Slacker enters MTB market - See it at Sea Otter. PR belowSlacker Brings Its Battle-Tested Suspension Tool to MTB at Sea Otter Classic 2026After...
Slacker enters MTB market - See it at Sea Otter. PR below
Slacker Brings Its Battle-Tested Suspension Tool to MTB at Sea Otter Classic 2026 After a decade of trust in the dirt, street, and adventure motorcycle world, Slacker is finally coming to the mountain biking community! Come see this this game-changing suspension tool at booth Y36, April 16–19, Monterey, CA.
MURRIETA, CA — March 31, 2026 — Slacker LLC today announced they will be exhibiting at the Sea Otter Classic in Monterey, California, April 16–19, 2026. This marks Slacker's first public event since launching its MTB product on June 15th, 2025, and will feature the debut of the all-new Slacker Virtual Fender Kit for MTB alongside live demos of the full Slacker lineup. Visitors can find Slacker at Booth Y36 all four days of the event.
A Decade of Trust on Two Wheels
Slacker didn't start here. Since 2014, the Slacker digital suspension tuner has been the trusted suspension tuning tool of choice for dirt bike, street, and adventure bike riders around the world. Over the past decade, it has earned a loyal following among professional racers, suspension tuners, dealerships, and everyday riders who demand precision, not guesswork, when setting up their bikes. Now, that same proven technology is coming to mountain biking, and Sea Otter Classic is where it all begins.
Why Slacker Is Different
Most riders have never experienced truly dialed suspension. Not because they don't care, but because getting there has always been complicated , inaccurate, and required you to wait for someone to help. Slacker changes that completely.
Slacker measures at the axle, which means it automatically accounts for a bike's linkage and leverage ratios. Something tape measures, linkage sliders, and O-rings simply cannot do. The result is a precise, real-time sag percentage displayed directly on the handlebars, so the rider can precisely set their own suspension solo, without a helper holding the bike or interpreting numbers. And unlike other tools on the market, Slacker works just as well with a coil shock as it does with air, no compromises, no workarounds.
Mountain bikers have never had access to this level of precision at this level of simplicity. That changes now.
What's New: The Virtual Fender Kit for MTB
The Virtual Fender Kit is the latest innovation from Slacker, expanding the brand's suspension tuning platform into exciting new territory for MTB riders. Sea Otter will be the first opportunity for the mountain bike community to get hands-on with the system, with live demos running throughout the event.
Also, on display at the booth: • The Slacker Digital Suspension Tuner — Get a full demo of Slacker and both companion apps by the founder. • The Slacker Virtual Remote App — Free Bluetooth virtual remote display that lets you control Slacker functions and see measurements right on the bars. • The Motool Service Assistant App — A subscription bike setup and maintenance tracking app for motorcycles and MTB. Save all your bikes, baseline settings, setup notes, service logs and more.
Trusted by the Best in the Business
Slacker is already trusted by some of the most respected names in the MTB community, including Dakotah Norton, The Loam Wolf, Suntour, Forbidden Bikes, The Mark List, and a growing community of professional riders, suspension tuners, and bike parks worldwide. Sea Otter will be the first chance for the broader MTB community to experience firsthand why Slacker has become the go-to standard for precision suspension setup in less than a year.
Free Sag Setup Sessions with Founder Johny Casebeer
Founder and CEO Johny Casebeer will be at Booth Y36 all four days and will personally be running free sag setup sessions on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 10:00am to 11:00am. Bring your bike and find out what properly set suspension actually feels like and meet the inventor himself.
Giveaways, Goodie Bags, and a Raffle
Everyone who stops by the booth will receive a free goodie bag packed with: • Dakotah Norton posters • Slacker drink coolers • Slacker keychains
Visitors can also grab a raffle ticket for a chance to win a Slacker MTB Pro Suspension Tuning Kit. The drawing will be held at Booth Y36 on Saturday, April 18th at 3:00pm. You must be present and have your ticket to win.
