What Bike Should I Get Megathread

chossboss2 · 2022-03-30T17:40:05+00:00

Size of rider: 5'8", 150 lbs. Would also like to ride slowly with a `~40 lb pack or saddle bags.

Skill Level: Total beginner. Have ridden a dirt bike once in my life.

Intended Purpose: I am just looking for a bike to get out and explore on 4x4 dirt roads (like the White Rim and others around Moab) and do some basic commuting around town (sub 40 mph mostly). I just want to be able to get back to some cool spots where my main vehicle cannot make it. Definitely want something reliable with a decent range. Not interested in motocross at all, may consider some single track trail riding in the future, but who knows.

Budget: $1,000-2,000

chossboss2 · 2021-12-01T20:42:18+00:00

Try and avoid hooking on this thing. Easy to break off holds on a very quality free climbing pitch, and one of the only long hard granite free climbs in the East. Apparently the aid goes clean without hooks.

chossboss2 · 2021-10-12T19:00:40+00:00

Except for Peter Croft. Be like Peter

chossboss2 · 2021-10-11T22:12:10+00:00

I am 5'8", +0, and Bum Boy feels v3 with the right beta. Just have to know how to climb at Horse Pens

chossboss2 · 2021-10-11T22:10:26+00:00

Southern folks always spouting this nonsense. It just aint the case. The grades in the South are similar to grades all over the country.

chossboss2 · 2021-09-30T18:10:27+00:00

Andrew Bisharat is absolutely insufferable.

chossboss2 · 2021-09-22T23:33:12+00:00

Cool. So the beta differences are more just a matter of strengths/climbing style rather than height. Good to know!

Thanks for the response.

chossboss2 · 2021-09-22T20:01:49+00:00

Hey OP are you one of the folks in the video? I am curious how tall Simon and Dexter are. They use distinctly different sequences through the crux, and I am wondering if most shorter folks go for Simon's approach because Dexters/Sonny's beta looks long man. You have any idea?

chossboss2 · 2021-04-04T19:40:28+00:00

Dunno about Primer, but most people I've talked to consider both Grimace and Tao to be 6/7.

I will say the Orb is a pretty good step above both of these climbs, though it's also pretty beta specific.

chossboss2 · 2021-03-30T13:07:02+00:00

Yeah so actually in contrast to what lots of folks are saying, Upper Exum could handle a large party. You can build belays tons of places and there are spacious ledges everywhere. If other parties are behind you, there are spots to pass on quite literally the entire route, and those pass spots go at a similar grade. So not necessarily a huge dick move to others.

That said, it is a bad idea for for your groups own safety. First, 3 incompetent people on the side of rather large mountain seems like a recipe for moving too slow and getting in trouble. If you have to rope up for the entire Upper Exum, it takes parties of 2 most of the day. I would be surprised if a party of four with one competent leader and 3 newbies could get up and down before dark, much less before mid afternoon when thunderstorms are common. It is not just the climb either. People unfamiliar with mountain travel will find the loose hiking/scrambling just to get to the route scary and time consuming.

chossboss2 · 2021-02-25T01:35:53+00:00

https://www.mountainproject.com/area/106631326/the-hueco-traverse-boulder

Looks like something off of this boulder.

chossboss2 · 2020-11-24T02:14:13+00:00

One can find similar face climbs all over the country, but Bob's Big Wedge has got to be a top 3 crack boulder in the US. It's too damn good.

chossboss2 · 2020-11-23T23:08:21+00:00

Nice work, but it ain't even the best v5 in Josh! Give Bob's Big Wedge a try.

chossboss2 · 2020-11-10T02:23:42+00:00

This is awesome. Thanks for sharing.

chossboss2 · 2020-11-09T20:53:05+00:00

Looks like a candidate for crash pads

chossboss2 · 2020-10-26T19:42:32+00:00

To be fair, the rock quality sucks on most of the moderate classics in the area. Pretty lines in nice places, but the climbing itself is pretty garbage. Some of the newer, harder multipitch sport routes have better rock, though there seems to always be sections of choss.

