ChazzMichaelMichaels profile

I've never really understood the constant comparisons of mountain biking to golf. NB I do both, I've been a plus handicap and play off five now. If you add up hours I'd easily play more golf than ride, as well, it's easier to spend four hours playing golf than riding my mountainbike for four hours.

That said, the thing with golf is, you can play with someone who is rubbish/new, and it doesn't really affect your game, sure there's probably a bit more time spent looking for balls, but that's about it. Riding on the other hand, if you're the least fit in the group, or technically not as proficient, it can suck for you, and the others. 

Of course there is plenty of gear with golf, I have remote controlled trundler! But whilst I'm lucky enough have to have nice equipment, I hate changing stuff. My brother on the hand, who is pro, loves to have different stuff, almost weekly it seems. But the bottom line is, he could play with stuff that's ten years old and it wouldn't matter. Golf has pretty tight restrictions on tech, so it really hasn't changed in two decades, despite what manufacturers might tell you. Also you don't really wear the clubs out, save for the sand wedges. So you can turn up with older gear and school anyone with the latest and greatest.

Not on either of the two that I have. I'm probably fortunate that they were ridden for a couple of years then just sat, given the age of the frame. Even now that particular bike might have had four or five hours riding in as many years.

How on earth do I upload a photo??

I just had an RP23 over hauled. It's off my 09 Enduro SX so only about 100mm of travel but the shock will be the same. It was leaking from the rebound knob which is common once they reach a certain age. However it does mean a full overhaul to get to it.

I'd probably only go down the Bike Yoke route if you were desperate to try something else

Somewhat amusingly or tragically I've bought two of these shocks, mainly as a back up when my TTX is being serviced. The first one I had completely rebuilt with the modern replacements. I rode it once. Having no adjustment knobs drives me nuts. I just could not be bothered getting a multi tool out to change something. Normally I will ride a couple hundred metres of trail, adjust something, re-ride, repeat etc, so in theory it shouldn't be the end of the world.

So I then sold that effectively new shock for less than what the rebuild cost.

About a year later I bought another one. It's still in the draw. I need help.

This automatic shifting makes me wonder, how detrimental to battery life would it be to make some e bikes single speed? The number of riders I see with the seat down and in the tallest gear would suggest they're not shifting much.

I also wonder how far from a Pinion esque type set up we are too. It seems crazy to me that an ebike keeps the derailleur,I mean is there any point of having a high end drive train on an ebike? I've heard a few examples of huge Kms and owners wondering why stuff wears out.

The cynic in me says keeping the derailleur keeps it looking like a normal bike.

On one of the Pinkbike podcasts made an interesting point about e-bike sales,and how much of it could be driven by an older market. The kind that buys the new car when they retire, and still have it in immaculate condition, with hardly any kms on it, twenty years later. They aren't replacing their bike every two years.

As for transferrable warranties, while it sounds nice in principle, I think it would increase prices and offer little incentive for a company. I guess best case scenario you may get a new customer who had a good 'used' warranty experience, so chooses to buy new? But why not buy used again?

By the same token, I've never understood the crash replacement policy, surely all that does is increase the price in the first place? If I ruin a helmet in a crash and I feel it did a good job then I don't mind buying another one!

Yeah I was trying to work it out. My 06 Enduro has a straight 1,1/8th head tube, I know my 14 Enduro was the last 26" version as they went 650B in 15. 

So maybe six years of tapered head tubed 26ers?

Most importantly I need a 98 or 99 X-Vert with the 22mm disc mount to finish my FSR DH build, now that's a hard fork to find!

Edit. Gave up trying to embed an image. I may have spoken too soon. The 09 SX has 26" wheels (therefore fork) and a tapered headtube. That must have been a fairly short run combo.

Inserts fundamentally annoy me. There is either something wrong with tyre or rim tech. We shouldn't need them. I can ride at places where I have low pressures around 20psi, or some places where I need over 30psi, (Alexandra, South Island, New Zealand). 

I have tyres in Super Tacky compound for high grip (no pedaling) days but too be fair, I don't ride in wet or slippery conditions too often which seems fairly typical of parts of Canada/USA. Should we all be on DH casings at 30psi? Are tyres simply too light?

I think this is where the whole standards thing kicks in. I've got maybe six Specialized Enduros including a couple of the short travel SXs (04, 09) and we had a pretty golden run where the only standard to worry about was a 20mm front wheel. So I'm forever playing round with old builds as I could move so many parts around. 

I know we've kind of settled now finally, which is why I'm contemplating a new bike for the first time in seven years. 29 wheels, boost hubs and that's about it.

Posted by: Sethimus

Posted by: Vikb

Posted by: RAHrider

Mountain biking used to be an activity where that process of challenging oneself was central to the sport. Now it's an annoying aspect that we are trying to buy our way out of with motors and batteries. We are watching MTBing turn into golf complete with electric golf carts.

if every ebiker just wants to use turbo all the time, why are sl ebikes getting so popular?

Because a Kenovo is too heavy to lift onto the rack :)

I have an electric trundler for golf too. Still have to walk 12kms or so behind the bloody thing.

My issue with new is that realistically there is too much to replace to get it how I want. I get tired of those posts where they expound modern geo when you find out they've gone from a 100mm 26 hardtail to 160mm 29er, there are simply too many variables in such a dramatic change. 

I bought my 14 Enduro because it was the last of the 26s, I was told they were going 650B the following year. I look at bikes now, and realistically when I change, it will be to something like a Stumpy Evo or the new Enduro (if they do a cheaper one in alloy). But then I'm left in the same position of replacing stuff. The base models tend to have average specs, which is fine, but now I'm limited to what I can move over (pre-boost, 26", shock yoke oddity). 

In a perfect world I'd probably do that custom Stumpy build they offer in the US, with a TTX rear and front. Only I want the Mezzer. I jump on friend's bikes (Canyon, Bergamont etc) and think, these feel nothing like mine, I cannot go fast, so I think I'd be the worst person to demo different bikes. I'd spend the whole ride just playing with the shock etc.

There is also stanchion below the seals that isn't seen if the fork hasn't had the lowers dropped. 

I guess it's like your teeth, you can spend a little money each year, instead of spending a lot every ten years. Sure if you have forks that only get ridden a couple of times of year, one of spare bikes has seen less than an hour's riding since the forks and shock had a full service four years ago. 

Some servicing is expensive, I have an Ohlins TTX rear shock and it's service cost is roughly one third of the price of the shock. Per year. But it's the cost of ownership I guess.

You could go balls deep on the Mezzer? I'm not one to pontificate about stiffness but noticed no difference in flex between my Pike RC and Mattoc Pro. Just the difference began a non-functioning and functioning fork.

I have live segments on my Garmin 520 but all it really does is give you a little chime at the end if you've beaten your PB. I don't have any KOMS :(

And as my Garmin is on top of my stem cap, I can't actually see it if I'm riding fast. The only time I really look at it is if I'm climbing or on the flat. I actually turned the Live Segments off as it would beep when I would come up to them. Fine on my own, but annoying otherwise, I just wanted certain data on the screen, not it defaulting to the little map or ghost, I can't remember what it actually showed. 
I do see a difference in my Garmin distance in their connect app, and then what Strava trims it to. I have a wheel sensor too, so I guess the distance from Garmin ought to be as close as I'll get. I know there's an option to correct elevation to known topo maps too. But Strava with phones just trims it seems. It's neither good or bad, it's just a tool,