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Vermont Mountain Bike Festival - Eventbrite

Vermont Mountain Bike Festival - Eventbrite

Sign up now! Great event!

Firefly Bicycles - Wicked Pro Bike - Mike Ramponi's Ti 29er Single-speed | Thom Parsons Videos | Cycling Dirt | Cycling Dirt

http://www.cyclingdirt.org/speaker/3349-Thom-Parsons/video/620702-Firefly-Bicycles-Wicked-Pro-Bike-Mike-Ramponis-Ti-29er-Single-speed#.T4cFp22sNs8.email

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Nice Little Ditty

It's all about the TIME to RIDE

Some of you know how I’ve been drooling over new bikes lately—been demo’ing all manner of 29er there is, hardtail, singlespeed, full-suspension, 96-er…the eclecticity of  my taste in bikes only matched by my musical tastes….but ya know, it IS the time of year again, the full moon is calling, the fever is high….but my current ride still works…and I ain't got the cash anyhow...
So I slapped on a couple new Michy's, a new tubeless strip in the rear, new Stans goop all around, and new Bontrager carbon bars. Rode 5 days this week. Sweet!

Bike Lust

Transition TransAM 29, a photo by LordOnOne on Flickr.

Once again it's that time of year when I start lusting over new bikes. This year it started with the search for a slacker 29er steel hardtail--I came up with the Transition TransAm29, which is a sweet 'looking' bike. I say that because I haven't yet the chance to ride one, as noone within 200mi has a demo...but the skyblue paintjob on a steel frame with a ride that has been described as 'damp' by those who have had chance to ride one, and with the slackness and capability of a longer-travel fork, just has me by the balls.

Worth mentioning is that  Transition is based in the Seattle area, one of my favorite geographical areas....Lived there for a halfa year once, biked all over the area but wasn't yet but on the cusp of my mountain biking lifestyle.

And the dealer is at Chuck's Bikes, in Vermont , of course my all-time favorite place to be. The frame goes for 650, which wouldn't be too outta line if I stripped my Redline for it. Full bike with Fox 120, 2400....plus Thudbuster...

Moving on to more local offerings, Canton Velo let medemo a Niner Sir9 with gears. Truly a rigid 853 singlespeed, this one was built up with a Reba and SRAM drivetrain. Weighing a  pound or two less than my current steed, and sporting lighter, less knobby Conti Race Kings run on tubeless Stans Crest rims, it did feel nicer. I used my Thudbuster as a control point. It was fast but not that much faster, and I was more over the bars than I like. The ECC BB would come in handy if I really wanted to go SS, but even if I did, I don't really like an ECC , as opposed to sliding drops. Not at all an engineer, but I 'think'  the larger shell stiffens and weights up the frame too much.

Next I took out the Jet9 demo, also with a Reba, Stans more standard rim and SRAM X7 build including hubs, same tires as the Sir9. Wow, whatta difference! All my energy moved the bike forward. Very efficient design, and about the same weight or maybe even less than the Sir9! I had fun on it and brought it back, reluctantly, but the weather turning to rain and snow just wasn't conducive to riding for a few days.

Both Niners were for sale around the same price(2400-2500)....

So, when I got thinking about it and sliding the idea by the wife and kids, all that speed and efficiency didn't mean a thing, since I don't have any money to spend on a new bike. And all it would do would be to create more bike envy  from my son, who apparently wears the same jeans(genes..), and that will only result in more 13 yo angst than I can handle right now.....

But, next chance I get, I'm doing a midnight run up to Morrisville to see about that Transition demo....

2012 SEMass NEMBA Trail Care Days, so far..

2012 SEMass NEMBA Trail Care Days, so far..


March
11 Ames Nowell
25 Ames Nowell
31 Wompatuck


April
7  Foxboro Roadside Cleanup(with KPTR)    10 am
14 Wrentham Roadside Cleanup(with KPTR)    10 am
15 Ames Nowell
21 Wompatuck
28 Braintree Townwide Cleanup (Eaton’s Pond)
29 Ames Nowell


June
2  Wompatuck


August
18 Wompatuck


Lots of work to do! Do what you can, where you can...
The important thing is that your local trails get local help. Support from local riders goes a long way at Town Halls and ConsComms....




The Ames Nowell days are particularly important, as there's lots of bridge build/repair/trail reroutes necessary in there. Contact Malcolm Neilson for details and to rsvp.


Wompatuck will need lots of help, contact Tyler Eusden about plans there.


Foxboro/Wrentham dates are just the beginning, I'm sure there will be more trail work posted. Contact Brad Childs at bcam64@yahoo.com.


Eaton's Pond and any other Braintree trail work, Steve Cobble


Blue Hills Buck Hill ReRoute may be coming up anytime now, to throw a big weekend of work into the mix. Again, Steve Cobble for updates on that.


All days are meeting at 8:30am, unless otherwise posted.