Building A Nomad

using what i got

2006-12-05T16:02:00.000-08:00

using what i got
Originally uploaded by benjiman.

Another amazing session in the Demo. Got a bit bigger on some notable sections. My comfort in the air is growing...

2006-11-22T09:15:00.000-08:00

Soquel Demo Session!

Had a blast with Charles, Berry, Peter and friends down in the SDF. Lotta fun. Peter snapped this cameraphone vid of me on a little technical up...

2006-09-28T13:44:00.000-07:00

Downieville Bachelor Sessions!

Brian and I went up to Downieville again, this time with Jeffro, for my Bachelor Weekend. No snoorting blow off of hooker's tits for me! All I wanted was to get in some ride time with the boys.

And we had a blast. But we almost didn't!

Why? FIRE.

The Bassetts fire broke out on the 18th, and we were driving up the 22nd. As of Thursday Yuba Expeditions were still shuttling to Packer Saddle via one of the alternate routes up. By Friday AM the sheriff had told everyone to stay out of the area and they had closed all the roads up. The reason being that if you were up there on your bike you could potentially get yourself right up into the fire area and they'd have a hard time finding you if the fire grew.

As it happened on Saturday we opted not to shuttle and we road the Divides Loop, which amounted to going up first devide, up third divide and then back down Second Divide and down First Divide. Second Divide was tons of fun! A few bits of tech stuff, but not nearly as much as I was expecting. It was a blast, but I was sort of expecting more...

On Sunday we shuttled up somewhere well below Chimney Rock trail and then rode up to Chimney Rock and then down Empire Creek. WHAT AN AWESOME RIDE. The total milage wasn't that insane, definitely under 20mi for the whole ride I'd say, but the miles were not mild. The climb was at least 7+ and the down was at least the same. And like I mentioned on the ride, Empire Creek really does "shed elevation". It drops. Fast and super fun. Its a slightly more primitive trail, but hopefully it will recieve all the trail maintenance love it deserves.

Speaking of which, the Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship folks have done some incredible work up on these high country trails. Mongo, our shuttle driver on Sunday, is worthy of particular praise as he as put in some incredible switchback reinforcements on Chimney Creek. Great work. Perfectly banked and set. Many thanks to Mongo and everyone else doing that good work for the rest of us.

As for the Nomad? It just rocked. So fun. I tried lowering my seatpost on some of the DH stuff and it made a huge difference. I usually just leave it at standard height, but now I'm going to have to look into scoring a Gravity Dropper post. It seems like the shit.

Meanwhile, we were Team Santa Cruz up there, with Brian on his new Superlight, Jeff on his rented Heckler and me on the Nomad. Oh, and Asa and George on their Nomads too!

2006-08-01T17:05:00.000-07:00

DOWNIEVILLE!!!!!

Yeah. So fun. Went up with Brian and Grover. There we are! Raced the XC for the second time after a few years of missing it. Three flats, four major cramps and one major drivetrain snafu... But still crazy fun.

Riding the Nomad added another dimension to the downhill stuff. Just sooo fast. And not nearly as beaten up at the end compared to my old Ti Mojo. Which makes sense. Still, there are some things I've learned based on the Downieville experience. In no order....

1) I need new grips. My buddy Nica has been recommending the ODI Lock-Ons for a while now and I need to just get some and be done with it. The Saris shits I have now SUCK on the long DH's.

2) I need new tires. Bigger = Better. Yes, I'm starting to see the light on the big tire front. I like the Nokian 2.35 I'm running now, but they are a small 2.35 and perhaps a bit too squirrelly. After 3 flats in one ride I'm also suspecting their ability to hold up to punishment.

3) UST Rims & Tires? I almost went with Mavic 819's when I specced this bike out and now I'm wondering if I should make the switch to their slightly wider size and the purported benefits of UST. Hmmmm...

2006-07-11T17:42:00.000-07:00

More recent fun... Soquel Demo Forest, aka "SDF". I'd heard so many good things about this spot that I knew I had to get my ass down there and hit it. And thats just what I did.

It was me, Brian, Erin, David and Sam. Good times were had by all. If you haven't ridden SDF you owe yourself to do so. Super fun.

And the Nomad? It just keeps on kicking ass and taking names.

I love this bike.

2006-06-01T09:32:00.000-07:00

Pine Mtn "Ahem" ride... This was the first big ride on the Nomad. Pine Mountain isn't super technical in a singletrack sense, but it has some rough parts including some rough climbs that can test your ability to keep things turning. It was a great ride and the Nomad really shined. I felt like I started to really get to know the bike.

Its such a different beast from my Ti Mojo. Night and day. I do feel that the Nomad in some ways climbs better then the Mojo despite the weight deficit. Its all about staying hooked up. It maintains traction over objects on the trail that would otherwise cause the rear wheel to disengage from the trail. The flip side of this is that it feels like it requires a slightly different riding style. Its more then just "sit and spin", although that does work. Its more like "work that contact patch". Its like you can feel the wheel being driven into the dirt and your body language changes slightly. On the HT Mojo its more about balancing forces. On the Nomad its all about putting energy into that point of contact.

