sweet man! i'll keep that offer in mind. in the mean time i would like to get more familiar with my bike and hike up my endurance before i ride with other people. its embaressing how fast i got winded out. h:

 

man i wish i lived in cali where there are hills and stuff. the bay area is so pretty IMO. anyways, thats a hot bike. diggin the yellow :goodjob:

 

:awais: :goodjob: The important thing is that you had fun! Where did you ride? I want to say those trails look familiar but knowing me, I've probably never ridden them before. h:

Anyway, let me know too if you want to go on a ride. I literally haven't ridden in something like 2 years and my endurance is down too. I don't do any cardio at the gym.

Oh, and I just realized that a lot of bikes don't come with clips on the pedals anymore. Any reason for that? Or do they just expect that everyone is going to go clipless? Sorry, I'm out of the loop.

[edit] Just had to comment on the snowboarding helmet. Dooood, that must suck. When you get a real bike helmet, it'll make a world of difference. Do you have one in mind or are you just going to go to the bike shop and pick one out? Performance usually has a lot of inexpensive ones in case you're interested.

 

Will -

Cool bike. I have a Specialized Hardrock that I dig.

A couple of tips: try standing on the pedals when you're going over rough terrain. You don't have a rear suspension, but your legs can compensate for bumps and prevent your junk from slamming into the seat in an.. *ahem* uncomfortable fashion.

When you lay your bike down, put the chain on the top side. Your chain is less likely to get dirty that way. If you haven't already bought some kind of lube for it, I recommend a product called Teflon-Plus "Dry" by a company called Finish Line. I got a 4 oz bottle for $6 at a local cycle shop. The reason its "dry" and not "wet" teflon is because, supposedly, its less likely to come off if the bike gets wet. YMMV, but it works great for me.

 

hXc

 

My Gary Fisher was stolen 2 years ago I have no money to replace :madfawk: theives suck had $2800+ in that bike

 

The trails are around Chabot Space and Science Center in Redwood Park. All near Skyline Blvd in Oakland. Thatll be dope if i can get a riding partner h: A reason why mine probably doesnt have clips is because mine is an entry level? :dunno: But I honestly have no idea. I am still shopping for a helmet, I have a giftcard to a local shop, so I will end up there. I'll chat with you on AIM about riding...maybe me, you, and Conrad can hit up the trails together. :happysad:

 

Thanks for the tips :thumbup: I know about leaning back over the rear wheels when doing down steep decents, but I was so scared and nervous that I basically just forgot. :doh: But I will be going down that trail once more in a few days.

And with the lube, how often are you suppose to apply to the chain? And what else am I suppose to lube? h:

 

I was actually about to just say that, your never supposed to put crank and chain on bottom when laying it down, its espescially true with roadbikes.. but im sure it applies to mountain bikes as well.

 

When you're going down a steep decent, always remember that you can go REALLY REALLY slowly just by laying on the brakes. I'd much rather fall from going too slowly than dump it over the handlebars because I hit a rock going down a hill I've never done before. Trust me - way less painful. =)

I honestly don't know what the recommended lube regimen is. I just use it if I've gone through mud or anything that requires me to wash the bike with the hose. If you notice that the chain starts making noise, it probably needs lube. The chain should be pretty quiet.

You can use lube on the chain and all the gears. I've heard that you're supposed to use it on brake cables, but I never have and my brakes work just fine. The axles can certainly take lube, but again, I don't know how often you're "supposed" to do it.