Taking out a new bike and spend the first couple of hours in the saddle is always a brilliant feeling. This is the time when I get to experience something I was only reading about up until now.
Alright, let's have a look at this. Since I picked up this Niner EMD 9 SS just a few days ago I had 2 spins on it with the total of 3 hours and about 60+ km. So, I guess it's about time to post this first impressions post.
The bike is a 29er and I'm sure we all know by now how freakin' cool it is to ride one. The geometry is great, the bike feels comfortable and handles very well. But I think it's no surprise from a 29er specific company. I won't get into too much details I think, instead I'd like to talk about the rigid carbon fork and the single speed setup as I find both of them pretty unique.
 |
| No suspension |
I've been riding off-road for almost 20 years but I never had a bike without a suspension fork. So, rocking my favourite trails on a rigid bike was a new experience! It's pretty rough but once you find the flow of the trail and you get things right it's absolutely manageable. Tyre pressure can be critical, so I need to find my way around that too.
 |
| 1x1 |
So, single speed, eh? I was riding the SSWC '11 and back then I was usin a 2:1 ratio on the bike. This one has slightly easier one with 36T x 19T, but when you're riding a single speed MTB off-road the word "easier" has a completely different meaning...
...it is hard as hell. Dealing with the climbs with only one gear knowing there's no option to change gears is a savage task. But it is also very rewarding! I also love the simplicity of the bike, simple and straight forward with no complications. It feels very pure!
A new chapter has started in my mountain biking life with the machine and after 2 rides I can tell one thing: it's gonna be a savage, brutal hard but fantastic chapter indeed. All I need to do is raise to the challenge! Bring it on!
No comments:
Post a Comment