k3ifers

i think that's right.

surprised i didn't see it, i looked at 14+ pages on amazon.

i guess it's worth trying to buy that for ~$10 to see if i can use the pedals i like, before i spend ~$60 for new ones.

---------- Post added at 07:37 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:35 PM ----------

someone on there is selling them for $5.99, hopefully the adapters will come with them.

k3ifers

just got the 8.19 one, free two day shipping with my girl's amazon prime, will have it wednesday

prolly won't work h:

Zackk

I wish we had mtb trails around here. The only ride close to me is around lake ponchartrain on pavement.

k3ifers

i went to some traisl once and it was really cool and all, until i had to ride back up hill.

cpvdh

kieth, dont use adapters, just get the right pedal size, 1 piece cranks (bmx and some pos bikes) are 1/2, and 3 piece cranks (all other bikes) are 9/16
1 piece cranks are a solid piece that go through the bike and are both cranks as a single piece
riding up hill can be fun once you dont feel like your heart will explode, i finally get in shape for this by the end of the season h:

ok, lots of shit i can spew at you, i will try to keep it simple...
first 2 more questions
how handy are you with repairs, are you a tinkerer?
wheels on the ground, yes/no? change as you get better?

for perspective heres my approach
6'3'', 175lbs nekkid, ride a 29er ht, scandium frame, full xt components, reba sl fork, hayes carbon hydro brakes, stans flows/x9 wheelset (overkill but im hard on wheels), thompson/salsa/truvativ, etc...
i picked it up off cl for 1/3 retail, new bomber wheelset and some general tinkering and its a 2k bike now
i like the adrenaline rush of sports, on snow i huck decently and ski fast, but on a bike i get scared easier and it hurts a lot more to fall
i dont have health insurance so my bike keeps me on the ground and from killing myself, perfect for local trails, but it does have limits, just not ones i care to step beyond very often...

imo i would go one of 3 ways
1. budget hardtail, kick it around for the summer, decide what kind of riding you really enjoy and drop coin then
2. 29er ht, fits us tall folk well, great general mtb, does have limits
3. 4-5in slack trail bike, perfect for more aggressive new school riding, lots of jumps/drops but capable of climbing, wont hold you back but you prob dont have skills that need it for a few yrs, unless you get after it hard right away

try out a bunch of bikes at a shop, slip in a few 29ers, and some nicer fs bikes, dont limit to cheap bikes you can afford, get a feel for the price level differences, and get a feel for the geometry differences, head angle makes a huuuuge difference in how a bike feels, slacker head angle and super short stem is the new thing and it feels weird at first/slow but at speed it kills it, and wide bars are the shit get used to them, and then theres all the other normal geo crap, but head angle is the key
then check in with what you enjoyed and an idea of what style rider you want to be, dont worry about brands, its about what geometry you like, all frames are different within brands, just get a feel for the physics

think i might go for a ride this afternoon if i dont ski tonight

Joe

thanks for the help

I'm sure I could do some simple repairs but I'm not familiar at all with fixing derailleurs and hydrolic brakes. luckily there's a lot of bike shops around here with outstanding service.
Wheels will stay on the ground most of the time. Maybe a small jump here and there but nothing major.

I'm gonna keep on doing a bit of research for a nice hardtail with decent components. I'll probably go visit my bike shop and talk to them, see what they think. I have a free tune up for my fitness road bike there anyway.

How different is 29er compared to regular sized wheels? That kind of bike would fit me well but I'm not sure if it's right for me.

cpvdh

i love mine, so do my 5'3'' and 5'9'' friends, but you may hate it
it gets debated to death but quick pro/con
better rollover ability (much better really), larger/wider tire gives better traction/footprint, also gives more volume so you can run lower pressure especially with tubeless setup, think 15-20psi, its sick, also the geometry just feels more balanced to me
but there are cons, higher bottom bracket height makes center of gravity higher, forced front wheel forward in geometry so you dont get foot/front wheel overlap, larger wheel means less stiff, flexy forks, going thruaxle is a VERY good idea if its in the budget, i wish i did, slower acceleration, higher top tube height (nut cruncher) and more rake, not as flickable and quick, harder in tight slow situations (switchbacks)
there is a reason xc bikes are geared to 29ers and dh/trail bikes are 26, its not just about size, its about physics as well, but size doesnt hurt for the tall peeps...

for my style riding it allows a little more give in the plushness but its still a hardtail and climbs like a billygoat, which is fun to do around here, but it gets bucked on the down when it gets too choppy with speed, slow it down and its fine though

whats your local cl? i might take a look and see what others ride in the area, its a good way to see what the local scene is
if you dont want to wrench on it yourself then a demo/clearance bike from a shop may be a good idea, shop hookup relationships are key for maintenance, but used is the way to go for a killer deal, and a few mail order bikes are awesome deals as well, great components for the $$$ but budget name frame, although they are almost all made in the same 3 plants in china...

shit i can spew all day haha

Joe

http://ottawa.en.craigslist.ca/

although around here kijiji is more popular than cl, there's usually more on there but you have to sort through the kiddie bikes http://ottawa.kijiji.ca/

Red X

I went mountain biking with my buddy for the first time this Fall; he's a hardcore mbiker, I am not. What he thought was 'easy' was the freakiest shit I've ever done in my life. Like cpvdh I am a pretty hardcore skiier, but the trees flying at me at breakneck speeds are nuts. I watched some of the videos above and I remember the trails I rode to be a LOT narrower (could only fit 1 one tire in width) and much rootier/rockier. The mountain biking park up here is kind of like that, but some areas are nuts. So when I went mountain biking what I thought was 'normal' may have been more intense than what a first time mountain biker might try. The bike my buddy lent to me was a full suspension Trek. It felt nice and whatever, but to be honest I was so out of shape (even though I thought I wasn't) that I wouldn't be able to tell the difference between any mountain bike or any mod until I give it a half-season maybe. I was too worried about dying to think about what I hated about the bike.

If its your first time, I would definitely try and borrow a buddies first. Here at my university they allow us to rent entry level Trek's which I might utilize when I go back to the park.

Joe

http://ottawa.en.craigslist.ca/bik/2289735412.html

This guy is selling his 2009 Kona Kula for 800$, the 2011 Kula retails for about 1500$ plus tax in Canada.

I checked the components and they seem good for the price: http://www.konaworld.com/09/09_kula_en.cfm

Reviews are positive as well, the only thing I'm worried about is the 20" frame. At 6'5" I think I'd need a 22" frame. :hs:
Not sure how big of a difference this would make, I'm the long legs and long arms lanky type of guy. Maybe switching in a longer seatpost can solve the problem :dunno: