Itchin' to get out of here

[tedsti]

It is way too nice to be stuck at work. I can't wait to get out of here and turn a couple of laps of Leb. What I really need to do is pick up some beer on the way so I can just sit in the back of the truck afterwards for a couple of cold ones.:beer_yum: mmmmm beer good.......

[gopherhockey]

I snuck out today and got a couple laps in... probably one of the best days all year. Yesterday it was freezing, tomorrow it will be humid and buggy. Thats springtime in MN... :D



It is way too nice to be stuck at work. I can't wait to get out of here and turn a couple of laps of Leb. What I really need to do is pick up some beer on the way so I can just sit in the back of the truck afterwards for a couple of cold ones.:beer_yum: mmmmm beer good.......

[bigwheel]

I snuck out today and got a couple laps in... probably one of the best days all year. Yesterday it was freezing, tomorrow it will be humid and buggy. Thats springtime in MN... :D

I was parked next to you. Unfortunately, I broke my frame on the first lap, so I had to limp a wobbly flexo back down the hill, and call it a day (or week or more).:cryin:

[MisterClaw]

I was parked next to you. Unfortunately, I broke my frame on the first lap, so I had to limp a wobbly flexo back down the hill, and call it a day (or week or more).:cryin:
Not you too! What frame did you break?
The shop just got my warranty frame in for my 11 year-old rockhopper that lebanon claimed 2 weeks ago. Should be ready to go as soon as the new surly rigid fork comes in.

[tedsti]

That BLOWS!!! :embarass:

I'm sorry, but unless you are on a ultralight race bike, the frame should not break. At least it should not break just riding XC stuff. It may be time for a Karate Monkey. It's not FS, but it is a Surly and therefore built like a brick s___ house. Make sure you let us know when the rebuild is on the new frame, I'll bring some beer and watch, I mean supervise....

I was parked next to you. Unfortunately, I broke my frame on the first lap, so I had to limp a wobbly flexo back down the hill, and call it a day (or week or more).:cryin:

[bigwheel]

The frame is the Gary Fisher 293 (Sugar-29er). It broke in exactly the same place as last year - Upper tube, where the shock mount connects to it.

So, I immediately brought it back to the LBS -- hoping to get as early start as possible fixing it.

Many thanks to Ryan at Penn Cycle Richfield, who got on the horn while I was there, and haggled with the Trek rep. They were originally saying they wouldn't have one painted until the 18th, but now are saying that they will do a special painting run so that I can hopefully get it back next week, in time for the first Buck Hill race. Thanks also to the people at Trek if they can really come through that fast.

Ted, if you want to bring beer, bring it over to Penn Cycle and we can both watch it being put together. It'll cost me an extra hundred bucks, but it will get done faster, by someone who knows what they are doing.

Two frames within a 1 year span. Either I'm riding way too hard or I need to lose some weight.

[ryno lite]

I was parked next to you. Unfortunately, I broke my frame on the first lap, so I had to limp a wobbly flexo back down the hill, and call it a day (or week or more).:cryin:

Sorry to hear that Bob! I was thinking that if I ever went full suspension I'd go Gary and go 29er, but after two frames for you, I'm wondering if they're built for Clydes like us! Maybe I'll just stick to my steel hardtails!

[noise_is_life]

Two frames within a 1 year span. Either I'm riding way too hard or I need to lose some weight.

I don't know Bob, sounds like a defect to me. KM, KM, KM KM KM!!!!! :)

[Ish]

It'll cost me an extra hundred bucks, but it will get done faster, by someone who knows what they are doing.


To build back up a warranty frame??? Did you buy it from them originally? If so, that just doesn't seem right.

[nigel]

To build back up a warranty frame??? Did you buy it from them originally? If so, that just doesn't seem right.

Thats actually more common than ya think Craig, I was just a nice guy :)

[Ish]

Thats actually more common than ya think Craig, I was just a nice guy :)

Fair enough - but seriously? I guess it depends on your relationship with the shop and how much the original bike was, but I would think the shop would take care of you.

I guess I will remember to buy all my new bikes from you from now on :D

[Buck]

That is why you learn how to work on your own bike, then you can do it yourself and spend the 100 bucks on new parts!

L8R
Buck

[bigwheel]

That is why you learn how to work on your own bike, then you can do it yourself and spend the 100 bucks on new parts!

