cyclotoine profile

Here’s a genuine question I am asking myself. If the alignment is slightly off and burnishing the bushings is enough to compensate for that bad alignment and the riders notice improved performance isn’t it worthwhile anyway despite the cause and effect being misaligned?

Came here to say the fact that mark has no upvotes and the above has 12 explains while people are content to continue to put in unsanctioned trails until everything becomes unstable again as it was 20 + years ago and the whole thing needs to be renegotiated. Everything is cyclical including us, but out lives are so small in the overarching timeline of our cycle we struggle to comprehend it and thus have values that are more healthy. At least we "colonialists".

Or spruce and lodgepole pine North of 60. No the food isn't great, and the choices are limited but the lack of people makes up for it. Is there an outlet that reviews destinations? That would actually be pretty cool. There's not enough money on interest for media or industry to review a fat bike where it is most popular and that is packed singletrack. WInter fatbiking is kind of like mountain biking in decades past, sort of ignored and thought to be only for the foolish. Most fat bikers probably like it that way.

Sounds like you’ve got a Starling. I’m quite curious about those. Enough to consider one for my next bike. Looking forward to the review(s).

Mac-riding with my first dropped off when he was three as his sister arrived and I haven't been doing it as much with her because we do most things together. we did a couple of family Mac rides last summer when they were 2 and 4 but my son, while within the weight limit is really too tall and it's pretty awkward. He was late to get the run bike and went through a phase of loving it when we were mac riding more, he even got into the pump track but his interest has waned. We don't have a real pump track near our house so that doesn't help. I have a 2004 Mountain Cycle hardtail I've been meaning to slap together as dirt jumper. It will cost almost nothing and weigh a ton but will hopefully be fun when we do to some of the local dirt pump tracks. My son is 5 and still not interested in pedaling. He's not a risk-taker and I'm not pushing him. He'll never be one of "those" kids, I'm still happy to walk with them (3 and 5) now as they ride their run bikes to the mini pump track or the playground.

I think the diameter of a vintage XT thumbie is larger than the barcon. When was the last time you used one of those in friction mode? They're a little bulkier than your paul thumbie and barcon set-up but it would give you more cable pull for the same amount of throw wouldn't it?

I would like mainstream MTB media to take a trip to a community where people actually have to ride fat bikes in winter and they groom the single track which are proper fast fun single track trails in the summer. You need full fat tires for the traction even on packed snow because it's hardness varies constantly but the trails can be smoking fast and a suspension fork and dialed air pressure are super important. It's not as fun as dirt but it can be super fun and a proper trail bike/modern geo certainly shines just like it does when you point your bike downhill on dirt. I still see mainstream mtb media basically having no understanding that in most of Canada and many areas of the US this is our riding reality for a big part of the year and it's not about touring around in a frozen wasteland. It's ripping up our local trails and it's mountain biking, not some of less gnarly riding than gravel biking. I see it trying to be categorized as something that for a large portion of us. in its day to day guise, it simply isn't. I also have 29x3" wheels and tires for my fat bike which makes it an okay bike in summer. But it still doesn't cut it for maximum trail fun and 3" is just not enough tire for riding on snow most of the time. Even when the snow is hard enough for a 3" tire the cornering traction and support just isn't there. The float of full fat is absolutely necessary to get maximum speed through the corners (which are pretty flat). I invite you to come up North of 60 or any northern mtb town with grooming and experience it for yourself on a proper fat bike with Manitou fork (I have a bluto which is still better than rigid).

My cheap as puller set actually failed on me the last time I used it. One of the four parts of the collet were bend and it just kept popping through the bearing. Readying above I see I’m supposed to use heat which I wasn’t but I’m pretty sure this set would have been successful without heat. I have the wheels manufacturing press set and it is so nice not to be searching for just the right random thing to press a bearing in. I may have to spring for this set.

Hey Geof! A friend of mine (also a Yukoner) went through three rear triangles on a hei hei before selling it. They should have recalled those in my opinion. He also loved that bike, so much so that he is shopping for some kind of more xc oriented bike because after more than two years he still misses it.

Binda Extras are for collectors of course. But you can usually walk over to your local bike co-op and find lots of the old nylon straps which were what MTBs had in the early 90s. I find the nylon one better than the old leather for other jobs anyway and I still use them for lots of things. The Voile straps are, of course, better in every way. I have a handful of G3 ski straps I use as well but I think the voile are better.

pretty much agree with everything craw says. and while I am riding 75+ degree ST angle bike now, my next bike will be a Pole, because I want it steeper. My partner really appreciated the climbing benefits when she went from a 73 degree ST trail bike to a 75 and she is a hair under 5'8". So maybe 75-76 is good for average sized riders and it needs to be adjusted from there.

