G’day!

Welcome @Ozzie
You obviously found the right "Friendly" mountain bike forum!
If you are Ex-Moto than you got the skills and just need to build a motor. I'm Ex-Moto and totally fell in love with mountain biking 30 years ago.
This place thrives on participation, so post up on any thread.

If you get your bike in time, join us up in Big Bear this Saturday: https://www.imtbtrails.com/forum/threads/august-10th-2019-big-bear-skyline-club-ride.8632/
The thread is a lengthy invite but the bottom line is 23 miles of cross country on some epic singletrack, 2500 elevation gain, it's a no drop imtbtrails social ride with a "grill and grub" "bikes and beer" tailgate party afterwards. Everyone is invited to include family.
Meet location is Snow Summit parking lot at 9:30 riding bikes by 10:00am.
Be great to see you there!

Mikie
imtbtrails

 

Don’t let @mtnbikej ’s comment about being a newb deter you. He just needs to ride with more experienced riders to constantly help him fix his bike and find his way because he keeps gettin lost out there. If you ever see him out on the trail, be sure to let him know you’d like to pass him on the left (or right)...he’s a rather slow rider, especially on the climbs and descents.

 

Hey.....I don't wanna share my Newb status with anyone else.

 

Damn. That sounds like a great day Unfortunately my bike won’t arrive until next week.
I will make sure I don’t miss the next ride day

 

I think he actually prefers passing riders to have a boom box now. So much easier to hear them coming. It really makes the trails safer for all users.

 

Welcome! You came to the right place, the folks on this site rock. jump in, Ride your bike and enjoy.
Mtb'in is freaking addictive, and oh so good for the body and soul!

 

Wanna borrow a bike?

 

Now yer talking!

@Ozzie, you gotta know we look after our own here...this community is strong on way more than just chatter. Even if you're too reserved to take the bike handout, you should get out of the heat and head up to Big Bear. Hike a trail; look at some beauty. Maybe size up these riders in person and decide if you can trust em in the backcountry. I'll put money on them passing severe scrutiny.

 

Fixed

 

Thanks for the invitation guys, but I will have to decline this week.

I will post again sometime next week, once I have the new toy

 

Looking forward to it!

 

Do you guys have any experience with The Path bike shop for in Tustin?

I’m looking for a place nearby to frequent for various parts/accessories.

What do you guys recommend?

(On another note); Visited the Fox Racing HQ in Irvine today for some riding gear - was a cool experience.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t allowed into the office where they keep all the old school race bikes from AMA supercross/outdoor.
I’m pretty sure they have Jeff Emigs old Kawasaki in there, as well as Chad Reeds Honda 450.

Next stop will be the Pro Circuit headquarters in Corona - they definitely have some great historical race bikes on display!
(If only I had enough money to be able to buy their works suspension for a dirt bike)

 

The Path is my go to LBS! used to frequent the Tustin location, and now go to the Live oak location as it's near my house. Even though Live Oak doesn't have the huge selection Tustin does I really like it.
The Tustin location has the best selection, will most likely have some odd random part you need, and the guys there know their stuff.
So anyway, 2 thumbs up!
There is a thread just for this too;
https://www.imtbtrails.com/forum/threads/the-path-bike-shop-live-oak-trabuco-cyn-and-tustin.4512/

 

Cheers, Dan

I checked out the thread you sent. Sounds like I will give them a go.

You guys and gals in OC are spoiled for choice when it comes to trails and bike shops.

After growing up in outback Western Australia, this is a breath of fresh air!

Long live American consumerism

 

I can second the recommendation for the guys at The Path... I'm normally in the Live Oak location, but some of the guys and gals go back and forth between shops. They're pretty helpful, and you'll even run into them on the trails on occasion. One of them just rode down a glacier... There's a thread on the forum about it. In the "racing" forum, I believe.

As far as being spoiled, I just found out that there's a shop right here in RSM that I didn't know about... Article in the OC Register yesterday.

 

I saw and stopped by that shop in RSM about a year ago. Was driving by and figured if check out out. It's about the size of a postage stamp, but the owner operator obviously does it for the love of biking.

