"Dear Abbey, why did you choose to go with a rigid fork for the Tour Divide? Did you like it? Would you do it again?"
In my opinion the rigid fork is the way to go for the Tour. (I almost ended this post by answering with this one sentence but I should probably go on and expand A BIT.)
The Tour Divide goes through some rough country and there are definitely some fairly technical sections. There were lots of sections that I had to hike and some sections that required some technical prowess to get up without dabbing.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that the course is on 'dirt roads' but it's not all that smooth. (Think dirt roads that haven't seen a maintenance crew for about 50 years...)
During the Tour I experienced three feelings about having a rigid fork:
1) This thing is a piece of ^%&%$$#^ and I really want a cushy fork right now. (About 10% of the time)
2) You know this road isn't that bad but a suspension fork might be worth the extra weight. (About 15% of the time)
3) This Niner Carbon fork kicks @$$. (About 75% of the time)
As you can see by my break down here, most of the time I loved the rigid. When I do the tour again I will likely ride with my Niner Carbon fork again.
Keep those questions coming!!!
I'm sold on rigid for the TD as well (already have a Niner fork), but I've broken my Ti frame (twice), and nervous of getting another one. Considering the Air 9 Carbon but in theory I'm wondering if it's better suited to shorter events. I'd be using it for 12/24hr stuff as well as shorter races & rides. Whaddya reckon? Do you find the frame comfortable enough over the long haul? Cheers!
ReplyDeleteYou know, I have a super sweet Ti frame for my snowbike from Speedway Cycles in Anchorage Alaska (http://speedwaycyclesak.com/). I really love the Ti; it's buttery smooth, is easy on my crippled spine, and frankly it's just plain cool to rock a metal frame.
ReplyDeleteComparatively, the carbon frame is a bit more chattery. It feels like carving turns on icy ski slopes with skis that have been freshly tuned. The ride is a bit rougher and it can be taxing if you don't ride it right.
The trade off is that the carbon is VERY efficient. When I am in the aerobars of my Niner (like I was for at least half of the divide) I feel like I am on a carbon rocket road bike even though I am riding mountainous fire roads. I also like riding tech stuff on a carbon frame the 'chatter' feel translates to my body/mind as more feedback from the trail. (Kinda like the difference of a full suspension vs a hard tail, albeit not nearly that distinct.)
I personally prefer the feel of the carbon frame for racing. Although I'm 6'04" and fat... I like to feel lean, mean, and fast. Can you tell I was an Xterra triathlete before the accident??
In the end it is a trade off, about pound of added weight for a ti frame but better on the body or less weight and a little more taxing. I went with the efficient frame and sacrificed the added comfort (maybe a 10%-20% increase in comfort factor for a Ti frame). That's just me though, I'm a glutton for pain.
Very useful thoughts, thanks. I love the efficient feel of my carbon road bike (Supersix Himod), and the weight (or lack of!) of the Air 9 Carbon is crazy for an MTB. Coupled with the efficiency you mention, it's a compelling option. Sounds like it's not an all out boneshaker though, which concurs with a number of opinions I've read online. Tempting indeed. Cheers!
ReplyDeleteYeah, it's a hard call. What sealed the deal for me was a back to back test ride between a Ti 29er and a Niner. Both great bikes but the Niner spoke to me....
ReplyDeleteThat's very reassuring, cheers! Unfortunately, I've rather lost faith in the "frame for life" theory of a Ti frame. Too many breakages lately it seems.
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