So awhile back, my wife started calling me a bike snob. Why? I think it's because I have been working on helicopters for 20+ years and I am very particular when it comes to things working properly. I don't need the best brands, heck, 2 of my bikes aren't even a brand at all. She thinks it's because I need to have the best bikes and tweak them until they are perfect and then either 1) start tweaking her bikes, 2) buy a new bike, or 3) start tweaking the same bike all over again. Who is correct is still up for discussion.

I do think that I am starting to win though. She had never expressed any burning desire to try my bikes. Well one day a few weeks ago, I convinced her to go on a women's group ride that was happening about a mile from our house. It is pretty flat but also very technical with all the rocks and roots and I mentioned that she should take the 29+ bike. Well she comes home glowing from how the ride went and how she loved the bike. So now that she has the Tallboy 3 frame and we are getting all the parts ordered, she is wanting the build to be similar to the 29+ bike. She is now starting to see how too much weight, poor shifting, and poor suspension setup can kill a bike. So maybe, just maybe, she is becoming one too....

Am I alone or is there a place where there are others like me and we can have meetings or something?

cable guide and cover:
rear derailleur inner cable slot / front derailleur inner cable slot

I ran full length housing on mine. That is a neat guide though, I don't have one of those so maybe mine was designed a bit differently. I will pull the cover off this weekend and see what's up. I do remember that on their plus frame, I had to drill out the cable entrance hole on the chainstay to get the housing inserted. The good thing is that I was only drilling aluminum. There is a metal guide bonded into the carbon so I didn't have to drill into the carbon structure.

We didn't get a chance to demo one so I hope it all works out. We did take a Transition Smuggler out for a good day of riding and the geo is pretty close to the TB3. I'm a fan of the new short travel slack head angle bikes and it should suit her quite well. She is also a huge fan of my 29+ hardtail so that is sort of why we chose to go the 29er route. If she wants a plus bike, she can take the 29+.

I'm glad you made it out without any issues and I'm with you on this one. Rims and frames I can do, but handlebars, not so much. I'm in the process of building a new SC Tallboy 3 for my wife and she asked about the chinese handlebars. I shot down that idea pretty quick. The extra $100 to get a Easton or RaceFace is worth it when I imagine the possible penalty for error on handlebars. I was on a local group ride last fall where another rider broke their relatively new Bontrager carbon bar. Luckily she was fine too. I do have to say that my 9 year old 75 pound daughter has one on her bike though.

Who is using them? I see that Peter is using them in his wheel builds but I can't find much on them. I was hoping to use CX-Rays but if these are cheaper, I may try them. I can't find much but what I can find is that the weight is the same but the profile is rectangular instead of bladed like the Rays.

Here is a current picture of my 062 in SS mode with a 100mm Sid XX up front. 21 pounds as it sits. I would like to get it lighter but it will have to do for now.

Now is my bike finished and I have test run it two times. The frame is 18.5 and the weight is 9.3kg with pedals.
I will in next week run it in a competition of 78km xc race.

Nice! Any better pics of the fork? I was thinking of getting that one for my wife's new build.

Enter!!!

My wife needs a plus bike too.

Here is what it could look like if you win! The frame was purchased before Peter had his available but the RM950C rims did come from him.


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