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Derailleurs: Tall, Grande or Venti

If you’ve ever tried to purchase a derailleur, one question that might come up…”what size cage?”

Here’s a brief explanation that you could refer to:

Short Cage: Used for cassettes with 11-30T
Medium Cage: Used for cassettes with 11-32T
Long Cage: Used for cassettes with 11-34T

In the event you didn’t know what the “T” stood for, that means teeth. For example the 11 would be your smallest gear and the 34 would be your biggest gear in the back.

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Work In Progress: Sette Venom

Forgive the dark photos, I would have waited until tomorrow to take them, but I couldn’t wait to share the progress of the Sette Venom.
sette venom

Here’s the spec sheet so far:

Sette Stumpy stem
Azonic DH riser bar
Ultegra 12-27t rear cassette
Blackspire 38t DH chain ring
MRP Chainguide
Marzochhi Bomber 66 Light with ETA Fork
Shimano LX rear derailleur
Serfas ARC-3 ARC Saddle
Alex wheels with front WOOdman 20mm hub, rear hub is a Shimano Deore (don’t ask me the model-I forgot)
Rear tire: Kenda Telonix 2.2
Front tire: Kenda Nevegal 2.5

There’s more to be done with the bike. I still need to run a chain, derailleur cable and brakes. After that, its time to start testing!

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Ride Report: Fontana DH and 4X practice runs


A few of us headed to Fontana last weekend to do some DH practice runs. We met Donny and Tom as we were walking our bikes to the top and the interim course was already laid out. Anyhow, it looks like some of us are a little rusty:


Mike Stoner looking for worms


Ian smelling the flowers


Wes testing the Sette Armor

Some of us also tried the 4X track, Wes, Ian and JD were launching off the jumps:

I was really hung over so I didn’t ride much, that was one of the reasons I didn’t sample the soil as the others did.

If Donny stays with the planned course, it should be a fun challenging one for beginners, I will head out on the 10th and check the final course.

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Snap!


Running out of time this morning, I couldn’t shoot this from the best angle. This was what I could come up

Not a good sound to hear. I was riding the loop on a pre-work morning ride, riding it backwards because… you know that’s how I roll. haha. As I stood up to climb a short steep hill, I hear a loud snap. I immediately stop, which I’ve learned normally limits the damage, and check my chain. What I saw caused me to do a double take: half the cage, the jockey wheel suspended on the chain. Ouch.


It was funny how this piece was on the chain, but not attached to the rest of the derailleur

I turned around and got to the bottom of the hill without pedaling. I removed the SRAM powerlink, why I love SRAM chains, and removed the bottom half of the derailleur cage. I then rode my Single Speed Full Suspension 29er back to my car, walking the uphills, though.


Again, out of time and working with a P & S camera. This was the best I could get.

Quick perusal of pricepoint.com, which I use for much of my buying needs, netted me last year’s x9 rear derailleur (no changes from last year to this year) for $35 less than this year’s x9. To top it off, because I live in So. Cal, I could order it now and get it tomorrow. The bike will be back in action really soon.

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This is why I wear a full face and pads…

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Ibex Summer Sale

Ibex has a sweet sale on their bikes and frames.

Ignition Super Pro
normally $1499, on sale for $1199

Alpine Frame, normally $249, on sale for $99

There’s more stuff on sale, just check out Ibex Bikes and save money!

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Super Bummed Out…

Went to the doctor’s office last night to have them check out my left calf. I’ve had some pain in it since we last did Telonics 2 weeks ago. During that ride, my last run…the last 50 feet of it, I crashed. Afterward I’ve experienced nothing but pain.

So I finally went, and the good doctor said that I have a something called a Grade 1 or 2 Calf Strain. Basically part of my calf tore. I can walk, but I now do it with a Gangsta lean.

Now what? Well, I have to stay off the bike for a few weeks until it heals…I know it doesn’t sound so bad, but its still a bummer for me.

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Product Review: Mighty Mendit

I’m sure you’ve seen the infomercials with Billy Mays for the product, Might Mendit. I’m a sucker for infomercials and if Billy Mays is on it, then that means the product is pretty good, right?

Recently I tore a huge hole on my Sette Impact Protective Suit because I was taking it off the wrong way and pulled to hard…RIIIIP! Big hole in the arm pit.

Here’s the damage…
sette impact suit

Got some Mighty Mendit for $9.99
Might Mendit

I applied it to parts of the damaged area. Keep in mind that the fabric is like an elastic mesh, so that meant the Mighty Mendit was going to get a bit messy.

Put some pressure on it, made sure it sealed.

Voila! It’s fixed! Just let it dry, wait about 2 hours to wear and 24 hours to wash and you’re ready to roll.

Though the repair job it self wasn’t pretty looking, Mighty Mendit worked. I did think about sewing up my suit, but figured since the material was holey and stretchy, that it would have torn through the stitching again. Mighty Mendit did a good job and I was pretty impressed with it. For $10 is it worth it, sure. Besides if you don’t know how to sew, this is perfect for you!
might mendit

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Sette Venom Freeride Frame

The Sette Venom just got delivered today to the MtnBikeRiders.com HQ….and boy I tell you whut, this thing is legit man!

sette venom

Here’s the features of the Venom:

Sink your fangs into any trail and the Sette Venom will deliver. The plush, adjustable 6-7” single pivot suspension will smooth out most any obstacle, keeping those wheels against the ground when you need it the most. Nail those gaps, rail those corners and hold on for some amazing adventure with this super strong 7005/6061 aluminum freeride frame.

