Stans Arch Rims, Paul Rear Hub, JuJu front

Maxxis Ignitor front, Crossmark rear, Tubeless Conversion 

Truvativ Stylo SS GXP Cranks, 175mm

Time ATAC Pedals

CK Headset, Pewter

Easton EA 50 Stem and Seatpost

MonkeyLite Bars

BB7 brakes, 185mm front, 160mm rear pulled by SD7 levers

Serafoss saddle

Last night was the maiden voyage- I was considering a trip to Bear Creek since it just reopened for the season, but my better judgement got to me and decided Jordan was a better place for a shakedown. Its only about a mile walk out from the farthest point, and to be honest, I was a little worried about the tubeless setup.

I rolled into the lower section towards the ball fields first. Tires feel squirmy. Ouch- I felt some rim on that root. Ok, keep rolling. Brake levers are set too low, need to fix those. Crap, headset is a little loose too- the crown must have finished seating. Back to the parking lot.

First things first, check the tire pressure. Ok, so 19lbs is a little low. I air up to 35 (knowing I will be letting some out as I go) and then check the headset. A couple of turns of the allen key and reset the stem and we are good. Adjust the brake levers a bit, and back off one of the knobs on the caliper to solve the slight rubbing I was getting. Ok, we are all set. The Action wheels crew is here, but Im more into just exploring this bike, so I head off.

Wow, what a difference. Tires are too hard now, those roots ping you pretty good without suspension. Out go a few pounds. Nice, traction is pretty good- conditions are almost dusty here so there is a top layer of loos in many places. Ping! Another rock plus the rigid fork reminds me I dont have any suspension. Ok, let a few more pounds out of the front. Good. Swing down by the river onto the twisty trails. This thing gains speed pretty fast- I think 32x20 might be too easy a gear here. Grunt up the short hill, then up towards the top. Climbs flawlessly, with only a tiny tire spin that bit right back in anyway. Excellent. Front tire is holding well, lets start pushing some corners. Through the drunken snake trail- wow, this thing can go around corners well, and has no issues with the overly-tight ones. Push the speed up another notch. Maybe Ill put on thicker grips- the tire presure is taking the edge off but I think I want something a bit larger to grab onto since I am getting deflected a bit on the bigger rocks and roots.

Im thinking less about the bike under me now that its pretty dialed. Thats good- its starting to feel more natural. I dont notice the big wheels under me anymore- these wheels spin up nicely.  The momentum works well for the SS. The rear end is short enough that I can actually bunny hop this thing about ten inches high. Excellent. Push the speed a little more. Oops- just washed out the front a bit- my fault, I was too far back and the front was deflected off a root in a curve. Didnt crash, but went waaay off line. Ok, recover and keep riding. I catch the group of three guys I have seen all over the park again and they make a comment about 'maybe he will ride the log.' Ok, maybe I will. First pass- wow, that was easy to roll onto that thing, but I exit off the side short of the end. Crap. Ok round 2, roll the first log, get onto the second, drop off midway off the second. Cool- not bad for my first day on this bike. I wave and ride on. I finish the lower section and head in for a second loop. Back through the twisty trail, over the bridge, river trail, drunken snake, and over the rock/log pile. Back over the bridge and head towards the 'big climb'- half way up...POP. Crap- I knew running the 9sp chain was a risk. Oh well, with a grin on my face, I roll back down and scooter out. This thing is a blast to ride- very glad for the purchase. Bik thanks and shout out to the Saucon Valley Bikes crew on this one. Steve took care of me by being thorough with my parts list, Josh built up the wheels and spit-shined my hubs, I finished the build off in my basement. Fully custom. Killer.

I gotta say, after having ridden a number of 29 inch offerings, I was always left with the feeling of having made a tradeoff somewhere. Slow acceleration, hard to lift the front wheel, hard to change direction, etc... for the benefits of stability, momentum, traction, and the ability to roll over pretty much anything on the trail. This bike has been something new. Dare I say, almost 'flickable.' Weighing in at around 23lbs, shes no flyweight, but no pig, either. Heck, she's lighter than my cross bike with the saddle bag and water bottles.  The front wheel lofts easily, I can spin up cleanly and without any drama, and I can corner in thetight spots. It definitely rolls over obstacles likethe big wheels should, and I was never searching for momentum when I needed it. Now that shes all together and has had a shakedown, she needs a name. That is where you all come in.

Announcing the 'Name My Monkey Contest!' Thats right, submit names for my monkey in the coments section for this post, and I will pick one. That person will recieve a selection of stuff from my parts bin, including a Truvativ 31.8mm All-Mountain handlebar, IRC 26x2.0 Metro commuter tires, and an assortment of stickers from my collection that you can pick up from me personally at any group ride or race I am attending. What a deal!