Specialized HardRock singlespeed build, first test ride yesterday:

pretty. what gearing do you run?

It's neat where you placed the rear brake.

Very noice.

Don't think he really had much of a choice short of buying a new frame

^^Cool bike though. That sky blue on white just screams of '90s awesomeness to me.

Brand new Trek marlin 29er. Not as fancy as some of the bikes I've seen in this thread, but this is my first "real" mountain bike. Hit the trail for the first time today and I love it.

It's already 70F and sunny here but only one trail is open, getting her ready.

Thanks. Currently at 34x23, subject to change.

Thanks. More like '80s awesomeness.

And I had to add the chain tensioner just to push the chain down enough to clear the brake .

My first moutain bike and first bike with some type of suspension. I tried single track with cyclocross and was fast so I'm testing wheels on this rig. Also wanted to alternate between my road and mountian for commuting.

My impression is positive since I don't have any knowledge to mountain biking as I been a roady for last 3 years. I feel the ride is plush and smooth. Feel like I was on a cady. Maintain speed on my local path of 14 to 19mph pavement and grass. Climbing is awesome. It was fun and didn't notice the weight of course I still need to get on the trails.

Recent build, some donor parts from a 2005 Stumpy disc with new drivetrain.

Dakota XC.jpg

DSC00112.jpg

Ooops forget how to post pics properly

edit:Just got the feeling no one wants to see old crap around here...NM

First ride on the new frame

Fun > Fancy

Dayum, wouldn't have guessed it was that old! Tensioner might take a little away from the minimalist style of SS bikes, but it's probably a good thing to have anyway (assuming you aren't bombing hills & shreding super-gnar with that bike)

have you got to ride it anymore? a friend of mine is considering the exact same bike and i would love your thoughts/review.

I actually just got back from riding. I've only got about 60 miles on the bike so I can't really give an in depth review, but I love this bike so far. I've only really been on some beginner/intermediate trails, but this bike has handled everything with ease. I'd also like to point out that I'm a big guy, 6'2" 285, and this bike feels Incredibly sturdy. The few things that I don't like so far are pretty minor. The pedals feel really cheap and I hate the grips, they spin on the bar pretty bad. I'll also probably be upgrading the fork in the future, but for now I'm loving this bike.

Not mine, but I'm building it. Can't wait for the "test ride".

pull your grips off, spray a cheap hairspray on the handle bar, put your grips back on. after teh alcohol dries outta the hairspray no more spinning grips he is your exact opposite. he 5'6 and weighs about 120lbs on a fat day. thanks for the info. i'll relay it to him.

It's the peened finish on all the new handlebars that make the grips spin. You can sand the grip area down to a smooth finish and then the rubber will stop squirming around. There is so much air space between the little bumps, that only a little of the grip actually contacts the bar. The only grip I've found that sticks to this kind of surface are ESI's. They're also some of the most comfy grips I've ridden, which is a major plus!,,,,BD

I did a couple of rides down will on steep grass slopes and local bike path when I got this last week. It was fun but haven't been able to commute to work. It's been raining alot.

How does the bike ride? Is that a 26er or 29er. What is your take on that bike?

Well, when it factory spec i found it was good for xc, but maybe a little heavy, so i transferred all the parts over to a rock lobster frame, which i have been very pleased with. Then i had the bugging feeling that i had a dawes frame that i had only used for one year, and with the EBB screaming out for a single speed conversion, and a spare set of wheels, i thought i gotta do it. It took a few months to get enough parts together to build the dawes up but i am so glad i did. It is light, the tubing is reynolds 520, and putting the rigid forks on the bike made it so precise and responsive. The rear triangle is suprisingly stiff, stiffer than the rock lobster. Fitting a more heavy duty stem and handlebar (to compensate for the lack of shock absorber up front) has made it a lot stiffer than the xc set-up that was originally on the bike. I prefer the feel of the dawes better than the rock lobster, but mostly due to the rigid fork, and the single speed set up, but obviously this has its limitations, and the lobster is still my favourite. If its long distance xc... i go for the lobster every time, but if its a couple of hours knock about fun, its the dawes ss. Sorry, the bikes a 26er, with a 32-19 drivechain.