Just Riding Along... New Airborne Bicycles edition.

One of my favorite things about the cycling industry, among many, is that every year new products start showing up. Every company has a new product that is bigger, better, lighter, faster, etc. You get the idea. Airborne Bicycles is no exception, and from the looks of it 2012 is going to be a big year for them. Enter the Guardian:

Building off of the very successful Goblin 29er, Airborne has launched a more wallet friendly 29er to, as they say, "Get more butts in saddles." I like that, more people on bikes is a good thing. Anyway, sharing quite a few components from the more expensive Goblin, the Guardian is a well spec'd entry level 29er, or just the rider on a budget. If you were on the fence about the Goblin due to the price, there is no reason for you to sit any longer. So what is the price? Head over the Airborne's site and check it out!

Well done Airborne, can't wait to see the rest of the line up.

Just keep spinning...

Photo from Airborne's website.

Airborne Bicycles...

Not too long ago, I stumbled upon Airborne Bicycles. They are a relatively new bicycle company based out of nearby Dayton Ohio, that is pumping out quality bicycles at very reasonable prices. How they do it, I am not sure, but for certain I am seriously considering adding one to my current stable. Here are a few that strike my fancy:

Goblin 29er














This bicycle makes me happy. Big wheels from WTB. Front suspension in the form of a Rockshox Reba. Components from SRAM in the 2x10 variety. Elixir hydraulic disc brakes. All together for just $1149.95! That is pretty amazing. I love 29ers, having owned a couple different versions, and their MSRP was definitely higher. Great price on a great bike, which many different magazines are giving great reviews!

Zeppelin Elite














This is another bike that really intrigues me. I have been intrigued by a dual suspension for quite some time, but their prices have always been too steep for me. Plus, after my last MTB being a rigid steel single speed, that really made me start thinking about a dually. Anyway, parts: Rockshox front and rear suspension, SRAM X7 and X9 drive train and Tektro hydraulic discs. Nice parts, all for $699.95! This is the best deal of the bunch in my opinion. Try to find an equally spec'd dual suspension mountain bike for a similar price. I don't think it can be done. Bravo Airborne!

Delta cyclocross













Another great bike of a different variety. A well equipped disc only cyclocross bike. Their site says limited quantity, and after seeing this one I can see why. Great looking bike, makes me want to start 'cross racing. Great package at $999.95!


One thing that might be a deal breaker for some with this company is that they are mostly mail order. Myself, I do not find this to be an issue. I still support my local bike shop by buying the majority of my parts and having things fixed there as well. This type of bicycle sales is great for the consumer, giving us lots of options, which in this case are very affordable. These low prices with a little bit of maintenance knowledge will make for a very enjoyable ride.

These three are just half of the Airborne line up, just the ones that I really, really enjoy. Hopefully this brand sticks around for a while, and from the looks of the reviews, I would imagine so. It is nice to see a somewhat local company do well in the cycling business. Rock on Airborne...

All pictures from Airborne's website.

Ramble on...

A couple more bikes to chew on...

So in my search for the end all be all bicycle, here are a couple more that I have found, which seem to be pretty versatile. First up:

Vassago Fisticuff: Self described as "A love child between a 29er and a cross bike." I couldn't agree more. Clearance for wider 700c 'cross tires, or up to 2.0" 650b, with rack and fender mounts. Seems to be pretty versatile. The only downfall for this is it is a frame set only, which unfortunately I do not have a sufficient parts bin to build on up. Nice bike though.

Second on this short list:

Surly Ogre: This bike has it all. Rack mounts, front and back? Check. Fender mounts? Check. Fatties fit fine? Check. Single speed ready? Check. Mounts for a trailer? Check. Looks like the Surly Troll? Check. This bike is like the Troll's big brother. Basically it is just the 29er version. Amazing. I really think there is not a bike that Surly has done that I have not liked. I am a Surly whore without a Surly, something about that is very wrong.

Two more very nice rides to add to my list. I think at this moment, the two bikes in the contention for my next bike are the Salsa Fargo 2 or the Surly Ogre. Thanks for playing!

Photos from Vassago and Surly respectively.

Ramble on...

Salsa Fargo for the future?

So lately I have been digging around the interweb, doing lots and lots of searching for my next bike purchase. Cargo bike? Check. Road style bike? Check (Well, at least in the process of building, more on that later...) Dirt ready bicycle? No. So my search begins. But hold on, I need more than just a mountain bike, I need something versatile. Here is what I have been debating:

-Surly Cross Check. Seems like this bike is the jack of all trades, does everything decent, but nothing superbly. I have no real idea on that, I have only test ridden one, but that is the jive that I get from reading various online forums. I like that you can fit fatter than normal tires, but not as large as I would like.

-Surly Long Haul Trucker. Mostly the same as above. But, I think I would be on a 54cm, which would put me into the 26" wheel category, which makes me think:

-Surly Troll. I really like this bike. I feel that it with a set of Maxxis Hookworm 2.5's would be the ultimate road bike destroyer. Or at least would be fun to ride. Big positive for it though is I would only have to buy 26" tubes if I bought one. After riding 29ers in the woods exclusively for the past few years, riding on 26's again might be a little weird, which leads to:

-Salsa Fargo. This bike really intrigues me. Ever since it was introduced in 2008, I have always wanted one. Very cool bike that seems to be ready for whatever. Still somewhat road worthy, but basically a big drop bar 29er mountain bike, with every single braze on one could think of. As of today, this is the bike that I am settling on to round out my stable. This is why:

Most of my riding is on paved surfaces. Every chance that I get though, I am looking for somewhere off of the beaten path. And also, every vacation that my family takes, puts us in a prime mountain biking location, where having a CC or LHT might be a drawback. The Fargo seems to do it all. And now with my feet wet on the touring front, this bike only makes more and more sense. I have thought about a hardtail 29er, but I do not feel that I will be happy on a "normal" mountain bike. Like I stated earlier, I need a bike that is versatile, and I feel the Fargo is it so far. So far for now, that is. I change my mind more than my wife changes shoes...

Ramble on...

Kona Honzo...

Oh my... after I write a posting about switching to road biking, blah blah, Kona drops the Honzo on everyone! Holy crap! That bike looks amazing! Steel 1x9, with sliding dropouts for single speed conversions, can used tapered forks, can jump off of things, can ride all day, etc. Just check out the pics:





So Kona does not have a price listed, but I found on a dirt forum that the complete will be around $1750, and the frame around $550. Damn, looks like I need to start saving...

Looks like Kona hit this one out of the park. Thanks Kona, for making me want to mountain bike again...

All pics are from Kona's site, check it here: Kona sneak peeks...
Kona's site: Kona World...

2008 Haro Mary SS for sale...

Here is the rundown on my 29er SS:

-18" (M) Haro Mary single speed, cromo frame and rigid cromo fork.
-Bontrager Duster tubeless ready single speed wheel set.
-Avid BB7 discs with Avid SD7 levers.
-Bontrager Big Sweep bars and Bontrager stem.
-Truvativ single speed crankset.
-SDG TiFly saddle.
-Kenda Nevegals 29x2.2
-Gearing is 32x16, also includes an 18t and 20t cogs.
-No pedals, I'm keeping the XTRs.

This is a solid bike, actually one of my favorite bikes ever. I just don't ride it. Hasn't been ridden much, you can look back through this blog to see how much I have ridden it. I love mountain biking, but it is very impractical for me at this point in my life. Shoot me an email if you are interested...