Horror Business
Well-known member
- Joined
- Apr 19, 2014
- Messages
- 504
Cool project!
Burns Projects that will never be finished
- Thread starter trytochaseme
- Start date
OP
trytochaseme
Well-known member
Its getting closer!
The Headtube lug is pretty much finished. I need to add cable ports for internal routing and then its done. The Gearbox mount/Lug is pretty much done too. Been tweaking it a lot to add some strength and reduce weight, few minor things I want to improve then its done. All thats left design wise for the front triangle is to decide how I want to do the upper pivot mount and if I want to do a lug for the top tube/seat tube junction. Once those are wrapped up I will send the files off to get machined. The rear end I need to do a lot of work on still. I have a few clearance issues i need to sort out for chainring and belt drive. I am not happy with the drop outs and how they mount. I also need to reduce the weight. They are quite heavy and beefy at the moment, I can remove alot of weight but design wise that takes a lot of time and I dont want to do all that work till the end. I also need to add some bolt in cross members for torsional strength. Lastly I also need to finalized the hardware design, most likely have them made out of titanium.
Onto other things. I have had some robot issues and a vise needed to be recalibrated. That meant I have to crawl into the machine thru the small door on the robot inclosure and sit inside the machine. I had to go in and out probably 15 times. Its been a great monday
The Headtube lug is pretty much finished. I need to add cable ports for internal routing and then its done. The Gearbox mount/Lug is pretty much done too. Been tweaking it a lot to add some strength and reduce weight, few minor things I want to improve then its done. All thats left design wise for the front triangle is to decide how I want to do the upper pivot mount and if I want to do a lug for the top tube/seat tube junction. Once those are wrapped up I will send the files off to get machined. The rear end I need to do a lot of work on still. I have a few clearance issues i need to sort out for chainring and belt drive. I am not happy with the drop outs and how they mount. I also need to reduce the weight. They are quite heavy and beefy at the moment, I can remove alot of weight but design wise that takes a lot of time and I dont want to do all that work till the end. I also need to add some bolt in cross members for torsional strength. Lastly I also need to finalized the hardware design, most likely have them made out of titanium.
Onto other things. I have had some robot issues and a vise needed to be recalibrated. That meant I have to crawl into the machine thru the small door on the robot inclosure and sit inside the machine. I had to go in and out probably 15 times. Its been a great monday
OP
trytochaseme
Well-known member
Ive missed my old 4runner like crazy. Finally got me another old toyota. this time in pretty much my dream spec.
short cad, 4x4, and a manual 5 speed. This was my brother in laws ive been trying to buy from him since he bought it a few years ago. He came to me this weekend and asked if I wanted to buy it, a few hours later the keys and title were in my hands.
It also came with a topper which I will prob throw back on, I love how it looks with the topper. I can keep some tools and stuff back there then. Should be able to still throw a bicycle in the back no prob. Then Ill just get a hitch carrier for the dirt bike.
I hate the bush guard on the front so that is going to come off and probably end up doing a metal front bumper. He hit a deer and the right fender and hood are bent up. Most likely pick up some fiberglass +3" fenders. Bedsides have a little rust so maybe fiberglass bed sides down the road too. I would really really like to long travel this thing but we will see. Not going to be doing anything major like that anytime soon.
The frame is clean on this, the truck has 241k miles on it, top end is fresh along with a bunch of other stuff. My brother in law did beat the snot out of this thing wheelin but he did take good care of it as well so I have no doubt it has a ton of life left in her.
short cad, 4x4, and a manual 5 speed. This was my brother in laws ive been trying to buy from him since he bought it a few years ago. He came to me this weekend and asked if I wanted to buy it, a few hours later the keys and title were in my hands.
It also came with a topper which I will prob throw back on, I love how it looks with the topper. I can keep some tools and stuff back there then. Should be able to still throw a bicycle in the back no prob. Then Ill just get a hitch carrier for the dirt bike.
I hate the bush guard on the front so that is going to come off and probably end up doing a metal front bumper. He hit a deer and the right fender and hood are bent up. Most likely pick up some fiberglass +3" fenders. Bedsides have a little rust so maybe fiberglass bed sides down the road too. I would really really like to long travel this thing but we will see. Not going to be doing anything major like that anytime soon.
The frame is clean on this, the truck has 241k miles on it, top end is fresh along with a bunch of other stuff. My brother in law did beat the snot out of this thing wheelin but he did take good care of it as well so I have no doubt it has a ton of life left in her.
SilverJimmy
Well-known member
Do you know if that year Taco is covered by the frame replacement by Toyota? They replaced a bunch around here because of rust through issues.
OP
trytochaseme
Well-known member
I believe that program ended awhile ago, they had to be inspected by toyota by a certain date to qualify. Thankfully this frame is in very good shape. The guy my brother in law bought it from was meticulous with it so for the most part it is very clean. The body is a little beat up from being wheeled by my brother in law but the rest of the truck is in great shape.
OP
trytochaseme
Well-known member
Got the topper on the Taco
I ordered a tube front bumper that will be here in a few days. Hopefully put it on right away next week.
Tires are bald so probably will order new tires next week. Not sure if I will stick with 31s or try to go up to 33s.
After the bumper next mod will be a custom roof rack. Going to design my own and have it cut out.
As far as other things Shot Show 2024 was good! We launched some new products
On the personal business side we got power ran to the Haas finally. Its been powered on, this weekend I will jog it around for first time and get it leveled. Hoping to get it cleaned up and vises in and maybe try to run a simple program.
I got a new batch of the Sram B gap tools knocked out, the guy I use to make these for doesn't have interest to keep it going so he said I can now sell them under my own name. So I decided to give them a new look as well.
I ordered a tube front bumper that will be here in a few days. Hopefully put it on right away next week.
Tires are bald so probably will order new tires next week. Not sure if I will stick with 31s or try to go up to 33s.
After the bumper next mod will be a custom roof rack. Going to design my own and have it cut out.
As far as other things Shot Show 2024 was good! We launched some new products
On the personal business side we got power ran to the Haas finally. Its been powered on, this weekend I will jog it around for first time and get it leveled. Hoping to get it cleaned up and vises in and maybe try to run a simple program.
