Another Day, Another Bike

If you've been following my blog for any amount of time (all 2 of you raise your hands, NOW!), you'll know that I'm quite a bike junkie.  I go through bikes quite a lot, but that's not to say that I waste a lot of money on them.   My system, as it is, involves buying a bike, riding it for a few months, then selling it for nearly what I paid for it, and buying a new bike with the money that I've made off the sale.  It's kind of like "leasing" a bike if you will.  In the end it only really costs me a couple hundred bucks to get a new bike.  Not a bad deal to keep up with all the current tech that's involved with modern mountain bikes.

So, the vicious circle continues today, but this time with a bit of a twist.  In an effort to consolidate the number of bikes I own, not only giving me more space in my apartment, but also giving me some extra cash in my pocket, I decided to sell three of my mountain bikes.  One was a Cannondale Jekyll, one a Specialized Stumpjumper FSR, and the last a Transition Trans Am.  I put them all up on Ebay the past week, and to my delight everything sold.  In the end I didn't get quite as much as I wanted for the lot, but the sales still afforded me the opportunity to get a new rig, and put some cash in my pocket.  Thumbs up!

On to the new steed...

I picked up a Specialized Stumpjumper FSR EVO.  This was the original bike I wanted when I picked up the Stumpy FSR I just sold, so it was a long time coming.  Looking back, obviously, I should have gone with the EVO version from the beginning, but hey, I'm a dumbass sometime.  Anyway, I couldn't be more stoked with the bike.  It's everything I want in a complete package.  I've been riding long enough to know exactly what I like, and this bike just about has it all-adjustable seat post, bulky wheels and chunky tires, slack geometry, and nice long legs (suspension that is).

So far the only change I've made has been the bars.  It comes stock with 720mm bars, but I like 'em a bit wider, so I threw on 750's.  Otherwise, I might go with a zero rise stem (probably in the area of around 65-75mm), and possibly a 1X10 setup.  All this is just playful thoughts, and I'm sticking to my assertion that this bike really doesn't need any changes.  It's totally dialed right out of the box.  I'm just a little picky every now and then, and like to test my mechanical skills.  Gotta keep myself busy!

After picking up the new ride, I met up with a buddy to take a quick lap around some of the local trails.  There's nice mix of hardpack and techy stuff there, and I got a good opportunity to test the new beast.  In honesty, I couldn't be happier.  The suspension is plush, but not swampy, and the light weight of the bike truly shines through.  I got her up in the air several times and the balance was great.  The Rock Shox Revalation Fork is so comfy and simple I wouldn't think about changing it, and the Fox Float RP2 Shock is legit.  Very sturdy in the chop, but doesn't overdo it.  I can tell I'm going to have a long love affair with this bike.  Muy Bueno!

Tomorrow I'll probably take some time off the bike and hit the heavy bag and lift some weights.  I'm really enjoying being strong again, and lifting weights and fight training has re-energized my desire to be fit.  It's kinda nice not training for a specific race or event, but rather working toward just being healthy, feeling good, and being strong.  Interesting also how it opens up time to do other "life" things and take care of actual responsibilities.  Kinda digging' where I'm at in life right now.  :-)