A Message from the Founder
"We've spent over ten years earning the trust of dirt, street, and adventure riders by giving them something they'd never had before. We spent over two years developing this system with Dave Cerruti of Rulezman Suspension in Italy to bring the community a fast, precise, solo-friendly way to set their sag consistently every single ride." said Johny Casebeer, Founder and CEO of Slacker LLC. "Mountain bike riders deserve that same experience, and we're pumped to finally bring it to them. Come find us at Y36, bring your bike, and find out what your suspension has been missing."
Visit Slacker at Sea Otter Classic 2026 Booth: Y36 Dates: April 16–19, 2026 Location: Laguna Seca Recreation Area, Monterey, CA Free Sag Setup Sessions: Thursday, Friday & Saturday at 10:00am Raffle Drawing: Saturday, April 18th at 3:00pm at Booth Y36 Website: getslacker.com
About Slacker LLC: Since 2014, Slacker LLC has been producing the Slacker Digital Suspension Tuner, the precision suspension tuning tool trusted by professional riders, teams, suspension tuners, bike parks, and leading brands across dirt, street, and adventure riding worldwide. By measuring at the axle and delivering real-time sag percentages directly to the handlebars, Slacker makes perfect suspension setup fast, repeatable, and achievable by any rider on their own. Any bike, any shock, any time.
They were very careful to announce this on March 31st and not yesterday.
Fair enough. In that case, I likely stand corrected. I was thinking about the various mule shots and rumours in speculating that the new bike may...
Fair enough. In that case, I likely stand corrected. I was thinking about the various mule shots and rumours in speculating that the new bike may be forthcoming.
Out of curiosity, what, in your estimation, makes that bike particularly good for comparing one shock against another? Is there a quality of the suspension that makes the differences distinctly discernible?
Well, opinions are like (you get the drift...) so take mine with a grain of salt.
I think longer travel bikes are a better platform for comparing shock performance then shorter travel in general. As far as the nomad goes, the frame construction is well sorted to ensure no side loading of the shock and it does not change feel with a difference in shock construction (ie 10mm shock shaft vs 15-18mm, think previous gen to current gen dhx2). It has a middle of the road (moderate) amount of frame progressivity (linear progressive) and a rather middle of the road starting leverage ratio. The FC/RC (in most, if not all sizes) is a step short of Brian Cahal "goated" territory, so it's not off long chainstay gang by much, but also no where near short chainstay gang, again middle of the road with moderate chainstay growth. It doesn't require a dead nuts sag percentage and can be setup in a range of 28-33 to the riders liking, without truly throwing off the intended performance of the bike.
Basically, it's modern without being conservative. The kinematics and geo are rather middle of the road but still modern and nothing stands out as an outlier. It's basically a consistent platform that doesn't require an oddball shock tune, nor does it have any particulars or bad manners that would put any one shock at a disadvantage. For example, HBO or not, you can setup the shock to feel good without ending up at a weird spring rate. There likely isn't a situation where you would review a shock positively or negatively on a nomad, that would be so vastly different then on another platform. It's not going to be hard for people to extrapolate what that shock would be like on a forbidden, ibis ripmo or a specialized demo, if the base impressions were developed on a nomad.
Look at it this way, if you want to do a review of different ice cream toppings, blue moon icecream or orange sherbert are not the base ice cream you'd select. You would want a staple that is enjoyable on it's own, that doesn't taint the results. Think haagen-dazs vanilla. It's good without being boring and it won't ever steal the show. That's the nomad in a nutshell.
Hopefully it's a 130mm trail/all mountain bike. It's wild to me they have a 130mm ebike and not an analog bike. Tons of people in hills/metro...
Hopefully it's a 130mm trail/all mountain bike. It's wild to me they have a 130mm ebike and not an analog bike. Tons of people in hills/metro centers who are best served by a 130mm bike.
I was thinking about it last night that Specialized's lineup is super wacky and it's nice to see the most mainstream brand taking a little risk:
- 130mm ebike starting at $9k so not for greenway cruisers
- 145mm "trail" bike, but it's also used to race enduro!
