# The waiting is the hardest part...



## Zoomy29er (Aug 16, 2012)

I am _*trying*_ to be patient as I wait for my new 2013 Salsa El Mariachi 3 to arrive, but it's proving very difficult! It will look like this...can you blame me for having ants in my pants?!









I am currently on a too-small-for-me 2009 Cannondale F5. It's a nice entry-level bike, but it's no El Mariachi! I'm really looking forward to making the switch to a 29er and advancing my riding skills. :thumbsup:

Anyone else waiting on a new bike?


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## jcd46 (Jul 25, 2012)

I'm but not quite as fancy! but I know the feeling, according to UPS it arrives today!! Congrats on your bike man enjoy!!


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## Zoomy29er (Aug 16, 2012)

Oh, that is SO exciting! Stalking UPS tracking for delivery of an exciting purchase like that really makes the clock move so slowly! I don't even know when my bike will arrive. My order went in with my LBS's order for their Salsa demo fleet. I don't know the ETA...hopefully within a few weeks. We have some nice trails at a Boy Scout camp near us that just opened for the Fall to riders and hikers, since the kids are all starting school soon. I'm dying to get out there on a proper bike.


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## Cormac (Aug 6, 2011)

Waiting on a Scalpel 3 or Flash Carbon 3, haven't decided yet. But I have over a year to make up my mind!

I get the same kind of feeling whenever I order a part or whatever online. I refuse to pay extra for overnight shipping, so I often have to wait at least a week for my order to arrive.


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## Jbridge1 (May 3, 2012)

I get excited waiting on brake pads to come in the mail I don't think I could sleep if I was waiting on a new bike.


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## Zoomy29er (Aug 16, 2012)

Ha! Today I tackled some trails that scared me the last time I was on them, in May. I kept wondering how much more awesome will they be on my new bike. The bike I'm on is a size too small for me, so it makes me feel a little top-heavy and too upright. I'm thinking the new ride is gonna zoom!


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## FriarTuk (Aug 6, 2012)

My new bike comes in the mail TODAY. I'm sitting here waiting anxiously for it to arrive. UUUGGGHHH its so nice out too, I just want to take it for its maiden voyage! 

Soon. It will be here soon.


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## Zoomy29er (Aug 16, 2012)

FriarTuk said:


> My new bike comes in the mail TODAY. I'm sitting here waiting anxiously for it to arrive. UUUGGGHHH its so nice out too, I just want to take it for its maiden voyage!
> 
> Soon. It will be here soon.


Oh, I have butterflies in my belly for you! What are you getting?

I still have no ETA for my bike. I wish I had at least a sort of ballpark date so that I'd know just how antsy I should be! :crazy:


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## FriarTuk (Aug 6, 2012)

GT Avalanche X, my first real mountain bike. COME ON FEDEX!!! It's already noon, you're so freaking slooooooowww! haha


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## Zoomy29er (Aug 16, 2012)

Very nice! Hurry, FedEx!!!


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## chevygonemad (Dec 28, 2010)

I was doing the same all week waiting for my new pedals to come in the mail. I was leaping to the window today everytime I heard something remotely close (damn garbage trucks  ) I only had to do one thing today, and of course it arrived while I was away, but all was well. Good luck on your package, don't stress too much


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## Zoomy29er (Aug 16, 2012)

Tuk, did your bike come, yet?! I hope you're out riding at this very moment!

I will probably get the call about my bike once UPS delivers it to my LBS...then I will have to make the hour LONG drive to go pick it up...it's going to make me crazy! ut:


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## Mazda Guy (Jul 12, 2012)

I only just ordered mine last night. It's pending shipment now, as it was supposedly assembled today. Ugh, this is going to be a long "Up to 2 weeks.."

Ordered some gear as well, but still want to get some more. So I'm just anxious as heck waiting on everything to come in.

I guess there's a good bit of sales going on right now, and a lot of people in the same boat, counting the minutes and refreshing the heck out of tracking pages, hoping that they'll somehow be able to tell, and ship it faster because of that.


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## Zoomy29er (Aug 16, 2012)

Mazda Guy said:


> I guess there's a good bit of sales going on right now, and a lot of people in the same boat, counting the minutes and refreshing the heck out of tracking pages, hoping that they'll somehow be able to tell, and ship it faster because of that.


So I'm not the only one who does that...? :blush:

BTW, what do you drive? My username on some other boards is zoom-zoom, as I drive an '06 Mazda 3s hatchback. I LOVED that car for the first 4 years, but it's been pretty troublesome for the past 25k miles. I think we'll be going back to Ford or Honda with our next vehicle, as we've not had long-term luck with any of the Mazdas we've owned (we blamed previous issues on having bought used, but this one we bought new and it's been lemony). Pity, since they are fun as hell to drive.


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## Mazda Guy (Jul 12, 2012)

Nope! Maybe one day it'll work. I think the worst is when it's on the truck, and you just want to intercept it instead of waiting all day.

I've got a 2004 Rx8 myself, I've only had it since March of 2011, and I've only ran into one problem with it, which was small, and covered under warranty. But between it, and my other, a 1990 Rx7, I spend enough time with them to keep them in good order. The Rx8 hasn't needed anything beyond that, and maintenance however, and I'm by no means easy on the car. Then again, it was designed for that. I've had quite a few Mazda's, and the only time I've ever truly had problems was with a 1994, and being in college, ended up putting 50k mi on it in 3 months, and then had no money to get parts from all the wear it took. They are a blast to drive though, I've never gotten rid of any of mine by choice. It's all been moving, or other circumstances.

Once I get 10 posts, I'll probably post a pic up in the Mazda thread. I love my babies, haha.

Trying to find money for all of them gets hard though. Thus the free shipping I got for my bike, and thus the long wait.


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## Zoomy29er (Aug 16, 2012)

I love the RX-8s...really nice looking cars, though not totally practical with our MI Winters. As it is we discovered that the "all season performance" tires that the 3 takes are NOT good in snow, so we bought a set of 16" steel rims mounted with snow tires for Winter...the only thing that stops my car, now, is bottoming-out, but then it kinda pushes the snow along.

My car was great until the CEL started 2 years ago. Turns out it was a leak in the evap system. We replaced the gas cap, which had been recalled, but that wasn't the problem. Now there are multiple leaks in the system, but nothing worth replacing. I just live with a permanent CEL and the car runs a bit rough at idle.

The A/C is terrible. Also at about the 4 year mark we discovered that longer drives when it's hot and humid cause the system to freeze up. It's not particularly efficient to begin with, but then we have to shut it off and let things thaw before it will run, again (this is a pretty well-known problem, but nothing Mazda is willing to actually recall). The A/C works really well when it's <80...you know, when a person could live without A/C. 

We've also had continuous brake issues. In part because a local shop FUBARd the set we had done for $550 in April. Another $750 just got dumped into the car a couple of weeks ago to fix that mess at the nearest Mazda dealership.

My previous car was a '97 Ford Escort that we drove for 11 years and it was literally never in the shop for anything other than normal wear-and-tear things. Hubby had an '89 Civic Si that was similar...just so cheap to maintain and operate. We had that car for something like 15 years. We miss those cars. My 3 doesn't even get great mileage for such a small vehicle. On a good day we might get 30mpg. DH has a Rav4 V-6 that gets nearly the same mpg as my little 3...kinda crazy.


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## FriarTuk (Aug 6, 2012)

The bike came around 3:30! They made me wait awhile, but I think it was worth it. Assembled it and took it on a short ~7 mile ride. Very sweet ride, worth the wait!!


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## Zoomy29er (Aug 16, 2012)

FriarTuk said:


> The bike came around 3:30! They made me wait awhile, but I think it was worth it. Assembled it and took it on a short ~7 mile ride. Very sweet ride, worth the wait!!


Yay!!! Now we need pics! :thumbsup:


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## Mazda Guy (Jul 12, 2012)

Yeah, I've been in love with mine since I got it. I have driven it in light snow, with quite possibly some of the worst tires for the matter that you could imagine, but it ended up being a fun night.

As far as the A/C, there's a couple things I'd check. Primarily, it could be a clogged cabin air filter, they'll do that, just like if your house's a/c unit freezes, it's typically the air filter for that. Restricted air flow would do that. Other than that, it could be that the condenser's clogged up and would have to be cleaned out, but that's something I'd leave to someone else just to be on the safe side. Heck, there's a ton of other if's, and's, or but's I could throw out there, but the most common is just that filter. Give it a quick google search and it'll help you out on replacing it. 

