Bagheera profile

Of course the Trance and the Spire do not have the same tires, horses for courses and all that. As pointed out above, the Spire has almost the same build as my Bold had before, and while the Bold did not climb as well as the Trance (maybe a 2 minute difference on the same climb, if that), there is a significant difference between the Bold and the Spire.
The alloy frame is not light (at least according to the bike builder on Fanatyks website, I have weighted neither the frame nor the complete bike).
I don't see how the frame could be responsible either, OTOH, I don't see anything else (the shorter cranks, maybe?). Wanted to try a different rear tire last weekend, but it didn't hold air (for once, not my fault, according to the LBS).
FWIW, I felt the same about a Sentinel I demo'd three or four years ago. Traction on steep stuff like a fat bike, but quicker climbs were not enjoyable (or possible). Maybe something about the Transition geometry that doesn't work for me, although I didn't notice it on the demo Spire or the demo Spur.

Great review. I can't keep wondering why everybody seems to be so enamored with the Spire's climbing characteristics, though. I own an XXL alloy, bought as a frame and built up mostly with parts from my old bike (shorter cranks and shorter stem, though). My old frame was a Bold Unplugged Vol. 1, so by no means a "small" bike. Having demo'd an XL carbon Spire, I thought I knew what to expect. Nope. After the first climb, I was ready to sell it. Seems to suck all energy and all the joy out of climbing. Lowering the bars helped some, and I'm kind if getting used to it, but I'd have to think hard whether the descents would really be worth it before taking it on an all day ride or if I should rather opt for my clapped-out trail bike. A week ago, I did the same climb on two subsequent days. Once on the Spire, once on my old 2014 Trance. Same conditions. 59 minutes on the Spire, 50 on the Trance, and it's a climb I can do in slightly over 40 minutes in summer. Give the Spire a steep, slippery climb and it will grind up as long as you can pedal and never lose traction, but try to get anywhere fast... no joy.
All thoughts of selling it are forgotten once you point it downhill. As long as you stay over the bars (I'll have to up my push-up game), I've never ridden anything that could compare.
Caveat: I've only ridden it in the low setting so far (2 months). Because, if you can have a 62.5 HTA, why wouldn't you? Will try the high setting at some point.

Yes, reading this and the - frankly, heartbreaking - piece about Corey Walsh makes me equal parts angry and sad that this is even still an issue. Why are we still talking about this?
But since it is very obviously still necessary to talk about it, thanks for sharing, Matt.

I must say I find it difficult to follow your posts, which may be due to my lack of command of the English language or may be due to their rambling nature (as perceived by myself).

About the author of the article above: https://mdprevent.blogspot.com/2012/10/can-bill-sardi-be-trusted.html Also, I find his sayings (in other articles as well) contradicting most research I know of (no, I'm no MD and yes, he'd of course claim that's the big conspiracy and I'm just drinking the kool-aid).

According to several MDs of my personal acquaintance (people who have to deal with the situation right now), s*ht is really hitting the fan and it will get worse. The severe cases are here, even if the true death rate may be lower. If the ER is overwhelmed, it doesn't actually matter if the guys there are 10% or 1% of the infected population, the problem is the overwhelmed ER. And this situation is real and happening, not the construct of media/government/deep state/pick you conspiracy.

So, let's stay calm and do whatever we can to prevent any further spreading of this sucker. Afterwards, we can asses what could have be done better and who to blame, but right now, let's act.

Safe riding to you, have to go do the shopping for some elderly neighbours, will ride tomorrow.

The claims made by Dr. Wodarg are judged as false, irresponsible and unscientific by most Docs. Only article I could find quickly is in German, sorry: https://correctiv.org/faktencheck/hintergrund/2020/03/18/coronavirus-warum-die-aussagen-von-wolfgang-wodarg-wenig-mit-wissenschaft-zu-tun-haben

I support your sentiment of taking precautions but not freaking out, though. I'll keep riding, but will take it a little easier (downhill, that is).

Haven't you ever wished you could pedal a slightly higher/lower cadence while maintaining the same speed? Of course, this would be on long fireroad climbs, not on technical singletrack where a steady cadence is impossible. But even on steep, rocky singletrack grunts, just a bit more/less? Obviously, our pedalling preferences/habits differ vastly.

BTW, most of your guesses about me further above above were correct (for some reason, I could not reply to them), though I don't think I know anyone working for Scott. The 3x12-rider typeology (is that even a word?) was hilarious.

