tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4501437224497800843.post8136084476543114711..comments2024-01-19T00:51:29.523-08:00Comments on Cycling Spokane: L'ala CarteJohn Spearehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07187638368645707099noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4501437224497800843.post-14214552551474152052011-03-23T08:19:45.448-07:002011-03-23T08:19:45.448-07:00Dan/Willy: Thanks for the ideas --
I really like ...Dan/Willy: Thanks for the ideas --<br /><br />I really like the Willy bar-end-idea. I had forgotten about those. I'll give them a shot.<br /><br />Good thing there's no hydraulic lever for drop bars (there's not, right?) or the Midges might find their way on this bike.John Spearehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07187638368645707099noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4501437224497800843.post-16449826705255127552011-03-20T22:36:12.085-07:002011-03-20T22:36:12.085-07:00I agree with Dan O on the bar ends. Check your pic...I agree with Dan O on the bar ends. Check your pics of my Breezer for details of my flat bar setup. Notice the curved bar ends, sooooo much more comfy than straight-ish ones, they feel a lot like drop bar lever hoods. I use them a lot for technical trail climbing as well as riding them hours on end doing stuff like the MC.Willynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4501437224497800843.post-23576908604939940652011-03-19T22:10:07.645-07:002011-03-19T22:10:07.645-07:00Nice bike. To keep the flat bar, try some old sch...Nice bike. To keep the flat bar, try some old school bar ends - short ones. They've fallen out of fashion in the mountain bike work, except for hard core XC racing.<br /><br />I still run 'em however - it's like riding and climbing using the brake hoods on a road bike. Just feels right.Dan Ohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15609122101907983132noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4501437224497800843.post-60071438648479297692011-03-19T20:46:10.448-07:002011-03-19T20:46:10.448-07:00John: Sweet looking bike! It is very similar to t...John: Sweet looking bike! It is very similar to the Kona that I just built up, which is also OX Plat. I find that On One Mary Bars aka Origin-8 Space Bars are the only ones that work for me on long distances. I think I could even do 50-60 miles on them.<br /><br />Ryan: If you want to try out a mountain bike my older one is still assembled and your size. My neighbor is planning on buying the frame at some point, but it'll probably be assembled with my config for a couple more months (or at least until the end of May when John will be visiting me and borrowing it).<br /><br />The mountain bike beats the Monster Cross when you get into steep descents with dropoffs and loose material and real singletrack type stuff. The monster cross beats the mountain bike on 50+ mile dirt road rides with fast loose dirt road descents. I'm glad to own both, and this is coming from a guy who's trying to keep my bike stable as lean as possible.alex wetmorehttp://alexwetmore.orgnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4501437224497800843.post-30635623374011638442011-03-19T20:00:54.849-07:002011-03-19T20:00:54.849-07:00Sean: a buddy of mine has an older (2003 or so?) E...Sean: a buddy of mine has an older (2003 or so?) El Mariachi, with the EBB. Sweet bike. I dig those.<br /><br />BDD: thanks. I have those thumb shifters on my cargo bike too, but in friction mode. I had heard before that there was a "phantom" index shift for 8th gear, but I had forgotten that until I read about it yesterday. I think I'll index the cargo bike...<br /><br /><br />Ryan: this is all mountain bike. My guess is that I'd be good for 40 miles tops on this bike. (see handlebar comments in post), whereas the Rawland, shod with Quasi-motos is an all day dirt road/Nat'l Forest 'splorer. I've also done a dirt road century ride a couple times on the Rawland. There's no way I'd take this Ala Carte on such a ride.John Spearehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07187638368645707099noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4501437224497800843.post-35076846668905070692011-03-19T19:51:16.217-07:002011-03-19T19:51:16.217-07:00John, how do you like it compared to the rough stu...John, how do you like it compared to the rough stuff/monstercross setup for offroad?Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02207212792837378381noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4501437224497800843.post-7989269968003528242011-03-19T18:43:26.701-07:002011-03-19T18:43:26.701-07:00Nice bike, I like your setup. Looks like a lot of ...Nice bike, I like your setup. Looks like a lot of fun to ride. Good job on using the Deore XTII thumb shifters; I have used mine for two decades now, with 7 and 8 speed cassettes without a problem. I'm astonished that other than the Paul Thumbies converter mounts for bar end shifters, there are no currently made high quality equivalents.Andy D.https://www.blogger.com/profile/01721273913834541311noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4501437224497800843.post-75908585787246804402011-03-19T18:25:00.689-07:002011-03-19T18:25:00.689-07:00Awesome. The Ala Carte is a pretty sweet frame, a...Awesome. The Ala Carte is a pretty sweet frame, a friend of mine in Phoenix had one and I found it very similar to my Unit only with gears. Same OX Platinum and same supple ride. Of course, I also own the big brother to this bike, the El Mariachi. Damn, I need to get out and ride...Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16454646736540616222noreply@blogger.com