My new Rig

[Jordansrealm]

As Gene said "Welcome to the Dark Side." So, does that mean I can hold a Vadar or Sith name? I think I am going to go with Sith so I can have that really cool face paint!

The last few months I have been slowly looking for a SS bike. I went out and test rode the Redline bikes, GT Peace 9r and a few Niner bikes. By far I will say the Niner bikes were really nice but far out of my price range. I wanted something more on the cheap end. I also thought about diving into the 29r world, I figured why not try both at once! The GT and the Redline bikes both rode about the same. Handling was solid, all of the bikes brakes were shitty and the harsh ride of the rigid front fork just wasn't for me.

After riding all of those I felt like I was still looking for what I wanted. I headed on down to Switchback Cyclery to checkout the Gary Fisher Rig. From the get go the bike felt great, I must have taken 20 spins around the parking lot before making a decision. It was a bit more pricey than the Redline and GT but it already had many of the upgrades I KNEW I would be doing pretty much right away to either of those bikes. Which would end up costing more later.

I was waiting to talk about the new steed until I got a few rides under my belt. I love hearing about new bikes but frown when people talk about how great their new ride is before riding it.

For full specs of the bike go here.

Ride Report

The first thing I noticed on the new bike was ofcourse my virgin legs marrying themselves to a single speed bike. It was a lot more work, but work that was to be expected. I still have flats on the bike but I am soon going to make this also my first mtn bike with clipless pedals. The next noticeable difference was in long flat stretches. SS bikes are definitely not going to win any races thats for sure. (maybe if its an all uphill climb fest and you are Gene) Cruising on the road to get to the trailhead was slow, kinda frustrating since I am new to SS riding but also to be expected. The first section of dirt the bike hit is the new singletrack section in Oneil Park which is short and sweet and has a few small switchbacks. I wanted to see how the new 29-inch wheels rolled and how well they did cornering. I have to say I was pleased. The big wheels seem to float over things much better and I never felt like I couldnt push them through a corner. The Fox RL 80 front fork felt plush and smooth for an 80 and the Avid BB7 brakes controlled braking well but will be on the upgrade list down the line. I hit the pavement at the bottom and climbed up the pavement round about to go down again. Since that was my first climb I wanted to make it on the street to get a feel. It sucked but hey I made it up. I went down and up and few times and then proceeded down Tijeras/Oneil.

This is also the first time I have been on a hardtail bike in quite some time so that was also a new feeling. Going through the rolling sections at the start of Oneil/Tijeras was interesting to say the least on my butt. The first water crossing felt great and the 29r wheels held my line much better than my 26 bike. Getting into the jungle section I did feel a few small tight sections where I missed 26 inch wheels. I figure there will be situations like this with the new bike but also after I spend some more time riding it I will adjust my riding style. Skipping ahead to the climbing sections towards the end of the trail (by the way I usually run this trail in reverse from what the group usually does) left me fatigued. I got through it all but definitely felt the pain of the SS working not to mention I really havent been on the bike in 3 months. At the end of the day I love the new bike and cant wait to see how it helps me get stronger (i hope).

Upgrades

Sherry at Switchback told me that with a few simple adjustments they can make the Fox RL 80 into a RL 100. Needless to say I gave them the bike for a few hours so they could make the change. More travel = I have also changed out the grips for ODI Lock-Ons which are my personal favorites and the saddle is now a Bel Air RL. Right now I am not sure if I am keeping the bars I have on it, I think I want something with a higher rise, we shall see. Other mods ofcourse will come but right now its good to go. Oh I did add a bell

I havent had time to hit the trail since the fork change but I did go out and ride down some stair sections and the bike felt noticeably different. The geometry of the bike changed with the nose being a bit higher and felt more plush with each impact. If you get this bike have the shop make the change.

Thanks

Thanks again to everyone who let me try out their SS or 29r bike over the past year (my wallet hates you though). Without good friends like the STR group a lot of peoples shopping experiences I gather would be much different, I know mine would be. I want to thank Cid over at The Path for going out of his way to bring his Redline bike in for me to spin on. They didnt have the size I was looking for so he brought his in so I could ride it. Tim and Sherry from Switchback did a great job of sizing me up on the bike swapping out bars and stems to make it feel just right and really took care of me with the purchase and the mods.

If you run into some guy laying winded in the dirt on the trail it's just me getting in a fight with my legs over buying a SS bike

[foofighter]

great report...looking forward to riding w/ u on sunday's ladera ridge ride

[wheezy]

Somebody stole your rear shock!!!

AND YOUR GEARS!!!

[northshore]

Nice! What kind of flats are you running since they are not listed in the specs?

[2wheel_lee]

Congratulations on the sweet ride! I was just admiring that bike in a photo on the Jenson sale thread.

You may want to check the fitting on that seat. I'd bet that it's a little too far rearward.

[mntbiker12]

Great rig - love that color!!

[ghixon]

Welcome to the fraternity. I also have a new '08 Rig. Got it a couple months ago. Are you still running the stock 32/18 gearing? You will want to change to a 185 mm front brake at least. I did and it did wonders for the stopping distance. The stock 160's never seemed to do it for me.

One warning - your other bikes will be jealous.

Here's mine!



Congrats on the new ride!!!!

[guero]

right on jordan! thanks for the well written review. the new bike looks good, i enjoyed my Rig for the few months i had it. only reason i sold it was because i couldn't afford to get another bike without selling purple haze.

[dstepper]

Good stuff, nice bike.

Dean

[project_d]

Wow, that Dj frame is so small, that it's almost as if you were riding an XC bike with 29" wheels!

[KeepsWhatHappens]

Nice Jordan. Verrry clean.

Bring it on Sunday so we can see it in person!

KeepsWhatHappens

[Pho'dUp]

Beeyouteefull!

Your Rig is a nice rig! Enjoy.

[Jordansrealm]

Originally Posted by northshore

Nice! What kind of flats are you running since they are not listed in the specs?

Not sure exactly Switchback just threw something on for now.

[El Salt]

Originally Posted by mntbiker12

Great rig - love that color!!

I'll second that! Really, really nice! Enjoy.

[emfc]

Where did the brown saddle go?

I have been eyeballing the Rig, nice bike for the price!

[foofighter]

Originally Posted by emfc

Where did the brown saddle go?

I have been eyeballing the Rig, nice bike for the price!

I'm buying it from him

[emfc]

You don't want that saddle, you want to let me buy it

[foofighter]

these arent the droids youre looking for

[emfc]

Damn I thought it would work My Jedi mind tricks just aren't what they use to be.