Mountain Bikers Thread

“Since I read about mostly road bikes, I wanna read about mountain bikes more, so this is for just those of such persuasion.....like me. TT biking club is for the 'other' folks....lol.
last edited: 7/23/06 6:34:52 AM”

“Wow, nice place you have here!”

“ha, snagged one! I was wondering how many of us ride MTB's.........
last edited: 7/23/06 6:40:09 AM”

“
...so I was driving down the highway and saw this bike leaning against a fence at a junkyard, so I asked how much.....paid $25.00.
It's a GT Timberline (4-600.00 new) with Shimano Crankset and BB, Shimano Acera hubs, SunRim RhynoLite wheels, WTB Velociraptor tires, Shimano STX Derailers, WTB SS seat and aluminum 'quik adjust' post, Shimano 'servo wave' brake handles, Shimano quickfire shifters, Shimano V brake on front fork (which was busted so I replaced it with my RST Capa T6 shock with disk brake in front and moved the V brake to the rear). Yeah, I'm too cheap to actually spend $$$ on a bike so I look around the junk yards too.”

“I have a 1992 KHS Montana Pro. Listed $1600 back then, got it for $900 new. No shocks, great steel frame. Got some new Mavic wheels for it several years ago.

I've got some great MTB places around here, so I've been thinking of dusting it off and exploring. Best spot to check out quick is a 2.5 mile trail through a preserve across the highway.”

“sweet deal chappy! gotta love those finds. great thread.”

“That's a great deal on the GT! I have the original model GT Karakoram. It was the 1st year GT had the triple triangle frame and it was rated one of the top 10 bikes of the year.”

“Pathman, my GT is a Chromoly frame, the steel frames just feel more comfy than alum. ones.
There is a good chance that several groups around Houston are going to join forces to get a 60 mile section of the Lone Star Hiking Trail opened to bikes (multiuse), hiking/biking. If so, we will have our first 'epic' trail here. At either end of the section are the Huntsville State Park with a 9 mile MTB loop, and at the other end Double Lake with a 7 mile MTB loop. Both parks also have lakes for water sports and hiking trails. Best thing about this is that the LSHT is 140 miles long and a backpackers delight. I've packed the whole thing. And, since I'm the President for the Lone Star Hiking Trail Club, I'm in the middle of the whole sweet deal. :)
last edited: 7/23/06 8:06:22 AM”

“Adventurist, you still got the GT?”

“chappy, very cool about the trail. Lots of rail to trail activity here that I need to check out. Hiawatha in ID with a long tunnel and the Columbia Plateau which is just a couple of miles away.

right now this place feels like North Texas! 100's in the Pine woods. More hills and some mtns though. ;-D”

“Yes I do! I raced with it back in my teens and its still going. I dropped a couple hundred on new wheel sets many years ago and upgrade the shifting system. Other than that its all original.”

“Adventurist, glad to hear you're holding on to the old workhorse. I bought a newer full susp. bike, but still ride the old GT and Specialized Rockhopper (88 model) which is now a one speed conversion.”

“I would love to buy an old school titanium frame and build a bike from the ground up. I really don't like rear suspension but I wouldn't mind having it in the front.”

“If you buy an older titanium frame, buy one that has a 1 1/8" steerer tube if you want a front suspension fork. The reason is that the old 1" steerer tube suspension forks are rare and getting hard to find. I have a 1991 Merlin titanium and it has a 1" steerer tube with a Trek DDS2 suspension fork. The fork is holding up, but if it fails, I might have a tough time finding a new one to replace it.”

“Thanks for the advice RichB. I'm not "financed" for a Ti Frame right now but that information is important for when I am.”

“I'm a weinie mt. biker. lol... Have a 96 or 97 Specialized Rockhopper.

Was always a chicken trying to go fast on SKEERY trails!! Now I like to ride bumpy double track, etc. Like I said, weinie! But I do like the mt. bike over a road bike.

Gotta get the back tire replaced. The white sidewall-ish stuff is flaking off in a couple places. Too much sun while on the roof rack on the recent western trip, apparently. It was fine when I left. OR... maybe I had the back clamp-down thing too tight on the tire. It was old, but wasn't flaking off till home.”

