CBBaron

Justify? Does not compute I have found with 1x you really want to have a clutch type derailleur. The extra chain tension really help to keep the chain in place. I just run a small enough gear to handle all of my low speed requirements on the MTB and suffer not being able to apply power when on gradual down hills on the road. I think it is currently a 30t front with a 11-42 10 speed rear, but this is a fat bike and snow riding requires some really low gears.

Lets do a group ride sometime. I'm on a full rigid fat bike so I'm not flying through the rough terrain either. West Branch is fun and I know its real close to IP but probably not others. I've promised myself I would ride Mohican and Medina this season and I need to get back to Vultures Knob sometime, have not been there for years.

It worked well enough on the Pikes Peak hill climb record.

sounds about right...for a TW200

umm, I've seen cars run off the road to avoid a squirrel. Some drivers will run off the road to avoid contact even if its not the best choice. However more likely the inbred was offended that someone was having fun in a way he did not approve.

So is this considered a "back protector" Or does it have to be like this Considering doing this track day if the weather holds and its not booked. I guess my insert is good enough for novice but was curious on the requirements. Does Mid-Ohio cap Novice? Will there likely be a problem reserving a week before? I'm guessing a DRZ400SM won't be much of a problem in novice, just limit my speeds and accelerations on the straighter portions. At this point a structured lesson sounds good and is what I would want out of a track day.

Rode West Branch MTB yesterday. Let me just say Quarry trail has way more rocks than my skill level can handle. I got through the first 1/3 and was thinking I was doing good, then I hit the "real" rocks. Much walking, ensued. This little guy was guarding the trail. It took considerable arguing to convince him to let me pass

Not a big fan. Went through 2 rears and a front. Handled well on dry pavement new and worn but were pretty sketchy on wet pavement and wore out real fast. Rears lasted about 3000 and the front about 5000 on a 30hp 320# DRZ. The OEM supersoft Dunlop SM tire lasted as long. Basically it was an OK sport tire that did not live up to its promises on wet weather handling and long life. Pilot Power 2CT was better for both. Ofcourse a 140 width tire on the DRZ is not the same as 180 on an FZ so that doesnt really help Tonic.

On the sport/track tire side I'm really liking the new Pilot Power RS. They work much better in the wet than expected by the tread pattern and are very sticky with a nice profile. In my case I also like that they come in 140 and 150 widths, with a 180 width you will have the choice of any sport or sport touring tire. With the type of mileage you put down Tonic you probably want to consider the higher mileage you should get out of a sporttour tire. The FZ wont kill tires like Tim and Justin do on their heavier bikes but I'm finding even my DRZ will eat through a sport tire in less than 5k.

I was wondering the same It caught my attention because my sister lives near there and it is no where near any good roads.

16 goes right into Charlotte but is no where near Fayetteville, NC, which is OK because Fayetteville is no where near Charlotte Looks like 16 would be a good option for hiro. After riding a good portion with Tonic I agree it is a nice ride.

Ride it. I did 1500miles with the Fall Gap crew on my DRZ400SM, @Scorpion-Ninja did the trip 2-up on his Ninja 650. Every bike is boring on the freeway, as is driving. Best choice would be to plan a 2 day trip on back roads. There are some great roads between OH and Charlotte. If you have to blast the freeway, just take your time. Take plenty of rest breaks to stretch your legs and keep alert. If you get drowsy, take a nap. And skip the heavy meals while on route.

Taking a Walmart bike on Quarry or Southside would take some real guts. I think your best bet would be to drag the bike over the rocks. I would say carry but those things are worse boat anchors than my Pugs

I agree its all mental. I have a big mental block for narrow bridges. It was a short bridge that did me in, though my memory makes it about 4" wide The other mental block is tall obstacles. Slammed on my brakes approaching a tall log pile this weekend. I'm pretty sure I could have just rolled right over it, and I started to attack the 3' pile of logs but had a panic and stopped just short. I really should take the time to practice the obstacle until I get confident instead of taking the bypass, but my fear of injury keeps me on the easy path. Craig

