mhaager2 profile

Love the kids articles.  I set my kids up tubeless as well but the one bike with wire bead just kept losing air too quickly.  I'd love to see a more detailed description of how you built up the rim with gorilla tape

I'm surprised so many people like the mullet set up. I had a Banshee Scream in the early 2000s that came with a 26 / 24 mullet setup and I really didn't like the feel of how it cornered.  I thought it might have been that the different sized wheels have different turning radii. Also I know it's vain,  but i just don't like the look.

I wonder how much of an upgrade a grip2 damper would provide over my grip Fox34, and vs upgrading to a Fox 36 grip2.

Yeah I did see his points but again, there is always the latest and greatest coming down the pipe.  Spotting a prototype in the real world or online really does not give you any information as to when its coming.  It really also does not give you much info about how it actually rides or even if its better than the previous iteration.  I obviously don't know for sure, but I really doubt that (even without the current situation of increased demand and decreased supply) that a spy shot like this is going to have a measurable impact on sales of current models. If there is data to dispute that then I'm happy to stand corrected.

I'm going to take a different angle on this, by not commenting on whether taking the photo was wrong or not. Instead my thoughts are why do bike companies care if people see these or not in the first place? I know it's not just bike companies either.  Remember when that Apple employee left his prototype phone in a bar accidentally?Secrecy around consumer products is a bit over the top IMO. Most of the time what is coming has already been predicted with astounding accuracy, and most new products are evolutionary rather than revolutionary.  When was the last time a product release genuinely surprised or amazed you?  Also given the rapidity of product release cycles these days its hard to argue that your competitors could react in a timely and meaningful manner to spy shots of your product. I think these industries need to take a step back and reexamine the big picture before getting all bent out of shape.

Best. Movie. Quote. Ever.

Great review. I'd be curious on how your thoughts comparing this with the Norco Sight as they seem like very similar bikes. Knowing nothing else I'd be inclined to support a Canadian company first,  though i have a real soft spot for Transition ever since they came in the scene with awesome product for fair prices back in the day.

Hey Cam

What are your thoughts around rider height and wheel size?  As a short rider at 5'6 I'm reluctant to go for a longer travel bike since standover becomes a real issue on mid to long travel 29rs. I went from a old 26" bike to a 29r and the difference in speed and climbing really was profound. I would hate to lose that.

I hate to come across as difficult here but I just can’t let this go.  I just can’t get past putting what in the big picture amounts to a relatively crappy wheel set on an almost $9000 bike. I am an Emerg doc. That means 2 things: 1. I have a very good income and 2. I have no business sense so maybe I’m totally out to lunch with my opinions, and the profit margins on these bikes are in fact razor thin. However I still balk at the price of bikes these days. 9K is a LOT of money no matter what income bracket you come from. I don’t think you should have to think about upgrading your wheels soon when you spend that kind of cash. I have personally had, and seen lots of friends, free hubs on these kinds of wheel sets fail, and usually it makes more financial sense to buy a whole new wheel than to rebuild it, which just seems so wasteful. I find it hard to believe that companies can’t make still make a fair profit by using their purchasing power up front and spending a little bit more to ensure the consumer is getting a decent wheel set on a 9k bike. Nobody should get DT Swiss 370 hubs ever. In fact DT Swiss should stop making those hubs at all but thats a different conversation. Suffice it to say I don’t think putting them on a 9K bike is justifiable. 

I worry about the ever increasing prices in this industry. In the last 10-15 years it seems like prices have almost doubled. Its not like peoples incomes have increased at the same rate, making this an unsustainable trend IMO.

I have always liked the look of Knolly bikes. Looking forward to a full review on this. Looks like a pretty heavy setup though. What is the weight? I guessing its at least 34 lb.

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.