Trek Mamba 29er 2013

iLukeKendall

Thought I'd join in the fun over here and post up a picture of my bike whilst it's reasonably clean!

So, here's my 2013 Trek Mamba 29er. I bought the bike back in January last year as my first proper mountain bike, and was determined to use it as much as possible. Part way into the year I set myself a challenge to complete 2013 miles in 2013, although I decided upon the challenge a bit too late into the year, and with a few issues towards the end of the year, unfortunately I only managed to reach 1378 miles. However, I'm even more determined to reach my goal this year!

At the moment, the majority of the bike is as stock, with the exception of upgraded pedals, brakes, tyres and grips.

I upgraded the pedals about 4 months in, as I heard a lot of good things about SPD's and thought I'd give them a go. I found a big improvement in my pedalling since. I got rid of the Hayes brakes quite recently after about 12 months, as I was never satisfied with the braking power from day one, despite new pads and following Hayes servicing procedures. I decided to order some Shimano XT brakes with larger 180mm rotors and have noticed a massive improvement since. The grips were upgraded from the stock slip-on's to some lock-on Bontrager grips. I got fed up trying to prise the slip-on ones on and off when installing the brake levers! As for the tyres, my old ones wore out quite a lot, and these seemed like the best option for my style of riding. Not yet ridden them, so hopefully they are suitable!

I'm currently looking to change out the spring in the fork, as it's a bit too stiff for my weight, and I've been contemplating some new wheels. I'd really like a new fork, but it's a pain to find G2 offset forks at reasonable prices. Think I might just save up for a better bike either later this year or early into 2015.

Frame: Trek Matte Black/Grey Mamba 2013 19"
Fork: Rockshox XC32 Coil (G2 Offset)
Wheels: Bontrager AT-850 Rims on Formula DC20/DC22 Hubs
Tyres: Bontrager 29-2 29" x 2.2" replaced by Continental X King ProTection 29" x 2.2"
Drivetrain: 9 x 3 Shimano: Alivio Shifters, Acera F/Der, Deore R/Der, HG20 Cassette
Pedals: Wellgo Nylon Platform replaced by Shimano M530 SPD Trail
Brakes: Hayes Dyno Sport Hydraulic Disc replaced by Shimano XT Hydraulic Disc
Other: Bontrager Evoke Saddle, Bontrager SSR Seatpost, Bontrager Low Riser Bar, Bontrager Race Lite Stem

Best picture I have at the moment with the recent upgrades. More to follow once I actually get out on it!

TCottle

Nice bike mate, I've not long since had a Trek 29'er too.

I also upgraded from the naff Wellgos to SPD's - How do you find them, and what shoes did you get?

I got Shimano AM45's - Pretty happy with them.

iLukeKendall

Cheers! It's the first 29er I've ever ridden and I love it!

I switched to SPD's after about 4-5 months, after my colleague suggested them and I finally got over the worry of falling off and being unable to unclip! I've been riding with them since for about 8-9 months and has a few near falls but I've always managed to regain balance or unclip quickly at the last minute. They definitely improve pedalling efficiency.

My only gripe with them, is that my right pedal seems to creak very frequently, caused by the position of my foot. It seems to have quite a lot of float, and if my foot works its way to point slightly inwards, a lot of creaking happens. It can be overcome by spraying the cleat with some WD40, but then that wears off after about 20 miles. Still not found a permanent solutions - it may be that the cleat has worn slightly, but I've not really had them all that long.

I went for Shimano MT43 shoes. Found them a bit too big for me due to weird european sizing, but they're fine with thick socks!

fizik

Nice bike, would love a go on a 29er myself. Is that one of the ebay cree lights? its huge how many lumens?

iLukeKendall

Cheers! The light is one of these: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00AAODIOG/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i01?ie=UTF8&psc=1. It's a 3 x Cree XML-T2, and the listing claims it's 5000 lumens, although fairly often this is an exaggeration! Output on full beam it's very bright and illuminates everything I need to see though, and even just low beam (1 LED) it's bright enough to see well. It did come with a cruddy rubber ring to attach it to the bars, which didn't hold it in place very well, but I found a Hope universal bracket on CRC which fitted it perfectly and it doesn't budge one bit!

iLukeKendall

Just thought I'd update the thread with a few more recent pics completed with mud!

Been getting a lot of use over the past few months, racking up 1000 miles since the beginning of the year. In fact the drivetrain had become so worn out it's currently in being upgraded to a full Shimano SLX groupset (minus brakes), so I'm sure there'll be some more pics to follow soon!

Super Dee

Cool bike. I really enjoy my 29er.

iLukeKendall

Super Dee wrote:

Cool bike. I really enjoy my 29er.

Same! I had to ride my Dad's 26er this weekend. Horrible to ride in comparison! Been without the Mamba for a week and a half now though... definitely having withdrawal symptoms! Hopefully get it back tomorrow

Super Dee

Yes, I just totally 'get' 29ers. I let me son have a go the other day but he handed it back pretty quickly and asked for his 26er ht back! I guess it is what works for you.

I still like my 26er mind, but for most rides I grab the big wheeler.