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I am a technical luddite thats for sure.
Rigid bikes and mechanical disc brakes are and have been for a while the staple for my riding tool.
I've not always been like that though!
Nearly a year ago I bought this fame on a bit of a whim. Prior to this I had had little experience of full suspension bikes and if honest no need for them .... or so I thought.
I had often wondered why people chose to ride FS on the routes around me when a rigid bike is all that was needed. I now have a slightly altered outlook!
Anyway the bike.
The frame is a large 2013 Giant Trance XO. Despite having the shortest TT of all of my modern bikes (by some way) I took the plunge believing that it would work out OK. I'm currently running an inline post, 100mm stem and 700mm bars.
Built up on a budget using bits I already had the only bits I needed was a fork, headset and new hose for the rear brake.
Running hugely unfashionable 1x9 gearing, a negative rise stem and narrow (700m) bars I present to you my Trance and a wood pile:
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Pre first proper ride I had wondered if all the faffing of internal cables, hoses and endless playing with air pressures had been worth it ......
25 minutes in to yesterdays ride I was blowing out of my ar$se. Initially I thought it was just hard going then realised I had been tanking and just not noticed.
The heavily rutted clay beneath me could have been smooth tarmac based on how it felt.
I ended up staying out far longer than expected. Even when presented with a fairly long road section with the shock in C and the fork locked out there was no obvious bobbing.
So there. I'm not converted but I am slightly worried about jumping back on the fatbike to do the same loop! I now see the appeal even on the tame XC stuff we have around us.
If I keep the bike it may need to go on a bit of a diet as at 29lbs I feel it should weigh less but its a minor point.
Based solely on first impressions 🙄 this will be my MM Solo bike 😆
Hmm no love for the woodpile ... I mean bike!
I like it, but be warned; it's a slippery slope!
Next thing you'll be paying attention to those sleek looking Yeti adverts full of carbon lovely and doing mental arithmetic.............
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I'm sure its the case of SNBS (Shiny New Bike Syndrome) but a light 100/110/120mm frame could be the start of something brilliant ..... and expensive!