I think Forbidden is a great example of where the industry is going. Riders want more choice and we will increasingly see these small brands eat away at the custom and big brand market because they will offer bikes that have semi-custom geometry off the shelf with different seat tube angles and rear centers in each size. It means some bikes will get even more expensive, but we have seen that people are willing to pay for it. I would take a size-specific geometry alloy bike (Pole just happens to be making what I think will work best for me at 192cm) with a nice GX build over a carbon superbike any day (and then put really nice carbon wheels on it). That is what is going to be the best performance to cost ratio for me.

So I think we're going to see more of what Forbidden is going in terms of geometry offerings.

I also think tire damping is a thing and we will see more tire companies launching their ideas for it in the next few years. I think there is likely a lighter way to incorporate damping into the tire and that will be the way it goes, but we'll see.

I also think we reached peak hardtail popularity and it will not begin declining in popularity but always maintain a low-level market share.

Posted by: bmak

Anyone ridden the new Instinct?

I guess you mean BC edition since this is a long travel thread, but yeah I am riding the new A70 and I think it is a great value. As a super tall dude I wish it had more reach, but it's not bad with a 60mm stem and a bit of rise. I had a 2015 BC edition previously which was a great bike, the new bike is way nicer. Climbs better and more fun/agile than the old bike. I won't comment on the suspension since I went from XFusion -which was great for the price point- to Fox performance elite and of course it's way better in every aspect. 

Posted by: craw

I'm 6'6" and tried 180s for a while. I liked the way they rode but the clearance issues were enough that I switched back to 175. 170 just felt too small. 175 is a good compromise for me.

Damn! What do you ride at that height? I would think almost all production frames are really too small for you?

I'm 6'3.5" and most XL bikes are not big enough for me. We still have a ways to go on reach. I need it longer. Pedal strikes keep me from riding longer cranks but I would not give up 175 mm cranks. I run 185 mm cranks on my monster cross and 180 mm on my other two road bikes. I have 180 mm cranks for touring too. I love the power of the longer leaver and at my height I don't have to worry about closing out my knee angle on the top of the stoke, it's just a non-issue. 

So it comes down to personal preference. I see everyone here has a full range of preference.

Fixed gear I have run 165 mm but prefer 170 mm and I have run 172.5 and 170 mm on the boards. I even have 177.5 mm cranks on one vintage road bike.

I have the Dainese trail skins, the first ones. The second ones look like they address my only grip with the originals in that they are more formed to the knee cap. They stay in place. have side protection, move well and aren't irritating, but the fit it a little awkward as they are not cupped enough to fit nicely on the knee. I would recommend them and figure the new ones are the way to go if you can find them. I live in the North so I pretty much have to buy online anyway since local options are extremely limited.

Pretty happy with my riders thorn anti-fog photochromatic glasses. They're a bit big but the anti-fog really works and I can't live without photochromatic lenses anymore. I lost pair of specialized berm's which were photo chromatic last winter on a back country ski trip. I was super bummed. Those were my favorite all time MTB glasses.

My partner road a giant dropper on her 2014 trance for three seasons. Never serviced, worked like a charm and sold the bike this spring (the black stanchion one). My friend had the older version with a gold stanchion and it wore out. Some people clamp their post too tight and damage their droppers. I did it with my first X fusion and didn't make the same mistake twice. My partner got a new trance this year with another giant dropper and I hope it holds up as good as the old one. I like the performance of my Xfusion better but it does need more frequent service.

Posted by: mrock

Posted by: shoreboy

Ordered about $500 of parts and apparel from them on Apr 3rd.  Shipped out Apr 4th, delivered in Vancouver Apr 8th.  I always choose the Canada Post option.  I got charged $9.95 handling and another ~$22 in taxes (which is lower than what it should have been).  Fast and cheap, no complaints at all here.

I'm at 18 working days now, and nothing has showed up for me. Ordered about $200 worth of Shimano drive train parts. My first order with CRC as well, and it's taking wayyyy longer than I expected. Hopefully better luck on some future orders, or better yet, I hope this order even shows up!

Don't start to worry yet. It can often take 3 weeks.

Is there hard evidence that wider makes you faster? Shouldn't we first ask how tall the rider is and if they have broad shoulders? 

It seems like everyone is going wider and wider and riding similar bars, but bars should be sized to suit the rider. I'm 6'4" with broad shoulders and am happy with 740mm bars though I do ride some tight trees. 

I had to put narrower bars on my girlfriends bike because the stock ones are ridiculous for a 5'7" women for trail riding.

Also keen, are they available currently? Sending PM.