LWK profile

The warranty includes repairing the frame (I assume there are some limitations/conditions to this).  But from the perspective of longevity and reducing waste, I think this is excellent.   And the bike looks excellent!

I'm to the point where my cardio fitness kind of is whatever it is.  I dont have endless hours to spend "training" and I derive more enjoyment from learning new skills - manuals, jumping, etc.  My biggest gain would be to lose a few pounds but that seems easier said than done....

That said, I honestly think as we age that strength and mobility work is more important than endless cardio.  I feel really good when I keep up on those things.  And it might take a month or two when I let it slide but invariably start to feel and move poorly.

Ride a bit less and do other things.  For me, that makes for better riding.

Agree, great article, was a fun read!  

somewhat of a side note, but I have to wonder if the current crop of super capable but also heavy bikes will have staying power.  Or if we'll all rush over to bikes that are a bit lighter, simpler and more versatile for the next versions.  I cant imagine a new Range being much fun outside of places with a big helping of serious double black DH trails.

as for the Prophet... I know that bike received lots of love in the media and internet back in the day but my 2005 Prophet 2000 was absolutely terrible!  The Lefty was horrid (even when it was working) and I had no end of problems with the drivetrain.  I must have spent a thousand bucks on new drivetrain parts and an endless supply of new cables and housings, to no avail.  It was the happiest day of my life when my 2010 Knolly Endorphin frame was delivered.  In the end, my conclusion was that it wasnt as advertised - it was just a long travel (for the time) XC bike, and a very flimsy/flexy one at that.  Its interesting how experiences can be so different!

Appreciated the insight into Ibis' shock tune.  An HD5 was on my radar 1.5 years ago as Ibis is one of my LBS' brands but I wasnt sure that set up made a lot of sense and so got something different.  Sounds like that was the right choice for me.

that was impressive and insightful, thank you!

thx for a detailed and nuanced response!  your points make sense to me

mullet... so its a bit more planted/faster but a bit less nimble and poppy compared to a full 27.5 bike?

Uncle Dave's last sentence in the first section is all that need be said.  

Or ride your current bike for another season.  COVID started a 14 months ago and the impact on the bike industry was abundantly obvious well before Nov 2020.

I have Saints on all my bikes (DJ included, lol...) and I've found Shimano pads and rotors to leave a bit to be desired.  Either the pad or rotor (or both, I dont know) will glaze over and braking power reduced to terrible. This is random but its happened often enough that I've run out of patience with it. Not sure about availability right now but I run swiss stop rotors and pads and that combo works really well.  the pads do take a bit to bed in but they last a long time and work well.

big yes to better bike maintenance and I've committed to improving my game here.  And the free, and truly liberating, option is to focus on bike riding rather than bike buying.

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!