36 TALAS yes, but only 160mm, and no remote lock-out. I did, however, once write an email to Marzocchi to ask whether it was possible to put something like an ETA (Marzocchi's travel-adjust system, for those too young to remember) in my Shivers.... only thing more Euro would be asking if you could run Eagle as 3x12. Moreover, I'm still proudly rocking a Pike DPA ;)

Thanks for your reply. Manual shifting would be too frugal for me (yes, I have a remote lockout for the shock on one of my bikes, why do you ask?.....).
Moreover, the setup you suggest here has barely more top end than my Eagle setup (I know you don't need it, but I do, sometimes) and a significantly higher lowest gear. Gearing steps would be nice, though. You see, Im thoroughly European: GIVE US MORE GEARS, GIVE US MORE CABLES, GIVE US MORE REMOTES...   ;) No, but I need (or want) range, small steps and to be able to lock out my shock. And since the shock is tucked away in the frame...

I still prefer the smaller steps of the 2x10 setup on my old trail bike to the larger steps od 1x12 Eagle on my bigger bike. Also, even the range of my 24/38x11-36 setup is limited for my riding (which includes commuting to trails, flat transfers to the next hill and some (too) easy high speed descents. With my 30t front ring (and on a steep climb after a few hours of riding, I'm glad I've got that bailout gear), Eagle seriously lacks top end. I've climbed our local hill (500m ascent) on a DH rig with 44-32 as a lowest gear (that's 44t in front for you youngsters) so it's not that I lack strength, but when the rides are longer and the climbs steeper, low end is where it's at.

I know that's an unpopular opinion here, but I feel that outside of racing or unfamiliar trails with a lot of uphill/downhill changes, 1x is inferior to 2x. Yes, you save weight and you get a tiny bit more ground clearance. . But apart from that? With a proper chainguide, my 2x10 doesn't drop chains more often than my 1x12 Eagle. And yes, that's even when racing enduro.

I don't think it's a generational thing. I observe teens acting considerate and guys in their 40s acting like a-holes and vice versa. Moreover, I stand my ground more firmly in unpleasant interactions with other trail users (because mtbrs are not the only a-holes out there) nowadays than I would have as a teen. Still trying to stay polite and even pleasant, but not letting anybody give me sh-- anymore. Usually, people are surprised when you stop and start a serious discussion about trails/trail access etc. when they just tried to get in a quick slur...

Also, I have to admit that I almost ran into/over hikers twice last year. Saw them to late, these new enduro bikes are faaaaaast...(one instance was my first ride onmy new bike...) no excuse,though, I have to be more careful. Made me realize how solw you actually have to ride if you want to be able to stop at sight distance, especially in dense woods. One lady was very pleasanly surprised, though, when I saw her again later (climbing back up) and apologized profusely. We had a nice chat after that.

Near 25% SAG in front, 30% in the rear. On a tame ride, I'll use maybe 145 of my 175mm, when I go harder maybe 155 or 160mm. The rest is reserved for really stupid moments. THe fork ist almost impossible to bottom out, even with almost no air in it (damper tuning). Feels good. In the rear, I use a little more travel, I think. Probably a question of preference and/or riding style. On of my buddies has his fork set up so it will bottom out at least once every ride. Prefers it that way and is much faster than me.

Not personal, but a riding buddy of mine replaced his Factory 36 (well cared for and he's a stickler for a good setup) with a Durolux and says he likes the Durolux much better. He's not only OCD about maintenance and setup, but also a skilled and fast rider, so I'll take his word for it.

So, still my ride for the last two years and probably for 2 or 3 more:

After demoing a Pole Evolink 150 (built up as a 29er) I was pretty sold on this «modern geo» thing. Earlier in 2018, I’d decided I wanted a 29er after a particularly rocky Enduro experience. I demoed a few other bikes (Transition Sentinel, Cannondale Jekyll) and was interested in trying a Nicolai, but decided they were too expensive. Was interested in some other bikes (Orbea Rallon, Norco Range), but there were no demo bikes available and to me it’s no demo, no buy. After demoing an Unplugged Vol. 1 twice at Bold headquarters and a lot of DMs with Cr4w back an forth (re: Pole and large bikes in general, thanks a lot), I decided it was what I wanted.

Setup

Frame: Size L, longest, slackest setting.

