All

it is my educated opinion, after looking at the photos, overlaying in linkage, assessing & comparing the kinematics with my extensive catalogue of images of Sam Hill, numerous CAD reverse engineering and plugging the outputs into my google supercomputer I have come to the conclusion that BIKE LOOKS FUCKIN SICK!

When I see bikes like that (and the new Pivot, Demo, intense etc.) it makes me appreciate what Neko is doing with Frameworks even more.

Bernard Kerr is TEAM ROBOT's consensus 2023 Hardline World Champion for being the first (and only?) one to do a full practice run in those windy and wet conditions, including both 90 foot gaps. Give him the gold medal.

It's too bad Hardline had to be canceled, but I am thankful for the entertainment provided by the rider made content. Why is it that Hardline escapes all the safety criticisms from the riders that the Work Cup events receive? Not one tree pad in site. No safety netting. B-Zone is typically instant death from top to bottom. And the speeds have to be utterly insane to clear those gaps.

LOAM ALERT! I am enjoying a couple days in Andorra, and the crew at Vallnord have been working on some new sections for the World Cup track. Looks good and raw. Not ultra steep, but enough to make the section interesting, should be plenty of lines. The previous track will always be better for me, but you can't argue this guys are putting in the work. Looks sick.

Yea agreed such a great project. Hire the two best US DH racers, and give it your best shot at giving them the fastest gravity machine possible all while sharing the process with the fanboys and haters. Took some guts.

From Steber's tweet, it also sounds like weldable 3D printed aluminum wasn't an option until now. Which would support your point that CNC then 3D printing was the only option. I think it's been awesome getting to see this product development process play out in real time out in the open. Lots of popcorn.

Yes similar linkage layout, definitely not same kinematics, whatever that word means. I guess it’s a term meaning the overall affect suspension design on shock leverage ratio, anti squat, anti rise, and pedal kickback. Concerning the CNC to 3D printing of the 6000 Al BB/shock tunnel, as someone who worked in manufacturing/machining for many years, I can think of a lot of scenarios where machining them first then transitioning to 3d printing was the logical or possibly only solution.

What about knowledge and they have gained over the last year. My bet is that their interpretation of how kinematics translates into real world performance has gone up massively. That they could have just copied a demo/sender (but added an idler) and gotten the same results is pretty short sighted imo. Not to mention that suspension kinematics is only part of the equation, what about chassis flex, and geo?

Those look a lot like fox compression valves on that vs proto shock. Obviously it's still in testing phase, and if he is using the dhx2 valves, it's out of convenience in order to dial in the architecture. Either way, I'm really interested in seeing what exactly Steve is trying to better/improve with his rear shock. I'm stoked to try that thing out. I had a vorsprung tractive tuned super deluxe ultimate coil (that's a mouthful) on my v1 megatower that I just recently replaced with an 11/6. The 11/6 is better... by a very slim margin. Let's call it...

I can confirm a read a comment reply from Vorsprung on IG that said available Q1 of 2024. I’m definitely interested to try the shock. I really appreciate Steve’s attention to detail and all the information he produces on YouTube. But yes, what does he plan to do differently than what’s available on the market? I feel like they wouldn’t put out a shock unless it does something better than what’s available.

File the “backsweep” topic right next to the “should your handlebars be the same height as your seat when it’s fully extended” topic. These are not tech rumors. These are subjective, personal preference, opinions based on anecdotal evidence. Enough.

Can't believe so many people had a negative reaction to your post. You stated the facts. Everyone hates Captain Obvious when he doesn't fit their argument. You point out that yes there is a doctor on site. You point out the infinite number of obstacles. The bush is a perfect example of how impossible "reducing hazards" is impossible. Witnessed a 24hr MTB race participant 500 yards from a finish line fall over & puncture his lung & have to be heli-vaced. He fell over and inside a bush a limb had been trimmed. Normal lawn maintenance item on a shrub...

Im a huge fan of the sport and all but damn I feel like a ton of riders are complaining about everything constantly. Complaining about the tracks about the format, even some riders openly complaining about their bikes. I get that they have reasons for complaining especially with all the new changes but damn it gets kind of tiring as a fan watching. They supposedly have this riders union, they need to organize and use that union to try to make some changes. I dont think slight digs on every interview and instagram post is going to help much to...

POV w/ hauser slaying the fresh track this morn!

Dak updates

A couple of things that have come up for me regarding courses and rider safety. I'm always saddened to see a rider injured. When it's someone as fast and high profile as Amaury Pierron the situation brings a lot of attention from fans, although this stuff probably happens more than many of us realize. AMBA just signed our contract with US Forest Service for a series of DH trails here, so some of this stuff is at the front of my mind. USFS separates "hazards" from "risk". That pile of logs and branches just off the trail is a good...