This is going to sound like a rant and, for all I know, it could be a very localized one because even though I am immersed in the local ’scene’ sometimes it’s hard for people to get a glimpse of the big picture when they’re so involved.
I live, work, and ride in southwestern BC, about an hour away from mountain biking’s version of the North Shore, and I’ve seen the trails morph from sketchy, hardcore paths into well travelled, rocked-in tracks over the past decade. Local advocacy groups like the NSMBA and FVMBA do their best to raise awareness about the sensitivity of the trail network — many of our trails are on fall lines and are susceptible to erosion if ridden in adverse conditions — and how important it is for riders to put some time back into the resource that they use.
BUT — and you had to know this was coming — even though these groups have done a heck of a lot in the communities of which they’re a part, it doesn’t seem to me that mountain bikers, the constituent members of these groups, are actually getting off their asses and helping the core component of the sport. Read the rest of this entry »
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21 March »
Projects »
Cory
My cross country bike is a 2003 Giant Rainier. Some of the spec is still stock and some of the stuff is not. It’s been serviceable, but I’m interested in changing it up a bit to reflect the style of riding I’m into while make it a little, less like a stock $1000 bike that’s four years old.
What am I looking for? Over the next year or so, I’m looking to build it up into a hardtail trail bike that’s suitable for a heavy dose of xc. That means I’m interested in a 25ish pound hardtail that’s fun and comfortable to ride, rolls well, and can handle the type of riding I really enjoy. I ride on rooty, technical terrain that features short and steep climbs and fall-line descents.
Budget. Budget isn’t a huge concern, but I’m not interested in a Rohloff hub or some other exotic part that I can’t replace on the spot at my local shop — that’ll definitely play into my final decisions. It won’t be a Bombproof Blue Collar build but I don’t can or will to drop coin on custom ti cassettes or $400 bar/stem combos.
The starting point
Here’s what I’ve got:
- 2003 Giant Rainier frame
- 2003 Marzocchi EXR fork, 80mm
- Shimano Deore crankset
- Shimano 9 speed cassette, 11-34 // Shimano chain
- Race Face Deus XC bars, 25.4mm
- Thomson 110mm stem, 25.4mm
- Hayes El Camino brakes, 160mm rotors
- SRAM X.0 twist shifters
- SRAM X.0 rear derailleur, medium cage
- Panaracer Fire XC Pro tires, 2.1″
- Deore hubs laced to some Alex rims
- Crank Bros. Eggbeater pedals
- Stock post and saddle
Obviously, there are some things in the list that aren’t stock and that I’ll likely be keeping for the final build. But to start, I don’t really want to spend the cash on the frame, fork, or wheels just yet, but I don’t really care where I start. Brakes? Tires? Drivetrain?
I’m in no hurry to get this thing going, but I’ll start moving on it in the next week or so. I’m also pretty open to letting the build evolve as the season changes, so if parts (like tires) are good for wet but not dry, I can switch things up as necessary.
The weather around my place is pretty crappy right now, so a lot of my bike time is spent commuting or on flat gravel roads, so I need something
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The Biking Hub has been silent for the past few months. There are tonnes of excuses that I could pull out of my pocket but it really comes down to the fact that, even though I was getting lots of stuff from the other contributors, I was getting worn down pushing out stuff on a near daily basis. In hindsight, it would’ve been better if I’d let posting be open, rather than moderated but I didn’t do that, and TBH started to feel less like a hobby and more like a job. That’s something I was never really interested in pursuing; as a result I pretty much walked away.
So what’s next? Expect to see a Biking Hub that’s less formal, more opinionated, and, probably, a lot more interesting. I’m going to write about the type of riding that I do in BC and there will probably be others who write about riding in their part of the world.
Don’t expect formal reviews, lots of industry news, and stuff like that (at least not from me). I’m sure I’ll post the odd tidbit, but there are other sites out there that are more into that sort of thing than me.
So on to my first new post in months… There might be posts from The Others, but I’ll leave that to Them.
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