clipless profile

Sorry, that's what I was trying to get at. How bad is pedal kickback really in that configuration? For some reason that particular phrase eluded me. I've heard that with low engagement hubs, you feel all of that chain growth at the pedals, but with lower engagement, you feel it less, or maybe it's just more random depending on how close to paw engagement.

Would pumping be more efficient? If you weight and chain tension is preventing the suspension from compressing, would it pump more like a hardtail and less like a sag wagon?

Super dumb suggestion for an experiment (don't say I didn't warn you).

What would happen if you routed the chain straight from the chainring to the cassette and skip the idler? No practical reason to do so, just some curiosity on my part. Does the combination of high pivot and quick engagement hubs really bork the suspension action? Do you get crazy amounts of suspension jacking while pedaling? Or does it just maybe work okay?

The one downside with the reverse arch is that without the arch in front, the front wheel 'hook' on Kuat-style racks wants to rub against the fork stanchion. Usually the fork arch prevents this. I recently found this out when loading up my new dirt jumper. Spinning the bars 180 deg was an easy fix, but for regular bikes, it might not be possible unless you have an visually offensive amount of cable slack out front.

[Picture I found of a normal forward arch fork I found online because I'm too lazy to go take a picture.] But you can imagine that without the arch, the wheel hook would touch/rub on the slidey bit of the fork. If I had to do it again, I'd get a OneUp rack that just touches the tires instead. 

>  For me, a 31.8 diameter alloy bar is pretty awesome, like very bomb proof and also gives a nice bit of compliance.

Yup, totally this. The PNW alloy bar with a 31.8 diameter is my go to bar. Functional, good value and reasonable weight.

I like 10 deg backsweep that comes on these bars. I have a theory that as bar widths get wider, the backsweep should increase as well. As an extreme example, imagine holding a broomstick like it was a 1200 mm bar, pretty uncomfortable wrist angle. It'd feel much better if you could rotate your wrists 20 degrees or so. Now if you hold that broomstick at say 550 mm, the zero backsweep feels okay. One of these days I'll get around to trying a true 'alt bar', but for now, I'm pretty happy with the PNW alloy 31.8.

Oh man, when tried flats it exposed the ugly truths about my riding habits. You can debate hardtail vs full sus for a new rider until you're blue in the face, but I will die on the hill that says everyone should start with flats.

I don't see myself switching back to clipless on my trail bike, but I've been tempted on my singlespeed, and I still clip in on my gravel bike (which now has a more foot-forward cleat position thanks to my time mountain biking on flats).

Thanks for the suggestions.

1) Bed-in isn't an issue, since I'm fastidious about following the pad manufacture's recommendation.

2) That was my thought process from switching from Shimano sintered to MTX red pads

3) Already running a 180 mm but...

4) ...I've thought about switching from the Shimano RT66 rotors to the two-piece IceTecs since they have a different mass and stiffness

5) Might try this as well.

Thanks!

Andrew, any issue with brake noise from the rear? I have a Paradox V3 that uses the same IS mount, but I keep getting intermittent brake howling. I'm running Deore 4-piston brakes and I've tried a couple different pads (currently on MTX red), and even replacing the caliper just in case it might be leaking (it wasn't pads were never fouled).

The only think I can think of is that the mounting isn't as stiff as a post mount and there's some high-frequency resonance happening.

Yeah, but the people want to know, what are we going to see at Cumberlandworx? SRAM single speed Transmission? Dual crown ridged forks? Three piston brakes? 29-minus tires?

My favorite quote has to be "Comparison is the thief of joy", often attributed to Teddy Roosevelt.

It's a quote that cuts both ways. If you're constantly comparing yourself to people who are fitter, faster, or more skilled, than you're not giving yourself the space to enjoy riding. On the flipside, if you derive your sense of self worth by comparing yourself to people who you deem to be beneath you (cheaper bike, wrong clothes, etc.) then your joy is really just vanity-stroking.

Most of us fall in the first category, and I'm always trying to improve on that. If I see someone who can clean a techy climb or clear a tabletop that I struggle with, then I try to make my first thought one of stoke for them, rather than jealousy on my part. People in the second group are usually jerks, and I try to avoid them when possible.

If I compare myself to anyone, it's usually myself, which make progression so fun in this sport. But that runway is only so long, and I'm not getting younger, so I'm going to have to find another way to find joy in riding when the progression stops and I start backsliding.

You know it. Sorry/not sorry to pick at old wounds.