Join Me in the Rabbit Hole

Let's go there.

Once again, riding down Black Mountain.  The long travel hardtail showed its ass.  The 150mm fjork writing checks the back end can't cash.  Full squish thoughts push to the front of my brain.

Single speed options.  Not just conversions.  No, not that URT steel frame from New England.  I didn't get URTs when they were a thing.  I certainly don't get them now.

Lenz.  The new Lunch Money.

Big travel... almost too much IMHO.  At least for what I want.  Besides that, you're not squeaking a bottle cage in a proper place, and I ain't riding with a midget strangling me all day (hydration pack) every time I ride or a bottle under the down tube collecting horse poop when shred Pisgah.

The Milk Money 4.0... more my speed.

Probably could squeeze a bottle in there, available in 650b, I'd run a 150mm fjork on it despite the "recommendations"... but a 27.2 post and $2425 for a frame.

Cane Creek Double Barrel Inline... mebbe some wink-wink action with a great sponsor and I get (buy) the shock I would want (low/high speed compression/rebound damping adjustments) to get the most out of a full suspension single speed.  A nudge-nudge and some Industry Nine Torch wheels with some additional fundage... but still?  Even with some help, add in some decent brakes, Thomson drooper (natch), cranks, fjork, some sorta cockpit...  I end up with a $5000-6000 bike that if I don't like it?

So niche.  I'll be more upside-down than a new home-buyer in 2008.

Other options?

Suck it up.  Buy gears.  Deal with it.  So much money to be saved if I just buy a complete with OEM parts.

But I looked.  Nobody makes it.  Shimano brakes (no Avoids), 1Xsomething (keep your 2 & 3X to yourself), decent drooper (KS Lev can stay out of this).  No shit parts allowed.

Go with a 1X11 system and I'm slightly screwed if I hate gears (for a third time).  I'd have to get a new freehub (assuming the manufacturer made the rear wheel swappable).  At least with the advent of narrow/wide chainrings, I could run a short cage derailleur with a clutch and have a drop-free tensioner with very little resistance (unlike the YESS ETR D I used on the Tallboy).

At the bottom of Black Mountain, I asked Zac how he'd gone so fast without destroying his rear wheel.  He had blown Eric "PMBAR Honcho" Wever and I away on his 650b hardtail (that he made hisdamnself).

"I don't care about this rim.  It's shot.  I'll be replacing it this week."

And there you have it.

I gave it some more thought.  For all the horrible noises I heard, there were no new dings in my rim.  Still one decent one from some time ago and one hardly noticeable one from who knows when...

But no new damage.

So maybe it's in my head.  All this banging around on this rear wheel for almost a year and only a couple dings... and this made here in NC Industry Nine Torch wheel has never gone more than a hair outta true?

I don't have a problem aside from the problems I think I have but don't.  I have so much fun on the DickStickel, aside from all the cringing when I hear a loud THUD-DING-POW! from not quite getting clear of some chunk gnar. 

Unless something changes, things will stay the same.  I might try to demo something someday so I can get over my lusty ways, but for now, I'm gonna deal with it.

I think I just saved myself thousands of dollars... unless I get some Pillar Crabon this winter.

photos from MTBR (obviously)  Don't want Francis to go all Huang on me.

In which case, I'll spend six months worth of beer money... and those bad noises will sound more expensive.

This weekend?  Up in the air.

Brevard chance of rain tomorrow: 50%
Chapel Hill chance of rain tomorrow: 40%
Charlotte chance of rain tomorrow: 80%

So, pros and cons list time.

Go to Brevard for the Red Bull Dreamline.

Pros:
See little rubber people fly through the air, be inspired
Paul's driving, I can drink beers (he saved me a seat)

(that's real)

It's not Charlotte

Cons:
See little rubber people fly through the air, feel unworthy
Beers cost an unknown amount of money
Rain can mean "rain out"
Using potential bike ride time to watch people ride bikes

Go to the 6BC race in Chapel Hill.

Pros:
Get some fitness before Double Dare
Ride somewhere new
Chance to beat Mark Farnsworth
It's not Charlotte

Cons:
It might rain
I have a lot of work to do to get ready tonight
I might regret this decision one hour into the race
I might burn myself out on long'ish rides the week before Double Dare

Stay in Charlotte.

Pros:
I don't have to go anywhere
It's where I live
The above reasons suit me perfectly
Cookies
Beer in fridge

Cons:
I'll get fatter
Rain means no trail riding
It's Charlotte

Decision time.

Paul did (literally) sweeten the deal last night.

Damn.  I'm only human after all.