The Evap system, well, yeah, that's something to leave for a professional as well. Unfortunately, parts for cars, newer especially are expensive, and labor isn't cheap either, for it's varying reasons also. Shop insurance, employee pay, general cost of running the shop, yatta yatta..

But that's so off topic, it's not even funny. Then again, I guess this is your topic after all.

We do need pics though! So how was the ride, other than sweet?


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## Zoomy29er (Aug 16, 2012)

Yep, I have no qualms about dragging my own threads WAY off-topic...it helps distract me from not yet having my bike!

Interesting about the filter possibility. It's certainly worth looking into. I believe the evap issue was pretty much deemed to be more trouble than it was worth to fix. Just annoying to have so many little issues develop when my car was <5 years old. Thankfully the engine and transmission are A-OK. *knock on wood* Not much to go wrong with the transmission, since it's a manual (have never replaced a clutch in my life, woot!). I won't even own an automatic after replacing a transmission on my very first car. Spent $3200 on the car, then another $2500 or so <6 months later. In hindsight I should have just spent $6k on a stick in the first place!


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## Mazda Guy (Jul 12, 2012)

This is very true. Unfortunately, I've still got the tab for the bike open in the window beside this, and the tab for tracking in the one beside that, so they're all within a moment of each other, and my attention still.

It's amazing though, how often things can turn out to be something simple. That's why it gets overlooked. But yeah, I can imagine. After my previous cars, all being up in their years, I'm slightly afraid that my Rx8 now will develop problems before I can get squared away on money again. That wouldn't be too good. As far as transmissions, as long as you don't abuse a manual, I do prefer them for their longevity over an automatic heavily. Aside from just the general feel of driving a manual car. Now, I don't put anyone down for an automatic, I just have no intentions of owning one, haha. Well, maybe in a truck, that only comes in an automatic, but that's different.

Speaking of which, I wouldn't mind one for being able to transport my bike better. Currently using the old man's truck for anywhere further than I want to ride on the bike.


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## Zoomy29er (Aug 16, 2012)

Oh, yeah...a manual in snow rocks. I'd rather have a manual with snow tires than an automatic with AWD and traction control! Though the hubby's automatic is kinda nice when we have to drive through Chicago's stop-and-go traffic. Doesn't make our left calves and right arms tired!


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## Mazda Guy (Jul 12, 2012)

This is true. As long as you can be responsible enough in doing so, the snow can be a little bit of a playground. Being stuck in traffic can be absolutely annoying though, because as soon as the car in front of you moves enough to warrant you actually going into gear, the moment you do, they're back on the brakes. But laying back too far to have more than enough room always gets the person behind you on the horn(Even though you're not going to go anywhere but 8 feet forward, haha), or other people jumping in front of you.

It's normally not too bad here in Richmond, but when I lived in Charlotte, NC, that was a different story. Every single day was stop and go. I'm so happy to be away from that.


Sidenote:

I've watched so many videos pertaining to my new bike on Youtube now, that if I watch a music video, I'm still getting MTB videos in the related videos. This is actually slightly funny, seeing Stan's No Tube's Installation being "related" to a music video.


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## Zoomy29er (Aug 16, 2012)

I wish there were more videos of my bike...there are a few of the previous model year, but I've had a hard time even finding photos of my bike. Lots of photos of the brand new, high profile Salsa models, but little of the relatively unchanged, "entry level" builds. I don't even have much to ogle!


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## Mazda Guy (Jul 12, 2012)

Yeah, I'm more or less going to ones related to what I got. There's not even a review of the one I got on there, which I wish there was.

I'm still so excited. I've had an older Mongoose for about 7 years now, just casually using it, though I heavily used it when I first got it for about a year or so. Well, I like the idea of sticking with Mongoose for another bike, kind of one of those nostalgic things, so I've got a 2011 Teocali Comp on the way. I can't wait for it. It's kind of like Christmas again, except knowing exactly what you're getting, but still having to wait.


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## Zoomy29er (Aug 16, 2012)

I get the nostalgia. Part of me wanted another Cannondale, since my road bikes have both been Cdales and my too-small mtn. bike is a Cannondale. But the only 29er that would fit me is this goofy-lookin' women's bike that's coming out that looks like a Wal-Mart kids' bike, the Tango SL. I really wanted to like it, but I've been borrowing a friend's older Salsa Ala Carte and REALLY like the feel of steel. I've ridden a Surly Cross-Check and on the back of our steel tandem and I think I'm going to prefer the ride of steel over aluminum...it should be a bit more forgiving on a hardtail, too. My new 29er in steel should actually weigh less than my current aluminum bike, too, since the wheels and components are so much better and lighter.


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## Mazda Guy (Jul 12, 2012)

I was actually meaning to try out some 29ers myself, but I ended up going on and getting the one I did, which was the last one in stock for it. If I actually want something, I can be a sucker for situations like that. Ah well, I didn't get to try the 2011 out, but I did try the 2010 out a while ago, and I liked it, so I'm assuming it'll be similar enough to that one. I also thought about some hardtails myself, but with how I ride, I figured it'd be better to stick with FS.

I've never actually tried any steel bikes, or carbon fiber either, for that matter. It's a good thing that you've gotten to try your's out, and enjoy it so much. Any plans on a first ride when you get it?

Ugh, mine is still pending shipment. I feel like sometimes, some areas shouldn't be filled out on the tracking form, and replaced with "Ignorance is bliss."


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## Zoomy29er (Aug 16, 2012)

Mazda Guy said:


> I've never actually tried any steel bikes, or carbon fiber either, for that matter. It's a good thing that you've gotten to try your's out, and enjoy it so much. Any plans on a first ride when you get it?


Technically I've never actually ridden my bike model (or any 29ers)...I don't think many shops stock size XS 29ers. I've never actually ridden any of my bikes prior to buying, but don't have weird proportions, so sizing is pretty straightforward. My road bikes have all been ordered, my CX bike was in the store and our LBS buddy knew it would be a good fit for me and kept taunting me with it for months. Once it went on clearance at the end of the season (about a year ago) my hubby went in and grabbed it. My current mtn. bike was a 2009 liquidation of a bunch of tiny F5s that Cannondale had taking up space in a warehouse, so they sold them off for half-price. We knew it would be a size too small, but it was ideal as something to get my feet wet...enough for me to know whether or not I wanted to keep mountain biking. Now our 11 year old is sort of taking it over, since it fits him really well (for probably the next year).

I have a feeling my first ride on the new bike will be on trails at a Boy Scout camp near us. They open the land to hikers and bikers for the month of May and then from about mid-Aug through Oct...then hunters are allowed out there. It has some pretty challenging hilly sections and a lot of sand. We also have some great mountain bike parks about an hour away. One is about to open and has several of those wood bridge and narrow, curvy boardwalk skills dealies. I doubt I will be giving those a try anytime soon!


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## Mazda Guy (Jul 12, 2012)

So when you get it, it'll be your first time on a 29er then? I've tested very few, and the one I ordered is one I haven't checked out in 2 years, but I can't remember the size of that one. The one I got is actually a S it's self, and I've found plenty enough discrepancies in it's size. They didn't have any M's in stock, otherwise I would've gone with that one. Regardless, I've heard of the S's still being big for a small, and I am a smaller built rider myself, 5'9", 120 lbs, so I think it'll be alright. If not, it does say I can return it if it doesn't fit, or if it doesn't live up to my expectations. However, that'd be more waiting, so I'm hoping it does.

Why not give them a try? It's not too narrow, is it?


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## Zoomy29er (Aug 16, 2012)

Yep, first time on a 29er, though I am comfortable with big wheels on my road bike and CX bike, so I don't think it will be too difficult a learning curve.

Sizing for 29ers does seem kinda off, at least in the brands I've looked at. Most people I know on 29ers seem to go down a size. My road and CX bikes would generally be size S equivalents for most brands (I'm just under 5'4"...my road bike is a 48 with 51.5cm effective top tube. My CX bike is a 44 with a top tube that is maybe a CM shorter, IIRC), but the S El Mariachi would be a hair too big (I fall smack dab in the middle of their sizing chart for the XS). Doable, most likely, but not leave me a lot of wiggle-room. The 26er I am currently on is a Petite/XS, but is almost 2 full inches shorter through the effective top tube, which has me very cramped and upright. I expect I'll feel a lot more stable on the 29er, since I'll be positioned a good deal more horizontally.

