tashi profile

Sure, I’ll put $20 2031 dollars against being able to get replacement parts at a reasonable price from them in 10 years.  As someone who’s grown up being fed by what was once a startup business I can’t bring myself to bet on the company failing though. 

I should be clear: I don’t expect the pedals to “fail”. I expect them to sell, be improved, and parts availability for the original models to drop off and increase in price.

Actually, I kinda do expect them to fail. Too many parts in a super abusive location. The pedals that last tend to be very simple IME. But hey, that’s the kind of thing everyone says whenever a game changer hits the market. 🤷🏼‍♂️

While the pricing and availability of the parts is currently great, my cynical side says that the price will go up and availability will drop over time. 

Companies fail, products get changed, old proprietary replacement parts stop being produced (often because there’s no demand, mountain bikers overall seem to like buying something new over rebuilding old stuff), and at some point they’re going to want to get some money for manufacturing/sourcing the replacement parts. Those prices are great, but I doubt there’s much margin being made there and no company can keep that up unless it’s a very effective loss leader. End result?  Your “lifetime” product is now a worn out mess just like all the other pedals. 

IMO if you want a “lifetime” product, look for one that uses off the shelf consumables (bearings and pins in the case of pedals) and suuuuuuper durable proprietary parts. Preferably from a very well established company.

They’re the same thing for flat bars, don’t some of the manufacturers list it for riser bars?

I've dealt with various pain related handlebar setup and have found some really nice options:

IME 11 degree bars are super nice for almost any style mountain bikin' and 17 degrees is too much for aggressive riding; I buy Salsa Salt Flats.  Available in the 800mm width I like, two grades of aluminum or carbon, and available everywhere I really like these bars.  I'm paranoid about broken front end stuff so I just buy the aluminum ones almost annually and cycle them down the bike collection.  They've ended up on a lot of bikes and this consistency has also helped with my cockpit related body issues.

Stupid looking grips come in a wide variety of stupid looking.  I like a bit more stupid for more XC/road (less dynamic) riding and less stupid for more dynamic riding.  The Specialized Contour XC's are really nice for an XC option, Pro makes some that have a VERY small wing and come in two diameters, including a 30mm for folks that like "thin" grips like me.

Holy hell please go back to Pinkbike or wherever the heck you came from.

Holy hell those are cool bikes. 

I cut my teeth on the CNC bits of the 90’s and these guys really keep that vibe alive!

These things have invaded here now eh?

Bummer. I liked how you sticked to real mountain bikes.

And even though I’m only one ride in, holy shit I love em!

MTX’s ordered!

I used to do rides like this and it was AWESOME. 

8 dudes and 2-6 dogs that run well together is just a caravan of shred and smiles.

Posted by: shoreboy

Posted by: syncro

Posted by: chupacabra

Kelowna already seemed to have more than their share of people that acted like wearing a mask was akin to a ball and chain.  I can't imagine what working retail and trying to tell these idiots that they need a mask again must be like.

I'm still skeptical/divided about masks. I think they have their purpose, but in situations where they could be seen to provide benefit they're either impractical or won't be worn anyways. I don't know if there'll ever be any sort of conclusive proof as to their effectiveness or as to what percentage of a difference they'll make. Tashi's meta analysis article he posted a while back had some good things in it, but I think it was too contradictory to be held up as sort of conclusion that masks are necessary.

Im not sure I saw Tashi's article. Is it this one?

https://www.pnas.org/content/118/4/e2014564118

To sum this one up: 'Models suggest that public mask wearing is most effective at reducing spread of the virus when compliance is high'

I should correct myself, that article is a literature review, not meta analysis. There can be no statistically significant conclusions drawn in a literature review, and studies are often chosen to be included that illustrate competing hypotheses, leading to the appearance of contradiction.

Since the research is very new and not standardized (even the definition of aerosol is in flux) the conclusions of individual studies are going to appear contradictory. 

My takeaways from my quick skim of that and other articles:

- masks reduce transmission

- they’re more effective the more people use them

- they’re more effective if they’re better masks. A fitted respirator is great, but a n95 (or kn94) provides very effective protection in both directions. 

- viral load is important. This means that reductions are valuable. When people say they’re worthless or in effective they’re latching on to the fact that they’re not perfect but perfection isn’t possible, nor is it the goal for the general public. Reduction is viral load is. Please consider this when you go into a public space (like a grocery store) as the employees there are exposed to far higher numbers of people than you and many of them are young and not fully vaccaniated yet, and the emerging variants are more of a threat to the young than the original as well as being more transmissible.

I say this as someone who’s done some science and read a fair amount of papers and not to be condescending - science is hard, Particularly while it’s in its early stages like COVID is. It will be very hard for the layman to interpret the work that’s happening right now for themselves; IMO this is the time to look to the experts and watch for trends and consensus to emerge. That’s how science works and yes, new knowledge will come to light that contradicts old knowledge, that’s not evidence of conspiracy or incompetence, that’s just learning. 

