Free Ride Redux - Deluxe Edition

pink poodle

気が狂っている男
Mountain biking is a journey, often an expensive one. With suppliers offering so many fresh ideas about what a bike should be and how it should be ridden, I was faced with the ever present need to consume! I mean stay modern... So I joined the KLF and burnt up a big pile of cash on an all mountain enduro rig, something I would be able to enjoy pedalling up and bombing down with.

As fate would have it, I couldnt find my groove. The pedalling up thing straight up sucks. There is no other way to put it. I tried to. I wanted to. I even hoped to find something enjoyable about it, but no. On the way down these new geometries just didn't feel right. They messed with my mind. I couldn't relax and get freaky, when I wanted it had no styley. I knew what I wanted and how to get it, the past must be reborn!

Santa Cruz Nomad Redux.

DSC_2903~5.JPG



Spec list and ride report to come.
 

Ultra Lord

Hurts. Requires Money. And is nerdy.
“Endurbro bikes suck”
*posts the OG endurbro bike*
Ahaha


Sick whip. Lookin forward to the ride report, any comparisons to the NS would be good. I guess longer + slacker just doesn’t make sense all the time.
 

Mr Crudley

Glock in your sock
On the way down these new geometries just didn't feel right. They messed with my mind. I couldn't relax and get freaky, when I wanted it had no styley. I knew what I wanted and how to get it, the past must be reborn!

Santa Cruz Nomad Redux.
I, for one, salute the honourable @pink poodle

Solid choice sir and I'd love to take it for a spin one day if I ever make it up to coffee and MTB capital that is Newcastle. I thought the N2 angles were already getting pretty slack at at point but still had ST angles not too bad to mess up climbing. Ride it and enjoy the local gnar.
 

Mr Crudley

Glock in your sock
@Mr Crudley I'm not sure you have been to Newcastle...I'll keep some hygienic wipes in my #trailpack though, should you get the chance to ride it. It is a comfy beast
I have been there but it was more like a drive past and a quick look around the beach from memory. Really like the large penis tower thing there as the real stand out upstanding city erection.

You won't get a bad word from me about hygiene. In fact, I might bring my own seat. Safety first kids.........
 

pink poodle

気が狂っている男
I guess I'm due to post a ride report. I have ridden this beast 3 times now:
- Narrabeen
- Ourimbah DH/GE
- Glenrock Lagoon
Narra has been the inaugural ride for this and it predecessor (NS Snabb-e reference https://www.rotorburn.com/forums/index.php?threads/evolutionary-stages.305148/). It is a great location to throw around your "do it all..." while the other locations are places I have ridden many times allowing me to push the bike a little on familiar turf.

My riding style is a bit out dated these days. It is mainly short tracks that could probably best be called down hill or free ride (gravity fed, jumps, rocks, drops, berms, minimal pedalling), with a bit of dirt jumping thrown in as well. My two primary ride locations service this style perfectly and one (the top secret quarry of doom) requires more robust bike than my daily rider (pivot m4x). I have a very small quiver of tricks as well. On the old NS I often felt unbalanced and awkward pretending some of these were within my skill set, even throwing a whip didn't always feel the goods. The nomad feels perfect.

I haven't written one of these for ages...Ummm?

Positives:
- Manoeuvrability/agility of the bike
- low centre of gravity
- suspension platform (my favourite of the many tried)

Negatives:
- Weight penalty (it is heavier than I expected)
- seated climb position feels a smidge far behind the pedals (something I think @Mywifesirrational pointed out a long time ago?)
- bottom bracket feels really low.

The bike felt awesome in the air. I sessioned the first drop at the top of the main runs (can't remember the names, liked the new trail sign though!) at Narra quite a bit as I don't have anything lime that at home. It felt perfect every time from lift off to landing and then punching down that first section and over the step up. I also sessioned most of the jumps there, as well as Ourimbah and my home turf at Glenrock. I found the newer jumps at Narra and the touched up jumps at Ourimbah (lots of jumps that need touching up though! The drought impacts us all...) were a lot of fun. The bike just launched he's and floats. I run very stiff suspension on my Pivot so the plush coil suspension takes a bit of getting used go on jumps (especially dirt jumps). Once I become accustomed on my local turf, I was able to get my funk on. The geometry is good though, allowing me to manoeuvre the bike for tweaked out landings, throw some whips and taaaaaay-bows into the mix, and pull a few x-ups (need to adjust bar/brake position though as there is slight cable contact across the top tube bringing this trick around). I haven't ridden particularly rocky terrain for a while (glenrock rock is either ruts or hard pack 85% of the time) so it took a bit of time to get in the zone for charging those sections of Narra and Ourimbah. When I did the bike just charged and popped off the bumps. It was smooth and fast, the vpp offers a great hook free ride. The low gravity and relatively short wheel base is awesome for cornering. It leans over, locks in, and shoots out with supreme ease.

I had something hit the frame and wow carbon is fucking loud! I spend a minute or two looking intently for marks but couldn't see anything distinctive.

All up I'm well pleased with this beast. I may put it on a diet soon, I'm pretty sure that switching in some of my air supply suspension I could shave off about 1kg. Still I'm liking the feel for now and may focus pumping the air suspension onto the 951. The colour has worked out well too, except most of my jerseys feature red. Hmmmm.

