All

It is super bike/terrain/rider dependent, but from my most recent experience with throwing together an old Cove Shocker to ride: First day of park riding I spent some time bracket dialing in the suspension but found my riding position was a bit too hunched over even with 50mm rise, 800mm wide bars. Next time I went up, I changed to some 75mm rise, 785mm width bars. I took a bunch of lsc out of the fork (old coil 40, so no air pressure change) added a click or two more of HSC and I think I sped up the rebound...

Rad Trek vid recapping Riley Amos and Gwendalyn Gibson's season!

I found balance is super important in a high rise setup, but you are on the right track with softer front and slightly firmer rear. I found I can run less LSC in the fork. What you need to look out for on a long wheelbase high stack setup is porpoising in chunk. This is where having that F/R balance is important. A long Rear centre will amplify things a bit. once you get it dialled, it's a magic feeling. You stand tall, turn with your hips and have a strong leg based body position that absorbs big hits better...

Ella Svegby has shared her battle with anorexia and why she hasn't raced over the last two years, signing off with a planned comeback to racing next season.

If we want something to talk about, my newswire probably has something. From this week... -Shimano raises its outlook as inventories clear -Bosch is moving its mobility unit to a wholly owned subsidiary starting in about 1 year. CEO Christian Fischer cited growing pressure from Asian competitors -Garmin's fitness segment is crushing; 33% operating margin produced $231M of operating income -Bids for Lapierre were due yesterday by noon. -Another China brand enters worldtour level sponsor...TotalEnergies dropped Cube for Pardus (never heard of them) for a 3 year deal. -VF Corp beat Q2 guidance, reaffirmed the FY guidance but inventories rose...

💯💯💯 The politics bullshit is getting thick here. I involve myself with bicycles specifically as something that is fun vs. all the divisive bullshit in the world today. Carry the political discussion someplace else.

You guys are welcome to keep debating this stuff, but I'd prefer it didn't happen here. I recognize that politics impacts the bike industry, and discussing those impacts objectively is absolutely fair game. But turning this thread into a debate over how terrible one politician or another is on the world stage isn't really where I hoped the conversation would go. There's plenty of room for that elsewhere.

Where are you looking for durability? Different options for different needs. You can go lighter and still have great durability, but there's always a tradeoff between ultimate abrasion resistance and weight/comfort/heat. I designed Abit Gear pants for everything below except the heavy fabric. NF has good options if you want the pants equivalent of DH tires. Things that make long-lasting pants/shorts: -Waist adjuster (velcro clogging or wearing out): Get something that doesn't use velcro. - Stitching and zips (most common failure): Find pants with YKK Zips and heavier nylon thread. Key stitches at the back need to be a stretch...

if it wasn't clear in the broadcast, only one bike could be used on race day, riders could not switch bikes. some riders (asa, jake, mitch and others i think), trained on ebikes to get laps but used regular bikes for the race. i heard asa say "i can corner better on my frameworks," so there were definite trade offs depending on bike choice. at the test/qualifying races climbing was supposed to be scored, not sure why they decided against it for finals. the climb has to be attempted by all competitors if they want to get an overall score...

I do somewhat agree that Western NC is a bit pricey, but compared to a lot of other outdoor destination areas its really not that bad. Sadly, housing cost are what they are these days. The greater Asheville area seems really solid on a number of levels. Economy seems pretty solid, especially compared to other south eastern Appalachia areas, and culturally it has quite a lot to offer. Also you have easy access to more great riding the mid Atlantic and northeast! My wife and I are looking to move there in the next year or so, looking more towards...

This photo symbolizes everything about Intense Cycles. It's speaks to their legacy coming from Palmer into the modern era. The color scheme I wore as a grassroots racer for them. The same color combo & styling patterns in my kit and the pros kits were recognized instantly. Racers gave you respect & admired your equipment. Steber appreciated every racer for his brand individually. What I see: Spy - the crossover moto brand that McGrath & Palmer grew into iconic status. Intense Shoes - Five Ten "Tennie" approach shoes Steber took a chance on believing in Stealth Rubber to the extent...

Hey, we sure think so! Of course we are a biased as we created this kit do prevent damage and make cleaning easier. Not only does it protect and preserve your paint to keep the bike looking fresh, it also helps resale value. Our kits also have hydrophobic properties which our customers really like as it makes cleaning super easy. Ridewrap kits have a 10 year guarantee against any cracking or yellowing from UV exposure. There is going to be impacts which unfortunately do make it through but most don't which come from storage, shuttling, bikepark lifts etc...

Yeah I think you gotta consider that wherever you go there's (usually) gonna be an inverse ratio for cheapness and quality of trails. Finding that sweet spot is difficult and depends on what you value more. That being said, there are loads of spots in the Southeast that are pretty great. If you're ok with ~an hour of travel for your weekend rides, just pick a spot with decent local trails that's within an hour or two of Asheville, Knoxville, etc. Or WV. Lots of good stuff out here and if you hunt around there's reasonable housing. I'll throw out...

Housing prices in WNC are nuts

What's the crime rate for " gun-toting Christian Nationalists"?

Regardless of where it is I would also personally prioritize being able to ride directly from home. It's amazing to have most all of your rides start and finish from the garage. That is a massive quality of life perk that I don't think people realize just how good it is.

I would be curious to see how Shimano BL-M4100 levers fare in a Shaven setup. After spending too much time reading about Shigura setups this fall, I stumbled upon a German thread in which people were advocating for the cheaper, non-servowave levers for a more linear feel with good power. The more expensive non-servowave, XTR Race levers lack the power to really drive the calipers in a heavier-duty setup, but that's not an issue with these due to long levers producing high leverage. I now have a few days on a new Shigura setup (BL-M4100 + MT5 + Redline Likewater...

In 2013 I bought my house for $130k (still live here). My closest local trail has 2200 feet of vert, with several more in that range just a few min away. The trail that I ride from my office parking lot has over 3k of vert. All of it excellent Enduro style riding. Since then my house has tripled in price. Its a shame that kids who grew up in this place cannot return from college and afford to live in the town they grew up in.

I moved to Knoxville from Denver 5 years ago. Zero regrets. The west is great for looking at gorgeous mountains and for having over 300 days of rain-free riding per year. But the trails, campsites, and cool towns are hella crowded. Also, the toll of climate change on the Rockies is real, and the winters keep getting shorter and drier, and the smoke is getting more constant. I mean, we are all contributing to that, no matter where you live, with our car-centered life. But when you are literally driving out 70, into the mountains to have fun, and that...