That article was also just the top result of a google search. One will have to keep reading to actually understand the current state of the research fully. And it’s going to change. Again and again. If you have a job you will not have the time to do your own research and come to informed conclusions.  Respect the thousands of hours that the experts have invested in their field and listen to them.

Posted by: andy-eunson

MTX Red on both sets of XT fours. On one bike I needed new rotors too and the MTX pads bedded in well and work very close to Shimano metal pads but less grabby. But I can lock up front or rear at will if I want to. The other bike had pretty new rotors and for some reason it has taken quite a while to work well. The first ten or so rides and the rear especially was squeaky and weak. A spray of water, drag them downhill until the howling stopped and they worked well. But I had to do that every ride until just recently. Now they work as well as the other bike. Sanded and cleaned rotors and pads a few times too.

I’m no expert but I think that sanding will essentially reset the bed-in process each time.

Posted by: syncro

Posted by: aShogunNamedMarcus

You can judge me however you like. It doesnt change you cant go by the defined words they used let alone answer a question from me. I throw lots of different questions/angles out to see which you or someone else wants to talk aboot. Basically like choose your own adventure. However, you and a few others choose to make it about me. You fail to conversate. The verbage said both differentiate and facilitate detection btw but that doesnt really matter does it.

Quoted for posterity. I never thought I'd see someone say they can redefine the English language so it says whatever they want it to say.

Pretty sure he’s trying to claim that it’s us (plus the medical and government professionals) that are attempting to redefine words, not that he can do it. 

Bizarre.

Posted by: aShogunNamedMarcus

It's another person that quote the same thing and interpreted it the same way. Not sure why he linked to watchtower instead of the cdc but secondary proof of what I was talking about.

Just for the record, that was the first time I went to that @. It also wasnt proof ya jabronis.

Ya guys, posting that link was “secondary proof” not “proof”. 

Duh.

Posted by: chupacabra

Posted by: Couch_Surfer

Posted by: syncro

Posted by: Couch_Surfer

Cites "Alternative News" twitter account as 'proof'. It would be funny if it wasn't spreading dangerous misinformation.

It's sad more than anything else.

Out of morbid curiousity, I scrolled through that twitter feed:

https://twitter.com/NewsAlternative

No real surprise, it's absolutely filled with the worst lies, misinformation, innuendo and stupid memes that can be found on the internet.   Cultish would be a way to describe reading it.

At least they are honest with their name.  It's not news, it's a news alternative.  Like tofurky, or Cheez Wiz.

Alternative facts + alternative english = Alternative News.

From my “reconfigure my brakes thread”:

Went with the XT levers, ZEE caliper on the front and XTR on the back and some brand new MTX reds.

Really really like the pads. They’re everything they say they are. I didn’t know I wanted smooth brakes but damn, they’re smooth!

I figure I’d like more modulation but am pretty adaptable but I REALLY like that aspect of these pads.

Also, they’re perfectly quiet. 

Posted by: Taz123

semi-related - Non-OEM brake pads for shimano - who is using what and with what level of success?

I've used Disco and Loam Goat, the Loam's have good stopping power with my Zee's, but are very loud.

Posted by: aShogunNamedMarcus

Posted by: tashi

Posted by: aShogunNamedMarcus

Posted by: syncro

Posted by: aShogunNamedMarcus

I sadly have to say it again, as for your statement about the sars2 pcr test yielding only a positive and negative and identifying one virus, why does the cdc say the sars2 pcr test can not distinguish between influenza and sars2? They are apparently grossly different viruses so this shouldn't actually be an issue.

It doesn’t say that at all. 

You’re misunderstanding what the cdc has written.

It says exactly that. See post above.

Okay sure. You’re right, everyone else is misinterpreting the CDC, including the medical professionals that actually deal with it.

Posted by: aShogunNamedMarcus

Posted by: syncro

Posted by: aShogunNamedMarcus

I sadly have to say it again, as for your statement about the sars2 pcr test yielding only a positive and negative and identifying one virus, why does the cdc say the sars2 pcr test can not distinguish between influenza and sars2? They are apparently grossly different viruses so this shouldn't actually be an issue.

It doesn’t say that at all. 

You’re misunderstanding what the cdc has written.

If anyone is curious, the new test can detect and differentiate two flu strains and COVID.

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/testing.html

The old test only looked for COVID. It’s still in use as it’s effective and available, it just requires a separate test for the flu.

Edit: Added a direct link as it wasn’t easy to find from the one previously mentioned.

Thinking about how we want our tires to be supple when possible AND supportive under load AND tough AND light and wondering - what if there was some of that non-Newtonian material in there?  Couldn't the carcass be supple when not being strained then stiffen up under load (corners, impacts) that way?  Maybe it would also provide some puncture protection, as it would stiffen up when something sharp hits it?  Great opportunity to really get the price point up there as well, so manufacturers should love it.