I got a new batch of the Sram B gap tools knocked out, the guy I use to make these for doesn't have interest to keep it going so he said I can now sell them under my own name. So I decided to give them a new look as well.
Horror Business
Well-known member
- Joined
- Apr 19, 2014
- Messages
- 504
Love the Tacoma! Your plans for it sound good. Can you fit 33’s? Looks like it might be tight.
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trytochaseme
Well-known member
I am not sure, I am going to see how clearance is right now and how much space I have. The new tube bumper will help for sure, will definitely need to flatten the pinch welds too. I might just go 31s to keep it easy for now.
OP
trytochaseme
Well-known member
Got some time on the Haas this weekend. Powered it up and when to home it, Was going to go thru the ceiling so had to hit E stop and cut a hole. The issue is now it won't home out so need to figure that out. I think I know problem but going to ask around before doing anything.
Was atleast able to clean up the table and stone it. Once I can get the mill homed out then we can get the vises mounted and test out a simple program.
Was atleast able to clean up the table and stone it. Once I can get the mill homed out then we can get the vises mounted and test out a simple program.
OP
trytochaseme
Well-known member
This guy came in today so I got the old bumper ripped off and the new one on. Need to pull it back off to paint but wanted to make sure it fit good. It actually went suprisingly easy to take old bumper off and get this on. Only one bolt snapped the rest were smooth and this bumper fit perfectly!
MrPink
Well-known member
what brand bumper did you go with?
OP
trytochaseme
Well-known member
I got the All Pro Baja bumper. I got the basic one but they have options for hoops or fill plates and some other stuff too.
OP
trytochaseme
Well-known member
after a year of waiting we got the 10 station pallet pool. Install took about 2 weeks but its finally up and going!
The new loading station
I have all the pallets already for it but need to drill them all out and have the fixturing made. I have 1 set made to add another set of pallets to be able to do AR15 uppers. That is something I will be working on here shortly. Once they are up and running I will be adding another set of those and another set for AR10 uppers.
The new loading station
I have all the pallets already for it but need to drill them all out and have the fixturing made. I have 1 set made to add another set of pallets to be able to do AR15 uppers. That is something I will be working on here shortly. Once they are up and running I will be adding another set of those and another set for AR10 uppers.
OP
trytochaseme
Well-known member
sometimes this simplest parts can really throw you for a loop.
For example I needed to make these sight plate covers for our 1911s
They look simple, there isnt too much to them.
The issue though is how do you hold onto something so thin? Its worse because the entire top side needs to be profiled
After brainstorming for awhile I ended up making this
OP1 is left and OP2 is right. OP1 cleans up the bottom and brings the ends to length. It mills in the locating holes for the RMSC red dot cut. It also mills a slot on the end that is used to located in the jaws for OP2.
If it wasnt for the locating holes on the bottom then we could just throw it in op 2 and not worry about if its located properly as we are putting the bolt holes in. But since we need to locate in those we need it to be dead on in OP2.
My solution was to add a pin in the jaws for OP2. That slot will then line up in it. It is slotted so it can slide front to back but not side to side. My original thought was to have 2 pins and use those locating holes but the issue would then we that when I clamp the jaws down it would be using those pins for clamping force instead of the ends of the plate. Those holes are only 0.05" deep so I would not get much clamping force and the aluminum would almost certainly distort from the force.
We got the first batch made and they came out great and this ended up working really well. Im really happy with how it came out. Next up is production fixturing for the 1911 grips. Waiting on some parts to come in but will make a post for that as well.
On other news I am loving the tacoma
For example I needed to make these sight plate covers for our 1911s
They look simple, there isnt too much to them.
The issue though is how do you hold onto something so thin? Its worse because the entire top side needs to be profiled
After brainstorming for awhile I ended up making this
OP1 is left and OP2 is right. OP1 cleans up the bottom and brings the ends to length. It mills in the locating holes for the RMSC red dot cut. It also mills a slot on the end that is used to located in the jaws for OP2.
If it wasnt for the locating holes on the bottom then we could just throw it in op 2 and not worry about if its located properly as we are putting the bolt holes in. But since we need to locate in those we need it to be dead on in OP2.
My solution was to add a pin in the jaws for OP2. That slot will then line up in it. It is slotted so it can slide front to back but not side to side. My original thought was to have 2 pins and use those locating holes but the issue would then we that when I clamp the jaws down it would be using those pins for clamping force instead of the ends of the plate. Those holes are only 0.05" deep so I would not get much clamping force and the aluminum would almost certainly distort from the force.
We got the first batch made and they came out great and this ended up working really well. Im really happy with how it came out. Next up is production fixturing for the 1911 grips. Waiting on some parts to come in but will make a post for that as well.
On other news I am loving the tacoma
OP
trytochaseme
Well-known member
I have a lot of updating to do. First off we moved to a new building. Much more space. I was able to lay everything out before hand. At the old shop machines were just stuffed in wherever they would fit so there was no order and it was just a mess. Now we have nice rows of machines. Parts flow down isles instead of having to get carted all around the shop. There is space for material next to each machine. Storage space where its needed.
Here was my layout in CAD
And here is the majority of the machines. Still had a few to move in when this pic was taken but close enough
Its been a few weeks and all the machines are wired up. I have about half of them up and running so far. We have some pretty sweet new products about to be released. I will get some pics of them posted up here soon.
The bike side of things has been busy as well.
I got a custom steel frame made to be my new gravel bike.
2 weeks after I got the frame I did my first race ever. The Coast 2 Coast 100 mile gravel grinder. The weather was not out to make it easy. It was torrential rain almost the entire day. The course is majority gravel roads with a handful of 2 track and single track sections. The first out it was dry. I stuck with the lead group for the first hour with an avergae pace of 22mph. That is way fast for me, I definitely over did it at the beginning and was starting to panic about the next 80 miles. 20 miles in we hit the first 2 track. It was a very rough section thru a field. The 2 track had lots of bomb holes filled with water and the field was about 5 feet tall and very overgrown into the 2 track. Lots of people were going down so as the lead group narrowed to get thru I slowly got pushed to the back.
