who here is into cycling ? gravel Mtn Road or ?

[Gabriel556]

Chuckman, when you have to replace worn out XTR parts are you scrounging eBay for them or what’s your source? I always thought Shimano basically upped the XTR series a bit each evolution and the old XTR became XT and such. I may be wrong. I’d like to find some old XTR rim brakes for my bike but like you said, crazy money.

[chuckman]

Chuckman, when you have to replace worn out XTR parts are you scrounging eBay for them or what’s your source? I always thought Shimano basically upped the XTR series a bit each evolution and the old XTR became XT and such. I may be wrong. I’d like to find some old XTR rim brakes for my bike but like you said, crazy money.

Yes, ebay, old bike shops (scraps from upgrades), craigslist, etc. At some point the who thing will have to go and it'll just be better to invest in a whole new bike. In my humble opinion, the cream of the crop was late-90s Shimano XTR on mountain bikes.

I know I have a bias; I am sure 'todays' XT or even LX (do they still make LX??) are better than yesteryear's XTR.

[VIP3R 237]

I have a 2016 Kona Process 153 that has been up and down the trails all over Utah, but I’ll probably sell it in the spring and grab a stumpjumper. The new geometry is pretty awesome.

[Gabriel556]

My XTR parts are from 99-2000 era. I agree they are amazingly nice. Super smooth shifting and the integrated shifter brake assemblies are so slick.

[marco.g]

For those looking for parts. Check Pinkbike.com classifieds. I built that blue Knolly with 80% secondhand parts including the frame.

[TehLlama]

I guess I'm the one rocking the most shiny/new hardware.

Mountain biker, but I do enjoy a good bit of fun trolling roadies in spandex by taking my hardtail hauling two kids in a trailer and trying to run them down and pass them.

2014 Rocky Mountain Instinct XXL (999MSL) frame, bought used, PB Classifieds. 150/130mm travel (Pike RCT3 with Luftkappe and Topaz shock), carbon everywhere (LightBicycle 38mm DT350 wheels, Answer 810mm Carbon bars with 50mm Chromag stem, SRAM X01 Carbon crank with OneUp 30T Oval ring, Shimano XT11 speed drivetrain with M8000 brakes - 200/180mm, running Maxxis DHR-II 29x2.4 Front and e13 SemiSlick Enduro 29x2.35 Rear)

2016 Diamondback Overdrive Carbon XL (Frame), now with a 130mm Fox32 and FIT4 damper, 35mm LightBicycle DT350 wheels, XT 2x10 drivetrain and SLX brakes (200/180mm), rolling on Maxxis RekonRace/Aspen 29x2.25 tires. It gets as many miles on asphalt hauling a trailer as it does off-road, but I take in the same trails at the same pace I see people running 6" travel bikes.


I tried road bikes, but ended up taking those on dirt trails most rides. Tried gravel bikes, but took those on too many trails at speed where gravel tires were just not cutting it. 2.25" 29er semislick tires on both ends works well enough, and enables me to do plenty of stupid stuff. The full-suspension trail bike is there to flatter my ability level, but I can conditionally keep pace with actually talented riders on downhill trails, but my full loop times are always faster on the hardtail.

[TommyG]

Many years of mountain biking with road rides for conditioning once upon a time. After a long break starting to get back into it. Ride my ancient but rock solid Cannondale cyclocross bike for road miles and just got a Trek Rosco 27.5 hardtail.

I always rode what I called rowdy hardtails: dual slalom frames, long travel thru axle forks and beefy wheels. Rode long cross country rides and races with that setup for years. Loving the Rosco because it is everything I loved about the old bikes that I built. Going to jump up to a Fox Float Fork this year. Unsurprisingly, the budget fork that came on the bike is not what I am used to but I knew that would be the case going in. I have a feeling I may jump up to a better set of brakes at some point. I am bombing things with a huge grin on my face that I have no business bombing at almost 50. The new fork is not going to do anything for that issue. May end up needing better stoppers. 27.5 and 29 inch wheels with the (to my old school eye) huge tires are just awesome to ride.

[duece71]

My old Cannondale F600 with the head shok is hanging on my garage wall, head shok needs to be refurbed really bad. My Trek 2200 is hanging from the ceiling, I haven’t ridden it in over a year. I need to get it down, pump up the tires, suit up, and get some mileage done in the cold.

[tommyrott]

sold my 2007 giant trance 5.0, going to update in March when the bike shops dump their rental fleets for fresh bikes, one of a few perks of living in Dgo.

[Honu]

this is the gravel I want
https://www.3t.bike/en/223-exploro-race