LWK profile

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?...

so a 10 - 20% failure rate.  that is depressing.

Your Yeti comments are interesting.  My LBS sells Trek and Yeti and I ride a Trek. 

Yeti gets slagged for "dentist prices" but if you look at their spec and the comparable Trek (never mind SC as of last week... lol), they're actually less expensive and their spec is very straightforward and no nonsense.  The "turq" models all have Fox Factory suspension.  And an XT bike is complete XT - they dont swap in lower level brakes, chain, cassette or whatever.  Good tires, Fox Transfer dropper, etc. 

You have to buy the 9.9 level Trek (Slash) to get Fox Factory suspension and that appears to be about $1500US more than the T1 model Yeti (165).  The Trek does have other "goodies" so maybe not apples to apples but if top level suspension is important (it is to me) then its worth noting.

both my Bontrager SE5's have slight wobbles in them.  rims are true, they are seated correctly.  Its not enough to notice or impact actual riding

I'm learning my way around my new Garmin 530.  The stupid thing beeps and alerts every time the wheels leave the ground for a split second - even very small bunnyhops.  I'm finding that amusing and annoying!

@Niels, how do you find using paper maps in ziplock bags better than a phone?  especially if you're in a new (to you) area with lots of trail junctions and need to be constantly checking?  honestly curious as I've wondered if there is a good way to get away from Trailforks phone app.  Maybe inputting some waypoints into my Garmin combined with a paper map for reference might work.

What was the source of your frustration with Trailforks?  I've been to some fairly remote locations and never had a problem locating myself on the marked trails - or are you using it for navigation on roads/paths that are not actually marked as trails in Trailforks?

I'd just like to say that I really do appreciate my daily dose of NSMB.com.  Cycling media in general has become notably more plain vanilla and/or paywalled over the past year or two so its nice to have an entertaining and informative place to go.

Pete, I think we're saying pretty much the same thing.  Agree, cost does not equal value. By memory, there was a very hefty shipping fee (I'm in Canada) on top of everything.   But that price for a MTB/camping shirt was a bit over the top for me - I'd be scared to ride in the thing! lol :*)

thx for the Pendleton tip and link!  I was going to get the Kitsbow version as a xmas present for myself.  I'm (reasonably) happy to pay for a nice clothing piece and wear it endlessly for 20 years but it was upwards of $400 CAN.  that was a bit beyond "reasonable" for me...

How much would this all cost?  I think things like headsets, basic brakes arent too much money but when you start talking about forks/shocks/droppers are you not very quickly up into a price range where it might make more sense to just get a modern, albeit basic, hardtail (like the Trek Roscoe, Marin San Quintin entry models)?

Also, how much does this bike weigh?  I dont care much about weight for my personal bikes but I think for kids, who are learning and not as strong, its a more important consideration.

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!