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Thoughts on just about everything from rock-n-roll, sports, kids, to geek speak -- by John Bullock About John Subscribe to this blog  |
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February 2004 March 2004 April 2004 May 2004 June 2004 July 2004 August 2004 September 2004 October 2004 November 2004 December 2004 January 2005 February 2005 March 2005 April 2005 May 2005 June 2005 July 2005 August 2005 September 2005 October 2005 November 2005 December 2005 January 2006 February 2006 March 2006 April 2006 May 2006 June 2006 July 2006 August 2006 September 2006 October 2006 November 2006 December 2006 January 2007 February 2007 March 2007 April 2007 May 2007 June 2007 September 2007 November 2007 December 2007 January 2008 February 2008 |
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Monday, February 27, 2006 |
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Titus Racer X Review | |
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I rode bike number three this past weekend. The first two bikes that I rode and reviewed were the Ellsworth Truth and the Santa Cruz Blur XC. This week I rode the Titus Racer X. The particular version that I had was the 100mm aluminum, although they make several other versions including Exogrid (super cool, super light, super expensive version), Titanium (not quite as light or expensive as the Exogrid but still out of my range) and a version with 29" wheels (most mountain bikes come with 26" wheels). This bike won both Bicycling Magazine's Editors Choice Award and Mountain Bike Review's Best full suspension bike. I also have a friend that owns an older version of the bike with 80mm of travel. I have been able to ride his a couple of times and liked it. Not only does the new version give you the option of 100mm of travel, it is also a quarter of a pound lighter than it's predecessor. Pretty amazing as it was already a very light bike meant for racing if desired. With all this, I had very high expectations for the bike. The first thing I noticed about the bike was it's weight. Although I didn't get to weigh the bike until after I turned it in, it weighed in at 26 pounds. Dang light but even more amazing was that it didn't even have top of the line components that would make it even lighter (unlike the Blur I rode that had the high end components and was also 26 pounds). The reason I noticed the weight first was that I had to put it on and off the roof bike rack of my car. The first I noticed riding the bike was I felt more upright that I was used to with my current bike (GT Zaskar). However, this feeling went away very quickly. I also noticed that the bike seemed a little short for me. However, as I suspected, I spoke with guys at the shop and they could put a longer stem on it to help that feeling. One of the very nice things about buying a bike from the Sports Garage is above a certain price point you get a free custom fitting for your bike. This usually takes a couple of hours and you have to come in on the day of the week when they have the fit guy come in. I believe they have both bike fit equipment and computer software to aid in this. They will ask a lot of questions about riding style and preferences to make sure the bike is setup right for you. Enough about the fit and feel of me on the bike, lets get to the riding and handling characteristics. Although I didn't think it was possible, this bike climbed even better than the Truth. I felt like the only thing holding the bike back on climbs were my feeble legs and lungs (I can tell it is winter time!). I would have to say that this bike climbs like a mountain goat for sure! Descending the bike did very well. Although it probably didn't do it as well as the Truth, I think that is because I ran with more tire pressure than I normally do and did with the Truth. Although I would like to ride it again with lower pressure, this mistake help me make up my mind on another tough decision that I will have to make when I buy my new bike. I had been debating between the weight and cost savings of tubed tires versus durability and performance of tubeless tires. I was leaning towards tubed tires as that is what I have been using and I had concerns about what I would do if something did puncture the tubeless tire. I have decided that I can work around that issue (either with gunk or resorting to a putting a tube in the tubeless in the event of an emergency) to be able to run lower pressure without risk of flatting. In case you don't know, running lower pressure on your bike tires will give you much better traction. During my ride, I rode with the rear shock (Fox RP3) in the wide open position per the recommendation of one of the salesmen. The reason being is that the bike is pretty stiff and firm already so there isn't much of need to stiffen up the shock. I was very happy with this setup. Even when I got off of the saddle and hammered, the bike showed little to no flex when I didn't want it. I've made very little comparison in this review between the Racer X and the Blur as I had already crossed the Blur off my list as it definitely was not in the same league as the Truth. Comparing the Truth to the Racer X, it is hard to find flaws and things to dislike with either bike. However, assuming the fit issues can be addressed, I the Racer X gets the nod over the Truth as the frame is a couple hundred dollars cheaper and half a pound lighter. I also had to admit that the Racer X has a carbon fiber seat stay with adds a cool bling-bling factor for the bike. The whole enchilada.  The backend of the bike. Notice the carbon fiber seat stay (that was the word Titus on it).  Close up of the front end. 
