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nope, surrounded by metal, bad idea
June 24th
They are very good if you want the ultimate enduro/ebike smash down steep stuff fork.
I got an email from Trek with details about a Top Fuel RSL that was seen at the WC last week...
Is that a tech rumor? Found it pretty sick (Mighty Argo gondola in Idaho Springs).
https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/bikes/mountain-bikes/trail-mountain-bikes/top-fuel/top-fuel-rsl-gen-4/p/61644/
Looks like the same frame with XC suspension. Fork reduced to 120 instead of 130 but shock stroke remains the same. The geo difference makes sense due to a 10mm shorter fork. Maybe a throwback to the 2017 Top Fuel 9.9 RSL (miss that bike)
Funny, i went looking for it on the site and missed that... Also, a difference rear end on the bike, using flex stays to drop some weight..
that's cool! pressure builds with every position, HA
I dont think there is a flex stay.
Looks like I was wrong.. But, the picture on PB showed a flex stay.. I guess we'll see that at some point..
I'm pretty sure that this is the gondola in Sölden, Austria.
They have the Elements 007 advertise on them, which is located there.
Here is a video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Naulv6O8yfw
You can see a "Sölden" blue add inside one of the gondolas at 0:07 on your video.
I heard XT start of next month, Saint next year.
Makes somewhat sense, if Saint was closer we would have seen it on pro bikes as well instead of XTR only
Hey y'all, I got some details wrong in my article about the 11-speed Linkglide Di2 derailleur. Turns out it will only be for hardwired e-bike applications, not for battery-operated normal bike RD's. My bad. Here's my edited copy in the XTR launch article:
"A clarification about 12-speed vs. 11-speed XTR rear derailleurs [added to this article Thursday, June 12, 2025]:
The M9250 wireless derailleur is available for 12-speed Hyperglide+ drivetrains only, but can be used on normal bikes or e-bikes. However, there are 12 speed Hyperglide+ and Linkglide 11 speed options for e-bike only, but these M9260 derailleurs hard wire to the e-bike drive unit and can only be used with an e-bike, because they don’t have their own battery. There is compatibility between Shimano’s M9260 Di2 EBIKE rear derailleurs and Bosch, Shimano, and TQ drive units, with Shimano expecting expanded compatibility from other drive unit manufacturers in the near future.
So, there are no wireless derailleurs available for 11-speed Linkglide, only hardwire derailleurs for e-bike usage. And bad news for those wanting to hack a Linkglide M9260 Di2 RD onto a normal bike, it is unfortunately not possible to connect the e-bike Linkglide derailleur to the Shimano BT-DN300 battery for road bike Di2 systems. That means Di2 Linkglide is not possible without a compatible e-bike, unless you're ready to go rogue and MacGuyver a wired battery solution and maybe burn your garage/house/apartment down. This is not recommended by Shimano or Vital, or by your landlord, roommates, or romantic partner."
Going back to this, this could be a neat 11sp solution for pedal bikes if it can hooked to a 12V(?) accu pack placed somewhere low on a frame?
I am game to hack the crap out of anything but I can't find much info about the specs of the ebike battery connection.
The layout of the top rocker/dogbone/pushlink on these Production Privees reminds me of the Knolly Fugitive/Delirium/Chilcotin. Obviously the lower part of the suspension design is different (Knolly is Horst Link, Production Privee is a single pivot swingarm):
Wonder how many hub companies are not looking forward to the next gen of Super Wagon Wheelers? The number of ratchet ring failures from everybody during the transition to 29ers was not insignificant.
I was happy when I saw that Shimano made a specific LinkGlide 11 speed Di2 derailleur, but what a let down when I saw that they basically locked it to OE market and force you to wire it. What kind of decision is this ? Leave it wireless and give the option to wire it for power if you want to, not even all bikes are compatible.
I truly hope they will let us decide to run it wired or wireless for XT and below.
