[twindaddy]

Got home to find my neighbor grinning madly. Turns out the FedEx man let him hold my bike for a while until I got home.
I had planned to ride up Mission Peak this evening, but I guess I'll take the tank (the Fisher Joshua) up there in the morning. Now is time to assemble.
A few first impressions:
- Very nice attention to detail in the packing. Anything that could be scratched seems to have been covered in bubble wrap, cardboard or foam sheeting.
- I am by no means an expert biek mechanic, but it took only about 30 minutes to assemble and be spinning around the street adjusting the derailleurs (that has to be a French word, no?)
- There is a manual for everything that came on the bike. At least it appears that way. I never got any of this with my Fisher purchased at the LBS. Not sure I'll need/use any of it, but it's kinda nice to know it's here if I need it.
- Reflectors? Gone.
- It is really fun to have to tinker with the bike before hopping on it. I don't quite understand the reticence to order a bike on-line. Geometry may be an issue, but if you look at the specs and understand them it shouldn't be an issue. If you don't, try the LBS for sizing options and ask what things mean. If they understand long-term relationships and service they'll help you.
- The components are impressive on this "budget" bike. Maybe it's because it's new and clean, but MAN does it look like it costs a lot more than it did - at least to me.
- At 6'1" this 20" frame fits me very well. The geometry is similar enough to the Fisher that I don't feel akward, but it's different and I'll have to see how that plays out as I push it this weekend.
- The welds look as good as any other bikes I've seen.
- The paint job is _really_ sharp. I wasn't too thrilled with the idea of white, but the white, black, silver combo really looks good in this evening light.

Now for some issues:
- The front wheel was a little tweaked - assumedly from shipping. Fortunately I've been breaking spokes like mad lately, so I'm fairly good at adjusting them. A few twists with the spoke wrench and all is good.
- Fixing the wheel didn't fix the rubbing front disc. I've only been with this bike for an hour, so who knows what will come later tonight.
- There is a little play in my rear brake side pivot as well. This makes it hard (if not impossible) for a one-man brake adjustment. Maybe the rubbing will go away after a few rides. I'm new to disc's, so we'll see.
- Where the hell is the proper place for the rear shock lockout lever? I was pleasantly surprised to find that it had a remote lockout, but there seems to be no convenient/appropriate location for it. It wasn't attached to the bars like the rest of the levers and just doesn't feel right no matter where I put it. Because I came to love this feature on my Fisher (I'm a climbing freak/weirdo) I can see spending more time on this than my brakes or shifters.
- The PC that has my camera software is parked while I remodel the office, so pics will be a little delayed.

Looking forward to breaking it in this weekend. Not so much though that I'll risk my head by bombing down Mission Peak on a new bike. I'll try Coyote Hills or Pleasanton Ridge on Sunday. If all goes according to plan this will come with me to Boggs for the long holiday weekend. If not, the trusty old tank is still ready and willing.

More to follow...

And here are the crappy pics:

 

[Jake Pay]

Congratulations :drumroll:

the derailleurs (that has to be a French word, no?)

Oui Monsieur..

Sounds like your having to much fun just unpacking and assembling..
Gawd help us once you get to ride :lol:

I'll be lookin' forward to the report and pictures :thumbsup:

Have fun!

 

[taikuodo]

Ha I live in Pleasanton! Where are you from?

 

[twindaddy]

I'm in Fremont. I ride primarily Coyote Hills (weeknight training rides), Mission Peak, Shell Ridge (Diablo) and Pleasanton Ridge. We have a place in Kelseyville - about 20 minutes from Boggs - so Boggs has become my new weekend hideaway.
Maybe a local get together is in order. There are some awesome trails also in Oakland, Lake Chabot has a few decent rides, the Plunge in Hayward, etc. I'm always up for revisiting some of those or just pounding out my regulars as long as there's a cold beer at the end

 

[mrpercussive]