Fork: RS Yari, equipped with a Charger damper custom tuned to my weight and riding style by Akira tuning. 51mm offset.

Damper: RS Super Deluxe, three tokens.

Cockpit: Deity Blacklabel bars (cut to 785mm), 25mm rise, Deity Copperhead 50mm stem. Started out with a 15mm rise bar and a 35mm stem, but the climbing position didn’t work for me, and it was too low on steep descents. Sometimes I miss the almost brutally direct steering it had with the 35mm stem, but in most situations, it handles just fine.

Drivetrain: Shimano SLX, 32t front.

Wheels: DT Swiss 1900 front, Spank 350 laced to a DT 350hub rear

Pedals: Went from Deity plastic flats to Fire Eye plastic flats (those will have to go, though), sometines riding Shimano XT trail SPDs.

Seatpost/seat : KS Lev Integra 175mm, WTB Rocket.

Climbs ok, on steep section i have to really lean forward to keep the wheels on the ground. Great descender. Too much bike for our local trails, but I'm always impressed when I take it somewhere where it can really shine. Feels like riding a mountain lion, it claws into the ground and feels so surefooted. The steeper the better. Can go around even the tightest of switchbacks, even though people don't believe it.
If I could change things, I'd want more stack and standover. Also, the L is similar in numbers to a Nicolai L, so I think I would want an XL (Bold doesn't make one, L is all you get). It still feels a little too small at times.
Customer service has been stellar so far.

Went from GX to SLX (DT hub), with a Wolftooth chainring. Apparently, Shimano 12sp-chains don't play nice with any old chainring, and the WOlftooth was the only compatible one I could find that would fit on a SRAM crank. Like the SLX much better (mainly the steps, but also shifting action), but had the clutch die on me after 3 months or so. Seems to be a known issue. For me, the difference would not be big enough to change a hub. Driver yes, but hub, no.

And here I was thinking you were reminiscing about that old movie with Hans Rey and Greg Herebold.....

Posted by: Ouch

I only bike up with a half shell, full-face down. Which one fogs ups the least? Ultimately goggles would be the best, but glasses would be less cumbersome to carry?

So you're already carrying your chin guard anyway. Carrying goggles shouldn't really be a problem, then. Goggles do protect your eyes better. Re: fogging up, IDK about climbing with goggles, since I've never tried, but I've had both goggles and glasses fog up in the worst of conditions (you know it's bad when your lenses fog up while riding down). Usually, when it's that damp, it's not as cold, so no problem for you.

Posted by: Hepcat

Thoughts on the Norco Optic?

I did get to demo one for two rides. Liked it a lot. Climbs tech stuff really well, descends tech stuff equally well, feels very "surefooted". What it does lack, though, is the "pop" of a short travel bike. On mellower climbs/rolling terrain, it doesn't accelerate or feel as fast as a Giant Trance, for example. Haven't demo'd the Sight for comparison, but I wonder if it's worth not having all that travel on a bike that essentially feels like a bigger bike anyway.

Glasses with the half-lid, goggles with the full-face, always. Too many close encounters of the unpleasant kind, and riding without glasses can be damn near impossible on muddy days. Glasses do fog up on days with high humidity, worse when it's humid and cold. So I take them off for climbs. Now in spring, I don't even notice they're there, even when riding for hours. I usually own glasses with changeable lenses. Clear lenses most of the time, tinted for alpine riding or snow&sun, yellow/orange for foggy days, and especially foggy snow days. I've no idea whether more expensive glasses would work better re fogging up, since I keep losing/breaking them and therefore usually go for the cheapest option. Clear lenses on the goggles all the time. A small loop of zip-tie an another zip-tie around your bar makes for an effective glass-holder. Plus, you can see them and remember to put them back on.

You're a Clyde? Zee and 200mm rotor, that's not even a question.

Went through two "city bikes" (that's what they were called here back in the days) with the fenders/racks taken off pretty quickly. My first real mtb (saved up for that thing for more than a year) was a '93 Cannondale M800 with a RockShox Quadra. Still have the second warrantied frame (ca. '98) built up, but the Quadra is long gone. After that, a '95 Stumpjumper M2 FS Comp (replaced the Judy with a Mag21 because I never wanted to ride an elastomer fork again). Still own that one, now with the parts from the 2000 Stumpy I bought after whose frame lastet only about year. First full-susser in 2002 (Kona Bear Dee-Lux).