Once I got out of the 2 track most of the group had some distance on me, I knew I should just take it down a notch and chill out a bit. Wait for another group to come up to me that I could tag along with. I went to get some food out of top tube bag to keep up with nutrition, it was at this moment I realized somewhere in that 2 track my bag flew off and all my food was gone. I now had 46 miles to get to the checkpoint where I had some people waiting for me with food. I rode another 20 miles by myself until a group finally caught up to me. It was raining at this point and the dirt roads felt like you were riding thru slush.
Here is a pic after that first 2 track, I had a short period where I was trying to push to catch the group so here I was trying to put some power down. It didn't last long lol.
The rain and sand destroyed brake pads, all brakes were gone by mile 40. Mile 50 we hit another 2 track, I made sure to get to the front of the group before going in and by the time we came out I looked behind me and couldn't see a single person. I kept checking behind me and it wasn't until a mile down the road I finally saw a couple people come out. A couple more 2 track sections and we were finally at the checkpoint at mile 66. I felt great at this point. Had made great time despite the conditions.
Here is from the second 2 track section.
From the checkpoint it went straight into a single track mtb trail, It was torrential downpouring at this point. It was a long technical climb that had turned into a creek. Was literally 4" deep flowing water we had to ride up a rooty hill in. I had a blast at this point. It was a riot. There was some crazy sketchy downhills with no brakes. Honestly was probably some of the sketchiest/scariest stuff ive done on 2 wheels. I could go hit a 40 foot double before Id redo some of those descents on a glorified road bike with no brakes. But none the less it was still a riot. The last 25 miles I dealt with some mechanical issues that I kept having to stop for and ended up letting some people pass me.
I finished 33rd overall and 4th in my class. With no mechanical I could have made 3rd in my class. Im still super happy, 250 people started out and only about 150 even finished.
I did a local race a couple weeks later. I had covid a week prior to this race and It hit me pretty good. I only did the 18 mile route because of it. I was feeling good before the race but once it started I quickly realized it was still effecting me as I couldn't breath. I felt like I needed an inhaler and ended up dropping back from the lead pack. I ended up finishing that race in 29th overall out of about 200 and 5th in my group.
On the other end of the bike world I built up a new burly enduro bike and it is one of the best bikes i've ever ridden.
Only 33lbs in weight with the coil shock and dual crowns. It pedals crazy well for that amount off suspension but it still can take some big hits. Got one day in at Boyne Highlands bike park. This bike is now in colorado waiting for me. We fly out tomorrow to steamboat springs. Meeting up with some friends out there and going to be doing the Revolution enduro at Trestle bike park.
Beyond stoked, I've never gotten to ride out west. Its going to be gnarly. Its a 5 stage enduro and the final stage is a double black diamond that was used for the national championship DH a few years back.
Here is a video from it
Here was my layout in CAD
And here is the majority of the machines. Still had a few to move in when this pic was taken but close enough
Its been a few weeks and all the machines are wired up. I have about half of them up and running so far. We have some pretty sweet new products about to be released. I will get some pics of them posted up here soon.
The bike side of things has been busy as well.
I got a custom steel frame made to be my new gravel bike.
2 weeks after I got the frame I did my first race ever. The Coast 2 Coast 100 mile gravel grinder. The weather was not out to make it easy. It was torrential rain almost the entire day. The course is majority gravel roads with a handful of 2 track and single track sections. The first out it was dry. I stuck with the lead group for the first hour with an avergae pace of 22mph. That is way fast for me, I definitely over did it at the beginning and was starting to panic about the next 80 miles. 20 miles in we hit the first 2 track. It was a very rough section thru a field. The 2 track had lots of bomb holes filled with water and the field was about 5 feet tall and very overgrown into the 2 track. Lots of people were going down so as the lead group narrowed to get thru I slowly got pushed to the back.
Once I got out of the 2 track most of the group had some distance on me, I knew I should just take it down a notch and chill out a bit. Wait for another group to come up to me that I could tag along with. I went to get some food out of top tube bag to keep up with nutrition, it was at this moment I realized somewhere in that 2 track my bag flew off and all my food was gone. I now had 46 miles to get to the checkpoint where I had some people waiting for me with food. I rode another 20 miles by myself until a group finally caught up to me. It was raining at this point and the dirt roads felt like you were riding thru slush.
Here is a pic after that first 2 track, I had a short period where I was trying to push to catch the group so here I was trying to put some power down. It didn't last long lol.
The rain and sand destroyed brake pads, all brakes were gone by mile 40. Mile 50 we hit another 2 track, I made sure to get to the front of the group before going in and by the time we came out I looked behind me and couldn't see a single person. I kept checking behind me and it wasn't until a mile down the road I finally saw a couple people come out. A couple more 2 track sections and we were finally at the checkpoint at mile 66. I felt great at this point. Had made great time despite the conditions.
Here is from the second 2 track section.
From the checkpoint it went straight into a single track mtb trail, It was torrential downpouring at this point. It was a long technical climb that had turned into a creek. Was literally 4" deep flowing water we had to ride up a rooty hill in. I had a blast at this point. It was a riot. There was some crazy sketchy downhills with no brakes. Honestly was probably some of the sketchiest/scariest stuff ive done on 2 wheels. I could go hit a 40 foot double before Id redo some of those descents on a glorified road bike with no brakes. But none the less it was still a riot. The last 25 miles I dealt with some mechanical issues that I kept having to stop for and ended up letting some people pass me.
I finished 33rd overall and 4th in my class. With no mechanical I could have made 3rd in my class. Im still super happy, 250 people started out and only about 150 even finished.
I did a local race a couple weeks later. I had covid a week prior to this race and It hit me pretty good. I only did the 18 mile route because of it. I was feeling good before the race but once it started I quickly realized it was still effecting me as I couldn't breath. I felt like I needed an inhaler and ended up dropping back from the lead pack. I ended up finishing that race in 29th overall out of about 200 and 5th in my group.
