HNMTBT Day! (bike mod content)

[sunvalleylaw]

New Mountain Bike Tire Day that is.

New rubber on your mountain bike is as good as when you were a kid and got those new tennies you wore right out of the store and ran around the mall in just to hear them make that new rubber squeak!

A week or so ago I got new front and rear rubber on my mountain bike and these are even better than that. The rear is a Maxxis Ignitor 2.1, the "go to" tire for this area, especially for 29'ers.

Good traction, good rolling performance, good all around tire. The front is a new one for me. Usually I just put an ignitor up there too. This time I went with the larger "Ardent" in the 2.4 size.

Put that thing together with the new wider front bar (along with new brakes) I also swapped in for my OEM ones, and man!!!

You can just throw that inner handle down (with some good weight on the outside hand too) and SWEEET! Too much fun!!

Feels just like being a kid with new tennies again!!
:AOK:running:dance:happy

 

[Tig]

Now we're talkin'! :socool
Maxxis Ignitors are my go-to's for muddy/loose conditions, but that was when they held races in mud (private property, not public).
I switched to Maxxis CrossMark's (UST for the 26" full suspension) and the 29'er single speed (Gary Fisher "Rig") for my everyday tires years ago. They are great on hardpack and mixed conditions. With a 29'er, you can keep a higher cornering speed, so side knobs have to hold for the conditions, whatever they are.

 

[FrankenFretter]

I still have a set of Psycho butterscotch folders on my Cannondale. Yeah, they're old.

 

[sunvalleylaw]

Now we're talkin'! :socool
Maxxis Ignitors are my go-to's for muddy/loose conditions, but that was when they held races in mud (private property, not public).
I switched to Maxxis CrossMark's (UST for the 26" full suspension) and the 29'er single speed (Gary Fischer "Rig") for my everyday tires years ago. They are great on hardpack and mixed conditions. With a 29'er, you can keep a higher cornering speed, so side knobs have to hold for the conditions, whatever they are.

Here it is often rocky, and can be shaley or a little dusty. The Ignitors have been great in those conditions (rarely muddy here and riding not allowed when it is) and are still a great rear. The Ardent, though, takes that 29'er higher cornering speed and just sucks that front into the turn with a real nice, secure feeling. The leverage from the wider "Race Face" bar helps too.

FrankenFretter, get yourself some new taairres, son! You'll like it!! It makes biking so much better to have good traction!

 

[Spudman]

Before you go gettin all too excited I just want to remind you that the rubber side is down.

It also looks like there are some other new parts as well because I don't see any scratches. Did you reconfigure?

 

[sunvalleylaw]

My bike was all clean that day. You are just not used to seeing it that way. (Spud always cleans his bike. I just clean my chain and transmission and working parts and let the rest be dirty.) The Race Face carbon bar is new, and is a good two inches wider overall, and maybe a slightly increased rake. Just a skoche mebbe. It replaced the original aluminum bar. I like to replace those every few years. The new carbon bar gives a really nice steering position and leverage, and generally smooths out the feel in the hands, absorbing the little vibrations as compared to the alu. I was surprised by how much it made a difference.

The brakes are all new and shiny also. A new set of Juicy Elixer disc brakes replaced the original mechanical Avids. They are more precise feeling, if you will, with better touch, and don't fade like the mechanical ones can after they get too hot on a long descent. Eric (not the one you met, the other one) from the shop had these new ones that he had received from a warranty deal, but did not use as he wanted something else. Hopes, I think. Not sure. But it was a good price on an upgrade. He sold me the bar too. I bought the tires at retail from Chip. I intend to add the tubeless kit sometime this summer, which will change the way the tire contacts the soil even a bit more.

I like to get a middle of the line bike with essentially the same frame as the deluxe unit, but with cheaper parts I can replace as the wear, as i keep my bikes a while. Talking bikes and parts with the guys I hang with is like talking gear here. HaHa!!!

 

[NWBasser]

Schweet!

Nice rubber there Steve.

I run Maxxis High Rollers. They seem to stick to our muddy trails quite well and even perform very well on the east-side dry trails.

That reminds me that I really need to replace my bar soon.