Intro

[Mike S-TNT]

Hey all,
I've been lurking on the TNTTT forums for a few years but this is the first time I've stumbled on the bicycling forum. What a great community! Who would have thought? Anyway, I've been into bike riding, racing, commuting, and whatever for over 20 years. Cycling is a lifelong passion of mine. I've gotten pretty out of shape over the last few years due to some back problems. But now I'm contemplating getting back into cyclocross racing. The season starts in a few weeks! Anyone else racing 'cross?

 

[Fenlason]

Hey all,
I've been lurking on the TNTTT forums for a few years but this is the first time I've stumbled on the bicycling forum. What a great community! Who would have thought? Anyway, I've been into bike riding, racing, commuting, and whatever for over 20 years. Cycling is a lifelong passion of mine. I've gotten pretty out of shape over the last few years due to some back problems. But now I'm contemplating getting back into cyclocross racing. The season starts in a few weeks! Anyone else racing 'cross?

Hi Mike.. Welcome

The Owner of the forum is [was?] into bikes.. and had maybe seen some of my posting in the Campfire thread.. Anyways he started the bike section. We seemed to have had more serious cyclist a while back than we do now… or at least more than who post now.

I have been an avid cyclist for the better part of 48 years. I got back into racing 3 years ago after a 20 year absence. I have a cycle cross bike, and have used it for mountain biking, but have never raced it. I have friends that do.. many have just started in the last couple of years. I did just enter our first in the area [and first for me. Gravel Grind race. I was entered in a couples class, so had to stay with my wife.. and since she did not have a cross bike we used our matching Cannondale hard tail mountain bikes. Oddly they are lighter than my cross bike.

I am contemplating a new cross bike [or two] but we also want new Fat bikes.. and just bought new mountain bikes this spring.. so…

 

[Mike S-TNT]

Hey all,
I've been lurking on the TNTTT forums for a few years but this is the first time I've stumbled on the bicycling forum. What a great community! Who would have thought? Anyway, I've been into bike riding, racing, commuting, and whatever for over 20 years. Cycling is a lifelong passion of mine. I've gotten pretty out of shape over the last few years due to some back problems. But now I'm contemplating getting back into cyclocross racing. The season starts in a few weeks! Anyone else racing 'cross?

Hi Mike.. Welcome

The Owner of the forum is [was?] into bikes.. and had maybe seen some of my posting in the Campfire thread.. Anyways he started the bike section. We seemed to have had more serious cyclist a while back than we do now… or at least more than who post now.

I have been an avid cyclist for the better part of 48 years. I got back into racing 3 years ago after a 20 year absence. I have a cycle cross bike, and have used it for mountain biking, but have never raced it. I have friends that do.. many have just started in the last couple of years. I did just enter our first in the area [and first for me. Gravel Grind race. I was entered in a couples class, so had to stay with my wife.. and since she did not have a cross bike we used our matching Cannondale hard tail mountain bikes. Oddly they are lighter than my cross bike.

I am contemplating a new cross bike [or two] but we also want new Fat bikes.. and just bought new mountain bikes this spring.. so…

Thanks for the background. Racing is quite fun but requires commitment too. We'll see how that goes for me this year. Fat bikes are cool too. They're all the rage and for good reason. They go anywhere with ease. Do you ride in the snow up there?

 

[Fenlason]

I got over 1000 miles riding snow last winter. We started snow riding in the Mid 80's on regular mountain bikes. Some years we had great snow for it, others not so. Fat bikes have changed that. One can ride in such a wider range of snow with them. This will be our 4th year on season on them. Riding on frozen snowmobile trails has been some of my favorite riding.

Have fun with the cross racing… please post about them.

 

[Mike S-TNT]

I got over 1000 miles riding snow last winter. We started snow riding in the Mid 80's on regular mountain bikes. Some years we had great snow for it, others not so. Fat bikes have changed that. One can ride in such a wider range of snow with them. This will be our 4th year on season on them. Riding on frozen snowmobile trails has been some of my favorite riding.

Have fun with the cross racing… please post about them.

Yes, I've always ridden in the snow too on whatever bike I had available. But I need a fat bike anyway. I'll post pics of cx. I'm also a USA Cycling official and therefor involved with putting on a lot of the races. We just got the fall/winter race schedule. I'm looking forward to it!

 

[Fenlason]

I got over 1000 miles riding snow last winter. We started snow riding in the Mid 80's on regular mountain bikes. Some years we had great snow for it, others not so. Fat bikes have changed that. One can ride in such a wider range of snow with them. This will be our 4th year on season on them. Riding on frozen snowmobile trails has been some of my favorite riding.