- dual crown 170mm bike that's the perfect park bike and should be every rental fleet
- alloy XC bike that's exact right price for gravity riders, racer kids, or first time mtb buyers
- lightweight ebikes that can have their battery totally removed and be run on a range extender only
I've been on the Levo R a ton lately, and so far, the biggest takeaway is that it would be such a sick non-motorized bike. The...
I've been on the Levo R a ton lately, and so far, the biggest takeaway is that it would be such a sick non-motorized bike. The geo and travel numbers are pretty excellent, but the bike as a whole is totally ruined by the motor/battery and the excessive weight on the chassis.
If they can make the Levo R into a me-Bike, it would be such a ripper. Hopefully, we see that this month, but I'm not holding my breath.
Hopefully it's a 130mm trail/all mountain bike. It's wild to me they have a 130mm ebike and not an analog bike. Tons of people in hills/metro...
Hopefully it's a 130mm trail/all mountain bike. It's wild to me they have a 130mm ebike and not an analog bike. Tons of people in hills/metro centers who are best served by a 130mm bike.
I was thinking about it last night that Specialized's lineup is super wacky and it's nice to see the most mainstream brand taking a little risk:
- 130mm ebike starting at $9k so not for greenway cruisers
- 145mm "trail" bike, but it's also used to race enduro!
- dual crown 170mm bike that's the perfect park bike and should be every rental fleet
- alloy XC bike that's exact right price for gravity riders, racer kids, or first time mtb buyers
- lightweight ebikes that can have their battery totally removed and be run on a range extender only
I've been on the Levo R a ton lately, and so far, the biggest takeaway is that it would be such a sick non-motorized bike. The...
I've been on the Levo R a ton lately, and so far, the biggest takeaway is that it would be such a sick non-motorized bike. The geo and travel numbers are pretty excellent, but the bike as a whole is totally ruined by the motor/battery and the excessive weight on the chassis.
If they can make the Levo R into a me-Bike, it would be such a ripper. Hopefully, we see that this month, but I'm not holding my breath.
Short stroke SJ 15 and 140mm air spring up front, 90% the way there.
Well, opinions are like (you get the drift...) so take mine with a grain of salt. I think longer travel bikes are a better platform for...
Well, opinions are like (you get the drift...) so take mine with a grain of salt.
I think longer travel bikes are a better platform for comparing shock performance then shorter travel in general. As far as the nomad goes, the frame construction is well sorted to ensure no side loading of the shock and it does not change feel with a difference in shock construction (ie 10mm shock shaft vs 15-18mm, think previous gen to current gen dhx2). It has a middle of the road (moderate) amount of frame progressivity (linear progressive) and a rather middle of the road starting leverage ratio. The FC/RC (in most, if not all sizes) is a step short of Brian Cahal "goated" territory, so it's not off long chainstay gang by much, but also no where near short chainstay gang, again middle of the road with moderate chainstay growth. It doesn't require a dead nuts sag percentage and can be setup in a range of 28-33 to the riders liking, without truly throwing off the intended performance of the bike.
Basically, it's modern without being conservative. The kinematics and geo are rather middle of the road but still modern and nothing stands out as an outlier. It's basically a consistent platform that doesn't require an oddball shock tune, nor does it have any particulars or bad manners that would put any one shock at a disadvantage. For example, HBO or not, you can setup the shock to feel good without ending up at a weird spring rate. There likely isn't a situation where you would review a shock positively or negatively on a nomad, that would be so vastly different then on another platform. It's not going to be hard for people to extrapolate what that shock would be like on a forbidden, ibis ripmo or a specialized demo, if the base impressions were developed on a nomad.
Look at it this way, if you want to do a review of different ice cream toppings, blue moon icecream or orange sherbert are not the base ice cream you'd select. You would want a staple that is enjoyable on it's own, that doesn't taint the results. Think haagen-dazs vanilla. It's good without being boring and it won't ever steal the show. That's the nomad in a nutshell.