L8R
Buck

I usually do all of my own work and could do the frame switch myself, but this is a slightly different case. I bring in my bike. The guy at the LBS is great, and goes out of his way to convince Trek to (hopefully) make a weekend painting run, and says he'll either put someone on it as soon as the new frame comes in, or will do the work himself.

First off, I would be a jerk to tell them "no thanks, just give me the new frame".

Second, they will probably be putting my bike together while I am at work, which will give me an extra day of riding.

Finally, I also asked him to replace any bushings, etc that they find are worn. Again, if I did it, it could cost me an extra day or more, because they can have any necessary parts quickly.

[Buck]

I usually do all of my own work and could do the frame switch myself, but this is a slightly different case. I bring in my bike. The guy at the LBS is great, and goes out of his way to convince Trek to (hopefully) make a weekend painting run, and says he'll either put someone on it as soon as the new frame comes in, or will do the work himself.

First off, I would be a jerk to tell them "no thanks, just give me the new frame".

Second, they will probably be putting my bike together while I am at work, which will give me an extra day of riding.

Finally, I also asked him to replace any bushings, etc that they find are worn. Again, if I did it, it could cost me an extra day or more, because they can have any necessary parts quickly.

aaaah, well sh!t you never said they were doing all that extra stuff!!!! hahaha post up some pics of the new rig so we can see!!! Sounds like Trek and bike shop have been a stand up companies for ya!
L8R
Buck

[Ish]

I usually do all of my own work and could do the frame switch myself, but this is a slightly different case. I bring in my bike. The guy at the LBS is great, and goes out of his way to convince Trek to (hopefully) make a weekend painting run, and says he'll either put someone on it as soon as the new frame comes in, or will do the work himself.

First off, I would be a jerk to tell them "no thanks, just give me the new frame".

Second, they will probably be putting my bike together while I am at work, which will give me an extra day of riding.

Finally, I also asked him to replace any bushings, etc that they find are worn. Again, if I did it, it could cost me an extra day or more, because they can have any necessary parts quickly.

We'll, since you put it that way.... Not bad at all :banana::banana::banana:

[manual63]

Two frames within a 1 year span. Either I'm riding way too hard or I need to lose some weight.

Or they need to beef up their frames.

[SPR]

The frame is the Gary Fisher 293 (Sugar-29er). It broke in exactly the same place as last year - Upper tube, where the shock mount connects to it.

So, I immediately brought it back to the LBS -- hoping to get as early start as possible fixing it.

Many thanks to Ryan at Penn Cycle Richfield, who got on the horn while I was there, and haggled with the Trek rep. They were originally saying they wouldn't have one painted until the 18th, but now are saying that they will do a special painting run so that I can hopefully get it back next week, in time for the first Buck Hill race. Thanks also to the people at Trek if they can really come through that fast.

Ted, if you want to bring beer, bring it over to Penn Cycle and we can both watch it being put together. It'll cost me an extra hundred bucks, but it will get done faster, by someone who knows what they are doing.

Two frames within a 1 year span. Either I'm riding way too hard or I need to lose some weight.

Sorry to hear Bob, please tell more.

I just bought one of those new Trek Cake DLX's and I know it has the same tubing as yours, they were probably made in the same Asian factory.
What were you doing that caused the break? Did it just crack or actually seperate?
BTW Kudos to Penn in Bloomington for building my new rig.

[bigwheel]

Sorry to hear Bob, please tell more.

I just bought one of those new Trek Cake DLX's and I know it has the same tubing as yours, they were probably made in the same Asian factory.
What were you doing that caused the break? Did it just crack or actually seperate?
BTW Kudos to Penn in Bloomington for building my new rig.

The frame is built east of here, but not quite as far as Asia. They are made in Wisconsin. I prefer to ride an American made bike. (my other is a Cannondale)

I wasn't doing anything spectacular. However, I have been hitting the log crossings with quite a bit of speed lately. I usually try to either lift the front wheel or hop the back wheel over logs, but I am not very good at getting my front wheel off the ground with that bike. Friday, I was having a clean, fast ride at Leb in the XX, and just crossed the two logs after the rock garden, before the first XX bridge. I remember hitting them with some speed, but nothing unusual. The very next turn, my front wheel washed out, and I crashed. It was not a bad crash, and it was in an area that I never have any problems with. When I took off (now, slowly) I noticed that the bike seemed floppy. So, I stopped, figuring I had a flat. The tires were fine, the spokes were tight, and the wheels were true. So, I happened to check the spot where my last frame broke, and noticed it was cracked in exactly the same place.

