MXBoy11

Thats a hot rig ^

cc700

ryde the collonnade

Zephyr11

Trying to make out the words on that...Norco Ryde? Nice, man. Looks great. But I have to ask...it doesn't look like that's a stock setup at all. You have a bike with handpicked components...and reflectors?

cc700

so the thing about the ryde is, they spec'd it VERY differently this year than its original build, so everyone's used to seeing it with '09 build: anodized hubs, 1x9 sram gearing, 4bolt chainring...
this is the '11 and as pictured it is COMPLETELY stock. i have since changed the seatpost and saddle and taken off the reflectors. the 2011 ryde comes singlespeed with anodized blue rims, the new paint and stickers on a DJ3 fork, a fixed saddle and post(not pivotal) and a bmx crank. they still give you a rear derailleur hanger but they realized they could sell a hotter looking but less capable jumper with wider appeal if they made it less capable of being an all-trades hardtail. they've refined it for '12 with the old integrated post clamp, a nicer saddle, and what looks like nicer tires and grips, but it's still a bmx hooligan's big bike.

coming from road bikes with no other mountain experience except fire roads on a GT aggressor(from 98) this is a sweet bike, but i kind of wish i had saved up for something that i could take on trails with more confidence.

Hou-Tex

My new rig.

JiveTurkey

The muddy season is just beginning:



I don't plan on cleaning anything but the chain until May or so.

ca7erham

My XC rig....but dont worry, it gets used for what it was intended frequently

scrublover

The new hotness. Ride report/details to follow, if it stops raining in the next day or two.






(couch to be picked up for re-upholstery next week - an nice, natty mauve color)

ca7erham

so sexy

rat fink

I thought you had a Reign. Do you now have a Trance and a Reign? If so, can you do a comparison?


Btw, how do those SLR saddles hold up for you? I use them on road, but I'm a afraid the rails would bend easily riding mtb. ...and yes, it's way sexy.

rat fink

Some countries are rougher than others.

ca7erham

When you've got a mini moab 5 minutes away and you're 20 minutes from a bike park, the extra weight is easily justifiable

bsandovalb

this is my ride in MTB mode

xB_Nutt

New Niner EMD 9 build...

Greyryder

Those blue rims are the sex.

Or, "teh seks" as they say on the intarwebz

scrublover

I have a Reign-X and a Trance-X now. Not comparable, really. Two entirely different beasts, set up differently. I built the RX up burly enough to take to the lifts, do stupid trail stuff on, take out west to Moab trip bike, but not be an absolute tank like my last big-ger bike. 65* head angle, now under 32#, and still motors. Way, way better on pedaly rides than I thought. I'm ending up riding it on local rides much more than expected.

The TX is meant for my "daily driver" trail bike when I'm not feeling the hardtail love. It's fast, light, but still so far seems tough enough for my regular trail rotation.
27# and change. If you're a smooth rider and don't ride like a bowling ball, it's sweet little trail bike. Only have had two very short rides on it so far though - lots of rain the last couple days. Still getting the fit dialed in, and want to get the bar height down a bit more. Sunline flat bar on the way vs. the 19mm rise bar on there now ought to do the trick.

The regular Reign model is the happy medium - briefly considered it as a "one bike do it all" but it would be more than I want on my daily rides, and not as much as I want at the lifts, and some particular local trails. IF in the Giant family, and could only have ONE bike at all, it might be the regular Reign with a 7" travel adjust fork, some form of piggyback air shock, and two wheelsets. Light and heavy.

Maestro pedals very, very well both up and down.

So far, the SLR's have been fine. I've picked them all up used on e-bay, for way less than retail. When they get torn up enough, I'll just re-cover them in something new.

rat fink

Thanks for the follow-up. i look forward to hearing the long term impression.

When I finally get a good bike again, I will have a hard time choosing between the two. Though, there are at least a dozen other frames I am also considering. Some people I've talked to have tried to pass the Trance off as a 'lamb among lions', but your endorsement carries a lot of weight, since your riding style/terrain is a lot like mine, but your skill level is what I aspire to.

So, you've never bent the rails? I take it you don't ride the Ti railed version, then. I've bent the rails on two Ti railed SLRs ...and I don't ride like a sack of potatoes, either.

scrublover

Two vanox, one ti. Lots of ti railed saddles in tha past, never had any issues. Don't over crank the clamp on the rails, and don't land thing seated. Well, try to not.

And now, the 31# 2oz Reign-X.

ed 

I think my WTB Rocket-V Team has Ti rails. I've never had any issues either. I've actually had that saddle on every bike since the XLT. 5yrs old now and still kickin.



Scrub: Observation...it kinda looks like you run your frames on the bigger side vs me on the smaller side. (prob. just the appearance) Your bar height is always really low and your seat super forward. Mine's just the opposite. I love a really tall bar and my saddle is usually pretty far back.

How do you get your freakin' bikes so light, man?

What wheelset are you running on the RX? Is the Totem a solo air?

scrublover

Nope, opposite. Small frames. I like being forward, getting more over the front of the bike. This lets me do that. I'm 5'9" with average arms and legs, but a short torso, so it works. Every time I've tried longer frames, even with short stems, it always feels off/too stretched out. Still lets me get to the back of the bike, and move it around a lot under me. Gives me the "in the bike" feel that I like vs. the "on the bike" just along for the ride.