Sette chose to equip the Venom with the Rock Shox Vivid 5.1. An excellent coil-assisted shock that features an incredible amount of adjustability, including external ending stroke rebound, beginning stroke rebound, and compression.

The Venom frame comes complete with all of the standard features that you would expect from Sette products; sealed cartridge bearing pivot points, integrated hydraulic brake hose guides that lead to IS standard rear brake mounts, cable guides, seatpost clamp, replaceable derailleur hanger, and a durable powder coated finish.

Rock Shox Vivid 5.1 Coil Over Shock
Sette Venom

The site says the color of the frame is red, but upon my first glance of the frame, its almost like rusty-ish red…a lighter burgundy…I actually like it because its a unique color and you won’t mistake it with any other brand.
sette venom

Just in case you wanted to know, specs:

Material 7005/ 6061 Aluminum
Welding Tig Welding
Rear Suspension Travel 7″/ 177.8mm
Recommended Fork Suspension Travel 7″-8″/ 180-200mm
Headset 1-1/8″ Standard
Front Derailleur 34.9mm Bottom Pull
Bottom Bracket 73mm
Max Rear Tire Clearance 2.5″
Seatpost Size 31.6mm
Seat Clamp Size 34.9mm
Disc Mount IS Standard
Shock Length (eye-to-eye) 8.75″/ 222.3mm
Shock Stroke 50mm
Damping External ending stroke rebound, beginning stroke rebound,
and compression
Available Sizes Small (17″/43cm), Medium (18″/46cm)
Color(s) Red
Weight 11.35lbs (w/ Shock, Small Size Avg.)
Warranty 5 Years

We’re looking forward to testing this frame. We like the fact its a single pivot design, which to me, means its going to be trouble free and reliable. Shoot, many of the world’s best DH/FR bikes are single pivot…but the Sette Venom is a fraction of the cost, at $499.08, that’s a steal of a deal.

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Trail Bunnies

Trail Bunnies: mysterious creatures of the mountain biking trail. Trail bunnies come in many sizes and assortments which have been designated as sub-species. This ubiquitous creature is commonly found all over the world on the trails. Trail bunnies have been thoroughly studied by men but their thought patterns are still not completely understood. Who am I kidding? Their thought patterns are not understood by men at all.


A REAL Celeb-Bunny

The first sub species of the mysterious trail bunny we will examine today is the Celeb-Bunny (CB). The CB is a very rare creature indeed. Most CBs are mistakenly identified and should be categorized as Faux Celebs Bunnies (FCB). The main differences between the CB & FCB are their methods of transportation and living conditions. They’re usually found in designer furs, sporting small white lines into their ears while also palling around with Fido.

Fido, in this case, is usually also in designer furs, small in stature compared to other Fidos, loud and not particularly useful for anything other than being loud. CBs have a few interesting traits that distinguish themselves from other trail bunnies: STRONG fragrant odor, overly large eye coverings and mysterious colorful markings on their face.


Not a real Celeb-Bunny

Celeb-bunnies & Faux Celeb-bunnies should be avoided at all costs. Their propensity to overreact to the slightest change in conditions is astounding. Take special care not to get too close as they scare easily and will call their bunny friends to rough you up or, even worse, close down the trail for mountain bikers. Notify them of your presence, move around them quickly and skedaddle!

The second sub species of the mysterious trail bunny is the Adventure-bunny (AB). The AB is not easily discerned on the trail. It sometimes takes multiple meetings with them before it can be determined that they are an actual AB versus a CB or FCB. It is important to distinguish the type of trail bunny you come across while out on the trails because they all have different demeanors and reactions to stimuli.


Adventure-Bunny is serious, pic from http://www.ecafracs.com/RabbitArmy/

The Adventure-Bunny is very serious about their time on the trail. They are not there to draw attention to themselves, but many times that is a byproduct of their working, out on the trail. The AB may have those odd white markings into her ear, but the rest of the garb is all business. The AB is there to get her work done. Due to the amount of time the AB spends on her work, out on the trail, she is very familiar with trail etiquette and is pleasant but focused.

The Adventure-Bunny is definitely the bunny to keep an eye on. If they are out with Fido, it is a substantial Fido, one capable of causing damage if need be. If traveling in packs, the AB is known to be competitive and will use your riding by as a “distraction” to gain a competitive advantage over the other ABs. This is what you need to be aware of as being used sucks.

The last type of Trail Bunny is also quite rare but easily discerned. We call them Advanced-Adventure-Running-Bunnies or AARB for short. The AARB is truly a unique creature and rarely seen solo. They are usually doing weird things like jogging an 18 mile loop around Chino Hills State Park. The AAB is the natural progression of the AB but thankfully not all ABs become AARBs. AARBs are usually the seniors of the trail bunny society. They also have the darkest coats from sun exposure, but do not normally sport the funny white lines leading up to the ears.


An Advanced-Adventure Running Bunny, stopping to think, note the dark fur coloring and lack of white lines leading up to the ears

Interestingly enough, their exposure to the sun and vast amounts of time have mellowed them out rather than making them into curmudgeons. The AARBs are usually the nicest trail bunnies out there, but they too are serious about their time on the trail. Also interesting is despite their advancement, they are still physically strong, mentally sharp and enjoyable to communicate with. Approach them joyfully and you will normally receive a like response.

Thank you for reading about the Trail Bunnies and their sub-species. Next up, we will examine the suicide rabbits and their counterparts the death defying ground squirrel. These guys love running towards spinning wheels and trying to jump through them! Stay tuned.

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