mhaager2 profile

What's the advantage of combining a horst link with a high pivot? Is it mainly just less squatting during braking?

This is great!  At 5’6 and a wife who is 5’2, I am always irritated how it seems like all bikes just come with 175 mm cranks irregardless of size, and not even mentioning kids bikes.  I actually started running 165’s first on my TT bike for triathlon as shorter cranks cause less pelvis rocking making the position more comfortable.  I have also came across papers saying that the bio mechanical effect of shorter vs longer cranks is non-existent, that you really are not sacrificing power when moving to shorter cranks.

That photo truly is one of the best I have seen, and also agree the min max series is one of my favorites. 

You say to always remove the snap rings to service the CK BB. I havr always used the grease injection tool they used to sell,  but don't anymore. Did they stop selling that because it isn't as effective at removing dirty grease,  or because it results in overfilled bearings, or some other reason do you know? 

I had emailed CK asking why they discontinued the PF BBs and the answer I got was there just wasn't enough demand.

I get the sense Manitou suspension products are hidden gems. You don't seem to hear to much about them compared to RS, Fox, Ohlins etc, or see many in the trails l, but there are people who really seem to like them.  Dougal from Shockcraft in NZ on MTBR forums particularly seems to think their Mara Pro shock and Mezzer Pro  are  the best out of the box (non cystom tuned) products for example.  Do you think this is a case of marketing, or are the differences between different suspension products really just too subtle for most people to notice?

So cool to see so many (relatively speaking) new companies pop up bringing true innovation as well as a focus on local manufacturing. I think WAO really are the poster child for proving that you can do local manufacturing, offer a superior product, and still offer competitive pricing, and it seems to me that they have inspired others along the way. Hope these guys continue down this path.

As a short rider, I love what looks like the very low stand over, and I aluminum construction, but by far the most intriguing part of this bike to me is the shock. The description reminds me a bit of the Cornut (I think that was the name) designs of yesteryear with its focus on low leverage rates.  I have zero engineering credentials , but that design always made sense to me. Can anyone explain why low leverage shock designs like this have not caught on, I.e. what the disadvantages are? I’m very interested in the follow up article with the tear down.  I think the obvious disadvantage here is that initial shocks set up, especially adding or removing spacers, is going to be a major PITA. I wonder if it would be possible to do a cutout to allow access to the shock to make these adjustments without having to remove it. 

I don’t totally understand where all the weight saving is coming from though. I get there are fewer pivots and bearings, but then the shock sounds larger and thus presumably heavier than standard shocks which you would think negates the former weight savings

That opening picture..... that's a serious drop. Nice job! How do you think the RS ultimate shock compares to the fox dpx2 and X2? My understanding is that it's more competing with the latter. I was thinking of upgrading my Dpx2 on my Druid to this.

As a part time roadie, and former duathlete, there is in fact some merit for this cable routing in those applications, but to be clear up front, absolutely NOT in MTB. Aerodynamics are fascinating, and have a HUGE impact on speed, especially once you get above 30 km/h. The difference in speed on a flat course between my road bike,  and my time trial bike, at the same watts  is probably on the order of 5 to 8 km/h. Seemingly ridiculously small things,  like exposed cables, can add significant drag. Hell, there was even a study in the wind tunnel that showed shaved legs saved significant time ( easy to google if you don't believe me,  which I wouldn't blame you for cause it sounds so ludicrous). When you're looking for any advantage I think you're willing to take the trade off of PITA maintenance if the performance advantage is big enough. None of this applies to MTB. Even if you're racing DH or enduro, there are many lower hanging fruit to be picked before you go this.  75% of the Aerodynamic drag is the rider so you'd have to skinsuit up, get an aero helmet, and so on first.

A bit OT, but I would LOVE a more detailed review of the Faction rims. Union rim reviews are easy to find,  factions not so much.

Ps. I meant to add there's lots of triggers around in MTB due to the rough terrain in the form of trees, boulders,  etc

I posted this as a separate topic, but no responses so far,  so I thought I'd try it here. 

It's time for the 125 hr service on my DPX2 on my Druid. Given that it's a good bit of change I have been thinking about options. I like the shock ok, but feel like I want a bit more plushness out of the back. I don't want to go coil because most of my riding is continous short steep ups and downs and weight does matter here. Options I've thought about from cheapest to costliest. 

1. Smack stack mod by shock howse

2. DVO Topaz with custom tune

3. Rock shox super deluxe ultimate MY23 

Anyone have experience with any of these on a Druid? Thoughts?

Thanks for the input

Hi

It's time for the 125 hr service on my DPX2 on my Druid. Given that it's a good bit of change I have been thinking about options. I like the shock ok, but feel like I want a bit more plushness out of the back. I don't want to go coil because most of my riding is continous short steep  ups and downs and weight does matter here.  Options I've thought about from cheapest to costliest. 

1. Smack stack mod by shock howse

2. DVO Topaz with custom tune

3. Rock shox super deluxe ultimate MY23 

Anyone have experience with any of these? Thoughts?

Thanks for the input

I have a question.  How does heavy braking affect the feel of the rear suspension on the Druid? Is it a night and day difference between brakes on and off?  It's my one hesitation on this bike.