mountain biking near hamilton?

invictus43 said:
Say what?
Click to expand...

There are a number of frame builders that will cut the steerer, fabricate an internal sleeve, then pin, and braze an extension on steel steerer tubes. It's not cheap. If it's a suspension fork, a new steerer can be pressed in. Myself, I wouldn't go through the hassle and expense unless it was something like a Yeti/Answer AccuTrax, Fat Chance BOI, Lynskey, Teasdale, or some other long ago discontinued low volume, rarer than rocking horse poo fork.
 
FullMotoJacket said:
There are a number of frame builders that will cut the steerer, fabricate an internal sleeve, then pin, and braze an extension on steel steerer tubes. It's not cheap. If it's a suspension fork, a new steerer can be pressed in. Myself, I wouldn't go through the hassle and expense unless it was something like a Yeti/Answer AccuTrax, Fat Chance BOI, Lynskey, Teasdale, or some other long ago discontinued low volume, rarer than rocking horse poo fork.
Click to expand...

Ohhhh..he wants to extend the steerer because it's too short for the head tube. I was wondering what was going on there!! :-)
 
caboose483 said:
Haters gonna hate!

;)
Click to expand...

I have to say..I was biased against them from the get-go. I remember when they first came out..all those years ago..they had some issues with frame alignment after their heat-treating process. And they were so stiff. Then they starting using cantilever rear drop-outs to try and put some flex back in the frame. I saw a couple of cracked C'dale's in those first few years but I'm sure they're much better now. This was years and years ago. I admire them for giving the masses aluminum that worked though. Big tube aluminum.
 
The idea of a cantilevered anything on a mountain bike frame makes me cringe!!

My Jekyll is a little noisy, it's due for swingarm bushing/bearing refresh and new head bearings. I'll get around to it eventually. If I haven't broken it yet, I really doubt that I will. I am quite happy with how well it has worked for me. The only upgrade I'm planning is a Fox Float shock and some tires. Speaking of which... do either you or FMJ have any recommendations for a decent mixed terrain mostly dry tire?

It did recently attack me though, it must be unhappy with me. A harmless little fall down, similar to how I have fallen down many times before, but this time it bit me. Left shin (that's right.. left!) got together with the big chain ring, now I have 6 stitches in my leg!
 
Last edited:
Here's a pic of an early C'dale cantilever dropout..
oldcannodaledropout.jpg


Tires are a personal thing. I've just gone through this for my new bike. I finally got a fairly cheap (bike tires are ridiculous these days..) set of Kenda Happy Mediums. They're just diamond tread in the middle and lugs on the sides. I use them for both road and off-road and they're not bad. I see the Kenda Small Block 8-style tire seems to be the popular all-round tire these days.
20070517-korba%20small%20block%208.jpg


It really depends on your style too. DH tires usually are "edging" tires that have really aggresive side blocks and are more flat. XC tires are more round so they're more predictable when they start to slide. They give you a bit of warning. I find edging tires just spit you off without much warning. Generally though, for XC dry conditions, low tread blocks and lots of them will give you a good roll and still have traction. My bike came with Schwalbe Racing Ralphs and they're a good XC tire. I'll put them back on if I do any racing or hard rides this year.
 
caboose483 said:
do either you or FMJ have any recommendations for a decent mixed terrain mostly dry tire?[
Click to expand...

Me? I'm still working on my hoarded supply of Panaracer Smokes+Darts, Tioga Psycho IIs, and Ritchey Megabites from the 90s. If you ever see any in your travels to any shops, grab them for me. Amberwalls preferred, but I'll take the blackwalls as well.

caboose483 said:
It did recently attack me though, it must be unhappy with me. A harmless little fall down, similar to how I have fallen down many times before, but this time it bit me. Left shin (that's right.. left!) got together with the big chain ring, now I have 6 stitches in my leg!
Click to expand...

WHEN BIKES ATTACK II, NEXT ON FOX!

invictus43 said:
Here's a pic of an early C'dale cantilever dropout..
oldcannodaledropout.jpg
Click to expand...

If you have an exploding bike, may as well put exploding wheels on it too. ;)
 
invictus43 said:
Tires are a personal thing. I've just gone through this for my new bike. I finally got a fairly cheap (bike tires are ridiculous these days..) set of Kenda Happy Mediums. They're just diamond tread in the middle and lugs on the sides. I use them for both road and off-road and they're not bad. I see the Kenda Small Block 8-style tire seems to be the popular all-round tire these days.

It really depends on your style too. DH tires usually are "edging" tires that have really aggresive side blocks and are more flat. XC tires are more round so they're more predictable when they start to slide. They give you a bit of warning. I find edging tires just spit you off without much warning. Generally though, for XC dry conditions, low tread blocks and lots of them will give you a good roll and still have traction. My bike came with Schwalbe Racing Ralphs and they're a good XC tire. I'll put them back on if I do any racing or hard rides this year.
Click to expand...

I have heard good things about the Small Block 8. I've also been looking at the Maxxis Larsen TT. The tires I have on now are a bit worn out, some random Kenda on the front and a Michelin somethingorother on the back. Whatever was on the bike when I got it.

FullMotoJacket said:
WHEN BIKES ATTACK II, NEXT ON FOX!

If you have an exploding bike, may as well put exploding wheels on it too. ;)
Click to expand...

I'm not even sure I'd use Spinergy 4-spokes on my tri bike!

