Back in action! (and Jenson order)

[ECOdork]

How they hanging bros and bro-ettes!!!
Man, 30 THOUSAND unread posts!

Sorry for the hiatus, but things have been super-duper busy around here, plus I have only just gotten my frames back...and it was utter torture to think too much about riding without any bikes to ride!

I threw in 2 non-biking pics from recent adventures, one from a cave/mine bat survey in the mountains and another from a coooooold aquatic plant survey on the coast! Yes, that is a bat biting the sh!t out of me and that orange thing is a special bucket that we use to look under water at fish, mussels, plants, and stuff.

Long story short on the frames, I got my VooDoo back and put together a few weeks ago, just in time for the cold and for daylight savings time . But I'm happy as a clam to have it back! That thing is electrifying to ride! As the pics and my big grin suggest.

And, I got my replacement ETSX frame too just yesterday! Man is it sweet! Beefier in all the right places, more relaxed geometry, more squish (RP23 with 4.5 - 5.5 in rear and spec'ed for 100 - 140 in front). I'm thinking of cashing in a b-day and xmas present (and then some) and going for the 2008 FOX TALAS 32 RLC. Anyone have any input on that fork?
Which brings me to this:

I'll need to place a BIG jenson order really soon (tonight or tomorrow) and wanted to make I did that "through" STR, if at all possible. Is that still an arrangement and how do do it?

Hope you all are well and ready for Turkey (or Tofu-rkey) Day!
Lance

[MTBMaven]

welcome back. Thanks for the photos. Who are you doing your research with and what is it for?

[ShinKen]

great to hear the KICK ASS news vAtO lOcO BuBB!! that 29er looks sweeeeeeT!!!

[tkblazer]

sweet pics lance... looks like you're having fun on that voodoo. did the bat suck your blood?

[Letyrides]

I think you just click on any of the Jenson links we have here on STR.

[ECOdork]

Originally Posted by MTBMaven

welcome back. Thanks for the photos. Who are you doing your research with and what is it for?

Thanks!

I now work for the "Biosurveys" section of the North Carolina Department of Transportation. What we do is make sure the state adheres to the Endangered Species Act in their transportation activities. So we go around the state doing biological surveys of all sorts of different things. Plants, bats, fish, freshwater mussels, birds, turtles, snakes, salamanders, etc. If it's endangered, we go looking for it. As a result, we end up having a hand in various conservation and management type activities.

Strange tale-We did get shot at today. We were surveying behind some scary redneck houses in thick woods by railroad tracks. We figure they might of had a moonshine or meth operation going...or they just didn't want no government-types walking near their house. They fired a few times. They were really close to us, but we figure they were firing up in the air b/c we didn't see/hear any bullets hit anywhere around us. Needless to say, we got our asses out of there really fast.

Forgot to mention, I turned in a draft of my dissertation and plan to defend it in Jan and graduate in May! Keep your fingers crossed!!!

Originally Posted by tkblazer

sweet pics lance... looks like you're having fun on that voodoo. did the bat suck your blood?

Nah, that's what the gloves were for. Those little buggers are much stronger than you'd think though! And they are hard to work with gloves on so you end up taking them off sometimes...and hope you didn't get a bunk rabies shot .

[J_Sims]

Originally Posted by Letyrides

I think you just click on any of the Jenson links we have here on STR.

Exactly as I understand it... Enter Jensen through any of the Banners right here on STR and Str Gets the hook up...

Good to see you back in action...

[mtnbikerdude87]

good to hear from you Lane! I got some family out in NC and maybe ill head out there one day to do some riding.

[ECOdork]

Originally Posted by mtnbikerdude87

good to hear from you Lane! I got some family out in NC and maybe ill head out there one day to do some riding.

That'd be great! And the offer goes to all the STR cats!

So is the Jenson link smart enough to credit the stuff I already have in my shopping cart to STR if I get to it THROUGH STR or do I need to re-fill my cart via the STR linky???

[guero]

nice lance! glad to hear it is working out for ya bro!!! thanks for the pix.

for all you nOObs who don't know lance, he is one of the o.g. STR members and he moved away to the east coast about a year and a half ago or so. he is THE NICEST bubb around. we miss ya dude!

[CalEpic]

Lance - Check your pm's before you do the checkout at Jenson site.

Have a great Thanksgiving.

Craig

[ECOdork]

Ah man, you guys! I'm gonna get all sappy and teary-eyed over here...especially after a few homebrews...