On the other end of the bike world I built up a new burly enduro bike and it is one of the best bikes i've ever ridden.
Only 33lbs in weight with the coil shock and dual crowns. It pedals crazy well for that amount off suspension but it still can take some big hits. Got one day in at Boyne Highlands bike park. This bike is now in colorado waiting for me. We fly out tomorrow to steamboat springs. Meeting up with some friends out there and going to be doing the Revolution enduro at Trestle bike park.
Beyond stoked, I've never gotten to ride out west. Its going to be gnarly. Its a 5 stage enduro and the final stage is a double black diamond that was used for the national championship DH a few years back.
Here is a video from it
OP
trytochaseme
Well-known member
We are really hitting the hand gun market this year. Starting with our 1911's at the beginning of the year.
We have a few new models coming out next. The one I am most excited about are these 2011s.
As with all our products we are trying to hit the affordable price range but still a high quality firearm with a life time warranty. I know I am biased but these things feel so smooth. Should be around $1000 with a plastic grip.
We will also have a upgraded model with a billet aluminum grip. I am just get started with that. Here is the very first test cut I did about 20 minutes ago.
We have a few new models coming out next. The one I am most excited about are these 2011s.
As with all our products we are trying to hit the affordable price range but still a high quality firearm with a life time warranty. I know I am biased but these things feel so smooth. Should be around $1000 with a plastic grip.
We will also have a upgraded model with a billet aluminum grip. I am just get started with that. Here is the very first test cut I did about 20 minutes ago.
jbmatth
Well-known member
22 mph for the first hour on a gravel bike is way faster than I would have expected, good for you for even being able to keep that pace for as long as you did. It may be a sin to ask, but how many bikes do you have now, I can't keep up? As usual I'm looking forward to more updates on the pews, that 2011 has my eye.
JB
JB
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trytochaseme
Well-known member
Did my wife put you up to asking that question??? hahaha
I do change bikes and move stuff around non stop. Its a problem
I have 4 working bikes right now
My XC bike - Intense Sniper
Im pretty stoked as I just got one of my dream forks. Intend Samuri. They are a boutique manufacturer out of Germany. I got these forks used with only a couple rides for a killer price. They ride amazing!
I am also running V2.2 of my Poblano Enduro stem on it right now.
Stem has been holding up great! I tried a nickel plating on this but it did not work out and it is now stripped off. But damn did it look good at first.
This bike aboslutely rips for an XC bike. Ive even done a day at a DH park with it no problem. Its down to about 25lbs in weight.
For the more burly stuff is the Pivot Firebird
When things smooth out a bit I have the Burns Bell Pepper gravel bike. Clearance for 2.1" mtb tires. This thing works on everything from pavement to singletrack.
It is about to get stripped down and cerakoted. I cant keep up with the rust and not a good way to clear coat it to get it to last. Original goal was to keep it with a light patina.
Lastly I have the Chinese road bike for when you want to look fast and attempt to go fast.
I was planning on selling this but didn't have any luck so just put it back together and been riding it.
I have probably close to 10 frames laying around. Just sold a couple, have a few more I am trying to sell. Others are old frames that aren't worth anything and have sentimental value so one day when I have a shop they will go on a wall. I have way too many parts laying around as well. Trying to thin stuff out and get some cash back. Really trying to get last of debt paid off as we are getting really close to purchasing a house. Not sure if the whole great grandmas house is going to work out. The amount of drama there has been has been insane. Over a year and a half of waiting. Now there are lawyers involved. A new appraisal got done and is $75k higher then the appraisal a year ago. At this point its at the upper limit of what we want to spend and it still needs a lot of renovation.
We actually went and looked at a 2 year old barnodiminium last week. We fell in love with it. It was perfect for us. Not big, only 2 bed 1 bath but thats all we need. It had 1,200 sqft of shop space and was on 3 acres. We put in an offer of $50k over asking price but it sold for well over $100k over asking. We are currently looking into just building our own barndominium now. I'll have more on that soon hopefully.
I'll for sure keep y'all updated on the pews.
This is the other new pistol we have coming out. More budget focused, less exciting then the 2011 but still cool. Gen 3 G19 based. Grip feels amazing in the hand.
jbmatth
Well-known member
Haha, I'm no snitch I just couldn't keep up with all the bikes you've referred to recently, just too many for me to keep straight.
JB
JB
OP
trytochaseme
Well-known member
Had to do a little photoshoot yesterday for the shop.
I really liked this shot of my 300 win mag.
I also built up this AK earlier this year
Had to sneak in a shot of the taco as well
I really liked this shot of my 300 win mag.
I also built up this AK earlier this year
Had to sneak in a shot of the taco as well
OP
trytochaseme
Well-known member
A couple weeks ago we went out to Steamboat Colorado to stay with friends.
The main reason for the trip was the Revolution Enduro at Trestle Bike Park. My buddies out there were doing it and I wanted to join in on the fun, not realizing what I actually got myself into.
It was a stage race with 5 total stages. That is where only certain sections are timed and counted towards your finishing position. You then have transfers to get to the next stage.
The race was on a saturday but the course was all marked the day before so you could pre ride it. We were able to go the Friday before just for that. We were under the assumption that it started off with easier trails and then slowly got harder as the race went on. We were quite wrong. Stage 1 started with a black diamond that is used as part of the Pro downhill race course. I had gotten a flat at the very top on the very first run so my buddy got 1 lap in before me, He told me there were 2 drops and that I needed to hit them with speed.
So my first run I drop in to pre ride the first stage. I had no idea what I was going into and was quite nervous if I am honest. There was a short smooth section into a sharp left hand corner where I can see the first drop but can't see the landing. With my buddy in front of me a little ways I start pedaling to get the speed needed according to him. As my front wheel touches the start of the drop with a considerable amount of speed I can finally see the landing. The landing area was a rock garden filled with rocks the size of my head. On top of that you had to squeeze between 2 trees that were spaced out not much wider than your handlebars. I made it out alive but did not hit it as fast after that as it turns out my buddy was wrong and you could roll it if you want. If you don't go quite as fast you could land just before the rock garden and then enter into it composed and not crapping your pants.
