D_C_ profile

It does in 27.5 but not in 29.

Maxx Grip in EXO+ would be awesome. The 1300 g DD I’ve been lugging around on my trail bike is exhausting, but I’m spoiled with the grip and don’t think I can go back to anything else.

Thanks for the great review and interesting perspective on the drawbacks of the harder rubber.

I have drilled a hole in the bb shell on steel and alloy hardtail frames that didn’t come with them. It solved my problem of having bottom brackets seize.

I’ve also had issues with water sitting in the head tube and seizing the lower headset bearing. The solution to this might be to tip the bike back so it drains into the downtube (assuming the headtube has an opening into the downtube).

I think your take-home message is that it’s important to be aware of water getting into the frame and to make sure that water is evacuated in some way.

What if your bike has a drain hole in the bb shell? Is pulling the seatpost still necessary?

Not sure I agree. I think most people get on fine with EXOs, especially if your riding area has fewer jagged rocks (including quite a few of my friends who ride hard on the Shore). Heavy tires are necessary for some usage or terrain, but really neuter the versatility of a bike and are probably overkill for lots of people.

I’m a fan of CushCore in back on the enduro bike. I took it out for a trip to the Kootenays, where the dirt is softer and loamier than what we typically ride on the Shore, and didn’t really miss it. 

But first lap back from the trip, I rode Executioner with 26 psi in back and thought I was going to rattle my teeth out. Being able to run 22 psi in the rear tire without folding tires over or destroying rims is a game changer on hard, bumpy terrain. It’s the small-bump sensitivity everyone thinks they are looking for from their suspension.

CushCore in front on the enduro bike felt like diminishing returns.

Thanks for sharing this perspective, and for your work on Pipeline.

“The DNV is NOT at fault”

Can you elaborate?

Other than rim protection, it would be interesting to know what, if anything, the CushCore XC inserts give up in ride quality compared to the heavier ones. Maybe some side-by-side testing would be good.

In my view, these bikes are pretty long. Hardtails have their reach increase as the fork sags, whereas a full-suspension’s  reach stays the same or shrinks through sagging of both ends. A medium hardtail with 450 reach is a long bike.

Agreed on the head angle though, but you can always bump up the fork to 150 for an extra degree.

That said, reviews from people who paid money for something are often relief of cognitive dissonance, attempts at validating their purchase and convincing themselves they made the right choice over another option. There's really no winning when it comes to avoiding bias.

Looks like it’s getting fixed:

https://www.instagram.com/p/B3feT3oHvJL/?igshid=1d4j2iusjl2wj

I was doing a bit of digging on the Michelin Wild Enduros. I've seen a couple reports of side knobs tearing at the base. Have any of you experienced that?

Yeah, I’ve been through this. I ordered an out of package 36 From CRC and thought they sent me a different travel fork from what I ordered.

The 36 doesn’t bottom out all the way to the crown. There’s about 1 cm more stanchion exposed than fork travel.

Posted by: taprider

12 people climbing it at one time just shows we need more non-secret black diamond climbing trails

Or a way to climb from Mushroom to the road. The current choices are to climb Corkscrew or push up Incline, neither of which are ideal.

Posted by: Ouch

Posted by: D_C_

Nice, I see the DHF 29 Exo Maxx Grip on bike-discount.de. A bit strange they wouldn’t be listed on Maxxis’ product page.

When I look at Maxxis website, they have the DHF 29 Exo MaxxGrip listed.

I only see the DH casing in 29 with Maxx Grip on their site.

Nice, I see the DHF 29 Exo Maxx Grip on bike-discount.de. A bit strange they wouldn’t be listed on Maxxis’ product page.

As discussed in the Maxxis Assegai review recently posted on the front page, there is quite a difference between Maxxis' Maxx Terra and Maxx Grip rubber compounds, but Maxxis only offers Maxx Grip in their heavy Double Down and DH casings, with the faster-rolling Maxx Terra on their lighter EXO and EXO+ casings. Maxx Grip is preferable in the wet, to the extent that many will lug around 1300 g tires on their trail bikes just for the sticky rubber. But there must be a better way.

Which brands make tires in the 1000 - 1100 g range in 29 with rubber compounds similar to Maxx Grip?

I’ve gotten buyers to meet me just north of the border (e.g. in the parking lot of the Campbell River Store). They’re importing it to the US so let them deal with it.

The climb route has gone from a once-in-a-while feat of extreme endurance and skill to something I'm likely to ride on any given ride. I'm a fan of the current direction.

I don’t know the answer, but it’s probably worth asking the nsmba as a starting point. They for sure know what’s going on. They’ll either tell you it’s in the works, or that it requires a politely-worded email from you to the land manager to help make it happen (like the teeter totter situation).