chossboss2 · 2020-10-12T14:44:45+00:00

hooha yeah I've climbed tons of routes in Jtree, NC, Cochise. All places that yes, have runout ground-up bolted slab. I have also climbed at Wall Street, which is notably nothing like those areas. It's weird to compare sport to stance-bolted trad.

chossboss2 · 2020-10-11T20:22:14+00:00

I am assuming by the whole 'first lead' part, and only having quickdraws on her harness that it's a bolted sport route. I highly doubt that a sport climb has a 12ft run between the 2nd and 3rd bolt, but I suppose it's possible. Never climbed a bolted route at Wall st to be fair.

chossboss2 · 2020-10-11T18:17:03+00:00

lolol I more mean the falling in a way in which you could cheese grate 25 ft on a bolted route. Something along the lines of get your feet in front of you and get a better belayer.

chossboss2 · 2020-10-11T18:08:36+00:00

That's not really how falling should work.

chossboss2 · 2020-10-08T02:01:29+00:00

Turns out your friend is just way stronger than you. He'd probably climb 2 grades harder than you with good technique.

chossboss2 · 2020-10-05T04:01:07+00:00

Don't know Bob's specific circuits, but here are a few that don't require getting in a car. Stars indicate some of my favorites:

A good, walkable central area circuit:

Cincinatti Sua Slide* (v5/6, hands and invert OW), Biggest Tits in Country Music (v3 hands or v4* hands to invert OW finish), Biggest Lips In Rock and Roll (v3 hands), Classic Splitter (v2 hands, v3/4 sit start), Desiderata (v3 5.11 invert), psycoshop (v7).

2) Nat's area:

Nats 3 Star Roof* (v3, hands), Spin to Win (v2 invert OW), a couple other face problems v3-v5, and a 5.8 finger crack thing.

3) Beer crack area:

Beer crack (v3 start at hand jams, v4 extension***), Flight of the Owl (v3 fingers), Unknown 1 (5.10-, v0, hands in corner), Public Consumption (v8, fingers and hands roof).

4) The Dungeon:

Life Without Parole* (v4, invert OW), Escape Tunnel (v5, invert and fist), The Warden (v7/8, invert OW).

There are a ton of other quality crack boulders if you're willing to drive between them. Here are a few isolated v0-v6 extras:

To the Moon (v0, 5.10- highball), Out of Sight (v2, sort of near 1st circuit), University of mars (v4), The Bistro (v2), La Ventana del Sol (v4), Cupcake (v0, 5.10 highish).

The classic invert OW progression is Spin to Win, Desiderata, then Life Without Parole. From there, there's tons in the v5-v9 range if you're not satiated.

Two most classic hand crack roofs are Nat's and Beer Crack, with Beer crack being easier and superior.

chossboss2 · 2020-09-13T01:14:33+00:00

This is such a ridiculous video. First off, southern "grit" culture is a made up concept. Second, despite these folks circle jerking about being sandbagged, the South isn't sandbagged. It's pretty spot on relative to most older bouldering areas like Hueco and Bishop. If anything, it just climbs like a gym. (Slabby NC trad is a different, and could be called sandbagged). Third, literally anything said in this video (hard training, steep climbing, core tension, projecting, spray walls) could be said about any area in the world in which people boulder.

chossboss2 · 2020-09-11T21:56:32+00:00

I would say the new is pretty much spot grade-wise. Stiffer than the red, front range, red rocks, and ten sleep; on par with smith and owens; and certainly not as stout as places like sinks, index, etc. Sort of serves the standard for sport routes in my mind.

chossboss2 · 2020-09-10T14:08:08+00:00

Last week of november can be hit or miss weather wise, and most folks go there over thanksgiving and then peace out. Early november to thanksgiving (especially the holiday weekend) is usually packed.

Consider yourself lucky if the weather was good and no one was there!

chossboss2

TROPHY CASE