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

Bummer. South of ATL they don’t GAF.

 

Not all coils are the same, just like not all air shocks are the same. Look for what you like, make sure your frame plays nice with coil shocks in the first place. That said, the new RockShox SDU is excellent. Push, even better. Though the cost evaluation really depends on the rider.
From your post, you sound like someone who will love the switch. I run both, horse for courses and all that...
Average climb is about 2,500-3,500 ft. for me.

Same here in SLC. No issues ever.

 

Depends on the bike, the shock and your riding style.

In my experience pedal bob between air and coil doesn’t change when the shocks are setup similarly. I think most people complain about pedal bob with coil because they usually have to choose between spring rates. If you have to choose between a 400lb and 450lb spring, but should be on a 425lb spring then most people choose the 400lb because it’s not as harsh. Or if they choose the 450lb, they have to back off compression dampening to compensate for the stiffer spring.

Obviously with air you can really dial in your spring rate.

Personally, I ride where it’s rocky as hell and the additional traction of a coil is better for climbing and negates any additional pedal bob from any spring/dampening compromise I’ve made.

With a really good/tuned shock you can probably get a coil that rides how you want all the time but getting there may be a process.

 

Coil shock, never heard of her.

 

Actually, the LEO was pretty cool. He pulled me over at 430am, walked up to my truck, saw that I had a valid GA tag behind the rack, and said, I was gtg. I got the plate holder from 1Up anyway because no one needs that hassle. I should've gotten the same for the CA rig. Lesson learned.

 

Yesterday in Woodstock, GA and today in Napa, CA.

 

Did the massanutten hoo ha enduro today and man was that a good time. Probably the most fun I’ve had on a bike in a while. The first climb was killer with a decent stage 1 follow by a slightly less killer climb to some classic Virginia slow tech ridge line riding to stage 2. Stage 2, 3, 4 and 5 were a solid mix of Rocky technical riding with a lot of hand laid rock bridges or whatever they are called. Stage 6 was some mostly fall line trail where you could basically go brake less the whole time minus some tight turns. Then stage 7 it fell apart and I burped a tire and lost all the air in the front with like 2 miles left. I coasted/ran the bike the rest of the way. I was annoyed because I thought I did really well the rest of the day and thought that stage was going to be fast. We will see what my results were when they send them out.

the spire is absolutely the perfect bike for me though. Super stable at speed and it can hit rock gardens at full speed. I was hitting some rocks at speeds I’d never think of on other bikes I’ve owned. It also jumps super nice, im not a great jumper so having it feel stable in the air adds some confidence for sure. I locked out the shock twice and honestly didn’t really need it. I just need to dial in the fork because I didn’t use about 1-1.5inches of travel for most of the race.

 

Big bike, big ride, big ouf.. Did 18.5mi today on the Nuke. Not the fastest up the hill but it's happy to spin along. Had so much fun I kept putting in more laps till the legs were toast. This thing is such a pleasure to throw down fast chunk. It wants all the speed and aggression you can throw at it. Doesn't seem to ever get bothered, it'll slap corners and play and pop, or plow at ridiculous speed. I'm loving it!

 

Anyone got any opinions on the saddles REI (or similar) has on sale? Nothing special just a backup for camping bike.

I was looking at the ergon sfc3 since I like their nicer stuff.

 

Got a nice 9 mile 900ft ride in with my 8 year old and his cousins. He led the pack all day while my nieces strolled along haha

 

I dream of riding again. It may not sound like a long time, but since the 7th is a long time for me.
House renovations are sapping all my free time.

 

Had an ok ride yesterday on the hardtail. Went out again today on the full suspension and made it 3 miles in and had the hardest bonk I’ve ever experienced. No energy, perspiring like crazy, trouble thinking straight. Luckily the park we were at has a small bike shop that sells snacks. That shit sucked, lol.

 

Good on ya for getting out. Only managed an after work ride Friday. House chores the rest of the weekend and Murph today I just didn’t have the gas in the tank for a ride.

 

After finding some mud on some un-named trails in Santa Cruz yesterday, I got on a redeye to get a Memorial Day ride in with da Boss at Blanks Creek. Now paying for it.

 

It is a balancing act. Let me know if you figure it out!

 

Today was my 1st day on the MTB since SEPTEMBER! Just had an urge to get out on it today, glad I did, because although it was pathetic... it is a start, and that's the hardest part... right? Please tell me it gets easier.

Brotha... you in good company. Lol. 1.5 miles in, and I was depleted, gassed & seeing purple dots. Constantly cursing the sport, my fitness level, and swearing to quit, turn back & buy an E-Bike. Lol. Tuffed it out, but boy howdy was it lame. 60% riding, 40% hike-a. bike. 4 hrs to cover 6... Maybe 7 miles?

Yall feel free to read this post if ya need a self-esteem boost.

 

Toss a kid in the mix and now you’re really juggling!

 

I wouldnt stop you from ebiking.

Aside from not eating enough for a mid day ride (im ok not eating in the morning), the other thing I changed recently was to a mullet setup. I didnt swap out chainring sizes, so a 30T on a 27.5 rear and im spinning and shifting like mad - its like having a close ratio gearbox.

 

Took a spill this weekend on my local trails - textbook fall that I have done hundred of times before. Front tire washed out coming around a corner and I went down on the low side; as luck would have it there was a rock poking through the debris right where my shin landed and it did a pretty good number on my leg. Got right back up and kept riding without doing an inventory check - the guy I was with said I was bleeding from my leg pretty good. Looked at it, saw a deep gash and decided to pedal about a mile back to the truck - ended up with 6 stitches and a bruised ego.

Guess I need to do a better job with stopping and doing the body check after a crash before hopping right back up and pedaling! The bike has a 2.5 Maxxis DHF in the front and I have had issues with it wanting to washout before. It does well in mud, but on dry sand or on rocks the sidewall grip is minimal at best. My other set of wheels has a 2.6 Specialized Butcher on the front and those stay planted no matter what I do. I guess the moral of the story is when you find a tire that works well with your riding style and trail conditions, stick with it.

 

I lived in NY, CA and CO, met my wife in a mtn bike club and rode 5-6 days per week, raced DH and XC. Moved to MA, rode my mtn bike maybe 12 times in 6 1/2 years. Moved back to CO and back to riding 5-6 times / yr when the snow allows me to, daughter was on the HS mtn bike team for 5 yr. Bought and sold 6 houses during this time and moved 4 times.

Your passions always come back to you, just give it some time.