tdc_worm profile

Yeah.  I think the desensitization has begun.  di2, followed by AXS, followed by assisted rigs.  

I see the meat powered rigs being very di2-ish with just one port.  pull the battery and wires if it is not your thing. as it stands now, AXS plus Flight Attendant has 6 batteries.  consolidation only makes sense.

Yup.  I am actually in the process of moving away from my two AXS posts and back to OneUps simply because I can get the saddle farther out of the way, which is the whole reason to run a dropper, if I am not mistaken.  

My guess is this:  with more electronics on board, we will move to house batteries.  Its already an adaptation within the eBike world with both Sram and Shimano pursuing using the main battery for their rear derailleurs.  Almost makes di2 ahead of its time.  What is old is new again.  Anywho, a house battery on pedal bike that is prewired for plug and play frees up a ton of space for the stack height to get sorted out.

Agreed, the functionality of the AXS unit is so far ahead of everything else, it is in a category all its own (and in its own price category, haha).   I have two of them.  That said, the stack height and 170mm max drop seriously handicap the dropper when it comes to getting the saddle out of the way, especially as we move to bikes with steeper seat tube angles.  If the goal is dropper action, the AXS wins.  If the goal is getting the saddle out of the way, it doesn't.

Couple of notes from my experience with this saddle:

#1 - some times it makes the rear tire feel vague when pedaling in small bump stuff...almost like you have a flat rear tire.  the saddle is squirming, not the tire.

#2 - my  seat rails are bent

#3 - interferes with the Reverb AXS battery/motor, not allowing for the saddle to be slammed forward, if desired.

a heavier rider MAY have a higher peak power output because they are conditioned to move more weight on a routine basis.  here is the problem:  we have limited fuel tanks and are not immediately recoverable like a machine.  as such, the generation of that wattage drains the fuel tank of the heavier rider faster.  so yeah, you might be able to move a battleship that a lighter rider cannot budge, but you may find yourself on the sideline quicker.  in terms of efficiency, the heavier rider and bike are way less efficient...proper geo can offset that. my position is that bike weight does matter, but not at the expense of durability, of which the heavier and/or aggressive rider may need more....

Non padded plastic slip planes and corroid wreak havoc on those bald heads, elective shaved heads and follically challenged heads, alike.  have had this issue with my Oakley DRT helmet as well as Smith helmets.

one of the things that is not necessarily intuitive about SRAMs Matchmaker setup is that, even though they labeled right and left, they are reversible, so you can run two R, two L, or run them opposite.  that essentially gives you 4 positions from an inboard/outboard perspective.

Sounds like we have tried close to all the same things, but I have one slight variation:

Rather than use the Giant Clutch Steerer tool, I use the Giant Clutch Fork Core storage with a 25g CO2 cart and inflator.  Then I have the EnCase Tool and Plug system in both bar ends.  This allows the use of a K Edge Gravity Cap mount for my Garmin.  

I'll be the first to admit that the EnCase tool is a compromise to the OneUp tool (the One up tool offers more leverage and there is no risk of dropping a bit) and the EnCase plug kit is a compromise compared to the Dynaplug (I've used the mega plug to seal a sidewall where bacon wouldnt suffice) and the Giant inflator is a compromise to the G2 and Blackburn variants I have used.   It is, however, the only combo I could come up with that keeps from having to store CO2 externally and keeps from having to mount a computer to the bars, where it is more out front and exposed.

Seems to be a pattern of "tuning out" definitions that don't suit the narrative.  virtue signaling happens to be a thing, regardless of your political affiliation/worship (and thanks for assuming you know mine).   If the move were virtuous, Yeti would have made the change a long time ago.  however, much like the Washington football team that was facing the prospect of losing FedEx as a sponsor, the virtue is quite simply a move to retain/grow profitability during a civil rights movement.  Fighting external and prolonged pressure and only cracking under pressure signals a virtue that their "high moral standard" is very closely tied profitability.  Good business move?  Sure.  Virtuous?  Debatable.  And if Yeti's focus isn't to make money (and judging by the price of their wares relative to the market, I believe it is) so that they can pay themselves and their employees, then their tenure in the space will be a short one.  

I do believe that you believe the things you write.  After all, one's perception creates their own reality, and we have to respect that.  But that doesn't make somebody else's perception wrong.  This is where context enters the equation:  so we can chat like adults, dissecting the language and denotations, and understanding the intent.

the point here is that Yeti is not calling the marginalized anything, they are referring to themselves.  imagine if there were universal outrage about calling oneself a name that is viewed as derogatory to others.  the colloquial use of derogatory terms is used by several groups to refer to themselves in both positive and negative ways.  honky, redneck, hillbilly are just a few.....

This confrontation is:  "please stop calling yourself that, even though the manner in which you use it is positive."

***Wolftooth EnCase  tool system:  14 function multi tool in right handlebar end; chainbreak and plug kit in left handlebar end, 2 quick links

***Giant Clutch Fork Storage: 25g CO2 with inflator head.

***Der Hangers: Both my in downtubes (2020 Enduro and 2020 Druid)

***Spare Cables:  None (AXS with a spare battery in each downtube)

***Tubes:  None (CushCore on Enduro....not going to ever do a field tube, run flat out; Zip 3Zero Motos on Druid w/ DD casings, haven't pinched since running these hoops)

***Water:  I run XL frames w/ bottle cages that will mount as far south as possible (blackburn and woftooth make versions).  This allows me to EASILY run a 1L bottle

***Snacks and phone:  Pocket

The above strategy has me comfy up to 20 miles/3hrs in terrain that will eat bike parts.  Any more than that and I will grab a fanny or a SWAT bib.  I know it's not for everyone, but all of my bikes are fully self sufficient, and every discipline has it's "go" bag with shoes, clothes and accessories staged and ready to go, so that when the moment presents itself, i can seize the moment.    That's probably and extra $250 per discipline: mountain, road, and dirt jump.