Explore Spring

Its been a late spring here in Manitoba but thankfully a mild winter throughout. Today was my first outing back to the Sandilands with my new bike - a 06' Giant Trance 3. I'll post some pics eventually. It wasn't really an epic ride as it really was still a bit early - the highlands of the park and heavy bush prevent the snow from melting as quickly as it does in town or in the open prairie. But I still was able to bike the logging roads and I ventured on a few trails but had some tough going through patches of melting snow. I came across three bounding deer and a grey owl on my warm afternoon trek. It felt good to explore again though - the sun & wind scorching my cheeks mildly. I also found a half of an antler rack which I shared with my daughters when I got home.

Thoughts on my new bike - I love my rear suspension - maestro design with the Fox R shock is nice & cushy, I don't think I've ever ridden anything that climbs better, it felt better than a hardtail. The front shock is Rock Shox Recon and I'll need to play with it a bit - doesn't feel quite matched with the rear shock. Shimano has changed the shifting for the rear derailleur with Deore and up apparently - so when you press your thumbshifter you are upshifting. That is definitely taking awhile to get used do. It definitely is slower but apparently designed to save wear and tear on deraileurs. I may switch back to my XT shifters from a few years ago. Overall though I love the bike - cushier than my Giant NRS and just as flashy.

A clear shot of my new bike - the Giant Trance 3!