phobospwns
Profile picture for user phobospwns
About Me
Former bike shop employee, working at shops located in Buffalo, NY and Austin, TX. Currently Mechanical Engineer, back in the Buff.

I ride DJ, XC/Trail, AM/DH, and road (to get around town in the nice months, not much of a "roadie" since leaving TX, too flat here in WNY for any "fun" road rides).

Favorite trails up here are Hunter's Creek, the FLT in Letchworth, and lift access riding at Swain. I've been to Blue Mountain (Ontario), Denton (now defunct), Plattekill, Mountain Creek, and Highland with my DH sleds. Love taking trips to Ray's too, that's pretty much the extent of my DJ riding these days.

Back in TX I lived off the Greenbelt (on Spyglass), so I rode there very frequently. Also enjoyed Emma Long/City Park, Reimer's Ranch, and somewhere out near Bastrop, whose name I can't recall (what a bummer that is...).
Member Summary
Setup: view
Forum topics started: 1
Forum replies: 33
Comments: 16
Lives in:

Buffalo, NY, USA

Member Since:
10/26/2015
Recent Activity

All

onthewhiskey Liked a comment about Feature Solving Problems: e*thirteen's Approach to Better MTB Components

5/5/2016 8:58am
avatar
avatar.png?VersionId=G8BXKWOiBAANQs6.c5Npj
I have very mixed feeling towards e*thirteen. I have respect for their problem solving ways, and anytime they release a new product, it always seems like a good idea; it agrees with my armchair engineering and I normally say "hey, that's a great idea!" On the trail, or in person - different story. Yes I had a pawl break in my TRS+ wheels that wrecked the hub, but that's been a non-issue now. Their bearings were terrible though. When the hubs are laced up to a rim with a thicker extrusion that doesn't let the nipples sit at a bit...
This feature has 23 comments.

phobospwns Added a comment about feature Solving Problems: e*thirteen's Approach to Better MTB Components

5/5/2016 8:58am
Profile picture for user phobospwns
Profile picture for user phobospwns
I've got 2 buddies who have e*thirteen cranks. Both bragged about the rad Tank powering interface when they got them. Now it's more like whimpering when they're both constantly tightening their cranks, which have come loose yet again. Before someone gets in on me with the ol' "well if they'd torque them properly" or whatever else... 1 of the 2 is one of the best mechanics I know (worked in a few shops in my day). He's meticulous, and followed the installation directions to a T. The other guy? Not so much... Both had problems. Like you said, an idea...
This feature has 23 comments.

chrisingrassia Liked a comment about Feature First Look, First Ride: SRAM Eagle 1x12 Drivetrain | The Front Derailleur Killer

3/27/2016 4:22am
avatar
avatar.png?VersionId=G8BXKWOiBAANQs6.c5Npj
Or people hate you? I got the math joke though.
This feature has 31 comments.

dirty booger Liked a comment about Feature Tested: e*thirteen TRS Group

3/9/2016 5:58am
0913211552a HDR
0913211552a HDR.jpg?VersionId=KIKcbIkTu4E5uN6a0L
"coming it at 507g with a 32t direct mount ring. This compared to the other offerings on the market is very competitive, coming in roughly 40g lighter than another key manufacturer's carbon crank" Really?? More like 60 grams heavier than the benchmark! Better options abound....
This feature has 5 comments.

phobospwns Added a reply to How much of each discipline do you ride?

2/24/2016 4:51am
85% Trail, 10% DH, 5% DJ. Just got a new DJ this last year (after mine was stolen a few years back, those bastards), so I got a few trips to Ray's (Cle) in this winter. I'll be taking it out into the streets once the weather breaks, happy for that number to get back up again. As I've gotten...
More »

phobospwns Added a reply to How Far Do You Drive to Ride?

2/23/2016 5:32am
Now it's 35 minutes to my usual trails (Hunter's Creek, NY), 85 minutes to a small lift access hill near me (Swain, NY). I grew up 10 minutes from the Finger Lakes Trail in Letchworth State Park, NY... that was pretty awesome, now it's 75 minutes away. When I lived in Austin, TX, I was a 2 minute bike ride...
More »

phobospwns Added a reply to 2016 Racing Rumours

2/12/2016 8:36am
haha, right? "If you don't buy all our stuff, it might work real bad, so you should really buy all Sram, or else" "We have the best chain, the best cassette, the best everything, really. So don't get stuff from Shimano or KMC, or anyone else you might think of. Just us, k thx"
More »

phobospwns Added a comment about bike check Nukeproof Pulse

1/14/2016 5:13am
original DSC 5932.jpg?VersionId=W5AmiHQ8
original DSC 5932
That is a sweet whip, dude. Also, nice pics, love the bike against the snow, looks awesome.
This bike check has 3 comments.

phobospwns Added a reply to 2016 Racing Rumours

12/28/2015 11:19am
Unless the moto KTM starts making a bike (which seems unlikely), you're right, they're not directly linked. At the same time, moto and DH are so closely related... especially if they've already got him on their moto bikes anyway, why not put down some money to have him repping KTM in the DH side? When customers cross over from DH...
More »

phobospwns Added a reply to Forum Hot Seat - Todd Seplavy, Director of Product at GT Bicycles

12/11/2015 12:38pm
Ha, that was just my "if you could get any 1 thing for xmas" wish over in that thread; albeit, the Pro. I read an article with an interview from a Pivot product manager about the effects of switching to a smaller single chain ring up front, and the impact of clutch derailleurs on suspension design. I found it very...
More »

phobospwns Added a comment about video #faceplantfriday - Downhill Crash Chaos in Peru

12/11/2015 12:24pm
original.png?VersionId=7WKAdeMS1cKKZcVs4wbAE4.w
I'm not going to pretend I probably wouldn't eat shit on that one drop into a turn myself... but it looked like a lot of those guys have no idea, whatsoever, how to ride terrain like that.
Votes:
2
This video has 14 comments.

phobospwns Added a reply to What's The One MTB Thing You'd Want For Xmas?

12/11/2015 9:32am
Folks will probably think mine is lame, but I just want a brand spankin' new GT Sensor Carbon Pro. I got the Sensor 1.0 back in their first year (back when I was working in shops for a living), and I've been enjoying it ever since. Can't really afford new bikes now without any EP privileges. Pretty sure the new...
More »

phobospwns Added a reply to Will + bikes take over the MTB world?

12/9/2015 7:29am
After years of dogging my buddy for owning one... I got a fat bike this year. I saw the way it extended his riding season- he could ride earlier than me in the spring, and later than me in the fall/winter (without even getting into snow riding per se). So, I thought to myself- even if fat bikes are kinda...
More »

Find Other Members