At least now I know that my body is no match for the Blackspire chain rings, durability testing?? Riding 5km back to my car with my GFs shirt tied around my leg was awesome. I had to sit and breathe for about 5 minutes before I could stand up without feeling queasy. Of all my friends that mountain bike, none have ever even heard of someone gashing themselves on a chain ring. It wasn't even a big fall, just awkward.

Oh well. Body tape and bio freeze will see me through my duathlon on Sunday!
 
caboose483 said:
At least now I know that my body is no match for the Blackspire chain rings, durability testing?? Riding 5km back to my car with my GFs shirt tied around my leg was awesome. I had to sit and breathe for about 5 minutes before I could stand up without feeling queasy. Of all my friends that mountain bike, none have ever even heard of someone gashing themselves on a chain ring. It wasn't even a big fall, just awkward.
Click to expand...

I still have a faint scar from 10 years ago where my chain ring stabbed into my right calve. (h5)

I've seen people bike the Bruce Trail (403 and Lincolin M.Alexander Pkwy). There is a side trail that goes along the cliff that drops straight down to the 403 (watch out as there are no fences).

I just sold a Brodie Omega for $300. Are you looking for a XC or Downhill bike?
 
You haven't felt pain till you've slipped a pedal and shinned yourself on a Suntour XC II pedal. strips of flesh like curly fries. (PSA - your friends may frown upon you picking them off and flicking them at them).

My buddy's coming up and we're going freeriding at my top secret location by my house on Sunday. Reminder to self: pick up some more beer for the post ride garage shenanigans.

*edit*
There's a Vintages store about 500m from where the pic was taken. Love it when a plan works out.

W3.jpg
 
Last edited:
FullMotoJacket said:
You haven't felt pain till you've slipped a pedal and shinned yourself on a Suntour XC II pedal. strips of flesh like curly fries. (PSA - your friends may frown upon you picking them off and flicking them at them).
Click to expand...

Barf.

I was trying to figure out how I impaled myself on my chain ring, some friends had suggested that it could have been the pedal but right after I could distinctly see two tooth marks in the cut, so I know 100% that it was the chain ring. Front tire rolled over a stick, slid then caught then I highsided off the front of the bike.. landing right on the RH side of the bike. Blah!
 
FullMotoJacket said:
Me? I'm still working on my hoarded supply of Panaracer Smokes+Darts, Tioga Psycho IIs, and Ritchey Megabites from the 90s. If you ever see any in your travels to any shops, grab them for me. Amberwalls preferred, but I'll take the blackwalls as well.
Click to expand...

Well those are the classics that all others are measured against to me. Those and the IRC Mythos and Continental XC and Leader Pro. They Psychos and the Smoke/Dart are more like edging tires..the Psychos for sure. Great edge grip until they jettison you! the Smoke is a great climbing, grinder tire. The Mythos is a fast, hard pack XC tire. I measure everything against those cuz they're not easy to find anymore. So I'm trying to find newer tires that work as well as those did. The Kenda Claw did a pretty good job of imitating the Smoke for very little money (bit heavy..wire bead..but I don't care of the $$). The Happy Mediums are a good compare to the Mythos..not quite as off-road. The Small Block 8's are like the old John Tomac tires from years ago. I guess everything old is new again sometimes!


If you have an exploding bike, may as well put exploding wheels on it too. ;)
Click to expand...

Haha! I noticed that.."Who would use Spinergies??" Someone riding an old C'dale heat-treated pop can apparently!! :-)
 
Of the two the Trek is better spec'd IMHO.
 
Just some sample tires that I consider sort of the "standard" types. I generally use only the first and second for riding in Ontario and that's mostly dry, XC race type conditions. I generally don't bother going out in mud unless I've signed up for a race and don't want to skip it. I also hate changing tires and ride both asphalt and dirt..so I generally stick with the first tire unless I have to keep up to someone.. :-)

This is a very hard pack/rock/asphalt all-rounder. I use something like this for my everyday rides, off-road or on, provided it's not muddy or terribly gnarly. This is a Michelin XC Hard Terrain..
7735.jpg


The mid-hard pack/off-road next step is the Small Block 8 type tire and the Schwalbe Racing Ralph..good for hard-pack to loose with some good edging lugs:
cubierta-mtb-schwalbe-racing-ralph-evolution-tubeless.jpg

The traditional gnarly off-road tire that I measure most again, the Smoke/Dart combo..if someone runs you over with that rear tire, you'll lose skin!! The left is the Smoke/rear and the right is the Dart/front:
8_32409_06_02_08.jpg


The combo I liked most off-road was the Continental Leader Pro/Cross Country..and the Leader Pro on front and rear is great for mud..mud tires have to have widely spaced, low lugs so they don't pack up with muck. Otherwise you end up with 50lbs of mud on your tires!:

conti_leader_protection-view_06_m.jpg


crosscountryuv.gif
 
Last edited:
Plenty of decent trails in the Dundas area, you just have to find them. Kelso and Hilton Falls arent far away.

I prefer my Kona Jackshit pedals, they leave nice evenly spaced puncture wounds on my calves. I rode a trek with some mini wellgo's that I swear were designed with utmost pain in mind.
 
N3WMAN said:
Plenty of decent trails in the Dundas area, you just have to find them. Kelso and Hilton Falls arent far away.

I prefer my Kona Jackshit pedals, they leave nice evenly spaced puncture wounds on my calves. I rode a trek with some mini wellgo's that I swear were designed with utmost pain in mind.
Click to expand...

Well I'm also looking for people to ride with! Have a few friends who mtn bike in toronto but really only know one person close to hamilton.

Picked up the kona caldera today. Will post pics later, be looking to go for a ride beginning of the week if anyones game!
Forum Sponsor
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom