Bagheera profile

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.

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've got a 2014 (well, it started out as a 2014 model...) Pike DPA that's 130-160mm travel. I've been riding that fork for 6 years now, no issues. It's not as stiff as my Lyrik and Yari (both 170mm), but then, it's not supposed to be.

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.