Bagheera profile

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.

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.

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).

Posted by: craw

Posted by: Bagheera

XL bikes with modern geo are hard to come by used. Also, tall guys tend to be hard on bikes (more weight, more leverage). Moreover, around here, most people ask too much for used bikes. That being said, I usually keep my bikes for 5-6 years, so buying new is not so outlandish, and I haven't paid MRSP in years (except for my Bold), even for bikes from the current model year. Buy last year's model, and it's even cheaper.
Going from a '13 Slayer to a '19 Bold Unplugged made a huge difference, but then, any modern enduro bike would have, geo has evolved so much. Did actually look at the Reign, but I love those modern steep STAs. Now looking to replace my '14 Trance. While the '19 Trance 29er and '20 Optic are notably better, the difference is nowhere near as huge as between the Slayer and the Bold. Have been thinking about just having the fork rebuilt (replaced the shock 2 months ago) and replacing some bits and pieces. New wheels, maybe. The STA (and HTA) on that Optic, though...

Ohai

https://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/2721816/

Thanks, but with "local pickup only", the flight alone would pay for the difference to a new G1. ;) Plus, I'm looking to replace the Trance, not the Bold, which, while I'm sure it's no Geometron, works quite well for me.

XL bikes with modern geo are hard to come by used. Also, tall guys tend to be hard on bikes (more weight, more leverage). Moreover, around here, most people ask too much for used bikes. That being said, I usually keep my bikes for 5-6 years, so buying new is not so outlandish, and I haven't paid MRSP in years (except for my Bold), even for bikes from the current model year. Buy last year's model, and it's even cheaper.
Going from a '13 Slayer to a '19 Bold Unplugged made a huge difference, but then, any modern enduro bike would have, geo has evolved so much. Did actually look at the Reign, but I love those modern steep STAs. Now looking to replace my '14 Trance. While the '19 Trance 29er and '20 Optic are notably better, the difference is nowhere near as huge as between the Slayer and the Bold. Have been thinking about just having the fork rebuilt (replaced the shock 2 months ago) and replacing some bits and pieces. New wheels, maybe. The STA (and HTA) on that Optic, though...

Seems to be quite different here across the pond. I'm usually happy with the work they do and when I pick up my bike, they tell me to take a ride around the block to make sure everything is as it's supposed to be. AFAIK, the pimply kid is never allowed to work on my bike. When I come in, it's usually "Go right through, Dave (shop owner) is in the back." Also, on various occasions, they did overtime and/or snuck me in when they were really swamped to get things ready for a race/vacation/just to keep me rolling. Moreover, replacement parts (when they had to work on wheels or a fork, for example) or even demo bikes as replacements (free of charge) so I wouldn't have to go without a bike on a sunny weekend. No complaints. I usually bring cakes or ice cream instead of brews.

Posted by: human_touch

Hey, I'm looking for a new bike, shortlisted GeoMetron G1 and Raaw Madonna V2. Ridden G1 on 2 occasions, second time with full setup for my weight and style. Liked the bike, felt very confidence boosting on steep tech stuff. Unfortunately didn't have chance to test its behaviour on slower trails with closed turns and tight switchbacks - I'm bit worried how the slack HA would impact the behaviour there.

As someone riding a long bike with a 63.3 HTA: Switchbacks are easy as long as they're not on flat ground. Everybody tells me it must be impossible to get that bike through switchbacks, but guess what? It's actually easier. Don't know why, probably because steep inside lines don't seem as steep anymore, so I attack them with more confidence.