Why the long hours? Side project at work editing a corporate video soon to be shown at a large meeting. Pro editor I'm not, but have done a fair amount of editing at home, so was drafted into action. Adding that project to my normal workload was nuts, but the editing was fun and we'll see what kind of reaction it gets. Lots of goofy humor involved - not the usual corporate deal.
Late Saturday afternoon I finally had time to swap some parts on the Sette - seatpost, saddle, stem and handlebars. Some neighborhood buzzing around confirmed a better fit. Bike felt good and I was looking forward to hitting some trails on Sunday. Ian was looking forward to riding his new rig on dirt as well.
After killing most of Sunday looking at cars to replace my dead one (didn't buy anything), Ian and I hit the local woods late in the afternoon - just a quick singletrack cruise to feel out the new bikes. Having woods rideable from the house - man, we're lucky.
Ian races the pilotless Sette. Dude, 29ers rolls so well, they can win on their own. All the marketing shtick is true....
In the end, Ian pulls away on his new steed. Go Ian go.
Repeat official sign shot, this time with new bikes. The 29er wheels still look weird to me - they're just plain big. It rides well though - really well. Compare 'em against the 26" wheels on Ian's bike. Freaky, huh?
I am SWOBO man - hear me roar.
Swapped the Sette branded 'bar and 100mm stem for the 120mm Race Face stem and LP carbon bar that I was running on my Cannondale. Fits better and a bit lighter to boot. I plan to pick up a new flat bar, slightly wider, then install with the stem right side up. The Sette has a short 3.5" headtube which helps lower the front end, since 29er frames are a bit tall in the front. This lets you get the bars a little lower - what I like. I'll probably reinstall my bar ends as well - call me Dork Boy - I miss 'em, even if currently unfashionable.
Sette branded seatpost and saddle swapped out for my old Thomson post and old school Flite saddle, both off my Cannondale. I'll replace the seatpost with one sporting some setback soon. The Razzo frame has a steep 74 degree seat tube and I want the seat back about 1/2 inch to get my knee a bit behind the pedal spindle (my usual set up). Saddle is currently slammed back as far as possible.
Sette ready to roll with bottle cages and spare tube under the red saddle - not sure if I dig the red on this bike. I may search for a black Flite saddle. Maybe not. Cast your vote now.
Ian's Access with a mixture of new and used parts finally gets dirty. A few tweaks still needed in the shifting department and handlebar width - a tad too narrow.
The Sette Razzo felt great on the trails. Steers well, feels snappy, and the 29 wheel size does seem to roll faster. Just a short ride, but I dig it so far. The SRAM drivetrain shifts great and the RockShox Reba SL fork is like buttah - nice. It's a great bike and a killer deal - can't beat that combo. I'm looking forward to spending more time on it.
Ian's first ride on his new steed went okay - some adjustment needed. Ian mentioned it felt bigger then his 24" wheel bike and a bit harder to corner. Towards the end of the ride, he was readjusting his cornering style and getting it. He mentioned the bike felt smoother then his old bike, no doubt the Fox fork playing a part in that.
Shifting woes marred Ian's ride some. Partly the bike's fault - bike shifted fine in the workstand and during test rides - but not in the woods. Rear shifting went off, later corrected by me in the garage. Front shifting was off as well, still need to sort that out. Also a learning curve for Ian moving from his old Gripshift setup to the XTR paddle shifters. With practice he'll get it and I'll sort the front derailleur out during the week. Once fully sorted and a little more riding time, this bike should work well for him.
We took a few short videos on the ride, but Google Blogger ain't happy uploading 'em for some reason. I gave up after a few attempts. I wonder if the Amish have these problems?
We'll hit the trails again next weekend and continue to "test" our new bikes. This is one test I don't mind studying for.