Arc'teryx has entered the mtb space, because you know, there just aren't enough premium brands trying to sell $350 riding pants and $500 jackets. lol
(For real, though, even though all of my Arc stuff is the best fitting stuff I have, 0/10 would not pay those prices for it. The only riding pants I'm willing to spend full price on is NF. 10/10 worth it)
Does anyone have any inkling on what Spesh will release for their allegedly imminent radial tires? Wondering if they will bring the tech to all sizes and models
Arc'teryx has entered the mtb space, because you know, there just aren't enough premium brands trying to sell $350 riding pants and $500 jackets. lol(For real...
Arc'teryx has entered the mtb space, because you know, there just aren't enough premium brands trying to sell $350 riding pants and $500 jackets. lol
(For real, though, even though all of my Arc stuff is the best fitting stuff I have, 0/10 would not pay those prices for it. The only riding pants I'm willing to spend full price on is NF. 10/10 worth it)
It would be entertaining if Arc' making bike gear was in retaliation for 7Mesh making non-bike stuff...
It would be entertaining if Arc' making bike gear was in retaliation for 7Mesh making non-bike stuff...
I would assume it's more of a customer/market segment where users will pay the premiums associated with goods/brand premiums. And boy oh boy does the bird love charging an absolute Brinks truck for any piece of gear, and customers line up to pay.
Economics, man.
From my perspective, it's cool to see the outerwear companies start to trickle into bikes. I've been really impressed with Outdoor Research's catalog and Patagonia is starting to make some good waves too.
But I'll stick to my akta gear. Shoutout the small guy.
For all the discussion on what Specialized is releasing - Reading on other forums, it seems like it is not a 130/140 trailbike (which I was hoping for), but a new, lighter, even more race focused Epic, without in-frame storage etc.
Only 2 years since the Epic 8 dropped, so it seems a bit early. But they are probably fast-tracking the drop for this new "epic 9" so they dont have to wait a year longer when they inevitably drop a 32" XC bike next time around.
I would assume it's more of a customer/market segment where users will pay the premiums associated with goods/brand premiums. And boy oh boy does the bird...
I would assume it's more of a customer/market segment where users will pay the premiums associated with goods/brand premiums. And boy oh boy does the bird love charging an absolute Brinks truck for any piece of gear, and customers line up to pay.
Economics, man.
From my perspective, it's cool to see the outerwear companies start to trickle into bikes. I've been really impressed with Outdoor Research's catalog and Patagonia is starting to make some good waves too.
But I'll stick to my akta gear. Shoutout the small guy.
I am finding that the products from outdoor gear companies branching out into bike is often better than that from traditional bike brands. I'm a big fan of my OR jerseys and gloves, and I have some Patagonia bike shorts that are ~6 years old and still awesome (plus a couple pairs of their pants that are only like a year old but my favorites). My theory is they actually employ actual garment designers that do the sport, rather than contract it out to a garment contract factory in Asia where the designer's never actually biked but will happily slap a logo and make a few minor changes to something in their catalog. I finally got my first Arc ski jacket this year after getting jealous of my wife's (and a lifetime of buying cheaper stuff every few years and ultimately being disappointed). I'm sure they have a very specific audience who is very passionate about the sport and appreciate execution details and a long product lifespan.
I would assume it's more of a customer/market segment where users will pay the premiums associated with goods/brand premiums. And boy oh boy does the bird...
I would assume it's more of a customer/market segment where users will pay the premiums associated with goods/brand premiums. And boy oh boy does the bird love charging an absolute Brinks truck for any piece of gear, and customers line up to pay.
Economics, man.
From my perspective, it's cool to see the outerwear companies start to trickle into bikes. I've been really impressed with Outdoor Research's catalog and Patagonia is starting to make some good waves too.
But I'll stick to my akta gear. Shoutout the small guy.
I am finding that the products from outdoor gear companies branching out into bike is often better than that from traditional bike brands. I'm a big...
I am finding that the products from outdoor gear companies branching out into bike is often better than that from traditional bike brands. I'm a big fan of my OR jerseys and gloves, and I have some Patagonia bike shorts that are ~6 years old and still awesome (plus a couple pairs of their pants that are only like a year old but my favorites). My theory is they actually employ actual garment designers that do the sport, rather than contract it out to a garment contract factory in Asia where the designer's never actually biked but will happily slap a logo and make a few minor changes to something in their catalog. I finally got my first Arc ski jacket this year after getting jealous of my wife's (and a lifetime of buying cheaper stuff every few years and ultimately being disappointed). I'm sure they have a very specific audience who is very passionate about the sport and appreciate execution details and a long product lifespan.
