Jitters

Hey! Pretty slick - me likey! I'd think my only criticism might be to have used a plexi with a bit of a satin finish to keep the glare and fingerprints down and to make the text pop. Still really cool! Congrats on getting on the good list. Someone's going places! =)

Welcome aboard! Seems like you've got it pretty well figured out. Your limiting factor will be your budget. I'd say start with shopping for specials at places like tarty and the like. Might be able to find something nice there. Your other option is to buy used, but do a little homework before you drop the cash on something from someone who may have a bad reputation. Search these forums for the info you want regarding the front freewheel (FFW) or a freehub and your hydraulic brake question. Lots of good posts regarding that kinda stuff and the pros and cons of each. I use a FFW because that's what my first mod had and I've just stuck with it. Chances are, if you're buying a complete bike you won't have too many choices to make, as most of the parts will be picked out for you. You can then upgrade or change parts as you progress and decide you don't like a particular setup. Hope that was a bit of help. Good luck!

I think the whole issue with this was that the OP didn't convey himself very well. I didn't really figure what he was getting at because it didn't make much sense because of the way it was typed out. No big deal - seems it's been blown way out of proportion. Just my humble opinion. Carry on. Edited for seplling

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx x xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx x xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx x xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx x xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx x xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx x xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx x xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx x xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx x xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx x xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx x xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx x xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx x xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx x xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx x xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx x xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx x xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx x xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx x xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx x xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx x xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx x xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx x xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx x xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx x xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx x xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx good enough. edit: 2255

Hell, all the kids are goin' brakeless these days anyway. Here's your chance. Or get a rear disc. Or get used to the squeaking. I rather like it now. Took me a while though. It reassures me that everything is working when I roll onto the back wheel. If I don't hear a squeak, something's wrong.

Ha looks right fun! Nice Marin frame too. May wanna do something about that rear wheel though.

+1 Good stuff in here. Gives me the heebie jeebies thinkin' about some of the situations you've all gotten yourself into. Probably a bit more colorful than I. Most of my spelunking was uneventful, like the tunnels under Savannah. We did crawl into an old boarded up hotel in my downtown area. Scariest stuff we found was some dead rats and an old bum sleeping off a hangover. If we had true nuts, we'd have gone back at night. Sorry about the double post. Machine was having 'issues'

+1 Good stuff in here. Gives me the heebie jeebies thinkin' about some of the situations you've all gotten yourself into. Probably a bit more colorful than I. Most of my spelunking was uneventful, like the tunnels under Savannah. We did crawl into an old boarded up hotel in my downtown area. Scariest stuff we found was some dead rats and an old bum sleeping off a hangover. If we had true nuts, we'd have gone back at night.

What I find just as interesting as some of the weird places are the rumors that surround them, much like the satanists and the dripping vats of blood like the OP stated. My story isn't half as interesting, but back in my school days some friends and I used to uncover a well hidden wooden door of sorts that lead into some tunnels that, at one point, used to run under a good portion of the city in Savannah, Georgia (US). We'd climb down a rusty old ladder and make our way into a larger room where we'd set up camp and drink beer for a while and tell stupid scary stories. Good fun. The tunnels are mostly blocked off, but they were apparently used for all kinds of trading and ammunition storage. Rumors had it that pirates used to hole up in there and go about their business to avoid the law. Lots of ghost stories too, but never gave them too much credit. Shame we never took a camera. Some of those pics above are pretty cool! Looks like fun adventuring to be had

The funny part is that some research group spent millions (or worse, got paid millions) to come up with this. And remember, when stabbing furiously with said 'stab-proof' knife, make sure to work it in between any bones for maximum bonus points. Bones ruin everything.

Strapping people to a chair and forcing them eat to fire ants always seems to cheer me up.

Yeah, just deal with it, I'd say. Do as they insist and roll back another day or find another spot, y'know? Most of those boneheads aren't worth the hassle you can get into. The proper trick is to find the bored guards that want some entertainment. Usually in the mornings when there's nothing going on. Anyway, good luck!

