X, Mountain Biking?

I recently acquired a new bicycle. A Mountain Bike.

Before I go any farther: I am a roadie. I love road riding, I shave may legs, and I Road Race. So, to some of you, me riding a bike off road is like a republican pledging to raise taxes.

Let me rest your worries: I still don't like mountain biking (much). I hate the biting bugs, the single, looped path, and having to drive to ride. So why did I buy a mountain bike? 'Cross training.

Now, the Bike.

The Bike Is a Quiring Q-ball 29er, Rigid, single speed.

Size large. Frame is full steel. The fork is a Surly Karate Monkey fork. Wheel set is Velocity Blunts on DMR Revolver hubs. Gear Ratio is a standard 32x16. Brakes are mechanical Disc, OEM take-offs from another bike.

Q-Ball bikes are made by Scott Quiring in Charlotte, MI (Link).

How does it ride? This bike rides awesome! The 29er wheels holds the corners great, roll fast, and roll over things better. The rigid fork makes riding a full body workout. Which is good. Road Riding isn't known to give you an upper body workout.

The gearing is a bit challenging on the road. In a group ride that my shop does every Wednesday, the 14 mile ride to the trail left me back with the "Caboose". I can still manage to cruise at 19-20, however. On the trial, the gearing is perfect. The single speed setup lets me work on spinning at high cadence. In addition, you can concentrate on riding and less on shifting.

Will my Q-Ball cause me to abandon the road? No. What will I get out of it? I get rides with friends who ride mountain, and handling skills that will be useful come September.