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Whole new shock. Not stubby resivoir and head of shock all looks different.
New Maxxis Dissector (2025)
Did I miss this before now? Enduromtb posted about it already.
https://www.maxxis.com/us/tire/dissector-2/
I really liked the old Dissector, seems like this one is being marketed as a faster option, but looks good.
Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but if you do FEA on the hump, its much stronger at the head tube junction over a straight top tube. It spreads out stress on the welds and reduces pressure spikes.
I liked the performance of mine, but it wore out so fast I wonder if I had a defective batch.
That being said, is it worth getting a non-radial tire in 2025? I've asked in the tire chat thread but no one seems to know.
Maybe it's my current conditions/location, or familiarity, but I don't think an Assegai is losing out to a Magic Mary radial by much. Also have ridden Albert radial, which was good. The latest Schwalbe, updated Specialized, Maxxis stalwarts and the Continentals are mix and matched across my stable and they are all pretty good (aside from being way overpriced).
I guess it depends, personally, no, I love the radials, they feel better than anything else, they grip more, on rocks, roots, loose, hard pack, and they’re just insane on off camber roots, that’s where they really impress me.
I liked it as a rear on a non-race big travel bike.
I just want it in a folding bead DH casing with maxterra…
Same with the DHR2, etc.
They need to make the forekaster v2 in DD It's a great rear tyre for alot of trails.
A Maxxis Kryptotal, which itself is a Continental Assegai (which was kind of a Maxxis Magic Mary, which was etc. etc. etc.), we've come full circle how many times now?
Dissectegai?
Eh I guess that's nice? Dissector was always an OK tire, not really better in any way than the Spec Eliminator. Do they last more than 6 rides? That's really what we all truly need to know.
The Eliminator T7/9 grid gravity has been the burly, long lasting Dissector you've been wanting all this time. The new v2 Eliminator is more gravity focused than the old one. Better cornering and braking traction.
Once I burn through my Spec tires I'm trying Contis to see if I've been missing anything.
In my opinion no it's not worth getting a non radial tyre unless you live somewhere where it doesn't rain and it's always hard packed.
welcome to....
Did Trek steal the Giant graphic designers from 2020 for this new drop ?
Not sure since i don’t know anyone who has bought a giant since 2020
I didnt buy it but had the new Trance x in for testing recently and it's a really good bike but would like to see giant try the Higher front end setup - I tried 50mm oneup bars on it before I returned the bike and it was even better.
Given the longer rear end that comes with most of the Giants, a taller front could be a good move..
I am hearing a kenevo is hitting this year…
Capitalism just doesn’t work that way. It rewards fragmentation. If all speci sold was an epic and a stumpy I’d agree with you but damn do they make shed loads of nominally different bikes, with even more hair splitting versions on the way (new trail bike incoming to slot in between epic Evo and stumpy Evo…)
Hmm, but as I’m typing this I’m realizing I can see your perspective, wherein brands still have a lot of fragmentation and different bikes, but on the back end they are doing it with more overlap of parts, like Trek is doing (and status DH?) I guess capitalism does love that, virtual fragmentation with arbitrary distinctions between products.
I guess I was thinking about a truly modular bike, kinda geometron-esque but not as extreme.
Not a 1:1 analogy, but in terms of "virtual fragmentation with arbitrary distinctions between products," that was GM's bread and butter for 75+ years. Cadillac, Buick, Oldsmobile, Pontiac, and Chevrolet were almost identical vehicles with minor part and trim changes to make people feel like they were buying into an entirely different brand. So that method works: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Motors_companion_make_program
Now, on the one hand, you could say that's what every bike company does with trim levels (i.e. SLX, XT, XTR) but I think GM was doing something sneakier than that. The whole brand and product name changed. More like PON's brand portfolio, but if all the bikes were obviously the same bike. And GM buyers bought into this fantasy in droves.
There's the old joke, "What's the difference between a Chevy and a GMC? Lock washers."
Mmm great point connecting it with pon!
I'm taking this as confirmation that the Vala really is the prototype GT ebike that never saw production.
The covered Ari Dh bike looks like it could also be an enduro bike with a few of the enduro riders on them
The Vala doesn’t look much like this
Vala looks a lot more like the GT than every other Santa Cruz VPP...
Well they are both 4 bar horst link ebikes
Santa Cruz makes its first 4 bar horst bike shortly after GT calls it quits... 🤔
The non-vpp e bike was in the works years ago.
They realized vpp with a shock tunnel, battery and motor basically impossible to get a good frame package (long seat post insertion, water bottle etc)
That also culminated in gm needing a bailout. And without the tariff protection introduced it’s hard to believe they would have made it that long. And since Obama’s trade in deal removed 100,000 + working cars from the market. The used market has been terrible ever since.
I wouldn’t mind if they brought gt back just by making aluminum Santa Cruz’s with budget builds on the other hand. If the bikes are good and they bring back that gt vibe I think that’s a brand that is poised for a comeback with the right momentum behind it.
In the works for years... at GT??
Don't crush my conspiracy dreams 🤣
Interesting, I hadn’t heard anything about a new Kenevo, although I had heard rumours of a specialized long travel link that fits the levo 4 frame like the cascade one. It could be a whole new frame though. A lot of their models haven’t been updated in a long time, like the Demo and Enduro.
That’s a good way of putting it in regards to virtual fragmentation. Trek probably could of called the LX and MX a Remedy and Slash Jr, which might of been less confusing for the customer, but probably didn’t want to get accused of badge engineering like GM.