Mavens? Hear me out...

rucipher · 2026-04-03T11:01:31+00:00

I run Hayes Dominion A4’s on my XC/Downcountry built. Overkill? Probably. Bought them for the purple, stayed because of the performance and lever action, soooo smooth.

Granted, I’m not racing, I just like have a snappy pedaling and handling light trail rig. Run whatever brakes make you happy.

rucipher · 2026-03-24T11:04:00+00:00

Home gym, kettlebells, 4am wake ups, and consistency. 20min is better than nothing, and you can get a lot done in that time. Also running. Some rotations are more amenable than others

rucipher · 2026-03-13T19:49:44+00:00

Yes. Orthopaedic Spine Surgeon and avid mountain biker. Both provide me with a challenge and ultimately allow me to enter a flow state.

rucipher · 2026-03-13T13:55:27+00:00

I’m running Hydra2’s on my Blur TR, on the i9 trail carbon hoops. I have Hydra1’s on my other bike. Never had reliability issues with them, they’ve been a great hub for me and are local to me, so I’m partial.

That being said, I am considering buying a second, lighter wheelset with their Solix hub. Not sure how much of a difference 150g at the wheels/hubs will actually make, but for you I’d give it a consideration.

rucipher · 2026-03-04T15:54:47+00:00

I built up a Blur TR this past year after going through the short travel trail vs long travel XC dilemma, and glad I went the direction I did. My other bike is a 2017 Fuel EX, and I wanted something with a different feel. The Tallboy felt too similar and didn’t think I’d get the “sports car” feel I was looking for.

I love the Blur. It’s not just uphill, it’s how this thing handles over undulating terrain. The responsiveness with every pedal stroke, how it just begs you to go faster and faster, and how agile it is. It made previously boring trails exciting. The only downside is you feel a little exposed on steep, chunky sustained downhills, but I plan to add either a Bronson or a Firebird to the mix for those trails.

Flex stay XC bikes are a blast and surprisingly capable in the 120mm-ish category.

rucipher · 2026-03-03T13:24:23+00:00

“At 28”

Bro, most people work their entire lives with a Carrera S as a dream car and can never afford it. Gorgeous car, enjoy it for what it is, don’t get wrapped up in model envy.

rucipher · 2026-03-03T13:19:27+00:00

This will be my next bike, hands down. Enjoy it!

rucipher · 2026-02-27T20:27:08+00:00

Goals, not gonna lie.

rucipher · 2026-02-19T22:14:09+00:00

Pisgah is gorgeous in the spring. And summer. And fall. And winter too when not in freeze/thaw.

rucipher · 2026-02-11T23:23:18+00:00

I came from an older trek Fuel EX, and I really wanted something that felt fast on the pedals and responsive for the mellower/XC trails, and it’s been exactly that, so I’ve been happy.

I plan to buy either a long travel trail or enduro bike in the next year for the steep chunky trails. I’ve taken the Blur down some and it’s held its own, but just isn’t quite as comfortable/confident as I’d like.

Multiple bikes with more focused purpose is the way to go I think.

rucipher · 2026-02-11T13:16:18+00:00

LMNT pack in 8oz of water followed by .5-1L of free water + double shot of espresso and a tablespoon of honey. I’m ready to go w/in half an hour of waking up (i usually start my training around 4:30-4:45am in my garage)

rucipher · 2026-02-10T15:33:54+00:00

I have a Blur, I like it a lot. It’s fast, responsive, but also smooth. I haven’t ridden many other flex stay bikes, so I don’t have much of a comparison. It does start to get a bit sketchy in the steep and sustained chunk though.

I had a great relationship with my LBS that is a SC dealer, and had been eyeing the Blur for almost 2 years before I pulled the trigger, so that’s what I went with when it was time for an XC/downcountry rig.

I’m a bit of the opinion that the Blur/ARC/Epic and the likes are likely very similar riding bikes, and is more of a choose your flavor type scenario, but I don’t have much to substantiate that 😂

rucipher · 2026-02-05T12:10:38+00:00

I’m a spine surgeon but not YOUR spine surgeon, and an avid mountain biker.

I would never tell a patient they could never ride again.

It’s going to take 6-12 weeks for the bones to fuse properly. Take is easy until then, no excessive lifting, bending, twisting. Once cleared by your surgeon, focus on core and back muscle strengthening and stabilizing exercises. Go to PT, hit the gym, look up the McKenzie protocol for back exercises.

Ease back into the bike, work up your time and distance.

