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All the office workers on the Vital forums are getting their scheudenfruede rocks off watching the influencers go back to desk jobs:

I respectfully disagree with your observation that influencers aren't effective. While it's true there are some cringy/hacky influencers that make me want to stab my eyeballs out, there's an enormous audience for outdoor content that isn't quite journalism. People love a good yarn, and at their core, that's what influencers are selling. It can be done poorly, but it can also be done well. For instance, Seth pouring Johnson's baby oil in his brakes and testing them for a year. It's not journalism, I know it's a paid ad for Diamondback, but still... I'd buy that for a dollar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63VIuPiX3CA&t=234s...

Different seat height every time I extend the dropper, and having to micro-tune seat height with the lever every time? Hard pass, for me and especially for beginner riders.

^this. You can always ride with a “too short” dropper but you physically can’t pedal a bike with too long of a dropper. It’s better to allow people to ride their bike out of the box. Keep in mind the majority of people don’t care about a super long dropper, and that majority also doesn’t have the wherewithal to deal with finding a substitute post. Whereas, you keeners have the capacity to sort that out easily to get a longer dropper. I just bought a medium bike with a dropper that was too long to ride and it took weeks...

I’m just under 5’11 and have massive amounts of seatpost showing on my s3 Enduro. But I agree, they should come with the shorter posts rather than the absolute max. We can all ride with a saddle that doesn’t quite drop as much as “you’d” like, but you sure as hell can’t ride a bike with a seatpost is too long. Showing my age but I was riding before droppers - they never stopped us having fun. I can’t think of a single bike on the market that doesn’t have at least a 100mm drop. If you can’t ride with...

Problem is, we don't have a system of defining this. There are a number of factors that affect how much drop you can run. Ive got a 210 oneup in my large santa cruz (at 6'0"). got at least 50-60mm showing above the collar. that bike could have a 2 inch longer seat tube and I would be all "slammed seatpost brah".... but with no functional difference for me at my height. eventually, with the SC shock tunnel, I will be limited by insertion depth. whether thats with a longer drop or with an add on actuator. but that frame...

Looks killer. For shocks.

how exactly does that "legacy" makes better today bikes?

Wasn't she in Transformers?

Correct, close the opposite end of where you're trying to pull a vacuum. With the syringe vertical hold the slight vacuum and you'll see bubbles rise past the "surface" of the fluid in the syringe. Poof, gone forever I mostly tap on the syringe with the oil level below the tube/fitting to move the bubbles up and let them sit for a few minutes before use too. Then slowly advance the fluid through the tube to the fitting. That seems to get most out and keep it out

Am I crazy or does this all sound waaay more complex and annoying than running a cable?

So the battery at the seat rail clamp is too bulky, around the middle of the post is ugly, and hidden at the bottom is inconvenient. I'm sure someone would pay good money for another idea of where else to put it.

Seeing as the big Ali E got their hands on the last one, it was certainly time to release an updated version. I know its seemingly inevitable but it probably drives the little guys to keep making products in some capacity. Interesting to hear about what Trek reps are telling people these days. On my end of things I head Trek bullied the ever loving shit out of suppliers to put them at the front of the line at the expense of many smaller manufacturer's orders. But the Trek rep certainly put better than that! I don't think they're unique...

Scale, simply scale Trek doing a limited run of steel bikes, that they prototype, test, R&D, blah blah blah is going to be the same money as a boutique builder, its not likely to be a mass market, asia produced bike, so theres no scaling available to eat the associated costs. Id be willing to bet, its one of the most expensive mountain bikes they make, if they put it out.

Ahhh his Messi point is silly because it's the SECOND bullet, not the FIRST. 🤣 The more this guy posts in defense of WBD, the more I'm convinced it's Ball's burner account.

OTB podcast just dropped an interview with Lachie Stevens-Mcnabb. No juicy team rumours but that kid has a good head on his shoulders. So many references to we or the team or The Union - obviously aware of the support and role of the team to get him to where he is.

For similar money you could go to any number of boutique steel bike mfg's and get a custom sized steel bike, that would be infinitely cooler than any Trek would ever be. Support those little guys out there making rad stuff