Picked up on an old hobby...

[alhope34]

Well, I haven't been posting much lately, not that anyone has noticed. :chuckle

I've picked back up on my old hobby of MTB riding. I used to ride a mix of everything on my 2004 Kona Scrap. XC, dirt jumps, street, and sometimes the odd downhill run. I finally got my bike built up the way I wanted it...

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It was super fun to hop around on and was very reliable strength wise and was pretty good for weight balance. Well, my last job I started losing hours and I had to sell that bike to be able to go with my parents to Nova Scotia for a month and take my fiance along too. I sold it only cause I hadn't ridden it in a long time. Well, over time I started to really regret it, and now after 3 years of not riding at all I decided to pick up on it again. It's all coming back to me pretty fast so I'm happy. I was lucky enough an old riding buddy with the exact same year and size frame that I had was selling it for super cheap ($60) so I picked it up, bought the couple parts I needed, and now I have something that's at least ridable. But right now I'm using a rigid fork off a trials bike and my frame was designed for a 4-5" travel fork so it throws the geometry and handling way off, so I can't jump on it just yet.

I also started building up the local jumps I live a 5 minute ride from in Warden Woods. I've been using my friend's bike for jumping, he has a Dobermann Pinscher, which is hand made in Quebec! Yay for local products and craftsmanship! lol anyway... These are the jumps I have been working on the last few days. I'm going back in tomorrow so do more digging and making a skinny/log ride.

If anyone is into riding and wants to know where this is, just let me know and I'll show you.

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Sorry for crappy quality, they were from my cell. My parents have the camera in Nova Scotia right now, and they get back Sunday. I'll post up better pictures and videos this week coming.

[SL3VIN]

nice... i got an 05 kona stuff... i usually do XC, street, and DJ's

[dentinger]

i recently picked mine up again too.
i used to ride all thru out highschool, before i had a car, then my bike got stolen, so i bought a new one, then after last year, i just stopped.
i decided to give it a shot again this year, and well, im glad i did. i forgot how much fun it is.
cross country, dirtjumps, and street, with the odd bit of downhill.
im still working my way up to larger jumps and drops...

you've seen my bike already, but here it is in action....

http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w65/dentinger/bigair.jpg

p.s. your scrap, are those 24" wheels? or 26"?

[alhope34]

nice... i got an 05 kona stuff... i usually do XC, street, and DJ's

What size? Mine is small...15"

I had a 2003 Scrap at one point long ago...back in 2003. It was in Medium (15.5") but the top tube on the medium is 2" longer making the wheel base 3" longer. Felt way too large and awkward, but I loved the design and strength of the frame its self so I sold it for the '04 in small. Made a world of difference. A friend has an '06 Stuff in medium and it feels like ass. Can't hop or jump on it at all without flopping all over the place and landing wrong.

[alhope34]

26", but I had monstrous tires on it. IRC Trailbear in 2.5" Barely fit in the frame. 1/8" clearance on either side of the tire...haha. I can't find those tires again. One of my friends got a set of 6 off Ebay, worked out to $25 EACH taxes and shipping in. GREAT price for those amazing tires. Gripped in wet mud, dry mud, sand, and even snow. They also didn't have much rolling resistance for the size and they had a great tread life.

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c63/alhope34/PICT0016-7.jpg

[dentinger]

and for the record, here's a pic of our dirtjumps....
http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w65/dentinger/nelson.jpg

we have other hidding around town, but these are the main ones.

[tweak_s]

Nice lines dentinger. lol.

No one has bullzdozed seeing that those aren't hidden in a forest like all other jumps are? lol, thats awesome.

[SL3VIN]

What size? Mine is small...15"

I had a 2003 Scrap at one point long ago...back in 2003. It was in Medium (15.5") but the top tube on the medium is 2" longer making the wheel base 3" longer. Felt way too large and awkward, but I loved the design and strength of the frame its self so I sold it for the '04 in small. Made a world of difference. A friend has an '06 Stuff in medium and it feels like ass. Can't hop or jump on it at all without flopping all over the place and landing wrong.

yeah it was a small, anything bigger is just too difficult to ride...
(that's what she said???:chuckle)

[dentinger]

Nice lines dentinger. lol.

No one has bullzdozed seeing that those aren't hidden in a forest like all other jumps are? lol, thats awesome.

nope.
its like a park. they've been there for a LONG time.
there's even a city sign out front that says "Nelson dirtjumps"


yeah it was a small, anything bigger is just too difficult to ride...
(that's what she said???:chuckle)

haha! my bike has a 15" frame as well. everyone calls it a girl's bike cuz of how the frame looks:loco

[3GFX]

I've finally picked up the bicycles again this summer to get into some better shape.

Before I had a dirtbike (8 years ago) I used to bike all the bloody time!

I must admit though the MTB is still downstairs in the waiting, I'm doing training on my road bike, sometime this weekend I'll be installing some new clipless pedals :)

[alhope34]

clipless pedals


AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!! OH GOD NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!! DON'T DO IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!












