Timer profile

It's not just maxxis, schwalbe is guilty of the same tactic. Can't get super soft rubber in a lighter casing and there is no fast rolling Speedgrip tire in a super gravity casing.

From the looks of it one of the cutouts is used for improving tire clearance. Considering that most frames don't have an kind of mud protection around the linkage i don't think this is a relevant drawback.

@Andrew: The stack and CS on the XL is quite massive, i guess it will feel larger than the reach number suggests.

Bang for buck the NX build is even better.

Easy to recommend to anyone on a tighter budget who doesn't want a mail order bike.

Which DHR are you comparing them to? 2.3 or 2.4? Which rubber compound? I guess one would need to compare the Mopo to 3C MaxxGrip and the Race to 3C MaxxTerra.

How has been your luck with pinch flatting the Martello? I punched two holes through mine on the second ride. That came as a total surprise because i'm light, slow and the trail wasn't really gnarly. First flat in the last 5 years. Rolls amazing, but i expected more beefiness at ~1050g.

The ardent race is a lot newer and quite a bit different from the normal ardent. At first glance they look similar, but the race fixes some of the problems that the normal ardent has, like lack of braking traction and too much empty space between center and sideknobs.

Also the race comes in the premium 3C rubber, and I think the normal ardent does not.

And am i the only one who thinks that tan sidewalls look totally out of place on any bike made after 1980?

What kind of grips and bars are you running on the rigid bike? There are so many products,  so much conflicting information and so many bogus marketing claims around that it's really hard to find bars and grips that actually reduce hand fatigue.

Looks really cool, but looking at the specs and prices that joy evaporated instantaneously. I know it’s a luxury sport, and i am  fortunate enough to be able to afford it, but it just feels so wrong.

I wouldn't be too worried about that, because ebike power and speed is not limited by technology but by law.

To be road legal and still be counted as bicycles (no registration, no insurance, no number plate) they may not exceed their current power or speed.

More details on the new Banshee Titan, looking very nice. Limited first run of only 100 frames, though. Might be hard to get hold of one.

https://www.vitalmtb.com/news/press-release/New-Bikes-from-Banshee-Introducing-the-All-New-Titan-29-and-Rune-V3,3113

Posted by: Endur-Bro

I love how long travel single crowns flex and creak on Mtn bikes. Then the industry acts like these things magically don’t when another 20lbs of bike are added to them. I don’t believe the 170-180mm forks are using the e36 chassis but I(m often) could be wrong

If you are thinking of bikes in the G1 style, I don't see a reason to use anything other than a dual crown.

Axle to crown isn't too different from a 180mm single crown and at that point the weight probably doesn't matter anymore.

Keep in mind that you might want to use the camera while wearing gloves. Once you have a shortlist, maybe go to a shop and try them out with your riding gloves on.

@Hepcat, are you sure about the dual? I remember them as 65/50, harder in the center than 60a maxxpro.

Anyway, wouldn't be running either on the shore, but ymmv. 

How are prices for specialized tires at local shops? They have some good ones for the rear, especially the Eliminator.

Guess who did a scientific test of the potential for Vibrocore bars to reduce vibrations at the hands? Zhe Chermans, as usual:

https://www.bike-magazin.de/komponenten/lenker_vorbauten/test-2016-spank-vibrocore/a33999.html

Just scroll down to the small section "Die Messergebnisse: " or wrangle it through google translate.

To paraphrase: Vibrocore seems to have no effect. The difference in vibrations at the hands between a normal Spank Spike, a Vibrocore Spike and a Carbon bar is very small and within measurement error. If you ignore measurement error the normal Spank transmits fewer vibrations than the one with vibrocore.

One related thing, though. The Spank OOZY vibrocore is a lot softer and more compliant than the OOZY without vibrocore because the Vibrocore-version is made of thinner and lighter tubing. Just compare the weights of both versions and subtract the ~20g for the vibrocore foam.

There was a video some time ago of Remi and TV trying out Instinct vs. Altitude on timed runs to see which is faster. They found something like a 3% speed advantage for the Instinct, but that might be a bit overestimated because the riders got faster with each lap and they did the Instinct last. Somehow i doubt that the Slayer is so much slower than the Altitude.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APZUzePObF0

Would you be able to get a new derailer hanger for the Riot if it broke? And this may be a bit besides the question, but did you look at the Banshee Prime? Same travel range, not too shabby geometry, uses the same 200x57mm shock and can be had new with warranty. I think they even sell a frame option without shock.

Posted by: FLATCH

Even the steepest road climbs don’t really compare to steep single track. Pretty much impossible to climb anywhere near top speed, not even half speed.

I know, but my point is that you only need to push ~80 watts to use the full 250w of the motor. The resulting 330w is more than enough sustained power power to basically eliminate climbing as we know it.

Posted by: Brocklanders

Posted by: craw

I think a lot of this could have been avoided if these early ebikes were less powerful and distinctly pedelecs with an emphasis on 'taking the edge off'. Instead we have these mini mopeds that basically eliminate climbing and sit uncomfortably close to e-MX despite the pedalling.

You can see in this vid from the 4-5 min mark that is not the case. 

I have ridden ebikes (touring/commuting variants) and i tend to agree with craw. In the highest assist setting, i went up the steepest, hardest road climbs in the area at max speed (25km/H) while putting in the same effort it takes to bring a normal bike to that speed on flat ground. Max assist more than quadruples your power (up to the limit of the motor). Drains the battery really fast, but batteries are getting better and e-mtbs come with far bigger batteries than touring bikes.

Posted by: andy-eunson

My neighbour has a Specialized Turbo Levo. Apparently it has a walk mode where there is some assist limited throttle to help walk that behemoth up difficult bits.

That feature is pretty standard on ebikes of all kinds and is aimed at the original target audience (seniors / unfit / poor health). Comes default as part of the motor and control assembly.

My grandma loves it for helping push her ebike when it is loaded down with groceries.