dinneR

Nice catch, made me laugh. And yes, I got hammered. Still laughing.

Awesome! That trail looks beautiful. How do you like the dropper post?

Summer is less than 1 week old.

I had a Panasonic lumix. Really liked this camera. However if you drop it off a bridge into a creek 20 ft below. You can kiss it goodbye. Safety tip, install the strap and use it.

I joined a group ride yesterday, or at least tried to join. 150 miles, half gavel, half pavement. The ride started about 25 miles from home so I decided to start and finish from my home. I had to leave two hours before the 6 am start to join the group. So I rolled out a little after 4:00 am. 38F at the start. 8 miles in I had to cross the pass. 5 mile climb. Just as I rolled up to the start I could see the group leaving and I had to use the bathroom. A friend of mine was waiting for me, so we rode alone. She rode 50 miles with me then waited for her friends to catch up. They started an hour late and were planning to sleep in a cabin at the half way point, then finish the next day. I rode the rest of the ride alone. 13.5 hours later, I finished. Apparently sunscreen only works if you apply it to your skin. Carrying it in your bag does nothing for you. Not sure how accurate my Garmin is, but it says I climbed 9500 ft and burned 9200 calories. Top of the pass around 5:30 am View from an old railroad bridge burn

Having sold to amazon, I'd say that's not exactly true. Amazon will suck the profit out of it's suppliers. Just take a look at their agreements. If your deliveries arrive late, in the wrong sized box, different picture on the cover, you name it. They charge you a fee. Want your product listed on their site? Pay up. Want to talk to a human, forget about it. Find fraud on their site, they don't give a rip as long as they get their cut. Jeff wants his cut. That is all. Customers love amazon, suppliers not so much. They can give you amazing visibility, but it comes at a price. Sometimes the price ain't worth it. I've talked with suppliers that refuse to have their products available on the big river and cut off anyone who sells their stuff there. Many in the bike industry are fighting it. I know I'm in the minority, but I'm not a fan of amazon. I think this merger will help amazon and probably whole foods. I still won't shop there. couple of pennies, take it for what it's worth.

So much better than pavement, eh? I live less than a mile from the trailhead here. The National Forest is my front yard. Miles and miles of trails. The climbing is insane for my Midwestern lungs. Monday, I started at the base and climbed for 4 miles, switchbacking my way up. The descent made it worthwhile.

On the plus side, it does have a dropper post. Everything is a trade off. Every company cuts corners somewhere to hit a price point. I've thought about adding a dropper to my bike. So many crazy descents around here. I hopped off and walked one today. Scared the sh*t out of me. Ultimately airinpie, you'll have to decide, does this bike speak to you? Will you ride it like crazy. It sounds like you like the shop and DH is right, that is big. It will be a huge upgrade from your current bike.

Consider what type of riding you do. Are the trails rugged or smooth? Are you a novice or more experienced rider? Bigger tires like 27.5x3 will give you better traction. Going up and down. I find that I climb better with bigger tires. The downside is the wheels and tires are heavier so it is more work. A bike with 29x2 will be more nimble. But you'll have to be a better rider to pick the best line. I've found big tires act like an eraser for my bad line choices. If you ride smooth trails, you might not want or need a 3" tire. A 27.5 or 29 x 2.?? might be fine. The difference between the two bikes you listed is 2.8 vs 3. What would worry me more is a $1500 bike with a suntour fork on it. If you really like Specialized and the shop, go for it. If not, there are better choices available. Kona, Salsa, Cannondale all offer bikes with a better build for less money. I've owned all three tire sizes, 26x4 and now 5, 27.5x3, and 29x2.3. Each has it's place. right now, I'm happy with a 27.5x3 hardtail.

Enigma is my favorite. Have not had any since Madcity sent me a case. Damn that is a good beer, the best sour I have ever had. I agree, Spotted Cow is good, but doesn't scratch the surface of some of their other beers. The beer out west is okay, but you can get growlers filled at every grocery store. Some of it is just okay, but I picked up a Melvins double IPA that was pretty damn good last week.

Dragged my sorry ass to the top only to find mud and snow. Nice view of the valley though. Maybe next week I'll be able to get over the top. The descent is pretty amazing.

in the rockies.

Another great ride today.

No dandelions, no weeds. You're not trying hard enough.

The rest of the yard. My deck takes up at least half of the yard.

Decided it was time to cut the grass and tend to the garden. 15 minutes later I got to admire my handy work. Kind of a shame, the dandelions were really pretty. And huge, some were knee high. Not sure what is growing in my garden. Hopefully it's edible and tasty.

Got to ride after work. Perfect night. 50s and sunny. No bears. Not bad.

That's what I was thinking. I like the traction of a bigger tire. Having a bike with a derailleur is nice too. Makes my knees happy. I think it will work well for some bikepacking. The trails here are just starting to open. We still have quite a bit of snow in the mountains.

yes, 27.5x3. Would have loved a squishy bike like a pony rustler, but a little too spendy for me right now. Just took it for a quick ride on the trails. So far, so good. I like the big tires. I'll have to put my own pedals and grips on it and then set up the tires tubeless at some point.

Cannondale calls it teal. The guy at the shop called it sparkly mermaid ocean blue.

Picked it up after work.

I sold both of my single speeds. It's time to invest in a bike with shifty bits. Limited budget. Salsa Timberjack or Cannondale Cujo 2? It's possible, I have a line on a used Rocky Mountain Thunderbolt. The trails here are pretty rugged. Lots of climbing, big descents. The mountains are kicking my ass. Thoughts?

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