At 5'9" a small 29er sounds about right. I think that's about how tall our LBS friend is and he's on a small Mamasita.


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## Mazda Guy (Jul 12, 2012)

Hopefully not. You'll have to get back to us on how it feels when it comes in. I have heard good about them though.

The one I got is a 26" bike though, so that's where I'm wondering how well it will fit. I've heard that their sizing charts aren't right, and that you can go with a size beneath what it says you need, but I feel like you should always take advice like that with a grain of salt. I'm hoping it's true, because the one I got was their very last of the model, and it was a S, haha. As I said though, I'm a smaller built guy myself, but a S may be a stretch for a fit, opposite of a pun intended.










That's the one I'm waiting on. Appearance wise, I wish I could've gotten a different look, vs their more aggressive, or retro schemes of different years, but I like the specs and upgrades they've done by 2011, and 2012's just out of the budget.

I was really debating a 2009 Canaan Team though, heavily, as I like it's spec sheet so much more, and I found one a bit cheaper, but I don't know how well an XC bike would be for the abuse I like to give them, so I went with the Teocali.


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## Zoomy29er (Aug 16, 2012)

I think the common wisdom with bikes (perhaps extra true with mtn bikes) is it's better to go a little small than a little large. You can always use a setback seatpost (our LBS friend actually has that on his Mamasita, I believe) and a longer stem, but if the bike is too big you're sorta SOL and will work a lot harder to maneuver the bike. I've had a couple of people tell me that they prefer smaller, since they have more room to make body position adjustments, which makes sense.


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## Mazda Guy (Jul 12, 2012)

Yeah, I've grown to become smaller bikes, since it feels easier to maneuver them, vs a bike that's too large. I just know there's a point when you've gone too small.

Sort of related, I do like the idea of one of the various on the fly adjusting seat perches out there, such as Fox's CTD. Just a slight difference in seat height does wonders for me, but I've always ended up keeping it on the shorter end, and just having to stand for any climbs. As far as setback posts, I've never looked into it before, I'll have to give Google a whirl now.


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## jcd46 (Jul 25, 2012)

*It is finally here!*

After the wait....... here she is can't wait to hit the trails! I'm super stoked!! :thumbsup:


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## Zoomy29er (Aug 16, 2012)

jcd46 said:


> After the wait....... here she is can't wait to hit the trails! I'm super stoked!! :thumbsup:


Beauty! Does she have a name?!


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## jcd46 (Jul 25, 2012)

Thanks Zoomy! not yet working on it


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## Zoomy29er (Aug 16, 2012)

I'm such a dork...as soon as I saw a photo of the 2013 El Mar model that I want I started thinking names. And it didn't take me long to decide that it has to be Gossamer!


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## Zoomy29er (Aug 16, 2012)

BUM-MER! Hubby was just talking to our LBS friend and it looks like the ETA on my bike is likely to be Oct/Nov. Guh! Just as I was thinking about buying a friend's Iceman Cometh race entry (she had knee surgery a while back and is fairly certain she won't be up to racing it, this year).

:cryin::bluefrown::sad::smallviolin:


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## Mazda Guy (Jul 12, 2012)

Ouch! Tell them to let you borrow a demo version for a while!

Opposite of that, it looks like my bike is set to arrive Friday. I'm thoroughly stoked!


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## Zoomy29er (Aug 16, 2012)

Ha, if only they kept XS demos of the bike in stock!

I am completely stoked for you to receive your bike, though!:thumbsup:


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## JynxMTB (Aug 15, 2012)

waiting to be able to afford a nice bike is worse! I go to the lbs just to drool on myself...sheeeesh


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## Zoomy29er (Aug 16, 2012)

JynxMTB said:


> waiting to be able to afford a nice bike is worse! I go to the lbs just to drool on myself...sheeeesh


It is...I have broke friends in grad school and another who crashed her bike and just had major wrist surgery, complete with titanium plate (without insurance, so now she can't afford anything, much less the new bike she was dreaming of). I am very lucky to have a bike on order. I have to wait, but it's a done deal. I can do that race next year (assuming I can get in).


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## hankscorpio (Jun 20, 2012)

Not the same as waiting for a bike but I am getting a Thule doubletrack from the rei sale. Should be at the store Saturday. Pretty excited about that.


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## Mazda Guy (Jul 12, 2012)

So, the bike came in, only they sent me a 2009 instead of the 2011.

So now I have a bike sitting here beside me, all wrapped up in a box, that I have to wait until tomorrow to know what they can do, if they still have any 2011's left in stock, or if they can reimburse me.

Waiting is even harder when the bike is sitting beside you, and you STILL have to wait. That's just not even cool.

On the bright side, it's a good thing I didn't take tomorrow off to go riding it all day ahead of time.


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## Zoomy29er (Aug 16, 2012)

Oh, MG, that's just really crappy. How did they screw that up?! There could be HUGE differences between 3 model years. I had the chance to pull the trigger on the 2012 El Mariachi and have it almost immediately and for a bit less money than if I wait for the 2013, but the components specs are VERY different (Shimano triple vs SRAM double and Manitou fork vs Rock Shox). I decided that the newer model will be a better bike for me and worth the extra $ and wait.

How does the '09 compare to the '11. Would they give you a chunk of money back if you decide to keep it?


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## Mazda Guy (Jul 12, 2012)

Well, I'll just post the links for both so you can compare. Most notably is the difference in travel, which is my biggest selling point for the 2011. As well as the front through axle on the 2011, the Sram X7 components, so on and so forth. I'm hoping they have a 2011 in stock still to send me, but I'm afraid they don't, since it said out of stock after I purchased mine.

2011 Mongoose Teocali Comp

2009 Mongoose Teocali Comp

In the least, I wish I could've ended up with the black/white instead of the blue/white one, haha. Or better yet, somehow got a 2012 instead of the 2011.

The specs in just one year can be vast. Three years, even more so.


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## jtmartino (Jul 31, 2008)

Mazda Guy, the two bikes are very different. The 2011has a better crankset, better suspension components and if you like SRAM it's no question. Hopefully you can get the issue sorted out.


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## Mazda Guy (Jul 12, 2012)

Oh definitely, I prefer the spec sheet of the 2011 almost entirely. I just wish it came with a different fork and shock, but still 150mm of travel.

I wonder though, how much the frame actually changed to accommodate the added travel. But either way, I don't want to replace the entire gearset too, I'd rather be able to put it off that much more.

Supposed to call me around 1 tomorrow.


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## Zoomy29er (Aug 16, 2012)

Crummy. At the very least they should be willing to refund a chunk of money. Those specs look entirely different and were not what you paid for.


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## Mazda Guy (Jul 12, 2012)

Well, I went on and assembled it at least. Gotta wait a few days before I can ride it though, since the rear brakes have an absolutely horrid bleed job, and none of the bike shops around say they can bleed those brakes, or it'd be middle of next week before they could get to it.

Meeehhhh. I wanted to give it a test ride since either way, they say that you can return a bike if you're not truly satisfied with it. So I figure, might as well find out how much I like riding it if I'm to keep dealing with their lousy service.

I have to wait until Monday anyway to see what they can do as far as discount/reimbursement. They don't want to since the 2011 was on more of a sale, go figure.

Sidenote: It looks extremely gorgeous.


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## Zoomy29er (Aug 16, 2012)

That is a sharp-looking bike. Crummy that they're jerking you around, like that. Pretty shady customer service, for sure.


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## ser jameson (Jun 24, 2012)

MG, Your LBS can't bleed the brakes? That sounds like BS to me. Find a real shop.

Zoomy, it's worth the wait I have a 2012 ElMar, and consider it one of the best bikes I've ever owned :thumbsup: a Fox fork would be nice, but the frame is awesome. It just felt "right" from the first ride.


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## Zoomy29er (Aug 16, 2012)

ser jameson said:


> Zoomy, it's worth the wait I have a 2012 ElMar, and consider it one of the best bikes I've ever owned :thumbsup: a Fox fork would be nice, but the frame is awesome. It just felt "right" from the first ride.


