MintSauce Posted August 28, 2007 Author Posted August 28, 2007 Thanks Minty - you just inspired me to work harder to get the money together!! One question though - your mate Fenton' date=' was he riding a Nicolai?If so - those are really sweet rides...They have a automatic gear(?) fs bike out as well - though think its still only a 'working test-bike'... review on it in one of the "Dirt"s... Dang.Bookmared this page too... [/quote'] Hey....Fenton was riding his Nicolai (he owns several sweet bikes) It's a Nucleon TFR G-Boxx which uses the Rohloff 14 speed hubs internals built into a central gearbox. He LOVES the thing! The dealer who sold it to him had his Nicolai there as well for a few days and they were discussing a new gearbox that was coming out. It's apparently a 7 speed but I wasn't following the conversation so I can't tell if that's the one you're thinking of. Was the first time I saw a Nicolai in the flesh. All the comments I'd read were true....there simply isn't another bike on the planet that is as perfectly made. The welds are PERFECT! Seriously, if you haven't seen one for real, I'm telling you that ANY weld you've seen on a bike(Turner, Titus, Ventana, Santa Cruz etc etc) will look messy in comparison! Posted these before, but here they are again anyway....
RodTi Posted August 28, 2007 Posted August 28, 2007 Thanks Minty... If I'm not mistaken, Nicolai is German(?)...Explains plenty. They are seriously cool.And yes - new gearbox bike was a seven speed...Test-model was in fire-engine red. Speaking of Fenton -Came across a Kiwi mtb forum the other day...Appears to be HUGE in NZ - mtb'ing, that is.And can only imagine, what with their LOTR's terrain... Thanks again for the Whistler thread...
MintSauce Posted August 28, 2007 Author Posted August 28, 2007 It is German yes. Fent says the riding in NZ is excellent. The two Aussies I rode with also said it's some of the best riding they've ever done, specifically in Rotorua, which hosted the World Champs a year or 3 ago
MichH Posted August 28, 2007 Posted August 28, 2007 Mints, i'm blown away. Firstly, respect for riding that! Secondly, damn I'm jealous, of the rides you did, being there for Crankworx, heck just your skills to be able to ride that. You are inspirational.
1q2w3e Posted August 28, 2007 Posted August 28, 2007 Great post, thanks for sharing. Bit tougher than tokai isn't it!
RodTi Posted August 28, 2007 Posted August 28, 2007 Minty - one more thing... Couldn't but help noticing that you weren't wearing the same protective gear as all the other riders in your photos? Big up for keeping up the Saffa's name for being crazy, tough bastards ... Was that by choice? I.e. you don't see the point?Or a case of you not actually thinking to get any -since, presumably you don't wear any back home?Or it being to expensive to buy/rent? What were the other guys' reactions to you riding sans protection?Do most others at Whistler ride with or without?Did it make a difference to your ride - i.e. were there some parts you wouldv'e ridden differently if you had the protection/some you parts you walked because you had no protection? Just curious...
AndreZA Posted August 28, 2007 Posted August 28, 2007 you weren't wearing ... protective gear He just took a shower afterwards. Mampara2007-08-28 04:55:26
RodTi Posted August 28, 2007 Posted August 28, 2007 you weren't wearing ... protective gear He just took a shower afterwards.
Velouria Posted August 28, 2007 Posted August 28, 2007 About time you put these photos up - what an awesome adventure. You just made 2620 Hubbers insanely jealous!
Lilo Posted August 28, 2007 Posted August 28, 2007 Bliksem dit lyk absoluut amazing!!! Ek sou natuurlik my fiets wou stoot... En ek kan sien jyt jou gate uit geniet.