I liked the feel of foams I've tried, but nothing gets my goat more than 'walking' grips. I've never found a set that sit still for long. Part of the problem is I sweat like hell. Gloves and foamies get wet and game over. Drives me up the wall to no end. I've had good luck with some bar end plugs and Echo rubber grips. Kinda thin and harsh on the hands for a bit, but they stay put and last a long time.

Thanks search function! Exactly what I was looking for Am beginning to try these now. Wanted to bump this bit of advice as it could be useful to beginners, such as myself.

Some other things that helped me were reminding myself each time I had the urge to light up, I'd tell myself to wait just 5 minutes. It would go away. A little tougher when you're knocking back beers with your mates, but it's obtainable. Remember, just 5 more minutes. Say it over and over. Other thing was to take the money I'd spend when I would start to falter and catch myself wanting to buy a pack and tuck the money it away instead. Then go buy something fun after a while. I was surprised what I'd saved after the first 2 weeks or so. Still had to stick to the 5 minute rule to help me through the tough times. Good luck! It's a hard fight to win every day for the first few weeks. It can be done though.

I do. Said so 1 page ago. That's what it's all about, for some, I guess. As far as the skids go, nothing more fun than riding down a long steep hill as fast as you can go and jamming your foot between the frame and rear wheel of a BMX type bike. Skid till it pops! POW! Hang on cause it gets fun from there. Wouldn't try it on a road bike though. Feel free to let me know how that goes.

I ride because it's fun and challenging and keeps me outside where I like to be!

Yep, whatever gets you going. I like to spin up random stuff like the following on my little boom box. I'm too technically resistant to have an iPod or similar. Dimmu Borgir Arch Enemy Pennywise Vandlas Slayer Postal Service <--- odd choice for me Napalm Death Pitchshifter Slipknot You get the idea. and some old school 80s skate rock on occasion. Cheers!

I didn't like my 661 Veggies very much to begin with, but I feel naked without them now. If you're that against using shin guards, then ignore the digs, enjoy the lifelong scars and, with time, you won't be getting them much more. I rarely slip off the pedals these days -although it happens from time to time for everyone. You can also try the Wellgo MG1 pedals, or the Trialtech Mags. I like those a lot. Good luck!

Nice point, not that I'm prescribing to much (or adding anything relevant) within this thread.

My GF and I were riding a nice bit of singletrack last weekend and somehow she saw a lovely Gerber knife off the side of the trail (probably because she rides so slow). Well, I didn't find it, but she gave it to me. That sort of counts. "Was out riding, fell into a bush, found a phone in there sold it on ebay for £80" <--------- HA! Funny!

I turned a trick once. Been paying for it ever since too. Maybe the topic might work better if it were something like "Your ultimate trick." You know, the one that, in reality, you know you could do with tons of practice and giant balls but haven't managed yet for whatever reason? Just a thought. Otherwise I vote the switchfoot sidehop to Hawaii, preparing a full day's Luau for 4,000 angry tourists while only bouncing on your front wheel (no handed) and then simply rocketing through the stratosphere for a 7,200,000,000,000 deg. tailwhip frontflip 3600 no footer, knock on the space station window for bonus points and back to Terra firma to land on the Kremlin flagpole only then to backhop 720 and roll home all rear wheeled for 3,000 miles all uphill without breaking a sweat or having a shoelace getting caught up in something. For the record, my ultimate trick would be able to manage your basic gap. Still learning. I'll upgrade that once I get it figured out.

I like both the DMR v12's and Mag Trialtech pedals, but they are a bit on the pricey side. I do plan on trying the Wellgo MG1's when it's replacement time.

Perfect! Thank you very much!

I know it's not the smartest idea, but I do so love to road bike through torrential downpours and thunder storms. Although I got stuck out in a mother of a storm one afternoon whilst riding a lightly travelled state park road. All was good until the hail came down. Kept going, although it hurt like hell. Then a falling tree branch took me out. Whack! Off I go into the slurry on the side of the road. Was probably pretty funny to see from a distance. It's all good fun if you live to talk about it.