Pacenti 650b

 Just got the new bike built up. Haven't had a chance to take her out to the trails yet. Looking forward to getting some miles on her.

Pacenti 650b, Steel Frame
White Brothers 100mm Magic
I9 hubs, DT swiss dubble butted spokes & Stan 355 Notube Rims
Salsa Flat carbon bar
Avid levers
SRAM X9 triggers
Thomson 90 stem
RaceFace Deus Cranks & Chain rings
XTR Front D.
SRAM PC-991 Chain
SRAM 990 Cassette
SRAM X9 Rear D.
Avid BB7 mechanical brakes
Time composite peddles
Thomson seatpost
WTB laser V saddle
Pacenti Neo-Moto front tire
Pacenti Quasi-Moto rear tire

 

29er Ventana,
El Padrino

I purchased this frame as something I would just ride occassionaly and never intended it to be my primary bike. After riding full suspensions exclusively for about 8 years, getting back on a hartail felt a bit strange, but I liked how light the bike is... how it handles. Shortly after I got the Padrino I took it for a 3 day trip to the mountains along with my El Rey. I had planned to ride the El Rey for most of the trip and take the Padrino out for possibly one ride. We arrived in Douthat, VA. set up camp, unloaded the bikes and got them ready for the first ride of the weekend. I figured I'd take the Padrino out for the first ride, to insure I got at least one ride on it while I was there, because I really expected to be riding the El Rey for most of the weekend. That first ride on the Padrino in the mountains of Douthat was nothing less than outstanding! It handled like a dream! The Padrino was nimble, responsive, climbed great, railed through corners and held it's lines perfectly.

Later that day we where fueling up for a second ride, got our gear ready and headed back out to the trails. The second ride I took my El Rey out. The Rey was a blast and I really had a great time riding it. Just as the Padrino the Rey was responsive, railed through the terrain and bombed through the downhill sections like a buck in rut chasing down a doe. But the next day I took the Padrino out again for the morning ride, then for the afternoon ride and yet again the following day. I really liked my El Rey, but the Padrino quickly became my bike of choice.

It's been close to 8 months now since the trip to Douthat, VA. and the Padrino has been getting all the love. I sold all my full suspensions a few months back and only have one bike now... The Padrino. I do plan to build another full suspension again, an El Bastardo is the next FS bike I'll be building. But that's another story.

Final note: Ventana customer support is nothing less than outstanding and the El Padrino is probably my favorite Bike I’ve ever owned! It’s light for it’s build, handles like a dream and I really have a great time when I take it out for a spin.

26er Ventana,
El Saltamontes

This frame absolutely rocks! From the very first spin of the cranks it felt different from every other bike I’ve ever had… it felt better, felt right. As I began the climb into Dark Mountain, it climbed with perfection, the tires stayed planted to the dirt… it climbed like a mountain goat. At the top we blazed across a ridge with tight twisty rolling turns… it hooked up and navigated everything like it was on rails. We hit the downhills with switchbacks that had 4 to 8 foot burms… smokin fast, carved through the burms like it was surfin a wave and hooked up perfectly in every turn. I was nothing but grinds and was laughing like a mad man… and the whole time I kept thinking “Perfection”.

26er Ventana,
Pantera

I’ve owned a lot of bikes and this was one of my favorite frame I ever owned! It was a great frame and a perfect fit for my style of riding. It was fast, nimble, cornered like it was on a rail, blazes across roots and rocks like they aren’t there, accelerated fast, is awesome downhill, handles great and I have zero complaints about this frame. But I had to let it go so I could get The Salty above.