Bicycling

Jysin_sl said:

I find this 1000x more pants-shittingly scary!!

GoPro: Backflip Over 72ft Canyon - Kelly McGarry Red Bull Rampage 2013 - YouTube

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Yes, but one is something many of us could potentially find ourselves involved in first hand though.

Ao-_sl said:

holy shit I caught my breath on that one

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Then dont watch this one:

Grizzly Bear Charge in Jasper - YouTube

heh, I've ridden that trail more than a few times. Never had a bear encounter though. They've been really, really bad in Jasper and Banff this year because of the late spring. Fucking bears.

Jasper grizzly bear jumps man, bites into pepper spray - Edmonton - CBC News

Fortunately, the man was wearing a small backpack with a can of bear spray in it. It may have saved his life.

"When the bear was attempting to bite, he ended up biting just the backpack and ended up activating the bear spray in his mouth," said Malcom. "That pretty well pulled the bear right off. He left the scene and never came back."

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Lucky!

I've never seen a bear, but I am up to 3 mountain lions now. They have always been way more scared of me (us) than me of it. Definitely startling though and a little unnerving if you still have a large chunk of riding to do in the area.

I do the majority of my warm weather cycling on the road and save the trails for fall/winter/spring. Too many ticks and weeds and thorns and snakes. I figure that's part of why I've never seen a bear, the most beary places I ride I generally only do in winter.

I think big cats are effectively extinct on the east coast really.

Famm_sl said:

I do the majority of my warm weather cycling on the road and save the trails for fall/winter/spring. Too many ticks and weeds and thorns and snakes. I figure that's part of why I've never seen a bear, the most beary places I ride I generally only do in winter.

I think big cats are effectively extinct on the east coast really.

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I'll take any animals over riding through some of the seedy areas around D.C. and Baltimore.

Famm_sl said:

I do the majority of my warm weather cycling on the road and save the trails for fall/winter/spring. Too many ticks and weeds and thorns and snakes. I figure that's part of why I've never seen a bear, the most beary places I ride I generally only do in winter.

I think big cats are effectively extinct on the east coast really.

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I signed up for this hardcore hunting forum over the winter, and pretended that I was the second coming of Ted Nugent. I posted something like "HELLO FELLOW HUNTERS. OBAMA IS A MUSLIM AND I AM LOOKING FOR THE BEST TICK REPELLENT TO USE FOR MY TRIPS TO THE BUSH TO SLAUGHTER DEER BY THE TRUCKLOAD WHILE LISTENING TO GLENN BECK PODCASTS!". By and large they all recommended this stuff:

Amazon.com : Sawyer Products Premium Permethrin Clothing Insect Repellent Trigger Spray, 12-Ounce : Mosquito Repellent For Clothes : Sports Outdoors

600 miles of trail so far this season and the only thing that's really touched me has been the odd deer fly. Knock on wood, not a single tick, and I ride all hours of the day on NH trails that are big deer tick habitats. My willy might fall off in a year, but for the time being that shit there has worked amazing for keeping ticks away.

I've used 100% DEET from the hunting section in Wal-Mart before and it does keep the ticks off your legs. I still prefer to just avoid the woods in summer. I really don't find mountain biking as enjoyable in the heat, as well as all the other shit that comes along with it. I'll ride in sub 20 degrees on the trail in winter no problem though, but I know you can't do that with all the snowfall probably.

Famm_sl said:

I've used 100% DEET from the hunting section in Wal-Mart before and it does keep the ticks off your legs. I still prefer to just avoid the woods in summer. I really don't find mountain biking as enjoyable in the heat, as well as all the other shit that comes along with it. I'll ride in sub 20 degrees on the trail in winter no problem though, but I know you can't do that with all the snowfall probably.

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I fucking hope I can, I've got about $2500 wrapped up in a big glorious anodized green fatbike now for just that reason sir!

Be careful if you use deet while biking. It wll eat some plastics up. It flat melt a bic pen if you grab one after applying deer to your hands.

Seventh_sl said:

I fucking hope I can, I've got about $2500 wrapped up in a big glorious anodized green fatbike now for just that reason sir!

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Oh yeah, I forgot about fattie.

Had a hell of a week with parts.. .

Riding my fatbike early in the week, fortunately not going all that fast, left side pedal = in the woods, me = on my ass.


Well, fuck. One-legged-asshole ride my way out of the woods, no big deal, I have two bikes for a reason. Bangin' along at a local spot, and at about the fartest point from the car I can possibly be, and my drive side pedal starts feeling strange. Tighten it up, go about 20 yards, something's up:


I feel like a guy with ED or something. "I've never had this happen to me before!". Two in a week. It's working out well though - Specialized can't get a replacement arm for the Fatboy because it's so new, so they gave me a store credit, which I turned into Race Face Turbine Cinch cranks + BB for the fatty. Better cranks all around, lighter, stronger, free upgrade basically. On my full suspension, those are brand new (30 miles) X9 cranks. SRAM warranted the arm on those as well.

