the gobble ride is in its 6th year and normally grows in participation each time despite the poor weather conditions. this year, the 20 mph wind was no diff but at 20 deg, we were in for a treat compared to past gobbles that see things much closer to zero. attendance was down as many of the regulars have moved in the last few months or decided the meetin at 7am wasnt gonna cut it again so we were 3. for you charts and graphs folks, 66.6% turner content - 66.6% 29'er usage.
this years ride started with a lesson in air shock use in cold weather. from the get go, pat had some pumpin to do to his fisher then the 100 yard road warm up was done and the fun began.... the pitch. this sucker is fockin steep and tough to even walk up when its NOT covered in ice and/or mud. today was semi slick but not bad as in years past. gobble ride co-founder big29 and super duper sammy can nail it but not todays crew.
lightning led the way as we began the lightly snow covered 1 track that winds its way around ponca state park in nebraska about 35 miles from home. with the inch or so of crusty snow on the ground, it was slow goin and felt like the brakes were draggin. even on the flats we all found ourselves in the granny just to keep a spin and make it up the climbs which were fun with our lungs a freezin. as we went on, things got better and middle rings came out to play. so did pats junk as his mornin coffee hit its stride. he musta pissed every other mile, or so it seemed. the stinger was a blast to ride as usual and its tiny 1.8 panaracers dug into whatever lay under the tundra like trails. i even got up the "racers climb" at the top of the park.
on the way down, we made use of 3 or so trails and the cameras saw as much use as the bikes. it was beautiful out there and we made good use of our surroundings on this somewhat short ride. most gobble rides are low on miles and long on social. they always end with a beer left in mother natures mini fridge. this year we toasted our missing friends in addition to a fun ride. but that wasnt the end of it.
we headed over to the corps of discovery trail for a little test of the dhr. conditions didnt allow me to learn very much and a poor install of the chain guide led to the power link bein lost on the trail but that doesnt mean i didnt have a good time. more pics to come as the arrive.
it was fun. the run is just under a mile i think and conditions were less than perfect. about the only things i learned were the fork is way oversprung, i need to change the guide spacing and i need alot more time on this thing to get comfy with its potential. come spring, i have a few trails in mind that are longer and semi techy but without the 2 big drop aways. might give me more feedback in the end is my hope.
my home shop is wd40 free, or so i thought. im headed back down to see if theres a hidden can somewhere in candycorns stuff that may have infecteted my bike and therefore caused my chain issue.
thanx moose. im kinda struck by the way it turned out considerin it wasnt exactly a "pick a part" build. i got lucky and had to be a little clever too.
yeah, thats a killer pic! lightning snapped that sweet action as i passed within inches of his feet. i think there may be a sequence commin soon. were havin a bit of a issue gettin his stuff sent over so i think hes gonna post in the next day or so.
Nice! Ponca in the snow brings back fond memories of racing an MB4 there in 1992. Glad to see it's still getting bike action. Good looking DHR there, too, CC.
Nice picc's there CC almost MW clarity worthy :thumbsup:
DHR is looking mighty purdy, looks like some good conditions and trail for some nice drifting fun on the DHR, bummer about the chain link, always a few kinks and tunning to sort out huh :thumbsup:
Here is part of the sequence mentioned by cc. By far one of the best cold rides yet in part due to the sultan and good friends but hands down the Sultan has been the best bike purchase to date XXL sultan best bike for a person 6'6".
I had a great ride myself at Gambill State Park in Maryand. Is Romic still servicing their shocks? I still have a Romic from my 2003 5 Spot that I would like to use on my 2009 Sultan as a backup. The new Sultan is using the same length and stroke shock as the old 5 Spot.
Yeah, Romic is still servicing their shocks, and will build you one if you want it. I just sent mine in (for 5 spot) for servicing - with shipping was $43 - not bad. They took my stats - weight, new 5.5 rockers, coil weight, etc. Not saying it is PUSH-like, but for the price if it keeps running for another year or so then great. I still like the Romic better than an rp3, vanilla, and '07 marz roco r air.
Yeah, Romic is still servicing their shocks, and will build you one if you want it. I just sent mine in (for 5 spot) for servicing - with shipping was $43 - not bad. They took my stats - weight, new 5.5 rockers, coil weight, etc. Not saying it is PUSH-like, but for the price if it keeps running for another year or so then great. I still like the Romic better than an rp3, vanilla, and '07 marz roco r air.
At the least you can run it with little or no compression damping, which I believe is what DW calls for. I run it on my spot turned to the least damping, within a click or two. Works great, even on my outdated horst link bike. :thumbsup:
good info guys! i got mine brand new for a song so it might be worth it to send it off for a little custom lovin. was gonna call and see if i could swap springs anyway.
and alpine: dont compliment me on the dhr (semi) action pics, that was all lightning. mine are the lame xc and static ones up top.
CC- as cheap as the tune-up is springs are not IMO. They wanted $50+ for a new spring, so unless you need an unusual size ebay might save you a bit. My shock should be here next week (the nicely sarcastic lady who took my order said 8-10 days turn around time). FWIW I'll let you know how much difference it made. BTW, howz your dog with the arthritis issues doing? Winter can be a little tougher on the old bones.
Sorry I missed it this year guys. Looks like good times were had by all. I was driving down to IA thinkin about you guys out ridin. On the bright side, got lots of riding in at Decorah the last couple of days. Fortunately the trails there were dry and in near perfect condition when I rode. Wasn't the same as the Gobble Ride, but it was still good. New DHR on the trail looks good CC. Wish I could have been there for the maiden voyage. I think the only one of your new bikes I had missed the first ride on was the stinger. Hope you are havin a great weekend.
woulda been great to have ya there moh. woulda been better to do the gobble in decorah since our trail conidtions were not prime by a long shot. they didnt suck, but....
I had a great ride myself at Gambill State Park in Maryand. Is Romic still servicing their shocks? I still have a Romic from my 2003 5 Spot that I would like to use on my 2009 Sultan as a backup. The new Sultan is using the same length and stroke shock as the old 5 Spot.
Sweet, you made it out to Maryland huh? The Frederick area has some pretty nice riding.
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