the try out ride

the try out ride, a photo by rOcKeTdOgUk on Flickr.

with a major event coming up I'm still having a dilemma as to which bike to take, the XC orientated HT or the trail orientated full suspension? the first being more pedal efficient but the latter more comfortable over long distances and if the course is particularly rough. so I did a ride at race pace on the HT to see how my back faired. Also up for consideration was whether to use rigid forks or front suspension. riding as many roots as i could it soon became apparent that some front bounce would certain make multiple laps easier on the shoulders and arms so that decision was made but the thing about this bike is the brakes and mud room in the frame. The brakes are no where near as good as those on my other bike both in modulation and stopping power and if the race is wet and muddy the clearance at the rear of the frame is very tight even with narrow mud tyres. So, mind made up, the FS with better brakes, more mud room and potentially more long ride comfort is going to be my choice.
ride 70
13 miles
total 1377
june 92
commute 514