# Hard Tales... (Pic heavy)



## Warp (May 24, 2004)

I finally got my Steel HT built up. Thanks to Eyderman for a couple goodies that were needed to complete the parts off from the Switchblade.

The frame is a Medium Reynolds 853 Nashbar Signature second hand that I got for a song, lost in the classifieds of mountainbike.org.mx.

Took it for a ride in the only loop I know here in Tampico, but it's actually in Veracruz towards Cd. Valles. It's a small loop worth of like 20kms max. Max Elevation is 110m, from a meager (sp??) 8-10m above sea level. If it was any lower it would be under water.

This place is flat as a pool table, so the Switchblade is plain overkill and it showed on this ride. I completed the loop fresher and faster than expected. I didn't much the full squish but it took me half the ride to get used to the HT. Braking, accelerating, pedaling... it's all different and granted, in this loop the HT kills so badly to the SB that it ain't funny but I still think a full squish is vastly superior in every regard to a HT and a short travel bike in the 3"-4" range would have smoked the Nashbar in this very same trail. To each their own.

Don't get me wrong... I haven't had so much fun in a long while!!! 

Being on a different bike was magic. And riding a HT so good as this steel baby is magic the double. With the Pike it doesn't feel twitchy, but it's certainly quick at the steering and with some "cush" to it. It feels alive. I can't point my finger on where or why... it feels like a horse being ridden and not like some object being pedaled. Nice.

Steel is real... gotta love it.

Mandatory Pics.... Weather was B-E-A-Frigging-Beautiful!





































Gotta love the Orange Glow in the sun... 



















Pics of the finished build...


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## crisillo (Jul 3, 2004)

nicely done, Warp...

I still miss having a good steel HT....one day I will have one again


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## the last biker (Oct 12, 2005)

*Switchblade enfadada........*



Warp said:


> I finally got my Steel HT built up.
> 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> ...


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## Warp (May 24, 2004)

the last biker said:


> Respeto todos los puntos de vista , pero en mi personal gusto , ese cuadro ni cosquillas le hace a la Titus Switchblade , a lo mejor para tenerlo como una alternativa para ir por ahí sin ningún compromiso, pero ¿ vestirlo con las ropas de la S.blade ? para nada , en tal caso le iría poniendo partes que van sobrando , así le hago yo con mi hardtail , pero repito cada quien su gusto y sus propiedades .
> 
> Las Switchblade todavía se defiende bastante bien y mejor que modelos de dobles mas recientes , es el mismo caso que las Intense Tracer anteriores, las Turner Burner y otras que le dan batalla a muchas bicis dobles , lástima de la Switchblade que se quedó encueradita y guardadita por un tiempo ja ja ja.
> 
> ...


No, pos si vamos de alcurnia, pos nomas no le llega a la Titus. La neta, ese SB tiene candela para rato y como dices, todavia deja en verguenza a lo ultimo y lo mejor de algunas marcas. Otros opinaran que esta obsoleto... como bien dices, a cada quien lo suyo.

Pero el SB se tiene que ir y viene un reemplazo. Ya les dire que, porque todavia no lo tengo claro. Por lo mientras, no puedo tener las dos y la HT me viene mejor... por el momento.

Solia tener partes como para vestir un cuadro, pero entre que las regale y se me perdieron en mudanzas, ahora nadamas tengo las partes de la SB y pues son las que uso.

Si, con la angurria de rodar, se me olvidaron los tornillos... La SB los trae!! :lol:

Este año no será la Popo. Salgo para Veracruz en unas horas... Pero bueno, ya estoy rodando que es lo importante.


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## rzozaya1969 (Nov 28, 2004)

Warp said:


> No, pos si vamos de alcurnia, pos nomas no le llega a la Titus. La neta, ese SB tiene candela para rato y como dices, todavia deja en verguenza a lo ultimo y lo mejor de algunas marcas. Otros opinaran que esta obsoleto... como bien dices, a cada quien lo suyo.
> 
> Pero el SB se tiene que ir y viene un reemplazo. Ya les dire que, porque todavia no lo tengo claro. Por lo mientras, no puedo tener las dos y la HT me viene mejor... por el momento.
> 
> ...


Hey, felicidades Warp!

Se ve muy bien tu bici. Ahora he estado rodando mucho mi Viento, es super ágil y aguanta mucho. No es al mismo nivel que la Endo, pero sí es muy divertido probar otras opciones y sensaciones. La verdad no me arrepiento de haberla recuperado.

Si piensas cambiar la SB, ya viene la Endo XC, que también se ve muy bien.

Si puedes, quedate la HT y la nueva doble (sea cual Endo sea).....


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## tigerdog (Mar 16, 2004)

Sexy!