Have fun with the cross racing… please post about them.

Yes, I've always ridden in the snow too on whatever bike I had available. But I need a fat bike anyway. I'll post pics of cx. I'm also a USA Cycling official and therefor involved with putting on a lot of the races. We just got the fall/winter race schedule. I'm looking forward to it!

Yes you NEED a Fat bike. My wife and I each have a Pugsley. Purchased back when there not as many options. We then also purchased Moonlanders for each of us. [I work in a shop]. I would like something lighter now. The Specialized Fat Boy is high on my list. Although I would also kind of like to "exchange" my Moonlander for an Ice Cream truck.

 

[tmb-TNT]

Been riding off and on since mid 90's, raced a bit back then and started racing again 3yrs ago. Mostly mtn bike and gravel races(on cx bike) plus a few road races.

Wife and I are currently Cat1's in the dirt here in Mi, she races women's elite and I race Expert/Elite Singlespeed.

We've got a Storm 6x12(xtra 6" tall) v-nose that we converted in to a nice little race camper. Holds 4 bikes(fork mounts) w/ a loft bed over top of them, storage bench built in to the V, fold down table big enough for us to eat at, 10ft roll out awning, a few windows, insulation. It's constantly evolving.

Got a lot of great ideas wandering around this site.

T

 

[Fenlason]

Been riding off and on since mid 90's, raced a bit back then and started racing again 3yrs ago. Mostly mtn bike and gravel races(on cx bike) plus a few road races.

Wife and I are currently Cat1's in the dirt here in Mi, she races women's elite and I race Expert/Elite Singlespeed.

We've got a Storm 6x12(xtra 6" tall) v-nose that we converted in to a nice little race camper. Holds 4 bikes(fork mounts) w/ a loft bed over top of them, storage bench built in to the V, fold down table big enough for us to eat at, 10ft roll out awning, a few windows, insulation. It's constantly evolving.

Got a lot of great ideas wandering around this site.

T

We have a Similar trailer we use primarily for racing. For 24 hour Solo racing we get to use it as our pit trailer.

 

[Mike S-TNT]

Been riding off and on since mid 90's, raced a bit back then and started racing again 3yrs ago. Mostly mtn bike and gravel races(on cx bike) plus a few road races.

Wife and I are currently Cat1's in the dirt here in Mi, she races women's elite and I race Expert/Elite Singlespeed.

We've got a Storm 6x12(xtra 6" tall) v-nose that we converted in to a nice little race camper. Holds 4 bikes(fork mounts) w/ a loft bed over top of them, storage bench built in to the V, fold down table big enough for us to eat at, 10ft roll out awning, a few windows, insulation. It's constantly evolving.

Got a lot of great ideas wandering around this site.

T

Very cool. Well we're taking my 7x16 CT conversion to the first cyclocross races of the season, next weekend. It's gonna be a big party and I'm looking forward to having my trailer with me. Actually I'm not even racing. I'm a USA Cycling official, there to help put the races on.

My license says I'm a Cat 1 in mountain bikes. I don't deserve that categorization; I was grandfathered in from USA Cyclings' old "Expert Class.". I haven't race mountain bikes in 10 years. I'm a Cat 3 on the road, and Cat 3 in cyclocross (neither of which my fitness measures up to)

 

[Teary eyed]

I've missed the party it sounds like!
The wife and I are both cross geeks. Love to race...results don't show it! New teardrop campers but have totally drank the kool-aid! Cant wait to get the trailer to races next year (including nats @ our local course in Asheville)...Hope you guys make it out for that, I'll have cold beer, and lots of cow-bells..come stop in!

 

[Fenlason]

I've missed the party it sounds like!
The wife and I are both cross geeks. Love to race...results don't show it! New teardrop campers but have totally drank the kool-aid! Cant wait to get the trailer to races next year (including nats @ our local course in Asheville)...Hope you guys make it out for that, I'll have cold beer, and lots of cow-bells..come stop in!

Welcome Teary Eyed.

People tend to somewhat come and go around here. I am here.. and still biking. My wife and I have a Cargo trailer conversion for racing vs a tear drop. I have a cross bike, and have ridden it off road a bit, but I have never actually done a cross race. I have road raced, time trialed, Mountain bike raced, Ice raced, and done some observed trials… oh and I did a Gravel grind last year. I would love to do a cross race, but with some pretty "hinkey" knees, doing for more than fun.. doesn't seem to be in the cards. [the dismounting and running]

I do want a new cross bike badly, although maybe more for gravel racing. [My current cross bike is heavier than some of my mountain bikes] We do have a newish local cross race that I would try if I got one.