We ended up being able to only pre ride 4 of the 5 stages. The transfers were very long and ate up a lot of time. Well it turns out that Stage 5 is pretty much a world cup lever downhill course and it was not what you want to ride blind in a race. I was already a little nervous for raceday but after finding that out it got much worse.
Raceday rolls around and my hands were pretty toast. My forks ended up blowing up and with how rough it is out there it did a solid number on my hands and forearms. Most of the races I have done will have some fast guys but the majority of racers will be average joes just there to have fun. This race was not like that. When we arrived I realized most of the people racing were actual racers. Lots of guys were sponsored. Specialized was there with their factory enduro team and the 2021 enduro nation champion. The race started at the bottom of the mountain and we had to climb 2 miles and over a 1,000ft vertical to get to the start of Stage 1.
Stage 1 didn't go to great for me. I went full gas into it and with adrenaline pumping and hands barely gripping the bars I made some terrible mistakes. My feet also unclipped when I landed the first drop and I had to come to a stop to get them back in thru the rock garden.
Stage 2 was a little smoother stage, had mostly flow and jumps and so I felt pretty good after stage 2. I was hoping that meant the rest of the day would go well. I was wrong. I really just did not ride good at all that day. I made tons of mistakes and was picking terrible lines. I was also terrified for stage 5. Some of my other buddies were able to pre ride in and a couple of them decided they were going to skip it on race day to save them selves from injury. I also asked the riders I was around thruout the day about stage 5 and if there are any spots I should know about before going into it. Every single person told me I made a huge mistake not pre riding it. Multiple guys told me if I was limited on time I should have only pre rode stage 5 and just went blind into the other 4 stages.
I finally get to that final stage and drop in. Words and pictures can not describe how gnarly it was. Im talking 6ft blind drops at every corner into sharp corners filled with boulders bomb holes. So steep you just have to commit because you aren't stopping and if you hesitate your gonna go over the bars and rag doll down a mountain. Listen I was abslutely terrified but at the same time I was having the best time of my life. I do not know how to describe it. That was the type of riding I have been dreaming about my entire life but going into it completely blind and trying to keep a race pace made it feel like a life or death situation. I ended up passing 4 people in that run. I got stuck behind 2 of them for awhile and lost quite a bit of time. I came to a complete stop at a massive boulder because I couldn't see after it and was warned about a similar spot that I should go around if I hadn't ridden it before. My time ended up being about 6 minutes where as the fastest time was 4 minutes.
I ended up placing 20th in my class, amateur men 19-29. I was on the bike for 3 hours and only 20 minutes was timed. My total time for all 5 stages was just over 20 minutes. The overall winner was just over 15 minutes and the winner in my class was just under 17 minutes. I feel quite confident if I got to pre ride that stuff a little more and went into it fresh and not sore I could get my time down to 17ish minutes. I lost a lot of time behind slower riders and I just made so many small mistakes. Not sure if we will do that same race again next year but I will definitely be going back out there to ride more!
The main reason for the trip was the Revolution Enduro at Trestle Bike Park. My buddies out there were doing it and I wanted to join in on the fun, not realizing what I actually got myself into.
It was a stage race with 5 total stages. That is where only certain sections are timed and counted towards your finishing position. You then have transfers to get to the next stage.
The race was on a saturday but the course was all marked the day before so you could pre ride it. We were able to go the Friday before just for that. We were under the assumption that it started off with easier trails and then slowly got harder as the race went on. We were quite wrong. Stage 1 started with a black diamond that is used as part of the Pro downhill race course. I had gotten a flat at the very top on the very first run so my buddy got 1 lap in before me, He told me there were 2 drops and that I needed to hit them with speed.
So my first run I drop in to pre ride the first stage. I had no idea what I was going into and was quite nervous if I am honest. There was a short smooth section into a sharp left hand corner where I can see the first drop but can't see the landing. With my buddy in front of me a little ways I start pedaling to get the speed needed according to him. As my front wheel touches the start of the drop with a considerable amount of speed I can finally see the landing. The landing area was a rock garden filled with rocks the size of my head. On top of that you had to squeeze between 2 trees that were spaced out not much wider than your handlebars. I made it out alive but did not hit it as fast after that as it turns out my buddy was wrong and you could roll it if you want. If you don't go quite as fast you could land just before the rock garden and then enter into it composed and not crapping your pants.
We ended up being able to only pre ride 4 of the 5 stages. The transfers were very long and ate up a lot of time. Well it turns out that Stage 5 is pretty much a world cup lever downhill course and it was not what you want to ride blind in a race. I was already a little nervous for raceday but after finding that out it got much worse.
Raceday rolls around and my hands were pretty toast. My forks ended up blowing up and with how rough it is out there it did a solid number on my hands and forearms. Most of the races I have done will have some fast guys but the majority of racers will be average joes just there to have fun. This race was not like that. When we arrived I realized most of the people racing were actual racers. Lots of guys were sponsored. Specialized was there with their factory enduro team and the 2021 enduro nation champion. The race started at the bottom of the mountain and we had to climb 2 miles and over a 1,000ft vertical to get to the start of Stage 1.
Stage 1 didn't go to great for me. I went full gas into it and with adrenaline pumping and hands barely gripping the bars I made some terrible mistakes. My feet also unclipped when I landed the first drop and I had to come to a stop to get them back in thru the rock garden.
Stage 2 was a little smoother stage, had mostly flow and jumps and so I felt pretty good after stage 2. I was hoping that meant the rest of the day would go well. I was wrong. I really just did not ride good at all that day. I made tons of mistakes and was picking terrible lines. I was also terrified for stage 5. Some of my other buddies were able to pre ride in and a couple of them decided they were going to skip it on race day to save them selves from injury. I also asked the riders I was around thruout the day about stage 5 and if there are any spots I should know about before going into it. Every single person told me I made a huge mistake not pre riding it. Multiple guys told me if I was limited on time I should have only pre rode stage 5 and just went blind into the other 4 stages.