 

My go-to shop in OC, and often when I'm not in OC. Ridden with some of those guys as well. MTB DNA flowing in that shop for sure. Don't expect to be attacked by sales people; don't be afraid to ask many questions.

Their shop in Trabuco Canyon is pretty cool, right next to O'niell Park and Cleveland Nat'l Forest. Go have a beer with Dean and Brian, talk bikes, then head over to Rose Canyon Cantina for some Mexican grub on the patio. Local culture, dig it.

 

These are the two guys that I most often deal with... But, I also have no problem adding Raul to the list... Along with Greg, Jesse (AKA Glacier Man), Shawn, Megan... And I'm probably forgetting a few.

If you get to the Tustin store, they have a takeoff room that is fun to browse. I've found a few things in there that I didn't know I needed.

 

The takeoff room is first on the list every time I walk into the Path in Tustin. Never know what you'll find.

 

Welcome yo!

 

Cheers Grego!

 

Went in there today and bought a new stack hat.
They have a lot of mtb stuff there.

The guys in there seem knowledgeable and most seem to ride trails themselves, which is great

 

Forgot to mention that they do shop rides as well... Pretty much a sampler of everything around.

 

What tires do you guys run for OC trails?

Was leaning towards Maxxis DHF minions or Rekon 2.8”.

Does anybody mix up the tires for front and rear combinations?

Would be good to hear your thoughts

 

@Ozzie I'm sure someone will post a link to the thread already going on about this.
Most will go with minions or rekons.
I run highroller front and aggressor rear. Suits me well. May try something with less rolling resistance soon. The new Maxxis Dissector looks promising.

 

Minions are the de facto standard for DH performance, but you have to love the DH to lug around their weight and rolling resistance. I've ridden them all over OC, disregarding whatever penalty. If you favor all-around performance (read: lighter weight and faster rolling) over sheer DH chops, lots of options. Bontrager XR4 Team Issue makes a good front tire. I've used Rekons f/r and found them of medium durability.

At 2.8, you can optionally run a less aggressive tread than you might think. My lass has 27.5 x 2.8 DHF front with 2.8 Ardent Race in back. That Ardent Race is an amazing tire for how minimal it is. I use them sometimes for rear on my 29er when I want to go far/fast. Maxxis Aggressor has become a popular rear tire. I'm on one now and like it, but it won't dig like a DHRII. It does roll decently, tho.

Others here will have their go-to combos; you'll see a lot of riders using Maxxis, Schwalbe, Bontrager and other tires in various combination. A burly sidewall is worth having in much of OC. Every brand has optional extra-tough sidewalls – worth the weight IMO.

 

Minions. Done. DHR II dual compound rear. DHF 3c front. Exo Protection sidewalls.

 

Thanks for the info guys

I have more options available than I initially anticipated!
I’m leaning towards a DH minion for the front and either a rekon or high roller for the rear (at least for now).

I’ve read that the 2.8 tires have weaker sidewalls than smaller width tires. I’m a little concerned about sidewall punctures on the trail.
I found some products to line your rims, which also protect the sidewall of the tire.

Has anyone used such products before? Did it make the wheels too heavy?

I’ve also seen YouTube videos of people using glitter mixed in with their tubeless tire sealant to help prevent punctures.

It appears to me that there is a ‘dark art’ to setting up a trail bike

 

If you are gonna run a Rekon, HR, or Minion on your bike....don’t worry about the sidewalls. Maxxis does a pretty good job keeping them solid. The WTB tires on the other hand seem to be pretty thin.

Tire inserts....I wouldn’t run them on a trail bike. Just seems like unnecessary excess weight on wheels/tires that are already heavy and slower.

Skip the glitter in the sealant.....most of manufacturers already make sealants that work well.

I’d suggest getting out and riding your new bike as is to see how you are actually gonna ride before making all these changes. Just a suggestion. In our minds we think we are gonna ride fast and furious over super chunky and rocky trails, when in reality we crawl down picking and choosing our lines carefully.

 

Appreciate the wise words.

I’m trying to gather as much information as possible while I wait for my bike to arrive.
Eventually it will give way to experience. How long it takes.. time will tell.