LWK profile

not totally sure I'd agree with this. I havent tried one and dont think its super applicable for my riding.  Certainly not a "must have". 

But I also think its kind of ingenious and could certainly see its use and appeal.

Why would NSMB review the same bike twice within a few months - this and Dave Tolnai's piece back in the spring?

yea, thats my question too.  This is just such a weird thing to do.

I'd be inclined to think that parents are a pretty big target market for the entire SQ line of bikes (not just the 24" model). It pretty much has to have a suspension fork, no matter how basic, as no 14y old is going to ride a rigid, balloon tired bike (as described above). That is for their middle aged weirdo uncle... :^)  Also, maybe the entry fork and lesser brakes might be ok for a smaller, lighter teen rider? Even if they do beat the s*** out of the bike?

My observations based on being directly involved in a youth riding program. The general move "up market" for kids and and teens bikes is very noticeable since COVID. Kids that used to be on really cheap or old second hand bikes are now on Marin SQ or Rift Zone style bikes. And the number of young teens (13-15y) riding $5-6K (and up) bikes is astounding.

I'm only a few years younger than Cam and have put a fair bit of time and energy into trying to learn MTB skills (manual, wheelie, bunnyhop, jumps, drops, basic trials moves, etc) over the past several years. my observations:

1. if you understand a given movement and are willing to practice (alot) you will improve. Maybe (likely?!...) not to Danny McAskill levels but certainly improve

2. I firmly believe that anything you can do to improve your balance on the bike will result in better riding overall

3. the manual is a J or L shape of pushing the pedals down and forward to loft the front of the bike. Your hips do need to be lower - a progression practice is to get your butt low enough to buzz with the back tire. You dont need to be that low to actually manual, but thats the general idea.

4. yea, its harder on bigger, longer bikes.

5. Ryan Leech (https://learn.ryanleech.com) is your friend. For a visual learner, I'm not aware of a better learning resource. Seriously, subscribe even if just for a short time to go thru a class (manual, wheelie, etc) that you might be interested in. More trials focused but I've also found https://trashzen.com to be a useful and free web resource

$13K without top level suspension (Fox Factory or whatever your favorite flavor might be) is a very hard pass for me. 

SC is hardly the only brand doing this now.  I have to assume carbon rims, electronic shifting and other similar things are both less expensive to spec and easier to sell at a higher price???...

I have a Remedy and a Stache.  This is absolutely my experience as well.  Its not that I cant pump a roller on the Stache with the big wheels but I sure seem to need a larger, more "distinct" roller and I dont get much out of the effort.  In contrast, I can pump and gain notable speed off even the smallest trail dip or bump on the Remedy - its good fun!

This was a great review.  I think alot of what we get with Rockshox and Fox is familiarity and marketing, not necessarily better suspension.  And the creaking CSU business is unacceptable IMO.  My 2020 Factory 36 is literally the first 36 I've ever had that actually feels pretty good.  2018 Lyric was ok but didnt overly impress me.  My 2019 Factory 40 is meh.  I believe its set up correctly (used shock wiz and settings are pretty close to recommended) but its somewhat harsh.  My Mattoc Pro (120mm) seemed to be really good.  I have a 160 Mezzer that will be going on a new bike next week and looking forward to that. 

Suspension technology is (or should be...) well known at this point and its not the proprietary domain of two brands.  I feel I've been overly influenced by branding in the past and going forward would actively consider (prefer) riding something other than Fox or RS.

Glad you've had good experience but I'll offer additional anecdotal evidence in the other direction. 

I was late to the dropper game due to the never ending reliability horror stories with the early ones.  I bought a 9point8 as the original reviews were great, including reliability.  My first one basically met those expectations.  I then bought a second one for my other bike.  Nothing but trouble.  Would not hold air, no warranty response, etc.  Agree the seat clamping mech is genius but that was only because I had to take the seat off every 2nd ride to add air to the stupid thing!  One of their marketing claims was they work well in the winter - mine didnt...  According to my LBS, my experience mirrored their larger sample size.  If you got one that worked it was great.  But it was 50-50 odds if that happened and manufacturer/warranty support was poor.  They were close to $500 each and not sure I've ever been so disappointed in a MTB equipment purchase. 

This was several years ago and maybe (hopefully) the newer ones are better.

Does anyone have any recent experience with Avalanche?  They seemed to be a thing back around ~2010 and I had an old Fox RP23 shock tuned by them, which was an improvement.  but they seem to have a pretty low profile these days.  A website that appears >10y old maybe doesnt help?...

I also have a Garmin Inreach.  Most of my cycling is solo and I often ride and camp in places without cell coverage.  So I carry it if riding remote/tech terrain and, if out of cell range, also use it to ping my spouse at the end of the day so she knows that am done and safe and doesnt have to worry.  As mentioned above, the messages are not instantaneous like cell texts - its common to take 10-15 min to "go thru".  I've never actually "needed" it, but I think its a worthwhile device.

