I'm back...
 

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=528061

Felt good to get back on the trail yesterday.

Went with a pretty much bullet-proof (frame) Hardrock Disc 29 --
Added spare clipless SPD's, spare Rib Cage 2 bottle cage, spare Bontrager medium saddle bag...and plan to get a bell.

Do you guys carry extra tubes or just a patch kit? I forgot how big these spare tubes were.

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Edit: I'm pretty sure that at least the front will be a single speed at some point. Front fork will probably be upgraded. Undetermined on this stock saddle or my spare Toupe, we'll see how that goes. Other than that, no plans...just ride and have fun.

I just use 26" tubes for spares on my 29er. I never patch in the field- save that for when I have a beer, a chair, and a workbench.

WB Deapee :) now get that bike dirty and bleed a bit~

I went tubeless,,
Pulled a big thorn out two weeks ago five miles from the trail head,,It oozed sealant for about a minute then stopped, didn't even loose 1 psi..:P

I leaned the bike way over and spun the wheel a bit to re coat the thorn hole between the tread blocks on the tire edge,,prolly didn't need to...

And the handling benefit,,WoW,, no more tube fighting the tire inside for position,,no more heavy tubes,, as for the sealant weight hahaha really ?
The bottle for each tire was just a few oz's.
Have not refreshed the sealant yet,,five months now. I loose 3 psi a week, with the tubes I lost 2 per week LoL

Ok I'm done..

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=528227

Of course I carry a spare tube and pump,,, :P

Nice. We'll see what the future brings. I don't want to sink any money into it really...put 16 miles on it already though and nabbed a KOM I created 2 years ago (only 17 people have done it)...but that felt good.

I view riding this mtb on the trail as a way to really grind lower cadence and get my muscles stronger...I'm pretty much always in a gear or two lower than where one would normally be.

So far I've been on the stock saddle (just too narrow for how cushy it is). But I can tell it's just not fitting me, I get that pressure feeling in the middle -- I ride a 155 Romin or a 143 Toupe. I put my 143 Toupe on so next time I take it out we'll see how that goes.

I have an old 155 Targa I can fall back on if the more upright position doesn't lend itself to the Toupe feeling nice. I already feel weird having a lightweight racing saddle on it that was not too much less than the bike itself lol. -- I did bring my spare tube.

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At first I considered the Crave and the Rockhopper, then checked out a Felt in 27.5, but something about the 29ers just looks/feels right and so I took this for a spin and loved it. It's set up is similar to my old Cannondale mtb.

It was nice hitting the path and not worrying about what I was running over.

A lot of people fault this Hardrock's front fork but I absolutely love it. I just pull up the slightest and can climb up onto 8" tall object just from un-weighting the front suspension. I've got my preload set to pretty much the exact middle.

The derailleurs seem solid and shift smooth -- a lot of people complained about jumping in some of the reviews I read, but I think they're shifting under heavy load or something because I was honestly surprised at how crisp the shifting was. Ultegra will feel like crap if you don't know what you're doing. You can really rail this thing hard and it feels agile and quick for a 33 (34?) pound beast.

Anyway, here's an updated pick (non drive side)...with new saddle...and the fit pretty much dialed in. The saddle may need to come up 1cm (maybe back 1cm), not sure yet since I think this toupe feels a tad lower than the stock one at the end of the day. We'll see.

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=528245

I know what I should do -- buy a new black Rib Cage II -- because my Roubaix is stuck having 2 red Rib Cage I's for the time being...And get a new mini pump, and put my old one from my road bike on here. If I got a flat today I was going to have to wait for someone with a pump...or walk back.

I always carry a spare tube even though I run tubeless. I've cut my sidewall on a rock and so has a friend I've been with and neither of which the Stan's goo could handle, had to boot em and tube em ;). Anyway if you don't want to go with a backpack or a saddle bag you can velcro or tape one under your seat or to the frame somewhere. And like frankenmike if the 29er tube is too bulky you can go with a 26er or 27.5er tube and just stretch it. Still have to throw a pump/co2 carts in a pocket or something though.

Yeah run them tubes NP,,,
Tip that helped me gain a small percentage of traction~~ Talcum powder, rub the tire insides and the whole tube with it, lightly,
This helps the tire move and flex, feels like dropping psi 10% without increased risk of a snake bite.

Was just noticeable but only when I needed traction the most, like when I was way outside my comfort zone, when things got dicey...

So you want more power,, do Intervals, do them right, make them hurt real bad, get up out of the saddle and stay off it on climbs. A real burn down this is...
I sometimes carry two five pound weights in my Camelbak when I go for the Meadows, Yeah I'm not right, In the head~

Get yourself In the hurt locker and learn to love it :P

Nice @osco53

Thanks for the tips guys.

I'm running my Bontrager medium now on the mtb.
I think I'm going to get a frame bag though...since the trips I take on the mtb will put me far away from roads, yet close enough to a passerby to elicit some help if needed (there's trail guides on the C&O where I mostly ride too)...

I always carry everything I'd need even on my road bike, but honestly, I think a call to my wife would be my first line of defense...but when you're 8 miles away from a road on a trail, you better have everything you need.

I'm going to upgrade my road pump so my current smaller one can become my mtb pump...I know it gets to 80 psi pretty easy (overkill for an mtb) and it's rated to 150, but I've never been able to get anything above 80 with it anyway.

I started carrying two tubes recently...had a puncture and my sealant had dried inside the tire and wouldn't seal.

Now I'm paranoid.

Are you opposed to a Camelbak? I have the Rogue and it fits everything I need and then some. Just feels better (to me at least) to have everything on my body than the weight on the bike.

Very nice. I have a Rockhopper 29er which I love. I did upgrade the shock to a Recon Gold and it has made a world of a difference. The stock shock felt good for the first 6 months but then got sluggish. The weight difference is tremendous.

I am looking into making it a 1 X 10 drivetrain since in Florida we don't have that many hills. I have ridden it hard and it is still doing great.

Enjoy!