cyclotoine profile

Two years ago I bought a used 611 and an Ergon both in 15cm width from someone that had tried and not liked them. I tried both and so did my partner who was having comfort issues. The 611 was hands down the favorite, but since the majority of my rides are 1-2 hours and I generally don't get discomfort on those I choose to run inexpensive saddles and my partner kept the 611. We also let a friend try both and she loved the 611 but ergon was better enough than her current saddle that she bought that one from me. If I were riding more than 2 hours on the regular I would be buying an SQ lab saddle for sure.

I don’t presume he was lucky to survive, but I think maybe you mean just how miraculous it was. Fantastic writing as usual. Thank you.

I live north of 60, half the riding season is fatbike season (helpful for maintenance as I can take my time overhauling the FS each winter). You can wear pants and long sleeves most of the on dirt season too. I struggle to feel like I get enough sun. We all take Vitamin D supplements.

I'd like to see the D30 knuckled protection on the Humvee plus glove. Yes I like padded gloves, maybe it's because I started mountain biking in the early 1990s and everyone wore padded no finger gloves.... or maybe it's because I wear XL gloves and like large diameter grips? Either way, the old Humvee gloves with some knuckle padding were favourites of mine..... is now the time for my rant about how if we're doing size specific seat-tubes and chainstays why don't we have 4 diameters of grips available for the myriad hand sizes?

I'be been happy with my ixs trigger FF which is lighter than this helmet, but this one looks better ventilated. Nonetheless the trigger is still significantly hotter when climbing than my Smith Forefront 2. I am able to wear glasses with the Trigger which is what I choose for pedaling. I do use goggles if shuttling or riding the lift. I only ride "bike parks" maybe a couple times a year on my trail bike so I don't need a dedicated DH lid. I'm happy to see more companies pushing lightweight trail FF helmets.

I have the old Atlas and yes the stock main bearings didn’t last a season but they are easy to swap for some enduro max bearings. I haven’t had any of the other durability issues I’ve read about and they are my second set (first set we’re on a bike that got stolen and I liked them enough to buy again). I love how durable the pins are. I’ve worn them down but never bent them, I’ve even sharpened them a few times, I need to replace some because they’re getting too short. I tried one up comps and the pins just bend at slightest strike and the grip was not as good. I’ve got 4 years on my current Atlas pedals.

While I have owned multiple dirtbikes in my past. I have made a loose commitment to myself to not own any motorized off-road vehicles. An e-bike will likely change that... Right now I just have too many flipper bikes. I can't resist a good deal on a functional piece of transportation that needs a little love to become a solid commuter for someone. This means I have 5-10 too many bikes at any ones time. Like others, having kids is making this practice less tenable and I might have to cull the heard to essential bikes only. I also have about 5 "collector" bikes and as each year passes I come closer to deciding to sell them. Unfortunately, I think the COVID collector boom is waning but Cook's cranks are worth north of $500 these days, it's crazy.

I pulled the trigger on a pair online in size 46 (US 12) and they compare well in size to size 46 Freerider pros (US size 11.5) so if you go by US sizing I'd day these are slightly smaller than same size 5.10. I will report back for anyone reading this in the future trying to decide to buy these or not. Out of the box they don't feel anywhere as comfortable as freerider pros but hopefully they'll break in. The added height around the angle, the strap and the walking tread all won me over. I also appreciate that they're black and grey whereas my freerider pros are black with a bit of white that instantly gets trashed. Will report back on stiffness and grip later in the season. the trails are in their isothermal snow covered phase (read no fat biking and not mountain biking so hit the road or grind some gravel for the next 2-3 weeks).

I first saw it here:

https://cyclingtips.com/2019/02/knipex-pliers-cone-wrench/

Maximum is Canadian Tire's attempt to make a quality tool the is differentiated from the budget Mastercraft branded tools. I believe the Maximum stuff carries a lifetime warranty and my experience is that, while not top of the line, Maximum branded stuff is better than Mastercraft. I'd also feel more comfortable having them machined into the ultimate cone wrench, since I still work on a lot of old bikes too.

pretty much agree with everything craw says. and while I am riding 75+ degree ST angle bike now, my next bike will be a Pole, because I want it steeper. My partner really appreciated the climbing benefits when she went from a 73 degree ST trail bike to a 75 and she is a hair under 5'8". So maybe 75-76 is good for average sized riders and it needs to be adjusted from there.

