Haro stable...

Here is a pic of my trusty Haros. I cannot say enough at how durable these bikes are. The red and silver Haro V3 I have had since 2003. It is now in the waiting stage for it's next place in life, as a cargo bike. The Mary SS I just bought this year, but I have thrown quite a bit at her in the last couple of weeks. I'm sure she will be just fine. I just wanted to post these pics, just to give Haro props, they make great products, and I feel they do not get enough credit. Here's to you Haro, thanks for making awesome bikes!

Eastfork State Park

So week number two of putting the Haro Mary through it's paces in the woods. Every time I am on it, I am reminded how much I enjoy mountain biking. It was silly of me to stay away from it for as long as I did. Stupid road bikes. Anyway, East Fork is a solid trail system. If you ride everything, out and back, it is around 15 miles or so. Not too bad for the Cincinnati area. The trail is broken into 3 segments. An easy loop, intermediate loop, and the out and back "Tech Trail." Not much elevation gain or loss, but the last section does have some tricky, technical sections, and a few climbs. Nothing too crazy though, I am running a 32x16 single speed gearing, which is perfect for this trail. After clearing every technical section this trail had to offer, I then clip a sapling on an easy section, tossing me off of my bike into the brush. This trail can be tight and twisty. Also, lots of roots. I felt quite beat up after riding the trail on a rigid single speed.

I have to say, I am really happy with the Mary. It is a solid bike. A very solid parts spec for the price point. Also, the Mary handlebars really give an advantage to climbing. It takes the pain out of single speed, out of the saddle climbs. No longer are you sawing your way up the hills using only your biceps, but the bar angle makes you use your core, which has a little more stamina, at least in my case. These bars are awesome, and I think I am going to buy another set. Here's a link: Mary handlebars.

Landen Deerfield mtb trail

Today, switched the wheelset on the new Mary, and headed out to a new trail. Landen Deerfield, a county park in Warren county, just around 25 minutes from my house. This is by no means a "destination trail." Just around 2.2 miles of single track. But, what awesome single track it is! CORA (Cincinnati Off Road Alliance) has done a great job building this trail system. Lots of things going on, rock sections, flowing single track, creek crossings, and tight turns. This trail is pretty impressive, packed into just a 45 acre area. This was a trail that I did not mind riding laps of. Since I had never been there before, my first lap was a bit of connecting the dots. Luckily, I ran into a group of 3 other riders, who kindly showed me around the area. I had forgotten how nice it is to ride with other people! Good times!

Also, it should be noted that this was the Mary's first ride in the dirt. She did wonderfully. The On One Mary bars worked way better than I imagined. They really make things a little easier on the climbs. One thing though that I am not a fan of is the stock Mary fork. I had a hard time at the start just keeping the front wheel tight in the fork. Plus it looks a little cheap. I think a Salsa replacement is in the future...

After the ride, I came home to a fresh sixer from my wonderful wife. Tap Room No. 21 pale ale. Never had it before, my wife bought it just because it was on sale. For the price, its a solid, cheap, pale ale. Not the best, but not too bad. Such a great day! Ride, drink, be happy, and repeat!

New Bike!

So here is a funny story: Back in 2008, while living in San Diego, I was searching for a new mountain bike. I went to my local bike shop, I forget the name now, and asked if they were planning to get one of the new Haro 29ers, and if not to see if they would bring one in for a test ride. I was going to buy it, but I wanted to see it, and also make sure that it would fit properly. Bike fit is crucial. Anyway, they would only bring one in as long as I would put all of my money down, sight unseen. I decided not to, looked around at other shops, and long story short, could not find a Haro Mary anywhere. That's when I found the 2008 redesigned Gary Fisher Rig, and the rest was history.

Fast forward two years, a cross country move, and two broken Rig frames later, and guess what pops up on the local Craigslist? A 2008 Haro Mary single speed! After a little negotiating, I ended up grabbing this bike for about 60% off of retail! And to top it off, this bike has only been "lightly" ridden three times. I'm still a little surprised and shocked at how clean this bike is.

So I have some big plans for this bike. My other Haro is becoming my cargo bike, but this bike will serve a dual duty. Since I have parted out the Rig, I did keep the wheel set, so now for the Mary I will have a road wheel set, and a mountain wheel set. Two birds with one stone.

I cannot say enough how durable Haro's products are. The Haro V3 that I have had since 2003 has been ridden to hell and back, and is still kicking. Great products, and their pricing is very reasonable. If you are in the market for a new mountain bike, definitely check them out! Now I'm off to do a little tweaking to the new ride...