NSMB - 2012 Light DH Bike Build Off 7"+

The newer EXOs are softer.

Very good to hear. I will get one for my Nomad.
Are there any markings on the tire that will differentiate the new from old?

Edit: just saw on the Maxxis site that the softer ones are Super Tacky, not 3C, so that should make them easy to tell apart. They are also heavier, but still 240g lighter than a DH. Also just saw the DHR II, which looks great. I still run a DHR even though all the cool kids run a DHF in the back. I don't like the squirrelly nature of the DHF in the rear, but the DHR II looks like a great blend of the two.

The two things that affect your ride more than anything else are suspension and tires. Compromising these to save weight that is barely noticeable on a bike that only goes downhill is a curious endevour. I tried and failed and am now better off for it carrying an extra pound or so and have the benefit of maximum plushness, control and traction. To me it's a much better result than a nice scale shot.

I couldn't agree more. I went with this spec on the recommendation of the crew at NSBS with an open mind, but with the agreement and intention that if any of these "compromises" turned out to be just that, I would swap them out. However, I am committed to giving them a fair shake. So far I have only got the one day on these tires but the beauty of the bike park is I can ride everything from very dusty loose berms to wet roots to rock faces all in a few hours and I didn't notice anything that I felt these tires were in any way inferior to my Schwalbe Big Betty ultra-soft standard tube tires on my Scythe the weekend before.

The World Cup on the front is not surprisingly dramatically superior to my 2010 Team which I had a soft spring on and still had to run with 0 low or high speed compression to not destroy my wrists.

I will continue to play with the rear air shock but so far I am much happier with it than I had anticipated being.

Mark

I couldn't agree more. I went with this spec on the recommendation of the crew at NSBS with an open mind, but with the agreement and intention that if any of these "compromises" turned out to be just that, I would swap them out. However, I am committed to giving them a fair shake. So far I have only got the one day on these tires but the beauty of the bike park is I can ride everything from very dusty loose berms to wet roots to rock faces all in a few hours and I didn't notice anything that I felt these tires were in any way inferior to my Schwalbe Big Betty ultra-soft standard tube tires on my Scythe the weekend before.

The World Cup on the front is not surprisingly dramatically superior to my 2010 Team which I had a soft spring on and still had to run with 0 low or high speed compression to not destroy my wrists.

I will continue to play with the rear air shock but so far I am much happier with it than I had anticipated being.

Mark

Very fair. If you are not noticing deficiancies, then why carry extra weight. Although I would suggest if you are interested to ask a buddy to swap front wheels with you to do a back to back run on the different tires so you can get a great comparison. When I first went on the EXO I was happy. But once I went back to the DH casing I could really feel the difference. Perhaps the newer Supertacky ones will be less of a difference, but I feel that a good amount of it can be attributed to the casing as well.

As for comparing a 2010 Boxxer Team to a 2012 air, I don't want to sound like a dick but my 2010 Team was rough as guts with a soft spring. The comprimise for weight here comes straight from the factory on both forks and the minimal use of oil by design to reduce weight. Maintenance aside, they are not as plush and easy on the wrists and hands as an open bath fork. But that is a whole other discussion, and plenty of people seem happy with the firm feel, minimal small bump compliance and service schedule of a Boxxer. From what I understand, if you are happy with all those things, going WC over the Team is a sensible enough way to save weight. I would be amazed however, if the rear shock could approach the sensitivity of an RC4. My Nomad with an RC4 is a different beast compared to the same bike with an air shock.

~30 psi. I found 35 psi (and no more) resolved the issue but if I wasn't careful and let the pressure drop below 30 and went riding…..BOOM!

I'm about 200 lbs with gear.

The hassle every once in awhile just got old and the weight savings didn't mean much to me anymore. I'm back on Continental tubes from MEC. Love em.

I'm 200lbs and ride High Roller 3C's on Flows, tubeless, 26psi front 28 rear, never had a blowout. Maybe I should stop going only in straight lines? I'm actually blownn away (pardon the pun?) at the sealing ability of that rim on a multitude of Maxxis dh tires.. I've had my front go for 2 months of just sitting around without losing more than maybe 4-5 psi

I'm 200lbs and ride High Roller 3C's on Flows, tubeless, 26psi front 28 rear, never had a blowout. Maybe I should stop going only in straight lines? I'm actually blownn away (pardon the pun?) at the sealing ability of that rim on a multitude of Maxxis dh tires.. I've had my front go for 2 months of just sitting around without losing more than maybe 4-5 psi

I'm talking about the EXO version. I would imagine the two ply 3C's would hold a bead much better.

When I first went on the EXO I was happy. But once I went back to the DH casing I could really feel the difference.

I'm sure there's a certain amount of old bagged-out tire vs brand new tire that often makes me come to the conclusion that whatever tire I just put on is my new favourite tire in the world.

I'm sure there's a certain amount of old bagged-out tire vs brand new tire that often makes me come to the conclusion that whatever tire I just put on is my new favourite tire in the world.

Definitely truth to that, however on this occasion I switched out a pretty fresh exo.

Decided I want to get my Bullit back up and running again, hardtail is really fun but doesn't have the same "I can get away with anything" feeling that 180mm each end gives you! I sold the Domains as I didn't think I'd use the FS to justify keeping them, so back to Boxxers til I can afford some of those Lyrik DP Airs. Has anyone used offset shock bushings and if so are they worth a try? I'm not really fussed about slackening my bike but it'd be nice to get the BB a bit lower for cornering.

ya for $40 or so they are fairly worthwhile. You'll only get 4-6mm of bb drop though, depending on bolt diameter and shock leverage.

Probably not really noticeable then? I think I need to run more sag which will probably help, I'm still using the coil I was using when I was 15kg heavier :crazy:

Who carries offset shock hardware locally?

Finished. Crappy iPhone picture.

Saint
Nukeproof
Hope
Easton
Codes
Coil front and rear
Tubes
Dual ply
38.5 lbs claimed

CCDB Air coming.

Who carries offset shock hardware locally?

Not sure about locally for you but a few people over here on forums machine them for a lot cheaper than somewhere like Burgtec. There's also ebay.

Finished. Crappy iPhone picture.

Saint
Nukeproof
Hope
Easton
Codes
Coil front and rear
Tubes
Dual ply
38.5 lbs claimed

CCDB Air coming.

I love that frame in that color.