I really like the OSO (geo, suspension, looks but integration could be better), just seems the market is trending towards totally discreet mid-power e-bikes and that's what I'm receiving soon.
These full power e-bikes feel much too fast to be co-mingling with pedal bikes, to me.
Well written review.
I enjoy Manitou products and 2 forks and 2 shocks from them and am pretty happy.
I do wish the R7 went to 125-130mm travel however.
Timely review. I love my SjEvo. But just damn that BB is SOOOOO low. Makes thre 'low/ long' position completely unrideable.
I experimented with a Williams Brothers Racing Mullet set up and the Mullet had some great traits actually, but the loss in climbing performance was too much for my needs and low ftp.
So I now have the Williams Mullet link, but with the 29er rear wheel. Then I swapped to the low BB/ long CS setting to offset some of the increased height.
Compared to the stock link with a 29er in the short CS position: The net result was it raised my BB 9mm, steepened my HTA from a measured 63.2' to now 63.8' (slackest setting), steepened my STA a hair, shortened my Reach about 6mm which works out well for me, and allows me to to run the longer CS length. Also the Williams link has a bit higher AS.
I'd like to report how it rides like this, but I just made these changes in the garage and have yet to test.
I just adore SQLab saddles. They really fixed a lot of issues for me.
Also recently added 1 to my trainer and what a HUGE improvement that was after testing half a dozen pretty good saddles beforehand.
They are worth the money imo.
I rather hate the heat and quite frankly don't think that us fair skinned individuals are genetically built for it. I have an ace in the hole however with a dark grandmother that lends me some protection (thanks Meme!). Caucasian hair type holds in heat, higher metabolism creates more heat (this is why on the same diet blacks and Hispanics will end up with health problems that many whites won't), and not enough protective melanin.
One thing I would recommend to anyone that is fair skinned living in a sunny climate is using a Peptide called Melanotan. It will impart very significant sun protection. I use it during the summers for protection and to prevent sun damage and have for 10+ years. It also has the side effect of thickening your skin which is really helpful for bike crashes.
That's pretty interesting.
I need to subscribe to that German mag just because their scientific approach to bike parts feeds my Asperger's.
Did they narrow down a fast rolling rear tire option? Although 19 watts even in the rear is amazing!
PS. Do all Germans have Asperger's too?
You don't pick the WB, the WB picks you.
Seriously, build the geo and whatever the WB is to fit and work right, it's what the WB is. 6 mm isn't going to make a hill of beans space wise going thru trees, the bikes are 7' long from one end of the tread to the other afterall, but to make a bike handle correctly 6mm of extra CS length can be critical.
If you are really concerned with WB, steepen the hta a smidge. That kills 2 birds with one stone. Makes the bike shorter AND requires less CS length to remain balanced.
This is the first bike I've ever wanted to test, with a +1 headset adjust.
The problem with every one of these DC bikes (and for that matter most AM bikes) is that the size Larges all have these 430-436mm chainstays combined with long slack front ends and as a result they all have front ends that understeer & push.
My L Spur is pretty darn good (and very similar geo to the Element) and it certainly doesn't push like a 490mm reach/ 160mm front travel/ 65' hta bike would on 435mm chainstays, however the problem is still notably there. Furthermore it really requires an uber sticky (read slow rolling) front tire to try and combat this lack of chassis balance.
Please , pretty f*cking please, build balanced bikes with chainstays lengths that better match the long front centers.
This bike would be in my garage, if only it rocked a 441-445mm CS length on the size L.
Yours truly, XXX.
The markings on my 2 sets of OneUp bars are so faded from new that it's not possible to make out what the angles even are.
Some timed testing shows that for at least some, it's just a feeling with little to no speed differential. GMBN did a mullet vs. full 29er test using a 5' female rider (I think) and a nearly 6'4" rider.
The petite rider preferred and was faster on the Mullet, the big guy was 2 seconds slower on the mullet but also had more fun and for his big bike was going to swap to Mullet, for the fun factor.
Both riders felt the smoothing action of the 29ers.
Riders have definitely heard the siren song of 29ers. A 5'1" woman came to look at my my wife's size S high end 650b bike, then realizing it was a 27.5" scoffed and said 'no thanks, I thought it was a 29er'.
My general opinion for trail/ AM riding is smaller adults should run 27.5s, medium adults mullets, and larger adults straight 29ers.
This is a GREAT idea!
I've never been on a bike ride, where someone was on a 27.5+ bike, and the 27.5+ bike didn't: 1) get an unrepairable flat, 2) damage the rim in an unrepairable manner, 3) roll the shit tire right off of the rim while cornering aggressively, 4) Two or more of the above all at once.
I have 4 words to describe 27.5+ tires: 'total and utter shit'.
Thank God these turds died off and you don't see them on the trails any longer. Can purchase plus wheels + tire sets for $75 on local forums these days as they are good for literally nothing besides pedaling on the beach or snow.
Manufacturers are only able to offer the length of warranties they do (on many products) because they know for a fact that a large portion of those warranties will never have to be honored because items get sold/ stolen/ totaled/ forgotten/ abused/ and so on.
If you expect the manufacturers to warranty items to all users you will either see the warranty period reduced greatly or the initial cost of the item to increase greatly to cover the additional warranty expenses.
A lengthy transferable warranty on an e-bike would be a huge $ loser for any manufacturer as they fail constantly under proper use.
I don't have a ton of experience on longer than 150mm travel bikes, but when I do ride them I notice when I did pedal that even if they have the steep STA & good AS, the fact is that 170mm travel bikes move a lot, even just to reach sag. For me, those larger transfers of weight had quite a bit of negative effect on pedaling performance.
The Spur doesn't even have a good AS number, but it still pedals well. I think short travel bikes can just do somethings that even with all the tricks longer travel bikes struggle to do.
Sounds like you need to add a DC bike to the Quiver!
Also, try to use 2 bikes with very similar AS at sag just to remove that as a factor.
Also one smooth climb and one trail climb.
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