Show off your Mountain Bike!!!

Well, let me clarify -- I love living here, and the riding is great. It is definitely a good destination with multiple days of great riding options. Sessioning the downhill lines at Coler can kill an entire day. Mount Kessler in Fayetteville is only 20 miles south, and Devil's Den is just a little further south. I just think its reputation may be slightly overrated, but coming from Houston? You should be thrilled. Just don't miss out on other options along the way.

As far as Ouachita, the Womble Trail is an IMBA Epic. I plan on hitting it sometime this summer. If you make it that far north, you should definitely consider tying in something in the Ozark NF (haven't ridden there either, but lots of options) or heading up to Bentonville for some riding.

 

Anyone know anything about vitus bikes? Looking at the nucleus, best bang for the buck as far as I can tell.

 

Had a look.......neither of the 29er versions of the nucleus are spec'd very well. The others seem decently spec'd depending on model. Shipping might make them less bang for buck coming from UK tho.

 

I would agree, none spec'd well -- at least not any better than you can get locally for same or less. The Sentier VRS+ looks pretty good, but again -- you can get a Trek or Specialized locally with as good of a spec and probably even cheaper.

 

Short bed problems.

 

Nucleus 275 VR HT Bike - Shimano Altus 2018

• Chainset: Suntour XCM, 170mm, 36Tx22T
• Bottom Bracket: Square taper 118mm
• Shifters: Shimano Altus SL-M2000 Rapid Fire Plus, 9-Speed
• Front Derailleur: Microshift MD-462B, 34.9mm Band
• Rear Derailleur: Shimano Altus RD-M2000, Shadow Design
• Cassette: Shimano CS-HG200, 11T-32T, 9-Speed
• Chain: KMC Z99, 9-Speed

Wheelset:

• Rims: WTB ST i25 TCS (tubeless ready), 27.5”
• Front Hub: KT-MD7F, 100mm x QR, disc brake 6-bolt
• Rear Hub: KT-MD4R, 135mm x QR, disc brake 6-bolt
• Tyres:
  • Front: WTB Vigilante Comp, High grip compound, 27.5” x 2.3”
  • Rear: WTB Trail Boss, 27.5” x 2.25”

Components:

• Front Brake: Tektro HD-M290 Hydraulic Disc Brake – 160mm rotor
• Rear Brake: Tektro HD-M290 Hydraulic Disc Brake – 160mm rotor
• Handlebars: Vitus Riser Bar, 6061 Double Butted Alloy, 15mm Rise, 740mm Wide
• Headset: FSA NO.57B, 1.1/8”-1.5”, Zero Stack
• Stem: Vitus, 3D Forged 6061-T6 Aluminium, +/- 6° Rise, 60mm extension
• Saddle: Vitus
• Seatpost: Vitus Alloy, 15mm offset, 31.6mm x 400mm
• Seatclamp: Vitus QR

Weight: 13.9kg/30.6lbs

This comes to about 649.00 with shipping. This is the only bike I can find new with air shock. The components can replaced as they break. I can’t find a bike locally with an air front shock for less than 800.00 here in Dallas.

 

• Frame: Mechanically formed 6061-T6 Aluminium
• Forks: Suntour XCR LO-R 27.5”, Air Spring with Pre-Load Adjustment, Hydraulic Speed Lock-Out with Rebound Damping Adjustment, tapered Alloy Steerer, 120mm Travel, 9mm QR

If you guys have any better options I am open to suggestions.

 

I'd have long bed problems trying to haul my Stache 7 like that, lol.......

 

At the local shops, you don't have to pay MSRP. I always offer 15% lower, sometimes get it, sometimes only 10%. And you usually get tune ups for free for some period.

Trek Marlin 7, MSRP $749, much better fork, everything else equivalent:
https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/...ikes/marlin/marlin-7/p/17382/?colorCode=black

 

Most local shops rip you off nowadays. I always tell riders to build a relationship with a small shop
that isn't tied to a big brand and can work on pricing. As a ex pro racer I hate seeing people ripped
off from bike shops. When I walk into shops and see MSRP pricing on bikes I just shake my head.
I never paid for a bike until I was in my 40's and it was painful to do. I know shops have to make money
to stay open but just don't rip people off.

 

I do like my local shops here in NC but Sun and Ski always has great sales and usuallly carry a decent inventory of bikes to choose from. Check them out in the Dallas area.

I have bought bikes from local shops, Sun and Ski, and have built my own. A deal can be found at all 3 if patient.

 

What I have seen is that their prices on parts are ridiculously high -- like pedals for example. You can always find a better deal online, and lots of people don't know that. I like establishing a relationship with a local shop. While I do the majority of my own work (when I took a bike in for my "free tuneup," the guy put it on the stand and did some checking and said he wouldn't let anyone touch it), occasionally you may need that relationship for certain things. My main pivot bolt was loose, and I snapped the nut tightening it -- they replaced it as a warranty issue. A friend that buys used bikes (and can't do his own maintenance) just paid more for a tune up than he did for the bike. Yes, kind of a rip off, but a lot of that expense may have been avoidable if he had an established relationship. Purchasing a bike from them goes a long way to establishing that relationship. But again, don't pay MSRP. It's just like a car. Their markup is huge, which is necessary to stay in business, but they still make decent money if they give you a 20% discount. You can always walk out. Moving a bike and making a small profit is better than making zero -- especially on mainstream bikes that are not in high demand. Even the higher demand ones can be had for a discount -- they may get grumpy, but they know that something is better than nothing and you have a choice.

As far as piecing one together yourself, you can typically end up with a great build if you shop sales, but once you get into the higher end stuff it is really hard to beat what the big brands offer as a package. I purchased a Remedy 8 late last year, and there is no way I could have pieced that together for the price I paid, great component set for the price.

 

My LBS gets cables/housing/cable ends/tubes now and then/skratch randomly and maybe an odd and very random service thing to remove something I didn't have tool for but not much else because mark-ups like has been stated. Everything can be had online cheaper.......unless you have a family member working at a shop and you can get a whole bike at their cost which equaled about 33% off of retail in my case.

 

My lbs suck so bad. I do everything online and all my own work now. If I don't have the tool I buy what I need or go in on it with riding buddies to help cut the cost down.

 

I started off on a 2010 Trek Marlin. Great starter bike. Still have it, just don't ride it much since i got my fate bike.

 

My 2017 Intense Tracer and my current build of my bike room! Just a small sample size!

 

Thats a sweet little set up

 

Thanks, I was a little bummed at first when they previous owners converted the garage into an extra living space but now I really love it ha ha. Still have some work to be done but so far love it. I’m also loving the Tracer. It’s not the best DH bike I’ve ridden (Mega Trail) and it’s not the best climber (Yeti SB6) but it’s the best of both those worlds where I don’t feel like I’m lacking in any one department.

 

How do you like the gladiator bike hanger setup? would you get it again?

 

Nice. Thats how I feel about my Kona Process in that im very satisfied in all its capabilities...