tdc_worm profile

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."

Just for a point of accuracy on denotations of "tribe":

*Oxford English Dictionary (considered to be the most accurate dictionary)---A distinctive or close-knit group, A large number of people

*Merriam Webster---a group of persons having a common character, occupation, or interest

*Wikipedia---a category of human social group, two or more people who interact with one another, share similar characteristics, and collectively have a sense of unity

*Dictionary.com---a division of some other people.

*YourDictionary.com---a group of people, or a community with similar values or interests

*Cambrige---a large family or other group that someone belongs to

I think if we are going to consider the word and its use, we need to consider all denotations.  The premise that "Tribe" does not describe a close knit group of brand loyalists is not accurate.  Furthermore, Yeti was not attempting to denegrate nor demoralize the people that elected to share their common interest, let alone the historical inhabitants of this continent nor any other.  If a word has several denotations, its irresponsible to pick the most offensive one rather than understanding the context and picking the right one.

Does it offend some folks?  Sure.  Should they be offended?  As 1/8 Seminole, I cannot speak for anyone but myself.  I am, however comfortable, that Yeti's use of the word Tribe was not coming from a position of authority over me, which is where the negative denotations sit.  Yeti's only responsibility to me is to make bikes that don't break, the primary reason I exited their tribe.

As some others opine, I do agree that Yeti should not be held on a moral pedestal for the move, nor should anyone for virtue signaling.  They should be held on a business pedestal, as their only responsibility to themselves for operating a business is to make money and perhaps this will do that.

Is internal tire pressure localized or does the entire tire pressure cycle up and down as volume changes with tire impact?  If its not localized, then the "ankle compliance" is only being exercised when we have a rim strike (assuming our tires sidewalls are not stiff enough to deflect the rim).  i have a hard time believing that we engage "ankle compliance", unless the tire is bottomed out.  my guess is that if we are regularly taking advantage of "ankle compliance," we should probably increase our tire pressure.  I am a fan, however, that it could potentially be a safety net to avoid pinch flats.

on the vertical compliance and spoke loading/unloading vs spoke fatigue and failure, i suspect that it is highly present in any wheel that has give.  here is a pretty cool video of WR1 doing some impact testing.  note that the failure where the spoke pulled through is very close to the unloaded spokes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgOb7__9FYs

my only uneducated concern with these wheels is that an unloaded spoke is going to routinely put pressure on rim strip and rim tape  causing premature tape failure and a loss of pressure.   all in all, i like the theory.  if they are low maintenance, durable, and add a degree of pinch flat protection without using an insert, count me in.

you have a built in natural "slip plane"....externally its called your hair and sweat, and cerebral fluid internally.

if rotational deceleration ON IMPACT were truly THE issue, we would run perfectly spherical helmets which would have zero lips/ridges, or edges, and break away magnetic visors.  All of those features serve to limit rotation on impact.  to my knowledge, only Arai addresses it from a shell stand point and Fox address it from a visor standpoint (both only in the mx world).  It is not addressed at all in the MTB world.

if you can get a concussion without ever impacting your head, then the slip plane is not a solution.  you can get a concussion from whiplash.

the reality of the matter of MIPS "success" is twofold:

1)   For any given brand model, the most attractive colorways are the highest price.  MIPS is also on those colorways.  Vanity has already justified the upcharge

2)  With no data, we cannot prove that it helps.  But for the upcharge, nobody can claim that it hurts....and after all, isnt your brain worth an extra "n" amount of dollars.  SOLD! we've all been marketed to!

***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.