Mountain Biking - ^^ new rockhopper, 56k warning thru link

FINAL UPDATE: okay, just click my sig. and for those who are lazy...

2006 Rockhopper Comp Disc with X9 rd, X7 shifters, 5050 X pedals in blue, alligator squeaker
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l202/creamsoda89/1DSCN0177brickoverall.jpg http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l202/creamsoda89/2DSCN0158grassoverallfront.jpg http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l202/creamsoda89/6DSCN1003PortraitFront.jpg http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l202/creamsoda89/7DSCN0167reversegrass.jpg

It looks WAAAY too color coordinated and pretty.

Got dirt?

Holy crap, that alligator squeaker is the bomb. What is it exactly?

Nice Rockhopper, the pedals look great, nice color coordination there, I most envy your... alligator squeak toy... seriously that thing is the bomb!

sweet ride. cut them bars a lil though.

Nice! Looks just like the one in my pics from last week hehe (but smaller!)

So you did get them to swap the Shimano stuff for the SRAM! I wasn't sure if you were gonna do that.

I still want X.9 twist shifters and the X.9 rear myself.

Congrats!

the alligator squeaker is 2.93 at wal-mart - i love it.

it's like a theft deterrent... no one pays attention to the bike this way...

i parked my old fusion at work with that thing on, and left to work, and two days later i meet up with some friends and it turns out two of them were walking around that area the day i was working, and they were playing with the sqeaker. lol

i got better pictures, and NEVER EVER USE GOOGLEPAGES. the interface is HORRIBLE.... i'm switching back to freewebs (too lazy to code my own pages, i'm sticking with templates).

zx, yeah the bars are a bit wide... but i'm fine with them for now.
tires are fine as well, dunno what beef you guys had with them... i just run them at 30 psi.
pheard, thx lol i specifically chose those pedals, i only put my bike down in grass and dirt now :S don't worry one day i'll scratch those things :D

Tires wash out too easliy and don't corner well in wet conditions, besides when really torquing the pedals on a steep climb, they lose traction quite easly... but if you like them thats fine, they just did not suit my riding style :) By the way, those are awesome pedals, I really like them.

Don't cut the bars ;), wider bars with a good rise are great for trials. Ah the wonders of a new, shiny bike, you'll like it better once it wears the scars from your riding session :roflmao:

Nice 50/50's...goes well with the bike.

You'll scratch the hell out of them in no time. :)

thanks flone and chak 'bout the pedals, i love them... the studs aren't sharp as hell like my fusion's bigflats so they won't tear the crap out of my shins when i slip off them :D

i added even more pictures from this morning, with much better backgrounds, and a different camera, different compression and in morning light (better than evening light) so you guys can see the finish better.

i'd say the last ones look the best with the bright sun against the beige brick of my neighbour's sideyard XD.

i deleted some older ones because freewebs has a small upload limit, if anyone wants a picture of something i haven't taken of the bike or i've taken off, feel free to ask - so far i've been only taking entire bike shots. btw they're all in 1024x768, not too large but not that small. the best one will be in a huge res.

you know what? i'm just gonna post some from photobucket in a bit after i upload all 49 photos...

Nice 50/50's...goes well with the bike.

You'll scratch the hell out of them in no time. :)
I got the same 5050s, and they are scratched to heck.

Dude, go get those bikes dirty.

http://img132.imageshack.us/img132/2437/trek9300lc.jpg

i'll get it muddy sometime, now before i gtg i'm gonna post the link to my photobucket, which has all 49 pictures in 1024x768 and the best 7 in 1280x960:

http://s97.photobucket.com/albums/l202/creamsoda89/

no, i'm not obsessed. XDXDXDXD

sweet ride. cut them bars a lil though.


those bars?

Just a tip, since I can tell you love your bike alot. You may want to put something over the chainstay. Once your chain starts slapping it, the paint will chip.

Nice bike buddy! How does it feel when you ride it? Wanna remove reflectors and dork disc? As someone said before, it might be a good idea to shorten bars a little.