I finally get to that final stage and drop in. Words and pictures can not describe how gnarly it was. Im talking 6ft blind drops at every corner into sharp corners filled with boulders bomb holes. So steep you just have to commit because you aren't stopping and if you hesitate your gonna go over the bars and rag doll down a mountain. Listen I was abslutely terrified but at the same time I was having the best time of my life. I do not know how to describe it. That was the type of riding I have been dreaming about my entire life but going into it completely blind and trying to keep a race pace made it feel like a life or death situation. I ended up passing 4 people in that run. I got stuck behind 2 of them for awhile and lost quite a bit of time. I came to a complete stop at a massive boulder because I couldn't see after it and was warned about a similar spot that I should go around if I hadn't ridden it before. My time ended up being about 6 minutes where as the fastest time was 4 minutes.
I ended up placing 20th in my class, amateur men 19-29. I was on the bike for 3 hours and only 20 minutes was timed. My total time for all 5 stages was just over 20 minutes. The overall winner was just over 15 minutes and the winner in my class was just under 17 minutes. I feel quite confident if I got to pre ride that stuff a little more and went into it fresh and not sore I could get my time down to 17ish minutes. I lost a lot of time behind slower riders and I just made so many small mistakes. Not sure if we will do that same race again next year but I will definitely be going back out there to ride more!
OP
trytochaseme
Well-known member
I never shared this here as for a little while it seemed like it might turn into something but I don't think thats going to happen anymore. This was an idea ive had for a few years and have been pushing to make it happen. I finally worked on it a bunch on my own time and printed parts at home. Needs more work to be little more functional but the gun does fire and work pretty well.
Uses Glock 19 parts. Holds a spare mag in the front. stock folds up into briefcase with carry handle.
I also made some that were more stripped down. Started off with this to get them functional first.
Uses Glock 19 parts. Holds a spare mag in the front. stock folds up into briefcase with carry handle.
I also made some that were more stripped down. Started off with this to get them functional first.
I never shared this here as for a little while it seemed like it might turn into something but I don't think thats going to happen anymore. This was an idea ive had for a few years and have been pushing to make it happen. I finally worked on it a bunch on my own time and printed parts at home. Needs more work to be little more functional but the gun does fire and work pretty well.
Uses Glock 19 parts. Holds a spare mag in the front. stock folds up into briefcase with carry handle.
I also made some that were more stripped down. Started off with this to get them functional first.
Okay.....that is just amazing! Nice work!
OP
trytochaseme
Well-known member
I want to make the tacoma my "ultimate" bike rig. With the cap on I was just using a hitch mount but I didn't really like that much. With the cap off I decided to mount some racks in the bed.
Right now I just have one but I have moved some of my packout around so I can fit a second bike now.
3D printing has really come in handy for this project. I tried mounting the one up rack to the bed but with the liner it was not stable in the slightest. I 3d printed some spacers that would fit in the liner and stabilize it.
Then I printed this for the front wheel to help keep it from moving around.
Then at the very front is the wheel chock
The packout is quite handy for storing tools and parts. I have the 2 smaller ones in the front of the bed, one holds riding gear and the other is a cooler with a first aid kit on top. I had those mounted in the middle but I wanted them off to the side to make room for another bike. This required chopping up the packout plate quite a bit. Also needed to raise them up to clear part of the wheel well. I used the wood blocks just as a temporary solution to figure out spacing. Working on 3d printing some actual risers for them. Want to utilize the spacer under them for something too.
After I get the second back rack mounted I want to get a onboard compressor setup. Something to inflate tires with. I thought about one of the portable inflators like the milwaukee but I dont want to deal with charging batteries and stuff. I think I am just going to pick up a little compressor and 1 gal tank and mount them under the bed. I really want to have a retractable spool mounting somewhere hidden so I can just pull it out and have air ready to go. The amount of tires I need to use my tire pump at the trail head is ridiculous so a compressor setup would be a little over the top but so bad ***. With a compressor and cold beers in my cooler it shouldn't be hard to make friends at the trail heads
Right now I just have one but I have moved some of my packout around so I can fit a second bike now.
3D printing has really come in handy for this project. I tried mounting the one up rack to the bed but with the liner it was not stable in the slightest. I 3d printed some spacers that would fit in the liner and stabilize it.
Then I printed this for the front wheel to help keep it from moving around.
Then at the very front is the wheel chock
The packout is quite handy for storing tools and parts. I have the 2 smaller ones in the front of the bed, one holds riding gear and the other is a cooler with a first aid kit on top. I had those mounted in the middle but I wanted them off to the side to make room for another bike. This required chopping up the packout plate quite a bit. Also needed to raise them up to clear part of the wheel well. I used the wood blocks just as a temporary solution to figure out spacing. Working on 3d printing some actual risers for them. Want to utilize the spacer under them for something too.
After I get the second back rack mounted I want to get a onboard compressor setup. Something to inflate tires with. I thought about one of the portable inflators like the milwaukee but I dont want to deal with charging batteries and stuff. I think I am just going to pick up a little compressor and 1 gal tank and mount them under the bed. I really want to have a retractable spool mounting somewhere hidden so I can just pull it out and have air ready to go. The amount of tires I need to use my tire pump at the trail head is ridiculous so a compressor setup would be a little over the top but so bad ***. With a compressor and cold beers in my cooler it shouldn't be hard to make friends at the trail heads
Attachments
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trytochaseme
Well-known member
Because I can't seem to keep bikes for long, the pivot firebird is sold and the zerode taniwha should be gone by the end of this week.
Them leaving is making room for this new beauty. Specialized SWORKS Enduro
Them leaving is making room for this new beauty. Specialized SWORKS Enduro
garfieldzzz
Well-known member
That enduro looks a lot like a Demo to me.
OP
trytochaseme
Well-known member
yea the enduros are pretty much miny demos now.
Frame came in the mail yesterday and got most of the parts swapped on.
OP
trytochaseme
Well-known member
on a trip thru scandanavia. Spent last week in Copenhagen, Here are a few pics I got around town.
Yesterday we did a 13 hour drive from Kobenhavn to Jorpeland Norway. Will be here a few more days before heading home.
Yesterday we did a 13 hour drive from Kobenhavn to Jorpeland Norway. Will be here a few more days before heading home.