I'm in Fremont. I ride primarily Coyote Hills (weeknight training rides), Mission Peak, Shell Ridge (Diablo) and Pleasanton Ridge. We have a place in Kelseyville - about 20 minutes from Boggs - so Boggs has become my new weekend hideaway.
Maybe a local get together is in order. There are some awesome trails also in Oakland, Lake Chabot has a few decent rides, the Plunge in Hayward, etc. I'm always up for revisiting some of those or just pounding out my regulars as long as there's a cold beer at the end

we should hookup... i'm a frequent rider in JMP, oakland... XD

 

[twindaddy]

Ride impressions

I decided to scrap the Mission Peak romp this AM in favor of breaking in the Ibex. Glad I did.
The first thing I had to do this AM was get over the sticker shock. There were no fewer than twelve stickers to remove. Since when did mountain bikes become rolling billboards :???: It's one thing to have the manufacturers logo on a fork, but a sticker describing every feature and warning is a bit excessive in my opinion.
Next up was checking the shocks. I went with 95 rear (1/2 my body weight) and 125 front. Seems to be reasonable for the trails I rode this AM (15 miles at Coyote Hills - mostly gravel fire roads, some dirt single track, gravely climbs and a couple miles of pavement to get there and back). I hit about half compression on the rear and 1/3 on the front.
I was suprised at how well in tune the shifting was. A couple small turns on the front and everything was in harmony shift-wise.
Braking was another story. I could not adjust out the rubbing on the rear. I found that a slight pull on the lever stopped the rubbing. Now that I'm back I'll have to look a little closer. I was will to ride with a little noise for the maiden voyage.
Once I entered the park I hit the pedals pretty hard throug the first fire road. I really like how nimble and responsive it felt here compared to the tank I usually ride. There was no rattling of chain, frame or other parts - even over the washboard sections. The bike felt really solid here, but this is not rough riding at all, so it _should_ handle it well. I had forgotten how crisply new components shift and played with all the gears just to feel them snap into place. That alone may have been worth the price
Now I approached my favorite ridge climb. The entry is steep, but not so much so that you need to lock the suspension. Nonetheless, there was very little squish in the rear. I left the lockout alone and was easily able to scramble up the first section. The geometry was comfortable to me and the weight of the bike was a welcome feature.
From there is a steep little drop and then right back into a short steep climb of about 200 yards - the second part of which took me five or six attempts to nail on the Fisher. It takes a mix of balance and technique to get that tank up this section, but the Ibex had no issues at all. Again I didn't feel the need to lock either end. The rear was planted firmly through the ascent and the front only pulled up minimally when I really pulled on the bars. I was really pleased with how well it climbed as well as how stable it rides at such low speed. I'm constantly crossing the bars back and forth on the Fisher, but was able to pretty much point and pedal with the Ibex.
Now from the top of the hills comes the short single track with some little chutes and ladders in the middle - a section where I like to break spokes. I pointed the nose down and gave the discs their first real test. It took some getting used to the "squishy" feel of the hydraulics, but boy can these things stop. I almost went ass over a few times until I found the right pulsing method to keep the wheels rolling at a safe speed. The rocky chutes were not a problem and I even got cocky enough to take the second section on the rear wheel only. My confidence was rising.
From here I head to a climb known as Nike Hill. It's a mediocre paved road that has same variations in steepness. Here I tried the lockout on both ends. Again I didn't find it all the necessary, but locking the rear does seem to be more beneficial on the pavement - at least to me. Again the lighter weight of the Ibex was a blessing. I was able to bomb down the backside and up the fire road three times in succession without hesitation. It's a nice workout and the downhill is fast and smooth, yet gave me a chance to let the suspension show what it can do. It was just what I needed, although I think I can go a little softer on the rear.
To wrap things up I headed in reverse up the earlier single-track - something I'd only started trying a few weeks ago. It's impossible on the Fisher. There are sections that are just too steep and to rough to climb. Well guess what? I couldn't do it on the Ibex either I did, however, get all the way to the second chute in one climb. I'd never done this before. I now think that with a few more attempts I'll find a line through the chute and make it all the way. This climb is where I finally found that locking both ends helps. I needed to get all my power to the drive line and locking them both down did the trick. The remote makes it super easy to lock the rear and the front is only a foot away from the bars. Piece of cake.
So I hit every trail there and didn't find anything that it couldn't take. Granted this is mostly beginner stuff, but I make it as challenging as possible. I love to climb and there's plenty of that to do. The Ibex seems to be aptly named in this case. I'm looking forward to pushing it a little harded this week when we're at Boggs. More to follow...

