Tuesday, October 23, 2012

bike in a box

A fact of life: you can't stop a kid from growin.  To wit, time to cast about for new steeds for both our young racers.


Found a great deal online for Will the Thrill, to set him up into his first 26" wheeled rig.


Check it!
  1. 13" alum frame, 29 pounds all told.  Saves 7# off his steel 24" wheeled Schwinn.
  2. 24 speeds, deore rear derailleur
  3. 80mm front fork, adjustable, lockout
  4. Mechanical disc brakes
  5. WTB saddle, rims
  6. all wrapped into a stealth black frame- Noice!
 

It shipped straight from an online retailer, cuts the LBS middle man and requisite markups.

Saves Team Heitman a good bit of cabbage, all the more important considering we need to stretch our pesos on into another more qualifying 29er for Shredder.


Setup is a snap:
  1. Unbox & unwrap
  2. Set wheels
  3. Install handlebars
  4. Connect front brake cabling, adjust brakes.
  5. Install pedals
  6. Adjust saddle, shifters, bars to fit.
  7. Shifts great right out of the box!


 
Buying direct online, from an off-brand manufacturer, is not without it's fair share of controversy and risk (does not support LBS, quality control is a bit suspect), but this here blogger can attest it works for this Team.



The boy absolutely loves it. Loves the weight savings, the big mo' offered by the 'big' hoops, the all-stealth package.  Customized it right away with a gold Poison Spider sticker he's been saving for the better part of two years for just this occasion.  Wooot!

Roll on Dude!

10 comments:

  1. I have seen these online bike offers pop us advertisements while I'm surfing the net. I noticed they were "off brand" for the most part, and I've wondered what the quality was like. I'm looking forward to a follow up report. The 29ers from the source I saw online (which I believe to be the same source from whence you made your purchase) had some really tempting price points.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. I'll make sure to post our findings. We have purchased 2 prior adult bikes from direct online retailers- worked out well enuf that the Mrs is still using hers 4 years later. They were both full susp frames that suffered a bit of pedal bob, but with otherwise good components. I cracked a frame that was replaced under warranty, but that was enuf for me to upgrade into a boutique manuf when I next upgraded my 2 wheel drive. For a hardtail, I'd take another serious look online. I figured for a kid who's gonna grow out of this frame in 2-3 years- there's really no risk at all. Will's came from bikes direct. I've read good things about Airborne. Our previous Ibex manuf folded, the current management struggling to return. I think online can fit the bill in certain circumstances, some types of riding- riskier for full susp. Happy hunting out there Jay!

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    2. I cracked an aluminum frame on a Fisher once so I have no particular allegiance to boutique brands. I'm wiling to try anything that has decent components. Thanks for the reply.

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    3. You bet Jay- let us know how it all shakes down~. Mjh

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  2. Look at all the fly rods and reels you could have bought!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well after near 20 years of casting a fly, I can attest we have a good supply of those- thankfully kids won't grow out of their favorite 4wts for a good while. Bikes now- I figure we have up to four more before these kids head out on their own.

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  3. Gotta love a new bike! I have great memories of my dad bring home a new bike for me as a kid. Didn't matter much where he got it, just that he got it. Good stuff Mike. Cheers!
    Chris

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    1. Truth be told- I dunno who's been more excited- like Christmas for the both of us! Mjh

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  4. Good stuff Mike - congrats to Will! Looks like he doesn't need it - but you can always throw in 24" wheels on a 26" frame as well to get another year or two out of a bike for growing kids, with both 24", or 24/26 setups. There are some pretty good rims and tires....and a 24" rear actually is a pretty nimble bike in rock gardens. A foto of Jeni's 24/26 setup at the Growler a few years back:

    http://www.mcturge.blogspot.com/2009/05/original-growler-2009-edition.html

    Now all he needs is a trip to White Mesa. ;-)

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    Replies
    1. well you just blew my mind with the 46'r, cool beans. Had no idea, thx for the tip. RE: white mesa, Will's a fair hand out there, hoping he can rip the east side with those big hoops. Thx for checkin in~ mike

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