Assuming shimano is releasing deore d2 with similar pricing differences between xtr mechanical and deore mechanical and the d2 versions then is another wireless drivetrain really necessary except for the added reliability for an e-bike.
I’d guess wireless Linkglide is already being tested to some extent. But I imagine it’s a long ways away.
It’s my belief that if tire inserts like cushcore/rimpact had hit the market before plus tires the end result may have been very different. Inserts are awesome in 27.5+ and 29+ tires if the bike is going to be ridden aggressively.
I’m a big advocate of 29+ for adventure riding and rigid/hardtails. I think 32 has a lot of potential if the industry can avoid an over the top hype cycle. Make the parts of its economical, let the people figure out how to use them
I'm of the opinion that you can't ride a plus tire aggressively and have it perform well, regardless of inserts.
There's a balance between weight, the stability of the casing, the damping of the casing, and the pressure/contact patch. Plus tires are feeble, vague balloons with no stability and regardless of inserts they roll over far too much in corners and are terrifying on off-camber. Add pressure and they're bouncy/underdamped, unpredictable, and the grip goes to shit. If you make them burly enough to be stable then they're a boat anchor. Some inserts stop a tire completely folding over or burping, but they don't fix the instability or vagueness at all. I've never felt like a tire was trying to kill me until I tried to ride plus tires fast.
They go OK on hardtails or rigid bikes but that's just a juggle of compromises anyway.
the saddest thing about plus tires is that they are so good for beginners and for riders who dont really push their bikes, but no one wants to admit that they are in those classes of riders. no matter our level we still model ourselves after the racers and the aggro riders, or maybe just the fastest person in the group.
I would bet that the absolute average rider and below (in terms of aggressive riding/trail conditions) would be so well served by plus tires, but so many of the more advanced/aggressive riders have trashed on the concept so hard that no one wants to be seen with plus tires on their bike. my crew even shidded on 2.5/2.6 when in reality that size is working SO WELL for so many riders, and I am totally hooked on the ride characteristics. there is some kind of macho thing about skinnier tires?!?
cruising a fire road on plus tires feels amazing, just don't let your friends catch you doing it
how does this apply to 32? well, honestly for the XC/fireroad folks it might make a lot of sense. for sure for the gravel world I can see it working, but I am curious about 32/29 mullet now. But with so many people ready to rip into 32 wheels it will be very scary to actually get one for fear of getting hated on by everyone I ride with. I have been wanting to try the 36ers out there too, and this seems like a great compromise. Anyways, just try to be open minded considering how many different types of riders there are out there.
I totally agree with that. Plus tires are great for people who ride slower. I'd recommend a plus bike to my mom in a heartbeat. I have a friend or two would likely benefit from them, but the suggestion would be an insult at this point lol.
I get what you're saying, I'd rock one if it made sense without any care what others think. What I am worried about most is the fact that the percentage of users a 32er would make sense for is far less than plus tires. Plus tires make sense for a certain user regardless of size, 32ers realistically make sense for only the tallest riders. And as @kperras said XL bikes have low volumes already... And if it doesn't make sense financially, it's not going to be made and sold, sadly.
Triple double bikes will definitely be limited by fork manufacturers. XC forks will probably be the first on the market, but I'd imagine trail/enduro forks could take a while to show up.
Making a 32" fork and wheel stiff enough to ride well on trail under an XL rider will be really difficult. XC riders can put up with a lot but trail riders will probably be wanting a 38 or equivalent for their 140mm bikes...
Oooh, good point. Since spoke bracing angles are getting shallower with larger wheels... Sounds like wider hubs will be needed 😜
Superboost front wheels? 😱
I remember these exact arguments against 29, which has been said in this thread multiple times. Lol!
The one thing I loved about my 29+ hardtail was the ability for it to just keep rolling. It carried so much speed it was ridiculous. Aggressive riding was not that bike's forte, which was fine.
The thing that killed 27+ for me was that 29 just did everything better. Rolling speed, off-camber, precision... tech climbing was a bit of wash, but that still put 29 way ahead overall.