Bikes and Tundra

I’d add you’ll end up wanting a “tray style rack” as the mast racks are far from ideal if you want to transport frequently and safely.

 

looks incredible! heel up quick dan!

 

Thanks homie, feeling a lot better this morning already. Neck is a bit stiff, but other than that good to go

 

i don't get on the big bike without it. still not sure why the uci doesn't make the things mandatory for the world cup.

totally relatable

 

Agreed. After yesterday, I’m done being ‘cool’ without my brace. I find the brace impairs my vision as it binds the helmet from turning upward (looking farther ahead on the trail). This why I decided to leave it off yesterday. Anyway, it’s way better to adjust my comfort level based on the lack of vision, not the lack of safety equipment. I can’t stop feeling like an idiot for leaving it in the truck. Oh well. Live and learn. Again. Again.

 

same here. took me quite awhile to get used to the lack of mobility but, i'd rather that than the alternative. plus, i'm going to be 47 in a couple of weeks, i have no need to look cool anymore. i'll let my riding speak for me.

 

Well said sir. I feel like at this point (I’m 32) I still am gaining maturity and responsibility. I started with a very high risk tolerance, so im slowly getting properly calibrated haha

 

haha. my risk tolerance is still pretty high, much higher than my wife would like it to be, and my maturity is somewhere around an 11 year old. what i love is that it's not like riding downhill 30 years ago on steel hard tails and cantilever brakes which, you wouldn't remember.

the gear these days makes the risk much more manageable. might as well use it. plus, taking a digger every now and then keeps you humble.

keystone and winter park open in 6 days. finally. the few gondola laps i made in telluride the past few days have me totally stoked. i can't wait. i didn't ski at all last season so i'm aiming to make up for it.

 

Yeah, I’d be dead if I was riding the old tech haha. Y’all OG’s have balls of brass . Agreed on the wipe out humbleness too, have to break a few eggs to make an omelet

 

Old Fall River Road/Trailridge road in Rocky Mountain National Park.

 

I ended up getting a Hollywood Sport Rider 2 hitch rack. I’m impressed with the quality of it and how it folds up. Overall happy with it.

 

nice. how was the wind? did you ride into the park?

i rode up left hand to brainard on saturday. wind was howling at the lake.



gates are still closed at the entrance so, only hikers on the road. nice being able to ride that section without any cars.

 

Damn dude, that Serotta looks so nice!
The wind didn't pick up until we turned on to Trail Ridge and thats when sh!t got crazy. 40 or 50 mph winds as a storm was coming in. I literally felt like I was riding sideways to counter the wind and then it would let up for a moment and I would swerve the opposite way bc I was countering so hard. The descent until I got back under treeline was pretty scary, but once back around 10kft thats when it got SUPER FUN. 40+ mph speeds all the way down. With the reservation and time window for cars to enter it really made riding there much more enjoyable. There would be gaps of 3 or 4 cars at a time every 10 minutes or so.

 

That sounds like my ride up Rock Cut in RMNP. Wind blew me off my bike several times. Literally had to unclip and put my foot down to save myself from going over. With no guard rails and sharp boulders all the way down the mountain side, it was a bit interesting.

 

That's essentially where it was the worst, right by Rock Cut and just above.

 

Ah, well then I know your pain... lol. I'm not familiar enough of all the names to have known you were talking about the same thing (I've only been once.) I know the summit is after rock cut but I gave up at the bottom of the dip after the parking lot and turned around. It was just too windy and I had already climbed ~5000 feet from the campground.

There were two herds of elk larger than I've ever seen anywhere else up there and several bulls. A few big horn sheep, too. I love that park. It isn't a parking lot like Yellowstone, etc.

 

quick snap from this weekend

 

Ya a quick neck snap of everyone who see’s you in that!!

 

there were a few corners coming down from brainard that got a little sketch. the wind knew just where to start and stop to throw me off the cornering line. still, managed 50mph coming down through ward and low 40s the rest of the way down as the grade flattened out. tucked in on the top tube almost all the way down. weeeee! traffic on left hand wasn't too bad for a saturday morning. couple of motorcycles pulled some stupids and i thought i was going to get clipped head on by one that jumped the double yellow to pass on the uphill.

i avoid rmnp in the summer. it can get pretty bad. winter is the bestest.

 

If you live in CO you have that very enviable option... I live in flat, boring SW Ontario.

 

i know your area. day job boss is in cambridge and i've spent quite a bit of time there. there's some cool stuff up among the lakes a couple hours north though.

 

Thanks 1up FTW

 

Scott Genius 900 tuned. southwestern Pennsylvania

 

Very nice! What model Yeti do you have on the inside there?

 

Rode up Squaw pass to Mt. Evans (14,264) yesterday.

 

Thanks, is a SB140. Such an awesome bike.

 

I’m looking at getting a kona fire mountain.
I can’t seem to find much info on kona bikes compared to some of the more popular brands.
Does anyone have any experience with them?

I’m looking to buy a hardtail in the 750-850 range. Would you guys recommend a different bike in that range?

 

Great pic! Love that single track. I got up to SW PA a few years in a row to goto the Highpoint National MX race. Cool area. Looks like I need to bring the MTB next time.

 

I have a Kona Process 153, good quality bike. Make them a little more solid (heavy?) and usually a pretty good buy, but lots of contenders on the price front with direct to consumer these days. It also really depends what your intended use is. If you’re going to be riding a few days a week on single track you’ll outgrow this bikes capability quickly, if you’re going to use it around the neighborhood, on forest roads, and occasionally on a trail you’ll be happy with this bike.
I recommend finding a good shop to guide you, probably more important than the bike.

In a hard tail I’d definitely get a 29” for trail riding unless you are particularly short. I’d also spend as much as possible for your budget. You will always get more upgrades for your money when you buy them on the bike, than piecing them together.