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Apple or Porn Video | |
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The sticker on my apple today reads: "Pink Lady: Firm and Tart" | |
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Friday, February 17, 2006 |
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Shooting Fish in a Barrel | |
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I just couldn't let this article get by without at least one comment. It is about a man who is complaining that he is going to have to register as a sex offender after he gets out of jail for committing sodomy with a sheep. Excuse me, but if you would do that to a sheep, what would stop you from doing it to another person? Not only was this guy convicted of sodomy, he also has "prior convictions for burglary, home invasion and uttering and publishing and was on parole for burglary at the time of the sex crime". A real upstanding type of individual. I know I wouldn't want him living next door to my kids! | |
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Wednesday, February 15, 2006 |
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Microsoft and Security | |
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WTF? Microsoft has been slammed for the past couple of years on their lack of commitment to security but now the EU wants them to leave back doors in their new OS to help the police? That makes a ton of sense. Lets leave a way for hackers to get into the new OS to do what they want. This is a great example of having and eating your cake. It just can't work both ways. | |
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Monday, February 13, 2006 |
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The Future is Blurred | |
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So I got the chance to ride another demo bike. This time I decided to try out the Santa Cruz Blur. It has been a bike that I've had my eye on for several years. The last ride was the Ellsworth Truth which is the other bike that was at the top of my list after test rides behind the shop and lots of research. I had ridden the Blur behind the bike shop as well. When I went in to get the demo bike I talked with another customer. He recently bought a new Blur LT (Long Travel (vs. XC - Cross Country)) and was raving about how good it is which made we want to ride it even more. The only problem was that the bike did not live up to all the hype and my expectations. I was pleasantly surprised that the bike was very light (26 lbs!) and had most of the components on it that I think I want when I buy a new bike (I'll get more into that). The other nice thing you notice right away about the bike is the paint job. It was very beautiful and all the reviews say that the finish is very hard and does not chip easily. Things were looking very good for the Blur before I actually rode it. The thing that I noticed immediately about the Blur compared to the Truth was that the bike felt like it has a more neutral geometry. Where the Truth was more aggressive and just dared you to go fast and climb the Blur did not. Not that this is a bad thing, each rider really has to decide their preference which is why I am doing the demo rides. Although the Blur did not climb as well, it definitely descended very well. It was very solid and did what it needed to. However, the Blur did not have an advantage over the Truth in this department as it is also a good descender. The demo bike had the same tires as the Truth demo. The tries were the Kenda Stick-E. They roll very fast and stick well but I heard in wet conditions they really bog down. However, living in Colorado I don't ride wet conditions very often so this is not an issue for me. Before the ride, I noticed that the Avid Juicy Seven disc brakes were making some noise (they gave me a brand new bike that had been assembled just recently as they did not have another Blur XC demo bike). I got out my Break It, Fix It, Ride It mountain bike repair CD, did a little homework on disc brakes and got to work. I was very surprised how easy these brakes are to install and adjust. I never was able to do my old V-Brakes that way. Chalk up another one for disc brakes vs. cantilevers. The last thing I noticed, more and more as the ride progressed, was that the bike was not plush and comfortable like you would expect from a full suspension bike. My butt actually was getting tired towards the end of the ride. I'm sorry but my current bike is more comfortable that this thing! Combine the comfort and the geometry of the Truth compared to the Blur and the Blur doesn't stand a chance. For the first one I said that if I ended up picking the Ellsworth Truth it would be because it was the best bike. So the Truth is still on my short list but the Blur has been removed. This is too bad as Santa Cruz sells so many that you can get some good deals on the components as they will sell package deals. Oh well, I guess quality doesn't come free! I'm ready to ride the next bike (not sure yet but think it will be the Titus Racer X (aluminum). The bad thing is that I checked the extended forecast for the Denver area and outside of today and tomorrow we are not expected to break 50. I could probably deal with the cold weather but I will not deal with wet, snowy and icy conditions. And unless it warms up, I think most of the Front Range rides will have this as we just had a snow last Friday. The south and west sides of the rides would probably be alright to ride, but the north and east facing sides would not.   
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Tuesday, February 07, 2006 |
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Talkin' 'bout my Generation | |
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Monday, February 06, 2006 |
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The Truth | |
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I can now honestly say that I know the Truth. That would be the Ellsworth Truth. This weekend I was able to get a demo bike from the Sports Garage. I kept trying to decide which bike to ride first because when I spoke with them early last week, they said they had all of them available in my size to ride (score!). Although it is a nice dilema, knowing my luck, I will be down to the last bike to ride then something will happen and I will have to wait to demo it. Even on the drive up I couldn't decide what to do first. When I arrived and was talking to the sales rep, he asked what bike I wanted to demo. I explained the situation of the five and said that my two favorites, so far, are the Blur and the Truth. So he went to grab one of the two and came back with the Truth. He said there was no reason, it was just the one he grabbed. So I got the bike home and was all ready to go to bed but Suzanne complained that the pedals of the bike were digging into her back so I had to take it out of our bed and put it back in the garage :( My original intention was to go ride at Apex as it has a lot of good technical sections that I figured would be good to try on a new full suspension rig. I got about 1/3 or 1/2 mile into the ride when the snow and ice on the trail started. I did not want to fight with that all day (and get the demo bike all muddy) so I made a quick call, turned around and headed back to the car so I could load up and head over to Green Mountain. Good idea; there was lots of sun and dry ground. I had a few thoughts about the bike I found relevant or at least interesting enough to mention.