I think Forbidden is a great example of where the industry is going. Riders want more choice and we will increasingly see these small brands eat away at the custom and big brand market because they will offer bikes that have semi-custom geometry off the shelf with different seat tube angles and rear centers in each size. It means some bikes will get even more expensive, but we have seen that people are willing to pay for it. I would take a size-specific geometry alloy bike (Pole just happens to be making what I think will work best for me at 192cm) with a nice GX build over a carbon superbike any day (and then put really nice carbon wheels on it). That is what is going to be the best performance to cost ratio for me.

So I think we're going to see more of what Forbidden is going in terms of geometry offerings.

I also think tire damping is a thing and we will see more tire companies launching their ideas for it in the next few years. I think there is likely a lighter way to incorporate damping into the tire and that will be the way it goes, but we'll see.

I also think we reached peak hardtail popularity and it will not begin declining in popularity but always maintain a low-level market share.

Posted by: bmak

Anyone ridden the new Instinct?

I guess you mean BC edition since this is a long travel thread, but yeah I am riding the new A70 and I think it is a great value. As a super tall dude I wish it had more reach, but it's not bad with a 60mm stem and a bit of rise. I had a 2015 BC edition previously which was a great bike, the new bike is way nicer. Climbs better and more fun/agile than the old bike. I won't comment on the suspension since I went from XFusion -which was great for the price point- to Fox performance elite and of course it's way better in every aspect. 

Posted by: craw

I'm 6'6" and tried 180s for a while. I liked the way they rode but the clearance issues were enough that I switched back to 175. 170 just felt too small. 175 is a good compromise for me.

Damn! What do you ride at that height? I would think almost all production frames are really too small for you?

I'm 6'3.5" and most XL bikes are not big enough for me. We still have a ways to go on reach. I need it longer. Pedal strikes keep me from riding longer cranks but I would not give up 175 mm cranks. I run 185 mm cranks on my monster cross and 180 mm on my other two road bikes. I have 180 mm cranks for touring too. I love the power of the longer leaver and at my height I don't have to worry about closing out my knee angle on the top of the stoke, it's just a non-issue. 

So it comes down to personal preference. I see everyone here has a full range of preference.

Fixed gear I have run 165 mm but prefer 170 mm and I have run 172.5 and 170 mm on the boards. I even have 177.5 mm cranks on one vintage road bike.

I have the Dainese trail skins, the first ones. The second ones look like they address my only grip with the originals in that they are more formed to the knee cap. They stay in place. have side protection, move well and aren't irritating, but the fit it a little awkward as they are not cupped enough to fit nicely on the knee. I would recommend them and figure the new ones are the way to go if you can find them. I live in the North so I pretty much have to buy online anyway since local options are extremely limited.

Pretty happy with my riders thorn anti-fog photochromatic glasses. They're a bit big but the anti-fog really works and I can't live without photochromatic lenses anymore. I lost pair of specialized berm's which were photo chromatic last winter on a back country ski trip. I was super bummed. Those were my favorite all time MTB glasses.

My partner road a giant dropper on her 2014 trance for three seasons. Never serviced, worked like a charm and sold the bike this spring (the black stanchion one). My friend had the older version with a gold stanchion and it wore out. Some people clamp their post too tight and damage their droppers. I did it with my first X fusion and didn't make the same mistake twice. My partner got a new trance this year with another giant dropper and I hope it holds up as good as the old one. I like the performance of my Xfusion better but it does need more frequent service.

Posted by: mrock

Posted by: shoreboy

Ordered about $500 of parts and apparel from them on Apr 3rd.  Shipped out Apr 4th, delivered in Vancouver Apr 8th.  I always choose the Canada Post option.  I got charged $9.95 handling and another ~$22 in taxes (which is lower than what it should have been).  Fast and cheap, no complaints at all here.

I'm at 18 working days now, and nothing has showed up for me. Ordered about $200 worth of Shimano drive train parts. My first order with CRC as well, and it's taking wayyyy longer than I expected. Hopefully better luck on some future orders, or better yet, I hope this order even shows up!

Don't start to worry yet. It can often take 3 weeks.

Is there hard evidence that wider makes you faster? Shouldn't we first ask how tall the rider is and if they have broad shoulders? 

It seems like everyone is going wider and wider and riding similar bars, but bars should be sized to suit the rider. I'm 6'4" with broad shoulders and am happy with 740mm bars though I do ride some tight trees. 

I had to put narrower bars on my girlfriends bike because the stock ones are ridiculous for a 5'7" women for trail riding.

Also keen, are they available currently? Sending PM.