I was fortunate to get invited to Test some bikes with Paintrain, LB, Aaron and Jen from Outside mag for a few days this past week down in Tucson. I was only man enough for two days of riding and I now have a lot more respect for product tests like this: they spent 6 days riding 4-5 laps on a set course with almost 60 bikes (road and MTB) with help from out of town friends and Tucson locals to bring some real world info to the magazine readers. After every ride we filled out a form describing our thoughts about the bike and then we set up another bike and rode again on the same course. Bikes had to be arranged, built, maintained, ridden, and photographed. That is a TON of work! And it was mainly done by 3 people. Props to them and their effort. It was great to be a part of it and hang out with these really cool people.
They also let me borrow two bikes to ride before leaving town. I would not have been able to ride either of these anytime soon or possibly ever: Cannondale Scalpel 29 carbon and a Jones Ti w/ fat front. Both of those bike were exceptional and I had a blast on both!!
Look for the article in mid-summer. I took just a few pics and here they are…
A not uncommon beautiful desert sunset.
View from staging area.
Jones. Sick.
Awesome fast.
Stable, comfortable and powerful.
Light and fast! Just have to get used to the fork handling.
Gratuitous jersey pic.
Fake shred face.
January 15th, 2012 at 2:46 pm
Jones bikes make my pants extremely tight. Is this normal?
January 15th, 2012 at 3:40 pm
those are some very sexy bikes. lucky benson.
January 15th, 2012 at 4:00 pm
…this site is making me lust for a fat chick, ummm, bike, i mean…
January 15th, 2012 at 7:01 pm
I’m with joe. That Jones bike is sweet.
Excuse me while I go pound one out.
January 16th, 2012 at 8:04 am
[...] Testing Tucson [...]
January 16th, 2012 at 6:19 pm
I got to ride a Jones last year. The pant-tightness is normal.
January 16th, 2012 at 11:32 pm
@BGW & TripleF,
talking about things of beauty that give you stiffys..
http://www.flickr.com/photos/68143042@N06/sets/72157628907139667/with/6712842819/
January 16th, 2012 at 11:46 pm
Damn you Hurben
There is so much wank material in that link I won’t see daylight for 3 days.
Bastard.
January 17th, 2012 at 12:11 am
@TripleF,
it’s not all craft beer!
You’re sitting on one of those at a traffic light & a “non gender specific” individual leans out of a car & says “is that a Softride between your legs or are you just pleased to see me”!
Either way, you know that it’s going to end badly..
January 17th, 2012 at 12:51 am
…omg, hurben…you HAVE considered therapy, ya ???…
January 17th, 2012 at 5:47 am
@Hurben
Lmaoshismpadmt.
January 19th, 2012 at 8:51 pm
Jones is sick!