Geo, Head Angles, Suspension....

Crazy stuff!  It's amazing how much geometry can change things on a mtb.  Back in the day (last year!), when I was racing xc, it was all about steep head tube angles and aggressive geometry.  These days that I'm on more of the enduro and downhill side of things though, it's all about slack head tube angles, and relaxed geometry.  Short stems and wide bars rule, just as small wheels and long legs (long travel) have replaced the smaller travel xc bikes.

Don't get me wrong, it's still fun to go fast on a 100mm xc bike, but catching air, ripping downhills, and "falling" down impossibly steep rock sections are what I'm all about these days.  Not to mention the fact that I think I'd have snapped quite a few xc frames by now if I was taking some of the drops I've been taking on my big bikes.

To get to the point, I LOVE big bikes.  I LOVE getting crazy, and I LOVE riding hard.  I don't love crashing hard, but it happens and it's part of the game.  Go hard or go home.

The point I'm getting at is that I've recently re-discovered my Cannondale Jekyll.  I was planning on selling this bike until I blinged it out with a nice chainguide (MRP mini G2), new Schwalbe tires, wider bars (Answer pro taper), and a sweet Sunline V-One All mountain 50mm stem.  In a word, the bike is pinned.  I'm lucky enough to have a Specialized Enduro EVO and Stumpjumper FSR.  The Jekyll is like both of these bikes rolled into one.  For the fast and smooth xc stuff it flies when I lower it to 90mm of travel in the rear and 120mm in the front, but for the gnarly downhill stuff it rocks it out in the 150mm front and rear travel options with slacker geo.  It's an amazing bike and I'm super stoked I held onto it.

With the current quiver of bikes I've got, it's going to be a fun season.  I'm hoping a Specialized Demo DH bike will find it's way into my "bike room" sometime in the near future!