pete@nsmb.com profile

Very well done, Cory. It's important to remember Ingrid's impact on those around her, and even those who didn't know her. And it's nice to read about how much she did for you and others. She leaves a strong legacy behind; the Shipyards Night Market is a unifying community event every Friday night in North Vancouver. The only reason we don't go every Friday is because it's so popular that it can be hard to get to your favourite food truck before they run out of food.

Nice work Luca! And your dad too, of course ;)

Next stop, whistler?

I certainly didn't take anything you wrote as a direct affront, but I did wonder if you were having a crisis of conscience. Which you kind of always are. Which is what we love about you. But, when you say "there's something weird about how casually we toss off opinions about really expensive bikes" I will stop you just long enough to say that the reviewers we engage (you included) aren't so casual about those opinions. I make sure to be careful to only publish things I can stand behind. It's an imperfect process that we try our best to get right. I don't think anything you wrote was unfair, and there certainly are a lot of bad reviews out there, but we do try to make sure the ones we publish are as fair and balanced as possible.

As is often the case, I'll point to what Cam wrote and say I agree, but that's partly because we have shaped each other's opinions and ideas about bias in reviews over the years. We do have biases. We try to understand them and not to conceal them.

Hi Moritz, did the manufacturer stand behind the bike and at least offer a reasonable replacement cost?

Hi Ted, I absolutely am comparing to bikes like the Nomad and other contemporary AM/Enduro bikes, but as I think we can all agree, no single geometry fits every rider. Yes, the saddle position on the Warden is 'pretty good' by my reckoning, too, but in a field full of bikes that exceed that level, without sacrificing elsewhere...well, that's part of my job to point out.

If you find something that works for you, that's the most important thing. However, for riders shopping for a new bike (or just looking to debate STA ad nauseum), the numbers don't lie.

We have some and will be reviewing them soon - stand by!

As usual, stats being bent to suit an argument. AW, your stat is about homicides, and that is a favourite tactic trotted out by the NRA. The problem with guns goes way past homicides in the US. Accidental deaths number in the tens of thousands per year, and gun-assisted suicide rates are enormous compared to countries where gun access is harder to come by. Be careful about throwing around 'lazy journalism', because these are stats that are easy to come by, and are well-understood. Both Cam and Dave could have spent 1,000 words establishing those benchmarks, but it's not necessary if an assumption is made about the wider picture.

Furthermore, building in added assumptions about things like an AK-47 are not useful to your argument. Those are hypotheticals. Yes, the FBI and local law enforcement both assumed some responsibility. If anything, that proves the point that multiple reforms and measures are needed in order to reign this thing in. Law enforcement is controlled by people, and people make mistakes. Get the system sorted out so that there are multiple levels of safety nets, and the strain is taken off of the human element. This is how automotive and aeronautical safety is handled, and advancements in technology, regulations, and design ethos have contributed to incredible decreases in accident and injury/death rates on the roads and in the air over the past 100 years. Take the same attitude towards gun control, and thousands of american lives would be saved every year. 

A nation that is so worried about transgressions from within is somehow unable to realize that some of the very things the second amendment are designed to protect against are what are causing many of these problems: greed and the prioritization of making money over human lives. The enemy is making the calls from inside the house, but your caller ID is fucking broken, America.

That is a fair point. However, the counter-argument is in MEC's case (as with REI), they are a co-op, governed by its members. If the members start to make noise about an issue (as they did in this case), responsible leadership has to consider taking action.

Nobody's happy that the good people at Bell/Giro/Camelbak/Blackburn etc may suffer through this, but if the few must suffer in the service of creating a very positive change, then the prospect of the greater good wins the argument. Jobs vs the potential to help save future lives is, for most, an easy one to sort out.

Hey Kos, your response did come off as reasonable, but so did Dave's. If you're going to engage, you have to expect a response, and while online tone is hard to interpret sometimes, I can assure you, Dave's response to you was not a shout. 

It's pretty common for this pattern to emerge and I think it's a big obstacle in the conversation. Someone makes a point for gun control using school shootings and assault rifles as an example, and a responsible gun owner, usually a hunter, counters with a reasoned argument about how their type of guns and use isn't the problem. But that was never the target of the original point, so the conversation devolves - very quickly - away from reasoned argument and response because neither side is actually listening anymore.

Of course mental health is a huge issue here. If you've had any firsthand experiences with that (you or someone you know) which is likely, you also know that that is probably the hardest variable to address. Most gun control advocates would want mental health to be addressed as well, but there are so many things that would help, that advocating for one does not mean ignoring another. Mental health reform, background checks, restricted availability to some users (criminal records, no-fly list, etc), de-legalization of some gun and ammo classes (ones NOT used for things like hunting or self-defense)...ALL of these things need to happen, and ALL of them will contribute to making these mass shootings less likely to happen, or mitigate their severity. NONE of those things will get in the way of the ability of a responsible gun owner to shoot or hunt as they are now. 

But the conversation is being controlled by the NRA. And, quite frankly, probably also the Russians.

