November 4, 2008

Go vote!

I voted, like, 2 weeks ago. But y’all slackers who haven’t, go get in line!

I am, as always, voting for Captain Morgan.

Just kidding. But I’m not telling you who I really voted for. All I can say is that hopefully this election will end with people *less* angry at each other. I’m not sure I see how that’s possible though.

In other news:

Jorah wrote me a love letter this morning. Apparently he likes his new full-squish 29er…
“Hi Walt,

Here is some feedback for you regarding the bike.

First, you nailed the geometry. The bike fits me like a glove. The only thing that could have been a little different is a bit longer seat tube of all things; I have a carbon seatpost that is positioned exactly at its limit. But that is the only thing and it’s a tiny one. Other than that, it’s perfect.

Second, and perhaps due to the wonderful geometry, the bike rides better than any bike I’ve ever owned or ridden. I can ride up steep stuff that I would never have made it up in the past and the traction is fantastic. For whatever reason, I feel a ton more confident behind the saddle on decents as well. Handling is great (point and go but not sluggish at all), especially at slow speeds. Even when I am manhandling the bike while I creep over dicey stuff, it never feels unstable and the steering always seems to snap back when I am hauling the front wheel around. I have yet to go super fast on it, but I am not really a super fast rider.

Third, I am surprised how much of a difference the propedal makes. The suspension is super supple with propedal off (it’s like riding a comfortable mattress) and feels very plush going down hills. However, there is some noticeable bob, probably due to the natural position of the chain at high rohloff gears as well as the big unsprung mass. However, with propedal, the suspension stiffens up and climbs without bob while
still being confortable. The traction, as I said before, is awesome. I can tell that I am definitely going to switch back and forth depending on conditions, something I NEVER did with my old bike. By the way, the Reba Team is a great fork with a nice lockout adjustment. However, a tiny bit of me misses the 140mm of vanilla travel (but only a tiny bit; I wouldn’t want to give up the improvement in handling).

So in closing, I’d just like to say thanks! I don’t regret for a second the money or the wait for this bike; it’s everything I had hoped for. I think I am going to give up road biking for a while…

Cheers,

Jorah

PS, I still hope to get you a picture once it gets sunny here.”