So, I don't know if the fall caused the crack or if the crack caused the fall. Nonetheless, it was not a bad fall, and the bike should have been able to handle it. That was also the my first fall of the season, and I had been riding the bike for a few weeks.

As Shad menitoned, it seems like they need to use a little bit more metal in that place. I would gladly carry an extra pound of bike weight in order to get one that doesn't break. The crack is where the top tube connects to the rear shock mount. Same exact place that my last frame broke. Cracked all the way around, except about 1/2 inch of metal at the top of the tube.

Here is my speculation (NOT based on any fact): I assume that the tubing and welds are the same for all bike sizes. When a large rider like myself buys an XL (21"), we are hit with a double-whammy. First, my weight (close to 250#) is probably about 70 lbs heavier than an "average" rider. Second, with a bigger frame, there is a lot more leverage on the welds and pipe, adding to their chance of breaking.

In your case, I wouldn't worry that much, as you and your bike are smaller/lighter than me. When it is not broken, the bike is wonderful. However, if it keep breaking, I may have to see if someone else can build me a FS 29er.

[SPR]

The frame is built east of here, but not quite as far as Asia. They are made in Wisconsin. I prefer to ride an American made bike. (my other is a Cannondale)

I wasn't doing anything spectacular. However, I have been hitting the log crossings with quite a bit of speed lately. I usually try to either lift the front wheel or hop the back wheel over logs, but I am not very good at getting my front wheel off the ground with that bike. Friday, I was having a clean, fast ride at Leb in the XX, and just crossed the two logs after the rock garden, before the first XX bridge. I remember hitting them with some speed, but nothing unusual. The very next turn, my front wheel washed out, and I crashed. It was not a bad crash, and it was in an area that I never have any problems with. When I took off (now, slowly) I noticed that the bike seemed floppy. So, I stopped, figuring I had a flat. The tires were fine, the spokes were tight, and the wheels were true. So, I happened to check the spot where my last frame broke, and noticed it was cracked in exactly the same place.

So, I don't know if the fall caused the crack or if the crack caused the fall. Nonetheless, it was not a bad fall, and the bike should have been able to handle it. That was also the my first fall of the season, and I had been riding the bike for a few weeks.

As Shad menitoned, it seems like they need to use a little bit more metal in that place. I would gladly carry an extra pound of bike weight in order to get one that doesn't break. The crack is where the top tube connects to the rear shock mount. Same exact place that my last frame broke. Cracked all the way around, except about 1/2 inch of metal at the top of the tube.

Here is my speculation (NOT based on any fact): I assume that the tubing and welds are the same for all bike sizes. When a large rider like myself buys an XL (21"), we are hit with a double-whammy. First, my weight (close to 250#) is probably about 70 lbs heavier than an "average" rider. Second, with a bigger frame, there is a lot more leverage on the welds and pipe, adding to their chance of breaking.

In your case, I wouldn't worry that much, as you and your bike are smaller/lighter than me. When it is not broken, the bike is wonderful. However, if it keep breaking, I may have to see if someone else can build me a FS 29er.
Thanks for the info, glad to hear you didn't get hurt. Its always a bummer when the bike is out of comission. Sounds as though you'll be getting a replacement soon.
I'm with you about riding an American (or Italian) made bike. I did read recently that those Made in the USA stickers aren't always legit. Apparently a bike manufacturer can put those on a bike that may have been built outside the USA but had any component put on the bike in the USA. Who knows.
Anyhow I can't wait for dry weather so I can try out my new ride. Good luck with your new frame and see you on the trails.

[Buck]

I would gladly carry an extra pound of bike weight in order to get one that doesn't break.


mmmm, I see a FR bike in your near future!!!! Get that extra pound so this never happens again!!!!
L8R
Buck

[bigwheel]

mmmm, I see a FR bike in your near future!!!! Get that extra pound so this never happens again!!!!
L8R
Buck

Those jumps and cliff at Steeplechace looked like a lot of fun. Reminds me of what we used to do on motorcycles when I was late teens, early 20's. However, I doubt my knees and back can handle that kind of stuff any more. One day of fun followed by 1 month on crutches.

Does anyone make a FR 29er?

