All Things Bikes and Tacos! (...and every vehicle imaginable)

14 days to Pisgah...

 

I have bad news. My mom has scheduled her retirement party that Saturday...I can't skip it obviously. @paleh0rse what's your paypal? I'll pay my chunk of course

 

ahhhh! damnit, Momz!

pm sent.

 

Check out these mail order bikes. Appear to be nearly identical designs to Mondraker just with another decal. There's actually a ton of value in these things. I'm considering one of the DH bikes, so many options!

http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/29er_bikes.htm#fs29er

 

I have an older "cyclocross" bike from Bikes Direct that is a decent enough aluminum rig for fucking around on gravel and fireroads. That said, I would not recommend their full suspension offerings to anyone. Ever. There is just way too much that can go wrong on a DH rig, so I would never put my life in the hands of the cheapest knock-off suspension designs and frames on the market.

 

But the forks even say "Gravity on them". Downhill stallion for sure! once anyways...

 

I disagree. Did you look at them? They're proven suspension linkages and probably a very good chance these are identical designs to many "boutique" brands.

http://www.bikesdirect.com/products...ain-bikes/downhill-mountain-bikes-shimano.htm
http://www.bikesdirect.com/products...lboost-s12-pro-29er-enduro-mountain-bikes.htm

Mondraker

Bikes Direct

 

Bikes Direct vs Kona

 

Would anyone be interested in buying my YT Jeffsy AL? It’s got some upgrades...

Fox36 factory fork 150mm
Stock fox dps rear shock
Fox factory transfer dropper
Sram XX1 drivetrain with the NX cranks
Magura MT5 brakes

Looking to get 3,500 and split shipping. Here’s the spin.

If you wanted... I could swap the drivetrain to brand new never ridden shimano XTR 1x11 if you paid full asking price. And also throw in unused sram code rsc brakes and unused 200 mm centerline rotors. Will also install new tires onto the wheels from the bike I am purchasing

I basically want the new AL Capra. Want to keep my old drivetrain and brakes. You’ll betting all of the new parts from the Capra and my upgraded Jeffsy.

My frame is new as of March. Fork is 2 months old. Dropper is 2 months old. Will include the water bottle and extra cage and extra bottles.


Or you can keep my xx1 if you really wanted it, its used vs brand new and never ridden

 

I agree with the great and reliable honda here. The bikes he has specified due indeed mimic the designs of many of the bigger named boutique brands as his examples show. That DH rig has a moderately built set of components that will likely suffice for the average to slightly picky rider although its build intent is budget as a priority and is very similar to my old NS fuzz. I think where folks can get into danger are the cheapest budget bikes they sell as some of those designs look late 90's and who knows how well tested the "gravity" line is for these specific bikes.

If I was looking to get into MTB I would def check out one of these builds as worst case you can get a quick collection of mediocre, but up to date parts. I have a fleet of about 6 different bikes and all of them are older than 2016, but the tech on them is solid enough to work for me and they have been robust enough to handle the bike parks without worry. I think unless you are looking specifically for something new and cutting edge, then most bikes in the last few years will work great which these bikes all seem to harness good designs of the 2014-2018 timeframe.

Lastly, if you arnt sure with these bikes...you could always creep on the PB if you want aluminum and buy used, when it comes to carbon I get scared about being a second owner just cause the warranty wont transfer which could be a bummer should a rock penetration occur.

 

This is a crisp rig man, hope the Capra lives up to the hype to let this gem go.

 

Thanks man! To be honest, I dont know if anyone would be wanting to buy an aluminum trail bike with fancy parts. IF I find the right buyer, it will go, but I have no problem keeping it. I just REALLY like the limited edition capra lol

 

That raw look is pretty great. Love how they are marketing it as 'carbon free"

 

Maybe I am just old school as you can see from my older fleet, but is everyone only rocking carbon now a days? I have a carbon nomad and Im always scared of a pedal puncture when shuttling and stuff, there is a piece of mind to having an aluminum frame which is what I tend to go for.

 

I have a carbon stache and bronson, and an alloy dh bike. I like that the carbon frames are lighter, but if I found a good deal on an al bike, I wouldn't hesitate.

Carbon obv doesn't do as well against sharp rocks, etc, but it is much stronger handling the potentially extreme systematic forces a frame would face, like casing a jump johnny cochrane style.

 

Im sure the faster guys probably see these benefits, but IDK man especially for gravity stuff I still prefer alum.

 

Tempting...

 

Haha I love it. Its like theyre trying to be carbon neutral hahaah

I am in the firm camp of never owning a carbon bike. Aluminum just feels a little safer to me even though modern carbon is supposed to be stronger

 

Dooooo iiiitttt!!! Im basically going to throw all of the new parts from the Capra with the jeffsy and send it on its way for you. I work for fedex so we get a discount on shipping too. Boom!

well probably need to get some freehub drivers to make the cassettes work but outside of that it should be all good

 

I have the old Dakine bag, and it's great. Large main compartment, lined pockets on the ends (one for helmet, one for shoes/pads), two large mesh pockets inside (socks, gloves), two small zipped pockets outside (tools, snacks, lubes). Durable as hell, it's near 7 years old and gets used heavily.

I do think you're right about that. BUT, my money will always go to manufacturers who push and support the sport. That money goes right back into the industry, making better bikes, parts, trails, and supporting people who support the sport. We're a small group, and we should do what we can to keep small shops and solid bike companies in business.
At least that's my take.

Listen man, I've broken a lot of shit. But I've never broken anything carbon that wouldn't have nuked anything aluminum. Carbon is much stronger than aluminum. The only advantage to aluminum is that it won't shear under extreme failure. Carbon frames can also be easily (and cheaply) fixed if dented. Anything that would dent carbon would destroy an AL frame, which cannot be fixed.
That said, AL is still an awesome material to build frames from, and wouldn't hesitate to rock one. But the old myths about carbon being brittle or unsafe are silly. If you like AL, awesome. But don't buy AL because you're afraid of carbon.
**I'm talking about quality carbon here. Not the cheap stuff.