I got the E line Knee guards and I'm sold. I don't take them off for climbs and I've had a few spills where they have stayed in place and kept me safe. I'm telling all my friends to get them.

I had the old basic G-Form pads and they would fall apart on any substantial crash. The pad would just tear off the eg warmer portion. I got several crash replacements but moved on. I've tried a bunch of others too and the E line are the best.

I think you are spot on. I would not hesitate to buy or recommend an entry level bike with Deore and then upgrade parts as they wear out. That entry level Rocky Mountain with Deore, for example, looks amazing. I would not buy a bike with NX, and certainly not SX.

I have XT cassette/shifter with SLX derailleur on one bike and GX Cassette/derailleur with an X01 shifter on the other to compare. I find the shift action smoother and lighter on the XT, but I actually think that the shifts on the Sram set actually feels more positive and the chain feels like it is locking into place better with each shift. It's a bit hard to describe, but it seems like the hyperglide cassette lets the chain move up and down easier, but the Sram shifter feels like it has more distinct clicks for each shift. I tried the GX cassette on the XT group and it felt pretty mediocre (while still building the XT wheel up). I am going to try the XT cassette with the Sram set and see if that hits the sweet spot. It would be nice to be able to use a cheaper and lighter XT cassette with my Sram group once I wear out the current cassette.

Sounds like you should build your own bike. I just built my first bike from a frame and won't buy stock again. It wasn't cheaper, but I get what I want and get to build it. That adds value to me. If you do a budget build, you can save money over stock prices, but it takes a lot of time and research.

For someone else building a bike and searching for parts may not be their idea of a good time. They would rather just work their regular job, pay someone else to put their bike together, and spend their limited free time riding it.

Another advantage of the DPX2 over the Float X2 is that it is way easier to service. I looked at the Float X2 service manual when considering one, and lost interest.

My RC wildcats have a velcro strap and laces. Been riding them for a year and very impressed.

I just use an actual toothbrush. Seems to work for the chain.

Test rode one of those and really liked it. Got a patrol instead and seems like that was the right call. This new one looks like it may be the next bike for me though

What is the operation taking place in the last picture? It almost looks like pedal threads being cut from the back side of a crank, but that doesn't quite make sense since the tool doesn't seem to go all the way through and is being left in the threads for the next step?

I saw that and that is what I will do next time for sure. I wanted to try doing it myself since I already had some heli tape in my workshop, but hindsight being 20/20 the Covered Protection kit would have been better.