Fleet Update IX

I had intended this to be a series of posts, one for each bike, since I haven't written anything in some time. But after a month, that still isn't happening, so I'm back to my regular format when I need to hammer some bike stuff down.

As always, I'm listing my bikes from most to least favorite, at this moment:

1. Jones LWB

The photo above was taken during a very pleasant Friday off work to ride Chestnut Ridge (and get the title transferred on our new Pilot, but that's another story). It looks very much like my typical Jones build: 29+ knobbies, 11 speeds, Jones bend type bar (actually a Soma Osprey knock off). But a few weeks ago, it was quite different:

I had the idea that since I like riding my Jones so much, and since most of my mileage was putzing around town, I should bring those two together, like chocolate and peanut butter:

Big slicks, a basket to carry books and groceries, Jones Loop bars, a lower bottom bracket setting, and a 34t ring from my bin transformed my Jones from single track terror to city slicker. Even a kick stand! Though turns out this kickstand was crap:

The Soma chainstay clamp on kickstand can't actually hold up a bike. Best to avoid this one:

Sharp eyes might have noticed the mismatched tires. The front is a fat and supple Schwalbe Super Moto, one of a pair I bought used. The rear had a broken bead, which turned out to be the source of a consistent thump. I figured this city build wouldn't last long, so I dug out this old WTB Vulpine rather than invest in a new tire.

As a city cruiser, the Jones did great. Fast, smooth, and comfortable. But I missed having it as a mountain bike, so it's wearing knobbies again. 

Which brings us to my current city bike:

2. Dahon Speed 7

I'm still enjoying this one, even attempting some easy singletrack I found in Michigan:

I've played around with different bars on the Dahon, but I found most would slip in the special Dahon stempost clamp. I'm back to using the stock flat bars with bar ends. Those don't slip, and work well enough, but I do miss this chance to tinker. 

My initial vow to not spend any money on the Dahon has long since slid by the wayside, as I've added to my $200 purchase price with:

- new tires (two sets)

- new pedals (two sets)

- fenders

- Litepro crank from Aliexpress (just $30!)

But I don't begrudge spending this money, as I've put the most miles on my Dahon of any of my bikes this summer. It's nice to have something always ready to go.

Still, my consumerist nature is always twitching, and I'm getting more serious about a Bike Friday to replace this one.  Probably a Diamond Llama to fit some bigger rubber for that Michigan singletrack. I would still keep the Dahon around though, justifying it as a future bike for the kids. Or something.

3. Surly Karate Monkey

For a long time, this was my platonic ideal of a mountain bike: rigid, steel, 29er, single speed. But lately, it seems every ride on the KM is mostly painful. I'm not in the shape for single speeding that I used to be in, and the handling and plushness of the Jones have spoiled me for the Surly's older fit. It's not worth much, so it mostly hangs in the rafters these days. It's cheaper to keep it around, rather than sell it and buy something just like it a year from now. I'm trying to get smarter about this, but it's hard when the downsizing bug hits. Anyway, Henry likes it and rides it sometimes. At the rate he's growing, he'll need a bigger frame from his current bike in a year or two:

4. Trek Fuel EX 

Which brings us to my first Trek: this is a fun enough bike to ride, especially on really choppy, rooty trails where you can't move around the bumps:

I'm learning when to use the dropper. I've upgraded the flexy X fusion fork with a stout Suntour Aion, and I'm often running big B+ rubber. That being said, I haven't really warmed up to the Trek. Maybe it's almost too plush and capable, and makes stuff too easy? I plan on selling it to raise some Bike Friday money. 

It might get replaced by a smaller wheeled, more XCish full suspension bike someday, in the vein of the only full suspension bikes that I've owned that I actually miss: my Pro Flex 857, '03 Specialized Epic, or '04 FSR. Or maybe I look back on those fondly because I was 15 years younger then.

5. 1986 (?) Trek 400

About twice a year, I get in the mood for an oldish road bike. They're cheap, can ride well, and are readily available. I thought this drop barred, skinny tired Trek would be a nice change of pace from my other rides.

But I quickly grew tired of the drops, and the gears came off at the same time:

A flipped over Surly Open Bar and a fixed gear shaped things up, and it inherited the basket off my Jones. 

But.

The basket is too flexy with the long Wald struts, giving an unsettling vagueness to the front end. Like when your tire is almost flat.

Skinny tires feel different, but mostly just harder and bumpier. The bike rides smoothly, until a bump bigger than an inch or so comes along, like a driveway lip. Then it needs some attention to avoid a hard hit.

The bars are a big improvement over drops. My interest in drops is... dropping.

I'm still not in the shape for single speeding. Today's library ride was more of a plod. Actually, most of my rides on this bike have been plodding. Maybe the cheap Continental tires are holding me back, though I think these are the same models that felt fine on my old Raleigh Technium. 

I may try to sell this one, but that means cutting out the stuck seatpost, and then investing in a new seat post. Unless I find another rider that needs a 32" seat height. Like the Surly, it's not worth much, but unlike the Surly, I don't have any emotional investment in keeping it around.