OP
trytochaseme
Well-known member
Well I have some pretty big news. I mentioned and posted pics here of the house we were suppose to buy. Its been almost a 2 year ordeal. The 2 family members the house was left too could not agree on anything. One wanted to keep it all in the family and the other didn't want family to get anything. It came to the point lawyers got involved to help move the process along. In the end it all finalized 2 weeks ago and we will not be able to purchase the house. At least for the appraised value.
With that news we started to look at the housing market and see what was available. We sold our house earlier this year and have been in my in laws basement temporarily. The family house we had been planning on buying is around the corner from my in laws but the properties are connected on 40 acres. After looking at quite a few houses over the last week or so, this friday (today is monday) the house directly across the street from my in laws went up for sale. Its a older house that needs updating, but it has a pole barn, garage, 4 acres, attached apartment and the location is absolutely killer. We scheduled a showing for the next day (saturday). Since we were across the street we could see on the first day alone there were a lot of showings.
Saturday rolls around and we take a look at it around lunch. I really didn't want something that needed renovations but my in laws as well as my own parents said they would help us tackle it. So we put an offer in at asking price right away hoping to be the first one in. Later that night we heard back they accepted our offer!
We still need to close but we signed purchase agreement last night and put down an emd. The selling agent said when she marked it as pending last night she got 10 calls from people who wanted to put offers in so we are very happy we got our offer in immediately. Don't think this is going to be a long term house, the plan is to finish the apartment and rent that out to someone we know for now. With some work this house would be worth a lot more so we will either resell it or rent it out most likely. We can build across the street on my in laws 20 acres, that is our long term goal, unless we end up really liking this place and just staying here.
Hoping to close early, the house is already empty. It is quite an ugly house from the outside so we have some plans to make it hopefully look less fugly. Removing the breezeway to the barn and extending the front porch should be a good start. The other good thing about this house is a previous owner ran a machine shop in the pole barn so it already has the power we need for the mill and lathe.
Here is a really rough photoshop of the intial plans. These along with new siding and some stone work will be a big improvement.
With that news we started to look at the housing market and see what was available. We sold our house earlier this year and have been in my in laws basement temporarily. The family house we had been planning on buying is around the corner from my in laws but the properties are connected on 40 acres. After looking at quite a few houses over the last week or so, this friday (today is monday) the house directly across the street from my in laws went up for sale. Its a older house that needs updating, but it has a pole barn, garage, 4 acres, attached apartment and the location is absolutely killer. We scheduled a showing for the next day (saturday). Since we were across the street we could see on the first day alone there were a lot of showings.
Saturday rolls around and we take a look at it around lunch. I really didn't want something that needed renovations but my in laws as well as my own parents said they would help us tackle it. So we put an offer in at asking price right away hoping to be the first one in. Later that night we heard back they accepted our offer!
We still need to close but we signed purchase agreement last night and put down an emd. The selling agent said when she marked it as pending last night she got 10 calls from people who wanted to put offers in so we are very happy we got our offer in immediately. Don't think this is going to be a long term house, the plan is to finish the apartment and rent that out to someone we know for now. With some work this house would be worth a lot more so we will either resell it or rent it out most likely. We can build across the street on my in laws 20 acres, that is our long term goal, unless we end up really liking this place and just staying here.
Hoping to close early, the house is already empty. It is quite an ugly house from the outside so we have some plans to make it hopefully look less fugly. Removing the breezeway to the barn and extending the front porch should be a good start. The other good thing about this house is a previous owner ran a machine shop in the pole barn so it already has the power we need for the mill and lathe.
Here is a really rough photoshop of the intial plans. These along with new siding and some stone work will be a big improvement.
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RADcustom
Well-known member
Congratulations on the new house. Looking forward to seeing the renovations.
OP
trytochaseme
Well-known member
Thanks!
Really excited for this, especially for the barn and garage. Working on the layout already. Very first thing will be epoxy floors before moving anything over.
Its not massive but its better then what I've had up to now. which is nothing. Hopefully can finally get my machines running!
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OP
trytochaseme
Well-known member
The house is officially ours and the chaos begins.
We got a lot of stuff on the main floor (living room/kitchen) moved over
The upstairs is a different story. We got all the carpet ripped out already and our waiting for new lvp to come in. We are ordering enough to do the entire house so it can all match. The main floor has 3 different laminate floor throughout it. For now we are just doing the upstairs to get rid of the carpet.
We are also going to redo the main bathroom upstairs.
It is quite a cramped bathroom along with being outdated. The plan is to remove the bathtub and put in a smaller glass shower in the corner. That will give us enough room to fit a double vanity. We will probably remove the closet in the corner and put in pocket doors for both doors. Then new tile throughout.
To the right is a walk in closet that leads to the master bedroom. It just had some accordion doors but I think we might do built ins there instead.
I got some bikes moved in the garage
First thing need to do is get some lights hung. Hoping to do that tonight. Then I am going to pull the shelves out and paint the walls. We are hoping to get the floors epoxied in the next couple weeks as well. Holding off getting a lot of stuff moved until we can get the floors done.
I also sold the Sniper T frame and moved to a Specialized Epic. Its a more race focused XC frame vs the sniper.
Its 2lbs lighter then the sniper. Its sitting at 24lbs as is in the pic. Should be dropping a little more weight off that as we go.
Only got one short ride on it since we have been busy with the house but really excited for it. Im signed up for the Marji Gesick next year which is considered one of the hardest XC races out there. Excited to get this bike dialed in and put the miles on training for next year.
It also looks good next to the enduro. Now I have a salt and pepper Specialized combo
We got a lot of stuff on the main floor (living room/kitchen) moved over
The upstairs is a different story. We got all the carpet ripped out already and our waiting for new lvp to come in. We are ordering enough to do the entire house so it can all match. The main floor has 3 different laminate floor throughout it. For now we are just doing the upstairs to get rid of the carpet.
We are also going to redo the main bathroom upstairs.
