Experience of rigid 69er conversions anyone?

[gairym]

I'm undecided on whether I like the look of it more than before to be honest.

I think the deciding factor will be it's maiden voyage - if I like the ride then I'm sure I'll come to view it as a thing of beauty but for now it's just my old bike looking a bit weird!

[Ray Young]

Well I like the look of mine, just quirky enough to be different, in fact I have now began calling her "Ingrid", a rare occurence for me. The only other bikes I have ever named were my Dawes MTB tandem, Talulla (what a hoot) and my hand built Dave Yates, Doris (now sadley demised). Does this make me a sad person?

[gairym]

The only other bikes I have ever named were my Dawes MTB tandem, Talulla (what a hoot) and my hand built Dave Yates, Doris (now sadley demised).

i've found that people (in general) only tend to name bikes that they've built-up themselves (as opposed to riding them stock from a shop).

it makes sense that it's probably something to do with the level of emotional investment the rider has with the creation of said bike.

i've not owned a store-bought full bike since my Marin 'Mount Vision' in 1997 and i doubt i'll ever own one again as i love the feeling of riding a bike which is made up solely of components that i've hand-picked and fitted myself.

maybe i'm veering off-topic a little???

[bod]

Also a sad case: La Poderosa, George, Mary, Betty, Betsy, Malcolm, Chico, Alex and The Doctor

[Dyffers]

Some of my bike have names too: Eddy Merckx, Chas Roberts, Graham Weigh...

[bod]

I'll get my coat.....

[Pyro]

HMmm, some of my bikes have had names, the current two don't, they're just "the full suss" and "the singlespeed"
My old XC race bike, a Top Fuel, was called Eponine, as in the character from Les Miserables, because it went like it was on EPO and I bought it in '09.
At least two of my self-builds, both Marin full susses, have been known to me and my mates as Frankenstein, because they were large, made of whatever was lying around the shed, and very, very ugly

[gairym]

verdict after my first 69er ride:

I LOVES IT!

it's has a very different feel to it.

i could ride the rocky-technical stuff almost as fast, and with as much confidence, as with my Reba SL's (100mm) and yet it felt totally different.

more like i was riding over as opposed to having the fork allow me to ride through the rough stuff.

but.....i did notice that my arms are super-knackered afterwards - a result of the super-rigidity of the on-one steel fork me thinks!

maybe the severity will be less once i get the carbon forks fitted???

it also felt like it was a little slower to respond on the climbs (which i'd read about with a 29er but wasn't expecting from a 69er) but soon got underway and felt good on the ups too.

i expect that it (being rigid an' all) won't handle the really fast rocky stuff nearly as well but that's to be expected and i'm getting on in life and so can afford to take things easy i suppose.

the funniest part about my 'test ride' was that i still haven't received my new (used) hope front brake and so i did the whole ride with just a rear v-brake which made for some very funny cornering.

all-in-all i'm very pleased with having a great big wheel up front and am going to have keep an eye out for a cheap 29er frame (i was looking at the new Cotic 'Solaris' and salivating earlier) to try out the full 29er experience.

review over!

gairy.

[Ray Young]

Glad to hear your happy :D .

When's the christening?

PS. I know what you mean about riding over rather than through.

[Bearbonesnorm]

maybe the severity will be less once i get the carbon forks fitted???

You should find the carbon forks will make quite a difference ... in a good way