Blk Mrkt Mob

After borrowing one a trail/park bike from Matt for a while, I decided to get my own, and thought there could be nothing cooler than the Mob from Blk Mrkt. My decision was based off of the pedigree of the frame; it's made by S&M for Carter Holland's 26 inch company. I've always felt really comfortable riding S&M's frames like the Dirt Jump Classic, so I thought it would be a safe bet. And hey, there's nothing wrong with American made!

There are two dropout types available, I went with the horizontal because I wanted to run single speed for park riding, and figured that a Saint derailleur specific to horizontal dropouts could be installed later. The bike is designed to work in a variety of situations including dirt, skateparks, street and 4X.

Riding it at Ollies Skatepark in Florence, I immediately felt more at ease and capable. By the end of my first ride, I was able to do some taller lunges and getting 180's down-pat. I even took it with me on a trip to Brian Head, Utah and did a few large decent trails which made me regret not installing a front brake as I overshot some switchbacks. All in all the bike was very easy to control and would roll over anything, even with the 100mm Manitou up front, due in part to the 69 degree head-tube angle. I did crash into a huge rock behind hidden in a field as friends watched and laughed, but the good ol' US powdercoat finish didn't even scratch to the steel.

I did set up another Mob for Brandon for the Utah trip with the horizontal dropouts and Saint rear derailluer, which works great. He did opt for front and rear brakes, which wasn't a bad call as he was able to dust me on the decents.