I got to Planet Cycle in Matawan but I'm sure there is better, I go there out of inconvenience.
OT: Mountain Biking in NJ
- Thread starter Ronnie_B
- Start date
Something new I learned--my front fork manufacturer "recommends" that the fork be serviced at the factory annually. Same for the main shock--both are Fox. Cost and effort to do this--including removing parts from bike, shipping and cost charged by Fox are about $400 per year. That's insane. Checked with several local shops, and none of them will even change the fluid in the forks or shock--does Planet Cycle or any other local shop service the forks/main shock in the shop?
REI Rt. 10 East Hanover
Ans also the (former) Madison Bike Shop which is now in Florham Park, by the Florham Park Diner and Apex Tigers Tae Kwon Do ...
CT,
How come you don't go to Marty's or Cycle Craft? I didn't even know REI did mountain bikes... is there a reason to choose them?
Nothing against those two.... But I do live in Madison and travel often to/from Livingston so those are / have been the two most convenient for me.
REI in EH has a nice mountain bike section with a full repair shop, maintenance classes, etc. I get my accessories there as well, great prices. (helmet, Thule bike rack, etc)
Lebanon(Brendan Byrne) State Forest off of Route 70 on the Burlington/Ocean counties border is beautiful with plenty of hiking and biking trails AND hardly anyone seems to know about it or use it. I can go hiking for five hours and sometimes see less than five people.
Check out Halter's in Montgomery for shock repair. I think they will do it in house. How often do you ride, and how much? If your usage is lighter, then you can go longer between service intervals..
I am impressed by all you mountain bikers.
Back in my Rutgers days I rode everywhere..esp from my place in S Boundbrook to my classes....to this day my bike is a part of my LIFE!
No mts or trails......last year we did the danube radweg from Austria to Budapest Hungary,,,
its a way of life
Back in my Rutgers days I rode everywhere..esp from my place in S Boundbrook to my classes....to this day my bike is a part of my LIFE!
No mts or trails......last year we did the danube radweg from Austria to Budapest Hungary,,,
its a way of life
Probably ride about 125-200 hours per year. If you look at Fox Racing's service intervals, they say to service the front fork every 100 hours or one per year, whichever is first.
I have resigned myself to breaking down the fork and changing the oil myself. I looked up the part kits that have all of the washers and crush washers, etc that I need. I have done a fair amount of small engine repair, and I can't see a shock absorber being more complicated than a carburetor or other parts of a small engine. Fox has a lot of instructional literature and youtube has lots of videos. I did not want to do it this way, but I will spend more time transporting my bike at least 45 minutes or more to a bike shop that will do the service (1.5-3 hours round trip) than it will take to do the service myself--famous last words!
Fox Racing has quite the racket going with the service of forks and main shocks--something must have happened that they cut the local shops off from doing service I called a total of 7 shops and they all said that they package the components and ship them to Fox. I don't get it, unless the lawyers/liability made it this way. I can sue myself if the the oil change screws up my fork.
I'd imagine that it all depends on how much use and riding conditions. Out here we have mostly decomposed granite and it chews up forks, pivot points, etc. For example, my Santa Cruz's pivots are supposed to last the lifetime of the bikes but most here have to get them changed out every other season.
Mostly plain old East Coast dirt here. Nothing extreme. I'm pushing 50, so my biggest drop during my ride is under 1 foot, and even at that, I take it easy and slide down the drops so that I don't injure myself. Hell, I could probably ride a road bike on the trails I ride, except when it gets a little muddy and I need traction to go up hill. Maybe I should just go back to one of the old style bikes I rode as a kid, and maybe that's why fatbikes with rigid forks and no suspension are gaining popularity.
Makes perfect sense. The mountain bike industry got itself so damn complicated. It seems mountain bikes nowadays are more like engine-less motorcycles, with prices to match their gasoline-engine brethren. Something is lost when you can't just throw your leg over a rigid two-wheeler and not have to think of all the things like servicing your suspension every 100 hours, shifting between 27 gears, clipless pedals, frame geometry and pivot points which rival aerospace vehicles, on-board computers...it's just exhausting.
No reason you can't still ride a hard tail or even full rigid bike in NJ. I never rode an FS bike there and rode all over the state.
I agree to an extent, though - builds have gotten complex. Always found V brakes easier to deal with than discs. It's only gonna get worse - electronic suspension, electronic shifting, etc. seems like a good time for someone to introduce a well-branded, old-school, dirt simple hard tail for like $800.
I agree to an extent, though - builds have gotten complex. Always found V brakes easier to deal with than discs. It's only gonna get worse - electronic suspension, electronic shifting, etc. seems like a good time for someone to introduce a well-branded, old-school, dirt simple hard tail for like $800.
Planet Bike on RT. 18 in Old Bridge. I have a Specialized StumpJumper with disc brakes, full suspension and lock in shoes/pedals. Allamuchy and Hartshorn offer the greatest challenge if you're looking for some 20% incline or greater. For more serious riding you will need to go to NY State or the Poconos. Plattekill Resort is quite a challenge and the downhill requires body armor. Ice and a first aid kit are required.
