Heinous profile

The Dissector is a great option for good rolling. I've been surprised how good it is - it's replaced my old go to tyres for speed, being the Minion SS and the Aggressor.

Some of it. You still get better shifting from the derailleur without the laughably shit GX cage materials and main pivot / knuckle and B-tension tab. It stays better for longer too, GX seems to need regular b-tension adjustment.

The GX cassette works fine with Shimano 12s if that's your thing...

I just want to say that those pink ano washers under your bidon bolts are perhaps the most understatedly cool bit of pimpage I've ever seen. Especially because they'll be under a bottle most of their life. Nice one.

One possibility here is to get a CAMO spider with a non boost offset... I did this a while ago for a different combo and have been smirking to myself every now and then ever since.

They did explain that a while back for XTR, claiming that the main source of drag they could eliminate was the seals, but to do that meant smaller seals, therefore smaller bearing and smaller cups to put  them in. That explains (maybe) the smaller cups for DA and XTR, but doesn't explain why the ditched the old standard entirely to intro a second one.  Those plastic adapters are nasty.

I've always found the Flow really great until IXS downspec'd the fabric on the outside about 2 years ago. I've found the new ones far less durable which is really annoying when they should be designed to hit the ground. 

They're still the comfiest I've tried but I'm actively looking for something that's more durable.

I wonder if there's a way to run them at shorter travel? It would be a cheaper alternative to the Smashpot at 120/130mm in a 36...

They would have been better updating the GX cage and knuckle design and materials so they don't lunch themselves at the sight of mud. Expecting them to run on an even larger cassette with an uglier jump is classic SRAM.

Similarly, I find the proprietary double row freehub bearings last about 6-9 months and can be a hassle to source. It looks like only Enduro make them, and I've been disappointed. Were it not for that bearing I'd be using the hubs in more than one bike.

I'm, dredging this one up...

After a while rolling increasingly bigger bigger bikes, I've been on a Devinci Spartan 29er.  I've really enjoyed it - it's a great bike, and one of the more versatile of the long travel 29ers. I run it coil both ends and that seems to have unleashed it.

Anyway, I'm considering downsizing to a shorter travel frame. Partly due to a move in geography, partly due to curiosity. High pivot tempts me. The two that keep coming back for me are the Forbidden and the Knolly Fugitive LT. I'd like to run a coil, and either seems suited.

The recent Knolly Warden review was positive but somehow fell flat in my reading - what are people's perspectives on the Fugitive LT? Anyone rocking a coil in one? The Druid seems really tempting, it's just so well resolved from a design perspective. 

What are people's thoughts on these two?

It's likely - one of the main benefits of tubulars is how they are safer when you puncture. A well glued tub will stay on the rim, whereas a clincher tends to pop off and quickly tangle in frame while you're trying to find traction using the rim. A beadlock style clincher system makes a lot of sense, but may well make tubeless/clinchers less attractive than tubs again.

I thought I’d dredge this. I’m thinking about a Mezzer for my singlespeed. Currently running a DVO Saphire 34 that I really like, but just find it feels kind of agrarian at times.

In contrast, my 36 with Smashpot on geared bike is amazing - the HBO ramp works great.

Buying a 36 to convert gets pricey. How are people finding their Mezzer’s after a year? Durable?

The only downside is 140min minimum. I’d live to get one down to 130 or 120...

These are great. Unior's tools are fantastic too with 4 sided contact and good fit.

Yep - viewing it as healthy feedback loop is a great way to help companies improve and get your issues resolved too.

I've used frame and fork. It works, but I'd not really recommend it for offset mtb wheels and so on. 

A cheap park or feedback will work fine. There are probably a load fo cheap ones around used, or if you have a mate who builds wheels occasionally, borrow their stand.

The shop that sells the entire thing is responsible for it. If they then recover from a supplier is another issue.

On the cost front, I'd suggest:

DON'T Spend on:

Alloy nipples

Aero spokes (Aerolite / CX Ray)

Do Spend on:

Nipple washers

A basic park tension gauge

Grease

Quality spoke tool

Rims are mostly pretty good these days, there aren't many that build up badly. DT supply with Squorx nipples (make sure you calculate spoke length with those if you plan on using them).

If I was building a nice, but on budget wheelset I'd use the new Shimano XT hubs, they look awesome and are amazingly well priced. Those, with DT Comps and an Arc, Praxis, or DT alloy rim and it's hard to go wrong.

Lennard Zinn's mtb mechanic's guide is really good too, nice diagrams, probably the easier of the first time builder guides I've seen.

What's the standard warranty on the frame? 

I've had a chainring fail on my own bike (folded, outwards, hopping off a curb) and seen a couple of the original SRAM road rings fail almost immediately.

My perspective is that it should be covered by manufacturer or shop. This isn't analagous to a new tyre on a car, it's a bike sold as a complete OEM unit.

I'd find a local carbon repair place - they can ultrasound the damaged area and tell you if it's cracked or cosmetic. I have seen a lot of warranties approved after customers show that 'cosmetic flaw in the lay up' is actually a catastrophic failure about to happen or underway.