Had to get a new fork for the Trek. Got a Rock Shox Dart 3 with the pop-loc. Bike is rideable now, and will be taking it's first trail ride in Kickapoo in Danville, IL today or tomorrow. Mongoose will be a backup/friends bike for now.

Rode only a couple miles at Southwestway tonight. Seat came loose and I almost ended up on the rear tire. Need to tighten the bolts bfore riding or letting anyone else ride.
On a brighter note. I should have the Trek back from getting the Manitou Fork rebuilt tomorrow!

Mongoose vs. Snake

Anyone else love historic drag racing?
Rode the 'goose last night about 4-5 miles at Southwestway in Indy.
Ran over a snake in the trail. Went back and did my best  Crocodile Hunter impression and got him off the trail before he got hurt.
"Crikey! Are you all right little fella? I better move this little shela off the trail before some other bloat runs her over. Don't you bite me you little naughty girl"
He seemed pretty layed back considering he just had two knobbie tires run him over. Once I moved him into the leaves off the trail, he looked back at me  and then slithered away.
Helped a newbie out. He bought a brand new Cannondale, and hadn't ridden a bike at all since he wa a kid. he was really struddling up little hills even. Turned out he didn't know he had to shift gears occasionally.
Once I showed the basic basics, he had a better time with it.
Still got a couple things to work out on the Trek, so the 'goose will get a few more rides.
Next ride will probably be Tuesday night.

Got home and worked on the Trek. Got the tires aired up, stem spacers, stem and handlebars mounted, and new brake pads put on. Rode it around the block then it started raining. Felt light and nible... Got back and weighed it. 24lbs. Wow! Compared to 37lbs for my Mongoose!
Right before I was going to take a pic of it. my front tube sprung a leak. Guess I'll be picking up a couple tubes.
Forks also made some noises, so I need to tear into them. Might just need oil.
Not the prettiest bike around, but it'll do for now... Plan on tearing it apart over the winter and having a friend powdercoat it. Not sure the color or design yet.

Suggestions wanted...

What should I do with the mongoose once I start riding the ol' Trek...
1: Sell if to fund parts/upgrades for the Trek (I could also use some riding shorts)
2: Keep it for friends to ride / backup bike (although it'd make more sense to keep the old hardtail Pacific. I have more confidence it that bike nowadays)
3: Find someone braver than me to ride it down the longest roughest downhill to see if it lives. If it does, have him find some jomps, rocks, etc. and ride it till something breaks.
4: Disect it just to see how thick the metal is, and if it actually is built as heavy as it's 37lb. weight would suggest.
5: Throw it off the tallest cliff I can find. (most difficult option, here in the flatlands of Indiana)
6: Other (please explain)

OK... so not many updates lately, I know... The weather hasn't been good for riding for the last couple weeks here in Indiana... or anywhere in the midwest for that matter.
Might get a ride in on Sunday if the rain stays away long enough for the trails to dry out some. I've got all the parts for the Trek now though, so I might be riding it if I do ride.

Well. This blog will be short lived... Turns out the Trek has some great updated parts on it with the headset and fork, and the frame is in great shape, so it's definately worth fixing up. I'm working some trades, and should have the Trek on the trail soon. Might get a couple more rides out of the mongoose before the Trek is ready. Then either the mongoose or the Pacific hardtail will be sold, and whichever one I keep will be a back-up bike, or one to let friends ride who are thinking about getting into it. The hardtail is proven, and has been ridden long and hard, so I'm confident in it's strength, even though it weighs a lot. The Mongoose is newer, but I think the quality of department store bikes has definately gone down in the last ten year. The old Pacific was beat on hard up at Town Run 3-4 times/week for 2-3 years, so it'll hold together for some beginners.

1998 Trek 7000

Turn of events

Just became the owner of a 1998 Trek 7000.
It needs some work, but I can't complain... It was FREE!
Gotta add up the cost of parts to get it ridable and see if it would be worth it.
It needs a neck and tires (has slicks, as it was a commuter bike) to be ridable. Seems to have an aftermarket fork, as it doesn't match the bike. (Red?)
Pictures are in the albums, and I'd welcome any opinions or advice.

Bike weight

Weighed my bike last night. 37.5lbs.
Took off kickstand and removed the seatpost and trimmed some excess off of it, and Dropped it to 36.5 lbs.
Keeping an eye out for aluminum or carbon seatpost and handlebars. Might also get some Ergo bar ends. Those are all things that can transfer over to my next bike. Gonna get this thing down to a little more reasonable weight.
This is the reason I'm having so much trouble on the hills.
(Sounds like a good excuse anyway doesn't it?)

Gambled with the weather, and went down to Brown County to ride today after work. Rode the Pine Loop, and the connector up to Aynes Loop. After a breather, I was thinking about riding it, but it's 3.5 miles, and the storm clouds looked pretty threatening. Decided to ride back, and live to ride another day.
The long hard uphill on the connector that about killed me was much more fun bombing down on the way back! I did bottom the front shock out a bunch, so am going to look and see if I can modify it in some way, or swap a different fork on it.
Guy in the lot at the trail head looked straight at my bike, and said something like "You're riding that on these trails?" I said "Yup. Just got back". He was suprised I didn't break anything. He was even more suprised that I'd ridden down here once before, and ridden 1/2 dozen times on other trails this year so far.
Talked to another guys who was a lot friendlier about it. Encouraged him to join up on the HMBA.org board and get in touch with me about riding together. Looked like he might be about the same speed as me.

I'm going to yank the kickstand off, and look at getting some riser bars. I seem to put too much weight on my wrists/palms. Might look into a carbon or aluminum baar and seatpost. Would like to drop a little weight off this thing at least. Didn't realize how heavy it was until I picked up a couple other guys bikes. Wow!
The upsdide is I'm getting a much bigger workout hauling the extra weight up the same hills!
Camelbak worked awesome. New helmet fit 10x better than my old Target helmet.
Just need some glasses besides my cheap sunglasses. It was too dark for them, but there were too many bugs to not have eye protection.

Praying to the sun gods today. The bike's in the truck, and I'm hoping to go ride in Brown County tonight.
I'm a little more preoared this time with my new Camelbak. hopefully the rain sill stay away until late tonight.

Rode two laps of the existing loop at Southwestway tonight. It's 2.1 miles. Rode with a friend who'd never ridden on trails before the first loop. He did fine once he got the gears figured out.
Then another friend joined me for the 2nd lap. He's been on those trails once before. He wants to do another trip there, then maybe go down to Brown County with me.
Hope to go down there Fridat after work as long as the weather permits. Hopefully I'll have my Camelbak by then.

Also... I met a couple guys that recognized me from this blog. Thought it was kinda cool that people are getting entertainment out of it.

Score!

Got a $56 Camelbak on Ebay for about $20 shipped. Hopefully it's in as good a shape as the seller says.
Hoping to go ride tomorrow and introduce some friends to the sport/ hobby. They'll be borrowing my $100 Target Pacific bike I rode for years. LOL
Hope the rain stays away and the sun dries the trails out tomorrow.

Stopped at Bicycle Garage tonight... Man, there are some nice bikes! Determined to ride this for the whole summer though.
Was going to get a water bottle bracket for the back of the seat instead of a camelbak, but it was $26. Might make my own.
Did score a brand new in the box $50 Bell helmet for $10 at a garage sale though! Yea!