Btw, one of the best rides for pleasure is the Raritan & Delaware Canal. Start at Landing Lane and venture all the way to Princeton. Pack a lunch and a camera.
Hey, don't forget electronic drivetrains! You guys heard about that female Belgian cyclocross rider who got busted for a hidden battery-powered pedal-assist drivetrain?
My friend invited me to go mountain biking once and i figured it was just biking through some nice trails. Had no idea what i was signing up for.. We went to some place in the Catskills called Plattekill Bike Park. I knew i messed up when we were walking in and a kid was waiting outside with a broken arm..They bring you up on a ski lift and then you're basically flying down a real narrow path of loose rocks through the woods trying not to die.. I managed to only fall 2 or 3 times and ended up breaking my toe somehow. Another guy fell real bad and an ambulance had to come up to get him.. My first and only mountain biking experience.
most common injury I see in the ER for mountain bikers are shoulder injuries. AC separations and clavicle fractures to be specific. Other things as well, of course, but people love to fall on their shoulders.
Downhill mountain biking. That's what I got really into last year and can't wait for the ski slopes to open soon. You need 1) lots of experience 2) the right bike 3) the right safety equipment and even then it is dangerous.
Mountain creek has it, blue mountain (pa) has it, windham (ny)... Lots of places.
Rolling out of a crash "usually" leads to the least injuries. I had an SC dislocation at the end of last season and I'll never be right again.
Question for the Monmouth County bikers on this board.... I'm closing on a house and moving to Monmouth County later this month. I don't currently own a bike and have never really been into it. I will want to buy a bike when I move in for mainly street riding, just cruising around town out and about, and for commuting as I'll have a satellite office about 2 miles from the house I'm buying.
I also am interested in the idea of biking in Hartshorne Woods, and getting into very beginner level mountain biking. In my limited research on bikes, I noticed there is a "hybrid" bike that's a little bit of both, mountain bike / road bike. Do you guys have any advice on what kind of bike I should buy, for a beginner/entry level cruising/flat trails bike? Without breaking the bank...
I will never be the guy in spandex racing down the 2 lane highway, and i'll never be the guy who's extreme mountain biking down ski slopes... something in the middle. Any advice?
I also am interested in the idea of biking in Hartshorne Woods, and getting into very beginner level mountain biking. In my limited research on bikes, I noticed there is a "hybrid" bike that's a little bit of both, mountain bike / road bike. Do you guys have any advice on what kind of bike I should buy, for a beginner/entry level cruising/flat trails bike? Without breaking the bank...
I will never be the guy in spandex racing down the 2 lane highway, and i'll never be the guy who's extreme mountain biking down ski slopes... something in the middle. Any advice?
Hybrid bikes are garbage - not good for mtb, not as smooth as a road bike on asphalt. Thought they stopped making them years ago, tbh. It'd be like having a coach head both RU football and b ball ... Straight from hs coaching.
Get separate road and mtbs if you're serious or just ride your mtb on the road. A cyclocross bike might be a good tweener if you only do smoother trails, but think you'll want an mtb for hartshorne.
Get separate road and mtbs if you're serious or just ride your mtb on the road. A cyclocross bike might be a good tweener if you only do smoother trails, but think you'll want an mtb for hartshorne.
Completely agree...hybrids are giant turds. I wouldn't rule out a good cyclocross though. If you're not going to get into hardcore mtn biking, a 'cross bike might be an excellent buy. Or buy that mtn bike (you probably only need front-sprung) and get an extra set of rims with street tires (without the knobs). You could ride around on those most of the time and only slip the knobbies in when you hit the trails.
I recall hearing a Tour de France announcer saying you aren't a "real" pro rider until you break your collar bone at least once.
Guys start to fall and they extend their skinny arms out and "crack".
When I was riding trails a lot I took some spills where my eye just missed short sticks popping up out of the ground. Glasses can be important.
We sound similar. I ride about 2 miles by road to hit Hartshorne Woods, then another 2-3 at the back end of Hartshorne Woods to get back home. One thing you may want to do is rent or try out a couple of different bikes before buying one. Two decent shops in the area are Kranky's on Waterwitch Ave in Highlands and The Peddler in Long Branch. Garrett at Kranky's really knows his stuff and he rides a lot. Last I checked he was doing renovations to his shop and was not open.
Mountain bikes can get crazy expensive--u over $4,000 for a full suspension bike, but in my opinion you can get a decent bike new for under $1,000 or a great used bike for that price point. For what you want to do, I would get a hardtail. As I learned, proper maintenance of a high end bike can get expensive.
I am considering getting a fatbike with no rear suspension and rigid forks. They are the hot bike right now and they have 3-4 inch wide tires. You can ride a fat bike in snow and on the beach. The Peddler just sponsored a fat bike race on the beach. You can rent a fatbike from either of the two shops I mentioned.
After you make the move, if you want to ride through Hartshorne Woods together, message me here. I stay on the main trails at Hartshorne and have not hit the really technical trails with lots of twists and turns.