“adventurist, an old ti frame would be really sweet, but pricey or I would think about it. Maybe in a junk yard some where.........

RichB, on EBay I saw RST front forks with 1" tubes for around 40 bucks. Google RST Front Fork and see what you get. If RST makes them, then they would be fine. I am interested in getting one for my old Specialized since a front fork really makes a diffence on the old bod when busting down/over trail bumps. And the ol bisquit ain't as flexible as it used to be.
last edited: 7/23/06 9:29:56 PM”

“Nashbar was selling those RST 1" steerer tube forks last year for about a $100. You can still find the 1" size here and there, but the selection is slim and will get slimmer and maybe even dry up. With the 1 1/8" size you can buy the most modern fork you can afford and that's a big advantage over the old 1" system. I thought about eventually sending my frame back to Merlin to have them replace the head tube with a 1 1/8" tube, but I don't know how much it would cost or if it would be worth doing. For now since my Trek fork is still working, I'll just leave it as is.”

“RichB, you're right, those forks are more like 100.00. I guess the old Specialized will remain fully rigid which ain't bad anyway. I was reading about the new SRAM shifters last night. Supposed to require only 1 degree of movement to initiate a shift whereas the ones now require around 20%. Wonder what they'll cost.”

“It sure would be nice if someone were to buy this for me. http://cgi.ebay.com/Moots-YBB-Titanium-Frameset-Frame-20-20-Inch-7018t_W0QQitemZ140009479561QQihZ004QQcategoryZ98083QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem”

“Damn, that is one sweet frame. Full Susp.?? That rear end top tube slides inside the seat tube I guess while flexing(?) at the BB housing? Am I seeing this right? Does Ti flex?”

“I've been using some old Mickey Mantle baseball cards on my spokes to make that cool "vroooom" sound, but it doesn't seem as throaty as the rookie Ted Williams. Any ideas as to what cards make the best sound?”

“Yes, Ti flexes naturally. That's what I find attractive about it. This way I could still have a rigid tail and not lose as much energy. I really like to whip the bike around using my body and you lose that with a cushy suspension.”

“A properly designed titanium frame has a magical ride. Flexible and springy in the right places to absorb shock, just stiff enough in the bottom bracket area, light as a feather and always looks good since it can't rust. The faster you ride a titanium bike the more you'll notice the unique ride they have. These frames are meant to be ridden hard and pushed to the limit and when you do that the bike is responsive and feels like an extension of your body. I don't ride mine hard anymore, but it still impresses me every time I ride it with its great handling and comfort.

A rigid frame even made from titanium won't absorb big hits like a full suspension bike so you can't really compare the two in that area, but in its own niche it's a great all around ride. I put a USE suspension seat post on mine and it helps absorb hits a little better.”

“on top again.....haha.”

“Nimblefoot, try cut up Wheaties boxes, they do pretty good............just make sure there is a pic of someone in the Olympics on the front....”

“At last, some good technical advice. I was beginning to think this thread was just frivilous;)”

“I just make the noises manually with my mouth.”

“get a ding bell too, they fun stuff......hehe.”

“To All Bikers:

PLEASE KEEP THIS THREAD ON TOP (you know, up there ^)
Today's subject: How to have fun with your chain tool :)
Tomorrow's subject: Why does my seat have a
"love channel"?”

“^^^^^^^^ Buy a decent chain tool, a Park or equivilent, not a wally world wunderbuster.
last edited: 7/27/06 5:27:33 AM”

“A Cool Tool has a built in chain tool along with a few other tools all rolled into one unit.”

“I have a "pedros" brand chain tool (and bike tool kit) I have used that cursed tool too many times. I discovered that with a shimano chain I had recently that the links are more like a rivet than the old style, they exit fine but wont go back. I switched back to SRAM.

I was just thinking about biking, no time of late. I start school soon and will commuting one of my two nights a wk. Its a bear commuting in a full suspension rig but its good excercise and i get to know my bike very well.

I really want to build a Ti hardtail though. I may have to browse ebay for a frame.”

