Back in Business

I found the following review when looking for some of the reviews I had read shortly after buying my GT iDrive. The first reviews I was reading, were nearly all consistent, where in spite of an awesome ride - they were beyond exasperated by a common complaint - THE FRAME BROKE!!
Kevin, a riding buddy, checks in periodically to see if my frame has broken yet.

Well, as stated a few postings ago - Yes, it broke.

However, in trying to retrieve and share those reviews I saw a few years ago, I came across the one below. In fairness to my 2 wheeled comrade I have decided to quote a more favorable, though very accurate portrait.

From dirtworld.com

"... Which brings me to the best part of this review. How does it ride man?! Out on the trail it rocks. If you're headed downhill. It screams while descending. Let me put it to you this way. Leguna Seca's single track is like velvet. Problem is however, during a race there aren't too many places to pass because the trail is so narrow. Get off the trail and you're riding through lumpy, gopher hole infested, rocks-hiding-in-the-grass terrain. Still, passing on the outside was easy! I was amazed at how many hits, big and small, the I-Drive could handle. Literally, I found myself passing riders at will. As long as I was headed down."

But,

"The second I hit the flats or began to climb, all the ground I had chewed up was lost as other riders with lighter bikes easily caught me. Why? At 27 pounds the I-Drive is heavy. Most of the weight is located near the bottom bracket giving you a low center of gravity. This makes maneuvering the bike through tight turns and over obstacles almost effortless... so long as you have gravity on your side. Climbing on the other hand, is simply a chore on the I-Drive."

And with that analysis I completely agree. If the rider was as good at downhill as the bike is, we would be dangerous. Ok, so I'm dangerous anyway, but at least I'm not a threat going up hills.

But, as I was saying, I did break the frame as stated in my post of Ella and my ascent up Mt. Tamalpais.

It wasn't catastrophic, though it could have been if unattended. It seems unlikely that anything positive could come from my seat post falling off into my rear wheel. My friend Jim, at Howe's Welding in Walnut Creek patched me up, and though I lost a little tire tread in the deal, the bike rolls great and I saved myself an $800 frame.


I've been trying to decide if I want to paint it, or just sport the scars. The bike really has enough character already, that this doesn't do too much to affect the overall nature of the bike.


I can't begin to afford a professional paint job - so I suspect I'll cut my aesthetic losses and just leave it alone.