[LightWeight]

Does anyone make a FR 29er?

http://www.lenzsport.com

They have one coming - the Behemoth I think it's going to be called. For more info, check out the 29er board at mtbr.com. currently, they offer the Leviathan - 3" travel.

[bigwheel]

http://www.lenzsport.com

They have one coming - the Behemoth I think it's going to be called. For more info, check out the 29er board at mtbr.com. currently, they offer the Leviathan - 3" travel.

Cool, thanks. A big boy's bike.:) I'll bet that sucker can ride over just about anything. Can't wait to see some reviews.

Here's the mtbr link:
http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=84312

[SuperClydesdale]

Bob

You need one of these: http://www.knollybikes.com/vtach.html

I rode one (briefly) in Fruita. You can huck over Buck!

Mark

[Buck]

Bob

You need one of these: http://www.knollybikes.com/vtach.html

I rode one (briefly) in Fruita. You can huck over Buck!

Mark


hahah I went the other direction then he did and got 2-4s...
"rollin' on 2-4s, wrapped in 2-4s...":cool:

L8R
Buck

[bigwheel]

Nice looking frame, but it looks like 24 or 26 inch only. Also, the large frame size is only 19.5.

Bob

You need one of these: http://www.knollybikes.com/vtach.html

I rode one (briefly) in Fruita. You can huck over Buck!

Mark

[bigwheel]

Good news and bad news.

Good: Penn Cycle and Trek came through. My new frame showed up today, and Penn started putting it together right away. (In time for the Buck Hill race that is now cancelled.) It is obvious that they did a special painting run for me, because the frame is solid red, and lacks the normal decals and two-tone paint. Nothing but a single "GARY FISHER" decal. I actually like it better than the standard color scheme.

Bad: When putting it together, they found a spot on my swingarm, where the tire wore a hole through the metal. Penn called me, assuming that the problem was caused by me not having the back wheel on straight. I assured them that this was absolutely not the case, and never was.

They then figured out what I believe is the real problem. The problem is that when I pack it into a hard turn, the 29" wheel flexes enough that the tire can sometimes rub on the rim. So, Penn called Trek, and Trek asked a bunch of questions about the rim and spokes. I had gotten rid of the flimsy 28-spoke Bontrager, and put on 36-spoke Rhyno Lites. They checked, and the spokes were nice and tight, and the rims were still true. Still, the gap on the right side is small enough that we were able to flex the wheel enough in the shop to get the tire to touch the swingarm.

So, they (Trek) are now trying to figure out what can be done to remedy the situation.

Needless to say, I'm a bit frustrated and worried. I just laced up a new set of *expensive* wheels on Tuesday evening -- Phil Wood disc hubs and rhyno lites. These wheels will be nicer, but not any stronger or rigid than my old ones.

Penn and Trek (GF) have both been great so far, but I'm still without bike. Fortunately (for me), the weather sucks and I am not missing any racing or rides.

[Buck]

Good news and bad news.

Good: Penn Cycle and Trek came through. My new frame showed up today, and Penn started putting it together right away. (In time for the Buck Hill race that is now cancelled.) It is obvious that they did a special painting run for me, because the frame is solid red, and lacks the normal decals and two-tone paint. Nothing but a single "GARY FISHER" decal. I actually like it better than the standard color scheme.

Bad: When putting it together, they found a spot on my swingarm, where the tire wore a hole through the metal. Penn called me, assuming that the problem was caused by me not having the back wheel on straight. I assured them that this was absolutely not the case, and never was.

They then figured out what I believe is the real problem. The problem is that when I pack it into a hard turn, the 29" wheel flexes enough that the tire can sometimes rub on the rim. So, Penn called Trek, and Trek asked a bunch of questions about the rim and spokes. I had gotten rid of the flimsy 28-spoke Bontrager, and put on 36-spoke Rhyno Lites. They checked, and the spokes were nice and tight, and the rims were still true. Still, the gap on the right side is small enough that we were able to flex the wheel enough in the shop to get the tire to touch the swingarm.

So, they (Trek) are now trying to figure out what can be done to remedy the situation.

Needless to say, I'm a bit frustrated and worried. I just laced up a new set of *expensive* wheels on Tuesday evening -- Phil Wood disc hubs and rhyno lites. These wheels will be nicer, but not any stronger or rigid than my old ones.

