Great article, but I'd come at this from a different angle. Namely, why are bikes generally poorly built and why do we tolerate it. I understand any high performance suspension needs regular service so no problem with that. But bearings that seize with little use, are a major hassle to replace, etc, simply should not be acceptable. Its a mountain bike. By definition it is used in mud, water and dust and so should be able to work in those elements for a reasonable period of time with easily performed, minimal maintenance. In my mind, "reasonable period" is at least a couple of hard riding seasons.
I wont pretend to understand all the nuance a media outlet has to navigate when it comes to reviewing products, but my general impression is that NSMB does reasonably thorough reviews and you seem to ride test bikes over several months. I think some commentary on bearing quality, condition, ease of replacement would be a good addition to your reviews.
Finally, it strikes me that bikes must have good functional bearings to actually work and more so for a FS bike. And yet bearings seem to be a bit of voodoo in the bike world. Bearings is a huge business with established technology and engineering that the bike industry either just borrows from (or ignores). Yes, I've watched a few Hambini videos... Some insights into the world of bearing technology would make for a great NSMB article or two.
Nov. 30, 2021, 10:53 a.m. - LWK
Great article, but I'd come at this from a different angle. Namely, why are bikes generally poorly built and why do we tolerate it. I understand any high performance suspension needs regular service so no problem with that. But bearings that seize with little use, are a major hassle to replace, etc, simply should not be acceptable. Its a mountain bike. By definition it is used in mud, water and dust and so should be able to work in those elements for a reasonable period of time with easily performed, minimal maintenance. In my mind, "reasonable period" is at least a couple of hard riding seasons. I wont pretend to understand all the nuance a media outlet has to navigate when it comes to reviewing products, but my general impression is that NSMB does reasonably thorough reviews and you seem to ride test bikes over several months. I think some commentary on bearing quality, condition, ease of replacement would be a good addition to your reviews. Finally, it strikes me that bikes must have good functional bearings to actually work and more so for a FS bike. And yet bearings seem to be a bit of voodoo in the bike world. Bearings is a huge business with established technology and engineering that the bike industry either just borrows from (or ignores). Yes, I've watched a few Hambini videos... Some insights into the world of bearing technology would make for a great NSMB article or two.