:chuckle

[Thrizzl3]

HA! i need to bike again..but i need a derallieur for the back gears..any bike shops you know of that can get one for me..i need a 7 speed one.

[yearoftherat]

I've finally picked up the bicycles again this summer to get into some better shape.

Before I had a dirtbike (8 years ago) I used to bike all the bloody time!

I must admit though the MTB is still downstairs in the waiting, I'm doing training on my road bike, sometime this weekend I'll be installing some new clipless pedals :)

On the roadie or mtn bike ?

[alhope34]

HA! i need to bike again..but i need a derallieur for the back gears..any bike shops you know of that can get one for me..i need a 7 speed one.

I've seen them at Canadian Tire for like $10. 7 speed is really the cheapest you can get. I prefer 8 speed rather than 9 because the 8 speed chains are stronger and it's easier to tune the shifter to shift properly. I have a Deore XT short cage on the rear with some crappy Shimano shifter/lever combo. When I get my Avid Juicy 7 brakes I'm going to buy either an 8 speed XT shifter or Alivio shifter. I hate this stupid cheap shifter...


Edit: I just realized something. Any derailler will work with any cassette as long as the shifter matches the cassette. Meaning, use a 7 speed shifter with 7 speed cassette and you can use any derailler you want. Go to a bike shop and get something more mid range. Like an Alivio or X.7 derailler.

[Thrizzl3]

I've seen them at Canadian Tire for like $10. 7 speed is really the cheapest you can get. I prefer 8 speed rather than 9 because the 8 speed chains are stronger and it's easier to tune the shifter to shift properly. I have a Deore XT short cage on the rear with some crappy Shimano shifter/lever combo. When I get my Avid Juicy 7 brakes I'm going to buy either an 8 speed XT shifter or Alivio shifter. I hate this stupid cheap shifter...

Thx Al ill check it out...i'm so pissed tho i wanted to add disc brakes to my bike but i can't. i'll have to change the front fork or get a new bike all together..FML lol

[alhope34]

Thx Al ill check it out...i'm so pissed tho i wanted to add disc brakes to my bike but i can't. i'll have to change the front fork or get a new bike all together..FML lol

Yea, if you dont have the frame/fork tabs you cant, and also remember your wheels have to have special disc brake hubs!

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c63/alhope34/PICT0004-2.jpg

[Thrizzl3]

are yours hydraulic or mechanical?

[alhope34]

I have mech right now, but my old bike had '99 Hayes Purple hydros. Got them for $60, brand new in '06! I miss them...

[yearoftherat]

When I get my Avid Juicy 7 brakes I'm going to buy either an 8 speed XT shifter or Alivio shifter. I hate this stupid cheap shifter...


Screw the Alivio..go XT or Deore LX

[alhope34]

I've used the Alivio shifter for years before I sold my bike, always worked great. I'm not going to overspend on something that works the exact same and pay more just because of the name on it.

[yearoftherat]

True...I wish I could say the same with roadie stuff

[3GFX]

I just realized something. Any derailler will work with any cassette as long as the shifter matches the cassette. Meaning, use a 7 speed shifter with 7 speed cassette and you can use any derailler you want. Go to a bike shop and get something more mid range. Like an Alivio or X.7 derailler.

Deore, can't go wrong. I used it to replace an Alivio that I ripped off one of my older MTB and I'm glad its a much better derailler.


On the roadie or mtn bike ?

Road, I already have them on my MTB. I use the MTB for XC I must admit I'm not much of a jumper :blush but I love the clip in when trucking up a hill or bunny hopping.

I'm throwing new M520s on the road bike to clip into. I broke one of the pedals a while back and I'm sick of using runners on the road bike when I have a perfectly good set of cycling shoes for the MTB.


AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!! OH GOD NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!! DON'T DO IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:chuckle

Why? I love em!


Screw the Alivio..go XT or Deore LX

Yea like I said, I second the Deore, from the sounds of it I don't think Phil wants to spend the money on XT or XTR :p

[alhope34]

XTR is way too breakable anyway.

And I absolutely hate the idea of the clipless. So if I'm 6 feet in the air on a 6" wide skinny and I fall, the whole bike will go with me and injure me more instead of me being able to quickly hop off the bike and bail, lol. I'm more of a stunt/jumper/urban rider mindset so I will only ever use the large studded platform pedals and skate shoes. Plus, on the clipless they clip you in on the ball of your foot. Great place for maximum power while sitting, but horrible for stability when standing doing stunts or jumps. Great for bending your foot back and spraining your ankle, though. :chuckle

As you can tell, we have totally different styles, haha.

[3GFX]

Different styles? Really :) hehe Mad respect for your skills though!

[dentinger]

+1

i would never be able to ride with being clipped in.
however, slipping off the pedals, and having them grind and tear into your shin is fun too, i guess.

but then again, if you have pedals with decent teeth on them, and a grippy shoe tread, you wont really have any problems at all.