Penn and Trek (GF) have both been great so far, but I'm still without bike. Fortunately (for me), the weather sucks and I am not missing any racing or rides.

That is the biggest problem i would see with having bigger wheels, Hope it all turns out for the better, hey, maybe Trek will sponsor you and make you a guinea(SP?) pig for new designs!

L8R
Buck

[bigwheel]

I forgot one other thing. Last time when I broke my frame, they said that the head bearings were shot, and fell apart on the shop floor, so they put in a nice shiny pair of Race Face bearings.

Well, the new ones are not quite dead yet, but they already need replacing.


That is the biggest problem i would see with having bigger wheels, Hope it all turns out for the better, hey, maybe Trek will sponsor you and make you a guinea(SP?) pig for new designs!

L8R
Buck

[tedsti]

Bob,
How much wider are the Ryno Lites than the stock rims? They most likely flex less, but in turn produce a wider tire width. With the same tire, you may get enough extra width from the rim change to cause problems. Pretty sad if a big boy bike can not handle big boy rims. Hopefully Trek doesn't come back saying that you used to wide of a rim.



They then figured out what I believe is the real problem. The problem is that when I pack it into a hard turn, the 29" wheel flexes enough that the tire can sometimes rub on the rim. So, Penn called Trek, and Trek asked a bunch of questions about the rim and spokes. I had gotten rid of the flimsy 28-spoke Bontrager, and put on 36-spoke Rhyno Lites. They checked, and the spokes were nice and tight, and the rims were still true. Still, the gap on the right side is small enough that we were able to flex the wheel enough in the shop to get the tire to touch the swingarm.

[bigwheel]

Bob,
How much wider are the Ryno Lites than the stock rims? They most likely flex less, but in turn produce a wider tire width. With the same tire, you may get enough extra width from the rim change to cause problems. Pretty sad if a big boy bike can not handle big boy rims. Hopefully Trek doesn't come back saying that you used to wide of a rim.

Ted, I wondered about that, but the guy at Penn showed me that it was the tread that hit the frame, and it wouldn't make any difference if the rim was a little wider. They also agreed that the problem would have been worse if I had stayed with the flimsy stock rims. The Rhynolite is about 3-4 mm wider than the Bontrager.

I'm hoping that the new wheels I laced up this week will be a little stiffer. Phil Wood uses a large diameter spoke flange on their left side, so this should shorten the left-side spokes a bit, and hopefully resist some of the flex to the right, where the problem happened. I also used 14/15/14 spokes on the new wheels, whereas the old rims had straight gauge 15's. (Penn built my old wheels, and I'm not sure why they used 15 ga.) If it makes the wheel stiffer, I'd be willing to tear my new wheels apart and rebuild them with straight 14 ga (or thicker, if they exist).

One thing for sure. I'm going to have to pay attention to the total width of whatever new tire I put on the bike.

[tedsti]

I guess that means you probably won't be joining the homemade studded tire group this winter. At least not on this bike.

One thing for sure. I'm going to have to pay attention to the total width of whatever new tire I put on the bike.

[SPR]

Ted, I wondered about that, but the guy at Penn showed me that it was the tread that hit the frame, and it wouldn't make any difference if the rim was a little wider. They also agreed that the problem would have been worse if I had stayed with the flimsy stock rims. The Rhynolite is about 3-4 mm wider than the Bontrager.

I'm hoping that the new wheels I laced up this week will be a little stiffer. Phil Wood uses a large diameter spoke flange on their left side, so this should shorten the left-side spokes a bit, and hopefully resist some of the flex to the right, where the problem happened. I also used 14/15/14 spokes on the new wheels, whereas the old rims had straight gauge 15's. (Penn built my old wheels, and I'm not sure why they used 15 ga.) If it makes the wheel stiffer, I'd be willing to tear my new wheels apart and rebuild them with straight 14 ga (or thicker, if they exist).

One thing for sure. I'm going to have to pay attention to the total width of whatever new tire I put on the bike.

Did I hear you correctly say the tire (rubber compound or whatever material) was rubbing on the frame and caused a hole?
Nice to hear how helpful both Penn and Trek have been with your situation.
See you on the trails.

[bigwheel]

2 weeks now, and I still don't have my bike back. Everybody is being nice, but it seems like they forget about my bike unless I keep pinging them. All I know is that if my 293 spends half of its life waiting for new frames, I'm going to need a second decent bike to use during down time.