 

[Teary eyed]

Theres always room for a new bike! The new/relaunched Santa Cruz Stigmata looks pretty sweet,and has enough room to squeeze in 41's. So do the Niner's..-
And the new Salsa ...and the Ibis...looks like I may have some bike shopping to do..

 

[Fenlason]

Theres always room for a new bike! The new/relaunched Santa Cruz Stigmata looks pretty sweet,and has enough room to squeeze in 41's. So do the Niner's..-
And the new Salsa ...and the Ibis...looks like I may have some bike shopping to do..

Hmm Laurie and I got new bikes last Spring.. I got another new one Early winter… and I just resurrected an old mothballed bike of mine.. a few weeks ago. My wife and I have somewhere around 30 bikes… and at the moment I would need to come up why I "need" another.

Foundry has a new bike coming out also… a Ti gravel /cross combo, that sounds nice. Although I am sort of leaning towards a Specialized Evo Crux. I am a shop rat.. and it is something we sell.

I also am wanting another Fat bike or 2…

 

[Teary eyed]

Whoa...30...we only have 10..sounds like I'm losing the arms race!
Have not tried fat bikes yet. Although a good friend keeps trying to talk me into it.I just don't have any more room in garage..
Have SS rigid, geared HT, 2 dual suspensions, 1 cross, 1 road and an old 93' Bridgestone MB-2 rigid I keep toying with idea @ selling. The wife has a dual MTB, cross, townie. And now a teardop plus wifes convertible taking up big chunks of real estate..
I saw the teaser on that Foundry Ti model...very sexy! Several friends killing it on that Spec evo cx..and can't beat employee purchase!!
I wrenched and sold all thru college...landed me a few sweet Serotta road frames back in the 90's. So I know that's gotta be the next go to purchase!

 

[Fenlason]

Whoa...30...we only have 10..sounds like I'm losing the arms race!
Have not tried fat bikes yet. Although a good friend keeps trying to talk me into it.I just don't have any more room in garage..
Have SS rigid, geared HT, 2 dual suspensions, 1 cross, 1 road and an old 93' Bridgestone MB-2 rigid I keep toying with idea @ selling. The wife has a dual MTB, cross, townie. And now a teardop plus wifes convertible taking up big chunks of real estate..
I saw the teaser on that Foundry Ti model...very sexy! Several friends killing it on that Spec evo cx..and can't beat employee purchase!!
I wrenched and sold all thru college...landed me a few sweet Serotta road frames back in the 90's. So I know that's gotta be the next go to purchase!

Nice

Up here many people that are serious about biking will keep an old bike for sloppy weather riding. So some of our bikes fit into that niche. I have a few bikes I could sell… or would not mind selling, but they don't seem to be that desirable.
I loved Bridgestone. I was sorry to see them leave the US market. I do have an 87 MB1, back when it came with the Nitto Dirt drop bars. I love that bike, but don't ride it much now. It is one I would just keep. I do also have a Serotta. hmm I don't recall the year.. I think early 90's also. It is their T-Max Mountain bike. I have it set up now for ice racing. We race some at a local hockey rink. It makes an perfect bike for that, and otherwise it is another that isn't worth much to sell. I would hang it on the wall for the few hundred I might get out of it.

Many people that test ride a fat bike immediately fall in love. I didn't. I did finally purchase a couple for my wife and I a few years ago to ride in the snow. Often with our freeze thaw cycles, one can ride on our snowmobile trails on a "regular" mountain bike. A few years ago my local trail just up the road, lost a lot of it's traffic. [They took the dam out on the river, so it does freeze up, and the snowmobiles could not get across to it] The trail ended up with just local traffic and no longer got packed enough. The Fat bike allowed us to ride it again. When the even fatter Moonlander came out, we purchased 2 of those also. We most often ride the Pugs. They are lighter [the way we have them set up] and faster. We have them set up with the Dillinger studded tires. The Moonlanders are for when conditions are too soft for even the Pugs. We have the very aggressive Lou and Bud tires on them. This year we have had a lot of snow, and more an issue it has stayed COLD.. so the snow isn't packing well. So much of our riding this winter has been on the Moonlanders. I would love to have something for a lighter faster fat bike. I wouldn't mind "trading" the Moonlander for the Ice Cream truck either.

When I first started riding the Pugs, It felt heavy [they used to be a bit heavier than they are today], but they allowed us to ride when and where we couldn't otherwise. After a while it just felt like a bike. Come spring.. we just kept riding and did much of our summer riding on them. They are just fun.

Getting back into racing, we did start riding some faster bikes more often.. but we still ride fat some also.