xy9ine profile

cool they put some effort into aesthetics; it doesn't (or shouldn't) cost more to make a bike look good. impressively well sorted build for sub $2k. in a scene where 5-figure uberbikes are commonplace, it's a breath of fresh air to see something like this.

yeah, gearbox integration w/ ebikes seems an inevitable next step, but i don't foresee mainstream non motorized adoption any time soon, given the inherent issues, and how good derailleur drivetrains are these days. 

trinity is doing interesting things with derailleur-in-a-box development, bit as andrew says, packaging is problematic, so i don't see that taking of in any meaningful way. 

random: the classified 2 speed internal hub is interesting, conceptually (relatively light, electronically actuated) - ie, what if you could achieve the same gearing range as a 10-52 using a compact cassette & short cage mech - with both the hub & (electro) mech mapped to a single up/down shifter?

low engagement hubs are the new hot thing

dude has some vision. like how does one walk up to that green mossy rock face & come up with THAT build / line? and dynamite roll *totally* needed a roll in ramp so one can gap to *there* (with crankflip for extra spice). amazing progression.

hello, fellow archspire fan! while tech-death isn't my absolute favorite metal genre, these guys are are just awesome / amazingly talented / local people, that i like to support. bought a couple t's & vinyl (from tobi) when they had a local meet & greet / merch sale in lieu of a covid cancelled show. will have to make a point of hitting their show in may.

yep. as someone who is near neurotically self conscious, i respect rather than ridicule those who are able to go out in the wild with a seeming lack of stylistic self awareness and/or concern. clothing style seems such a trivial thing in the grand scheme of things, yet here i am scrutinizing what tshirt i'm going to wear - whilst working @ home.

are you me? anti-logo is the way.

oh for sure. we gravitate towards similar kit because it works well in our environment (and often in support of great local companies). as fashionable as they may be, nf is fantastic stuff; popular for good reason. love my (multiple) pairs of pants (all in stealth colorway, i might add). 

i'm just happy good gear these days is available in low-key iterations (having lived through fluorescent spandex and moto baggie eras).

classic dumpsters uniform. alas, we're all fashion victims.

i've been running a mid-cage xt 11 speed (w/ XD 10-42) for a couple years; big fan of the compact / less dangly setup. relatively cheap / light / robust.

i'd be down with a "test of mettle" xc that interlinks the various slab trails. 

i've done the TOM & cheakamus challenge & can't say they were entirely enjoyable experiences (though don't regret having done them).

^ i haven't heard any breakage issues with the current TR (previous design, yes). any substantiated stories?

i've over 2yrs on mine. generally a solid experience; a reliable & versatile workhorse. swapped the x2 shock for a float x after 4 warranty cycles. going to try a long shock coil experiment shortly - i run a mullet (with wrp link), but the extra length of an imperial 8.5x2.5 shock paired with the stock clevis looks to preserve stock geo (with a mullet) near perfectly - whilst bumping travel to about 160mm. leverage curve of the TR is a bit flatter than i'd like for a coil, but will give it a go for giggles.

for my needs, i like downtube length as a real-world easily-measurable-with-tape-in-hand front/center comparator.

*further peruses the nicolai catalog* - also kinda digging the saturn 14st; as a "water bottle mount is non-negotiable" kinda guy, this bike is fully box ticking.

i've similar sentiments. no denying cedric's ingenuity, & to bring a truly novel drivetrain to production in such a short timeframe, with relatively limited resources is an impressive feat - i wish him well. but as effective this specific implementation may be, there's just a lot stacked against this becoming a sustainable alternative. lots of proprietary bits is certainly one (big) thing, but requiring a dedicated frame build with severe restriction of suspension layout / kinematics is not a route to mainstream adoption. alas, time will tell. 

what really gets me excited these days is what trinity / williams racing are up to. rad mech in a box implementation, as well as a platform with a more or less universal drivetrain cradle that will accommodate their own box, as well as pinion, effigear, and conventional drivetrains - on the same bike. brilliant stuff.

had no idea there was a conventional iteration. kinda like that one better, actually (not 100% sold on supre). should be a neat build.

^rad! supre drivetrain trickness aside, i really like the aesthetics of this bike; it's a refreshing departure from their traditionally agricultural aesthetic. 

when do you expect to receive?

^i've got a pair. actually really like them. lighter fabric than the NF's, with a couple perforated panels, so prefer them to the NF's in warmer weather. nice fit (at least for my 6/0, slim build - in 32's), super comfy, with a longer inseam than the regular NF (similar to the new dp4 longs). build quality seems good, no issues yet. though i haven't crash tested them, not going to have the same abrasion resistance as the nf (though the knees are reinforced). pretty happy with them - esp for the price.

Posted by: Ride.DMC

My only gripe with the DP3 is that the phone pocket is on the right thigh. Being left handed this is less than ideal - but I totally get why they did it and understand that if you are only going to install 1 phone pocket it should appeal to the larger demographic of right handed people.   Wish I had of caught that sale!  I'm anxiously waiting for them to restock their 6 day pants. Those are totally up my alley.

there's a 30% black friday sale. 

though the dp4 has only one zippered pocket on the right, the left pocket is quite deep, so that's where my phone lives. 

they've also got a new "heavyweight" pant that's an evolution of the berzerker, but no long inseam option, alas. that said, they've been known to accommodate custom requests.

NF had a 30% off flash sale a couple weeks ago, so jumped on some DP4's. same awesome fit, just with revised pockets & (finally) a longer inseam option. love em.