I'm really happy to hear that you are happy! :thumbsup: I was pretty sold after borrowing a friend's Salsa Ala Carte. It was easily 1-2 sizes too small, but it simply felt like butter and is so much more bike than my current Cannondale F5. Granted, her Ala Carte has better components than my El Mar will have, but my El Mar will have better components than my F5 and a much better, lighter frame that can always be upgraded with new components here and there.


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## ichor20 (Sep 1, 2012)

nice


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## Mazda Guy (Jul 12, 2012)

ser jameson said:


> MG, Your LBS can't bleed the brakes? That sounds like BS to me. Find a real shop.
> 
> Zoomy, it's worth the wait I have a 2012 ElMar, and consider it one of the best bikes I've ever owned :thumbsup: a Fox fork would be nice, but the frame is awesome. It just felt "right" from the first ride.


The soonest any were willing to touch it was Tuesday. So, I just ordered a kit myself, and am having it expedited here, haha.

In the very least, I do still have the older one to play around on for the time being. But man, this bike here is a temptation.

It's always nice to have a good frame to start with, one that you do plan on keeping around for a while. Have there been any updates on getting it to you?


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## Zoomy29er (Aug 16, 2012)

Mazda Guy said:


> It's always nice to have a good frame to start with, one that you do plan on keeping around for a while. Have there been any updates on getting it to you?


October to Nov. is the official word from our LBS, but hopefully that is a solid Oct. I'd like to get in at least a ride or two at the Boy Scout camp land near us that is open to riders through Oct. After that hunters get free run.


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## Mazda Guy (Jul 12, 2012)

Well hopefully in less than a month you'll be out and riding it. 

I'm personally waiting on a bleed kit to arrive still so I can ride my new bike. Got to get the old one to a LBS to get the front wheel trued up before I ride it again, since I don't have anything here to do it myself. Not even a spoke tool. Probably should invest in one of those...

All the riding I've done on it out of anticipation of the new bike has lead to the old one seeing increased mileage.


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## Zoomy29er (Aug 16, 2012)

I've been getting out more on my current bike to get my fitness and skills a bit better in preparation for the new bike, too...though it's come at some cost. My current bike is really too small and I'm feeling it in the lower half of my back (and I am totally not prone to lower back stuff, so I take notice). I haven't been on it since Monday, since I don't want to break myself before I fly to Tahoe on Friday for the JDRF ride. It's been a good excuse to get some runs in (which is more my primary sport during the Winter months).

I need to learn to true wheels, too. A few days ago we went out on our CX bikes and DH noticed that my rear wheel had a bit of a wobble. It's a really cheap wheel, so probably not particularly bomb-proof. I'd consider upgrading, but chance are I'd upgrade the entire bike in the future to one with disc brakes so that I can ride it in the Winter. I did ONE Winter ride with studded tires and did NOT like the almost complete lack of braking ability. :eekster:


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## Mazda Guy (Jul 12, 2012)

Ouch, yeah, that wouldn't be too fun. Luckily my old bike's the same size, but I do have to cut the seat post on the new one. I haven't been on mine since Monday either, so I'm dying to get back out there, but currently neither bike is up for the task as much as I am. Well, I guess I could take the new one, but I'd only have front brakes since the bleed job on the rear was absolutely abysmal.

I've never heard of that ride though. I'll have to Google it up. Do you do other sports too though, in saying that?

I definitely need to learn to true wheels, among plenty of other maintenance to the bike. Honestly, in all the years I've had my old one, with as cheap of a bike as it is, it's been fine with just getting lubed up. I've never ran into any problems with it until riding it out on Monday myself. It's wheels are as cheap as they come, but so is the rest of the bike. But at the same time, I like having it as a functioning spare bike for various reasons.

Was the loss of braking ability from getting snow, ice, and whatnot in between the wheel and pads? I've yet to try biking in the snow, but it's something I do look forward to attempting.


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## Zoomy29er (Aug 16, 2012)

The JDRF rides is a fundraiser event for type 1 diabetes. This is my 2nd year riding. I think it's like my DH's 9th year and he's been an assistant coach for several years. Our ride is part of the Tour de Tahoe on Sunday.

I was a "runner" (albeit a really slow one) before I took to biking. I badly sprained my ankle during a trail relay 2 Summers ago and that's when I really got bit by the biking bug, since I couldn't run at all for almost 6 weeks and it was about 12 weeks before I was able to resume full mileage. I still run just enough to call it cross-training and try to do a half-marathon every year for fun with a bunch of my girlfriends. I've really had fun with cyclocross, too. Kinda combines the things I enjoy.

Yeah, the problem with rim breaks on a bike is that the rims ice up. Wet rims have reduced stopping ability...wet and frozen takes it to a whole new level of scary. Disc brakes don't really have that problem, which is why so many CX bikes are now being offered with disc brakes (and UCI approved them recently).

Someday I really want a fat bike. I had the chance to borrow one last Winter and it was a scream!


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## Mazda Guy (Jul 12, 2012)

Ah, well have fun and good luck! Believe it or not, I used to do cross country myself. I guess I've just traded off for biking more or less because I do enjoy bikes more. But I did sustain a couple injuries myself that have made it more unpleasant to run in. Well, my training shoes are fine with their padding, but the lightweight race shoes don't do anything to help. Ah well, I prefer biking so much more, even though I do enjoy both.

I haven't done any biking events though. That's another thing I'm curious about.

Luckily, even in my adventures in the rain, I've never had any problems due to that. I have however, had other problems, such as the v-bracket bending, the cable running down the frame coming out of it's holders, and stuff like that. So when I've lost brake's, I've lost them.

Hell, one time as a kid, using a straight gear bike, where you had to stop/slow pedaling to slow the bike, well, I tried stopping and the chain snapped so I had no way of stopping. Ended up running into a minivan backing out of the driveway. I didn't take too much damage, just completely skinned my knee and a good portion of my leg, but the bike was split in half.

Yeah, loss of brakes is fun! At least now I do have disc brakes though. Go figure, I'm waiting on the bleed kit for those, to be able to ride the bike. Ordered it next day shipping, and it's going to take a week and a half. No, not from the same place, but I'm just not having any luck.

I've seen fat bikes, but I've never gotten to ride one. Got any more details on that experience?


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## Zoomy29er (Aug 16, 2012)

Funny thing is, I never ran XC. I was a sprinter back in jr. high and HS, but never did distance stuff until I was well into my 30s!

Losing brakes entirely sounds really terrifying...what are hipsters thinking?!  I had a coaster brake bike as a kid. Those were fun. My son had one as his first bike (it was actually his dad's childhood bike). He loved to get up a good head of steam and then skid the back wheel. He ended up burning through a couple of wheels that way.

Fat bikes are super hilarious and fun. My hubby bought one last Winter and covered a lot of miles on it--of course we had almost no snow, so he jinxed us. But most years we average about 96", so I expect it will get a lot more use on snow this year. He's ridden it a lot on the beach nearby, too. We're talking about organizing a race in the future, "The Fat Roll" (we already registered the domain, even though it probably wouldn't be something we'd do until 2013/2014), since we have miles of marked snowmobile trails originating in our town, which would be perfect for such an event.

There are already several fat bike specific events in our area and more in the works. One of the few times we had snow last year there was a fat bike relay. It filled before I was able to get in with a friend. The very second guy in this video is my DH. This video is longer and shows more of the race. #6 is Danielle Musto--pro endurance mountain biker and total sweetheart.

Our LBS has demo Salsa Mukluks, so I borrowed one last Winter and got out with some friends in a park that had lots of sand and a few spots of snow and ice. It was crazy fun. They are fast down hills and sand is a piece of cake...they float over everything. A very bouncy, stable ride.


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## Cormac (Aug 6, 2011)

Zoomy29er said:


> October to Nov. is the official word from our LBS, but hopefully that is a solid Oct. I'd like to get in at least a ride or two at the Boy Scout camp land near us that is open to riders through Oct. After that hunters get free run.


