Suzanne Taylor and Mike O'Lary's Mountain Biking Pages

To begin with, let me say I LOVE MOUNTAIN BIKING (sorry for shouting - I get carried away sometimes).

Notice please I didn't say that I was particularly good at it, just that I love it!

North Florida doesn't have any mountains, but it has got some excellent trails . . . more on those later. We do really enjoy camping and travel on a pretty regular basis. As a matter of fact the word "trip" pretty well equates to "load the camper and the bikes, we are going BIKING!" So we are pretty frequent visitors to where there actually are some mountains.

This brings me to my motto: I hate climbing! Yes, of course I realize that climbing is a big part of the sport, and there are a few sick individuals that actually enjoy it, but I can assure you - I ain't one of them.

I have raced in three NORBA events. One cross country race which I did not even finish (too many hills to go up I guess) a downhill event, and a dual slalom event. I won my class in both of those events. Probably not surprisingly, neither event required me to pull my 230± pound body up hill!

These two events brought me to one of the biggest truths of my life. When you put a 230 pound guy on a bicycle, and aim that bicycle down a big hill - speed is inevitable. Did I mention that I REALLY like speed? I do.

It does seem to have a down side though, I'm on my second dislocated shoulder - the same shoulder. May be I need to learn to lean the other way? na. I just need to go faster. Everyone knows that bicycle wheels act like gyroscopes, the faster they turn the more stable they are, the harder they are to fall over, the less likely I'm going to get shoulder number three. Right?!?!

Know you know logic according to Mike. Enough of that for the moment, how about some bike pictures?

Cross Country
1999 Gary Fisher Joshua F3

Click on any image for a larger view.

This shows the detail of the Marzocci z.1 Forks and front Hayes Disc Brake. The Manitu fork (SX-E) that came on the bike lasted less than two months. A quick note on the Hayes Disk Brakes: If you don't have them on both ends of your bike get them. I struggled with justifying the expense of two new hubs, two new wheels, and the brakes - until I used them.

Aaah. Here is the whole bike. About the only original parts left on it are the paint job,seat, handlebar and stem! Everything else has been upgraded already.

This is the coolest thing since sliced bread. It's a rear shock with dampening adjustment "on the fly". While it does not _completely_ lock out the rear shock, at least under my 230 pounds, it does go from stiff enough to make the bobbing imperceptible when climbing, to comfortably plush on the descents.

Holy Cow! Look what happened to my bike!

The urge for a new bike was strong. The new technology, even in just the last couple of years, makes a strong argument for upgrading your bike. Even when you have a pretty high end bike to start with. But the fact is, this bike flat works for me. I ride every bike people will let me on just to check all the different models out. I enjoy darned near every one of them. But I always like this bike better. Every time I ride it, I like it better than the last time.

So . . . having to put up this responsible front for the kids who <snicker> need to be able to look up to me around here <snicker> I had to admit that if I bought a new bike, it would not be because I needed it. I hate when that happens.

Partly because of my rebelious spirit resenting having to act responsibly and partly because I thought it might just look cool, I decided to repaint my XXX Orange FLAWLESS - HAND DONE - Original paint job. Below is the result, you can click on any picture to see a larger version. Had I known it would turn out like this, I would have done it sooner. :-)

Downhill 1998 Cannondale SV 700 FR LE Click on any image for a larger view.
	Let the Bad Boy FLY!
Equipped with the HeadShock Downhill SuperMOTO 120 forks, this Cannondale is a member of a pretty exclusive club. I don't know the exact numbers, but Cannondale made very few of these available to the public. Eight way adjustable and air over oil, these forks are very cool. Even at my weight, I have never been able to bottom these forks when they were properly adjusted! That does not mean they are stiff. Quite the contrary. I have owned . . . let me think . . . FIVE Cannondales. This one is the most plush bicycle I have ever ridden. Roots, rocks, gator backs, stair steps. This bike just simply eats them up and leaves you in control and ready to FLY. Modifications include the talisman ( Taz, the Tasmanian Devil),a custom wound spring for the rear shock, a seat, seat post, peddles and way oversized tires. While I do consider this a downhill race bike because of the weight (28 pounds), I have been unable to bring myself to get rid of the three front chain rings. This bike is just TOO plush to not ride cross country sometimes!

Goofing Around Bike 1999 Bike - E Click on any image for a larger view.

What can I say. When you get over 40 a bike that doubles as a comfortable chair is very attractive! This bike is stone stock, just as it arrived at the dealer. They had the good taste to put a really nice Cane Creek air shock on the rear of this model. Due (apparently) to the geometry of this bike the rear wheel seems to simply rise and fall under the frame. The bike feels like the frame sits still while the wheel soaks up the bumps.

Mike's Bikes