A lot happened over the last 8 months or so, so I've been pretty content riding my MTBubbe when I got the chance, rather than working on it, so until last week, the bars were way to high and close.
But a couple weeks ago, I found out that the local MTB group, www.sorbaatlanta.org, was just about done building a few miles of single track in a park less than a mile from my house. So I had to go check it out. Here's how the bike looked the first time I went: [image: image.jpeg] Bars too high and too close, 1.8" semi-slick Gravel Kings. It turns out the trail is an awesome mix of flow, with bumps and berms and jumps and stuff, with some technical climbing, and some fast straight downhill. This photo is probably the flattest part of the trail. I definitely lost traction in some spots, especially on climbs. The bike still felt great, but it was really time to swap the stem, at least. I also borrowed an old 2.35" wide tire from a friend of mine to do a test fit, and ended up with a mullet bike: [image: image.jpeg] Business in the front. Party in the back! I did a couple laps in my backyard to test out the tire, and decided I should go ahead and try out the MTBubbe as a mountain bike. So I got a pair of Neo Motos and headed to the trail last night. [image: image.jpeg] Holy cow. I'm beat today. The trail is basically along either side of a drainage wash that goes into a fairly big creek (a tributary of Camp Creek for you Civil War buffs), so there is not a single flat spot. There is an inner loop and an outer loop. I did both loops twice. So maybe 5 or 6 miles. I'll take some pictures of the trail next time I go, but I was having too much fun riding and just grabbed a quick photo at the end of the ride. The tires are a huge improvement! So is the stem. I've learned a lot already, riding these trails. 1. The Albatross bars are comfy on the trail and give plenty of control, but they're a little impractical. They bump my knees in tight turns. I've got a Jitensha bar and some rapid fire shifters that I'm going to try out when I get a 26.0 clamp stem. I'm really hoping to try out that new curvy bar that's been rumored around here. 2. Use the front brake, man. I usually use both brakes together, but on the dirt, the back tire skids so easily that it's better to just not use it most of the time. I headed into a steep downhill section a little too fast, and had to almost lock down the front wheel to get through it. If I'd locked up the back wheel, I would've been in trouble. These Avid v-brakes are amazing though! They always seem to have a little more power to give. Front braking also makes bermed corners more fun and flowy. 3. Nobbies make a difference on dirt, at least for me. I read a good bit about tread before buying these tires. I'm not sure I came to any conclusions. The Neo Motos seemed good, and as seems to be the case with Panaracer, they were a good price too. I can definitely clear a couple spots that I couldn't on the semi-slick Gravel Kings, but the ride to the trail isn't as smooth. 4. MTB riders know what they're doing with high bottom brackets, single tiny front chainrings, and short crank arms. There are places that my big ring and bottom bracket just won't clear on these trails. I'll have to figure out a line to take that doesn't bottom out my bike. So the MTBubbe fits 2.3" Neo Motos on Atlas rims, and it really is an insanely versatile and fun bike. I can't wait to ride some more trails! This opens up a whole new chunk of the city to ramble around. <https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-t3ieMDKYFs8/WutiCF0AaYI/AAAAAAAADbc/7aL52t4hzMIHHIRPH57QyULJHEpBe-tcQCLcBGAs/s1600/20180502_201849.jpg> Any suggestions for a seat post that will keep my saddle from tilting back when I bounce around on it? Paul in ATL -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