I hate my patagonia dirt roamer shorts for riding. Worst pocket layout.
Does anyone have any inkling on what Spesh will release for their allegedly imminent radial tires? Wondering if they will bring the tech to all sizes...
Does anyone have any inkling on what Spesh will release for their allegedly imminent radial tires? Wondering if they will bring the tech to all sizes and models
Was discussed in this thread a page or two back and tire thread numerous times. Release looking like next week or the following. Dark web saying only Butcher and Eliminator for this initial release (unfortunately). Likely won't see them this year on the Cannibal and Hillbilly since Specialized Factory Racing gets 1 year exclusive to tire tech, before public.
I would assume it's more of a customer/market segment where users will pay the premiums associated with goods/brand premiums. And boy oh boy does the bird...
I would assume it's more of a customer/market segment where users will pay the premiums associated with goods/brand premiums. And boy oh boy does the bird love charging an absolute Brinks truck for any piece of gear, and customers line up to pay.
Economics, man.
From my perspective, it's cool to see the outerwear companies start to trickle into bikes. I've been really impressed with Outdoor Research's catalog and Patagonia is starting to make some good waves too.
But I'll stick to my akta gear. Shoutout the small guy.
I am finding that the products from outdoor gear companies branching out into bike is often better than that from traditional bike brands. I'm a big...
I am finding that the products from outdoor gear companies branching out into bike is often better than that from traditional bike brands. I'm a big fan of my OR jerseys and gloves, and I have some Patagonia bike shorts that are ~6 years old and still awesome (plus a couple pairs of their pants that are only like a year old but my favorites). My theory is they actually employ actual garment designers that do the sport, rather than contract it out to a garment contract factory in Asia where the designer's never actually biked but will happily slap a logo and make a few minor changes to something in their catalog. I finally got my first Arc ski jacket this year after getting jealous of my wife's (and a lifetime of buying cheaper stuff every few years and ultimately being disappointed). I'm sure they have a very specific audience who is very passionate about the sport and appreciate execution details and a long product lifespan.
I hate my patagonia dirt roamer shorts for riding. Worst pocket layout.
I think my shorts are the Landfarer... they have a drop-in phone pocket and a couple of thigh pockets good for gloves, glasses wipe, etc. Them and the pants have a nice stretchy fabric that doesn't tear in crashes or when a tire buzzes the butt.
Well, opinions are like (you get the drift...) so take mine with a grain of salt. I think longer travel bikes are a better platform for...
Well, opinions are like (you get the drift...) so take mine with a grain of salt.
I think longer travel bikes are a better platform for comparing shock performance then shorter travel in general. As far as the nomad goes, the frame construction is well sorted to ensure no side loading of the shock and it does not change feel with a difference in shock construction (ie 10mm shock shaft vs 15-18mm, think previous gen to current gen dhx2). It has a middle of the road (moderate) amount of frame progressivity (linear progressive) and a rather middle of the road starting leverage ratio. The FC/RC (in most, if not all sizes) is a step short of Brian Cahal "goated" territory, so it's not off long chainstay gang by much, but also no where near short chainstay gang, again middle of the road with moderate chainstay growth. It doesn't require a dead nuts sag percentage and can be setup in a range of 28-33 to the riders liking, without truly throwing off the intended performance of the bike.
Basically, it's modern without being conservative. The kinematics and geo are rather middle of the road but still modern and nothing stands out as an outlier. It's basically a consistent platform that doesn't require an oddball shock tune, nor does it have any particulars or bad manners that would put any one shock at a disadvantage. For example, HBO or not, you can setup the shock to feel good without ending up at a weird spring rate. There likely isn't a situation where you would review a shock positively or negatively on a nomad, that would be so vastly different then on another platform. It's not going to be hard for people to extrapolate what that shock would be like on a forbidden, ibis ripmo or a specialized demo, if the base impressions were developed on a nomad.
