fartymarty profile

Cr4w - this is exactly what I am trying to do so I can hopefully keep riding as long as possible.  Plus trying to improve technically.

Sounds like you have very gravel friendly terrain.   It would be hard to stay motivated when you get used to janky tech trails.

> you get old because you get slow

Sage advice.

I'm 50 in a few months and still try to sensibly charge hard but sensibly and when i'm feeling it.  I'm also trying to do a lot more yoga this year.

Allen - what are you riding?  This is where I have found a HT / rigid bike fun in that it keeps things spicy.

It's more pedal pins vs shins and being a dumb ass and riding without knee pads (i'm trying hard to stop that one as it's dumb).  But you are right coming off on the road would be horrific.

Plus most rides are at night and the missus hates blood on the sheets from my war wounds....

Real thin ice...

Weirdly tho it makes more sense for mtbers to shave as we fall off a lot more.

and sticky plasters don't stick that well to hairs...  One of the joys of #FlatPedals4Life (or as long as it lasts) is constantly having wounded shins despite having grippy shoes and pedals.

TBH I couldnt be arsed unpacking my hip pack which was fairly well organised hence just stuffed it in my back pack. 

I'm not a frame bag fan, too much mud in the UK - they just end up covered in crap.

I've got a tick twister in my ride bag.  I've had a few riding buddies get ticks while out riding altho ironically not while I was there.

Ticks are nasty fuckers.

Perry - You're brave even saying it...

If I do ride light and have an issue I'm prepared to walk home however long it takes as punishment.

Posted by: burnskiez

Posted by: fartymarty

I get why Stooge don't do 44mm HTs (due to aesthetic reasons and maybe purity) but it would be cool to stick a bouncy fork on the front of a Stooge.

Tristan - there is a ton of overlap but all very different uses - could you get the same uses out of a Scambler with wheel / bar swaps?

YESSS this!!!!!   God I wish I could put a decent squish fork on my stooge.  Its the only reason I'll be picking up another hardtail in the future and turning the stooge into a monstercross rig or selling to a friend.  The bike punches way above its weight class but its for exactly that reason that I know I'm gonna break that beautiful biplane fork at some point.  I like to hit the local blue jump line every now and then and it'd only be a matter of time.

After my ride last night i'm beginning to wonder if I really* need a squishy fork.  We rode a local area with some steep tech jank which was super fun on the Cotic Klunker.  It made me ride things slower and pick lines rather than plow (which I even do on the HT).  The -2 headset was the unsung star of the show - it just gets the fork in a great position where going over the bars doesn't seem like it's ever going to happen.

*slightly tongue in cheek as it's good to have the option.

Reading the Stooge www it doesn't seem like Andy would ever do a Stooge with a squish fork - therefore surgery / custom would be the only option.

Options are good.  I have the Murmur on the stand undergoing a rebuild at the moment.  It's nice to have the time to rebuild while still being able to ride.

I get why Stooge don't do 44mm HTs (due to aesthetic reasons and maybe purity) but it would be cool to stick a bouncy fork on the front of a Stooge.

Tristan - there is a ton of overlap but all very different uses - could you get the same uses out of a Scambler with wheel / bar swaps?

Posted by: Vikb

Looks nice.

If only the TT was curved instead of the bend.... does look nice tho

(Edit - altho that would be a bit of a Sklar rip off).

Vik - that first pic is awesome.  What's the building / structure?

Posted by: fartymarty

Posted by: AndrewMajor

Posted by: fartymarty

Super annoyingly I have a Brand X 200mm dropper that I can't get a cartridge for as no one stocks them atm.  Worst thing is it was only 6 months old.

Is it just a Wintek cartridge or something else? 

If it’s a Wintek cartridge then chances are some other brand’s cartridge fits.

I think it is but need to have a serious look again for it.  I ended up getting another 170 Brand X.  Best thing is I have 31.6 on both bikes so I can swap between.

Looks like PNW have stock - I just need to fork out the £45

Posted by: AndrewMajor

Posted by: fartymarty

Super annoyingly I have a Brand X 200mm dropper that I can't get a cartridge for as no one stocks them atm.  Worst thing is it was only 6 months old.

Is it just a Wintek cartridge or something else? 

If it’s a Wintek cartridge then chances are some other brand’s cartridge fits.

I think it is but need to have a serious look again for it.  I ended up getting another 170 Brand X.  Best thing is I have 31.6 on both bikes so I can swap between.

Posted by: snowsnake

One worker at my LBS has been trying to convince me that because it’s not that simple to replace the cartridge in my TranzX dropper post, and including labor the refresh will be nearly as expensive, I should just buy a new one, but I’m not having it. Why trash the post I have if it’s just a cartridge away from full functionality? I know cycling is far from environmentally friendly but I’m reusing and repairing anything I can.

If Trans X are similar to Brand X (think this is a Wiggle /CRC own brand) - which I assume they are (I have a couple of Brand X and PNWs and they are identical apart from the collar) then it's easy to rebuild and replace the cartridge if you've got the tools and time.  Worst case if you fuck it up you can either take it to the shop or buy a new one.  Also shame on the shop for not trying to repair it.

It annoys me greatly when you have to bin (recycle) something where you could easily replace parts.  We just bought some parts for a Tefal blender we have - the postage from France was a little pricy but it saved binning the motor / jug.  I like / support companies who do this.

Super annoyingly I have a Brand X 200mm dropper that I can't get a cartridge for as no one stocks them atm.  Worst thing is it was only 6 months old.

**Stems / Bars - **

Andrew - the video by Rulezman makes the most sense to me in terms of bar position wrt the steerer tube.

https://youtu.be/oCi9LzaMm10?si=alDo_KFj75QhC2YX

Andrew - I would go as far as saying a rigid bike is the best bike to test products on as you are limiting variables.

Firstly geometry needs to be right and the rider is in a good position. Then you can start adding suspension. I still don't think we are at a point where geo is sorted - it's closer than its ever been but there are brands who don't do balanced CS lengths across sizes. Ditto HT lengths.

Therefore with less variables on a rigid bike you are closer to getting to to a point of sorted geo.

I (and I'm sure you do) would ignore what other bike media say. The only people IMO pushing things in the right direction atm is Paul Aston / Chris Porter (altho I haven't heard much from him in a while).

Back to the stem - I need to revisit the 31mm stem and Surly Sunrise bar once the Murmur is back up and running (in spring).  I've run it with a 40mm stem and 0mm spacers bit not 31mm with 20mm spacers.  I reckon I could get close to the BMB stem.  I know @roil runs a similar setup on his 161.