Bagheera profile

Same thing here, only just turned 40, all this old man talk is a real downer ;)
Great read, as usual, Cam, keep 'em coming.
Sometimes when I ride my 29er-carbon-long-travel long/slack jadajada-superbike down a rail, I ask myself: Do I really enjoy riding more than 26 years ago on my first "real" bike I'd saved all my money for (even had a suspension fork!)? No. Do I still enjoy it as much, does it still make my heart sing/my soul spread it's wings/whatever corny image you chose? Damn straight. Yes, the bike makes me safer, it's more comfortable, way more reliable and may even make me slightly faster. But bliss comes from riding, not from the bike. And yes, I admit I'd have a hard time going back to my first ride (would still buy one if I'd find one in good condition) and a lot of the trails I ride now would be almost impossible on an early-90s sled (unless you're Wade SImmons or Tippie).

Videos of berms being roosted in Slo-mo? Yawn. Give me something like the "Risk" thing from Sedona a couple of weeks back.

But on a more serious note: Since around here, legal trails are rare and purpose-built bike.trails even rarer, our attitude might not have changed all that much. Still, even here, some people seem to forget that we are guests in the forest, not lords of the manor, and should behave accordingly.

About an hour's drive away, an organizer got denied permission to hold an Enduro race since they hadn't sufficiently repaired the trails after the last one.

Thanks for your reply. Even 3800 seems like a lot of money, compared to other brands, and I'm not even talking about conumer-direct. Not quite as outlandish as 5700, though.

When it comes to carbon, us consumers have almost no possibility to check quality. One LBS owner claimed BMC carbon frames were way better made than YTs. Of course he would, since he's selling BMC. But how would I go about veifying that claim? The Interwebz were no help (or my search skills lacking). Has anybody with some kind of idea what he's talking about ever taken apart a TURQ and one of the other Yeti frames to check if TURQ is more than a marketing spiel (not saying it is, but how could you check?)? With alloy frames, we may pay a premium for small, in-house manufacturing (Nicolai) and can check welds to some extent. But carbon? We have to believe whatever manufacturers tell us.

Methinks I had a bike that came stock with two different hubs. 2008 RMB Slayer SXC 70. IIRC it was something that wasn' so rare in the times of 20mm axles and before the advent of color-matched wheelsets (do I look like I care about green accents on my rims?), but I may be mistaken.

Have to agree with Alex D on the price, though. My new full-susser (will be posted in the forums once it has arrived) will cost less. Carbon, GX, fork tuned to my weight/riding, Saint, Deity cockpit. Admittedly, crappy (let's say mediocre) wheels and no carbon except for the frame. Still, 5700USD for a GX and Fox Performance-equipped HT? Ouch.

Thanks, and a Happy New Year to you, too.

Like your "Best of" a lot, especially since it's a really acessible "best of". Tim's had me thinking "if only I had time/money/balls etc" (a nice read, nevertheless), yours reminded me that bliss can be found in simple things and close to home (*The most contemptible night on a mountain bike is like walking on sunshine. *). And, kudos for those last paragraphs.

I hate to disappoint you, but unfortunately you're wrong about Switzerland. The Valais and Graubünden cantons have very liberal regulations (they depend on tourism), while in other cantons, regulations are very strict (similar to Baden-Württemberg).

You've forgotten France. While on the surface everything seems ok, I've heard stories of strong opposition to MTBers by hikers and hunters, leading in some instances to trail closures.

The increase of lethal accidents is logical when you look at how many new e-bikes are sold. Most (if not all) of these accidents happen in traffic, not in a "sports" context. Giving more and more people who haven't ridden a bike in years the possibility to zip through heavy traffic at 45km/h (legal limit here) on a bicycle.... what could possibly go wrong.... But that's a whole other issue.

As someone living in Europe as well (albeit not in the Alps), I would second MaWas comment. While acces may be a non-issue in areas that depend heavily on (sports-)tourism, it's a different story elsewhere. There are places where MTBs are restricted to gravel roads and a lot of places where MTB access and user conflict are indeed issues.

