jason profile

Is this the appropriate place to say that putting an XTR derailleur on a bike does not make a bike better as the Shimano derailleurs snap like potato chips (thin plastic on a knuckle is inherently weak.  as are really thin metal jockey pully holders).  Deore is the same as XTR.   :(

This could have been my review, I just started out different.  I began with a 2020 Transition Scout running 140/150.  Upped the shock and fork stroke to go 150/160.  Then got the Storia.  Then the Cascade Link and then a new fork.  Now running 165/170.  Guess I could have got a new Patrol instead but it was not an option at the time.  

The bike is sooo much better with both the link and shock.  The shock felt like I was cheating it tracked so smooth on the ground.  But it was a little soft.  Upped the spring by 25lbs.  Then had to up by another 25lbs with the Cascade Link.  But now it is set up perfectly.  And everything that has been said holds true.  

I have ridden both air cans as well as Push on my small bikes and cant think of a better shock than the Storia.  And with the link the bike works well on slow, fast, smooth and jank, but also drops.  How it can work well on both is beyond me but I am happy to enjoy the benefits of the combo.

This is sooo my experience.  For many years (going back to 1998), the squeeze test was the only way to determine pressure.  Sometimes we would pump up the tire to ride up and then let out some pressure for the way down.  But this was all done by squeeze.  I finally got a digital gauge a few years ago and was gob smacked at how off my squeeze test was.  To the tune of 10-20lbs off what I thought the pressure was.  This sort of speaks to why there were so many pinch flats, or why I had no traction as my tire pressure was too high. 

Riding in winter on the north shore with DH tires (all my bikes have DH, with no inserts) I use a room temperature pressure of 21F/23R.  If it is 5 C outside(20C indoors when the tire was pumped up)  the pressure in my tires actually drops 2-3 lbs. Which is ok on a cold wet day when I am riding slower and things are greasy. 
In summer I run 22/24 due to the higher speeds.  Whistler is 28/29. 
I have tried to convince my riding buddies of the need for digital gauge but to no avail.  They don't know what they are missing!!!!

I actually bought a litre but have yet to pull the plug as all my bikes run either new XT or Saint with mineral oil.....  but my DH bike Saints are wandering a bit too much.   so maybe now is the time.

OMG.  bang on comment.  I had so many problems with Raceface products going back many years (mostly bearing related), along with challenges on the customer service standpoint, that I can't even bring myself to put a new Raceface component on my bike.  And the products could be awesome now and customer service top notch.  I just can't put the product on my bike because I don't want to be disappointed and have failure of the product.  

I started off with Hayes hydraulic brakes in 2001 ish.  they were better than cantilevers but were still pretty unreliable (so I have not used Hayes since).  Moved on to Avid/SRAM which was a big improvement but became unreliable with bleeds; and the power was not there (so have not used SRAM brakes since).  Then came Saints and the massive power increase, along with a simple bleed process.  I have stayed with them since.  Are they perfect?  Nope, wandering bit point etc.  But it is easy to fix and they perform better as a result (at least in my head).   So I stay there.  But more of my riding crew has Codes...  

I think what happens is that we stick to either the product we know works well (or is manageable), or the one with great customer service so that we are not off the bike too long.  From a marketing standpoint this is key.  either crappy product or crappy service can turn someone off for years.  Putting on a bad OE tire with your logo on it can make someone against trying your high end version.  Then it takes years (or in my curmudgeonly perspective, decades) to get that customer back again.

Got the theragun.  Awesome.  But hard to do the shoulder blades without a partner to work on it.  And my partner does not support my theragun use.   :) .

And shoe/boot dryers are awesome.

No doubt.  But it never looks good to see a whole team of people going in for a rescue on a trail that is un-sanctioned.  Especially when there are local land owners against MTB trails in general.

Agree Cam.  With a spinal or sucking chest wound call for help.  broken wrist/shoulder, etc.  get yourself out.   Was on a loamer this summer with my son and a buddy.  Buddy crashed 3/4 way down and broke both wrists, also broke his helmet.  He wanted to push his bike out himself, but finally relented so that my son and I could help him.  Took about 1/2 hour to push out.  He ended up with two casts and a pin.   Trails remained discrete.

Rule 15 - if you get injured get yourself out.  Don't ride loamer that is above your level and be ready to self rescue if you get hurt.  Do not call in rescue for a separated shoulder (yes this happened over the summer) when riding a loamer.   Get yourself out on your own steam.    You are on your own on a loamer.  Treat it as such and make sure you can take care of yourself.

Exactly.  MTB adopted road bike geometry (think 73 seat and 71 head tube back in the day ), from road biking.  This did not take into account the sometimes much steeper climbs and associated effect on the seat tube angle.  

Also, at the time there was no rear suspension sag to impact the seat tube angle (which is magnified by climbing). 

Current designs are starting to do that but what is likely needed is a seat tube angle with sag on flat land, as well as a seat tube angle with sag while climbing (industry adopted number so every manufacture uses the same metric), to be part of the geometry table. Then design the bike to hit the proper angle with sag and sag plus climbing.

Seat tube angle unweighted on a full suspension bike is irrelevant.

Actually the whole of Sunshine Falls lane and Sasamat Lane is public access right of way.  The road leads to private property yes.  The private land owners are responsible for maintaining the road.  BUT… the road is on public land and is a legal statutory right of way.  The land owners who have property that is accessed via this road do not have the legal authority to bar/stop people from using the road.  They can put “private road” signs up all they want, but you can’t make a road private by putting up a sign.  Unless they purchase the land that the roads sit on, and and have the public right of way designation removed, the road is public.

Good call on the Range as well as the fork upgrade.  I went through the same dilemma last summer.  I have a Dh bike for whistler and most of Cypress (cherry, sex girl, 5th as well as the east side trails) and I also had a Transition Patrol (medium frame) for Fromme and Seymour.  Could not decide what to get to replace the Patrol, which had many, many days on it.  

In he end I got a large Patrol aluminum frame (2017 vintage, not the new SBG 2018) and  built the bike up with new and old parts (sold the old patrol M bike complete).  The choice for me was perfect.  I got the longer reach and wheelbase by going up a size, but otherwise the bike is perfect.  

The Range has 10mm more travel in the front as well as 5mm more in the rear than the Patrol but otherwise very similar.  It should be a great choice.  Gotta love having the end of year deals at JH.

Cheers