Timer profile

With MTB, i think POV footage is not a good format to attract viewers. If you are not a seasoned biker (and preferably even know the trails being ridden), POV Gopro clips are hard to follow and often boring because they make everything look flat and unchallenging.

And obviously GoPro vids without a gimbal are just garbage.

Good EWS coverage probably needs a lot of cameras near the track and ideally some drone "followcam" vids.

I like the WRC format. A big part of what makes it work is that it is not totally focused on POV footage. Having the option of showing in-car footage also helps.

Mavic used to have wheelsets with different rims front and rear. And some wheelsets use different spoke counts front and rear.

But I agree, for optimized front rear strength a custom wheelbuild is still the way to go.

I'm quite astonished that this has become a thing. Bikes used to be tools made for outdoor use, paint was tough and light scarring was considered normal. If the bike happened to be black anodized there wasn't even any paint to chip. Has the quality of paint on bikes deteriorated so much? Is carbon just a bad material for paint to stick to? Have the astronomical price hikes of the last few years led to this "protect my investment" attitude? 

Or is this is a side effect of the MTB fashion show? Just yesterday some other (non-english) MTB site made a serious article about this seasons new styles in mtb fashion.

I have a pair of those (bought in Germany). Read some reviews and tests before purchasing and found nothing but high praise for the Newmen rims.

A magazine tested rims to destruction, and these were the toughest and lightest alu rims by far. Even tougher than several carbon rims and lighter than some carbon options too.

So far mine are good, but i haven't ridden them enough for a final verdict. One thing though, the rims might be tough but they don't protect the tyre any better than normal rims. I managed to pinch right through a sidewall and thread in one hit. Not a scratch on the rim.

I'm of similar weight and somehow managed to punch right trough a brand new Vittoria Martelllo (reinforced sidewall and thread in one hit ) on a relatively mellow trail. Glad the rim survived.

Now I'm debating between adding Huck Norris or upgrading to beefier tires (like DD). Sadly there aren't many tires with strong casings that still roll well enough for all day pedal epics.

Some say that the flat profile rims are just an easier, cheaper way to build carbon rims and the whole "Moto" story was thought up afterwards to justify and market the cost-cutting as a feature.

I was thinking in terms of long epic rides and (non-pro) enduro races. Being able to see at a glance that i haven't lost pressure due to burping or a sneaking flat would be nice. But the price is prohibitive and keeping the batteries fresh might be more hassle than it's worth.

Only if you run your bike and wheelsets for many years. This may be part stereotype, but from my observations, the kind of people who buy carbon rims are also in the habit of buying a new bike every 1-3 seasons.

But i agree, if carbon is required, WR1, Nobl or Syntace rims are much better in terms of weight and value than Zipp or Enve.

It seems like the two pictures show the  same stem by 77designz, when one of them should show the WR1 version of the stem.

That ankle compliance spiel seems fishy.

The rim is asymmetrical, so if there was any noticeable amount of ankle flex it would be much stronger when turning to the left. 

Not to mention that it would introduce bending and friction forces at the spoke nipples which would be hell for any wheelbuild.

The tire Wizz is nice though, especially for racing.

Judging from what i saw at the BCBR, the Ikon or Ardent Race are pretty popular. So are schwalbe Nobby Nic/Racing Ralph and continental X-king. All of those roll much, much faster than a Minion SS and are also lighter.

Regarding the Ikon: The 2.35 size has much larger knobs than the 2.2. More trail tyre  than XC-race.

Posted by: Brocklanders

Magic Mary's... Anyone like? Never tried them. Which ones are best for the shore? Looks like they come in a 2.35 and a 2.6 for a 29 enduro

The 2.35 Mary is of similar size as the 2.4/2.5 Minions. 2.6 Mary is huge.

"Soft" rubber is equivalent to maxxis 3C Maxxterra. Good for pedaling .

"super soft" is more like 3C Maxx grip. I wouldn't put that on a bike that sees a lot of uphill, but ymmv.

Standard Mary casing is similar to maxxis EXO. If you ride hard and want a strong tire, go for the "super gravity" version.

Posted by: FLATCH

Maybe we will start to lease bikes like we do cars.

Sounds plausible. You can already do that with city/commuter bikes, at least in Europe.

I also think that the trend of  ever more downhill oriented trail and enduro bikes will fade eventually. The sport might split into cardio focused riders with lighter bikes and motor assisted gravity fans.

How does it roll? Heard amazing things about the e13 grip and horror stories about their ability to suck all the power out of your legs on the climbs.

Posted by: syncro

Now that it seems wheel size and frame geo's have more or less settled what do you think mtb's will look like in 3-5 yrs from now? More electric than pedal? Electric deraileurs to match or will internally geared hubs take over? Is the sport going to be the same five years from now or something radically different altogether?

Maybe, after the first wave of awe at the magical powers of the electric engine has passed (greetings from 1890!), the next trend might swing in the opposite direction. Fitness, endurance and XC-racing might be king again, who knows?

Oh, and with all that talk about forks flexing and the current trend for taping multitools to frames, how about a return to 20mm through-axles with pinchbolts?

Posted by: RAHrider

Can someone explain how reach affects handling?

If you have two bikes with the same ETT but one has a longer reach due to a steeper STA, how does that effect the handling? I understand that the steep STA improves climbing by altering your weight over the back tire but I am curious how the reach number effects handing. 

Thanka

Keep in mind that noone can test the effects of reach in isolation. Ceteris paribus longer reach means longer wheelbase which also affects handling (e.g. more straight line stability). Or if you keep wheelbase fixed for different values of reach, chainstay length has to change which also affects handling, but in a different way.

Given her size, I would never consider a long travel 29er without her trying one in steep terrain first.

There is a reason why a lot of companies don't make that kind of bike in smaller sizes.

[Edit:] Wouldn't a Nomad be a better comparison to the MT? Or a Hightower to the Bronson? And i just remembered that Tim Coleman in his review spoke highly of the Mondraker Foxy as a very good climber with surefooted handling on the descents.

I feel that brake performance depends heavily on the user. Therefore i'm quite hesitant with blanket statements like "brake A is good, brake B is bad". I vividly remember a very long, steep alpine descent: Me running Avid Juicy brakes, the guy in front of me (heavier than me, but not massively so) on Magura Gustav M (strongest brake ever built for bicycles).  At the bottom we notice the burning smell of overheated brakes and i immediatly assume that my tiny Juicys have overheated. Turns out it was the rear Gustav which had overheated and even started to fade.

Keep in mind that glasses are super personal and anyones recommendations might not fit you equally well. I don't have the comparison with Oakley, but i have been using the Addidas Evil Eye with light orange prescription lenses for about 8 years. Best thing i ever bought for biking, skiing and general outdoor stuff. Tough, very resistant to fogging and the light orange works equally well from bright sunlight to dark woods. Can recommend if the shape fits your head.

Posted by: craw

It would be cool to see a more efficient way to build a bike out of 7075 rather than Pole's way, which seems like a lot of added effort. Does 7075 need to be heat treated after this new process? Can someone with some related knowledge comment on that - just because 7075 can be welded can this process realistically be used for making bikes?

So far, I'm not entirely convinced that Poles way of making bikes has actual performance benefits over bog standard welded 6061 tubing. They have a unique look and allow for more creative shapes. But those frames are far from light. Given that welded frames of similar weight are pretty strong already, is the whole CNC+7075 affair actually necessary?