jaydubmah profile

That's a pretty broad brush you're wielding there Lynx assuming that people who enjoy bikes with super-steep STA's and big cassettes are "lazy".

There are places in the world where the terrain works great for big cassettes and big rides. Personally, I think it's great that we've got all these choices.

I had a Pole Machine, and from there, got warrantied. Currently waiting on a Stamina to arrive. 

With regards to bikes such as Pole's CNC frames being made in different parts of the world - personally, I still see that as being possible. Having said that, I think it's a ways down the road. 

Some of it is actually figuring out the designs / manufacturing to a point where there is high enough confidence for the design in the first place.

From there, it's finding a business case, and going through the zillions of issues it would take to source another CNC shop that could consistently pull off what they're trying to do. It's not impossible, but not easy. 

Imagine the glorious day, where we will all have our neighbourhood CNC / fab machines. We see something we like on the internet, purchase the design files, it gets sent to the local shop, and we walk down the street and pick up our new bike at the end of the week. Sounds crazy - but the fax machine was pretty nutty when it came out too.

I made a pact to never buy a Giant again after that ridiculous Overdrive cash grab fiasco. 

The only thing dumber than overdrive was Padloc grips.

Does anyone know if there will be a Canadian distributor for Tannus? Would love to give them a try, but find shipping from the states a bit pricey. Cheers!

PSA - those 7" Knipex are on sale at KMS tools for $69.95. ($30 off!)

https://www.kmstools.com/knipex-7-plier-wrench-171118

Fellow Canadians, this could be a good deal.

Personally, I don't know if I'm as keen as going full boutique any more. The last bike I was bought was hyper cutting edge, crazy manufacturing techniques, etc, etc - BUT it got recalled. It's been a very trying process dealing with warranty, email responses, etc.

While some boutique bike brands do a fantastic job on customer service - it definitely isn't across the board. Especially if the boutique brand is going through a large growth spurt and unable to keep up with growing pains. Customer support can be one of the first things to go. And then you're screwed.

If someone wanted go full nerd with a boutique bike, I'd ask if they did their homework on the company's customer service. Also, make sure to have a backup bike if things go down the crapper. Sigh.

Does anyone know where we can get Tannus inserts in Canada (aside from a Trek store)? These things sound promising but ordering from Tannus’ site is too expensive once shipping, duty, exchange is factored in. Cheers!

So much respect to Remy - he clearly has the skills and most importantly, the vision, to make these lines happen.

Great article! I too have fond memories of the MEC of yesteryear. The biannual paper catalog  was eagerly awaited and there was a feeling in the physical stores that this was a "different" kind of place to shop. You're not just a customer - you're a member!   

To me, the first sign of things going bad were the electorate mailouts. It used to be a list of people expressing their platform and why they should become a board member. It was all very open and grassroots. 

But then one year,  certain candidates in the mailout were "endorsed" by the board. What a joke! From then on, the MEC board was an insider club. If people weren't aligned with the current board, they would never get in. Well, that string of continuity led to a Canadian feel-good story dying an ugly death.

The thing that really steams me is that all these board members that engineered MEC's demise are able to hide in faceless obscurity. I wonder how they sleep at night knowing their deluded vision crushed a Canadian icon?

I was running a Chromag Fubar 35 aluminum bar on a hardtail, and my elbows were killing me! Switched over to the One Up carbon bar, and I can definitely say that it's more compliant and takes a lot of the edge off. Paired with their One Up grips - I've been super happy. 

Those Oneup lads know a thing or two!