I've been talking with several people since I have started thinking about buying a new bike. I have found that every single biker has a different opinion about what I should do. This just reinforces the fact that there is not a single best bicycle. Just like a car, there will be many factors that you will use when choosing a new bike which will make it the best one for you. As long as I am happy with my decision, it won't matter what everybody else thinks I should do. All the remaining bikes left on the Fabulous Five are quality bikes. I will be getting one of the best available bikes on the market today that I plan on making last for another 8 years! Here is a photo of the Ellsworth Truth demo bike that I was able to ride.  A close up of the back end.  A close up of the front end. 
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Thursday, February 02, 2006 |
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XM 2 - FM 0 | |
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XM scored another one this morning. I was driving into work and stumbled across an amazing version of Spanish Castle Magic by Jimi Hendrix that I had never heard. I was just totally floored by it, turning it up louder and louder. I don't know the running time but it had to be at least 8 minutes long. You would never hear this song on XM and even much less doubtful this particular version. At the very end of the song, though, Hendrix said something that made me realize that I do have this version of the song on Disc 4 of Stages. I guess I know what CD I'm getting out tonight and getting ready for the car ride again tomorrow. FYI, it appears they stopped making this four disc set so you better get your copy soon! | |
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The Fabulous Five (Mountain Bikes Part 3) | |||||||||||||||||||
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Earlier in the week I discussed the major criteria used to narrow down the number of bikes that I am going to look at. I have mentioned several things including company, travel, full suspension, suspension type, manufacturing methods, and reputation. I also discussed how I narrowed in on selecting a bike shop. Next, I want to discuss how I arrived at the fabulous five bikes that I'm looking at today. As I did not have hand built as one of my original criteria, several of the companies, such as Trek and Specialized, were still on my list. I originally had thirty-four bikes on my list and I knew that there was no way that I would be able and willing to ride all of them. However, once I finally realized that I wanted a hand built frame, this took me down considerably. Most, if not all, of the remaining companies had multiple bikes that met my remaining criteria but the only difference was travel. I've never been a free-riding, huck-off-anything type of rider so I was pretty convinced that I wanted a cross country (XC) bike. The other type of bike that I seriously gave any consideration to is full mountain. Full or all mountain is a blend of cross country and downhill. With all of the advances, the all mountain bikes try to climb like an XC but descend like a downhill bike. With all the technological advances they do a good job except that because there is more travel on an all mountain bike, that means more building material which means a heavier bike. My current bike is pretty light so I think I want to stay in that that same weight area. I really don't want a 30 pound bike. One opionion that I discovered during my test rides in the alleys behind Sports Garage is 6 inches of travel is too plush for my riding style. Although it is an excellent bike, I did not like the feel of the Yeti 575 because of this plushness. Furthermore, although I didn't know it when I first started looking, I want a four-bar style suspension. Jamis does not provide this. This does not mean that they are not a good company, they just tend offer more affordable bicycles with proven technology (old technology from other firms so they don't pass on R&D costs to the customer). One of the bikes, the Ibis, was removed because it is made entirely out of carbon fiber. I think the jury is still out so I don't want to shell out $1500-$2000 for a carbon fiber frame with unknown durability. I've spent quite a bit of time looking at reviews on mtbr.com to help me solidify or remove a bike from the final list. Excluding the Rocky Mountain ETSX-70, all of the remaining bikes that I am considering have earned a rank of 4.73 out of 5.0 or higher. The Rocky is a totally different animal. The amount of travel in the rear end is adjustable between 4.5, 5.0, and 5.5 inches of travel. Because of this, it got thrown in the freeride category on MTBR.com. It did rank a respectable 4.43 but not as high as the others but I won't let that discourage me (yet anyways). The final five bikes remaining on my list are:
Some of you out there that are more observant than I am might have noticed that my final list of bikes has five of them on the list but the wallpaper that I posted had six bikes. The last bike that was on the list until just recently was the Intense Spider. I decided to remove it for a couple of reasons. First, it only ranked a 4.36 on mtbr.com and there were several comments about quality. Secondly, they are using Santa Cruz technology. Might as well go with the source. The major difference between the Spider and Blur, from my understanding, is only the tubeset. I wouldn't know one tubeset from another so I think I would rather just save the cash and go with Santa Cruz. I have heard some nice stuff about the company though! I will make sure to post what bikes come and go from the list. Although I don't expect any changes, I'm going with an open mind and may find that I really like one of the features but another bike does a better implementation (e.g. more travel). Also, please note that even though I put up pictures of the bikes, this does not imply any kind of color choice as well as component selection (a blog for another day!). I'm hoping that I will be able to set up my first demo ride (where I get the bike for 24 hours) for Saturday if weather looks like it will cooperate. I'm very curious to see how these bikes respond on the trail. I will definitely demo all of them on the same trail so I get a good comparison. I am thinking that I will go to Green Mountain for a couple of reasons. First, it has about the best chance of being dry compared to the other front range rides. Also, I am very familiar and comfortable with it which will afford me the luxury to focus on the bikes performance. I will try to take and post photos as I do the demos along with feedback on ride quality. |
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