I had a 26" Stylus.  I think ~2012 model year - was a year or two before they went to 27.5 wheels. 

Be aware that the seat tube angle is stupid slack - like 70*.  Which, for me, made any sort of uphill seated pedaling almost impossible.  I guess the on the plus side I did finally develop some proper standing climbing strength...

Its a bombproof frame.  Which is good.  But being built like a tank means the whole "steel has a lively, forgiving ride feel" is a fallacy with this frame.

I just got a Garmin 530.  A Garmin 130 would have been fine for my computer needs but for the battery life.  530 is 20hr, 130 is 12hr and the Wahoo's seemed pretty short battery life too.  Just a point to be aware of if it matters

FWIW, I went to book a campsite in Whistler over May long weekend and was refused as I am not from the local area.  So, compared to my experience last summer, this does seem to have a bit more bite to it.  Not necessarily agreeing with it...  and yea, cycling outside, even in small-ish groups, seems to be about as low risk for COVID transmission as it gets.

I think its pretty clear that 5:10 soles are not particularly durable, esp for heavier riders, lots of bike park riding, etc.  

I mentioned above that I was going to try a pair of Shimano flat pedal shoes (GR9 model, but all their models have the same sole).  I have a couple of rides in now and initial impression is that they are very grippy.  Maybe not as soft and "sticky" as a 5:10 but the combo of the small interlocking tread pattern and rubber does seem to grip very well.  For reference, I have HT and Shimano Saint pedals on my various bikes and have been on flat pedals/shoes since forever.

Time will tell regarding durability but initial impressions on grip and performance are very positive.  So I'm thinking/hoping there is finally an option to 5:10 shoes

I suppose it depends on how much you weigh and how hard you ride, but I would tend to agree.  My experience the past several years is that I get about 3/4 of a season out of a pair of 5:10s.  I  find that I seem to be heavy enough and ride enough that the sole gets chewed through with basically nothing left.  I ride them till that happens and the outer sole starts to tear apart from the mid sole and then I have to discard them.  I am tired enough of the short life and expense that I am trying a pair of the new Shimano GR9 instead.

I cant imagine MTB on an ebike, I'll freely admit I am a snob that way.  Its a pathetic motorbike and a ponderous MTB; neither of which appeal to  me.   I also commute by bike and am fortunate to have a short and pleasant ride; but if I didnt I would have been an early ebike adopter years ago.  I snickered at the plus wheeled MTB ebike I started seeing in my work parkade this past winter, but then saw the owner one day.  she was middle aged and overweight and I though good for her for getting out and riding instead of just driving.  

As stated in previous posts, all the arguments against ebikes are pretty much replicas of the hiker vs. biker or skier vs. snowboarder rants.  I am seeing many more ebikes on the paths and trails this summer, yet absolutely none of them are shredding anything.   The riders are doing well just to stay upright while gently cruising along.  I watched a group of 10 local top riders ride hard down a trail and thought to myself that they likely put more wear and tear on that trail  in 5 minutes than a 100 ebikers ever would.  Why are the top riders "cool" but the ebikers should be "banned"?  I think the concerns about motor mods, improving technology, etc are very valid but I also am at a loss as to how to manage or regulate that in the real world. Why would I begrudge my excellent LBS a new source of revenue, both sales and service?

All this to say that I really think its all shades of grey; the sport will evolve however it will evolve, for better and/or worse.

no experience with the Reverb but I have two 9.8's on separate bikes.  The first one has a solid season of use and zero problems.  Love it.  The second one had a a problem holding air right from purchase (exactly as T-mack describes above).  LBS had an excruciating time getting response/service from 9.8.  By the time I got it back the season was basically over so it has sat in a box since; will put it on one of my bikes as soon as the local trails dry out.  Hopefully it will be fine now but yea, a bit disappointed overall.

any experience or comments on the Bontranger Lithos or Evoke storm shells? I dont need to worry about coastal type monsoon rains but would be for cool/cold fall riding when raining moderately.

Thanks. Maiden voyage was the first PORCA toonie on Saturday. This is now my do-it-all one and only bike after selling my Trance SX to build my dream hardtail, pretty stoked on it!

The Chromag boys sure make some nice products. Love the attention to detail, sweet colour and clean welds.

I have a 2014 Stylus that I love and use for everything from dirt jumping to commuting. However, I have found the relatively short TT and esp the 70 degree seat tube angle to make pedal oriented rides a bit tough. I am 5'11" and ride a size Large.

The new 2016 version has an ~ 1" longer ETT and a 73 degree seat tube angle so I think that would make for a better all around ride? any comments or thoughts? thx!