Lots of ti and alu bolts and do dads. Serious. Got a huge load for super cheap years ago at Denver Veloswap, and it's been an addiction since. They just move along from frame to frame, I get new ones when something needs a funky size. Use them smartly, lots of anti-seize or grease as needed, don't over-torque, and it's all good. Alu for low torque and low-load bearing things, ti for the big stuff. Some stuff I leave steel - like any stem with m5 face plat bolts, stuff that gets loaded funny sideways, like the Reverb clamp bolts.

Got my admit settled, so here we go. A run down.

Small RX frame. Ti upper shock mount bolt. Running a high volume air can Rock Shox Monarch RT-AM, upper bushing swapped to RWC needle bearing setup. Smooooooothe. If out west, I'd maybe go back to a larger piggy-back shock, but around here, the smaller shock works great, particularly the higher volume can. The rear Maxle has been swapped out for a hadley alu thru-bolt from a 150mm rear end bike. Lopped off the old trheads, re-threaded to the Maxle interface. Lighter, stiffer, doesn't loosen up, less crap sticking out off the bike to break off. Alu h2o bolts. Salsa seat clamp with an alu bolt. Works Components -1* headset, Cane Creek bearings, alu crown race. No top bearing cap, no spacers below the stem. Run the stem right on top of the upper compression bits above the bearing. Been doing that for a few years, no issues. So long as you aren't a bone-head with a pressure washer, no problem. Alu bolt for the top cap.

Totem Solo Air. Bone stock. A half pound lighter than the same size Domain, found for only a bit more than I paid for the Domain. Will sell the Domain off to help offest the cost. Running a Boxxer Maxle. Same spacing, fits and works beautifully - like the rear, just less crap sticking out this way.

Race Face bar cut down toe 29.5" (to match the other bikes), Rogue grips, Truvativ Stylo Race 60mm stem. Fairly light, not super spendy, stiff, strong enough for my riding. The Stylo and AKA series of stems are total sleepers. Not blingy, but light, stiff, strong, and cheap. Reverb post. SLR vanox seat. No problem with rails. I've had many vanox and ti rail seats over the years without issue. Buy 'em used on ebay for way less than retail when some road wanker sells them off because the covers get worn. When bad enough, they are very easy to re-upholster.

Front wheel is the stocker off the Pitch I had a few years back. It's actually pretty light. Stiff. Specialized house brand stuff, but nice bearings, alu nipples. Tube ina Minion DHF EXO/3C. Huge chunk less weight than the DH version, but still a damn tough tire, works great up front. Awesome chunk tire.

Rear is a Hope ProII hub/Mavic 317 rim combo, alu nips. Tubeless with a Specialized 2.2 UST something. It's working well, is still a tough sidewall, but not full on DH tire heavy. Rolls fast, has huge volume, and I like it considerably more than the Minion DHR dual ply DH tire it replaced.

Elixir-R front brake, 203mm. XX rear, 160mm ( bought pusposefully so it would be compatible with the Reverb remote. Ti rotor and caliper mount bolts. Alu lever and body bolts. Matchmaker clamps to connect them to the rear shifter and Reverb remote. Less clutter on the bars, ever so slightly less weight.

X.9 10 speed shifter and short cage rear mech. Ti cable clamp bolt, alu limit and b-tension bolts. SRAM 10 speed something chain, Shimano XT 11-36 10 speed cassette.

LX 170mm crank. 31t Homebrewed Components ring. Alu ring bolts. Ti non-drive side crank bolts. Straitline Silent guide - this thing rocks! Stupid light for what it is, and super simple. No moving parts. Works beautifully. Steel bolts for the ISCG mount. Wheels Manufacturing BB cups. XT pedals.

It all adds up to a lighter ride. Lots bought on sale, much moved from bike to bike over the years, so it's not as if I just shelled out all the dough in one go for this. LX cranks just the arms are only a few grams heavier than XT for a hell of a lot less money. If you're going to run other than the stock rings anyhow, and already have the lighter bolts, then why spend more? Cables/hoses/chain run short as I can go, just a little extra so as not to tear things out in a wreck. "Pinner" tires, particularly now with tubeless - I can get away with less tire, and not DH tires and not worry about.

I'm not a big guy, try to ride with finesse vs. like a bowling ball, and don't go stupid big on my air moves. All means I can get away with light builds that larger mammals would play well with.

Hou-Tex

Trying to get back in shape.

https://www.youtube.com/user/biffg#p/u/0/6lYF-dmVGGI

cyclops

My Komodo, she is here.

Even a ****** like me cant break this, beefcake indeed. Straight out of the box and stock as a rock. Thanks for the tip Ed.




Beauty Contest, winners and losers.

MXBoy11

Just picked this up this weekend. 05 Trek Fuel EX 7. Pretty stoked to have full suspension. Got a good deal on it too

Zephyr11

Yeaaah Komodo!

Haha @ the Beauty Contest thing. I actually always make fun of my Komodo for being my fugly bike. For a while I had a picture of it on Facebook sitting next to my pretty graceful looking road bike labelled "Beauty and the Beast." Yours may be better looking though...mine has these skinny stays that look out of proportion compared to the rest of the bike. Fugly or not though, that bike is fun as hell. Now go ride it!

ed 

cyclops: Your bars "appear" tilted a bit forward. Your backsweep looks like upsweep. It may be where you like 'em though...just an observation.


Reference:
https://i278.photobucket.com/albums/k...m/IMAG0063.jpg