First Impressions of the New Bike

I've gotten three solid rides in on the new Stumpy and I have to say that the bike has performed well. I am becoming a fan of the 29er wheels, the most positive standout feature is that I don't get "hung up" in technical rock gardens. The larger tires just seem to float over obstacles as long as I have the strength to keep them rolling. Another positive is obstacles such as logs and rocks just seem smaller now, not that I am cleaning sections I haven't before but now I have the confidence to approach and clear those obstacles at a higher velocity. I thought tight switchbacks would be a problem with the larger wheels, not yet. I cleared all the switchbacks on my local trail with ease and a couple technical spots I consistently had problems riding w/o dabbing on my Scalpel, I crossed without putting a foot down.
Now for the things that I disliked about the new rig. Numero Uno was and still is the brakes. They are mushy, long travel before pad engagement, and the rear howls like a banshee. Gonna do some work on the rear brake tonight to see if I can get rid of the terrible noise. A new set of XT's may be in my future shortly. Second was the technical climbing, or more specifically getting back up to speed after a technical section on a climb. The bike just felt a little slow rolling after a short technical bend in the trail. Nothing major, the benefits of the big wheels far outweigh this small grievance.
Bottom line is that I am really pleased with the bike. It actually rides very similar to my old Scalpel. However, this bike fits me correctly and is a better climber. I'll have more thoughts on the ride as I get more ride time logged.

Holy Sh#t

I may be the last one to see this video, I don't know how long it has been out but a friend sent it my way today. This guy is insane.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z19zFlPah-o

New Ride

Picked up the new ride for this season. Man, it's a good looking rig. I've got it somewhat dialed in, so far only short rides on pavement. I have a longish ride planned tomorrow that should point out any adjustments that need to be made. I'm excited to see how the big wheels roll on some tight, hilly, rocky singletrack. The weather looks beautiful for the rest of the week and I am stoked to put in some miles on the new rig. Maybe, possibly the first AMBCS race of the season on Sunday?

Mini Vacation in Jasper

Took a mini vacation to Jasper last week. Jasper is fast becoming my favorite area in Arkansas, so much to do for the outdoor enthusiast. My vacation started off with a 44 mile road ride into Parthenon. This was the toughest 44 milel I have ever ridden, there are some real hills in the Newton county area. The ride was just short of 3 hours, 44 miles in three hours is slow. Thursday and Friday we went hiking, finally got to Hawksbill's Crag. I have photos galore, enjoy.

Spring in the Ozarks

The weather today was spot on. 72 degrees and sunny. The icing was that I didn't have anything to do after work. Took the road bike out for a couple of hours.

Signs of Spring are popping up all over town

Climbing up Horsebarn rd