“Shimano uses a special chain pin on their chains that can only be used once. Once the pin goes through you snap the end off, so it holds in the same manner as a rivet. I'm not sure if they changed that design, but that's how they were 2 years ago.”

“Thats exactly it RichB. I was trying to remove a kinked link and didnt have a quick link around. I now have 2 quicklinks on hand.”

“Anybody else put iced coffee in their water bottle for early morning rides?”

“Note to self! I have a multitool with built in chain breaker. I however don't have any quick links in my tool kit. Other note to self get a spare presta/schrader converter for tool kit. Other note to self purchase cruiser PEE WEE Herman seat regardless of how cool the skinny saddle looks.”

“Iced coffee? Haven't done that yet, I drink mine before I ride......btw, I'm leaving now for my morning ride whilst the wife languishes on her bed...............cyas.”

“Hey I don't know jack about good mountain bikes, but my sister is a very serious road biker who just bought a hand built Mountain bike from a friend for $400. Does this sound like a fair deal? It has disc brakes, and Shimano push button shifters. The frame is ridgid in the rear, and the front has shocks. I think the whole bike weighs about 16-18lbs. I think it is an 18 speed. That is about all I know. What should I be looking for in a starter bike if I get one to ride with her?”

“MG, if your starting, go to a BIKE SHOP, and let them tell you how to size the frame to you, the components are really important so let them guide you. For around 300-500 bucks you can get a really nice setup that will last you and that you can upgrade. Go for a name brand bike: GT, Trek, Giant, Kona, Specialized, Fuji......... you'll be glad later when you upgrade to better components that you got a quality frame at the start. Disk brakes are great. Mine, a GT, has a disk in front and a Shimano 'V' brake in rear. My GT was bought in a junk yard for 25.00 and it had all top of line components (for '99 models). So if you look around, you might get real lucky like I did. Otherwise, stick to bike shops in your area and look, test ride, and study up. Oh, yeah, weight......mine is about 32 lbs. A top end bike (7,000.00) would weigh about 21 lbs at the lightest, with a titanium frame. Try to get aluminum. Mine is Chromoly steel.
last edited: 7/29/06 10:04:55 AM”

“Thanks for the feed back Chappy

My sister tried to tell me hers was 25lbs, I just didn't believe her. I think it may be a GT. Oh, and she has disc brakes on both ends. It sounds like she probably did ok then since the bike is like new.”

“If its a GT she did really well.......
ask her about the components, shock, and what kind of brakes (maker). Then post her answers.”

“Forgive me father for I have sinned. Today I golfed and did not ride my bike...”

“First United Methodist Church
401 South Hines
Diboll, Tx

See you there at 11:00am sharp!!!!!!!!!

P.S. Bring your bike for an after-service cleansing.”

“I keep getting out my road bike and leaving the MTB in the garage. Is something wrong with me?

I did take the road bike on some dirt/gravel roads. Does that count?”

“Another good option for a good deal on a mtn bike is the classified ads. We have two local bike shops that sell used bikes on consignment. Local mtn bike groups often have classifieds, I see loads of deals at www.mmba.org”

“Don't forget to ride your bike folks.....they need lovin too............”

“I wish I could ride more often. Unfortunately it requires a babysitter as the kid is too darn heavy to tow anymore and doesn't ride w/o training wheels yet.

Anyone wanna spend some time with a five year old? ;)

Who got the GT at the junkyard? Birch was telling me about that deal. I have a GT Zasker and adore it. Great bike.”

“I'm the one sassy. I saw it leaning against a fence for a week not knowing what it was and finally stopped by and asked the old guy there. He didn't know squat about bikes so sold it to me for 25.00. It is listed at 650.00 new....wow. It has great components all shimano stx with shimano crank, V brake, acera hubs...top line stuff. One helluva deal.”

“




Here's a few shots of the 25.00 bike. The front fork and tire were mine since the front fork on the bike was busted when I bought it. Other than that, it is all as purchased. Oh, yeah, the adjustable stem is mine too.
last edited: 8/01/06 8:35:33 AM”