Heinous profile

Hey, it looks like MRP heard you!

https://mrpbike.com/products/loop-sl

1 1/8th straight steerer right there.

+ Pivot and Spartan 29.

They've been doing great stuff. The new Troy and Spartan kick arse. Especially with a coil.

I ran the Helm, it was good and fill travel never an issue (82kg).

I recently put a DVO on my singlespeed and when I hopped back on my big bike I was really surprised how shit the 36/grip2 feels, especially in the early stroke. The DVO is just super plush with the OTT and spring for early part of travel. As soon as there’s a DVO option for 29” / 170mm I’ll be doing it.

Will be interesting to see how the shock goes. I’m yet to see a Super Deluxe that didn’t improved out of sight with a strip and lube from new. Maybe that’s the new school equivalent of all the lithium grease repacking from your youth.

It looks like a solution for loud bikes - so long as you don't encounter much mud...

It’s always interesting how progression in components cascades until major stuff can’t keep up - tyres, geo, brakes, wheels, and rear shocks, and suddenly you notice your fork needs a coil conversion...

The first time I thought my 36 couldn’t keep up was when I put a Push coil in the back. I’m reluctant to drop the coin on a Smash Pot, so might try a Luftkappe first.

This is vastly different from Graves / Rude, i reckon. Here you have an extremely well respected Dr with extensive corroboration explaining factually what happened. The drug in question isn't out right banned so likely not one  most Dr's will be aware of for TUE purposes. 

The team dropped the ball, and as said above should have a  process in place to check not just treatments but supplements and the like that athletes bring. NZ, like most countries, has an in country ADA phone line you can call to check, in addition to all the online resources.

A backdated TUE would have been available until the in competition period or test occurred. Maes and GT are probably more culpable here in that they are still competing in other UCI events like DH, so can't claim this is the first time they've had to deal with doping issues, unlike some Enduro athletes.

If I recall correctly from The Hive when they designed them, that specific polygon was developed by the military for tank axles. I think they used to use a quirky name for it.

I loved the early Hive cranks and built a couple bikes for friends with them. My experiences with E13 rear hubs meant I never bought an e13 branded version.

Then I got a similar carbon crank bug a while back and ended up going with the Praxis Lyft cranks. Super light (same weight as these), but the 3 T25 chainring standard is easier to find rings and maintain trail side if needed. They do an HD version also, but after talking to one of their guys they basically told me the HD was for people who insisted they were too hard core for anything else. 

I've thrashed 2 pairs across multiple bikes, and despite catching the spindle end of the non-drive in rocks a couple times, they've been bullet proof. The ability to use standard, easily available rings and bb's is what sold me.

@Xorrox - I hear you on trying new stuff. I’ve only used the Ramp cartridges (and older Ramp with independent negative spring conversation for 36 - still the best feeling fork I’ve ever ridden) and the mrp forks seem really well like by friends riding them hard.

Isn't this what the MRP Bartlett was designed for?

My Helm was good, but maxes out at 160mm and I did manage to blow one up in short order (and I'm only 83kg in kit).

I've found DT and Praxis the most durable, and it the event of dents, they tend to pull out ok without cracking.

Some more recent research showed they weren't working quite as expected - transferring force and causing vertebral fractures lower (which isn't a bad outcome, assuming same force would have caused one higher). I think this was exacerbated where set up was poor, and especially in kids (because set up is harder). The rise of more things like MIPS might play in to less neck braces being around too.

I used spacers that allow you to use 3mm each side (so you preserve the geo and don't need to re-dish, but do need to adjust limits), and a spacer under rotor.

It worked, but it was a massive PITA. Getting spacers in every time, then getting axle through, and not forgetting or losing them when wheel was out was a nightmare. I'd only use one again on a bike that I never expected to have the wheel out of, like a commuter.

(edit: this is why the Boostinator option is great, IF you have a compatible hub)

Ironically, just today; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tsk3zAZyLaQ

Nah. I've seen etap have all kinds of problems, and SRAM's QC is, simply put, shithouse. Needing multiple small, short life batteries is a hassle too. One of the best things with Di2 is the ability to just forget about the battery for months, and then charge quickly whenever you remember. I've already been seeing the new 'ultimate' pike's failing (ingesting air from + to - chamber). That, coupled with the unpredictability of eagle to do it's job is enough for me to avoid it.

I imagine we'll see new Di2 later this year, possibly with a wireless shifter and wired main battery/computer to derailleur.

The nude shock integrates something like a reservoir in to the can. I don’t like it, but it makes sense

It’s weird how we can spend a small fortune on bikes lots of shop employees could never afford even at staff price, but expect them to give us the same service and expertise as $500/h professionals.

That’s a big part of why shops are having to change, and it works at the high end, and maybe the big low end stuff, but the mid range has such little margin it’s no wonder shops are falling over and manufacturers are just cutting them out altogether.

YT’s model seems to sandwich their distributors. I dealt with the oceania one after snapping three cf capra’s and their were friendly, but ultimately perpetuated the same flaws - even supplying a replacement that YT knew had a defect which snapped catastrophically and painfully on its first ride. The Capra rode amazingly but at that point I lost all faith and immediately got something else.