smcmain profile

Careful on the coban, if it is applied too tightly it acts like a tourniquet, especially if there's swelling. Very, very bad if you don't notice, obviously.  Also a no no around joints. If, however, you're trying to make a tourniquet in a pinch, Coban is pretty effective. A Voile strap is also great, plus it's like a giant zip tie if you break suspension linkage!

Vigilante is a great cornering tire, on harder surfaces or in dry weather it pulls into turns harder. But it doesn't hold a candle to the Verdict in wet, sloppy stuff.

I ran both the Verdict and Verdict Wet this winter and definitely feel that there is squirm from the Wet version. However, in the PNW winter, I don't feel it much unless it's on a hard berm or g-out, and the traction from the Wet in the wet is even more than the regular Verdict. It's even better on rock and roots too, somehow. I'll probably take it off come spring though, but for winter the Wet is a new favorite!

Well, it's not $35, but it's not much more https://www.blackdiamondequipment.com/en_US/headlamps-and-lanterns/revolt-BD620631_19_cfg.html#cgid=lighting&start=15

Runs on AAA that are rechargeable (via USB). been using it for a year and also have the Storm. Well worth just getting the revolt. Save the money in the first month not buying batteries (if you use it a lot).

It'd be awesome if someone made pants, not even cold/wet weather pants, long enough. Everything seems to max out at 33 inch inseam, and when you wear pads that shrinks considerably. Considering I have a 37 inseam, most pants are, quite literally, long shorts at worst, or capris at best. Going off of pics of world cup pros that are tall, it seems like I'm not the only tall guy that can't find pants long enough! It can't be that hard...

This might be one of the greatest NSMB articles I've ever read.

So, here's this taken from this. It's a study done on the recent Bontrager helmet. Seems legit, but here are the disclosure and acknowledgments sections. That being said, the research is interesting to read and pertinent to this conversation. It would seem, and this is my interpretation, that there is some empirical evidence that specific designs under specific conditions do decrease the likelihood of brain trauma.

I think MIPS has done similar studies in-house, as do other companies. I'm no science person though, so I don't know what constitutes "trust-worthy" published research vs. "paid-for BS" published research. 

"Disclosure

Some of the authors (MB, SMM) are co-inventors of CELL technology described in this manuscript, have filed patents, and have a financial interest in the company that owns this technology. These authors (MB, SMM) are founders and co-directors of the Legacy Biomechanics Laboratory. Several of the authors (EB, AR, ST, SMM, MB) are affiliated with the Legacy Health System, which was a partial funder of this research. None of the authors received any money or in-kind contribution for this work.

Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) under Award Number SB1NS074734. Additional support was provided by the Research Foundation of the Legacy Health System."

Also, I generally do base part of my helmet-buying process on the tech it has, but the determining factor is the fit. Usually, I don't seem any harm in getting a helmet with tech because I can't seem how it would have a negative effect in a crash. But, I agree that fit is more important than tech, and that should be the final "yay" or "put's-back-on-display-rack" in helmet purchases.

I just converted back so SS on my Vanquish today with the PS Zinger, and was thinking about tracking down my old Hammerschmidt to go back to the Dingle days of 2x1. And last week I cleaned out the garage of all the old broken Shimano Alfine tensioners from running Dingle-speed on my 2006 Bottle Rocket—gold Spank bars, Avid Elixir CRs (warranty of course) and a Hammerschmidt. Probably still rolling around the PNW somewhere.

There's probably an 8 spd shifter out there somewhere, maybe an old X9 would work...be a fun experiment to try!  I only rode the single click for a few minutes and it was already starting to get on my nerves, but you're right I think it's to keep an e-bike from exploding a drivetrain.

Peeking the comments, which are always interesting on NSMB. SRAM makes an 8spd e-bike drivetrain. I've ridden it briefly, the steps are big and might be what you're on about with the 5spd. It only does one shift at a time but maybe throw an Archer D1x on there and you have a bombproof setup.