hbelly13 profile

Mike, did this "bro backlash" have anything to do with the lack of ability to comment on articles with Beta which is curiously absent?

Welcome Mike! In terms of actual skill I have little biz looking at NSMB, but have remained a faithful reader from the get go long being a fan of gnar that was beyond my pay grade and those who spoke of it with eloquence. Your voice was one of the primary reason I read Bike from the beginning and then Beta. Palmer is great and all, but griminess is earned.

The ultimate hack for a Reverb bleed is installing a Wolf Tooth Sustain kit. My pal did this to one of his Reverbs nearly four years ago and has never had an issue with it outside replacing the cable since.

A few things I've found with the Wickflows. First, DO NOT WASH/DRY them. This instantly ruins the silicone channel. I simply wring them out at the end of a ride and then spray them with a combo of water/essential oil to let them air dry. No funk, no problems. Second, wear them low on your forehead so they literally are no more than a few mm or less from your eyebrows. Third, your helmet needs to fit snug up against it as it does not work as well if your lid is loose. The less internal padding the better. My Oakley DRT5 is especially good for this as it has hardly any pads. Fourth, you'll still need to lean your head back, push on the front of your helmet to allow larger amounts of sweat to drain.  Lastly, no I do not work for nor am I sponsored by Wickflow. However, when I come across something exceptional I share. I bought a friend one and he was blown away with it. I am all in on being a sweat hog headband tester. The saying "Hotter than Georgia asphalt" has been around for a long time for a reason.

I've tried both the Veos and the Gutrs along with the silicon strip gutter included with my Oakley DRT5 helmet. Those were all okay at best, but I'm a sweaty creep riding in the deep south. Every one of them would get overwhelmed with sweat pooling only to dump into my eyes just as I am dropping into something where seeing ahead of me would be helpful to put it lightly. The absolute best I've found are Wickflow headbands. They cost less than any of the others and blow all of them away in terms of performance. They are dumb simple which is the genius of them combing a super thin moisture wicking headband with a small silicone bead that channels your sweat out to your temples continuously. All I can say is they are the only sweat control headband that allows me to keep glasses on throughout my rides in the blast furnace Georgia heat.

Sorry to bug you, but I am going to try a 27.5 wheel on mine and was curious whether you have yours in the X-Low or Low setting?

If Banshee could figure out that everyone wants a bottle mount inside the front triangle and Revel licensed the CBF to make carbon bikes with bottle mounts it's high time Canfield join the party.

Built mine back in October and it has remained bulletproof. It is crazy how poppy it is despite it's ability to crush descents. It is an amazing climber as well. The Wrecker does everything well. Believe the hype.

I think I actually have the real Foxzocchi as the person I bought my Factory 36 pulled the damper out and replaced it with the Sweep damper from his Z1. So his is like what is described here and mine is the real deal. Hahahaha! Silliness aside, it is a great riding fork that suits my set and forget approach well.

C'mon! Looks are everything! I jest, but there are very obvious fashion-driven design cues throughout cycling. Breaking through on a wide scale is very difficult. Not to mention the numerous biases that have developed not necessarily from fact. A great example of this are chrome, pale (like the old Rock Shox/Fox options) or any other color stanchions outside black or Fox's Kashima gold. There was nothing inherently wrong with other colors, but we all look down on anything beyond the aforementioned options. I for the life of me cannot discern a performance difference b/t black and Kashima stanchions, but many clamor for the gold.

There are numerous stories/interviews out regarding Evil's past and how those days are behind them. My friend is a local dealer and they've been great to work with the past three years. We've seen exactly two bikes require warranty service (both of which were due to improper rider set up; improper torque, etc.). Evil took care of these promptly. 

As far as the bikes go, nothing rides like them. Go read the reviews. I've ridden all of them and my daily driver is the Wreckoning. The Insurgent is a fantastic bike and if you already have the parts and wheelset that will go on it (142 rear axle/27.5 wheels) then picking up the current frame at it's reduced price is a no brainer. Otherwise, pick one of the newer models that turns you one. If you want further specifics ask away.

• Banshee Rune V2 -An absolute all around rager. Could be lighter, but who gives AF when it rips like it does both up and down.
• Santa Cruz Butcher -Super fun bike that was dumb simple and just a blast. Too bad SC didn't bring this one into the new school geometry/27.5 wheel world.
• Evil Insurgent -The ONLY bike I've pedalled around (and I've demoed everything) that gives the aforementioned Banshee a run for it's money. Could be my next whip.
• Kona Honzo -The first 29'er I rode that didn't suck. The only other 29'ers since then that I've liked were the Ibis Ripley LS and Evil Wreckoning.
• Surly Instigator 1.0 -I had mine for 13 years(!!!). I rode it built up every way to Sunday and was bummed when it finally cracked last year. Ridiculously killer steel beast.

