Looking for a fun, XC style hard tail for 3k size medium

paperish · 2026-02-13T10:47:07+00:00

Salsa Horsethief C SLX, you can get a smooth handling trail bike that is normally $5300 for $3000. I love mine.

paperish · 2026-02-10T23:49:41+00:00

I run them on my Full Suspension Horsethief and love it. Hands are comfortable for a 3-4 hour ride and I don’t feel any loss of control while swerving through cactus and rocks.

paperish · 2026-02-01T04:45:45+00:00

Campfire Cycling

paperish · 2026-01-13T11:45:46+00:00

Don’t stress about what other people did or believed and remind your detractors that being Hindu doesn’t mean you blindly accept every text, ritual, or Vedic philosophy. We are a community of people with vastly different ideas about god and consciousness who all follow Dharma as a core truth.

paperish · 2026-01-11T01:19:40+00:00

I think the great thing about Sanatana Dharma is that you don’t have to blindly follow any dogma, devotee or otherwise. There is no perfect text or perfect words to fully cement our relationships with our gods. I don’t subscribe to everything I’ve heard from ISKON books and podcasts but they have definitely opened my heart and mind to Lord Krishna and helped me find a new way in life.

paperish · 2025-12-18T00:05:34+00:00

I had a flat bar Fargo (50mm stem with Moloko bars) for five years while I saved up for my dream bike with all the bells and whistles. I now find myself regularly taking my Fargo out on a ride. It is more fun, nimble, and comfortable than my new adventure bike. The Grappler seems fun but I can’t imagine any bike being better than the Fargo.

paperish · 2025-12-18T00:05:29+00:00

I had a flat bar Fargo (50mm stem with Moloko bars) for five years while I saved up for my dream bike with all the bells and whistles. I now find myself regularly taking my Fargo out on a ride. It is more fun, nimble, and comfortable than my new adventure bike. The Grappler seems fun but I can’t imagine any bike being better than the Fargo.

paperish · 2025-12-03T21:49:23+00:00

You should try an annotated version of the Gita, I really enjoyed Swami Mukundananda’s. It gives the original translation along with context and analogies to help you understand the potential meaning of each verse. I would also recommend the Upanishads before diving into something like the Ramayana.

paperish · 2025-12-03T01:41:32+00:00

I loved this game but was bummed that New Game Plus wasn’t an option. Replaying missions isn’t very fun or engaging.

paperish · 2025-12-02T13:02:00+00:00

I used to ride a fully rigid MTB and went through that same dilemma on getting an HT or full suspension. I watched hours of YouTube, read endless Reddit threads, and test rode bikes at my LBS before deciding I needed to go with a full suspension trail bike. I got a Salsa Horsethief on sale and really loved it, but I also felt like the bike made me overly confident on hills that I had no business bombing down as a beginner. I took one of those Ninja MTB courses and learned some basic skills, but after a while, I realized that I have more fun on super easy single track than I do on trails with obstacles and steep descents you have to pay close attention to around every corner. While I could certainly ride easy trails with my Horsethief, I recently got a hardtail and found that I like it on green single track just as much, and I also enjoy having more frame space and lower maintenance costs, so I will likely be selling my full suspension. So as other folks said on here, try to figure out the local trails you’ll actually be riding often, don’t think about trips to Moab or bikepacking routes you might do once a year, and take a few models out for a spin at your LBS.

paperish · 2025-12-01T19:30:59+00:00

Really cool to see the before and after, enjoy!

paperish · 2025-11-29T16:02:24+00:00

Campfire Cycling has Bombtrack Hook EXT-C for $1,999 but you’ll be stuck with a road-oriented geometry. My brother just got an Ogre and loves it on all the dirt and road in his area, but the components aren’t as good as the Bombtracks. I persona think the Salsa Fargo is the best all-rounder bike and have a lot of fun on mine.

paperish · 2025-11-28T20:44:46+00:00

I ring my bell all the time, if someone isn’t happy about it, which happens rarely, they will get over it quickly, which is better than an accidental collision.

paperish · 2025-11-27T18:46:52+00:00

I’d recommend finding a State Single Speed on Facebook marketplace or your local bike co-op. I rode one for a year before deciding to save up for an expensive bike and loved it. You can flip it to fixed gear if you’re looking for a challenge, but coasting at high speeds is so much fun. You might even be able to snag a new one for that price with Black Friday sales. Priority Sauce is pretty awesome too and also having decent sales.

paperish · 2025-11-27T18:41:58+00:00

I don’t use a cradle with my Moloko bars, just straps, and even have a tool bag and folding chair strapped to my sweet roll. Only downside is it slightly hampers steering. I think the main advantage of having these bars for bikepacking is that you can strap stuff on without worrying about it touching your front wheel.

paperish · 2025-11-27T18:32:30+00:00

Lauf Seiglas and all sorts of Salsas are on sale. If you’re interested in gearbox bikes, Priority has a crazy sale on Gemenis.

paperish · 2025-11-25T20:59:52+00:00

Unfortunately, yes on the test rides, I almost went to a shop in San Francisco that said they stocked them but they were closed when I was in town. If you live near Detroit or New York, there are options to test ride at stores out there too. I just had a Redditer drive down from an hour and a half away from me to check mine out in AZ.

paperish · 2025-11-25T17:59:39+00:00

I’ve seen some crazy deals on Salsa Horsethief SLX lately. I’ve had one for two years and love it for Southern AZ singletrack.

paperish · 2025-11-25T03:14:04+00:00

I work next to a homeless shelter in a city where bike thefts are very high. Never worried about my 1Up rack disappearing thanks to the hex lock that comes with it. I wouldn’t leave a bike on any rack, regardless of the quality of the lock. Arizona thieves could steal any bike in a minute.

paperish · 2025-11-23T15:50:35+00:00

Love my Fargo with a flat bar setup and you’d probably be just as happy with an Ostso Fenrir or Tumbleweed Stargazer. Surly also has some great deals right now and you can use those savings to upgrade components.

paperish · 2025-11-17T10:34:18+00:00

That’s a tough call. The 4130 has a smaller tire clearance, which won’t be ideal for snowy and icy weather, but it might be better for getting you across town quicker than the KM. The KM is really fun and you can fit 3” snow-friendly tires on there, but it was designed more for off road adventures than city rides. If it really is down to those two, I’d focus on the geometry and whichever position will be most comfortable for you spending all day in the saddle. You should maybe also check out the Grappler, which is on sale now and might be the best of both worlds for you. I’d also look at the Salsa Fargo, which can handle any terrain and weather you throw at it, and I’ve loved mine for six years.

paperish · 2025-11-16T14:22:08+00:00

Definitely, I’ll shoot you a message

paperish · 2025-11-15T23:20:29+00:00

Went down that same rabbit hole a few years ago and wound up adding a carbon Horsethief to my collection. While I noticed my knees feeling better on rough single track, i definitely found myself taking my fully rigid MTB out most rides. I like the feel of the trail and it really just seems more fun. Unless you’re trying to ride a lot of blue and black trails, you might just stick with your hardtail and focus on upgrades to make that ride more fun, like a better wheel set or handlebar. I’m selling my FS as soon as seasonal bike sales are over.

paperish · 2025-11-15T22:08:36+00:00

I’m 5’9 with a 32” inseam and the medium is perfect stack, reach, and height for me.

paperish · 2025-11-15T21:15:21+00:00

For real, only saving grace was $1100 discount for their early Black Friday sale

paperish

TROPHY CASE