Ok, I'll bite. You do already adress most of things that could be criticized about your article. One thing that always irks me: The shuttle/chairlift comparison. Trails near chairlifts are professionally maintained, shuttle trails are built with shuttling in mind. An eMTB does not have the limits of a shuttle truck. So areas/trails that were hard to access (and therefore sustainable) will cease to be so. And yes, I'm being egoistical here. I want to keep riding those areas.

Some of your views seem rather too idealistic. Yes, an eMTB would theoretically be better than a shuttle truck. But most people will be to lazy/want to carry additional gear etc. and still ride their Tacomas as far up as possible. Heck, I've recently seen guys with eMTBs take the bus to the top of our local hill (a leisurely 20min climb on an eMTB). (I mean, if they weren't lazy, would they be riding eMTBs? ;) Yes, I know, I generalize.).

Yeah, I think it's great that older/less healthy people still get to enjoy riding. Met a couple of nice eMTB oldtimers on my recent rides. But still, eMTBs for me smack of a culture of entitlement. "I want to ride there, therefore I get to ride there, even if I don't have the fitness level to get there." Doesn't that remind you of a three-year-old? Aren't sports about challenging yourself?

What you do adress but what can't be stressed enough: Just because it may work out in some places, in a lot of places eMTBs pose a great danger to trail access and the relationsip with other trail users. My town will never be on the map as a great riding destination, but there are trails, I can start a climb 5mins from my backdoor (and end a descent there, if i choose to do so). But let's face it, most of what we ride is illegal, and we're tolerated at best (Yes, there have been oranizations fighting for more access. Resulted in 2(!) legal trails in 22 years. Yes, I'm a member.). Still,  I'm depending on these trails to be there. I usually don't have the time to travel somewhere where MTBing is encouraged, and not everyone can (or is willing to) just uproot and move somewhere where MTBs haven't been banned (yet).

I probably come across as more aggressive than intended. I'll smile politely at eMTBers, have helped some of them fix their bikes (too lazy to carry tools.....) and have even ridden with people with eMTBs. Still, my next bike will come from a brand that doesn't produce eMTBs, and I would consider buying a Bold Unplugged just for the sake of the name.

So, heigh-ho, back to work I go. Have fun riding, whatever your choice of steed may be.

"The Average Guy's Guide to Average Bikes". Great. I'd read that. Can I help with the testing, too? ;)

That "cruiser bike" looks sick. Geometry?
Also, nice frame, craw.

Man, how du you expect to have fun on such an ugly heap of crap? You'd be better off on a Walmart bike... ;)

Congrats on your find, enjoy the ride :)

Posted by: JBV

you've got a Bold Unplugged?  dude, you need to do a full write up on a separate thread including price and procurement details, lots of pics, the works.

There's a pic somewhere in the FS thread. But will do, just give me time.

Posted by: extraspecialandbitter

I demoed the Evil Offering and it was pretty magical.  I was instantly comfortable on it.  I could sort of feel the big wheels, but it was super fun at speed and still managed to handle some of the tighter stuff.  I was most surprised by how active the anti-squat was and it climbed really nicely.   I thought I needed to sell a kidney to buy one, but the tax man was greedy through 2018 and he owes me a lot of money now (hurray?).

Anything else I should be looking at?

You demo'd a bike. You found it to be pretty magical. You've got the funds to buy it. So, nope, look no further, buy that thing and ride :) Since I own one (and like it) I'd recommend demoing a Bold Unplugged, but that's probably not an option for you. But, seriously, seems like you've already found a bike that you like. Go for it.

Bikes and batteries don't mix. I'd forget to charge them anyway. Now, if we could use the energy from braking to power the shifters, then maybe.

Still, I'd rather have cables and something Jerry-riggable.

Zee on my old bike, Saint on the new one. Love 'em. Modulation is ok, tons of stopping power (I'm probably approaching 200lbs) even on long descents. Did I mention stopping power? XT 785 on my other bike. Great for everything but slowing down really quickly from super high speeds or in very steep terrain. Ok for everything if you remember they're not Zees/Saints. Overheating is only an issue in very long, steep descents.

