I've got good news and I've got bad news...
First, let's get the bad news out of the way. The project has been going slowly, and will be getting even slower over the next few months as I have opted to divert my funds to rebuilding my motorcycle engine for more power...I'd go into detail but i suspect you are reading this because you're interested in mountain-biking, not motorcycles.
OK, now that that's out of the way...the good news! If you've been keeping up with me. I've got a good portion of the bike build out of the way. The next few components (namely the wheels and brakes) are a bit pricier than some of the smaller stuff. It will take some time for me to get the funds together and hopefully the Flow EX wheels to be back in stock.
I ran across some more sale items on JensonUSA the other day...and ended up purchasing a SRAM X9 Type 2 (clutch) rear derailleur and SRAM PC-1071 chain to go along with it. Next, I will be ordering the X9 shifter and shift cable kit and my drive-train will be complete! I can't wait to get it all bolted up and adjusted. The key component here is the front wheel, as the Manitou Tower Pro fork I picked up back in spring has a 15mm QR axle. Aside from that, if I get impatient, the rest of the components can be "borrowed" from my Airborne Seeker. I don't plan on using the Seeker as a donor, but we will see as time moves along... :)
Friday, July 18, 2014
Thursday, July 17, 2014
Growing Pains - Airborne Seeker Update
So I've been putting some miles on the Seeker lately and figured I'd do an update to let everyone know what I think of the bike and what I've been learning...
My wife and I have been riding some local trails lately. I forgot to mention that we picked her up a Kona Tika from the local EMS. We had a hard time finding a bike to fit her as she is 5ft tall. Luckily for 2014, Kona made the Tika in a 13" frame which worked out well for her size. I'm impressed by the bike and how well it's setup given its a sub $1000 rig. It is her first real mountain bike so, she is stoked as well.
I also had a chance recently to ride Millstone trails in VT with a friend of mine who lives only a couple miles from the trail system. Beautiful views and naturally air-conditioned rock formations which really made the ride perfect! I did have a little incident on a steep decent where I hit a rock/root section and ended up going over my handlebars...Walked away with a scraped knee and minor cut to my hand. Glad I had my helmet on and needless to say, I put an order in for some Fox Launch Pro knee pads! Look for a future review of those...
On to the Seeker! Don't let the title fool you...I still love the bike. It's been great for the most part, but I'm slowly learning what I like and don't like. This is very important data that I'm applying to component purchases for my Yelli Screamy build. My latest trip to Vermont started with a 4 hour drive with my Seeker on board my new 1UpUSA bike rack. The rack functioned perfectly and was well worth the price tag. My issue began once I got to my friend's house and unloaded the bike. My rear brake was hung up and tight. The rear wheel barely moved and I couldn't figure out why. Sitting in the garage overnight the brake went back to normal. My guess is that sitting in the hot sun on the rack during the drive caused the hydraulic brake fluid to expand and clamp down on the rotor. Not really an issue with the bike itself, but I found several threads on Elixir brakes doing this. I'm now understanding why the Elixirs generate unfavorable reports...the rear has been giving me on/off squealing and rubbing. I did align the rotor when I first got the bike, but it may need further attention. This is my first bike with disc brakes, so I'll chalk it up to inexperience on my part. It does however make me consider Shimano brakes for the Yelli build.
My next issue is the cockpit. I feel the 100mm stem is too long for my taste. I also think wider bars are in my future. I'm contemplating a 70mm stem and 700mm bars as a possibility. As stated above, I had a little run in with some rocks. I feel if I had a shorter stem, I would have had my weight further back and maybe kept me from launching forward. I will never know, but food for thought.
A worthwhile upgrade prior to this trip was a WTB Speed V saddle. So far, so good and much more comfortable than the stock saddle. No surprise there.
Something else I noticed after the trip, the drive-side of the BB has a black plastic seal that covers the bearing. It seems to have slid out from the bearing and onto the crank. Again, some searching yielded that this is a common issue. It doesn't affect much except maybe crap getting into the bearing.
All in all, not a bad report. To recap, the Airborne Seeker would benefit from a better saddle, and maybe different cockpit setup. But that is normal with most any production bike you purchase. It is mostly a personal feel thing. I would go as far as to say you may want to upgrade the brakes, but I really don't have a lot of experience with hydraulic disc brakes. Take a look around online forums though, and you'll quickly find out that Shimano brakes generate much better reviews. I will say they still work a lot better than my V-brakes on my old Iron Horse.
Stay tuned for more!
My wife and I have been riding some local trails lately. I forgot to mention that we picked her up a Kona Tika from the local EMS. We had a hard time finding a bike to fit her as she is 5ft tall. Luckily for 2014, Kona made the Tika in a 13" frame which worked out well for her size. I'm impressed by the bike and how well it's setup given its a sub $1000 rig. It is her first real mountain bike so, she is stoked as well.
I also had a chance recently to ride Millstone trails in VT with a friend of mine who lives only a couple miles from the trail system. Beautiful views and naturally air-conditioned rock formations which really made the ride perfect! I did have a little incident on a steep decent where I hit a rock/root section and ended up going over my handlebars...Walked away with a scraped knee and minor cut to my hand. Glad I had my helmet on and needless to say, I put an order in for some Fox Launch Pro knee pads! Look for a future review of those...
On to the Seeker! Don't let the title fool you...I still love the bike. It's been great for the most part, but I'm slowly learning what I like and don't like. This is very important data that I'm applying to component purchases for my Yelli Screamy build. My latest trip to Vermont started with a 4 hour drive with my Seeker on board my new 1UpUSA bike rack. The rack functioned perfectly and was well worth the price tag. My issue began once I got to my friend's house and unloaded the bike. My rear brake was hung up and tight. The rear wheel barely moved and I couldn't figure out why. Sitting in the garage overnight the brake went back to normal. My guess is that sitting in the hot sun on the rack during the drive caused the hydraulic brake fluid to expand and clamp down on the rotor. Not really an issue with the bike itself, but I found several threads on Elixir brakes doing this. I'm now understanding why the Elixirs generate unfavorable reports...the rear has been giving me on/off squealing and rubbing. I did align the rotor when I first got the bike, but it may need further attention. This is my first bike with disc brakes, so I'll chalk it up to inexperience on my part. It does however make me consider Shimano brakes for the Yelli build.
My next issue is the cockpit. I feel the 100mm stem is too long for my taste. I also think wider bars are in my future. I'm contemplating a 70mm stem and 700mm bars as a possibility. As stated above, I had a little run in with some rocks. I feel if I had a shorter stem, I would have had my weight further back and maybe kept me from launching forward. I will never know, but food for thought.
A worthwhile upgrade prior to this trip was a WTB Speed V saddle. So far, so good and much more comfortable than the stock saddle. No surprise there.
Something else I noticed after the trip, the drive-side of the BB has a black plastic seal that covers the bearing. It seems to have slid out from the bearing and onto the crank. Again, some searching yielded that this is a common issue. It doesn't affect much except maybe crap getting into the bearing.
***Short Version (for those who don't like to read)***
Stay tuned for more!
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