Next Full Moon

Sunday, May 3rd Full Flower Moon

31 August 2008

2 wheel drift

same saddle height, much lower bars

on a fixed cross bike is like is like 4 wheel drive in your sporty Jeepster.

Fort Ord is getting saaaaandy. It feels good to lean into the turns and yank the front end back from the brink. With the constant drive, it can hook up so nicely. Couple days, couple hot laps around East Garrison, maybe some #49 (from the bottom to the top,the top to the bottom, MFer's). Having been on just the fixed crosscheck this week, after the singlespeed beatdown last weekend, the difference in ride is easy to appreciate. With no option to lay back and coast, I find my forearms/hands taking less of a beating than on the rigid SS. Not what I'd have thought. Being over the front (cuz, uh, my bars is too low) and having to keep my weight balanced on the ever-rotating pedals causes me to loosen up the grip. Causes me to stay loose all over the bike. I find myself weighting the turns very differently to avoid pedal strikes and continue the spin. Definitely no leaning inside and letting the bike swing around- nope. Gotta be on top, sometimes even outside. And spinning all the while. You forget how kickass it is. You do. You do. You do.

Other times it's utterly terrifying. I find myself in a turn with way too much on it, and stack into the pointy/brittle Manzanita.

Either way, I sure do lik bikes.



And, plus check out this train track J and I set up:

10 comments:

fxdwhl said...

kick ass indeed! too heavy into a turn, brakes'll send you down, all in the legs to modulate and keep your skin.

ever fix with fatty tires or just cross skinners?

reverend dick said...

You know, just cross or road. Hunh. Maybe I'll fix the Karate Monkey now that it's been decommisioned by the Blur. Or maybe I'll still make it a kickass camping bike.

I never felt like I was missing anything by rolling cross style. I am fooling myself?

bloodline said...

mr. bike snob.... please jack my readership into the stratosphere

reverend dick said...

Andrew...a spade would dig so well by any other name.

Just tell the truth, and it'll be allright.

bloodline said...

..and yr point is

reverend dick said...

Andrew, my point is: several.

1) I think BSNYC is a hater and I go look only when nothing else is on. He's knowledgeable about bikes, a great writer some days, and frequently on target with his slings. It's just that the general tone is so unpleasant and derisive. You can say it's a joke, but generally it seems mean and small. I wouldn't like to devote that much to such a thing.
The scarf placement gagged me. I commented on it. Civilly. I called it like I saw it.
2) I infer from your comment that you feel I was trying to boost readership here. You call me a spade? I'm not sure what you think I get out of this blog. It sure don't pay. I like the back and forth, mostly. It's nice to air things (some things- I have a lot of life I don't post, as I'm sure do you.) and bullshit, and keep a record of things I like or am inspired by so I can look back at them.If folks come here and are into it, AWESOME. I can meet some fine people if they comment, and we can bullshit about bikes.
3)A rose is a rose and would smell as sweet by any other name. It doesn't really matter, it's still true.

fxdwhl said...

now this is from an east coast perspective mind you; there’s tons of trails i won’t touch on a cross. too steep, rocky, drops, logs.... not freeride shite but rough and tumble xc. a 30 something wide tire can go many places but there are limits. there’s gotta be trails you skip over on the cross fix, those are the ones to hit on the monkey. no excuse when a tire breaks loose or you stall out pushing a taller gear, just time the pedals and go.

snob is good some days, others rehashed fixter hate.

what’s sad is the trolls hitting F5 trying to comment first.

bloodline said...

bikesnob is what it is....truth is what you make of it.... i would think that you of all people would understand with the church and all that the dharma although ubiquitous is very elusive on the blog scene.

Anonymous said...

nice train track layout

reverend dick said...

You got that right.