Welcome to Warp's Lair !!
All things warp and some other stuff
Pike's maiden ride !!!
Finally took the Pike out for a ride last weekend. I came away impressed.
Rock Shox has produced a really nice fork with the Pike. Solid, easy to tune and versatile.
The thing had me looking for rocks and changing lines on places I couldn't. As a technical climber is much better... there's this tough climb over "Las Hojas" fireroad where the terrain is stupid loose and broken and while I didn't cleared the climb it was the engine that stalled this time, not the bike.
I have a love/hate relationship with the Roco shock. It's so nice and composed... it's unbelievable. However, it doesn't give me more than 95mm of travel. I'll keep working on that one, but I see no simple solution. It can always be a good back up shock for the 5th Element Air.... I wish the 5th was half as plush.
Some pictures...
Rock Shox has produced a really nice fork with the Pike. Solid, easy to tune and versatile.
The thing had me looking for rocks and changing lines on places I couldn't. As a technical climber is much better... there's this tough climb over "Las Hojas" fireroad where the terrain is stupid loose and broken and while I didn't cleared the climb it was the engine that stalled this time, not the bike.
I have a love/hate relationship with the Roco shock. It's so nice and composed... it's unbelievable. However, it doesn't give me more than 95mm of travel. I'll keep working on that one, but I see no simple solution. It can always be a good back up shock for the 5th Element Air.... I wish the 5th was half as plush.
Some pictures...
Switchblade.... Reloaded...
Thanks to my pal Whafe (www.whafe.com) I got a brand new Pike 454 Air U-Turn (the top dog of the Pike line-up)... with a Hope Pro II to go with.
Whafe... thank you, mate! Huge thanks!
I took the chance to put a new set of bars and stem. The Syncros Bulk 7075 lo-rise will take over the Race Face Evolve XC and the FSA Gravity Gap stem in 75mm flavour will take over the Thomson Elite that was on.
I had a VERY little ride on the revamped bike... only to hit a storm drain and total a the rear tyre tube. Oh, well...
The Pike gave me a very, very nice starting feeling. If the AM1 was impressive, this one was even better. We'll see if it holds up to expectations...
Anyway... I had a very nice impression from the Pike and basically new front end. Everything is nice and stiff. I'm not missing the Thomson stem. The Gap stem does the same (except for looks as the thing is ugly as a kick in the crotch) and the Syncros Bulk bar is very nice and comfy.
The whole front end feels nice... but I had no chance to notice anything more than more tracking ability.
On the Pike... oddly, it's easier to set-up than the AM1 as you don't have to actually open the thing to dial it. The controls do changes that are noticeable. Actually, I used the rebound / compression and floodgate all the way open and noticed immediately I needed more rebound damping and adjusted accordingly.
I feel a bit of more small bump compliance on the AM1 (HSCV version) but less fore-aft flex for the Pike, though there was still a little bit. It maybe needs to be broken in.
The stroke is nice on the Pike, just ramping up by the end of the travel nicely. It doesn't have the brake dive and wallow at low speeds the AM1 had. However it sucks up the medium to bit stuff on par (if not better) than the HSCV and far superior to the TST.
Gotta love the U-Turn and the way it dials itself making it easier to bottom while using less travel. Nice.
Some pics...
By warp2003
Using a nice amount of travel... which was harder to get with the AM1...
By warp2003, shot with DSC-W30 at 2008-02-04
By warp2003, shot with DSC-W30 at 2008-02-04
By warp2003, shot with DSC-W30 at 2008-02-04
The Roco felt nice and even though I sued the same 35mm as before, I did not feel the sudden stop...
The Gap stem plays nice with the CK headset... which is a surprise given its pricepoint.
Black bolts on the Deus...
The new cockpit...
Early stimulation... Warp style... ;)
Whafe... thank you, mate! Huge thanks!
I took the chance to put a new set of bars and stem. The Syncros Bulk 7075 lo-rise will take over the Race Face Evolve XC and the FSA Gravity Gap stem in 75mm flavour will take over the Thomson Elite that was on.
I had a VERY little ride on the revamped bike... only to hit a storm drain and total a the rear tyre tube. Oh, well...
The Pike gave me a very, very nice starting feeling. If the AM1 was impressive, this one was even better. We'll see if it holds up to expectations...
Anyway... I had a very nice impression from the Pike and basically new front end. Everything is nice and stiff. I'm not missing the Thomson stem. The Gap stem does the same (except for looks as the thing is ugly as a kick in the crotch) and the Syncros Bulk bar is very nice and comfy.
The whole front end feels nice... but I had no chance to notice anything more than more tracking ability.
On the Pike... oddly, it's easier to set-up than the AM1 as you don't have to actually open the thing to dial it. The controls do changes that are noticeable. Actually, I used the rebound / compression and floodgate all the way open and noticed immediately I needed more rebound damping and adjusted accordingly.
I feel a bit of more small bump compliance on the AM1 (HSCV version) but less fore-aft flex for the Pike, though there was still a little bit. It maybe needs to be broken in.
The stroke is nice on the Pike, just ramping up by the end of the travel nicely. It doesn't have the brake dive and wallow at low speeds the AM1 had. However it sucks up the medium to bit stuff on par (if not better) than the HSCV and far superior to the TST.
Gotta love the U-Turn and the way it dials itself making it easier to bottom while using less travel. Nice.
Some pics...
By warp2003
Using a nice amount of travel... which was harder to get with the AM1...
By warp2003, shot with DSC-W30 at 2008-02-04
By warp2003, shot with DSC-W30 at 2008-02-04
By warp2003, shot with DSC-W30 at 2008-02-04
The Gap stem plays nice with the CK headset... which is a surprise given its pricepoint.
Black bolts on the Deus...
The new cockpit...
