jt profile

Exactly. It sure seems SRAM is on a roll these days with bringing out new derailleurs that don't work within their existing product lines, and I'm sure there's design evolution leading to the direct mount unit from the patent across all platforms, but overall the UDH concept is oh so good. Kudos to them for getting the industry on board.

Patents show SRAM is duping us on the UDH to release a derailleur dedicated to the geo required for UDH,

https://bikerumor.com/2019/09/16/srams-universal-hanger-concept-could-make-coaxial-mounted-hangerless-derailleurs-a-thing/

Strangely, I am ok with this as it still allows for (mostly) one hanger standard.

Depending on the front hub and travel of your trail bike, you can use a Manitou Circus Expert. It's available in 130mm and 1.125. I feel you on the rim front though. It's getting harder to not go Light Bicycle since they make wide 26" rims.

Fatties experienced the fastest growth spurt the industry ever saw.

I'm not one to totally embrace new goods simply for them being new goods. At one point I thought tapered steerers were dumb because 1.5 existed, and I still feel 142 was a bodge when the industry could've gone 150/157 and negated a bunch of the incremental gains boost provided. I do have a smidge of hope as the industry is seemingly embracing the UDH (talk about a game changer for yer gear changer) and the all too (painfully) slooooow adoption of T47. And honestly, 34.9 makes a lot more sense on dropper posts for the same reason we want larger stanchions. As one who owns and rides a 26" fs bike, I haven't bumped into the new tire dilemma yet, but new rims are another story. I may miss out on the latest n greatest rear shock whizbang with the embrace of metric standard rear shocks, but the one I have works well enough, has a ton of adjustments, and I can still source seal kits. Having played with the idea of getting a new one, I found enough of em online to negate any of that concern. Couple years down the road I anticipate that to change, but I also anticipate needing a new frame since everything has a fatigue life cycle, which is especially important to keep in mind when things get ridden hard. Key reason I don't buy used sus forks right there.

My take is new standards blow on the first outing because of the past, but for moving forward new standards with proper design merit lead to better rigs. It wasn't long ago we rode around on 30+lbs 26" bikes but now (mostly) ride on 29" 30+lb and under bikes with same if not better capabilities and strengths.

I think if we follow the timeline of disc brakes we'll see a pattern that applies to the rest of the bike as well. We started off with 2 piston units, companies whittled as much weight as they could out of the system, performance became an issue, material was put back into the system, performance improved. As materials, design, and processes develop, I'm sure we'll see marginal losses while maintaining baseline performance. I just figure for the foreseeable future we need to accept that most bikes designed to be ridden hard and for a long time are gonna be around the 35lb mark, which itself shows how far material selection and design has improved when you consider that everything on a bike has gotten larger over the last 20 years. Heck, my 98 Kona Chute was 32lbs. My RSD in summer mode runs near the same, has 4mm larger stanchions with 20mm more travel, 29" wheels and 2.5 tires with inserts and a dropper, and that's all using rather pedestrian components.

Cite your sources! :D Realistically, the rims would have to be coming near the $100/ea mark and have to have a pretty stellar rep for me to release the credit card.

One of the rare exceptions to the Rule, and yup, all over mine. Bonus, they don't transmit cold as well in the long dark winter months.

A big question on this is as the cost/gram ratio has grown at an exponential rate, at what point is one willing to fork over the coin necessary to drop grams? For the most part the target is always wheels, but to get into strong and light territory you X out the cheap part of the maxim with a quickness. I fully see the value in lighter weight wheels, but when we start talking a significant portion of a month's pay I lose interest PDQ. IMO shedding grams in other components generally gets reduced performance and/or longevity while still having a high dollar to gram lost ratio.

Agreed. I was lucky enough to be a late adopter to the wide rim club so missed out on a bunch of bad ideas, but when I did get there I used Rhyno Lite XL's as my benchmark for acceptable weight. I had rode the hell outta those rims in earlier years and never had a problem with them that couldn't be blamed on something I did. Every time I decided to try a lighter rim I inevitably bought twice in close succession, and that's held true since the 90's.