viper carbon XT & marin wolfridge 6.9

KIFFY

hi guys, although ive been a member here for four years its only now im starting to use the forums more... so i thought it was about time i shared my rides.. i also included my past rides as well
steve

scroll down or click these links

2009 viper carbon XT
http://www.bikeradar.com/mtb/forums/vie ... =#15682846

2009 marin wolfridge 6.9
http://www.bikeradar.com/mtb/forums/vie ... =#15682854

my ride history
http://www.bikeradar.com/mtb/forums/vie ... =#15682854

KIFFY

2009 viper carbon XT
After a break of two and a half years from riding due to my health I have just started riding again and decided on a bike just to use on trails and easy rides, something lighter than my bike at the time, a 40 pound scott freeride bike, having a nose on chain reaction I found a viper carbon XT bike on offer, id not heard of viper bikes and wasn’t 100% on a carbon frame due to my weight but I fell in love.. so I have just taken delivery (28th September 09) it seems a cracking bike very light and again a full shimano XT groupset.. what a difference from my 5 year old XT groupset, shows how they improve things.. only downside is the XT brakes which are crap compared to my scotts hayes brakes.. ive been told they need bedding in but being a hayes fan ive swapped them for a set of hayes hfx-9 with 8 inch rotors. Ive also fitted a THE pro shroud mudguard, dmr v8 pedals , slime inner tubes and a panoram v12 computer. As it stands right now it weighs a touch under 25 pounds.

stock photo – my photos will follow

KIFFY

2009 Marin Wolf Ridge 6.9
I loved my previous bike, my scott high octane freeride.. even with my lay of from riding due to my health after four and a half years it was showing its age.. so I started looking for another bike… I found a few I fancied including a couple of scotts and a cannondale but this one caught my eye, strong enough to put up with my weight riding off road but a lot lighter than my old scott, a good spec and a good saving of £800 of rrp.

Immediately on ordering I ordered upgrades for the brakes. It came with six and seven inch rotors which ive changed to 8 inch for that extra bit of power. Like my viper ive also fitted slime inner tubes, a panoram v12 computer (wireless this time), a set of dmr v12 pedals instead of the v8’s on the viper. A front fender and ‘ive swapped the grips to my favourite odi yeti hardcore lock on’s. as it stands the complete bike weighs 34 ¾ pounds. not a light weight but a full 5 pounds lighter than the scott its replaced.

KIFFY

my riding history

bike 1: Oct 1996 – Feb 1997: Raleigh Amazon
cheap rigid, bought to see if I liked mountain biking. Weight about the same in pounds as it cost.. but it gave me the love of biking

i don’t have a photo of my bike, this is from google


bike 2: Feb 1997 – Feb 2000 : Gary Fisher Joshua XO
a cracking full sus bike for the time, only down side was v brakes so fitted magura rim brakes. Not a days trouble in 3 years of riding.. loved that bike

i don’t have a photo of my bike, this is from google



bike 3 : Feb 2000 – Feb: 2005 Trek VRX 400LT
a stunning looking bike but I bucket of crap! Had nothing but trouble with it. after a shed load of complaints it even went back to trek who did a complete rebuild, didn’t help, went through parts like hell… even blew up two pairs of forks!



bike 4 : Feb 2005 – Oct 2009: Scott High Octane Freeride
an awesome bike, weighs a ton at 39 ¾ lb but its so solid I had confidence to do anything on it.. Manitou forks where to soft for my weight so replaced with rock shox domain 318’s.. only reason to sell was to get something newer and lighter and ive got my fingers crossed its as bomb proof as this bike… time will tell!



bike 5: Sept 2009: Viper Caron XT
my first hardtail since the Raleigh 13 years ago and super light.. didn’t like the XT discs so have replaced with hayes hfx-9 and 8 inch rotors to beef the power up..

stock photo – my photos will follow


bike 6::Oct 2009: Marin Wolf Ridge 6.9
replaced the 6 inch back and 7 inch front rotors with 8 inch, added front fender, yeti hardcore grips and slimed the tubes

jay12

all awesome bikes. i don't like the mudgaurd on the marin though. i wish i had as nice bikes as you

KIFFY

thanks, but the mudguard although not the prettiest thing in the world works brilliantly for me as im a fan of finding the mud! ive not used one on my viper as i wont be mud plugging with it... so that does look nicer. but although i like my gear to look nice, i always go by how good it works first which is why ive used that style of mudguard for donkies years and why i chose the marin, after all its not the best looking bike in the world is it

as for your wish, as ive always said its not what youve got but how you use it.. im sure your a hell of a lot better a rider than me... but im doing my best to change that