ShortcutToMoncton Posted December 29, 2023 Report Share Posted December 29, 2023 Only a couple quick garage snaps before going on a Christmas vacation…if the weather back home keeps up, I might even get in some January dirt rides!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShortcutToMoncton Posted January 9 Report Share Posted January 9 Was able to make a few garage tweaks (adjusted cockpit lever angles, trimmed the bars a bit, adjusted sag, played around with some shifting options in the SRAM app) and froze my ass off for a little 45-minute ride this weekend. We’ve since got our first real snow (finally!) and I likely won’t have it out again til spring. It’s a bigger bike for me, but certainly does feel slightly lighter and more responsive compared to other 6-inch travel bikes I tried this fall, namely the SC Bronson and Specialized Stumpy EVO. It kind of feels like a Yeti SB130LR I was really looking at pretty hard as my next-best choice, although the Arrival has more rear travel. But it’s not a plush full suspension ride at all — it sits really high in its travel (I think my sag is around ~22%) and it feels really firm by nature. That’s unlike the Bronson in particular, but kind of in-line with the Yeti SB5 I was coming from and frankly just what I was looking for — snappy-feeling and maybe a little feedback-heavy when on the pedals, but the travel’s there when needed. The geometry on this bike is very modern compared to my older bike and the 29 wheels and slack head angle made the front wheel feel way more out in front than I’m used to in coming from 27.5. And I’ve always been a Shimano guy so the SRAM drivetrain also feels strange. It will definitely take me more time to adjust than I’d initially thought. Having said that my face was frozen in a maniacal grin after a bit as I kept struggling to slow down to the frozen-rock-hard conditions. This thing keeps wanting to head directly to top speed. I suspect it will be a really fun summer destroying the local trails. And surprisingly stealth camouflaged too…. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShortcutToMoncton Posted March 11 Report Share Posted March 11 Got my earliest dirt ride ever this past Friday, March 8th. Trails mostly dried out and everything. What a brutal winter. Loving the new 29” wheels and aggressive new school geometry. These aren’t super small changes and I’m still going to be an adjustment period, but even after one ride I can already see the upside. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.