Just a tip, since I can tell you love your bike alot. You may want to put something over the chainstay. Once your chain starts slapping it, the paint will chip.

yeah, i got an old tube ready and i'm going to wrap it this week, or any time i actually get this thing dirty and ride a good trail. humidex is crazy right now in the greater toronto area... biking isn't very enjoyable right now.

oh and since i'm going to be using it on the street, i'm going to keep the reflectors.... and as for the spoke protector in the back... i'm taking a cutter to it when i have the time. right now i need to true my rotor so it'll stop rubbing against one of my brake pads... i've spent an hour adjusting it and there's no way to adjust the caliper so that the lever play is perfect AND have no rotor rub - because the rotor is out of true... noticeable squeaks at low speeds. i'll just slowly true it with pliers :D - it's just a minor problem.

so far, i like it. it's definitely not as nimble and fast as my fusion, even though it's a bit lighter - i get more exercise :) it definitely feels heavier when i'm riding it and hopping with it. when i wheelie i hafta lean back more... and it's easier to power wheelie. overall, compared to my older bike, it feels very very very solid and well-built. maybe my fusion just needs a tune-up, i took it jumping a few times lol. rear wheel has sooo much wobble in it :)

and screw the bars, i'm just gonna swap it with my fusion's bars - they look exactly the same as one of raceface's bars except for the logo...i'm hoping they simply slapped their name on a rf bar.

Suggestion: Don't use pliers. Use a crescent wrench with a little bit of old tube on the rotor so you don't marr the braking surface. ( I actually used my fingers and it worked fine)

Also: Ride it a while before you decided to change anything. Just b/c someone doesn't like your tires or thinks your handlebar is too wide...doesn't mean that you have the same trail surface or broader shoulders than they have.

I'm sure by your comments, you already feel this way.

Sweet bike...but does any even use 56k dial-up anymore?

i build thoes

I just got my Rockhopper back from the shop... man it feels like a completely new bike...

Maybe its tire pressure or my back wheel was wobbly before but the bike felt much more responsive than before on the back wheel, incredible.

Going riding tomorrow and will go on another trip on Sunday, a 30km ride around Cotopaxi... one of the largest volcanoes in the world... lots of elevation (we'll be at about 3500mt or so), they have a digital photograph service so I'll have all the pictures emailed... you bet I'll post them here, my bikeshop is including everything, mechanical service, guides, insurance and a 15% discount on all items!

Oh man, I'm psyched :)

Sweet bike...but does any even use 56k dial-up anymore?
I do. Its not like I choose to though, its just high-speed isnt avalaible where I live. Oh well gives me more reason to ride my bike.

Suggestion: Don't use pliers. Use a crescent wrench with a little bit of old tube on the rotor so you don't marr the braking surface. ( I actually used my fingers and it worked fine)

Also: Ride it a while before you decided to change anything. Just b/c someone doesn't like your tires or thinks your handlebar is too wide...doesn't mean that you have the same trail surface or broader shoulders than they have.

I'm sure by your comments, you already feel this way.

thanks for the great advice... too bad it can't save me now - i've already scratched up my rotor, the front has mini holes that i can feel whenever i brake -_- but i'm sure as time passes the extra material sticking out the sides of the holes will wear down and i'll be fine....

i spent another hour trying to adjust my front to work properly...
when it's the right lever reach and pull, the rotor rubs, no matter what.
when i adjust it so that it doesn't rub, I have to pull almost ALL the way to the bar to stop.
basically my rotor is out of true. i can't true it properly, it just goes back to its old position.

i'm not sure, but my entire front wheel went out of true as well, hopefully that wasn't my fault... but that would mean that my bike shop didn't even check it.

well i'll try your crescent wrench idea... maybe try to sand off the bumps created by my pliers -_-
if worst comes to worst i'll get a new front rotor.

ok, i've had it for almost 2 weeks now...

update: it rides like a dream, now that i've gotten used to it... i've changed the saddle position, angle and certain other small things like rebound on the fork, and i couldn't be any happier with the bike. it's definitely lighter than my fusion, by at least a pound or more. before i said that it felt slower than my fusion, it's not, it's just that the fusion is more jittery in terms of handling and it's a smaller frame, with worn-out high-rollers (so yes, it would coast faster downhill). It's stable, predictable, nimble, light (could definitely go lighter but i'm happy with it right now) and i couldn't get a better bike at this price.

little things are happening now...
there are 3 coats of paint on it... one black primer, then the dream silver, then the clear coat.
little things here and there are being stained by lube... like the rear rim... and definitely the silver derailleur, which i'm too lazy to clean up but doesn't look good with black spots on the silver. lol anyway...

i put a 4-inch gash (very noticable and substantial) on the left top corner of the toptube already... it's all the way to the aluminum in most parts, and to the black primer in the others... i'll post a picture in photobucket. i won't go into details... the frame is now officially personalized and broken in. i had to put a bit of touch-up paint on the biggest part of the gash to prevent the hole from spreading whenever anything rubbed against it (clothing, hands, paper towel when drying bike, etc).

it's also scratched a bit on the seatstay to the black paint... when i bailed out while power-wheelieing and it fell onto curb... yikes...

and a little hole to the aluminum on one side of the chainstay and the other, both of which i have no idea how it happened.

one day, a few years down the road.. i'll just take it to an auto body shop and get it stripped and repainted... don't know which colour yet.

