The following week was a planned rest week anyway so it would be a perfect time to build a bike without being in a rush to get it together for the next ride. No midnight oil this time. Take my time. By Wednesday I was ready to go, I thought....
The rest of the week was spent dreaming about taking this 23.2 lb monster into the woods. I'd hit a couple (easy road) recovery rides on it and thought I had it dialed but my first excursion into Wawayanda on Saturday had me scratching my head. I'm a 23 inch top tube with a 110 stem guy. I never waver from that. Never!! Every bike is slightly different and little changes can make a huge difference, I know. So I swapped the 110 for a 100, raised the bars a half inch and swapped the Fox fork for the Specialized brain. It won't work I thought.... I was dead wrong!
What a difference. The minute I hit the single track on Sunday I was in love. My buddies and I were meeting at 10am at Jungle and I rode down early just to see how it would feel. I'm amazed! The Tomac Carbide SL is hands down the best bike I've ridden on the tight and uber technical trails of Jungle Habitat. After about 15 minutes I found myself hitting lines that were impossible at speed on any other bike. That confidence had me off the brakes at points that usually require heavy braking. On the rare occasion that we would pause to grab a bottle or regroup I would check the rear shock. The recommended pressure for my weight on Tomac.com was right on point. I never bottomed but hit full travel. Perfect.
These trails are bony and can be rough on bike and body, the kind of place that can leave you feeling defeated and wanting to take up spin or some other sport. The nimble Carbide and I quickly made great friends. It's rare you find a bike that handles the tech this well and has no problem motoring on the road also. I think I found the perfect do it all machine....
Nice looking ride! Things are coming together, perhaps we will get a ride in this spring.
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