oldmanbike profile

The unintentional a-hole problem is something I think we don't emphasize to each other enough. What feels to us like a moderate-speed pass with plenty of room can be alarming for the hiker. Slowing down in plenty of time can seem like last-second panic-stopping to them. Even riders perceive speed and space differently when we're off the bike. Not saying any of this self-righteously, I'm just as guilty as everyone else. Maybe including hikers-eye-view drills in clinics, etc, would help increase our awareness of it.

See, I always knew you guys were just hacks who wrote puff pieces to juice ad sales and land marketing-flack gigs.

It was bizarre to me too. Only bad customer service experience I've had in the bike industry. The guys on the phone were friendly, but how it got handled was way frustrating.

I had such a bad customer-service experience with my old Turbine dropper that I'd never consider buying anything mechanical from Raceface again. (It was the 9point8 clone, not this one, so I'm not commenting on the dropper, only their customer service.) Send the defective dropper to Raceface, receive the defective dropper back from Raceface, rinse and repeat. Never again.

That's a great, informative response. And thanks for correcting my mistake about how it works.

Your explanation now has me wondering about linear forces. Other concussion-reduction technologies (the ones used by Kali, POC, and 6D, for example) are designed to reduce linear forces, not just angular ones. (That was one reason I had little faith in MIPS.) Is MIPS Spherical designed to reduce linear forces? Either by the elastomeric attachments or some other way? I recognize that variable-density-foam shells (such used in the Tyrant, Super DH, etc) do that, I'm wondering if the MIPS Spherical feature itself does too, or whether it reduces angular forces only.

I own a Bell Super DH, another MIPS Spherical helmet, and it's very clearly bigger than other helmets. Bigger = larger shell, larger outer diameter. The 6D halfshell, which uses a different dual-shell design, was the same. By contrast, single-shell helmets like the Kali Maya/Interceptor and POC Tectal Spin aren't noticeably bigger. I haven't seen the Tyrant in person. Are you saying that, unlike the Super DH, it isn't bigger?

I've been a helmet-safety nerd since my own (initial) mtb concussion years ago. I'm also a longtime MIPS skeptic. But I think MIPS Spherical is one of several important, promising new approaches to reducing concussions. There's no relevant testing for certification (and, in 2019, motherfuck the whole industry for that) but my best guess is that it does provide a meaningful real-world benefit, meaning that if you hit your head in a crash you're more likely to avoid a concussion.

That said, recognize that there's likely a trade-off inherent in the MIPS Spherical design vs. other concussion-reducing new helmets. Basically, MIPS Spherical uses two foam shells with squishy rubber whozits that, under direct or angular force, squeeze between the shells, like marshmallows between two boards. The potential advantage of this design, compared to competitors like Kali's LDL or POC's Spin, is increased confidence that the bumpers will work in a crash instead of missing your head or being gummed up with your gross headsweat slime. The potential disadvantage is that the overall helmet is both bigger and heavier, which could increase the concussion-causing force on your poor brain.

Is that trade-off worth it? I have no idea. Maybe one day we'll have reliable, independent, public data to answer that. Until then, do your best. Whatever you decide here's the important part: the time to buy a safer helmet is before your first concussion, not after.

That's a great story. But I can't help wondering if the reason we're hearing it is that the marketing guys decided that it would help sell ebikes to able-bodied customers.

Dear Santa Cruz, I still love you but, in the year our lord 2019, selling a mountain bike for $4300 with a rigid seatpost is embarrassing.

Great video. If you too tire of Enthusiasm Guy, jump to the good part starting at 8:20. The girl's narration-- all enthusiasm and encouragement--will make your day.

Only in my late 40s so I've got no idea what this old guy is raving on about.