Look at it this way, if you want to do a review of different ice cream toppings, blue moon icecream or orange sherbert are not the base ice cream you'd select. You would want a staple that is enjoyable on it's own, that doesn't taint the results. Think haagen-dazs vanilla. It's good without being boring and it won't ever steal the show. That's the nomad in a nutshell.
Love your answer and I agree.
I'll also add that the current Nomad and recently updated Bronson have dramatically lower levels of PK and Anti-Squat compared to the outgoing Nomad and current Megatower, which makes them worse for testing PK devices but better for testing shocks. PK creates a lot of suspension "noise" that can make it hard to isolate what's coming from the shock and what's coming from the brake or freehub. Another reason why the current Nomad would be a good platform for shock testing.
For all the discussion on what Specialized is releasing - Reading on other forums, it seems like it is not a 130/140 trailbike (which I was...
For all the discussion on what Specialized is releasing - Reading on other forums, it seems like it is not a 130/140 trailbike (which I was hoping for), but a new, lighter, even more race focused Epic, without in-frame storage etc.
Only 2 years since the Epic 8 dropped, so it seems a bit early. But they are probably fast-tracking the drop for this new "epic 9" so they dont have to wait a year longer when they inevitably drop a 32" XC bike next time around.
Exactly what I'm waiting for. Something like a Chisel FS 32
They conclude that 32"-wheels are over 30% less stiff than 29"-wheels and thus require a different hub standard with wider flange spacing. Thicker gauge spokes or increased spoke count apparently unable to solve the stiffness problem.
Cross-post from the 32" forum thread:Wheel- and component manufacturer Newmen has some interesting, fact-based opinions on 32" wheels after doing some lab testing: https://www.newmen-components.de/en/32-InchThey conclude...
Cross-post from the 32" forum thread:
Wheel- and component manufacturer Newmen has some interesting, fact-based opinions on 32" wheels after doing some lab testing:
They conclude that 32"-wheels are over 30% less stiff than 29"-wheels and thus require a different hub standard with wider flange spacing. Thicker gauge spokes or increased spoke count apparently unable to solve the stiffness problem.
Question is does "less stiff" mean "not stiff enough"?
I have too many bikes, so for one of them I bought an enve 142/100 wheelset for a steal and I use spacers. Full 29. It's not anywhere near "too flexy"
Cross-post from the 32" forum thread:Wheel- and component manufacturer Newmen has some interesting, fact-based opinions on 32" wheels after doing some lab testing: https://www.newmen-components.de/en/32-InchThey conclude...
Cross-post from the 32" forum thread:
Wheel- and component manufacturer Newmen has some interesting, fact-based opinions on 32" wheels after doing some lab testing:
They conclude that 32"-wheels are over 30% less stiff than 29"-wheels and thus require a different hub standard with wider flange spacing. Thicker gauge spokes or increased spoke count apparently unable to solve the stiffness problem.
32” bikes gonna to be running super boost. You heard it here first.
PB has a new review of the EXT Vecta up today. In it, the author mentions that he's running it on a Nomad. It seems unlikely...
PB has a new review of the EXT Vecta up today. In it, the author mentions that he's running it on a Nomad. It seems unlikely that he's running a years-old frame. Perhaps we'll see the new Nomad in reasonably short order, as it seems unlikely that he mentioned that detail accidentally.
Matt Beer rides a nomad 6. That has been their go-to for shock testing since they completed their "shock week" series of testing 3ish years ago...
Matt Beer rides a nomad 6. That has been their go-to for shock testing since they completed their "shock week" series of testing 3ish years ago. There are rumors of a new long travel SC bike and there have been spy shots of some aluminum vpp mules.
Fwiw, I have a nomad 6 and I've done a lot of shock testing on it myself (5 different shocks) and it is a great platform for shock testing for a variety of reasons.
Well it's confirmed (by email),RMU (Rocky Mountain Underground, the ski company) is making a bike (with DW)That likely explains the aluminium not-a-pivot we saw some time...