Not that I'm living in that past, but I still bore my friends here with tales of SoCal exploits and sweeeeeeeet West-coast-stylee singletrack!
The saddest thing about my old ETSX breaking was that so many good times were had and good trails were ridden on that rig......not much air though.

I seriously miss you all too and do hope to get out there before too long. I've finally been working long enough to have built up some real vacation time, so maybe in 2008, post-graduation, I'll treat myself to a trip back to Cali! <-- I freaking love that
Steppie Smiley!!!


Peace and Love my SoCal brothers!

Originally Posted by CalEpic

Lance - Check your pm's before you do the checkout at Jenson site.

Have a great Thanksgiving.

Craig

Originally Posted by guero

nice lance! glad to hear it is working out for ya bro!!! thanks for the pix.

for all you nOObs who don't know lance, he is one of the o.g. STR members and he moved away to the east coast about a year and a half ago or so. he is THE NICEST bubb around. we miss ya dude!

[coldbrews]

You have an awesome job.

[speckledtrout]

hey lance. are you based in the wilmington area? i'm from the southeastern coast of north carolina.

[Ladd Jasper]

Good to hear you're doing so well, Lance, and great to see you back on the dirt!

Ye Olde X-5 is about to undergo a lightening transformation a la your ETSX, as I hope to swap my PIKE for the '08 TALAS 32 RLC and an RP23 for the current DHXc. So, I'd be very interested to hear your thoughts and impressions on those things when you get the bugger built.

Work hard on lining up that vacation time, it'd be too cool to get you out here for a visit.

Hope you and Eve have a happy Thanksgiving.

[ECOdork]

Indeed I do have a good gig here! The beater is that they don't pay us squat. IF I worked for an Environmental ConSULTant I'd probably be making 30% more...but I'd be stressed out like a mo'fo and never be able to have fun and ride, so I guess it all works out in the end.

speckledtrout- I work out of Raleigh (live in Durham) but have been through Wilmington before. We did some work down around Calabash/Sunset Beach. I just finished a project in Hope Mills near Fayetteville. For those who don't know, this really is a great state. It's no California, but it does have lots of different cultures, ecologies, foods, etc. Lots of pork rind products too.

Laddy, you a poppa now????
You're going to breath new life into that bike. Why the change? Was it a little too heavy? Or did you get something beefier and need to dial down that X5?

[Ladd Jasper]

Originally Posted by ECOdork

Laddy, you a poppa now????
You're going to breath new life into that bike. Why the change? Was it a little too heavy? Or did you get something beefier and need to dial down that X5?

Sure am, and loving it! 2 mos. already, man it really flies by.

I did indeed get something beefier, and the two are now just too similar to leave alone. Can't bear to part with the X-5, so will gladly spend the coin to lighten it up, and will also reduce travel from 6" to 5" to get more separation between them.

Btw, congrats on the dissertation--I know it's been a long time coming. Best of luck with your defense.

[ECOdork]

HOLY CRAP all the way around! Congrats on the kid and the sweet azz bike!
We've been kicking around the idea of kiddos too, but nothing yet. Just gotta keep trying!

That X-5 was nice when I got to ride it in AZ, I'll bet it'll still be real smooth-like and extremely capable even dialed down a little. I just placed that order, hope they get it out tonight, but I kinda doubt it. Oh well, I've waited this long...I'll let you know how I dig the RP23 and the 2008 Talas 32. Compared to the old Rocky's suspension I think it'll be real nice...compared to a rigid SS I think I'll wet myself.

I met a guy on the Ventana Salty-moco or whatever the same day my Rocky broke. He was kinda a tool (and had real bad mojo, clearly) and it made me reminisce about how cool and un-tool-like the other Ventana-owning dude I know is!

Originally Posted by Ladd Jasper

Sure am, and loving it! 2 mos. already, man it really flies by.

I did indeed get something beefier, and the two are now just too similar to leave alone. Can't bear to part with the X-5, so will gladly spend the coin to lighten it up, and will also reduce travel from 6" to 5" to get more separation between them.

Btw, congrats on the dissertation--I know it's been a long time coming. Best of luck with your defense.

[Pain Freak]

Lookin good Lance, Congrats on the dissertation. Hope to ride with you next year.

[bananaseat]

Laaaaannnnce, great to hear from you. Awesome pics and update, glad to hear all is well. Don't think I'd look that happy with a bat chewing on me... Congrats on the progress with the dissertation. I've got a few buddies working on them and I know they are a horrendous undertaking.

Do you say pork rinds... mmmmmmm... take care.