If you are going to be doing much racing I would think you would want a more appropriate bike. Fat bikes are a lot of fun and very capable but a heavy rigid bike is not going to be very fast compared to a light XC bike. You should atleast setup tubeless, if you havn't already, and consider a tire upgrade. Its pretty easy to drop a couple pounds from fat bike tires/wheels. I'm not racing but going through the same decisions. The old Pugsley gets the job done but is kind of a tank compared to a modern bike. After bashing through the rocks this weekend I'm considering a plus sized hard tail, but its hard to justify $1500-$2000 for a new toy when the current ride works. I'm avoiding renting a bike from Eddys so that I dont know how much better it could ride

Did West Branch sunday, its pretty close for me. Lake side is pretty with short hills, a few steep some roots and the occasional view of the lake. I also did the "blue" sections of Southside which includes numerous rock gardens. Only a few places I had to walk. The rigid fat tire bounces too much when it has enough air to not bottom out on the rocks. There are a few "black" sections which are more than my skill level can handle. I've done Quarry trail in the past which also has plenty of rocks. For me Quarry and South side were the most challenging trails I have completed. More so than Medina, East Rim or Mohican. I havn't been to VK in years, maybe it is time to get over my fear and go back. First and only time I bruised my ribs badly dropping off a skinny then endoed in a rock garden.

Not much cotton in New England

You do tend to crash way more often on an MTB if you are trying to go fast or clear difficult obstacles than you do on the road. I think thats true of off road motorcycles and road bikes too. Heal up fast.

Must be fairly common design for dirt bikes. My DRZ has the same oil arrangement, most of the oil is in the frame, which needs to be drained first. I havnt made too much of a mess doing oil changes on that bike except for the small amount of oil I usually get on the engine case when I remove the filter cover. I installed some new Zeta Pivot levers on the bike (need to get pictures). These are shorter and allow adjustment for reach in addition to folding out instead of breaking when I drop to bike.

Well I had my best MTB ride ever at Bedford Wed and you are still 6 min faster I'm lacking skill, suspension and fitness. We do have a lot of fun trails within reasonable distance.

Tonight and Saturday have a high chance of rain. Even if open the trails may be pretty messy. I will probably try to ride Sunday morning. Medina is a possibility but that is twice as far as West Branch for me. Plus I know I'm not keeping up with Jhawk and would hold up Chris also. i did ride Bedford Wed evening and was surprised how solid the trial finally is. I also had one of those rides where everything just felt great. Beat nearly all of PRs and I know I was in better shape last year. Rode Hampton Hill last weekend, which is a fun trail. Construction is like East Rim without the rock obstacles. The one loop is very vertical, which I creep down and up but does provide a good challenge for the skills and lungs

Hmm, maybe I should come out next week. I'm sure I could take last spot I agree with you 4.5 miles hardly seems long enough to bother with. However your bike is much closer to a 'real' bike than my original model Pugsley. Steel frame, non-suspension corrected, offset front and rear 135mm hubs and you have to loosen the rear brake bracket to remove the wheel. Its a great bike!!!

Moldex 6800 pura-fit I got a sampler pack from the earplug superstore and I liked these the best. http://www.earplugstore.com/unfoamtrialp.html?_s_icmp=HOMEBAR1_TRIAL_PACKS So I picked up a case. http://www.earplugstore.com/mopufit3bof2.html Should last me for a few years.

Buy a Ninja 250. I'm 6'2" 220 and my first bike was a Ninja 250. Rode it for a year and 5000 miles and sold it for about the same price. Carbs are not a problem if your ride regularly. If it has a carb it has a choke. No big deal, pull it out when you start up the bike and push it back in when its warm. My Ninja had carbs and so does my current DRZ400. If you are looking for budget transportation then the EX250 is a good idea also. Better than 60 mpg and inexpensive tires that last a long time. Bigger sport bikes go through expensive tires pretty quickly.

Changed the rear tire. I had just purchased a new tire this week anticipating the current one only had a few hundred miles left. Rolled the bike in the garage last night and noticed a nail sticking out of the tread So spent the evening mounting up the new tire. Only got 3000 miles on the Metzeler Sportec M7 on the rear of my DRZ. Seems awful short lifespan for such a light and low powered bike. Trying out a Power RS. The latest Power series comes in SM sizes and the DRZ OEM size is H rated which should warm up faster than the W rated models that most sportbike tires come in. The DRZ is not going to test the 168mph limit on a W rated tire