Skinny 853 frame :thumbsup:
Fat long travel fork :thumbsup: 
Titus decal :nono:


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## blatido (Sep 14, 2005)

tigerdog said:


> Sexy!
> 
> Skinny 853 frame :thumbsup:
> Fat long travel fork :thumbsup:
> Titus decal :nono:


Warp, definitivamente una bonita bicicleta la que te armaste, y si la estás disfrutando mucho pues qué mejor... solo un detalle, coincido con Tigerdog en que la calcomanía de Titus como que no vá. Cuestión de gustos.


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## Warp (May 24, 2004)

My fhasion adviser told me about the Titus decal, but I didn't listen to her. 

I took it off by popular demand.  

I have some seat post slip to fix, though. The FSA post is really nice but somehow the finish looks as sturdy as a Thomson, but it isn't so. It already has a few scratches. One really ugly from when my son tipped the bike over and the seatpost rotated and slipped.

Moral of the story... Thomson is the only one to make a stupid simple non-moving piece like a seatpost. WTF?!


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## tigerdog (Mar 16, 2004)

Warp said:


> Moral of the story... Thomson is the only one to make a stupid simple non-moving piece like a seatpost. WTF?!


It would seem so in my experience. Seem to remember my Suntour XC being pretty good. Wow, that shows my age.


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## Warp (May 24, 2004)

tigerdog said:


> Seem to remember my Suntour XC being pretty good. Wow, that shows my age.


Back from the days when the seat post came with the gruppo (also the headset).

Seems there are a few old timers around here! :lol:

It's from those days that I missed to have a good steel frame. Now I have it.


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## tigerdog (Mar 16, 2004)

You know I love a good steel frame. Although, on the Nashbar topic, this seems like a hell of a deal for a road frame:

http://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product_10053_10052_172821_-1_201511_10000_201512


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## Warp (May 24, 2004)

tigerdog said:


> You know I love a good steel frame. Although, on the Nashbar topic, this seems like a hell of a deal for a road frame:
> 
> http://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product_10053_10052_172821_-1_201511_10000_201512


Sweet... for that price, it's wort giving it a go. Dress it up with some decent road parts and off you go!

However, I've read horror stories about Nashbar and credit card cloning as of late... they had their online store hacked or something.


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## elmadaleno (Jul 8, 2005)

Guarp: ya sé que estamos en crisis, ¿pero una hard tail? No te duelen las petacas?????


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## Warp (May 24, 2004)

elmadaleno said:


> Guarp: ya sé que estamos en crisis, ¿pero una hard tail? No te duelen las petacas?????


Dime tu, roadie...  

Took her for another ride this morning and I'm really happy. It goes really well all over everything, except rock gardens (Duh!). I tamed the geometry pushing the fork up to 115mm travel. Now it feels better.

I now realize why many people THINK HT's are better and that is because you have to push them hard for them not to destroy your butt. I'm more used to it and now it "feels like a bike" to me.

I was riding really fast on the flats and I started hitting with more conviction the hairy places, specially on bumpy uphills where I had forgotten how to ride a HT on.

Steel has some springy feel that is just amazing. Even the rocks hitting the tubes make some nice "cling" sound that's gorgeous. Not like the dead "tud" you hear on aluminum.

The Maxxis DHF is not that nice over the gravel over hardpack here but the Larsen is nuts nice here. I may try the Rampage now.

Now, if I could only get over people looking at me like if an alien had just parked its UFO right in front of them...


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## tacubaya (Jan 27, 2006)

Shut up and watch.


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## rzozaya1969 (Nov 28, 2004)

tacubaya said:


> Shut up and watch.


Esta muy bien el video... este es el estilo de manejo que esperamos de Warp desde ahora.

Que bici es la del video, y quien es el chavo?


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## Warp (May 24, 2004)

rzozaya1969 said:


> Esta muy bien el video... este es el estilo de manejo que esperamos de Warp desde ahora.
> 
> Que bici es la del video, y quien es el chavo?


Es Tacubaya cuando tenia la Pimpkuza en el Ajusco...

Luego les paso el mio...


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## elmadaleno (Jul 8, 2005)

tacubaya said:


> Shut up and watch.


Wow!!! se levanta como 10 cms del suelo!!! Se me hace que podría ir más rápido en mi bii de ruta


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## Zion Rasta (Jan 7, 2004)

Warp,
Yo tengo el mismo marco pero todavia no lo he vestido. I may get one of those Manitous de Jensonusa y un par de Avid brakes mecanicos y waaaalah!!!


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## Rocky_Rene (Apr 12, 2007)

*Sobre las HT*

Las HT son para machos y quien diga lo contrario es un delicado que no le gusta rodar sobre piedras, raices y baches.

Se disfruta mejor y mas al natural el recorrido.

he dicho!

Si herí alguna susceptibilidad menos son machos!! :eekster:


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## Zion Rasta (Jan 7, 2004)

*El Macho Probao*



Rocky_Rene said:


> Las HT son para machos y quien diga lo contrario es un delicado que no le gusta rodar sobre piedras, raices y baches.
> 
> Se disfruta mejor y mas al natural el recorrido.
> 
> ...


JaJa


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