with my son just doing gravels roads near our house in the mornings, about 9 miles. I haven't felt the need to bring water and therefor I haven't been bringing my pack. Well today I got a flat and I was unprepared for this event. It happened on a long climb. I had to walk it back which sucked in my bike shoes. So, any one use a saddle bag and have any recommendations?

Edit: I am just looking to carry a spare tube, two tire levers and my park mutlitool.

Shooter McGavin said:

Talk to me about saddle bags. I had one many moons ago, but ditched it in favor of a back pack because of the miles that I used to do. I use to carry a spare tire and two tubes along with tools and water. Lately I have been riding with my son just doing gravels roads near our house in the mornings, about 9 miles. I haven't felt the need to bring water and therefor I haven't been bringing my pack. Well today I got a flat and I was unprepared for this event. It happened on a long climb. I had to walk it back which sucked in my bike shoes. So, any one use a saddle bag and have any recommendations?

Edit: I am just looking to carry a spare tube, two tire levers and my park mutlitool.

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I have a little pack that I run on the bike that is just that. I can carry a tube, levers, some C02, and a multi tool.


I do always take some water.

Shooter McGavin said:

Talk to me about saddle bags. I had one many moons ago, but ditched it in favor of a back pack because of the miles that I used to do. I use to carry a spare tire and two tubes along with tools and water. Lately I have been riding with my son just doing gravels roads near our house in the mornings, about 9 miles. I haven't felt the need to bring water and therefor I haven't been bringing my pack. Well today I got a flat and I was unprepared for this event. It happened on a long climb. I had to walk it back which sucked in my bike shoes. So, any one use a saddle bag and have any recommendations?

Edit: I am just looking to carry a spare tube, two tire levers and my park mutlitool.

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I've tried a bunch of things over the years but my current set up is.....
Oneup EDC pump (because I've run out of air with CO2) One of the best accessories I've bought so far....never run out of air again!!
Slug Plug tire plug kit stored in the pump handle
USWE Zulo waist pack (holds water, Multi Tool, energy bar, car keys and extra tire plugs) I ditched the backpack and this has been great!

I usually just carry 1 liter of water in the pack and on longer rides I throw a bottle in the cage on the frame. I like my 1-3 hour rides (no laughing JBELL)
Earlier this year I cold burned the shit out of my hand when CO2 inflating a flat on the trail. Blistered me pretty good so wear gloves.

On the topic of retro rides, here's the GT Zaskar that I built for dual slalom, urban trials, and group ride rowdiness circa 1998, which was then passed down to my nephew last year:



If you squint just right, you can see several aspects of modern MTB technology that made their way into this build:

- Wide (for the time) wheels and tires. Those are Sun Rhyno Lite hoops laced to DT Hugi hubs (the first wheelset that I built), and they were monsters compared to the skinny lil' Mavic 517 rims that were common at the time. I ran Specialized Fear Control/Master 2.25" tires at the time everyone was switching from the Panaracer Smoke/Dart to 1.9" semi-slicks, because traction is more fun that low rolling resistance on social rides.

- "Short" 90mm stem with riser bars. Pretty wild compared to 150mm zero-rise stems and 560mm flat bars common to XC bikes at the time.

- "Long-travel" Manitou FS Ti fork (Shaun Palmer special edition, natch). Using this on an older frame that was designed for non-suspension forks kicked the head tube angle back a few degrees, which at the time was considered highly undesirable Now we know that this is the way, but back then, every hack magazine writer (including at least one renowned frame builder) thought that the "NORBA standard" geometry (70.5-71° headtube and 73° seattube) was the only combination that would work. Those mouthbreathers set back the evolution of bike geometry by at least a full decade.

- The silly 42t big ring which was still popular at this time was replaced with a bash guard that I machined after-hours at work from a scrap piece of aluminum plate. Voila! - a 2x drivetrain. The industry would eventually figure out the same thing - the big ring is useless and a 32/11 combo is more than enough for 98% of trail riding. The extra ground clearance was beneficial for old-school Midwest trails and urban landscapes.

- No dropper post, but I ran a quick release and frequently made adjustments.

Not saying that I was a trendsetter, but yeah, there is a lot of the future contained in this time capsule.

Since I ride several bikes, my gear is all contained in a CamelBak MULE. Underseat bags are a no-go for short riders on full-squish bikes with dropper posts (BUZZZZZ! says the rear tire on every downhill), and there isn't room on most of my bikes for adequate water anyways.

Redundant air sources are good. I run a CO2 inflator with four spare cartridges, and a small Lezyne pump. Note that the cartridges will corrode if left in the bottom of a damp bag for a couple of years. For those running tubes, carry both a spare tube and a patch kit (I've had to use both). For those running tubeless, carry a tube and a sidewall boot (like a piece of plastic cut from a pop bottle); it sucks to break the bead and get covered in sealant, but it's better than walking. I carry a plug kit as well (I think there was a discussion on that a page or two back in this thread with some good information from other members).

Proper tools are a good idea - meaning hex keys with enough leverage to break loose a rear thru-axle that you hopefully didn't over-tighten in the shop by leaning on a full-length wrench. Carry a chain tool and a spare quick link. If you're really smart, you'll use this stuff once in a while for basic maintenance to ensure that it works (note: I'm not smart).

A small knife is a good idea. A buddy carries a small Silky saw and uses it frequently; one of those flexible saws works well enough for occasional use.

Bring a fistful of zip ties and wrap some Gorilla tape around the seatpost, bars, or frame.

Adequate first aid is a great idea. There are people that won't go to the grocery store without a IFAK, but then go trail riding without so much as a band-aid.

A small flashlight should be considered mandatory, because I've never gotten caught on the trail after dark except for all those times that I have.

Evil Offering just SW of Stanley Idaho.

Here's my old year 2000 full suspension bike. I wonder if it's vintage yet?

After some health problems in 2019, and trying to get in reasonable shape again, I found that I was getting too exhausted riding ole blue so I bought an Ebike. That Bakcou made a huge difference in my health! Even with the Ebike a 15 mile ride is almost too much for me. Sucks getting old.

My Giant Trance 3. Upgraded from a Giant Stance 1. Massive improvement in comfort. Not as nimble as I was in High School but I can still hop. Dork disc is gone.

I would like to thank everyone for your responses to the saddle bag question. I decided to go with a Blackburn local ride kit. I was just looking for something smaller than my pack.

Black burn kit offers a pump, multi tool and levers. That means I can leave everything in my pack for longer rides

What's in my pack:
2 spare tubes (26")
1 spare tire (Maxxis Ardent 26x 2.25)
Camelbak bladder
2 tire levers
multi tool
bike multi tool ( I forget the name, but has everything you need to fix a bike on the trail)
extra chain links
chain tool
pump

Last fall, Boggy Draw.