You could always wear a deer costume and ride around after Oct. I bet you'd ride a whole hell of a lot faster! :thumbsup:


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## Zoomy29er (Aug 16, 2012)

Cormac said:


> You could always wear a deer costume and ride around after Oct. I bet you'd ride a whole hell of a lot faster! :thumbsup:


Even better, I should dress as a mountain lion, wolf, or bear...and watch the hunters run! :lol:


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## Mazda Guy (Jul 12, 2012)

Oh, I enjoyed running XC. I've never been much for sprinting, but I've got quite a lot of stamina. It's helpful for the longer rides, for sure.

I used to do that too. Just always something fun about stuff like that. Until you are eating up nicer tires, that is. In loose dirt, I think many of us can be quite guilty of it still.

That all is pretty interesting though! I need to get out to more meets, events, and whatnot myself. I don't think any of my LBS's here have those though. Heck, I've only seen one, maybe two Salsa's period. Can't remember exactly which model it was, however. I'm quite certain it was a HT, but I could be mistaken. At this hour, my memory's quite bad, haha.

I did however, finally get to take my new bike out today. I don't think I could ever stress the difference between it, and the 2004 Walmart Mongoose I've been riding on and off since 2004. Not a single thing felt similar about them. From the gears actually having usable ratio's, and shifting properly and quickly, to the suspension's well, everything. The handlebars definitely are much wider too, much wider. I found a couple things I couldn't quite clear today because of that, haha. I could have them trimmed down, I suppose, but other than the clearance issues, I think I like it better that way.

I really, really can't wait to get it back out. After probably around 10 miles of biking, and spending a while in a small skills area/bike park, it still felt like I had just started. Both of these pictures were on the pump track there, getting used to the bike. On the second picture, there's a rock garden going down that slope, that you can sort of make out. It doesn't look so bad in that picture, but there was no way I could get my old bike through that. I actually had relative ease, aside from having to build more confidence, in clearing that today. Progression, and a new bike!

Yeah, I'm in love with it, definitely!


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## Zoomy29er (Aug 16, 2012)

Awesome...it looks like you are totally at ease on your bike! Those are great photos.


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## Mazda Guy (Jul 12, 2012)

I was, I was having a blast! And yeah, my friend took them, some of them turned out pretty nice.

Unfortunately, I broke one of my fingers at work yesterday, so who knows how long before I'll be able to grip the handlebars, and ride over rougher terrain again. Hopefully not too long.

Didn't happen biking, happened at work. I'm safer on my bike, haha.


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## Zoomy29er (Aug 16, 2012)

No way!!! That's totally not fair! :nonod:


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## Pretty_Lights (Mar 6, 2011)

Ordered an Airborne Skyhawk on Sunday and it shipped out today . Should get here by Friday. I rarely post on these forums..more of a lurker..but I am so excited!!! Kind of concerned about how I am going to assemble it but I believe I can feel it out. So stoked!


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## Zoomy29er (Aug 16, 2012)

Exciting! I was just looking at an ad for that in a mtn biking magazine. Looks like a great bike!


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## Zoomy29er (Aug 16, 2012)

OMG, this was JUST taken outside my LBS...my new ride might be in that pile! I am freaking out, here!!! :eekster:


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## jcd46 (Jul 25, 2012)

Congrats! Zoomy.......... the waiting (hopefully) is finally over!! pics as soon as you can please


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## Zoomy29er (Aug 16, 2012)

False alarm--apparently it's primarily Mukluks. *freak out postponed*

But I will definitely post LOTS of photos! Hopefully it will be soon. AFAIK my order went in with the shop's demo fleet order.


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## Mazda Guy (Jul 12, 2012)

Aww, that sucks!

Maybe you should go demo a Mukluk in the meantime while you wait? Haha.


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## Zoomy29er (Aug 16, 2012)

Mazda Guy said:


> Aww, that sucks!
> 
> Maybe you should go demo a Mukluk in the meantime while you wait? Haha.


That's my N+1. I rode one back in Feb...total hoot! :thumbsup:


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## Mazda Guy (Jul 12, 2012)

Oh jeez, I don't even want to get started on that +1 ordeal. No, not yet, haha. I've definitely got to clear my finances out first.

Worst part is, I know what bike it is, so when I find one... Ugh, no.


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## Zoomy29er (Aug 16, 2012)

So...what bike is it?


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## Mazda Guy (Jul 12, 2012)

Well, I should say I have a preference. I'd like a Mongoose Boot'r, but I want a decent downhill bike, period. I think I'll be happy for a short while then.

Ugh, I can't wait to be back to 100% again though. Taking the Teocali to a number of places to ride. Going to some places up in northern VA, going over to Snowshoe Mountain in WV for the first time, maybe even some places a bit further north. Going mid October I do believe, I'll have 9 days in a row off to do what I please.


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## sasquatch rides a SS (Dec 27, 2010)

I can't wait for the Surly Krampus to become available...still can't make up my mind on a custom build vs. the complete...


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## Mazda Guy (Jul 12, 2012)

If there's certain parts you want, I'd go with custom. But sometimes you can really luck out with complete bikes, price wise, other times it's just hard to beat the price period.


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## sasquatch rides a SS (Dec 27, 2010)

The only thing keeping me leaning towards a complete is the price savings...March is so far away :nonod:


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## Mazda Guy (Jul 12, 2012)

Yeah. If you're ordering through a LBS, or whoever, perhaps send them an e-mail asking if they'd be willing to customize it some for you?


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## sasquatch rides a SS (Dec 27, 2010)

No need to worry about that  I'm just impatient


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## Mazda Guy (Jul 12, 2012)

Aren't most of us, haha.

Depending on how you look at things, patience shows how much you care about something and want it.


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## Zoomy29er (Aug 16, 2012)

OMG, so I asked Salsa on Twitter what I could expect in terms of ETA and they said within the next 2 weeks...freakin' out! I had originally heard that it would be here sometime before Nov., most likely. I wasn't holding out for before mid-Oct.!:band:


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## Mazda Guy (Jul 12, 2012)

Good luck, hope it comes in by then!

You'll definitely have to let us know how it is.


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## Zoomy29er (Aug 16, 2012)

And now I'm thinking it's not such a crazy idea for me to buy a friend's Iceman Cometh race entry (she had knee surgery and her knee isn't healing as fast as she'd hoped). Biggest issue is what to do with the rugrat when DH and I are racing a point-to-point event.


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## silasmtb (Sep 22, 2012)

Ive been cruising craigslist for a week looking for something to buy im out of my element


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## Mazda Guy (Jul 12, 2012)

If you want to, go for it! I am sorry about your friend though.

Luckily my hand's healed up enough now to finally start enjoying my bike some. (Now trying to decide on where to go on vacation biking, personally.)

By the rugrat, I take it you mean your kid?


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## Zoomy29er (Aug 16, 2012)

Yep, the kiddo is 11 and too young to leave alone overnight. 

I'm surrounded by injured people, right now. Feels like it's only a matter of time before I pay my dues.


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## Mazda Guy (Jul 12, 2012)

Time to find a babysitter? Don't ask me though, I'm highly under qualified for that job. It is just for one night though, correct?

Yeah, it sucks being injured. I'm excited that I'm healing up pretty well, I can't WAIT to get back out to riding. Thankfully it was just a minor injury, nothing elaborate. Mainly just soreness and tenderness remaining. I hope you don't have any in your future though, it's just not fun.

Sorry I didn't see your post before, Silas. Are you looking for any bike in particular? Any certain style?


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## Zoomy29er (Aug 16, 2012)

Yeah, injuries stink. My worst ever was a grade 2 sprain from a trail relay. I made matters worse by somehow managing to run almost 10 more miles (taking one for the team, literally!). It was completely unrunable for almost 6 weeks and I couldn't even do much of that for 3 months. That's when I got hooked on road biking, since I could do that without bearing so much weight. That injury was over 2 years ago and only over this past Summer have I felt like it's strong enough to consider running off-road, again, but I probably won't. I don't want to risk another sprain and the likelihood of doing it again and making it even worse is definitely high. So that's where mountain biking comes in! 

Yep, if I do the mtn bike race we'd find either a sitter to stay overnight or we'd see if he could stay at a friend's house.