Had Code Rs and Guide RS on various demo bikes. Code R is ok if set up properly, but even then still has not enough power. Horrible if not set up perfectly. Guide RS was engineered by someone who hates mountainbikers and wants to kill as many of us as possible. Not nearly enough power, modulation is hit or miss (as in, you're either gonna hit that obstacle or have enough room to steer around it, cause you're sure as hell not gonna stop before). Worst brakes I've used in years. Worse than 2008 XTs, worse than Elixirs.

So, as a late X-mas gift, I got myself a new toy .

Bold Unplugged Volume 1. Spec: Saint, GX, Deity cockpit & pedals, E1900 wheels (had to save a bit of money somewhere, plus, the crappy wheels on my trail bike have lasted for 5 years now…), KS lev Integra, RS Super Deluxe, one token. The fork is a Yari in name only since it was fitted  with a Charger damper tuned to my weight and riding style by the fine folks at Akira Tuning. Bike is in the longest/slackest setting.

Uphill: You’ll never mistake it for a trail bike, but I’ve ridden long-travel bikes that climbed a lot worse. Gets you up the hill. Tech climbing is actually pretty good, I even managed to clean a section that I’d never cleaned on flats before. Whenever I timed climbs I was actually going quite fast, it just felt like I had to work for it. The longest ride so far has been a little over 3.5 hours, but all-day rides should pose no problem.

Downhill : I have to work on my cornering technique. Haven’t really gotten the hang of quick cornering yet, but I’m adapting. Needs more input and more movement and of course a more aggressive position. Managed to get around even the tightest switchbacks around here w/o problems. Straight lines are scary fast, steeps seem less steep.  Suspension setup still needs some work. This bike begs you to go harder, steeper, rougher.

Two things I find hard to quantify: Line choice in tight switchbacks is very «intuitive», i.e. I seem to «see» the right line and be able to follow it easily. Demo’d a few other bikes that gave more trouble in such situations. Another thing is, I feel like I have more time to react in steep, tech situations, even though I’m probably going just as fast or faster than before.

No, this is not a cheap bike. OTOH, at MRSP of last year’s Reign Advanced 1, I got a custom tuned fork, the brakes, tires and cockpit of my choice, 175mm dropper and an otherwise similarly specced bike (Reign has slightly more expensive wheels but lots of house-brand parts and only a Fox Performance shock). So, I guess I’m trying to convince myself that it’s not THAT bad. Do I think it’s a ridiculous amount of money for a toy ? Sure. Do I think it’s money well spent ? You bet.

All my contacts with Bold were very pleasant. Emails to inquire about my saddle height, so they could cut the cables accordingly, a phone call that they would start building up my bike and had I seen their new colourway and would I prefer that one ? Sending my fork to the tuners free of charge, being more than willing to spec parts that are not officially listed on their website etc. Patiently answering questions about tokens in the shock, fork travel, you name it. Oh, and it’s nice to have a chat over coffee with the designer of your bike when you pick it up.

Other thoughts : While the L frame fits me well (I’m 1,90m and sitting position is very comfortable), I think I would prefer an XL if they made one. Especially on steep climbs and fast downhills (and fast is the name of the game with this bike), I wish for a little more TT/reach. Not an issue on tamer climbs/slower descents. Will put a 50mm stem and a slightly higher rise bar on the bike and see if it makes a difference. I think I’d like an even steeper seat angle. Bike is quite stiff, which I like. Also, large screws on all the frame pivots.

So, to end my ramblings, I’ll quote my wife when she got her new Reign: «Can I have my old bike back? All the trails have gotten so boring.» Yep, the Unplugged does make a lot oft hings seem easier/tamer.

I like Platzangst Shorts, especially the Trailslide. Maloja are not bad as well. Not a big fan of Cube's and Alpinestars' shorts.

May I suggest buying a Yari (same chassis as the Lyrik) and have some competent suspension service put in a damper custom tuned to your weight and riding style? No idea who would do that in your part of the world, but I'm sure there's someone. Will probably make a way bigger difference than the one between a 36 and a  Lyric.

*drooool* Looks tiny from this angle ;)