It's nothing rad, but it's the only action shot I have at the moment.
 

Attachments

pink poodle

気が狂っている男
I have been there but it was more like a drive past and a quick look around the beach from memory. Really like the large penis tower thing there as the real stand out upstanding city erection.

You won't get a bad word from me about hygiene. In fact, I might bring my own seat. Safety first kids.........
Its always best to avoid sharing seats, 30.9 seat post required.

The pens tower's days are sadly numbered. The dick like resemblance is apparently an embarrassment to our otherwise fine city...lol. #savethepenis
 

Flow-Rider

Burner
Likes cheap suspension services
Likes cheap suspension oil
Likes large ring gears

= climbs like a bag of dicks to me any day of week.
 

pink poodle

気が狂っている男
Likes cheap suspension services
Likes cheap suspension oil
Likes large ring gears

= climbs like a bag of dicks to me any day of week.
I've never seen a bag of dicks climbing, so as the dick watching expert you'll have to advise me...do they look like a middle aged guy that's got fuck all cardio? If so...bang on.



*has no preference when it comes to suspension oil.
 

Mr Crudley

Glock in your sock
Its always best to avoid sharing seats, 30.9 seat post required.

The pens tower's days are sadly numbered. The dick like resemblance is apparently an embarrassment to our otherwise fine city...lol. #savethepenis
Ok, might bring my own bars and grips too. Do I need my own brake levers?

Not like the grand todger of Newcastle is flesh coloured. Surely more fun than a Harbour Bridge or Opera House.
Be proud and let it stand tall.
 

Flow-Rider

Burner
I've never seen a bag of dicks climbing, so as the dick watching expert you'll have to advise me...do they look like a middle aged guy that's got fuck all cardio? If so...bang on.
*has no preference when it comes to suspension oil.
It might be.

If you don't shuttle a lot, why wouldn't you go to a low front gear. I can climb all day on my enduro rig (2x 22t, 32t) Even guys I ride with say that I'm a cheat. It makes for no real hard work on the trails, even on the steepest of trails.

Cheap oil thins out a lot more when it gets hot, so you lose a lot more dampening and the specs of the oil can be out also. You can get a lot more harshness when the shocks are cold because the oil thickens up.

I'm older than what you are.
 

pink poodle

気が狂っている男
I probably should put a spec list in here somewhere...

Frame: Santa Cruz Nomad C (I'm under the impression it is 2014, but don't really know for sure nor care. I like it.)
Forks: Marzocchi 66rc3 evo Ti (2011, purchased new in 2014).
Headset: Token lower ex49 heavy duty something something. Cane Creek 40 series zs49 upper.
Stem: Kona low stack 40mm (thanks Stork)
Bars: Funn full on 750mm
Grips: DMR muta
Brakes: Shimano XT (200mm front, 180mm rear)
Crank: shimano Zee (new saint Crank awaits installation)
Chain ring: FSA 34t (I've got the small ring on this bike)
Chain: KMC trendy gold colour
Cassette: shimano HG500 11-34 (the big cog on there for those epic climbs!)
Guide: shimano Saint
Pedals: Fire Eye hot candy
Wheel: DT Swiss fr600 26 inch rim on 340 hub 20x110mm with 32 of their spokes. Mavic ex729 rim on Da Bomb something something hub again with the 32 DT Swiss spokes 142x12mm.
Tyres: Maxxis Minion DHF/R 26x2.35.
Shifter: Shimano Saint 10 speed
Derailleur: Shimano Zee
Post: Thomson (not a dropper...ease up!)
Seat: SDG
Seat collar: Da Bomb (some regrets about bolting on here, may switch to QR to get that seat up and down faster on the climbs.)
Cables: all shimano in and out, for now.
 

pink poodle

気が狂っている男
It might be.

If you don't shuttle a lot, why wouldn't you go to a low front gear. I can climb all day on my enduro rig (2x 22t, 32t) Even guys I ride with say that I'm a cheat. It makes for no real hard work on the trails, even on the steepest of trails.

Cheap oil thins out a lot more when it gets hot, so you lose a lot more dampening and the specs of the oil can be out also. You can get a lot more harshness when the shocks are cold because the oil thickens up.

I'm older than what you are.
You'd probably have to ride the quarry of doom to understand. Imagine an old quarry filled with epic freeride lines that are no longer than a few hundred metres long...I'm not really into riding very far per say.

As for the suspension, I trust in the professionalism of my local bike shop and their commitment to doing the job right. They haven't fucked me yet.
 
I'm not ashamed to say I like the berm !!

The Grand Old Todger of Newcastle !!! How could they tear it down with a name like that, unless Matthew Johns already has laid claim to the title.
 

pink poodle

気が狂っている男
I'm not ashamed to say I like the berm !!

The Grand Old Todger of Newcastle !!! How could they tear it down with a name like that, unless Matthew Johns already has laid claim to the title.
It has the distinct aroma of hobo urine. I think it is either pull it down or turn it into a giant mountain dew spurting fountain. You know which has my vote!
 

Plankosaurus

Spongeplank Dalepantski
Nice one, nomads are purty bikes for sure. Like a tracer, but not one.

Not sure why you've got carbon and coils though. Aren't they bitter enemies?

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