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06.09.2004

I bought my Cove Bikes Stiffee FR in the late summer of 2001. Since that time (for the last 2.5 years) I have ridden the absolute crap out of it... it has been my best friend! Long XC rides, grueling climbs, ripping single track, technical descents, dh, dirt jumping, urban, big drops, balance lines, FREERIDING!

Today I say goodbye :( ... I had just sessioned a great line on some new trails a small group of us are building, Monday. Definitely the kind of stuff, where I am getting close to the limits of my current skill set. So today I thought I would head out and get some singletrack ripping and XC miles in... wasn't even going to pad up, went with my light XC helmet. About 30 min into the ride, I was feeling great and riding really well. I was just starting a section call Area51 with some drops and north shore style balance lines, but nothing real nasty. I hit the first gap drop and balance line and was stompin'... next I hit "bobsled chute" - the first drop is off of a bermed ladder bridge that wraps partially around a tree... you don't get a lot of speed so you have to huck the 5'ish drop. The landing is fairly flat and you have to set up for the next drop immediately, so I usually land 50-50 to be in control. As soon as I hit, I heard a gut wrenching metallic snap! The next thing I remember I was looking up into the pine trees. My Stiffee had clean snapped at the head tube - both top and down tubes snapped in half. Ugly! I ate dirt, roots, bike tire and stem - as you can see in the photos... nothing broken but I'll be sore for sure.

here is a photo of me hitting the drop last year:


Anyway... got home called Cove and talked to them about crash replacement. Turns out it will cost me shipping plus $395(CAN) to get a new Stiffee. Not sure I am going to or not at this point. I just might try something new - there are a lot of tasty new hardtails out there right now... maybe one that is steel !

Will keep you posted...