Monday, October 09, 2006

Tractor

My new bike is a tractor. All 'roll over stuff, and faster than you'd expect'. Got it together this morning and popped out for a 5 hour shake down...saddle comfy and now horizontal (oops!), disc brakes scrubbed in, reach perfect (71.7cm if you want to know), bar angle magic, bottom bracket rotated for a good position over the pedals (way further back than you might guess). Go.

First impressions:
a) disc brakes rawk.
b) wide rims rawk.
c) good ti frames (utilising the properties of the metal) rawk.
d) the tractor likes to fly. jumpin' and pumpin' off everything. Stoorie Brae acted as a the initial site of riding (as ever) and I felt 100% comfortable hitting all the slidey, rocky, steep and nasty stuff straight away.
e) the steering geometry is noticeably different from the RoShamBo. Better I think. It feels lighter to steer, and not in any way slow, but it is very obvious the front wheel is further out in front of me.
f) I don't know how If did it, but this bike rips around tight turns. Especially obvious when there is a tree at the apex you are trying to miss...Reminiscent of Biff's Jones. There must be something more to this...hmm.
g) *Comfort* over the distance. It wasn't a massive ride today, but zero feeling of being vibrated by the trail, which in places was pretty buzzy and rocky.

So, yes I like it. A lot. I suspect this may well be the best realisation of everything I have learned, ridden and asked about so far. And rightly so! it has been a pretty decent investment both financially and in terms of effort and time!

So: stoked. Big rides and races and everything. Bring it on. The tractor is good to go.






























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7 comments:

Anonymous said...

thats a lovely looking bike and so pleased that its everything you wanted it to be....


however, I can see a 29er Jones in your future :-)

Anonymous said...

i'm so happy you're happy, so happy that i'm sticking some 'fab fucking-tastic' message up on the interweb for public consumption - devour.

dRjON said...

me? jones?
oh nonononononnonononononmaybe

Nick said...

Would a jones be any more personal after all the time and effort you've put into this?

Doubt it. So what would you gain?

dRjON said...

not much, but i suspect its all chasing tiny incremental changes for me now...

its not a plan! thats certain, but i wont rule anything out in the future...a *long* time in the future likes!...

i did enjoy riding jeffs bike a lot. the vertical compliance is amazing...

Anonymous said...

i'm so happy you're happy, so happy that i'm sticking some 'fab fucking-tastic' message up on the interweb for public consumption - devour.

Altered Images ?

Anonymous said...

no, it was Siouxsie and the Banshees wasnt it ?