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## Mazda Guy (Jul 12, 2012)

Yeah, that's one of the reasons I don't really run anymore. But I also enjoy being on a bike more to begin with anyway. Glad your's did come and go though. I've considered getting a road bike, who knows. I may get a decent one if one of my friends does, so I'm not riding the AM bike on the roads all the time, but other than that, I plan on sinking my money into being off road. Which, in the least, I do want to get a dropper seat post for the Mongoose. Got a couple other things I already want, as well, but I'll wait on them. Christmas is coming up anyway, haha.

Drop him off at one of his friend's houses maybe? He'll get to have fun while you're out doing the same too.


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## Zoomy29er (Aug 16, 2012)

MG, you should consider a cyclocross bike if you want something for road riding and an alternative to the AM bike. Eventually I'd like an "über bike" - a carbon or Ti CX bike with a 2nd set of road wheels mounted with slicks and rear cassette better suited to road riding. Someday....

Still waiting on my El Mariachi. Could be any day now...which has me pretty freaked-out!


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## Mazda Guy (Jul 12, 2012)

Perhaps. More or less it's for when my friend wants to ride on the road, and I don't feel like putting more miles on the AM bike just riding around on the road. For now, I'll just stick with the Teocali, and have my Iboc as a spare bike. I'm looking forward to this next week that I have off though. I intend to put a lot of mileage on my new one.  

Regardless, your bike needs to come in already!


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## Zoomy29er (Aug 16, 2012)

Mazda Guy said:


> Regardless, your bike needs to come in already!


You said it!!!


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## Zoomy29er (Aug 16, 2012)

Got to demo an El Mar 2, today...loved it. And the Salsa guys said the 3s just shipped yesterday, so by middle of next week my wait might be over!


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## Mazda Guy (Jul 12, 2012)

Nice!

The shop I frequent most happened to get a shipment of Salsa's in a few days ago. I saw a couple in there a few days prior to that, but this second time when I went in for something real quick, I happened to see a good number of them out on the floor, along with a Mukluk proudly wearing a "Rent Me! $25 a Day!" sign. Heck, the day before that, I saw a couple sporting two of them at the trail I frequent here.

I am interested in how they fair in inclement weather over my bike. But I wouldn't mind a DH bike next season, and I've still got to pay the credit card off that my new bike's on. I want more money.

Three bikes sounds a lot harder to afford than two, which is harder than one. Hmm.

I also need an actual way of transporting the bike. Been using my dad's truck, but I know next season he won't appreciate the 4 hour, one way trip to Snowshoe Mountain.



How was the El Mar 2 though in the mean time, in details?


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## Zoomy29er (Aug 16, 2012)

N+1 will be the death of us. DH just got a 2012 Cannondale SuperX for CX...about $700 off of retail. He earned that. He's been riding for years on an ancient POS Trek Hybrid that had been his late father's. Everything on that thing was shot...still had the original quill stem. My bike should be here in <1 week, so that will be 2 bikes for us in a single week and less than a year since we bought our rugrat his little Christmas present Redline Conquest 24 (which was kind of a mistake, since we'd hoped he'd get at least 2 years out of it and by next year it won't fit him at the rate he's growing).

I really liked the El Mariachi 2...felt WAY different from my Cannondale. Fit was great and the XS is a good choice for me. Only thing that will need changing on my 3 is to shorten the handlebars. That was what I had the most issue with, today. There are a lot of narrow trees and my arms were too wide-spread for comfort, too. I was on a brand new trail that is unfamiliar to me, so I couldn't really get an ideal feel for it, since I was being overly cautious on new terrain and not trying to hurt that demo bike. On my own bike I won't be quite so careful.

I did 1 lap of the trail on the demo bike and 2 laps on my current bike. On my bike it was REALLY so much more work. I didn't notice all of the uphills on that lighter, higher-end bike. On my little tank those uphills were brutal. I'm eager to see how many miles I can do on the new bike. On my current bike I'm pretty toast by about 10 miles of varied singletrack terrain. I suspect that the new bike is going to buy me at least 50% more mileage under the same effort.


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## StuntmanMike (Jul 2, 2012)

Mazda Guy said:


> . As far as transmissions, as long as you don't abuse a manual, I do prefer them for their longevity over an automatic heavily. Aside from just the general feel of driving a manual car. Now, I don't put anyone down for an automatic, I just have no intentions of owning one, haha. Well, maybe in a truck, that only comes in an automatic, but that's different.


While I don't disagree that in certain cars the manual can be more fun, I don't think the reliability argument holds much water any more. Maybe 30 years ago, but not today. Or even 15 years ago - I have a '97 Grand Cherokee with 163k, and the auto shifts PERFECTLY on original fluid (I know, shame on me). My '00 Firebird Formula is about to hit 125k, and the tranny shifts perfectly. Although yes, I'd prefer that car to be a manula for the fun factor, but I bought it used and it was a tough car to find.

Can you get the kind of mileage out of a manual wihtout changing the clutch??

And as far as Mazdas, my brother has an '05 Six 5 door 3.0 that he bought new, and now at 109k miles, it's giving him all sorts of problems. Mazda kinda kills the old stereotype that Japanese = reliable. Both my domestics have been virtually trouble free.


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## Mazda Guy (Jul 12, 2012)

I've gotten over 300,000mi on a car before the clutch went out, 1988 Mx6. Second Mx6 was at 200,000 when I sold it, also original clutch, just fine on that one. Replacing a clutch is a whole lot simpler and cheaper than replacing an auto transmission when the clutch packs in it go out. Nor is there a solenoid/valve body to have go faulty, the springs inside that prevent it from shifting too hard, a torque converter that say, won't fully lock up to go into true overdrive in cars that it works that way. There's a lot more that can go wrong in an automatic typically, and simplicity really does help. Unfortunately, simplicity in modern cars, especially really modern cars is a thing of the past. Introducing auto transmissions that have two gears engaged at a single time, for them to be able to shift faster(I won't go into these systems), CVT's like in snowmobiles in cars, so the engine stays at a specific RPM, and the transmission controls speed. Those things are horrible when it comes to reliability, but they're not sticking. A few companies tried them, but don't expect a take-over.

I've only ever owned Mazda's, and I've had pretty great experiences. Heck, with the abuse my cars go through racing, and the ones that have gotten daily driven as well, have been able to go through an absolute beating, even as wear sets in(Because lets face it, I don't make enough to keep them prestine).

Plenty of times it comes down to the ones in particular. I can't say I've had a domestic, family or friend ever be as nice as any imports in the family/friends circle. Ford, Chevy, and especially Dodge. A friend had a Dodge Ram with less than 2,000 mi lose a transmission entirely.

It's all relative at the end of the day though. Anyway!

_______________________________


Congrats on the new bike for him too. How's he liking it so far? Heck, I remember as a kid, I went through a high number of bikes. How much more growing do you think he's got to do?

I do know, my parents got me several department store bikes, and I went through them due to damage more than out growing. I feel kind of bad thinking back about it now, maybe a couple of them could've been repaired. But, none of us knew how to. Oh well, too late now, haha.

That's good though that it feels that much better. Hopefully it will be that much of an improvement, that'd be awesome. Crazy how much a bike can change things, compared to another. 

I know I was at a place a few days ago, and I remember at the end, it was pretty easy, but after 11 mi of it, going up that last pretty decent uphill, it freaking killed me. I know my bike comes in at ~32lbs, and it's a good climber, but man was I feeling it. How much weight difference is between your one now, and the demo one? Any idea?

And yes, N+1 will be the death of us.

I also have the same thing going on with cars. So (N+1)+(N+1)=Bad. Very, very bad. Especially with how much I love to put into both.


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## Zoomy29er (Aug 16, 2012)

StuntmanMike said:


> Can you get the kind of mileage out of a manual wihtout changing the clutch??
> 
> And as far as Mazdas, my brother has an '05 Six 5 door 3.0 that he bought new, and now at 109k miles, it's giving him all sorts of problems. Mazda kinda kills the old stereotype that Japanese = reliable. Both my domestics have been virtually trouble free.


Well, we've yet to change a clutch after hundreds of thousands of miles on manuals in out driveway--but a lot of that has to do with a driver's training and where they drive. I'm guessing that city-dwellers probably go through more clutches.

But I agree with you on Mazdas. After having 3 we've found them to all be pretty quirky. I haven't found a Honda or Toyota that's as fun to drive (or look at--though the current crop of Mazdas have silly looking grilles) when comparing comparable models--so everything ends up being a trade-off of some sort. Best car we've ever owned was a Ford Escort...but it was not a fun to drive car or attractive. Totally reliable and cheap, though.