Well it's confirmed (by email),
RMU (Rocky Mountain Underground, the ski company) is making a bike (with DW)
That likely explains the aluminium not-a-pivot we saw some time ago (photos in this thread).
For all the discussion on what Specialized is releasing - Reading on other forums, it seems like it is not a 130/140 trailbike (which I was...
For all the discussion on what Specialized is releasing - Reading on other forums, it seems like it is not a 130/140 trailbike (which I was hoping for), but a new, lighter, even more race focused Epic, without in-frame storage etc.
Only 2 years since the Epic 8 dropped, so it seems a bit early. But they are probably fast-tracking the drop for this new "epic 9" so they dont have to wait a year longer when they inevitably drop a 32" XC bike next time around.
I heard from someone today that the epic will be 32 but the epic Evo will remain 29. They hinted that the third will be the new demo
Well it's confirmed (by email),RMU (Rocky Mountain Underground, the ski company) is making a bike (with DW)That likely explains the aluminium not-a-pivot we saw some time...
Well it's confirmed (by email),
RMU (Rocky Mountain Underground, the ski company) is making a bike (with DW)
That likely explains the aluminium not-a-pivot we saw some time ago (photos in this thread).
They were very careful to announce this on March 31st and not yesterday.
Well, opinions are like (you get the drift...) so take mine with a grain of salt.
I think longer travel bikes are a better platform for comparing shock performance then shorter travel in general. As far as the nomad goes, the frame construction is well sorted to ensure no side loading of the shock and it does not change feel with a difference in shock construction (ie 10mm shock shaft vs 15-18mm, think previous gen to current gen dhx2). It has a middle of the road (moderate) amount of frame progressivity (linear progressive) and a rather middle of the road starting leverage ratio. The FC/RC (in most, if not all sizes) is a step short of Brian Cahal "goated" territory, so it's not off long chainstay gang by much, but also no where near short chainstay gang, again middle of the road with moderate chainstay growth. It doesn't require a dead nuts sag percentage and can be setup in a range of 28-33 to the riders liking, without truly throwing off the intended performance of the bike.
Basically, it's modern without being conservative. The kinematics and geo are rather middle of the road but still modern and nothing stands out as an outlier. It's basically a consistent platform that doesn't require an oddball shock tune, nor does it have any particulars or bad manners that would put any one shock at a disadvantage. For example, HBO or not, you can setup the shock to feel good without ending up at a weird spring rate. There likely isn't a situation where you would review a shock positively or negatively on a nomad, that would be so vastly different then on another platform. It's not going to be hard for people to extrapolate what that shock would be like on a forbidden, ibis ripmo or a specialized demo, if the base impressions were developed on a nomad.
Look at it this way, if you want to do a review of different ice cream toppings, blue moon icecream or orange sherbert are not the base ice cream you'd select. You would want a staple that is enjoyable on it's own, that doesn't taint the results. Think haagen-dazs vanilla. It's good without being boring and it won't ever steal the show. That's the nomad in a nutshell.
how is that not just the stumpjumper 15?
Short stroke SJ 15 and 140mm air spring up front, 90% the way there.
Well it's confirmed (by email),
RMU (Rocky Mountain Underground, the ski company) is making a bike (with DW)
That likely explains the aluminium not-a-pivot we saw some time ago (photos in this thread).
Well done folks, it was figured out here first
Thank you, that was an excellent explanation.
Arc'teryx has entered the mtb space, because you know, there just aren't enough premium brands trying to sell $350 riding pants and $500 jackets. lol
(For real, though, even though all of my Arc stuff is the best fitting stuff I have, 0/10 would not pay those prices for it. The only riding pants I'm willing to spend full price on is NF. 10/10 worth it)
Does anyone have any inkling on what Spesh will release for their allegedly imminent radial tires? Wondering if they will bring the tech to all sizes and models
It would be entertaining if Arc' making bike gear was in retaliation for 7Mesh making non-bike stuff...
I would assume it's more of a customer/market segment where users will pay the premiums associated with goods/brand premiums. And boy oh boy does the bird love charging an absolute Brinks truck for any piece of gear, and customers line up to pay.
