The new ride

Okay, got the bike in at the end of last week. I also got in a few personal effects. I needed to swap the fork out to something that would work with my weight. I didn't want to get into swapping out the front hub, so I needed to keep the fork quick release. I have been happy with my RockShox air forks over the last few years, so it seemed the safe bet to pick up a Revelation Air.

I also needed some better stoppers. 6 inch mechanical brakes are not too impressive. I scoured around and found front and rear Avid Juicy Five hydraulic brakes with 7in rotors. I have been on Shimano hydraulics for about 3 years. Gotta say the Avids feel pretty good.



Still needs a couple of small adjustments, but it is pretty close to right. It is also pretty light, probably under 30lb. That is kind of weird for me.

I have a couple of rides on it now. Compared to the Turner 29er it feels small. The inch shorter top tube length and compact geometry makes it a bit weird to get accustomed to. Overall it is not as much of a plow as the 29er, but it also has it's advantages. I had forgotten how much more effort was required to keep the 29er wheels rolling. With the smaller wheels there is mechanical and weight advantage. It is much easier to maintain speed on slight uphills. Traction definitely goes to the 29er wheel. I find myself spinning out in the mud and rocks a lot more on the little wheels.

So 29er or 26er???
Still up for debate. I will have to cast my vote after a bit more ride time on the little wheels.

Here are a couple shots of my previous Hecklers...

Late 2004, early 2005
My first 2nd generation Heckler
Heavy, but a very capable build


Late 2005
Lighter, the "NEW" DHX coil
it was cheaper to buy a new frame than the shock alone
the crossmax wheels were very temporary, not stiff enough for me


I am still trying to get a photo of my original Heckler. Only photos in existance are with Ed. I think it was about 1999/2000. I rode the heckler for a while, but decided that full suspension was too bouncy. So I rode hardtails for about 4 years waiting for FS technology to get better. Fortunately for us all it has.