I got the bike on Friday night, and except for the cursory ride around the parking lot, had no saddle time until I was warming up on it for the Harrisburg Half Short Track series.
The biggest difference is the wheel size. The Paragon uses the new "29er" size compared to 26" hoops on traditional mountain bikes. This bike seems ideal for me on short track. The bike rolls over stutter bumps with a lot less chain slap and shock to the booty compared to 26" wheel hardtails, thereby allowing you to focus on your 180+ heart rate and wearing your lungs like a backpack.
Shifting with the X-9 shifter is taking some re-learning because of the push-push design compared to Shimano's trigger shifters. There were some shifts missed going to smaller cogs, but I suspect that is due to getting the cables stretched/broken-in.
The bike is easy to lean over for the bermed corners. On the Harrisburg track, I got into a groove of doing the single track descent with only a couple of touches of the brake -- a significant improvement compared to the race I did on the cyclocross bike.
The new Bontrager Sweep bars were hard on my hands: the ends were turned up just slightly, but enough to put excessive pressure on the outside of my palms, resulting in a good bit of pain by the end of the race. Toby P suggested pointing the bar tips down to the rear, and I'll have to report back later to see if that will fix things. I sure would like a good set of comfortable bar ends -- that's the old guy in me, though. Bar ends are just more comfortable for me when I'm standing on the climbs.
If you get a Paragon, at least try the Bontrager saddle that comes with it. Yes, it is made with a vinyl cover and has cromoly steel rails. And yes, it probably does weigh more than 120g, but it is a very comfortable saddle and a good match for the hardtail. I used to ride off-road with a Flite saddle, and it beat me senseless. The stock Bontrager may not be the most expensive saddle around, but it's dang comfortable.
I had my strongest start and best finish of the short track series on the bike, so obviously I'm going to be a fan. The best compliment about the bike that I can give is this: this bike won't be an excuse for how you finish. It's a smooth ride, a great position, and is stocked with dependable and reasonably serviceable components. Unlike my 'cross bike (which held me back on the singletrack descent), the Paragon won't hold you back.
Thumbs up on the Paragon 29er.
The next series for short track starts in January, and I hope to improve my handling on the Paragon in the time that I'll have off from work during December. If I remember correctly, this course will be a little bit more technical than Harrisburg, but will have some extended road sections -- kinda sounds like 'cross but without the barriers.
5 comments:
I agree with you about the Bontrager saddle...that thing is plush! In fact, I took the bike by Paul's and he said, "you still using that saddle?" I told him that thing was so confy that I didn't care about the extra wieght!
It's good to hear there is another satisfied 29er rider amongst us. The 29er experience takes some time in the saddle to fully dial in the fit and handling. The Bontrager "Race Lux" saddle is awesome. I have three of them.
Hang on for another few days and I'll have a more detailed review about the Paragon in the singletrack at Lynches Woods.
For starters, I say those bars are as wide as a locomotive's cow-catcher. They are great on the short track circuit, but it's tough to get through the tight stuff without banging on a tree.
Yea, I used to like the narrow bars years ago, but have since changed my mind. I like the extra leverage needed for climbing..I think it may open up my breathing area also...
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