awesterner profile

I've been rocking a Assguy EXO MT on the front all year.  Maybe I'm in a minority here ,but I'm quite happy with the traction.  For me it's more predictable then the DHF that I use to always run.  PNW, TransBC, wet, dry, Interior, Rockies, Coast. Pretty dam decent all around.  Sure I'd prefer a Max Grip version that wasn't DD, but overall, great in my books!

I’ve seen a broken one already in Bellingham, under a rider that is maybe a buck fifty :)

Cam, have you noticed any quirks from the OneUp dropper?  I've had one for a few months and not too many rides.  from the get go it struggles with the last 1/2" or travel on the way up.  Seat collar is as loose as it will go without slipping down.  It seems like a tight upper nylon bushing.  I can remove the upper bushing (after unscrewing the cap) and the post slams up no problem.  With the bushing in and the collar crewed tight, it struggles. I've improved things by sanding the out diameter of the bushing to free up the clearance a bit, but it still is a bit inconsistent. I'm sure a little more grease and maybe try a new bushing from them might help, but I'm curious if it's common. How's yours?

I'm pretty sure you still need to bleed brakes on a Prius, there still are lines.  Do you mean regeneration?

But you won't get that answer out of a Product manager :-)

Is your idea of long based on wheelbase or roominess?

And spending $15K, one better be happy with 45lbs and probably obsolete (next year) geometry. Sign me up when geometry progression dies down and they drop 10lbs. I'm one of those guys that always rides from lower lonsdale to Fromme (if I choose Fromme). I'd be all over taking 30 minutes off my ride when I'm strapped for time, but I will absolutely NOT accept a compromised downhill experience because the bike weighs 45 lbs. I want it to handle the way by current bike handles, and I guess until then I slog it out :-)

The last few years I've been running the Fox forks with more tokens and open as recommended by some reputable tuners.  However this year, suspensionwerx recommended just the one token that came with my Sentinel, and keeping it around the recommended dial settings (RC2).  Has been fantastic, had me wondering why I didn't tune it this way in the past.

My 2018 Performance Elite RC2 was creak free on my Sentinel until about month 6.  Still one of the better, most consistent feeling forks I've owned.  But yeah, creaks are very, VERY common this year, again....

Maybe it's the really slack bikes these days putting a lot of stress on the CSU.  That being said, Jerry is right, they should have invested some of their money into 1 piece CSUs or SOMETHING that makes them creak free!

Great article Andrew!  It's good you mentioned the warm light.  I don't ride that often at night but when I do I have the somewhat cheapy Gemini lights which are crazy bright but very white and hard (?) that reflect off the trees almost too much making it hard to get much depth perception.  Nevertheless it's enough light to be safe :-)

IF you go from the tennis courts, it's actually faster on the climbing trail, compared to climbing up to BP and going to the road.  I've compared, others as well.  At similar efforts it' about 5 min faster.  That was last year before some sections were altered.  It's not much, and might differ depending how much you actually like climbing!

And who's the f8ck twit that sharpie #paved on one of the climbing route signs?  Way too much entitled middle age men passive aggressive bravado BS around here these days ;)

It's awesome seeing the love for Gnarnaimo these days.  Somewhat of a hidden gem, having a few very long DH trail combos on Benson.  Chainsaw Ridge is janky in spots no matter how many times you ride it, but it's worth the push.  Upper Meat Draw has its moments, but once you know the lines it's a really good challenge, and Lower Meat Draw is f*ing amazing. Benson climbing is low angle EXCEPT the push to the summit and EXCEPT if you want to return up to the main FSR from the bottom of Rollercoaster (basically you will want to shoot yourself).  The Full Duff (Uter/SF/Max Power/Hutz) is rougher than it use to be but they put a lot of work in it and its a fantastic pounding. The fast Enduro dudes are doing the Full Duff in over 10 minutes and over 30KPH, so that gives you the idea. I love Dumont for the nostalgia (most of the trails *at least 25 *years old).  A little bit of everything if you know how to link up the trails.  If at Dumont Hayden is fun, and climb up Ho Chi Mihn to ASOP (that is a must if in the area).  Shout out to stickboy here on NSMB for building a lot of these gems :-)

