flattire2 profile

My bad, remembered it wrong.  6 degrees of upsweep.  Still more than most bars at 3-5 deg upsweep

https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/brand-x-carbon-riser-bar/rp-prod193202

Seems nobody ever discusses handlebar UPsweep, only backsweep.  I've switched to 10+ deg upsweep bars and love them.

Can inserts allow you to run a narrower rim without burping?  I burp my 25mm inner width rims occasionally.  Would a insert prevent this?  Saves weight of going to a wider rim.

What’s it weigh?  That’s a Gucci bike 

I’m guessing a smidge over 30

Agree - Tight gear jumps are overrated.  I usually have to grab 2 gears at a time anyway.  So your gear ratio changed by 14% instead of 12%.  Big woop

I don't mind the inefficiency of a 10t cog on a mountain bike.  IMO most riders when in the 10t cog, will have gravity assisting them anyways, so who cares about small losses.  Road bike = different story.

#meToo

Love silverstar!

That short a head tube on a long travel, slack 29er that I believe is rated for a DC fork makes me think twice.  

-edit - 106mm not too bad. Looks shorter in pics

Stating the reach changes by 12mm between max steep vs slack settings is misleading. Note the wheelbase changed by a mere 1mm. Again, leaving out stack numbers and only focusing on reach is not a good sizing metric. Sweet bike, on my short list.

Drawing your example out in cad, About 34mm ETT difference given my seatpost extension at 5-11”.   But by sliding the saddle all the way forward you can almost make up the difference.  People tend to forget saddles have a Large range of fore aft adjustment that allow you to tune the ESTA

Since your coming off old school shitty short geo anything new is going to feel unfamiliar and huge at first.   You have to get used to it, which doesn’t happen during a parking lot test ride.  Trust the manufacturer size recommendations, and size up or down slightly if your on the bubble.  Geo is king.

With all the variability in preferred brake lever positioning, thumb length, etc, I never thought the integrated brake/shifter mounting was worth it. Saves 15grams of parts but ultimately leaves someone unhappy with positioning options. I'll take separate discrete mounting clamps please, every time.

^ thanks man.  I flip flop back and forth between this and the 170mm enduro bike, it makes you appreciate what either excel in.    Its kinda fun to be on a hardtail again, climbs so well.  You realize what a slug the enduro bike is on the ups.

Ragley Big AL, size XL. 480 reach, 650 stack. 150mm fork, HA measures 64*. I'm 5'11" and the fit is great. I will never own a short reach bike again.

Riding it to 7-11 with my kids it does feel like a lumbering beast but as soon as it hits dirt, it all makes sense. Much more capable than the hardtails of yesteryear. Stable, forgiving, fast, and just fine to throw around. Not in tight radius berms tho.

The 74 SA is almost a deal breaker but with saddle all the way forward is just enough. 76 probably the sweet spot. Alu frame, 29.5 lb build with good rubber. Frame was $450 from CRC to my door :)

I question the dedication to steel frames. With big volume 29” tires (and inserts), proper geometry that get you more over the fork on the descents, I think I’d rather save the 2 pounds of weight an aluminum frames offers over steel. It won’t have the lifespan of steel for sure tho.

Go sunrace.

How the lineups in the park these days?  Thinking of heading up for the weekend but 45min waits at FITZ will be a deal breaker for me