UFO profile

The $99usd 1up v1 dropper would be perfect for this bike.

I do wish they went 10spd even if it added $100 to the msrp, 9 speed upgrade path for lower gearing is a challenge...the M6000 Deore rear derailleur will happily handle 11-46 smoothly on a hardtail with a clutch that actually works and give you Eagle-like gearing with the 28t ring. I guess they can't have the entry level model shift better than the SX and NX drivetrain of the higher spec models costing 1.5x and 2x more

I've had great success with a set of Slate T4's on the stock red pads even (but with SRAM centerline rotors), so much so they've ended up on my park bike. I came across a second set in which I could never get the same power out of the front brake... I tried to swap the lever with my known good set, tried finned Shimano metal pads, both with no improvements. So something going on at the caliper.

Could that brass Chromag QR lever not have just bolted onto a 34.9 or whatever you need clamp? *sorry*

"it's capable of writing cheques that the suspension can't cash."

That's an interesting concept for me as a primarily hardtail rider. Similar train of thought to Andrew's lack of concern in overforking FS bikes vs. overforking HT's.

Your Ripley review is timely as I'm considering moving to a 120 or 140mm FS primary bike. I guess what I'd be curious with is for you to spend similar time in a Ripmo and see how much it gives up on the flats and climbs given its weight is about the same, to cash in on 20mm more suspension. Just sweet talk Cam some and make it happen.

Is this a new yet to drop Sight? Otherwise the current Sight/Range 29 has been around since 2017 so the geometry and fit are getting a bit dated.

I do have to agree on the Norco sizing. I was on a Med Range 29, and it felt smaller than the reach numbers would indicate even with a 50mm stem. Similar sensation when I threw a leg over the current Sight 29 Med for sizing purposes. I'm now happily on a Lrg Torrent FS with 29 wheels, running a 2* works angleset with 150mm fork and 130mm rear. My geometry is quite similar to this new Optic, save for the longer seat tube which I have to move down to a 125mm dropper, and a ~10mm higher bb height which I do prefer even with 170mm cranks.

This Optic in my mind is a slight evolution of the aluminum Fluid FS that was released last year, just taking the head angle an extra year slacker.

My 5.5 year old kind of fits our macride still, she's about 44" tall. I'm 5'8" and I've sized up to a 445-455 reach now (for my own riding preferences), whereas I was previously comfortable with a 430 reach, so that also helps with the kid carriers.

I once had my car broken into Nov.2. They jacked my stereo with the detached faceplate safely stored in the door's side pocket; my school bag (though they kindly dumped out and left behind my Bible); most annoying loss was the fresh box of unopened Halloween I had bought the day before at 50% off. Absolutely savage

I was kind of hoping to believe what Andrew posted on the internet, as I usually believe everything he posts on the web.

The IVA uses a similar clip in system, at that IS at the top cap. I'm sure you know this already, but perhaps the travel spacers and the IVA spacers look similar ;)

I've used a 2.4 Ibex in the rear, no complaints

I have a Trailmaster DT that has worked well for me and more importantly looks awesome.

I did also have an original Trailmaster LTD with the ti rails that didn't work as comfortably for me, I'm not sure why.  And the ti rails creaked incessantly.  I don't know if the new LTDs are any different, but at that price premium I'm not about to find out.

Posted by: heathen

I am not the only one to thi k about this.

I had a quick look at the leverage curve charts. The Range is actually quite progressive and should work well with a coil.  The Patrol is less so, around the same ball park as the Stump evo.

Although leverage curve is very important,  the shock's compression tunes now also add another variable.  

So at the end you need to look at the overall sum of the parts and how they all play together. 

I trust Transition have gone coil because of a defined performance benefit, they as a company are pretty good with not following the trends generally speaking.  I mean at the end of the day they gave us modern slack geo with decreased offset forks which they pretty much cobbled together in their garage to R&D

Posted by: heathen

Norco Range and Transition Patrol both have 160mm frames.

Range has 205mm x 60mm rear shock

Patrol has 205mm x 65mm rear shock

So the Patrol is more linear then the Range. Yet transition only offers the Patrol with a coil now. I think that is a recipe for disaster. That's why I made the meme. I personally dont feel the Range is progressive enough to run a coil either.

It's not as simple as dividing the travel by the shock stroke, that only gives you an average of the leverage ratio.

Through the modern voodoo of linkage design, where in the travel the design begins to ramp up is also an important consideration.

I had an old Chromag stripped and repainted by Dekerf; easy process and he did a fantastic job. I'm not sure if he blasts or chemically strips the frames, I'm guessing he blasts it. $350 is the cost for a wide array for 'standard' colours

FWIW the Saint/Zee are still on the older style master cyclinder design, which seem to be less prone to the wandering bite point issues of the M7/8/9xxx series brakes

The problem with Formula is they make so many hubs that may or may not utilize the same or similar freehub. If your shop can't sort you out, you may end up trying a couple of freehubs which you think may be compatible before/if you are able to find the appropriate one. One idea is to try and reach out to the bike manufacturer, especially if they spec the same hub on a different model bike in their lineup.

Out of curiosity, what cassette are you hoping/wanting to run? Sunrace has recently started making cassettes at a more reasonable price for xD drivers, and e13 also have some nice and functional albeit costly xD options.

I actually went backwards from 11sp back to 10sp once Sunrace started making the 11-46 in 10sp. The XT/XTR 11sp stuff worked well but I much prefer the 'vague feel' of 10sp XT/XTR

I'm in a similar predicament. I've been a predominantly hardtail guy, saving the big bike just for the few days a year I'm in WBP. But I do want to move to a full suspension bike as my primary over the next year or two, and have the new SC Hightower or Tallboy in my sights. The 2 frames weigh basically the same, geo is basically the same, so it comes down to whether I need the extra 20mm the HT offers on the downs or whether the 20mm less travel of the TB will make it climb appreciably better.

But I think I'll still have a hardtail around ;)

The rumour is Shimano will open up microspline to every one in Jan.2020