Economics, man.
From my perspective, it's cool to see the outerwear companies start to trickle into bikes. I've been really impressed with Outdoor Research's catalog and Patagonia is starting to make some good waves too.
But I'll stick to my akta gear. Shoutout the small guy.
on the expensive pants note, a new "does anyone ride in non-MTB pants" thread got going here and it's pretty interesting the responses so far - https://www.vitalmtb.com/forums/hub/who-rides-pants-arent-specific-mtb-pants
For all the discussion on what Specialized is releasing - Reading on other forums, it seems like it is not a 130/140 trailbike (which I was hoping for), but a new, lighter, even more race focused Epic, without in-frame storage etc.
Only 2 years since the Epic 8 dropped, so it seems a bit early. But they are probably fast-tracking the drop for this new "epic 9" so they dont have to wait a year longer when they inevitably drop a 32" XC bike next time around.
I am finding that the products from outdoor gear companies branching out into bike is often better than that from traditional bike brands. I'm a big fan of my OR jerseys and gloves, and I have some Patagonia bike shorts that are ~6 years old and still awesome (plus a couple pairs of their pants that are only like a year old but my favorites). My theory is they actually employ actual garment designers that do the sport, rather than contract it out to a garment contract factory in Asia where the designer's never actually biked but will happily slap a logo and make a few minor changes to something in their catalog. I finally got my first Arc ski jacket this year after getting jealous of my wife's (and a lifetime of buying cheaper stuff every few years and ultimately being disappointed). I'm sure they have a very specific audience who is very passionate about the sport and appreciate execution details and a long product lifespan.
I hate my patagonia dirt roamer shorts for riding. Worst pocket layout.
Was discussed in this thread a page or two back and tire thread numerous times.
Release looking like next week or the following.
Dark web saying only Butcher and Eliminator for this initial release (unfortunately). Likely won't see them this year on the Cannibal and Hillbilly since Specialized Factory Racing gets 1 year exclusive to tire tech, before public.
I think my shorts are the Landfarer... they have a drop-in phone pocket and a couple of thigh pockets good for gloves, glasses wipe, etc. Them and the pants have a nice stretchy fabric that doesn't tear in crashes or when a tire buzzes the butt.
Love your answer and I agree.
I'll also add that the current Nomad and recently updated Bronson have dramatically lower levels of PK and Anti-Squat compared to the outgoing Nomad and current Megatower, which makes them worse for testing PK devices but better for testing shocks. PK creates a lot of suspension "noise" that can make it hard to isolate what's coming from the shock and what's coming from the brake or freehub. Another reason why the current Nomad would be a good platform for shock testing.
Exactly what I'm waiting for. Something like a Chisel FS 32
DJI pivot incoming
Cross-post from the 32" forum thread:
Wheel- and component manufacturer Newmen has some interesting, fact-based opinions on 32" wheels after doing some lab testing:
https://www.newmen-components.de/en/32-Inch
They conclude that 32"-wheels are over 30% less stiff than 29"-wheels and thus require a different hub standard with wider flange spacing. Thicker gauge spokes or increased spoke count apparently unable to solve the stiffness problem.
Question is does "less stiff" mean "not stiff enough"?
I have too many bikes, so for one of them I bought an enve 142/100 wheelset for a steal and I use spacers. Full 29. It's not anywhere near "too flexy"
Pivot must think that EMTB motors are like Pokemon... gotta catch 'em all!
Shimano EP8, Fazua 60, Bosch CX 5, Bosch SX, Avinox M2... only ones they've missed are the TQs.
32” bikes gonna to be running super boost. You heard it here first.
Doesn't Matt Beers ride for Specialized?
Edit: my bad - two different people. ;-)
What's the over/under on the DJI pivot base model price?
I heard from someone today that the epic will be 32 but the epic Evo will remain 29. They hinted that the third will be the new demo
The caption to that reel says “RMU 🤝 D.W.” for even more confirmation.
The inverted fork from Cane Creek will be 15x110 stock
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