SilentG profile

Never mind what's been selling. It's what you're buying - Fugazi

Great article.

For my two cents being dragged along by the currents is what companies/organizations (not just bike there) want/need and far better to do what you think is right and proper when you think it is the time to do it.

Right on!

If you were on a desert island (with hills and a mountain or two at least) for a year and had one bike with unlimited access to pads and maintenance supplies for bleeding for your brakes what would you go for between the A4, Magura MT7, Hope Tech 4 or Cura 4?

For myself, sans the desert island, I have several years on a Cura 4, a few months on MT7 in the past, and a couple of weeks on Tech 4 recently so I'm curious as to where folks would slot the Dominions given that none of those are exactly sad choices for a mountain bike so there isn't a winner or loser(s) just different gradients of pros and cons there.

Until a new story comes along and that is the go to move, never mind this other thing, it is for suckers, you need the real for real this time (nudge nudge, wink wink).

I was fine with 26" and I'm on 27.5" currently and if other people like something else more power to them. 

Thinking out loud here...29" isn't the last chapter in this story, no way, the temptation is too great to move to something betterer and then everyone is *encouraged* to march in lockstep to the new (we double pinkie swear this time!) best thing ever...ignore those folks over there, they are freethinkers or the unwashed who do not partake of the holy kool-aid (and you know this glass is the most tastiest one ever, right...right?...RIGHT!!!)

But I digress...what were we talking about?

I'm not sure Formula has a US distributor. 

I had really good luck/experience with Alba on a Formula Mod shock as I couldn't find a great source for them in the US and will keep using them for Formula stuff as I have the Mod, Selva, and Cura4 brakes at this point.

There is always German online bike shops as well.

Nice to see a Selva review, bit of a sleeper fork in terms of attention but really stellar. The the flexibility of options, while a blessing and a curse at times, is pretty hard to beat.

Running one my a Rune v3 right now and it is an unholy combination on the KS2 platform.

Sorry to be an enabler...

The sound is a bit of a squish/whoosh noise under action and I think of it like the shock saying 'I got your back' and find it kind of reassuring tbh.

Another data point from someone who enjoys the content here and seeing glimpses of PNW from Arizona is like reading a National Geographic or hearing someone talking about what it is like on the moon or another planet...super interesting but also hard to wrap my head around at times.

I have used the Storia on a couple different frames and it isn't much more in weight than a Float X2 (the air kind).

What is unique about the Storia in my experience is that it has a planted feel but as you push it harder and harder it seems like it makes the back-end calmer and calmer by tracking and tracking to the point where other than the shock making some noise you don't get as much of a 'on a coil over here' feel in a good way and it really does feel quite bottomless.

Full disclosure - I am a habitual suspension flip flopper so I have tried all kinds of shocks and forks to help me figure out what I like by comparing and contrasting.

There are probably better and less turbulent ways to do that but I'm not always the sharpest tool in the shed like that.

I would say a Push 11.6 is your plush carpet ride feel, Ohlins TTX is not far off the Storia but the ride is a little different, kind of a halfway between the 11.6 and Storia, and the Storia is just controlled and the faster or more janky the better as the Storia never seems to flinch or if it does you don't notice it and you end up going 'eff it, I'm going to see what happens if I go over here or if I do this'.

Highly confidence inspiring.

I guess the best way to describe the Storia is that it is controlled and active at the same time and turns invisible so you don't notice it or feel it handling business until you hop on something else and then you miss it.

I don't get that feeling from a whole heck of a lot of suspension...sure I like them and I remember the good times we had together but rarely do I pine away for a shock or fork but among shocks the Storia lives rent free in my head and heart.

The flip side of this is the need to have content to drive visits and clicks on a site.

COVID and everything that has come with that seems to driven this on some MTB sites like PB where the majority of content is largely video, pretty superficial in depth, and even, if you are cynical, conjured up to create drama and churn.

Very noticeable on some sites where reviews have gotten to be few and far between and most of them feel very cookie cutter/slim on details or technical analysis.

I can totally see the interest and allure of scoops or what is positioned as a scoop as it is done with a wink and a handshake but on the other hand it feels like pointless speculation and even stirring the pot to maximize churn and drama like tossing some raw meat in to the shark tank and filming the mayhem in the comment section.

Lockdowns have spurred appetite for content and a dearth of content at the same time - the lack of races, industry events, and winter in the northern hemisphere depletes some content and what used to be the low lying fruit. Some sites are taking the French lines so to speak to create content and if that gets results then it is all the more appealing and easier than digging in to something and providing depth of analysis and insight.

The Internet has those tendencies anyway and I think the past year has helped form some paths that various sites are taking and for my preferences the results are mixed and quite annoying at times.

Get off my lawn!

Shout out to everyone at NSMB.

Your reviews are very thoughtful and never cookie cutter.

I really enjoy reading them because they contain nuance without being obtuse and interesting observations that are relatable without cliched tropes that you find elsewhere on the Internet.

Definitely a bright spot in these weird and difficult times.

Merican here who actually works in municipal government but is guilty of having that NOFX song in my head quite a bit.

Speaking in broad strokes here I'm always fascinated when people complain about the government but always seem to forget that you get the government that you elect (or don't elect as the case may be).

Most of the same challenges with government are found in corporations or any institution really and people tend to forget that because the government gets some of your hard earned money in the form of taxes.

Corporations and organizations will gladly take stuff from you as well and I think the important point here is to vote, to think for yourself, and to be aware of what is going on or not going in your area starting at the local level because you have the most clout at that level.

Enough soapbox...keep up the good fight Dave.

I switched over from a RF Turbine crank to Hope over a year ago.

I like direct mount chain rings and I found the RF system to be a bit fiddly and tended to creak on the NDS (might have been the RF BB).

The Hope cranks are bomber and I'm about to purchase a second set for a frame I'm building up.

One thing to note with the Hope cranks is that they come with the tools to install/remove them and that you can go a bit under the recommended torque values when installing (70+ Nm) as they can be a bear to remove if you go up that high on the torque.