First Spring Ride //
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Finally things seem to be drying out. Did a loop from the shop to a local trailhead to check conditions and things were quite dry with a few patches of snow here and there. My wind was good but the horsepower was lacking.. nothing a singlespeed and dead lifts won’t cure. IT’S GO TIME.
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Post Script: Late in the fall of 2024, my TFL’s got super inflamed along with a bunch of glute medius pain and lower back referral pain thrown in for good measure. I basically took all of December off and by January things still were super painful. So it was time to go see my pal Karen at @appleptnh ! So the next handful of months have been spent with a bunch of additional strength exercises along with a thorough PT regiment mixed into my normal routine at the gym along with dry needling. All that work paid off today big time. It was the first pain free ride since October of 2024. Thank you Karen. You’re amazing!!
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#singlespeed
#titaniumisreal
#springride
Deep Woods Shoot //
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Shot a handful of images of what I packed to the @phillybikeexpo and the folks at @bikepackingcom were kind enough to host a few so you can view them on the “Big Screen”. That’s a technical term for your desktop computer. More to come as I shot two other build for a rad spot on the web too!
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For those who don’t know their way around a camera, it’s honestly very difficult to shoot photos in the northeast in the woods. The terrain is rugged but incredibly dense so lighting and exposure are challenging and you don’t have that large open backdrop of vistas you get out west. I’ve been scoping local locations that capture that thickness and richness of surroundings the northeast has and I think I found a few spots. Hope you enjoy these shots and I hope to try and shoot more from these difficult locations as the seasons change!
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#steelfullsuspension
#phillybikeexpo
#snakedriver
#marauder
Philly Bike Expo’d //
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Last but not least the often over looked Huntsman at the @phillybikeexpo ! This ones titanium but I also build them out of steel too. As I like to say, this ones a “mountain bikers road bike”. Overbuilt to take whatever you can toss at it with room for 50mm tires, I’ve got this one sporting @wildernesstrailbikes Resolute 42’s which plump out to 45’s on the Nox rims they’re mounted. Lots of little details but a fairly straightforward 1x12 build.
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#phillybikeexpo
#titaniumisreal
#gravelbike
Philly Bike Expo’d //
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What did I bring to the @phillybikeexpo ? Why, the half steel / half titanium Snakedriver! This shares all the same geo as the steel version but shed 2 pounds to come in at about the 30lb range. Ride character is pretty sweet I will say as you have all the attributes of both materials balled up into one. Plus a sub 30 pound build just moves! XTR drive train and brakes, Race Face Turbine cranks, Wolftooth Ripsaw pedals, White Industry headset, Fox 36 fork and Transfer post, I9 torch hubs laced to NOX Farlow rims…. lots of little details all packed into this build! It’s something to see in person.
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After a lot of debate I think this option will fall under the full custom range of builds with pricing (tariffs not withstanding) expected to be in the 6k range. I’ve been keeping a close watch on tubing/material costs which as many of you know are swinging wildly. I could say more but..
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#phillybikeexpo
#titaniumisreal
#snakedriver
Philly Bike Expo 2025 //
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What did I bring to the @phillybikeexpo ? Round 2: My personal Marauder Ti SS! This ones a dedicated singlespeed. What’s that mean? No rear derailleur cable routing. Like @fbmbikecompany used to say in their ads in the 90’s: FULL COMMITMENT. This ones got a straight forward build sporting a 140mm Fox 34, 175mm dropper, two water bottle mounts where the ST mounts are external so I can run as long of a dropper as I want, the new revised over DT cable routing, 66° HT, classic 73° ST angle for a comfy pedaling position, 2.5” of BB drop so you can RIP corners and slap berms and slightly longer CS length at 17.125”. A Modern Classic New England low slung hardtail with stripped-down aggressive simplicity. What more could you want? This one’s a sleeper, but those who know.. they know the assignment. SHRED’S NOT DEAD.
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PS: That last photo of the top cap? I cooked up some hot Ti goodness with my pal Joe over at @cobraframebuilding so hold onto your butts because there’s some cool Ti top caps coming…
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#phillybikeexpo
#titaniumisreal
#marauder
#singlespeed
Philly Bike Expo 2025 //
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So what did I bring to the @phillybikeexpo ? Let’s kick things off with a special build that the folks at @industry_nine hosted in their booth: The Snakedriver!!
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Built around a 140mm fork with 120mm rear travel via a flex pivot of my own design, this build features I9’s all new system wheels in a custom lacing pattern of silver and orange along with their 30mm A318 stem. Geo specs are 65° HT, 76° ST angles, 25mm of BB drop and 440mm CS length. This is the all steel option which will be the initial stock option. Look for an announcement for launch and pre-orders of small batch size run production late 2025 or sometime in 2026. There’s a few details I’m revising for ease of manufacturing and improved assembly/maintenance. All the geo and sizing is set and later this Spring you’ll be able to explore all the details via the 44HQ website too! I hope to provide robust support and ease of service. Testing continues on a daily basis but for the past 2 years, I’ve absolutely been pounding this bike in every condition imaginable. The results? This bike absolutely RIPS. When service intervals arrive, things have been really easy maintenance wise and after 2 years, bearings have not required replacement. They’re still running smooth as can be. A testament to all that front end design and engineering. I cannot wait to start building these bikes for you all!
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Thanks to @industry_nine and @phillybikeexpo for hosting the bike and an absolutely wonderful show. And to Philadelphia: I love that town!! You’re my kind of people!!
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#phillybikeexpo
#snakedriver
#steelfullsuspension
#philly