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## Zoomy29er (Aug 16, 2012)

Mazda Guy said:


> Congrats on the new bike for him too. How's he liking it so far? Heck, I remember as a kid, I went through a high number of bikes. How much more growing do you think he's got to do?
> 
> I do know, my parents got me several department store bikes, and I went through them due to damage more than out growing. I feel kind of bad thinking back about it now, maybe a couple of them could've been repaired. But, none of us knew how to. Oh well, too late now, haha.
> 
> ...


Oh, N+1 with cars would mean no bikes for us, heh!

I think I saw that mediums in my current bike and the new one were about a 2-3# difference, so right there is a good weight savings. I think more of it comes down to better wheels and hubs, though (I rode a friend's Salsa Ala Carte that's not hugely different from my current bike, except it has vastly better components and wheels. That thing screams both up and downhill). One of these days I'd love to put my road bike wheels (decent quality Mavic Aksiums) on my CX bike (crappy Kore wheels) and upgrade the road wheels. That seems to be a lot of bang for the buck.

Rugrat has a LOT of growing to do. He'll be 12 in Feb. So we're not going to be off the hook with bikes for him for a long time. At least he's not far from fitting adult bikes and then we can start finding good used ones. Most kids' bikes are just such heavy beasts for the $$.


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## Mazda Guy (Jul 12, 2012)

Yeah, I'd been thinking I should've used the money I spent on my Teocali to put a new engine in the Rx7(Before anyone says anything, the cause was because of bad wiring that the previous owner did, and the electric fan quit working and overheated the engine. Still runs, it just blew the coolant seal. Either way, I was wanting a different engine in it regardless. Want a little more power than the non-turbo version produces.  )

So, between a car that I have for racing, which I need to get a trailer for so I can stop renting U-Haul ones, a truck so I can stop using my dad's for everything, including transporting the bike for riding, and the Rx8 that I just love to mod.. Add in a bike, and a want for at least another bike.. I've got expensive hobbies. Throw in school loans, car loan, tool loans for work, and who knows when I'm moving out. Bleh!

You're getting an XS though, right? Not a medium? So yeah, hopefully that weight savings carries over. If those wheels would work for the XC bike, then yeah, that could be a good way to go. I don't know too much about them to really give any input, on any of that. 

Yeah, they can be, but if they're not going to be around that long, then I don't think too much $$ would have to be put into them. But, crappy bikes can have bad consequences too. Kind of a tough game to play, I can imagine.


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## Zoomy29er (Aug 16, 2012)

Ha, school loans! We just paid off my last one...part of the impetus to get me on a more suitable mountain bike.

Yep, XS bike. I found weight specs for the M in both the El Mariachi 3 and F5 online and was happy to see that the 29er is significantly lighter.

The current wheels on my road bike seem pretty popular on CX bikes. I'd likely look at going up one level and stay with Mavic (I've really been happy with the quality of the wheels, thus far). The current wheels on my CX bike are definitely the lowest-rent thing on the bike. They are heavy and already significantly un-true after only about a year of use (and it doesn't see a ton of miles, mostly just races and occasional rides on gravel roads).


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## Mazda Guy (Jul 12, 2012)

Lucky! I'll trade you! I've only got somewhere like $40k to go. Probably more, it's so freaking confusing trying to look it up with interest applied here and there, different rates, all that craziness.

When you get it in, you should ask them to grab the weight of it for you, just so you can know exact. If it matters to you. And yeah, a friend has a 29er HT that weighs less than my 26 FS. Not that I'm surprised, but it still is an intriguing thought.

If it'd work then, yeah, go for it. I've been wanting to find a set of bomb-proof wheels for a while, but haven't been able to really decide on what.

Speaking of races, this means you'll get to use the new bike in the one upcoming, right?


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## Zoomy29er (Aug 16, 2012)

Nah, I'm not going to do the race. My friend with the entry has another friend interested and I told her about a week ago that if I didn't have the bike in my hands by today that she should give it to her other friend. Plus my DH is doing it, so then we'd have to figure out what to do with our kid. This way the kiddo and I can go cheer for his dad and our other friends doing it and I can get a better feel for the course, too. Next year I can race and hubby can sit out. And next year I can race master's!

LBS will definitely weigh the bike. They always like to do that with completed bikes.

$40k in loans...ow. I thought my $26 was painful!


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## Mazda Guy (Jul 12, 2012)

Ah, alright. I guess that does work out then. Are there any plans for anything else coming up? And do you typically ride all months of the year, do you switch to road biking during the winter, or just wait till next season? Still hope you enjoy the trip, and good luck at Master's next year! 

Mine wasn't assembled by a LBS, so I didn't get that option. I got mine online, had all those shenanigans, and just ended up going through the bike myself. I am curious to the weight of your's though, for the sake of curiosity. That would be nice to have them go through it properly. I know mine wasn't. Ah well, at least by them signing they did, it made the warranty valid.

Yeah, that's just the first part of it! I don't even know if that's with interest applied yet or not, which could really jack that up. I know my car's an additional $10k, before interest. Tools for work add more to that(Another nearly $10k honestly.) plus a credit card I'm paying off.. Bleh. A little stressful, haha.


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## Zoomy29er (Aug 16, 2012)

Debt stinks.

I wonder if you could weigh your bike somewhere with a scale that you could lay it on or hang it from. Our vet has a scale for large dogs that they just set the dogs on.

I don't really have any mountain bike race plans in the near future. We have several cyclocross races through early Dec. and then there is a Winter CX series, too. That one is fun and goes partly through a mostly empty warehouse. In the Winter fat bikes are becoming HUGE around these parts.

I did one ride last Winter on my CX bike with studded tires. It was scary, since my bike has crap brakes on a good day. Once the rims iced up it was bad news. I may try to look into studded tires for my mountain bike, since that has disc brakes.

Otherwise I mostly ride my "nowhere bike" on the trainer and do Sufferfest workouts. I run a lot more in the Winter, too. It's just easier than piling on all the clothes necessary to ride outdoors when it gets much below 40 or so--and then having to deal with that much laundry, too.


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## Mazda Guy (Jul 12, 2012)

That it does. It absolutely does.

Hmm, I know we've got a normal scale for you to stand on, I could maybe do that. But it's one of those old ones, like, 30 year old ones. As far as that, I don't know. If I ever take it in to the LBS, I may ask them to. Heck, if I can't get the rotors trued up, I may take it to them out of frustration. I'm tired of having to re-adjust the calipers and it taking forever, all the time.

Ah, at least you've got those options if you chose to. I haven't looked into any races, I haven't been totally interested in them as of yet. I've been too busy just trying to find places I truly enjoy riding. Only really been able to come up with one, so far. Thankfully it's only 30 minutes from here.

I may have to test one out next time it rains, or maybe even sometime when it snows. $25 for a day is rather tempting to. Fortunately, I've never had any issued with V brakes, but I've got disc ones not. Now I just have to adjust them all the time since I haven't been able to get the rotor perfectly trued up. At least they work amazingly well, haha.

Yeah, I can see your reasoning for that. Having worked outside in the past before, getting more clothing for the winter, and then keeping it all clean.


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## Zoomy29er (Aug 16, 2012)

V brakes would probably work better in the Winter, but my CX bike has cantilevers. They don't even brake well when dry, heh. Better pads would help, but they're just really low-rent brakes (same brand as the wheels, IIRC). Disc brakes are starting to show up on more and more CX bikes. I'm very intrigued. Someday I'd love disc brakes on every bike. I just really like stopping fast and predictably in all conditions if I need to.


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## Mazda Guy (Jul 12, 2012)

Yeah, brakes tend to be one of the most important things. Right up there with traction in general. At least you're working towards that goal though, and not away from it, with the new bike.

Speaking of which, traction wise, I really want to order a pair of Tioga Psycho genius tires for my bike. But their cost, and adding in a Stans No Tubes kit is expensive. With as hard and dry as everything is, I wouldn't mind something better than the Kenda Excavators for it, but it does get wet from time to time, depending, and I want something that'd still be decent for that too.

What's your plans for the bike you have now when your new one gets there?


