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

I have been running a pad since new. No scratches from pad or tires. The 2 bikes to the right in mogtaco's post are downhill bikes with huge travel and super slack front head tube angle, so they sit really low on the pad.

 

No issues from scratching or denting the gate. Also, the front wheel never hits the bumper. I run a variety of bikes, mostly XC and DH mountain bikes. I was worried about damage too, but the race face pad fits really well and is generously padded. You can even lower the tailgate without pinching the pad or gate. The biggest risk is to your carpet and seats: Getting dirty from so many dirty riders in and out!

 

Getting the interior muddy isn't typically a problem for us. Usually just me and the wife and the kids (the wheeled variety) in the back. Just looking for something solid. I'd hate to scratch up the truck, or the carbon frames...

 

That HT looks sweet. What is it?

 

that silver sky is the sex....

 

has anyone tried using a Rocky Mounts drive shaft or similar and mounted their bike ACROSS the bed? If so, what size bike was it?
Thanks in advance

 

Ha, no worries. I should put the info in the signature. 265/75/16s with 2" front and rear lift.

 

Its not in my truck but here is a pic of my 16' Santa Cruz Hightower with plus tires, tons of fun

 

Please [don't] tell me how much fun this bike is... over the years I've migrated from my old Bullit, then to a 2013 Nomad, now I have a 2015 Bronson.... you can see the pattern. Do you see the hightower as a bike you could take to the park (i.e. whistler) and still shred the mountain? What about jumping? Does it handle well in the air? I know it handles the trail & climbs like a banshee, but I really like how the Bronson can really handle big-bike terrain. Any downsides to the plus-sizes tires?


Palisades trail, just west of Chinook Pass, WA.

I should probably attach a photo of the truck that brought the Bronson to the mountains in this photo...


Chinook Pass, WA.

 

I just ordered mine to do this. I have a tri fold tonneau cover so when the cover is up, I will mount it to the side rail. My mtn bike is a 19.5 inch, so a bit larger. I'll post more when I get the mount.

 

When I first bought the truck I had my Rockymounts Loball Track mounted to the side rail, but it only really fit aft of the wheel wells. My bike has a 54cm frame with 700c wheels. Not sure what the length of that would be from fork to rear tire.

I then bought a third rail and moved the mount to the front, which works much better imho. After I took this picture I switched the locking handle to the driver side, which makes it easy to load and lock the bike down without jumping into the bed.

 

it is a Chromag, made outside of Whistler, BC. awesome bike! i love it.

 

I'm looking at the Santa cruz Bronson carbon as well. All of my research says this is the one bike that can climb like a billy goat and still shred some hard stuff! Were in seattle are you? I grew up in freemont. I used to ride tiger a ton and friends say its changed a bit. Also it was kinda a speak easy but exit 27 was pretty sick not sure if you've explored these areas.

 

@ccallen , after 3 years on the Bronson, I can say that your research is correct. It climbs extremely well for how much bike it is. I've been to Whistler with it several times, and I'm comfortable on the biggest runs. It's amazing. I live in Ravenna, but I'm in Fremont all the time! Small world. Tiger is a playground now (in a good way). Incredible trail-building community out there. Exit 27 is still speak-easy, but Evergreen MTB Alliance is in the process of gaining legal access to all that, so much so that they have started building trails that would go between tiger & exit 27 for when they eventually gain access to that area.

At the moment, I'm extremely intrigued by a steel 27.5+ hardtail. Mostly for winter/xc riding, and maybe some bike-packing. I'm looking at the 2017 Kona Honzo St, Cotic Solaris 2, Chromag Primer+, and Advocate Hayduke. 65-67 deg head angles, short chainstays, etc.

Here's the steed @ the top of tiger:

 

Check out the Spot Rocker. They're out of Golden, CO and make one seriously nice bike. Here's a really poor photo of mine with only minor upgrades sitting next to my dad's Spot Honey Badger.

 

That's awesome! I'm hoping to head that way for Thanksgiving, sounds like I'm going to need to bring the bike. Loved the Ravenna neighborhood btw, I miss the wing dome after a long ride! Thanks for the info we might have to hook up a whistler trip in the future!
Cheers!

 

Those Specialized of that generation are indestructible. I have the same color Rock-Hopper Pro.

 

Your Rocker looks sweet! I looked at that frame once, and noticed the head angle is 68 ish/ I was hoping for something a little slacker, around 66-67. How well does it descend & feel in tight cornering? Thanks for the tip!

 

It is, and though that was one of my concerns, I feel totally comfortable riding that thing down anything I take my all mountain full suspension (Spot Rollik) down. It corners awesome too. I'd say that overall I'm perfectly happy with the HTA as it is. If it were slacker I think it would begin to suffer on the climbs, as 68 for hardtails seems to be a good sweet spot.

 

Okay thanks, that's good to know. I'm digging that bike... however it's a bit pricey for steel, $1200 for the frame? Even Ritchey doesn't get that expensive... I wonder if I called their office in Golden if they have any deals, as I doubt there is a used market for these.