Hello Stranger!

It's been awhile since my last post, family and working has become more of a priority than blogging or even cycling. Cycling was a way for me to release my stress and writing about my experiences had become another hidden outlet for me.

I have been riding more than last summer and more so on the mountain bike than the road bike. I hate to say it but riding on the road scares me. I have been reading a lot, lately of cyclist dying from car accidents locally and nationally. There are so many distractions while driving, whether it's eating, drinking, changing the radio channels, looking at the GPS for directions and even texting. I'm no saint when I drive but I can see how easily it is to be distracted.

So I have been taking my trusty and creaky 10 year old mountain bike, the Turner 5 Spot on some adventures this past summer. At first, I said it's was the Turner's Farewell Tour, meaning that I going to replace my favorite bike but economically, that won't happen unless I can land a new job. Have you noticed the cost of these mountain bikes have skyrocketed over the past few years. $1,800 used to get you a bang for your buck kind of bike but now, a frame will easily cost you $2,500 to $3,500, which is insane! This next bike will probably be my "last" bike but I know it will easily cost me over 5k for the next bike. 5 THOUSAND DOLLARS, you say but just think about it, if you are into golf, you wouldn't even think twice and spend $300 for one new golf club or spend $100 each week to play golf. To me, it's all relative in what you like. So I want to hear your comment, on what you spend your money on and don't think twice about it?

So that's it for now. Be kind to one another and if you are riding... Happy Trails!

New bike friend!

2008 giant yukon fx

    so one of my friends wants to jump into mtn biking. "find me a bike between 5 to 600 bucks wit full suspension and disc brakes!" finding a bike in that price range can be difficult, if you ever notice all the bikes are the same parts and different colors. yer looking at a bike at least 35 pounds, a coil shock, a low end front fork and disc brakes and maybe some flashy colors on the frame with a fancy name. i'm not trying to be a snob by saying negative things about these bikes but, when it comes down to the long run, these parts will fail you quicker than you expected AND with mtn biking being so addicting, you will want to head back to the bike shop and buy something better.

    as you can see above, this is the 2008 giant yukon fx. it's equipped with a RockShox Dart 2 100mm suspension fork, Giant air shock, SRAM SX-4 trigger shifting, SX-4 rear derailleur, Hayes MX-4 mechanical disc brakes and a WTB Dual Duty XC rim/Formula disc hub wheelset. honestly not a bad setup for a beginner bike, the way i look at it, it's something to build from for a year or 2. swap out the shifters and rear derailleur for SRAM X7's or X9's and maybe go with a lighter wheelset and you got a great transformation of yer bike.

    i'm going to try to get more close up pics soon, i saw it in person today and i gotta say it's a sweet looking bike. I'm sure he'll love it and soon we can hit the trails together (as soon as the mud dries).

happy muddy trails
~dirty bert