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Also, I don’t think anyone can say how good or bad the YT 29er is/was. Gwin was clearly fighting his injury and struggling to find the limit of the 29 tires. The frame can’t help either of those things.
If you really believe the bike is the reason Amaury went on a tear through the season, i really don´t know what to tell you other than you´re wrong.
The guy has a lot of talent, the field was kinda struck by injury as a lot of top guys were battling some drawn out injuries for the whole season and he´s on a program that seems to be doing a lot of things right in developing their riders. All these factors come together to make the overall win a reality.
Assuming it´s solely down to the bikes performance is neglecting so many other obvious factors.
Also while he did win the season, he didn´t bitch slap anyone.
It wasn´t that dominant really. Amaury simply had a good run for a few races and was able to capitalize on that.
This is downhill racing. Not a lot of guys have made a win streak last for a significant amount of time as the sport is way too unpredictable and there´s a fine line between winning and being out for the season. So the top spot is really much more about keeping it together for a whole season at top speed while the competition takes themselves out.
A bike that is 2 seconds faster than its competition won´t win you the overall. A fast AND consistent rider will do that.
The Commencal has also been around for a while, so it´s "dominance" would only be down to the increase in wheelsize, which we should have realized by now is nowhere near the factor everyone made it out to be, as the wheelsize was the only real change in its design.
Also Intense won´t be slapping together a high pivot bike for Gwin.
They are firmly invested in promoting the merrits of VPP. Equipping the dh-bike with a different suspension layout would be counter productive to their sales efforts.
That being said, the Commencal Supreme 29er was over represented in World Cup results. There was definitely something going on. (I suspect its simply the combination of one of the most progressive geometries on the circuit, 29er wheels, and high pivot point). I can't recall which video, but there is a video where Rob Warner talks about this. (Someone who remembers what video this is, please link it).
Getting Daprela and Pierron into the team was a fantastic first step. They also chose the right sponsors (SRAM and Spank, in particular) and training regimens for all their riders. Unlike other teams which were scrambling to get a 29" DH frankenbike ready to race (with retrofitted parts in some cases), Commencal was ready almost at the onset. All the riders seemed like they could come back from injuries more easily than most, and their mental game was also on point. The team, all the way down to the mechanics and physios, reportedly keep a relaxed atmosphere in the pits as well but are absolutely professional and motivated. Even some of the team members' parents are closely involved, cooking them meals and helping out with whatever.
It's not just the bike and rider when pretty much the team overall overachieved in 2018.
All the points you make are fair to be sure - arguing against "it is the rider, not the bike" is kinda redundant - but a stellar bike sure doesn't hurt either (which is all the "bitch slap" comment probably was meant to convey). There are a lot of good bikes on the market right now, but if you follow the DH scene and have not caught on to all the buzz surrounding the current iteration of Commencal's 29'er, then... The Commencal was -Syndicate or Intense buzz notwithstanding - THE bike of the 2018 season. That the two Commencal teams also chose the right riders and the right approach is also beyond any doubt, but this is the case of talented riders, a well run program AND a stellar bike going on to do great things. The one did not cause the other, but then again, but they all occurred at the same time - and as they say, success breeds success. Saying anything else is either willfully misrepresenting the point being made or arguing which is the more important (a point the OP never made, some straw man-ish)
I don't think that's true because Norco's previous designer, Owen Pemberton, was messing with HPP idler setups years ago.
This was Jan 2016, for instance:
FWIW, Owen is now doing Forbidden bikes and bringing an HPP design to the trail market.
If anyone will be saying 'yeah, but it's a virtual pivot point, which is in the name', well... Then Specialized made all ther full suspension frames as VPPs. And the new GTs are as well. And Scotts, And Giants. Should i continue?
source Blenki reference: https://www.pinkbike.com/news/the-resurgence-of-high-pivot-suspension-d…
And yes, I am quite aware of the tinkering with various idlers and whatnot from Norco over the years. I've enjoyed the linkage design blogspot of Antonio since before it became a thing, and am very , very intrigued by various suspension designs. But since apparently the merits of different bike designs, or indeed bike developments / protos are outside what constitutes a racing rumor...
carry on. I guess it has been too long since somebody spread a rumor with absolutely no source or logic.
And in closing - these are the parameters set forth by the OP:
"It is time to start spouting out the 2019 team rumors, especially with the last couple topics posted in the 2018 thread (Vital member, MPH, asking if Warner just eluded to Vergier leaving Syndicate).
This is the ultimate real or fake gossip center about professional mountain bike racers, teams and who will be running what.
Ready? Set? Spray!"
If that gives you a very clear boundary of what is on or off topic, then your reading comprehensions skills might be better than mine - because I read that as "all things racing are on topic" - also giving the distinct impression that all contributions are welcome (especially given the "running what" part). So until the OP says otherwise (where i am of the impression that they like it when people generate hits on their site while being friendly and trying to be helpful) I hope the topic will remain pretty broad and tolerant
Happy trails
Primoz: good post - I think Cesar's input has helped mitigate some of the inherent issues with traditional VPP designs, as SC also did when they changed what link drives the shock.
Also, regarding VPP, could it be that the VPP patent expired and, since everyone could use it, Intense decided to tweak it more to their liking, without having an obligation towards Santa Cruz anymore?
Unno left with an opening position? Or just running with Greg Williamson for next year?
And also, are they really off Hope components? because since Brayton is rumored to go to Nukeproof, that could mean that they could get a similar deal has he had until 2018...
They could try to do the same as Gwin did when he started the YT MOB...Canyon frame, Hope components and wheels, maybe stay with Fox for suspension or maybe go with Ohlins, or DVO (since giant is rumored to go with Fox for next season)....
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