Or something.

2006-04-17T17:43:00.000-07:00

Ride reports... Weeeeellll... Yeah, its been raining. And raining. AND RAINING. A lot of rain. I've done a total of four rides now on the Nomad. Rockville in the rain, Skeggs in the rain, Pine Mountain in the rain and Skeggs just sorta wet. I love the bike and it was really on Pine Mtn that it really started to shine. Details to follow...

2006-04-07T15:45:00.000-07:00

First Skeggs outing. The Nomad handles incredibly well, even more so given that its a 29+lb bike. I'm used to my 23lb TiMojo which is a svelt little thing that climbs like a hot poker. It'll take a ride or two to get the ride on this thing dialed, but I'm already impressed as it is. Going DOWN is a whole new world now.

2006-03-27T09:02:00.000-08:00

The cockpit...

2006-03-27T08:05:00.000-08:00

Details.... This is my first SRAM drivetrain but just from parking lot spins I can till it shifts clean...

2006-03-27T08:01:00.000-08:00

Ok, lets try that AGAIN...

2006-03-22T11:09:00.000-08:00

DONE Charles has wrapped things up, we did a fit check and its been taken out for a spin. First ride should be this weekend.

2006-03-10T10:29:00.000-08:00

Progress... Its getting there. Once the wheels are done we should be ready to dial the fit in and take it out for First Dirt.

2006-03-07T12:49:00.000-08:00

The details... One thing I really enjoy about Charles over at Passion is that he is a madman for the details. Lots of really, really GOOD questions about parts and part useage. Its the sort of thing that makes it clear that he knows what he's doing and cares about doing things right. One detail he is adding is the rubber "carbon" chainstay tape. Sure, an old tube would work, but this stuff is thick and good looking...

2006-03-07T10:44:00.000-08:00

IT LIVES! Charles is cranking away. Headset, fork, cranks... Its coming together. I'm so freakin' psyched. Now someone needs to chill with all this RAIN.

Build pics by Charles!

2006-03-03T14:34:00.000-08:00

KING...! So much for Hadley. I wanted to try them, but I found a rear King for less then the Hadley I thought I originally had. Big ups to Chad at Red Barn Bicycles in Montana for his killer prices and getting it shipped within the hour. Should be here Monday at which point I'm officially done buying parts. Whew.

2006-03-01T18:53:00.000-08:00

PARTS ARE IN! Still waiting on the damn Hadley hub, but at least we can get building... Speaking of building, I'm actually NOT going to be doing much if any of the build myself. After doing some Deep Thinking on the matter, I just had to be honest with myself about how long its been since I've wrenched up a bike from bare frame, and how mediocre a mechanic I was in the first place.

I don't suck, but I'm no badass. More importantly I just want to get on this bike and ride the crap out of it without dicking around too much. If I do the build there will be dicking around.

After some consideration of where to have it built I decided on Passion Trail Bikes, in Belmont. Its a new shop focusing specifically on mountain bikes for real trail riders. Nary a road bike in sight there! Charles, the owner(?)/manager is a super nice guy and clearly a thoughtful mechanic in every sense of the word. I'm having him build the wheels for me as well, and they'll also be doing fit and suspension adjustments after I take it out for a few real rides. I'm very excited to have them working on it and very excited to see their new shop flourish. Good people.

2006-02-25T09:38:00.000-08:00

Hadley... I'm excited to run the Hadley rear hub. They have a rather legendary rep as being the "other King" in the hub game. The engagement is said to be rapid and sure, and they are supposed to require less futzing around then Kings. We'll see. All I know is that its REALLY hard to stomach paying the $350+ retail for a King ISO rear. They are great parts, but thats just a bit rich.

2006-02-25T09:33:00.000-08:00

Getting closer. Final parts shipment should be getting here middle of next week.

Wheels will be Hadley rear with Marzo front laced to Velocity VCX Discs. Mavics 819s would have been my first choice but I got the Velocity rims for stupid cheap and they have been solid rims for others.

2006-02-07T19:02:00.000-08:00

More new parts...

So I just got the SRAM X.O med carbon cage rear derailleur. And King headset.

Took the frame home too... Stuck the post and seat on it as well. Big, big parts order will be going out soon:

Marz 66SL
Avid Juicy Carbons
SRAM X.0 triggers
XT cranks
XTR front derailleur
XTR ti cassette

Thats about it. Damn. I want to ride this motherfucker!

2006-01-15T13:48:00.000-08:00

...And a bit more!

2006-01-15T13:41:00.000-08:00

Some Nomad porn for those who lust after these bikes like I do... This one belongs to Zoran from Woodside bikes. Its a rather sick, custom setup with custom anodized Velocity rims. Very hot.

2006-01-06T15:29:00.000-08:00

Current parts in hand:

Santa Cruz Nomad frame (duh)
Thompson Masterpiece seatpost
Thompson X4 stem
RaceFace NEXT low rise carbon bars
Selle Italia Flite saddle

2005-12-24T16:24:00.000-08:00

Here are some rather shitty snaps of the Nomad at the shop. Building should begin after the turn of the new year!