It is quite a cramped bathroom along with being outdated. The plan is to remove the bathtub and put in a smaller glass shower in the corner. That will give us enough room to fit a double vanity. We will probably remove the closet in the corner and put in pocket doors for both doors. Then new tile throughout.
To the right is a walk in closet that leads to the master bedroom. It just had some accordion doors but I think we might do built ins there instead.
I got some bikes moved in the garage
First thing need to do is get some lights hung. Hoping to do that tonight. Then I am going to pull the shelves out and paint the walls. We are hoping to get the floors epoxied in the next couple weeks as well. Holding off getting a lot of stuff moved until we can get the floors done.
I also sold the Sniper T frame and moved to a Specialized Epic. Its a more race focused XC frame vs the sniper.
Its 2lbs lighter then the sniper. Its sitting at 24lbs as is in the pic. Should be dropping a little more weight off that as we go.
Only got one short ride on it since we have been busy with the house but really excited for it. Im signed up for the Marji Gesick next year which is considered one of the hardest XC races out there. Excited to get this bike dialed in and put the miles on training for next year.
It also looks good next to the enduro. Now I have a salt and pepper Specialized combo
Horror Business
Well-known member
- Joined
- Apr 19, 2014
- Messages
- 504
Look at you with the inverted fork!
OP
trytochaseme
Well-known member
it is an amazing fork!
OP
trytochaseme
Well-known member
Here is an updated layout for the bike shop space. Planning on using this as my man cave as well. The pole barn has room to work on cars so this will be bikes only. Probably setup a computer at the workbench and use it for my office space as well. Im sure more changes will be made. Going to use kennedy boxes for the cabinets. I already have 2 and can find good deals on them off marketplace. Better quality then I can afford if I went new. I am not sure what I will use for the larger standing cabinets. Maybe just do some newage ones.
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trytochaseme
Well-known member
A couple temporary lights up. Need to run conduit to actually get all 6 mounted. I think 6 should light it up well, if not we have about 100 of these on a pallet at the shop so I can add more if needed.
Also got the shelves removed and cleared the walls of the million hooks and nails that were in them. Picked up a 5 gallon pail of kills primer so start laying down tonight. I think I will stick with white or light grey on most walls. Thinking of making the left wall where I will mount a TV an accent wall. Leaning towards a dark green right now.
Ordered this basic set from new age. Planning on moving the center cabinets so its one large gap in the middle that I can put a desk chair at and setup a computer. I will use my kennedys and husky boxes for an island work space and the main tool storage. Atleast that is the plan in this exact moment. I keep changing the plan every 30 minutes. If the quality of the new age seems good for the price I will order a few more pieces eventually.
Also got the shelves removed and cleared the walls of the million hooks and nails that were in them. Picked up a 5 gallon pail of kills primer so start laying down tonight. I think I will stick with white or light grey on most walls. Thinking of making the left wall where I will mount a TV an accent wall. Leaning towards a dark green right now.
Ordered this basic set from new age. Planning on moving the center cabinets so its one large gap in the middle that I can put a desk chair at and setup a computer. I will use my kennedys and husky boxes for an island work space and the main tool storage. Atleast that is the plan in this exact moment. I keep changing the plan every 30 minutes. If the quality of the new age seems good for the price I will order a few more pieces eventually.
draco_1967
Well-known member
You might not be able to with the New Age work top. It is two parts and the cabinets connect the two pieces together. You would need to use a different, single work top to span the gap.
OP
trytochaseme
Well-known member
shoot I was worried that might be the case. I guess not a big deal. I can have a stool and a monitor on one end. Don't think its going to get a ton of use.
OP
trytochaseme
Well-known member
After hours of painting I found out my dad has a professional paint sprayer. So now I am waiting to get that from him to keep going.
In the mean time I pulled out the 2 interior windows. They are pointless and would rather have the wall space. I am going to get the holes patched up tonight.
The new age cabinets already shipped and will be here monday (in 4 days from writing this). So I would really like to atleast get most of the painting done before then so I can install them right away.
Also getting stuff ordered today to epoxy the floors. I do not think I am going to epoxy the floor for the bike shop. I think I am going to just do tiles. Am for sure going to epoxy the floor in the machine shop portion though.
Lastly here is render of the current plan.
In the mean time I pulled out the 2 interior windows. They are pointless and would rather have the wall space. I am going to get the holes patched up tonight.
The new age cabinets already shipped and will be here monday (in 4 days from writing this). So I would really like to atleast get most of the painting done before then so I can install them right away.
Also getting stuff ordered today to epoxy the floors. I do not think I am going to epoxy the floor for the bike shop. I think I am going to just do tiles. Am for sure going to epoxy the floor in the machine shop portion though.
Lastly here is render of the current plan.
OP
trytochaseme
Well-known member
With a little help from my dads paint sprayer the walls are looking much better.
Need to go in with a brush and get a few area still. Some spots need another coat still too.
Picked up these hangars off amazon. $150 for a 4 pack, seem to work pretty well for the price, I am very happy.
On the inside of the house a lot of tear down has been taking place. The closets are all opened up now. Feels like much more space now. My dad is going to make us some built ins, should feel much more like a walk in closet when its done.
Since that pic most of the bathroom has been tore out. We found quite a bit of rot behind the bath tub so have a little extra work top fix that. The goal is by the end of this week to have bathroom ready for tile. A good friend of mine is going to come in and tile it for us, I am very excited not to do the tile ourselves lol.
Here is a reference how it looked before. The left is the closet with door into bathroom.
Need to go in with a brush and get a few area still. Some spots need another coat still too.
Picked up these hangars off amazon. $150 for a 4 pack, seem to work pretty well for the price, I am very happy.
On the inside of the house a lot of tear down has been taking place. The closets are all opened up now. Feels like much more space now. My dad is going to make us some built ins, should feel much more like a walk in closet when its done.
Since that pic most of the bathroom has been tore out. We found quite a bit of rot behind the bath tub so have a little extra work top fix that. The goal is by the end of this week to have bathroom ready for tile. A good friend of mine is going to come in and tile it for us, I am very excited not to do the tile ourselves lol.
Here is a reference how it looked before. The left is the closet with door into bathroom.