MintSauce Posted August 28, 2007 Author Posted August 28, 2007 Mints' date=' i'm blown away. Firstly, respect for riding that! Secondly, damn I'm jealous, of the rides you did, being there for Crankworx, heck just your skills to be able to ride that. You are inspirational.[/quote'] Thanks Mich....appreciate the comments. My skills aren't that great, really! The skill level of riders in general was quite an eye-opener. I was thinking of that post a couple months ago when we complained about the skill levels in SA mountainbiking. Everyone I encountered rode so well because they're all riding these trails all the time. Girls included. During the Slopestyle qualifyers there was a girl backflipping the HUGE step-up jump!!! Minty - one more thing... Couldn't but help noticing that you weren't wearing the same protective gear as all the other riders in your photos? Big up for keeping up the Saffa's name for being crazy' date=' tough bastards ... Was that by choice? I.e. you don't see the point?Or a case of you not actually thinking to get any -since, presumably you don't wear any back home?Or it being to expensive to buy/rent? What were the other guys' reactions to you riding sans protection?Do most others at Whistler ride with or without?Did it make a difference to your ride - i.e. were there some parts you wouldv'e ridden differently if you had the protection/some you parts you walked because you had no protection? Just curious... [/quote'] The guys dropped many comments regarding my 'dress sense', mostly jokingly and some out of concern. One in particular thought I looked like I was going for a cruise at the beach and not, in his words, "ripping sick lines at Whistler" I definitely see the point! I had tried to borrow my old pads from the buddy I gave them to a couple years ago, but he forgot and I couldn't get hold of him the day I left. They were just to expensive. I can be stingy at times and bikeparts are flippen expensive in Canada! This was one of the reasons I really had to DECIDE to ride well within my limits. There were many times when I got to certain lines and just walked when I was sure I could have pulled it off. Thing is, they were risky moves and it wasn't worth the risk of something going wrong or just making a slight mistake. That being said, there were still many times when I had what felt like close calls! Luckily though the XC riding outside the park and the few trails we did in Vancouver are mostly slowspeed technical rides so if you did come off it wasn't a major issue....unless you were on a big obstacle. Generally 99% of people wear pads. I the park always and also on the technical xc trails. Was saying on facebook that the one thing that DID make me a little proud was my friend Eric saying on MTBR...."And how about Mintsauce riding everything clipped in with no pads and an xc helmet. The dude brought a knife to a gunfight and was totally ripping it up!" It wasn't just the protective clothing though, but even the bike. On the steep sections I was struggling the most. With the xc geometry of my bike it was tricky at times. Especially when you add in large rocks and tight turns....you constantly feel like you're about to go over the bars or sort of like the bike wants to push passed the fork or 'fold' in tight turns....know that probably doesn't make sense but I don't know how to explain the feeling. I'm definitely getting a bigger bike and am also looking at options to get some more aggressive trails built. Not sure exactly how I'll go about this, but am doing some thinking/planning/scouting. Felt like such a idiot the other day. We had dinner with the owner of Knolly Bikes one night. They're a small(about 500 frames a year) boutique builder based in Vancouver. I had looked at their new XC/AM bike before going over so was really stoked to meet him. He let me try their AM/FR bike in the parking lot(it was after 11pm) The bike had to go to BIKE magazine the next day so he couldn't give it to me. Told me that if I could possibly make it to Vancouver he would definitely hook me up with a full demo. We went to Van 2 days later to ride but it was a last minute thing and in the rush to go I FORGOT ABOUT IT! you weren't wearing ... protective gear He just took a shower afterwards.
MichH Posted August 28, 2007 Posted August 28, 2007 Thanks Mich....appreciate the comments. My skills aren't that great' date=' really![/quote'] HAHAHAHAHA! Oh, you were being serious You ride darn well, but I guess it's easy to feel intimidated surrounded by such amazing riders (and rides!). One day I wanna ride half as well as that chick in the Disneyland pics!
RodTi Posted August 28, 2007 Posted August 28, 2007 Thanks Minty! If you care to - gives us a link to that MTBR discussion...Would be cool to get the other riders' impressions - about the rides that is - not you
MintSauce Posted August 28, 2007 Author Posted August 28, 2007 Cool....here you go http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?p=3365988#poststop
Rookie_ryda Posted September 14, 2007 Posted September 14, 2007 Mint Sauce It was great meeting you at Whiz. I tell you, it is heaven! I am truly spoilt, as I ride it every week. I was there on Tues (took the day off) and rode with a Canadian racer and a friend. He was giving me tips on how to clear the tables on Aline. Having said that I much prefer the technical lines in Garbanzo. Did you get to ride Original Sin? I see you rode In Deep and Facrobat. OS has some awesome rock faces. Goats Gully is also a knarly trail but fun. I think my 2 favorite trails are Dirt Merchant (cos I can do the rock drops and step downs) and Schleyer (for the fade away ramp under the chair, rock faces and rock drops). CRAP, you should have told me you have mo armour. You looked naked in those pics. I have spare armour at home. I always wear my Dianese body suit, hard shell leg armour and fullface for Whiz. Please let me know when you visit again and spend some time in Van will ya! We'll have to take you to CBC and some other shore trails. Should I rub it in that I rode Fromme last night (Lower Oilcan and Crippler) and will be riding Cypress on Sat. Perhaps Seymour on Sun with another visitor. AND I will remind you to chat to Noel for a Knolly demo. We've been riding Cypress with him in the summer. How is this for a small world... I rode Whiz last Sat, then went to a bday party in Squamish on the way home. Noel and some other people I know rode a new trail in Squamish and Kira (girl from Disneyland and Bike patrol manager in Whiz) was also there. Vancouver - my outdoor playground.
lowracer Posted September 15, 2007 Posted September 15, 2007 minty, i could see you were doing some serious 'rhoid buffing in a photo or two.
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