Oh... and in the interest of full disclosure, I really wanted to find something to not like about this bike. I've been a huge Fisher fan for years and kind of "settled" on the Ibex after trying the HiFi and feeling that it was just over priced. I have buddies with the Cake and Sugar and some old aluminum hard tails. They all have such a cool factor and people are always asking about them. However after two hours on varied terrain I couldn't find anything to complain about. I came away from this mornings ride feeling like I had just made one of the best investments I could have. In fact, it's the same way I felt when I got the Joshua for under a grand 8 or 9 years ago and first took it to Mt Diablo. It was by no means a serious ride, but it sure has served me well and I expect the same to be true of this Ibex.

 

[Jake Pay]

Awesome looking, I hope IBEX keeps white in the mix..

Great review and a pleasure reading your unique turn of phrase..Also I see that your IBEX has matured and the horns are growing in quite nicely..

 

[dogonfr]

Awesome :thumbsup::thumbsup: As mrperc said we need to all get together & ride sometimes. Jake noticed the same thin i did, sproutin horn's.

 

[twindaddy]

Jake noticed the same thin i did, sproutin horn's.

Old metal heads never die :band: - we just put our "devil's horns" on our bikes :cornut:

I'm up for a ride (or is the new lingo "down" for a ride?) on a weekend. I typically head up to the Clear Lake area on Friday evening and hit Boggs on Sat and Sun. During the week I could make use of the late summer sun and meet y'all somewhere within an hour or so of Fremont.

 

[dogonfr]

Old metal heads never die :band: - we just put our "devil's horns" on our bikes :cornut:

I'm up for a ride (or is the new lingo "down" for a ride?) on a weekend. I typically head up to the Clear Lake area on Friday evening and hit Boggs on Sat and Sun. During the week I could make use of the late summer sun and meet y'all somewhere within an hour or so of Fremont.

JMP in Oakland has some sweet loops, that is the closest to you. The loops are primarily DH but there are XC trails. You rip down then hike up, unless your a XC guy Dominican in San Rafael is totally pimp.
At Dom you get XC/AM/FR & DH all in 1 trip, one of my favorite's. :drumroll:
We can do a BBQ at my house in Pinole for the drive home if your into that. Bring the fam over us boys go & play, my wife , yours & the Twins can go hit up the Mall or what ever. :thumbsup:

 

[dogonfr]

Dank forgot we can play on the pump track in my yard. It's small but chalenging. :cornut::cornut:

 

[twindaddy]

Short update here:
- I got the brakes dialed in tonight. It just took persistence. What I did was the same thing I do with the V brakes. I found and marked the spot where the rubbing seemed to occur. I then positioned that spot in the caliper, clamped down the lever and adjusted from there. That did the trick. No more rubbing regardless of tilt or compression. There is no visible (at least to my old eyes) wobble in the disc, so I'm curious why it does this. Is this common on discs?
- The front DR cable was already stretching a tad, so that was adjusted this evening as well.
- Checked all the major screws/bolts and nothing was coming loose - even after the rocky washboard downhill in sections of Mission Peak.

Still very pleased here and looking forward to Boggs on Wednesday. I'll be bringing the old tank too for a little comparison between the two.

 

[dogonfr]

It's kinda like a rim when it gets bent, you have a thin hardened piece of steel disc you stand a good chance of it not being perfectly flat. I was having problems with over heating 8in rotors in the back of the Blitz II on the same section for awhile. I swapped it for a 6in rotor & have had no problem since. Cant explain why a smaller rotor dissipates heat faster but it works & the heill with theory.