I have had Boostinator (Wolftooth I think) for a couple years on my I9 on carbon hoops. No perceptive lack of stiffness (stiff AF wheels actually). Only issue is the rear cap has no sealing (just a close fit) like the OEM caps, so I killed a lot of non drive side bearings. I've moved on to DT 350s on another set, but honestly if you don't want to fork over crazy cake for new hubs...go for it. It isn't ghetto

Posted by: Ddean

Up the climbing route or Mtn Hwy to 7th shouldn't be that different (in time).

No Quarter is 6km and 600m versus Mtn Hwy (from the lot) at 6.5km and 450m.

I guess on a relative basis NQ is harder 90% of the time and for 33% more elevation than Mtn Hwy, but absolute isn't horribly different in my eyes from a time perspective. One hurts way more than the other, but I don't think that Im getting up Mtn Hwy notably faster than up NQ - but I guess Im spinning my way up the Hwy with half a smile on my face while Im about to die by the time I hit Mtn Hwy via NQ.

Yeah, I cant imagine 1:10 for that ride. That's FLYING up NQ...Id be curious for someone to figure out the average speed required to do that ride in 70min. Assume decent 50% faster than ascent and I bet that's cooking up NQ in what, 10min? 5km in 10minutes is averaging 30kph up the climbing trail. Time to plot it out.

Perhaps Spandies can help us out with data? Far did you travel and how many kms were climbing versus how many were descending?

Yeah it’s a different kind of strain :). In the fall I compared the two routes. Both from the tennis courts, but one up No Quarter, and the other up to the BP, down to Mountain Highway, then up to the NQ exit. At a decent tempo, the NQ route was 40min, and the BP/MH route was actually 45 min to the same point. 34lb Alu Sentinel at the time FWIW :-D

Tim——

It’s very active when the shock is Open but it still has a lot of support so that it doesn’t wallow. Most climbing I use the platform on the shock. Pretty much like every bike I’ve ever owned—maybe it’s just preference:). It rarely bottoms out -hard- when properly set up. Feels pretty sprightly to me. I’m a fast rider, but am easy to please when it come to design and setup. I don’t need to fork out crazy cake for a yeti SB for a perceived better performing suspension (a subjective view of some). ;)

It really could use a taller head tube. These slack ass bikes have a pretty low front end and big reach numbers on paper really need more stack for taller riders

The 160/140 of the Sentinel is a pretty good sweet spot. I find mine quite nimble. At least for me I don't think the 140mm rear end gets in over its head unless you are smashing medium hits at Mach Chicken, or if you are on the brake bumps in the Park. Other than that it's pretty solid pick for a in between bike. :-)

**disclaimer this style of bike is a rear wheel destroyer. I'm on rear wheel #4.  It takes you into the gnar at all the speed of a bigger bike,,,it's just kinda runs out of travel hahaha

Go on Instagram anyday of the year pretty much and see *CBC* being ridden as it was 20 years ago. Loamers are not just for locals these days.

My Fox 36 went to the new Fox Service centre for a warranty CSU. S-Werx sent it to them.  OGC has stopped stocking Fox stuff completely now I suppose.

I have the Gemini Duo and the single for the handlebar.  Tons of light.  For me I think the light is maybe too white/hard, but I have little experience with riding lights in recent years to know if something more expensive has a beam patter that gives more depth.  But for me, they offer a crazy amount of brightness, and very long battery life.

The Q&A in BIKE Mag asked about the shock choice.  Scott's Marketing guy said the reason people look fir piggyback shocks is because they are looking for more air volume. Haha WHAT?!!