Tsk tsk... already scratched up?! hehe jk... it's a mountain bike... looks better with some damage! :D

My flat-black RH has yet to be scratched since I haven't had a chance to ride it yet... only picked it up 2 days ago though. Ended up getting a base model '06 in matte black for MUCH cheaper than it should have been... and also have a nice new Tora fork to stick on it that I got with the bike. Bike already had SRAM X.7 stuff on it too from the LBS. Will order some BB7 discs this week and be all set! :D

Where's the damage, let me see. I WANNA SEE!! where? where is it!!!

Remember, scratches are one point and dents are like 4 points.

Right now I have like 50 points, see cuz I have like 4 dents in my top tube :D

It's been de-virginized.

It's been de-virginized.

true that. i actually preferred the times when it wasn't though....

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l202/creamsoda89/First%20Wash%20and%20Scratches/DSCN0190Large.jpg
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l202/creamsoda89/First%20Wash%20and%20Scratches/DSCN0197Large.jpg

now here they are... tada!!!

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l202/creamsoda89/First%20Wash%20and%20Scratches/DSCN0196Large.jpg

:eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l202/creamsoda89/First%20Wash%20and%20Scratches/DSCN0195Large.jpg
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l202/creamsoda89/First%20Wash%20and%20Scratches/DSCN0194Large.jpg

more pictures here: http://s97.photobucket.com/albums/l202/creamsoda89/First%20Wash%20and%20Scratches/

sorry, dial-up users lol

Wow good job on f'ing that paint job up. The charmander sticker is awesome though.

Man how the hell did you get your Rockhopper so dinged up, mine is a few months older and looks new compared to that.

But don't worry, the Charmander sticker and Alligator Squeaker more than make up for it :)

heh i think the scratches are actually a good thing... the squeaker and sticker don't make up for it... they add to it!!! :D :D :D and now...back to the weed.

i like your eevee pheard :D

Nice! Ive got one ordered and cant wait to get it. Same color to. Does it shift smooth? Are those clipless pedals? Mine are comming with those and its will be the first time Ive used clipless. Very nice bike.

Inspired by you cream soda, I'm gunna put a pokemon sticker on my bike. If I still have any :D

Yet another in the 5050 club. Best platforms I've ever used. I might pick up the long pin kit, but the short ones are ok for now.

Now I'm going to go make a quesadilla!


Nice! Ive got one ordered and cant wait to get it. Same color to. Does it shift smooth? Are those clipless pedals? Mine are comming with those and its will be the first time Ive used clipless. Very nice bike.

Nope, Crank Brothers 5050s are platforms. If it were clipless, you wouldn't have to ask. The cleat retainer would jump out and slap you ;)

unfortunately I don't wear skate shoes so my shoes keep slipping off the studs -_-"

might get a long pin kit as well...and good thing is that so far, the pins haven't punched holes in my shins yet... i've just had little pin-sized bruises instead... :)

and flair... i use sram x.7 shifters paired to an x.9 in the back... so i can't really tell you how your's is going to shift... but in any case mine shifts perfectly... and it hasn't been broken in yet. little bit of cable stretch after the first 80 km or so... just tightened it a little through the barrel adjuster and that was fixed. I've kept the deore in the front, and right now it sucks. hasn't broken in yet, so it takes a while to shift even if i'm holding the trigger down for upshifting.

as for the pokémon sticker... i found the sticker as a trading card in one of my cabinets while i was cleaning it out... must have been 5 years old by now. i had to bend the tail a bit so that it wouldn't cover the rockshox logo though. i like it, it stands out.

I have so many pedal slap mishaps its not funny. Dang it I hate when that happens :D

Ohh my god i love the alligator thing, actually I have something like that on my bike but it's a pig

I have so many pedal slap mishaps its not funny. Dang it I hate when that happens :D

rev.monkey has told me that this is a common problem among 5050 pedals :S

hopefully it's the only problem with these platforms.

Awesome bike! :)

:roflmao: The alligator squeakor is funny.

Man I gotta find something to put on my bike, you have inspired me my man.

Just buy the longer pins. It is a really common issue but has an easy fix.

Wow good job on f'ing that paint job up. The charmander sticker is awesome though.

Inspired by you cream soda, I'm gunna put a pokemon sticker on my bike. If I still have any :D

Man I gotta find something to put on my bike, you have inspired me my man.

heheheh thanks... post up your pokemon-covered bike when you're done! :D :D