Since I missed the 1st buck hill race today, I decided to go window shopping. Spent a while talking to Hollywood about the Karate Monkey. Mentally going through my junk box, I think I have almost everything I'd need, other than the frame, and a ss back hub. I already have an extra set of 29inch wheels, brakes, handlebars, etc. I think I could slap something together for not much more than the cost of the frame, then upgrade later.

I don't know whether to go with front suspension or totally rigid. Hollywood said he'd give me a swap deal if I decided to go with front suspension.

I haven't bought anything yet, but I can already feel those brain cells dying from atrophy. Hopefully, they'll get my bike back before I do something stupid.

[funky-funky-chicken]

2 weeks now, and I still don't have my bike back. Everybody is being nice, but it seems like they forget about my bike unless I keep pinging them. All I know is that if my 293 spends half of its life waiting for new frames, I'm going to need a second decent bike to use during down time.

Since I missed the 1st buck hill race today, I decided to go window shopping. Spent a while talking to Hollywood about the Karate Monkey. Mentally going through my junk box, I think I have almost everything I'd need, other than the frame, and a ss back hub. I already have an extra set of 29inch wheels, brakes, handlebars, etc. I think I could slap something together for not much more than the cost of the frame, then upgrade later.

I don't know whether to go with front suspension or totally rigid. Hollywood said he'd give me a swap deal if I decided to go with front suspension.

I haven't bought anything yet, but I can already feel those brain cells dying from atrophy. Hopefully, they'll get my bike back before I do something stupid.

The simplicity is just sooooo attractive isn't it? Have you looked at this post?
http://www.morcmtb.org/forums/showthread.php?t=13531

[bigwheel]

The simplicity is just sooooo attractive isn't it? Have you looked at this post?
http://www.morcmtb.org/forums/showthread.php?t=13531

Thanks. I already pm'd Sean, but not sure if those wheels will be strong enough.

Redundancy is what is the most attractive. I've never had more than a couple hours down time cause of gears. Even if Big Red was a SS, it would still be broken. That said, I have a hard time not being part of a growing group that is doing something really stupid.

[tedsti]

If you need a SS hub and don't want to spend a lot of cash up front then check this out

Damn link won't paste right. Oh well, Nashbar has a Nashbar brand SS rear hub on sale for $35.

[bigwheel]

Trek is going to replace my swingarm, but it is going to take another week :mad:

They guy at Penn predicts that I'll keep breaking frames, but said that Trek will keep replacing them. I asked if they could just take one of the broken frames and weld in a hefty splint, but Trek said no. The reason: Trek has to do a lot of testing and quality control before making any mods. After all, we don't want my frame to break, right??

So, I'm really thinking I need a decent second bike, and it's sounding like the Karate Monkey might be the one. However, some of the full suspension 29ers like the Ventana El Capitan might be nice (but expensive). My fragile old body likes FS.

However, I might be able to build up a Karate Monkey on the cheap, and it might make a nice winter bike. *So, if I go with the KM, should I add a front shock or go full rigid?

[Kiecker]

Or why not go with a Dos Niner so you can have a little squish on your rear.

http://www.salsacycles.com/frames/images/05_DosNiner_580.jpg

[mara]

That said, I have a hard time not being part of a growing group that is doing something really stupid.

So, if I go with the KM, should I add a front shock or go full rigid?

Yippee, Bob! If you're going for maximum stupidity, go full rigid. All the really stupid kids are doing it :D

I'm hanging onto the idea that once I can figure out how to ride rigid single, I will be almost indestructible. Proving that theory wrong will be fun to watch.

[bigwheel]

Or why not go with a Dos Niner so you can have a little squish on your rear.

We talked about the Dos Niner, but Hollywood thought a guy my size would "test" the frame too much.

[bigwheel]

Yippee, Bob! If you're going for maximum stupidity, go full rigid. All the really stupid kids are doing it :D

I'm hanging onto the idea that once I can figure out how to ride rigid single, I will be almost indestructible. Proving that theory wrong will be fun to watch.

You are indestructible. I'm not (any more). I doubt my back and hands can handle a rigid frame for more than a 10 minute ride.

They say: What doesn't make you stronger kills you (or something like that).

[mara]

They say: What doesn't make you stronger kills you (or something like that).

Yeah, but what a great way to go! :D