Not again... really.

Screwing off on the internet, just like Gandhi wanted us to when he invented it.

Contrary to what the brilliant lyricist that composed the Hokey Pokey says, that's what it's all about.

So why do I have two geared Niners at my house?  Long story (or at least as I tell it).

Thomson had the pre-production prototype six inch droopers ready for testing. I said, "uno 30.9 over here s'il vous plaît."

Gone.  Spoken for.  I'm useless, despite my trilinguality.

I said that I was looking for a reason to buy a ROS9+ (a bike that uses a 31.6 post), and this would cinch the decision.  A bike that would be slightly different than something I already own.  Also screwing off on the internet.

The next thing you know, Thomson Dave calls Niner Mike.   Thomson Dave says he and Mike are coming up Monday, whether I like it or not.  I will haz bike(s).  I will test the drooper.

Why should I test a drooper?  Probably because I use my drooper 600% more on a regular trail ride than most MTBR pundits say is necessary (which is not at all).

So they showed up with two six packs, two bikes, and one drooper, and we headed down into the bike room to install it but instead just drank beers and solved all the "Industry's" problems until it was time to be late to meet Mudman at The Kickstand.

So I was on my own to install it the next day.  Lacking the proper hardware to mount an external drooper, I used some really shitty duct tape that could serve no other purpose than "external cable guide."

I've cleaned it up since.  It's now 1/4 ass as opposed to 1/2 ass.

I've warned Mike that I hate most test bikes, mostly because they are not my bikes... which are perfect... for me.

But why not?  I've got nothing better to do right now.

The six packs they brought came in handy...

I'll get to ride SRAM/Avoid brakes on the ROS9, which should be interesting.  Haven't ridden them since I had Juicys for a couple weeks back in 2007.

The JET 9 RDO has some Shimano brakes, which makes me want to make a mish-mash of all the parts.

Further pushing my desire to swap ALL THE THINGS, the ROS9 has an Enduro™ approved 780mm bar.

780s... on a size small... because...

But once I started looking at all the things I'd wanna swap to make the perfect test bike (bars, brakes, stems, seatpost collars, wheels, tires), I gave up.  I'll ride them in "as is" condish and just have fun on bikes that aren't mine for awhile... drooping way more than I should (according to the MTBR drooper skeptics).

This will certainly be the cheapest reminder that I hate gears and full suspension that I've ever experienced, but I'll certainly enjoy this much more knowing that I'm not losing money this time.

First thing I'm gonna do?  Ride the six inch drooped ROS9 from my house out to the US National Whitewater Center to knock out some trail riding and then spectate the Rumble in the Concrete Jungle.

Why not compete?  I really want to ride some trails this weekend, since over the last four day weekend I only saw dirt once.  This is not dirt:



By the time I get done riding all the way out to the USNWC and then as much trail as I can get in before it starts, I'll be feeling a bit dead in the legs for such a thing.  Besides, others will do it much better and provide far more entertainment.

Big thanks to Niner Mike and Thomson Dave for making this happen.  I was so content with the way I currently have my two mountain bikes set up, this will certainly consume much of my free time and brain waves for at least six to eight weeks.