Early stimulation... Warp style... ;)
The Cold Cahuamas !
I was lucky enough to find a very nice group of folks to ride with.
We all are people in our thirties (bare minimum requisite) who love two things... Bikes and BEER!!!
Hence the name... The Cold Cahuamas
Our fearless leader... Oscar, the "Human GPS"...
Rene, aka "Rana 1" (left) and from New Zealand, Adrian the Flying Kiwi (right)...
Rana 1 in action...
Edgar, our resident Crash Test Dummy (right), here with Rana 1...
Here, Jorge "El Chiva"... with his Cuauhtemoc Blanco Signature gloves...
Bladimir... Aka... Blad (Duh!) Our bike model...
By warp2003, shot with DSC-W30 at 2007-11-25
Rana 1, Blad and I...
Our Rocket Fuel....
We all are people in our thirties (bare minimum requisite) who love two things... Bikes and BEER!!!
Hence the name... The Cold Cahuamas
Our fearless leader... Oscar, the "Human GPS"...
Rene, aka "Rana 1" (left) and from New Zealand, Adrian the Flying Kiwi (right)...
Rana 1 in action...
Edgar, our resident Crash Test Dummy (right), here with Rana 1...
Here, Jorge "El Chiva"... with his Cuauhtemoc Blanco Signature gloves...
Bladimir... Aka... Blad (Duh!) Our bike model...
By warp2003, shot with DSC-W30 at 2007-11-25
Rana 1, Blad and I...
Our Rocket Fuel....
Bike Stuff
This space will be dedicated to all bike stuff.
I'll start by saying I ride a Titus Switchblade '04 with 5" of travel at the rear end and 5" at the front. The rider just don't do justice to the steed. It's a terrific bike. Everything on it is plain well above the average, despite being a former generation trailbike. Ok, the term "trailbike" wasn't even coined when the Switchblade first made it to the trails.
It was maybe the greatest of its time... and it still can kick serious arse to newer generation ('05 and newer) bikes.
Build List:
Frame: Titus Switchblade 2004, 5" rear travel
Size: M (19" - 23.25" Top tube)
Shock: Fox Float R ProPedal 2005 / Progressive 5th Element Air / [Not quite there: Marzocchi Roco Air R]
Fork: Marzocchi All Mountain 1 130mm-150mm
Headset: Chris King NoThreadset
Brakes: Magura Louise BAT Carbon, 180mm Front / 160mm Rear rotor diameter
Crankset: Race Face Deus, 175mm cranks, 44, 32, 22t
Bottom Bracket: Race Face XC/AM Series, outboard
Pedals: Time ATAC Alium, platform clipless
Stem: Thomson Elite, 90mm X 5°, 25.4mm handlebar clamp
Handlebar: Race Face Evolve XC, Low Rise (1.5"), 25.4mm diameter
Seatpost: Thomson Elite, 31.6mm X 330mm (cut to size)
Front Hub: Hope XC, 32H
Rear Hub: Hope Bulb, 32H, 36pts of engagement freewheel
Front Rim: Alex FD28 (21mm wide inside beads)
Rear Rim: Alex FD28 (21mm wide inside beads)
Spokes: DT Swiss Competition 2.0-1.8-2-0
Shifters: SRAM X.7 Triggers
Chain: Shimano HG-72
Front Derrailleur: Shimano XT, 34.9mm clamp dia., Top pull, top swing.
Rear Derrailleur: SRAM X.7, Long cage.
Cassette: SRAM PG-950, 9sp
Saddle: WTB Rocket V Stealth
Shifter Cable Housing: Shimano Generic
Front Tyre: Schwalbe Nobby Nic 2.4"
Rear Tyre: Schwalbe Nobby Nic 2.25"
I'll start by saying I ride a Titus Switchblade '04 with 5" of travel at the rear end and 5" at the front. The rider just don't do justice to the steed. It's a terrific bike. Everything on it is plain well above the average, despite being a former generation trailbike. Ok, the term "trailbike" wasn't even coined when the Switchblade first made it to the trails.
Build List:
Frame: Titus Switchblade 2004, 5" rear travel
Size: M (19" - 23.25" Top tube)
Shock: Fox Float R ProPedal 2005 / Progressive 5th Element Air / [Not quite there: Marzocchi Roco Air R]
Fork: Marzocchi All Mountain 1 130mm-150mm
Headset: Chris King NoThreadset
Brakes: Magura Louise BAT Carbon, 180mm Front / 160mm Rear rotor diameter
Crankset: Race Face Deus, 175mm cranks, 44, 32, 22t
Bottom Bracket: Race Face XC/AM Series, outboard
Pedals: Time ATAC Alium, platform clipless
Stem: Thomson Elite, 90mm X 5°, 25.4mm handlebar clamp
Handlebar: Race Face Evolve XC, Low Rise (1.5"), 25.4mm diameter
Seatpost: Thomson Elite, 31.6mm X 330mm (cut to size)
Front Hub: Hope XC, 32H
Rear Hub: Hope Bulb, 32H, 36pts of engagement freewheel
Front Rim: Alex FD28 (21mm wide inside beads)
Rear Rim: Alex FD28 (21mm wide inside beads)
Spokes: DT Swiss Competition 2.0-1.8-2-0
Shifters: SRAM X.7 Triggers
Chain: Shimano HG-72
Front Derrailleur: Shimano XT, 34.9mm clamp dia., Top pull, top swing.
Rear Derrailleur: SRAM X.7, Long cage.
Cassette: SRAM PG-950, 9sp
Saddle: WTB Rocket V Stealth
Shifter Cable Housing: Shimano Generic
Front Tyre: Schwalbe Nobby Nic 2.4"
Rear Tyre: Schwalbe Nobby Nic 2.25"