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## Zoomy29er (Aug 16, 2012)

The 11 year old will inherit my bike. We're guessing it will fit him for maybe a year. After that we're considering finding a decent frame on eBay and building it up for him (something he can help do, too, if he wants to learn how to do some wrenching work) or finding a better quality used bike. He's ridden my current Cannondale mtn bike and it's just as frustrating for him. I gut it out to get up hills and he ends up walking. He's a REALLY skinny kid (about 5' and tips the scales at 70#s), so he can't even put any weight into pushing the pedals hard. There's a kid who does CX races around here on the same bike and he also struggles with it. DS has been on my friend's tiny Salsa Ala Carte and gets up hills with that--no problem. It's amazing how much 2 similar bikes can differ, but that Ala Carte was easily twice the price of the Cannondale.

Tubeless intrigues me. It really seems to be the direction many folks are headed. In 5-10 years I'm thinking there are going to be a lot more bikes with tubeless set-ups and disc brakes--not just mountain.


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## Mazda Guy (Jul 12, 2012)

Ah okay, that's not too bad of a deal then. Who knows, maybe by then he'll have a certain one in mind.

It is absolutely incredible how much of a difference a bike can make. I do still want to try a few others other than my new one at some point, just to see how different decent bikes can feel. A $200 bike compared to a $2,000 bike is an absolute no brainer, but I want to try some other nicer ones out.

Do you think your son will do any events like that too though? Or has he already? Shoot, do any of the schools there actually offer mountain biking as an extracurricular activity?

I've been hearing so much good about it, and thankfully I haven't run into any issues running tubes yet, but I am curious to see how good the performance aspect of it is. Plus I just want something grippier for the conditions here. Or at least, that I hope will grip better.


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## Zoomy29er (Aug 16, 2012)

AFAIK the schools around here don't have any mountain biking programs...yet. But I could see that potentially happening in the future. Mtn biking is getting HUGE in this area. We also have one district not far from us that has a triathlon program. Kids can participate and train as a pass/fail course. It's really become popular in the 2-3 years that they've offered it. It's actually the district we'd most like to move into, as DH now commutes 30 minutes or a full hour if he has to do work at another plant. DS attends school closer to that district, too, so having him attend HS down that way would be nice. If we stay where we are (ie can't sell in a few years) the choices of schools here are not nearly as good--they're more in favor of putting all of their emphasis on their lackluster football programs and not in academics. In that case we'd take the "schools of choice" option and take him to another district in our county that is really really good, particularly in Music and Sciences--the things he loves most.


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## Mazda Guy (Jul 12, 2012)

Ah, that's good. Yeah, I guess looking back at it, I had a pretty decent and gifted high school myself, but we definitely never offered mountain biking, triathlons, or anything like that. It'd definitely have been neat, there is some good offerings here for it in VA. The James River Park System offers an absolutely incredible loop to do. I'm so glad it's only 30 minutes away.

It would still be cool to see it offered in schools though.


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## Zoomy29er (Aug 16, 2012)

Grrr...now I get why a friend of mine cancelled her own Salsa (Mamasita) order a year ago and grabbed a Trek Superfly, instead. She waited and waited and waited and kept receiving ETAs from Salsa that would pass. She ended up with her bike months after they first said she would have it. Were I actually registered for Iceman I'd not be able to wait (I think that was her reason to cancel her order, as well). I could have bought a registration from a friend, but decided if I didn't have my bike by last Friday that she should sell it to someone else who was interested.

So today marks 3 weeks since Salsa told me publicly on Twitter that my bike should be here "within 2 weeks." It sucks as I see people left and right getting new bikes, but my order was in months ago and I still wait. And as I wait the weather is going all to Hell and our nearest mountain bike land closes on 11/1 to hunters and doesn't re-open until May.

When I demo'd the El Mariachi 2 a week ago I got to experience just how godawful my current bike is...and now I am loathe to ride that at all. I can't keep up with anyone on that thing--even people who can't keep up with me on any other bike (and, crap, I won a women's cyclocross race on Sunday). I'm redlining just trying to not be abandoned in BFE!


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## Mazda Guy (Jul 12, 2012)

I don't blame you, haha. Part of the reason I decided to stick with the bike I got instead of buying the same bike from someone else with a bit better service, was because of the turn around time before I'd get another one in, leaving me to ride the 7 year old Walmart Mongoose. You want to talk about a difference in two bikes, it's there.

Speaking of which, the Walmart Mongoose is finally down, and probably will be staying down. Either the crankset or the bb is bent, because the side on the derailleur is going side to side, while the other side isn't. Ah well. (Was letting a friend borrow it, because believe it or not.. It was better than his bike, haha.)

I know it'd be rough waiting it out like that, even harder so by getting to try the other one. I do hope that your's actually comes in soon though, I definitely think you deserve it with your patience. It's still a shame that some things really test one's patience though.


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## Bethany1 (Jan 18, 2012)

Zoomy,

Can you get an El Mariachi at a store instead of waiting for your order? That sucks it hasn't come in yet. With all the new bikes showing up a stores, yours should be one of the first to show up. I hope you get it soon.


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## Zoomy29er (Aug 16, 2012)

Bethany1 said:


> Zoomy,
> 
> Can you get an El Mariachi at a store instead of waiting for your order? That sucks it hasn't come in yet. With all the new bikes showing up a stores, yours should be one of the first to show up. I hope you get it soon.


My order is actually through my LBS. It went in when they put their store stock order in months ago. Apparently stores now have the 2, but not the 3.


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## Riley.bc (Oct 14, 2012)

agree


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## Maged (Oct 14, 2012)

yea ofc


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## GelatiCruiser (Oct 11, 2012)

You're not alone! I stalk UPS and Fedex all the time. There's nothing worse than waiting at the door when you see your package is "out for delivery", seeing the truck come down the street, and it blows by your house. Dagger!!


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## Zoomy29er (Aug 16, 2012)

GelatiCruiser said:


> You're not alone! I stalk UPS and Fedex all the time. There's nothing worse than waiting at the door when you see your package is "out for delivery", seeing the truck come down the street, and it blows by your house. Dagger!!


Torture! Though I won't actually know my bike is ready until my LBS calls me to come get it. Man, I hope it's soon! I know shops already have the El Mariachi 2 and SS...and I think the Ti.


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## Zoomy29er (Aug 16, 2012)

Maybe NEXT week is the week my bike comes... :bluefrown:

I tell ya', I'm pretty irritated with Salsa for getting my hopes up twice. Seriously, what kind of company gives a customer ETAs that aren't even close to reality? They played this game a year ago with a friend of mine and she ended up with a Trek. If I actually needed a bike I'd have had to cancel my order. That El Mariachi had better be friggin' incredible! At this point I'm beyond being excited at the prospect of a new bike. As of Halloween I can't even ride on the nearest mtn. bike trails (they close to hunters and then until May). The rest are at least an hour away. Snow will be flying soon. meh.


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## Zoomy29er (Aug 16, 2012)

Look what our LBS just sent to my phone!!!


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## big-daddy-59 (Aug 5, 2012)

That one's yours finally? Congratulations, looks like you might get a week of trail riding in after all. Are you getting new pedals or are you just going to transfer the ones from the Cannondale?


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## Zoomy29er (Aug 16, 2012)

big-daddy-59 said:


> That one's yours finally? Congratulations, looks like you might get a week of trail riding in after all. Are you getting new pedals or are you just going to transfer the ones from the Cannondale?


Transferring the ones from my Cdale, since the rugrat only uses clipless on the tandem, thus far. He'll use flat pedals on the F5.


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## TJK (Sep 11, 2012)

Very nice ride!


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## Zoomy29er (Aug 16, 2012)

LOVE! Took Gossy out for his first spin today -- just a short ride to make sure there are no obvious issues and to take some photos:









May still tweak a few things. LBS shortened the handlebars 1 1/8" on each side and flipped the stem, but I have a feeling we may be cutting the steerer tube a bit shorter. There are a lot of spacers under the stem and I'm not sure I want them all stacked on top. We could probably cut a half--inch off and I'd still have a few spacers to play with.

Other than that the fit is really good. It blasts up hills compared to my Cannondale. I'll actually be able to ride with people without tiring so fast and being "done" in only 2 hours. Feels like a Cadillac, too. That steel and big wheels makes for such a cushy ride. I can't wait to do some races next year!


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