2005-12-22T19:30:00.000-08:00

IT HAS ARRIVED. Just got the call today from Zoran at Woodside bikes. I'll swing by to take a look tomorrow. Now the waiting gets serious, and I've got to start rallying these parts together for real.

I'm super stoked, but until I'm out on the thing the fun won't really start.

2005-12-13T14:46:00.000-08:00

More Fork info. So my dear friend Shepard has offered to sell me his Mazocchi Z1-FR for $cheeep! Its basically brand new, and will help get the new ride built up a lot faster then putting funds toward a Fox Talas 36. I'm gonna get the Talas, but not right away. All in good time. I'm trying to find a pic of the Marz now.

2005-12-01T12:37:00.000-08:00

More Fork Thoughts...

I think I'm going to go with the Fox Talas 36. People seem to love it, and it seems like the right match for the Nomad and the DHX Air. I'm still a bit leery of not having a QR front end, and having to get another rack for the car, but I'm sure I'll get over that...

2005-11-22T18:03:00.000-08:00

The order is IN! Props to Zoran at Woodside Bike Shop! I dropped the first bux on the frame, and it should be getting in relatively soon. Pretty psyched. By "relatively soon" I mean in a few weeks or months, depending on Santa Cruz time. The waiting is the sweetest pain.

Its like hitting your head with a hammer, you know, it feels SO good when you stop!

2005-11-18T08:50:00.000-08:00

Which Fork? I'm down to the Marzocchi AM1 and the Fox Talas RLC. I have little experience with Fox products, except for one epic weekend in Tahoe on a BLT with the Fox Talas. I loved it. That said, I've been riding Marzocchi products for years now and have loved them all the way.

My other concern is the right travel for the kind of Nomad setup I'm looking for. The Fox goes from 130-150mm travel, which puts it's low end travel range below what SC recommends for the Nomad (140-180).

Hmmmm...

2005-11-12T11:24:00.000-08:00

Brakes... I'm pretty much set on the Avid Juicy 7's. I've loved all my Avid V-brakes, and still ride with the Avid Ultimate Supremes(is that the name??) on my Mojo. They are incredibly strong and super easy to set up and maintain, which is great for a sloppy mechanic like myself. I've been impressed by the Hope Mini's too, but they seem a bit less forgiving and adjustable. The Hopes usually require shims for setup. I don't like shims. Shims bring me back to the scary nights of setting up Graftons with Chip back in MT.

2005-11-12T10:33:00.000-08:00

More SRAM vs Shimano...
So why do the XTR kits seem to be more expensive then the X0 kits I see listed? Seems like most of the X0 parts are more expensive then their XTR equivalents. I don't get it. Maybe the XTR groups include more parts (hubs etc?) and a full X0 kit just includes less stuff?

2005-11-10T14:20:00.000-08:00

SRAM vs Shimano. Drivetrain. I've never touched SRAM stuff, but there seem to be a lotta lovers of their gear around these days. I'm super curious what anyone has to say about the different parts and what works or doesn't. Price and weight are the big kickers here. I suspect they both shift pretty great once you get to the XT/X9 level, although I see a lot of XT front deraillurs with X9/XO groups. On the weight side, I think XTR is still lightest by a nudge, but I could be wrong.

The goal is under 30lbs, or really fucking close.

2005-11-10T11:12:00.000-08:00

CHROME... Ok, its really just polished aluminum. Not the "Black Chrome". SC updated the color options with the new color, which I had missed (thx to Mareesha for pointing that out!) The black chrome looks like it could be dope as hell, but its still a powdercoat color, which I'm not really into. Powdercoats are nice, but in the end the anodized colors will last longer and look better nice and battle scarred.

The nice thing about the polished finish is exactly that.. its polished! Duh. So what? Which means you do have to keep it polished to prevent Al oxidization, but it also means its easy to keep it scratch-free and looking new. You get some scratches, you buff 'em out.

The other image that fanned the flames of polished 6061 lust was this one on the Santa Cruz page... See above.

2005-11-09T23:00:00.000-08:00

Colors.... What color to get. At first I was completely into the black ano, as it looks tough as hell dirty, is lighter by a tiny bit and is pretty scratch resistant. Then I saw a polished frame in the flesh at Woodside Bikes. If you are looking for SC frames and bikes, they have a really good spread. I recommend hitting them up if you are looking. Zoran, the owner and super nice guy, has a sick polished Nomad... Yep, thats his up there... NICE BIKE.

2005-11-09T16:17:00.000-08:00

Why the hell am I blogging this? Well, I've never blogged before and this seems like a gentle intro to the whole thing. And fun. Hopefully it will prove useful to others who are in a similar position, setting out to build a new ride. And maybe I'll learn a bit along the way.

2005-11-04T14:42:00.000-08:00

And its going to be a Santa Cruz Nomad. My first full suspension bike.

And this will tell the story of getting it put together.