taprider profile

Thanks

Anyway, I should have wrote to start with, it would be nice to read reviews directed at BC XC riders in the market to buy a bike available at local bike shops for the purpose of actually racing  (whether to win a BC Cup or High School race doesn't matter).

and any suggested modifications would be how make a lower spec level bike more competitive/raceable for the least amount of money

OOPS sorry.  I didn't understand your previous comment at first. I thought the Spur was a bigger bike than the Altitude (was mistakenly thinking of the older Altitude)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edqy-YPF6xU

...and we had lots of fun with those old bikes.  Since everyone was on nearly the same equipment (though I used 2.25 red-walled Panaracers for Hell of the North), and trails were more natural and less manicured, the pure mtn bikers with skills could make up minutes on the tech sections over fitness-only type racers (now you can only make up seconds because trails are faster and bikes easier to ride)

PS: I thought you developed the "on the fly" reach down to the QR and drop the saddle while pedaling up the last bit of uphill?

Which is faster up NO 1/4 or GSM?  After all 50% of the Shore is uphill, so why limit your fun to only the difficult downhill sections?  With the right bike you can have fun 95% of your ride time (extra light noodles/liners help).

I like the look of the Blur, and how some colour makes it appear much slimmer than black (especially as XC riders don't want their down tube to look fat and ebike like)

Funny how it is cliché for MTB journalists/writers to diminish XC. They have to make excuses for reviewing new XC bikes, and even then, try to modify them in ways to reduce the bikes' abilities.

For a change, it would be nice to read a review by someone enthusiastic about XC and/or XC racing.  After all Fast is Fun*  

*95% of the North Shore has always been faster on an XC bike. Plus, there have been more XC races on the Shore since the 1980s than DH or Enduro (regularly using trails like Neds, Dales, Severed and 7th).

happy to know everything is still good

How similar is the Wolf Tooth to Rock n Roll Extreme?  In your photo they look similar, a bunch of waxy particles in a blue solvent and cleaner.

What is that line on your right seat stay at the weld?

One layer of as thin a tape as possible is best for troublesome inserts

So is there anything thinner, but as strong as Stans or Tesa?

WOW, incredible that you are alive

you must be one tough nut such that the van was totaled and not you

@Ride.DMC

you were wearing a helmet during that van crash?

I guess you were shuttling

Posted by: boomforeal

To be fair, I think he was pretty surprised I considered the tyres worn out as, like many on here I suspect, I'm anal as hell about my bike, can't deal with the slightest bit of wear and get depressed if I have to go a week without upgrading.

fyp

After riding in Churn Creek (a long time ago) with friends, I took our multi-time flatted tires to the N Van "Co-op" to dispose into the pile by the door, and immediately a guy/customer began picking through them for the ones that still looked good on the outside. I told him they are full of cactus thorns and you will need hundreds of patches to make them work, and even with tubeless sealant they will look rabid. He said he will just cut his patches into 4 and make them work.

Now when I have a tire that has been ridden in cactus country, I take tin snips and cut through the beads to save some fool their time and glue or sealant.

Re -dishing (or less dishing)  is a good idea, it makes for more even spoke tension both sides, and because the spacing is all on the brake side it moves the cassette outwards for a better chain line

But maybe your spokes are too short on one side or too old, new spokes are still cheaper than a new high end hub.

I would like to try that Chasing Butterflies on Acid trail ;-)

This is what I saw in the 2018 plan

"Dale’s Trail Improvements:
Consider upgrading lower sections to flow better with
section 1 of Dale’s to provide a cohesive user experience
from top to bottom."

Posted by: mudhoney
What's your source on Metro making middle and lower Dale's more like upper?

http://subscription.metrovancouver.org/sites/watershedandlscr/SitePages/Home.aspx?jg=00bf1491-167f-41d7-b4cd-a18a0c8af8aa&eg=0ec8f57c-a3e5-46dd-a403-3c3fdf72db40&lg=c7e21aba-7d7c-4141-869e-274dbb110629&ltp=c

Yes was wondering about that.

The plan shows a climbing trail near CBC , but not a climbing trail from Mushroom up to switchback picnic area/top of Corkscrew.

Also they intend to make middle/lower Dales more like Upper Dales, which makes me sad since the existing Neds and middle/lower Dales are some of my favorite trails.

It looks like they took the trail survey info, where the majority of riders wanted easier flow trails, to be the raison d'etre for their master plan. So that means that for the most dedicated and invested riders (the ones that like old school, more challenging, and/or more natural trails) left out of the plan. No wonder, there is so much unauthorized trail building or riding "off the map".

Posted by: andy-eunson

I know of these trails because I hike around off trail a lot and I see things, hear chainsaws and go look.

there are no secret trails if you are a dog walker