Taco'd Wheel Ontario Bike Shop (BS talk)

Ok so that puts things into a better perspective in regards of parts.

I did a Hoonigan THIS vs THAT style chart between the 5 & 6 then.
and noticed the L and XL Frame differences between the 80mm vs 90mm is literally just stem length ._.
i thought the seat tube is different too but it's just the stem and i can always swap that out to a new one.

the frames are the same otherwise.


so then it boils down to going wheeling in riding in a marling 5 or 6.
I think the shock example you gave is a little off but it does make sense with that you're getting at.
but;
Marlin 5 8 speed Being OEM gears and tune where gear hunting for the better gear combo is annoying
Marlin 6 10 Being 5.29 Nitro gears and tune is just straight forward.

Marlin 6 might have been justified.
frick you

otherwise, identical bikes.

 

Thats a better analogy. Add to the 8sp that the transmission will routinely pop out of gear (ie. chain falling off much more with 8sp)

 

Another way to think of the money benifit of buy once cry once. The mechanical discs on teh 5 you will be replacing cables once a year if you are riding regularly. More if you go out in bad weather. The power you get out of them will degrade as the cables age and get dirty. This means buying $250-$35 of cable and housing at least every year just for maintenance. The hydraulics, unless there's a failure, you can probably go years between bleeds. Bleeding is a $16 bottle of oil (if mineral otherwise dot3 or 4 for some brakes)

 

the 5 has Hydro brakes.
the Marlin 4 has Cables.

But eyyy, Hydro breaks use Dot4, the same as the truck?


lets goooo

 

Lets call it more info then rather than advocacy for the 6 which the drivetrain reigns supreme.

Those brakes look to be mineral oil. A small bottle at the LBS will still be pretty cheap and good for many bleeds. It looks like a basic open system with reservoir cap so you can bleed them top down just like the truck, or push up from the bottom with a syringe. The big benifit of mineral over dot is that you do not have to worry about corroding off the paint if theres a lead or if you miss a spot cleaning up.

 

Sweet. Whelp now the wait till 5pm for work to finish is gonna be a drag.

 

so new topic

why the hell are fat bikes a thing? i see em time to time, but who thought it was a good idea because it looks fun as frick.

 

They have their place. I think for many the ride anywhere aspect (sand, snow, rocks, etc ) is a big attractor. You also get some free "suspension" in the tires. As with any all rounder the trade off is overall performance, and efficiency in normal trail conditions. The tires are also going to cost you much more to replace, ask @Saturnine . I have limited experience with them but they can be more bouncy over rougher faster terrain as the tires add more undamped spring. As cruising seeds not so much of an issue.

 

ah fair, figured it was a specialty sort of thing, @Saturnine mentioned you ride at like 5PSI and much like a taller sidewall on a smaller rim, the rubber is the suspension.

on a side note; helmets. I forgot about them, anything i should look out for? Again, i rode with cheap $30 buckets from CrappyTire and the only thing i have is a CanAM X1cross bucket

 

Your brain is the most important thing you can protect. All helmets have the same safety ratings but you pay for things like venting, comfort, features and going above minimum standards. They need to be replaced every few years and after a crash. Fit/comfort is a personal thing

 

All helmets will have to meet safety regulations however I do recommend looking for a helmet that has MIPS or a similar feature. What this feature does is allows the helmet to rotate slightly independent of the headgear inside. In an impact reducing the rotational acceleration into your skull goes a long way in reducing concussions, etc... There is data around that confirms this too.

Above all, proper fit is going to go the furthest in providing safety. A helmet that fits well should basically stay on and in place without needing the straps doing the 'holding'.

 

Another safety thing thats often overlooked is good pedals. Most times stock pedals are cheap and do not provide good grip. Its hard to tell from teh pics on trek's website but it looks like the pedals just have molded in pins. This style does not generally provide good grip after sone use as they round over. Replacing them with any pedal that fits your budget but has steel pins or setscrews for grip will go a long way in not slipping off when things get bumpy.

 

They float over sand and snow rather than cutting through like a narrow tire. Low psi let's you roll over things without feeling it as much. It's like being aired down all the time. They're mostly for winter but can be ridden any time (Y tho) and they're easily adapted to fit any size tire - you can set it up for multiple disciplines without too much loss of capability.

 

Figured that to be the case that it's mostly a comfort thing.
But was wondering if shape is still a consideration for mountain biking. Much like the skullcaps/ half helmets only protect half a brain for a meat crayon.

I know of the basic cap helmets, but there was also those 3/4 style BMX buckets lots of people.

Snell, DOT, ECE FIM standards i'm somewhat familiar with being i looked at them while searching for a motorcycle i never got forever ago . but again those are impact safety standards for motocycle helmets.
So MIPS is something to look into as well.

 

The standards you know won't necessarily apply. They're not the same, though DOT can be used, it'll be unecessarily heavier and overkill. They all pretty much cover the same areas of the head so a skate helmet-style will work, there's just less venting and a full-face will work, just less venting and mostly unnecessary. I'd only buy a helmet in person from a bike shop. You don't need a $300 carbon helmet. $100-$180 should be the range you'd need. Try different brands, rather than different models of the same brand - some fit entirely different head shapes. However, if this isn't something you actually want as a hobby, you don't need to go all in.

 

Figured a decent helmet around the $120 mark would be a starting point since safety is something we shouldn't just push aside. was just wondering about general shape and if a BMX style/ skater helmets are still good (yes i understand comfort/ breathability) then it's a point of reference i can work with. Could run my X-1 bucket that i have, Overkill yes, but i know how brutal it is in the summer without airflow over it.

and I'm with you there, also wont buy a bucket if i can't try it (much like most clothing). Only time i have ever bought something like that online would be my 4th pair of Original SWAT Classic 9" boots. which i've been running since highschool.

 

$150 budget you should have no problem finding a decent lid.


All this bike talk today has motivated me for a lake shore ride. My vintage skinnies remembered there being a boardwalk here.

 

and thus the existence of the new thread because we bounced ideas and chat already.

 

I definitely don't need a fourth bike but I definitely googled it anyway