Not sure what the fuck is up, but in the event that it's the pedals (or really, a fine reason to justify upgrading) I grabbed some Spank Spikes:



Should have both bikes back mid-week next week, so it'll be road only until then which kind of sucks. That said, it's labor day weekend gents, so log some miles but be careful of all of the fucking idiot tourists.

How do you strip out two pedal threads? Does not commute.

Track season is officially over so now I'm a lost puppy wandering around in the woods. Went out to the trails right next to my work place, takes about fifteen minutes to bike there from my work and drops me off about six miles from the house. It amazes me how many people go out into the trails with headphones on.

fifey_sl said:

How do you strip out two pedal threads? Does not commute.

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I haven't the slightest. I've installed a bajillion pedals in my life. Both of these were (I guess, fortunately for me) "installed" by the bike shops, because I had them slap my cranks on the Scalpel along with the fall tune-up, and had them put them on the Fatty when they were doing final assembly on it before I picked it up. Basically, my laziness totally scored me a mulligan, and a free set of upgraded cranks on the Fatboy, haha.

fifey_sl said:

Track season is officially over so now I'm a lost puppy wandering around in the woods. Went out to the trails right next to my work place, takes about fifteen minutes to bike there from my work and drops me off about six miles from the house. It amazes me how many people go out into the trails with headphones on.

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Solid! Grab any of the myriad of GPS apps for your Smartphone (I use GPSKit, a lot of people like Viewranger too), and grab the OpenCycling maps. I'd say 90% of the places I've been riding have all of the trails marked off, it's awesome.

Seventh_sl said:

I haven't the slightest. I've installed a bajillion pedals in my life. Both of these were (I guess, fortunately for me) "installed" by the bike shops, because I had them slap my cranks on the Scalpel along with the fall tune-up, and had them put them on the Fatty when they were doing final assembly on it before I picked it up. Basically, my laziness totally scored me a mulligan, and a free set of upgraded cranks on the Fatboy, haha.

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That explains it, I don't trust many shops to work on my bike, It's like 90 percent retards around here.

When I moved to Phoenix last fall, I seriously considered getting a new bike down here due to all the trails and bike lanes and stuff. The summer has seriously made me reconsider that option. I don't find it anywhere near oppressive to just 'live' but I really don't know how I'd feel on a bike. Anyone have any experience in the Valley as far as acceptable times/days/trails/destinations for amateurs? I imagine only being able to go out after sunset. I'd like to do some basic mountain biking but it seems like it'd just be competing with skiing for winter outdoor activities on the weekends at this point. Or maybe strictly relegated to few months each fall/spring.

I've never been to the southwest, but from what I've read during the summer months people mountain bike at night or not at all, just too hot. Isn't it like amazing nice weather in the winter there though? I know there's mountainous parts with snow and skiing but isn't Phoenix more warm year round? If so, sounds like you have the whole winter to ride without too much hassle from cold and snow. Do you ski every single weekend? If not you might find this to be a very addictive hobby. If you have the access and means and hitting the slopes is your thing, then I do understand how you have less time through the winter. Even if you end up only riding the fall and spring months you could get happily hooked.

As far as trails, you should have no shortage of them.

Arizona Trail Reviews (Phoenix)

Arizona Trail Reviews (Phoenix continued)

Mtbr Forums (Arizona regional forum)

Hit some local bike shops to browse and just find one where the employees are cool and will talk to you about cycling and/or mountain biking in the area. Easiest way for some first hand knowledge and insight even if you don't end up buying from them.

I need some advice. I'm trying to get a warranty on a bike (CF, crack between the aluminum dropout and carbon stay). I'm the third owner, and the warranty is only valid for the first owner. I know the store it was bought from, but not the name of the person who it's registered under. I took the bike into the store and they initiated the warranty process without asking for that information. Just got off the phone with the guy who actually processes the warranties, and he asked if I was the original owner. Obviously I lied and said yes. He asked what name it would be registered under, and I said "uhh...well a relative bought if for me, and I'm not sure which one because several relatives went in on it." I told him I'd talk to my parents and get back to him with what name I think it was.

I'm probably fucked if I can't come up with the name.

I'm thinking that maybe if I call the shop and talk to a different guy I can get them to look up the owner by the serial number. But I can't really think of a legitimate reason why I'd ask a mechanic to do that.

Or maybe there's some way I can convince the guy to process it without giving the name of the owner? Is there any reason why I legitimately wouldn't know the name but still claim it was bought for me?