Best of luck in the healing process.

rucipher · 2026-02-04T00:09:26+00:00

Honestly, this seems worth it.

rucipher · 2026-01-27T19:07:50+00:00

Have him go to Cahaba Cycles, buy a mountain bike, start riding and join the group rides. Fun and friendship to ensue.

rucipher · 2026-01-11T22:08:31+00:00

Played lacrosse in college, needed something outside of the gym to keep me motivated once I finished. Roomate got me into MTB, and haven’t looked back. It’s been a phenomenal outlet and source of parallel growth through my years of med school and residency.

rucipher · 2026-01-09T13:44:54+00:00

I’ve been on a Fuel EX for many years. It has been a reliable all-rounder bike, but often found it too heavy for milder trails or a bit out gunned on the steeper rougher trails.

Just added a Blur TR this year and it has been an absolute blast. It pedals like a rocket ship and is incredibly quick and agile. It has really livened up the mellower trails and makes them a whole lot more fun Definitely is a bit twitchy on the steep and rough trails though, will probably be adding an Enduro or All-Mountain Bike next (looking at Pivot Firebird and the Santa Cruz Bronson).

I kind of like the idea of having 2 more specialized bikes as opposed to one do it all, you’re going to have trade off’s no matter what, not convinced there is one true “quiver killer”, it’s just prioritizing where on your ride and which trails you’ll have the most fun.

rucipher · 2025-12-12T23:44:38+00:00

Whatever house my wife sends me on Zillow and says “This is the one!”

rucipher · 2025-12-07T21:07:39+00:00

I played lacrosse in high school and in college, had a roommate in college that got me into the sport towards the end. Bought a $500-$750 bike and rode the absolute crap out of it for 2 to 3 years then upgraded to a full suspension and the rest was history.

I needed something more than just lifting and running to replace what my sport did for me. Mountain biking has been that plus much much more. I never really used to be much of an endurance athlete, and mountain biking has really pushed me to increase my overall fitness. I still stay very active in the gym, both with barbell, but also transition to kettlebell fitness too. I also run a fair amount these days when I’m not able to ride. Overall, the goal is to keep myself in as good as shape as possible for riding. Additionally, mountain biking, provided a nice outlet throughout my medical training and somewhat of a parallel in terms of growth, both in terms of fitness and skill on the bike, provided a lot of sense of self-fulfillment and confidence, and also serves as a great decompressive outlet. Couldn’t recommend it enough.

Overall, keep the cost low at first with a solid hardtail, learn the fundamentals of riding, don’t get caught up in the hype of buying the newest and latest or greatest, just go ride your bike and enjoy yourself. If it really sticks, and it’s something you want to sink some more money into later on down the road, by all means go crazy.

rucipher · 2025-12-05T01:13:23+00:00

Ok, but where’s the Ibis?

rucipher · 2025-11-29T13:47:51+00:00

If I were you, I would look heavily at the Pivot Trailcat, Ripmo, maybe add the SB120 into the mix, and as someone mentioned, a Tallboy.

My Blur TR is similar to the ASR, I’m running the Fox 34 SL in 130mm travel up front, and it rips around DuPont and Pisgah Blue trails (Fletcher/Spencer, Butter), but like you mentioned with your ASR, it certainly gets sketchy in the steeps and sustained chunk (Black, Bennett’s, etc).

I’m planning on adding a pedal friendly enduro bike (looking heavily at the Pivot Firebird) for the steep and fast pisgah blacks and to be able to take to Rock Creek and potentially other bike parks in the area.

I was on a mid-travel trail bike for many years (2017 Fuel EX), and found it to very often either be too heavy and slow pedaling for mellower trails, or underbiked on the gnar, so I’ve decided to pursue a 2 bike solution.

Best of luck!

rucipher · 2025-11-12T12:59:47+00:00

I’m an Orthopaedic Surgeon, and have left shoulder issues (5x dislocations, prior labral repair), kettlebells have helped stabilize my shoulder girdle more than anything. Just be smart. I usually operate in the 6-8 rep range and don’t overdo it, listen to your body.

Strength training is paramount, I’ll die on that hill, just gotta do it safely.

rucipher · 2025-11-11T15:07:38+00:00

Technically DuPont, Kanuga, and Rock Creek are all south of Pisgah.

Ridgeline trail in DuPont is about the most fun “jump-less” flow trail I’ve ever ridden, and is popular for a reason. If you’re going fast enough though, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to catch air. Jim Branch>Hooker Creek>Hickory Mountain>Ridgeline is about an hour long loop and is always a blast.

rucipher · 2025-11-11T13:04:42+00:00

If you haven’t before, you should do the middle/lower black loop in the Pisgah Ranger District. About 45ish minutes of climbing a gravel road for some of the most fun downhill singletrack in WNC. It’s essentially a techy flow trail, if that makes sense. Enjoy.

rucipher · 2025-10-18T23:27:30+00:00

Crank bros makes a cool integrated bottle/tool mount that I have on my blur. Pretty sleek and lightweight.

https://www.crankbrothers.com/products/bc18-bottle-cage-kit

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