Great job, AJ and Yoann! Nice to get a glimpse into that high-energy psyche.

Posted by: craw

Posted by: pete@nsmb.com

Hey craw, the new XT Trail pedals seem to have a stiffer spring than the new XTR Trails. I noticed this recently while swapping between test bikes and using both sets of pedals (both new). I fired a question off to Shimano to find out if the XT Trails have a stiffer spring but haven't heard back yet. I love the XTRs and run 'em cranked all the way down and that's sufficient for me, whereas those XTs were too stiff and I hadn't even cranked them in all the way. Only slightly heavier, but cheaper = great option.

That's an ideal solution if it's true. My current pedals are XTR but I have zero issue using XT. Do you think this logic applies to DX pedals as well?

I haven't had a reply. Will ask again, and include DX. Also, keep your eyes open, the new Saint clipless pedal will be available soon - we're trying to get a pair asap for testing and spring tension is something we'll pay specific attention to.

Posted by: grambo

Posted by: tungsten

They offer frame only yet?

Nope, not part of their business model which depends on doing massive OEM parts orders with Shimano, e13, Fox, RockShox etc. Also why they don't offer customization options instead focusing on limited SKU's with high volumes.

Pete: have had NSMB whitelisted on uBlock, no issues with ads.

Thank you!

I use uBlock as well. But you guys are whitelisting your favourite MTB site(s), right? And if not, I'd love to hear directly if we've been running ad types that you find offensive. We try to keep a pretty clean reading environment around here, but some ads are necessary.

I had the same problem with RF Indy pads tearing, but that was before I knew this trick (applies to ALL slide-on knee pads): 

When you put them on or take them off your foot, rotate them so that they face backwards. This puts less stress on the stretchy material, and they'll slide on and off more easily. Whatever knee pads you run, they'll last longer.

Also, I don't know if you can find them in many places yet, but I can recommend the Sweet Protection Bear Suit knee pads. Nice to pedal in, stay in place, no chafe.

Hey craw, the new XT Trail pedals seem to have a stiffer spring than the new XTR Trails. I noticed this recently while swapping between test bikes and using both sets of pedals (both new). I fired a question off to Shimano to find out if the XT Trails have a stiffer spring but haven't heard back yet. I love the XTRs and run 'em cranked all the way down and that's sufficient for me, whereas those XTs were too stiff and I hadn't even cranked them in all the way. Only slightly heavier, but cheaper = great option.

Hi guys, with a nod to the local shops, I have unstuck thus thread. Niels figured it was helpful, and it is, but you're right, it's also a bit of an extra push to the online guys which is unfair in light of the fact that the Inside Line is a paid board used mostly by local shops. 

<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;">We certainly advocate supporting your LBS whenever possible but also realize that the reality is that sometimes online pricing is impossible to resist. Poz's info is useful and naturally can remain as a reference - thanks for compiling it, Poz. </span>

I thought it would be a good time to revive this thread. Anyone got some new lights/discoveries to share? Any brands out there that you'd like us to look into as far as review units?

Hallowe'en special coming up soon! They released season 3 on Canada Day and also did a special for St Patrick's Day last year.

The Youtube clips are good for giving you an idea about the show, but it's so much better when you watch the episodes all the way through. Crave gives you a free trial month, so you can sign up and binge-watch Letterkenny, then decide later if you want to keep Crave.

Posted by: shoreboy

Having owned a Kuat, and currently using a OneUp and a NS Rack, I would stay away from the Kuat.  In my experience it wasnt nearly as well built as the OneUp.  Within one season it developed significant play in the arms that lock down the wheels, and generally felt 'loose' the entire time we had it.  The OneUp is a far superior product in my opinion.

I ran the original NV for a few years and while it developed a bit of play, I wasn't disappointed overall with the build quality and never worried about the hold it had on the bikes. I now have the new version, though, and it is certainly better. I'll be writing it up in a little while. For me, the OneUp is sturdy, but ugly (some people care about that, some don't) and doesn't have some of the functional advantages of the Kuat. NS racks are their own kettle of fish. Arrangement of bikes, ease of use, looks - lots of factors. I think NS racks look terrible on the back of some vehicle, but every style of rack has its trade-offs.

Posted by: bux-bux

A friend of mine did some business  with an unnamed Ebike company out of Whistler, the one with the batteries in the backpack. He did a full day on it and said he was shocked how fast and the amount of power on this thing has, Electric dirtbike was the description. They are all technically pedal assist, but they are full on motorized.

They are NOT 'all technically pedal assist' so let's just straighten that out. The Kranked bikes require you to wear a large battery on your back, which connects you to your bike (not nice) and the motor is operated by throttle. Pedelecs (aka pedal assist) which are the format of e-bike being introduced by most brands do not have a throttle, and the motor engages only when you pedal. There is a big difference in rider experience, and, most importantly, in the amount of torque delivered to the rear wheel. As much as you can argue that an e-bike is different than a mountain bike, a throttled bike is also different than a pedelec.