:devil:

I am sure there are other decent options, but the Ironcase is the most bombproof case I have ever seen or used. It has been around longer than anything else for a good reason. I have had mine for over 16 years and have never had ANY issues with a bike that I traveled with it. I would look for a used one as they are not cheap.

…Triple 8 wrist gaurds. I have used these for more than fifteen years. I go through about three sets a year +/-. I put my gloves on and then these over top of them. As my hands are my job, I wear them all the time off road. Sure, I know how to fall, but these have saved me countless times. They are inexpensive, easy to get used to, make you look like a Terminator, provide tons of support/protection and will always be cheaper than surgery. Believe me, I tried every guard/brace out there including custom orthotic numbers. These are WAY more durable, protective and economic. I do not ride without them. I have taken plenty of nasty falls, but zero wrist injuries. :devil:

I do not own a Darkside, but I have been aboard a Rune V2 for more than a year and half. The Darkside on paper appears to be a Rune on steroids. I would surmise that like the Rune the Darkside is going to be amazing pedaling bike, making it very fun and playful on messy trails or in a park. I agree with Porkchop in so much that if you are looking for a more DH mow-over-everything kind of rig that it's not likely going to suit you. "Freeduro" or "Superenduro" …that sounds about right. :evil:

Oh, hey alright, let's do this again! Note that I did not say "one more time" as that utterance always precedes a crash. Here you go…

1. What eyewear do you currently use when you ride (goggles, glasses) and for what kind of riding? I current employ a couple of pairs of Oakley glasses for both my mountain and cyclocross riding (mis)adventures. They both have pink lens with black frames. This provides me with nice contrast in the deep forests of my southern surroundings and a reminder of my New Wave/Punk roots.

2. Have you had any experience with Ryders eyewear? I have a ten plus year old pair of Ryders lurking in the bottom of my gear bag. They were inexpensive and worked fine when I bought them in a pinch upon forgetting my usual go to's. They make a nice spare for my occasional forgetful cohorts.

3. Are fogged up glasses a problem for you when riding? Is this a joke? I generally refer to myself as a schwettefatf*ck as I sweat like the proverbial pig. They don't call it "Hotlanta" for nothing. Most of the time, my glasses stay perched on my helmet save on exceptionally (rare) sunny rides or if it's a particularly nasty descent. Otherwise, it is very tricky to see through them. I could rant on about how one of the main reasons I like my Bell Super is how well it holds my glasses beneath the visor, but I will save that for another contest.

4. Where do you live and ride? I live in Alpharetta, Georgia a small city just north of Atlanta. I have a number of local trails I frequent including one I can pedal too. In addition, about once a month I hit trails up in N GA/W NC/E TN including my favorites up in Pisgah.

5. Most importantly: Provide an example of a 'gear shots' style review: **I considered providing a link to some of the dental articles I've penned, but I figured you can find more engaging sources for your boredom. Nevertheless, here is a schpeil I wrote about the Nomad 3 and an older piece NPR published of mine.

Party. Now to check my messages**…

Is bold the new all caps?

Good info. I've got to say, I'm kind of curious about these things. Do they help with clearance over obstacles too (when your pedals are at approx 3 and 9?

**I just happen to like the way bold looks.:|

Clearance? Maybe, but I am old school and still run a bash guard.** :devil:

**I run a Black by Absolute Black 32t driving my 10 speed cassette with a OneUp 42t hack. It works great as my legs are much less tired/sore after big climbs and it is easier to remain on the gas throughout any ride. I had a 30t round ring prior and I more comfortable climbing with the Black and it's higher tooth count.

I began mountain biking 28 years ago when the original Biopace came out. The modern ovals are completely different. I do not notice any pulsing effect or really anything weird while pedaling it. In fact everyone who has hopped on my bike had to look at it to notice that it was oval as you feel nothing out of the ordinary. Several of my friends picked them up too and love them. I ride clipped in, but my friend who rides flats said that it helps him stay glued to the pedals even more than ever on climbs. **:devil:

Is this happening? Are there any updates? Thanks.

I am pretty sure that the editors and/or DT Swiss found the responses so remedial and sub-Pulitzer, they decided this was not such a great idea. Perhaps this exercise was not unlike being a shopper at the Sunglasses Hut and thinking you are qualified to perform opthalmic surgery. Fun, however the results will be less than optimal. :devil:

OMG!!! Thank you all for this great honor!!! :devil: