I FINALLY got the chance to take the new Rocket build out for a spin, yesterday, in between business trips and crappy weather... Thanks to those who generously donated parts to the project -- I had John Paulus do final cabling and assembly. I went out for about 10 miles around Rowlett late in the afternoon, after the streets had dried out and before it began to get too chilly/damp again! A ride report:
* Before I went out, I added a couple pieces of inner tube inside the seat V-clamp, to help prevent it from slipping -- I have done that on my Xstream V-clamp as well -- works nicely, I can take off at full power with no clamp slippage!
* A SWB is a somewhat new experience for a dedicated LWB guy like myself, although I did ride the Rocket for 10-12 miles up at the RANS rally back in September.... I was instantly reminded that the steering is more "twitchy" -- the front end moves more than I'm used to, with typical steering adjustments, and my first couple of turns were a little sharper than I intended! However, I got acclimated quickly - LIGHT touch on the steering!!!
* Gearing is standard 28/39/52, with 11-32, so it's got nice climbing ability and top end as well...
* I've got the Slingmesh seat on it, at a recline of 45-50 degrees -- very comfortable, with still decent support against a "push" -- and I had cut about 6" off the riser, to drop the bars to a comfortable position out of line-of-sight, but yet without significant leg interference to the grips.
* I do like the maneuverability and smaller turning radius -- as I crossed over the vehicle sensor to open our neighborhood gate, I could then swing around and circle within the single lane as I waited for the gate to swing open! Fun... (watch that heelstrike!)
* Shifting is smooth through all ranges of gearing, and the overall ride is very comfortable. I've got a 1.1" Durano on the front, and a 1.5" Marathon Plus(?) on the 20" front -- Going over railroad tracks and bumpy streets wasn't as rough as I thought it might be -- having the 1.5" tire on the front probably helps with that (and helps traction).
* It's rear disc brake and front V-brake... Front braking is solid -- but rear disc braking felt insufficient. I figured that was due to the "alligator" brake rotor I had installed, that has a lot less braking surface than a standard AVID rotor. I changed out the rotor to a AVID, but now something's a little off -- one side edge of the rotor hits the BB5 housing at the end of the slot, so I'm going to have to play with it a bit before riding it again.
* Riding it out on the highway service road, up and down hills and into/with the wind, I can really tell the difference in aerodynamics compared to the Xstream... which isn't much of a surprise, I suppose. However, speed is very engine-dependent, no?
* RANS didn't do the clearcoat finish on it, apparently due to complications with red paint / decal bleeding -- so the decals can get damaged if you're not careful, like on the old StratusXP. A little disappointing.
To summarize, I do like it... variety is good, I've just got to re-train my brain/legs to avoid any heelstrike in sharp turns, and be a little more careful in turns (in general) than I'm used to due to the shorter wheelbase. It's a very easy-handling bike -- but I doubt I'll every suggest that Terrie ride it, due to the heelstrike potential. I even got two "Cool Bike!" comments from drivers when I was stopped at lights.... (grin) The XStream is still my main steed, for sure, but the plan for now is to use the Rocket on casual to moderate-paced club/group rides like the Lancaster bike shop group, or especially the GDB Sunday Roll, where we explore various parts of Dallas and often go onto paved trails and such.