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

It’s unreal when they’re the same suspension design or even same suspension class.

 

I raced the same Cannondale CAAD9 for well over a decade in Cat1. A couple of groupsets and various sets of wheels but it served me quite well and told me, and many I raced against, that bikes don't win races. I eventually moved to disc and replaced it but still use it quite often as a travel bike 20 years after it was made.

I've been racing road since I was 14. So about 22 years. I'm on my 5th road bike. Ha. I've been racing the same track bike for 13 years. I'm a bit slow to get something new but the bikes haven't changed as much as manufacturers may have you believe. Other than frame clearance the geometry on my new bike is exactly the same, to the milometer, as my 12 year old CAAD 9.

Mountain bikes have improved drastically however. I can see going through a few of those. But I feel like I'll be riding my Instinct for quite some time. I think geometry has largely settled down and advancements going forward won't be as revolutionary as they have been in the past.

 

I didn't make it this year - I'm on the opposite end of the state. I did it in '18 and agree it was a blast - I'm not really into the competitive racing scene and I thought it was an awesome way to ride 50 miles of well-marked singletrack in a day, complete with aid stations. I'll be standing on my "refresh" button this spring when registration opens for '22.

 

Totally agree. If I were looking for another 120mm trail bike, there'd be no practical reason to replace my four year old Mach 429 Trail yet.

 

I've been contemplating going down to the Dakota Five-O from Manitoba in 2022. I've never been to SD and it looks like a good reason to visit.

 

Heck yeah! We’ll make it a mini TW meet-up. I’ll have a group of friends there; you’re welcome to hang out with us all weekend if you come without a crew of your own.

 

I'm still on a 2018 Yeti SB5+, 27.5 with 2.8" tires.

Lots of upgrades, 160mm Fox36 front fork, DPX2 out back, DT350 hubs, Code RSC brakes, OneUp bar/stem, etc etc...

I find it's fun to keep throwing mods/upgrades at the bike so it feels fresh all the time. Probably not a wise financial decision, but it's also not killing me.

160/127 bike is too much and too heavy for Charlotte, I want something like a 140/120 29er, but nothing is a perfect fit yet. I have Achilles surgery coming up around the first of the year, hoping Yeti releases something else towards the end of 2022 and I can get rid of this for something new.

 

A buddy of mine visited Peru and rode down there. He had a blast! Obviously, idk what the scam to not scam ratio is but he loved it. Went with a local rider so...yeah.

But....they're a different color scheme so it's better! right?

 

I don't know if it's a scam or not. Seems like it could be a legit thing. But I can see why it would be fishy as well.

I know there is a lot of trails there. A friend of mine works in Peru every now and then and takes his bike. Says the riding (and the country) are amazing.

There are lots of videos on youtube if you search. Looks amazing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TAlCbg2h_c

 

I know a guy who get’s 4 different bikes a year, given he’s a business owner and I’m assuming successful in his field of expertise.
He keeps the local stores happy and he’s an honest genuine guy, if I could bring myself to do it I’d do it, but other things I want as well.

 

I’ve owned eight bikes since I got my first bike for Christmas, 1964. So that’s an average of about seven years each. Of course I still have two of them, a 2014 Trek road bike and a 2105 Santa Cruz Tallboy. Everything I read says the Tallboy is obsolete, specifically the geo, but I love it, and it’s held up well with probably 5 or 6000 miles on it. Doesn’t stop me from hankering for something new however.

 

If you love it then it's the right bike.

1x and a slacker head-tube would be the only serious improvements. I wouldn't call it obsolete at all just a bit dated. Still a 100% rideable bike.

 

I love my Cutthroat for the same reason. It’s just more comfortable and chill to ride. I ride it on pavement, and I can push it a bit but it’s not much fun trying to keep up with a few on the road bikes, or even the skinny tire gravel bikes. But, for what I want it for, it’s perfect. The gravel roads in New Mexico aren’t necessarily smooth, so the 2.2” tires actually are perfect plus they can eat up the sandy areas better than the skinny gravel tires.

I just added my first bag, well, second I guess as my wife made me a frame bag a few months back. But added a Revelate Mag-2000 to it. I’m hoping next summer/fall I can talk a few buddies into doing some overnighters with me.

What model are you riding and do You have any upgrades on it? I’m running the GRX 600, only change I’ve made is the seat with a Specialized Power Expert saddle. But really enjoy this bike and the adventure rides I been on it since I got it back in June.

 

Mine's the top-of-the-line model from the last year of the Gen1 Cutthroat... SRAM Force groupset, DT Swiss wheels, carbon bars, etc. The end-of-season / end-of-generation discount put this model within reach of my budget, back when "bike shops trying to unload extra bikes" was a thing. I haven't changed much besides the saddle and general wear items / maintenance. This picture is from the finish line of a two-day ride on a 108-mile gravel rails-to-trails route called the Mickelson Trail in the Black Hills of western SD... I rode 230 miles in those two days. Since this photo was taken I've added a full frame bag, which I never remove... it's like having a "trunk" on my bike, I love it and I don't have any issues with it rubbing on my knees or catching crosswinds.

I'm glad to hear your Gen2 is serving you well... a couple of people in town have them but I haven't ridden one myself to really get a feel for the difference. Do they still put the Tour Divide map on the downtube?

 

yeah....if i were more successful, i'm sure i would have a more regular schedule. but i'd also be buying a shit load of other things. lol.

 

what frame bag do you have?

i have a blackburn and a jannd i think.

the jannd was the first one i found back when i thought only revelate designs made them. it works but is kinda flimsy and can sway a bit if im pedaling hard. this attaches to the top tube and down tube with straps and a sort of friction clip thing.

the blackburn feels like it has thicker material and holds it shape better. this attaches to the top tube, down tube, and seat tube if i remember right. but these straps are velcro. the velcro has messed up quite a few of my bib shorts with it catching my bibs and kind of pulling at the material. its only on one leg and happens mostly when im stopped and put a foot down (kinda why i started track standing at lights and it looks cool).

 

My full frame bag (not in the photo) was made by Rogue Panda. It has a map pocket on the left which is great for my phone, keys, chap stick, kleenex, etc. The main compartment is divided into a top and bottom half, with a removable velcro divider in between. It bolts onto the water bottle mounts on the down tube and seat tube, with paracord over the top tube so there's no exposed velcro on the outside. It takes a while to put on and take off, but honestly I've never had a reason to take it off.

The half bag in the photo was made by Revelate Designs. I got it secondhand from a friend. It's fine, but not as nice as the Rogue Panda bag.

 

Ha! Great photo! And that’s a serious ride man! 230 in two days! Excellent! I ride my Cutt everywhere, road, trail and gravel. It can really do it all! My 2021 is similar color, with the red slash on the top - really reminds me of a Cutthroat trout with the red slash gills. And yes, still have the TD map on the down tube. Is pretty cool to have that on there. Living in New Mexico, I plan on riding portions of the trail at some point. Just need to find a buddy or two, or get up the courage to do this on my own.

 

Lol, yuuupp.
I swear, every time I want to get a bike I’m like, “There’s NO REASON to spend over 5k. Who needs carbon frames, rims, and bars?! Hubs are fine as long as they’re modern, and SLX is perfect! Besides, I like black more than Kashima.”

Then I proceed to convince myself of each upgrade slowly, eventually realizing I squashed every one of my plans…

Not complaining.

 

Me buying a bike: