Looking back over my bike fund spreadsheet, there's a lot of action to cover in my usual bike churn. More than usual, even. I don't write here much anymore, but sometimes it's useful for me to track my history and collect my thoughts about what has passed through the garage.
With the addition of the Rapide from my last post, I sold my Ragley Marley (cheap-ish) to my buddy Marc, trying to consolidate my moutain bike fleet down to boost wheeled 29ers. I had a lot of good rides on the Marley, and no real complaints with it, but the churn is relentless. I credit the Marley with opening up my eyes to the newer geo bikes, and how well they can work:
I mentioned in my previous post that I picked up a VO Neutrino, but there was both buyer's and seller's remorse here--it went back to the previous owner a few months later:
I really can't find the point of a small wheeled bike that doesn't fold. Maybe if I lived in a 600 square foot apartment, but I have a roomy garage.
The next month, I sold the Marin Nicasio I had built from the frame up. It was OK, but also nothing special. Henry rode this for a while, but once he had his driver's license, he was pretty much done with bikes:
In September (of 2022, mind you, my blog is that back loaded), I ordered up a custom color Handsome Devil. I was missing a 700c rim braked crossy frame than can be run as a fixed gear, and they were on sale:
It was a nice riding bike, but doomed because at 60cm, the largest size it came in, it was still a size or two too small for me. I should know better, but sometimes I try to will something to work when it clearly won't.
Keeping to my idea of a boost 29er fleet, I picked up this Ragley Big Wig frame from the Pinkbike classifieds. It should be like a steel, 29er version of my Ragley, right?
It handled fine, but based on the Marino and the Big Wig, I now have a theory of modern steel trail mountain bikes: they don't work. Too stiff. Too heavy. They don't have the flex of a good steel frame, so why not make it out of aluminum that's lighter and cheaper and rides at least as well?
I picked up this Titus Silk Road frame on a black Friday sale last year for ridiculously cheap:
Built up with a random collection of cheap parts, it was a great riding bike. At some point, though, I decided it wasn't right for my riding--too much for riding around town, not enough for mountain biking. I halfheartedly tried to sell it until I looked around one day and realized Sam had outgrown his old bike, and he could fit on this... so he inherited it. I'd like to say owning a titanium framed/carbon forked wonder bike has turned him into a dedicated rider bike, but that's not to be. He does ride it a bit more than his previous bike, though. That's something. And if he ever gets tired of it, I already kind of want it back.
I've had four or five Rivendells up to this point in my life. I grew up (bike wise) reading the classic Bridgestone catalogs in college, and I really appreciate Grant's philosophy for Rivendell. But a lot of his bikes have never clicked for me. Including this Rosco Platypus I bought new:
It was a wonderful color, a great looking, functional bike, but one of the slowest feeling bikes I've ever ridden. The kind of ride where you stop to make sure a brake pad wasn't dragging.
True story: I was riding the Rosco home from the library, trudging up a hill alongside Dublin road, when I got passed by an older guy on an old, squeaky mountain bike with one of those huge gel tractor seats. That it my enduring image of my time with the Rosco.
I don't learn lessons about Rivs, and I don't learn my lessons about fat bikes, either. I bought a Giant Yukon fat bike off the PB classifieds in time for last winter:
...which I can't even find a picture of. It was nice enough: big 27.5 wheels, hydro disc brakes, nice aluminum frame with a carbon fork. It fit well, but those fat tires are like boat anchors. Almost as slow as a Rosco Plat. It wouldn't even last through the winter.
edit: I found one picture of the Yukon:
That winter, I sold the Rosco, Big Wig, Yukon, the Vitus Rapide, and even the Bike Friday tandem:
To replace the mountain bikes, I picked up a nicely priced On One Scandal, brand new from England:
GX 12 speed, Sram brakes, Pike fork... it was a great spec, good geo, but another bike that didn't click with me, even with a dropper added. Too much new tech outside my comfort zone. It was sold by the spring, along with the Handsome Devil.
Still on the lookout for a hardtail to replace my Marley, I tried a used Salsa Timberjack frame, built up very old school with cable brakes and friction shifting:
Turns out, friction shifting kind of stinks on a hard charging mountain bike, and despite my complaints about the too low bottom bracket on my Vitus Mythique, the Timberjack felt too high. The frame was originally designed for 27.5 wheels, but the generous clearance allow you to fit big 29er wheels like I did. Just because you can, doesn't mean you should.
I quickly flipped the TJ frame and impulse bought an NS Eccentric aluminum frame:
I've had the NS for several months now, and it's a nice bike. Nicely finished, handles well, no real vices at all. I'm sure I'll find some reason to dump it, but with the bike market so soft right now, I'm in no hurry. I might try it with a carbon fork this winter.
This summer, I also sold my Xootr Swift to loyal customer John (who has also purchased my Dahon, Ritchey, Raleigh Technium, Handsome Devil, and maybe something else I forgot).
The Xootr was a fun bike, but ultimately too small for me.
If you're a loyal reader/stalker, you will realize this leaves me with four bikes:
- NS Bikes Eccentric hardtail 29er, shown above.
- Vitus Mythique full suspension 29er, though this has been on loan to my brother all summer:
- Bike Friday Crusoe folder, though it's a pretty frustrating bike to fold to throw into the car for a casual ride. But it's such a nice riding bike, it keeps its spot. The less I fold it, the more I like it:
- 1984 Trek 610, converted to a 650b with a VO fork to give better braking:
The Trek is a nice riding bike, smooth and responsive, especially on the 38mm Pari Motos, and it has far and away my most ride time this season. I had it set up fixed initially, but the bottom bracket is just too low with the 650b conversion. So of course now I'm on the hunt for a 700c rim braked crossy frame than can be run as a fixed gear.
