Me and an expensive hunk of metal and rubber.

[pphaneuf]

Here's a photo from before we went up for the first time, including dorky rental helmet (not that the rest of my biking stuff doesn't look dorky to start with!). It's a bit hard to see, but it was interesting to notice the lack of a front derailleur (just one not-so-big chainwheel in front), and having sprockets all around to keep the chain in place, which helped immensely. For those who wonder, when the suspensions are fully compressed, the tires are quite close to the frame, yes. The rear wheel goes back when compressed, adding stability. These bikes are awesome.


pphaneuf and his trusty steed (photo by cpirate)

Comments

[cpirate.livejournal.com]

Yeah, laugh it up with your sprockets that keep the chain out of your wheel. :)

[pphaneuf.livejournal.com]

Well, they're in front, actually, wouldn't have helped much in your case...

[chickcurious.livejournal.com]

that helmet is hella sexy :/

[galialuna.livejournal.com]

If by hella sexy you mean that his helmet is the word cock blocker made into an object, then yes. Sorry Pierre, you just look so squared away from neck down, so well put together and then you had to go ruin it with that helmet.
:P

[chickcurious.livejournal.com]

*shifty eyes* umm right..i didn't mean it at all...*shifty eyes*

[pphaneuf.livejournal.com]

Hahaha! I'm revising my looks, as I replaced my own helmet (which was falling apart):

[cpirate.livejournal.com]

You fool, you got a visor! Here's how visors work. They charge you an extra $10 for the privilege of getting it. Then for three weeks, it completely fails to block the sun. After three weeks, it breaks and falls off, and leaves some ugly holes in the plastic. If you're lucky, you might get an extra week where only the middle part breaks, and so it just flaps around loose.

Not that I'm bitter, again.

[pphaneuf.livejournal.com]

Well, considering some of the people there were wearing full-body armor, and I had only that...

[chickcurious.livejournal.com]

i wasn't joking, i think it's one sexy piece of safety equipment :(

[elliptic-curve.livejournal.com]

hahahah! for two seconds, I thought your picture caption said pphaneuf and his trusty seed!

[pphaneuf.livejournal.com]

Well, it is a downhill bike, and when going downhill, you usually sort of stand over the back wheel, for balance. You'll notice the seat is set extra-low, for protection of the seed in case of sudden deceleration! ;-)

[girlintheclouds.livejournal.com]

sweet bike!
(makes me miss mine... the one where the wheels and breaks were stolen from it... )

[pphaneuf.livejournal.com]

Very sweet, but rather impractical, I'm afraid. Like I mentioned earlier, that bike has no concept of "going up", even flat terrain is sort of exhausting, it's only really at ease going downhill. But boy oh boy, does it ever go downhill!