Getting dirt :)

It was beautiful yesterday in South Carolina, these Blue Skies invited to pick my Sky Blue Ventana and went for a nice ride. Three on a row, Friday evening warm up in the Swamp, Saturday morning repeating on a cold morning, and Sunday finally hitting the dirt in Paris Mountain.

Old pictures that become new with the Ventana, old trails look like new as the feeling driving the  El Gordo is just a new start. Back to the old times, no fork, 1x10, full rigid ... love it !!!!

The bike eats everything you put in front, the fat tires roll over each stone or tree root, the external 29" is just helping to go "over", like the terrain gets flatter, true that there is less acceleration, the feeling of having more weight to pull, but once the bike is on speed, you're fast ... fast to a point where you have to remind yourself you don't have a front fork ... I just need to be focused on that, as my head was on full suspension mode until just a few weeks ago, and now the front wheel needs more attention.

Still to early to decide, but the feeling is I will get faster with this bike, true it won't allow me to do some of the things I was able with the Mojo, but who cares ... not me. I decided a test Mojo vs El Gordo will take place in just a few weeks. Two different tracks, still to decide, one more XC the other an enduro version, then I will compare on same environment and day ... I can't wait :)

Getting dirt, getting dirt, getting dirt ... I love it !!!!

Do you remember this place ?

Fire Tower trail ... old places, new rides.

Kanuga Trail, a classic ride in Greenville SC

I love this view from the top of Kanuga

 



 

The Reservoir ....  

North Lake reservoir ... SC blue skies :)

 

Our flag in SC

 

 

A happy El Gordo ready to go home

 

From Greenville SC, Javi Paricio

El Gordo riding in Greenville SC

Finally riding with the El Gordo,

First impressions, bike is not as "fat" as I thought ... even if I compare with my road bike is like two different worlds, the bike feels light and fast, the 45North  Husker DU's with the Bontrager Jackalope wheels help a lot on this feeling.

The ride has been using the Greenville downtown Swamp Rabbit trail, and old train track converted in bike and pedestrian path from Greenville to Travelers Rest north of the city. The first section around downtown and Cleveland Park had some more turns and corners to see how easy the bike moves, and compared to the Ibis there is a need for more work when cornering. It's clearly the result of the external 29" diameter (26" in wheels + fat tires) and the fact of moving more tire.

The geometry it's excellent, I felt perfect from ground zero and the ride finish the same way, no muscles with any feeling of pain due to positioning.

It's still early to judge, as I didn't use any gravel road or trail, it was almost all flat or ascending just to get a feel and my body up from winter.

Photos attached ...

Swamp Rabbit Trail.

Furman University lake.

Forman University Bell Tower.

Detail of the paved path ... donations.

My El Gordo doesn't look so fat in front of a train :)

Greenville downtown, Reedy River Falls park, the Bridge and Main Street on the left ... love this city.

The two fats of the family ... attention to the small adhesive on the rear of the car :)

From Greenville SC, Javi Paricio

Fat Free ... because not all fat is bad :)

Thanks to our friend of Rocky Mountain Bicycles ....

Fat Free: Fat Bike Freeriding on a Blizzard from Rocky Mountain Bicycles on Vimeo.

From SC, Javi Paricio

Fat Bikes: Ventana El Gordo

It's been a while since my last post, and even I'm there I would say I was in the dark corner. Light is coming back, and new projects are lining up ... what's next, not sure, but maybe is fat :)

 

The original picture is from cylclemonkeylab, but I thought it will be a good idea to show at least one here. I'm not planning on a front suspension, rather I will go with a rigid fork. The rear derailleur won't be a Rolhoff ... unless they give me a great discount !

From SC, Javi Paricio

Merry Christmas :)

Sense aturades

És que no hi ha pels HM un instant per aturar-se, de fet per a nosaltres, sensacional, per a ells entenc que ha de ser el què els motiva, vull dir, a fer, fer, i fer.

MTB, MTB, MTB. 

http://fat-bike.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Salamandre-cycles-pinion-prototype-fat-bike-1.jpg