Brian and I have, officially, found our niche in mountain biking. If you've been reading this blog for a while, you will know that we were already into singlespeeding.
Singlespeeds are bicycles that have only one gear - one ring in the front and one cog in the rear - so we can't (don't want to!) shift to a faster/harder, slower/easier gear. Brian had converted his Cannondale more than a year ago, and I followed suit not long after. Of course, a "converted" singlespeed is not the same as a real singlespeed - a bike made with either special drop-outs to let you move the wheel/cog back and forth to get the right chain tension, or an eccentric bottom bracket, which allows you to adjust the bottom bracket to get the right chain tension. Enter the Gary Fisher Rig, which Brian in February, and I in August.
Not only is the Rig a singlespeed (with an eccentric bottom bracket), it is also a 29er, and we are wholly in love with it. A 29er is a bicycle that has 29 inch tires instead of 26 inch tires. What does this mean? For Brian, who is a tall person, it mean he finally has a bicycle that is proportionate. For me, a rather "vertically challenged" person (only 156cm, or 5'1"), it means that my bike looks like it is all tire! 29ers also provide a lot more traction, and more momentum once you get started. There are hills I can roll up now that I couldn't conquer on my 26" bike.
We are solidly into 29ers and singlespeeds (in the Rig we have both!), and we don't even want to ride our geared 26" bikes anymore. So - we are selling them. My Rockhopper FSR and Brian's Yeti AS-R are now up for auction at Yahoo Japan. To get a look at my Rockhopper, click here and to get a look at Brian's Yeti, click here .
1 comment:
Hi! I wanted to stop and say hi because you almost have my name. Do you know anything about recumbent bicycles? See you at the book blog.
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