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ebruner Added a reply to E-bike talk: not tech rumor derailment
3/3/2026 10:52am I have a gen 5 bosch cx and my wife has a bosch sx. The sx motors are plenty powerful enough if you're not riding with a ground of full power people. The SX motors however, are quite loud both with gear/motor whine and with sprag clutch clacking on baby head sized trail undulations. That being said, if those things...
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ebruner Added a reply to E-bike talk: not tech rumor derailment
3/2/2026 4:18pm these are good questions... I have opinions of my own based on my own preferences and experiences. What your questions tell me, is that you aren't ready to buy an ebike right now, and you need to spend more time demo'ing them and answering those questions for yourself. No offense meant here... but time in the saddle is the only...
ebruner Added a reply to Nerding out on Brakes shall we? Not another tech deraliment
2/26/2026 12:45pm The swing link is different, as is the black reach adjust lever pivot cam. The levers are physically the same, but they do not sell the swing link and the cam separately at this time.
ebruner Added a reply to Nerding out on Brakes shall we? Not another tech deraliment
2/26/2026 11:28am One stupid question and one observation regarding the maven discussion: Question: Can I get a bit of clarification on the exact meaning of deadband in the context of mtb media outlet and sram marketing material. I ask because I have maven base, bronze and ultimates. The base, have a lot of lever throw overall (duh) but to my estimation, the...
ebruner Added a reply to Affordable bikes?
2/24/2026 1:18pm A sub 1k full suspension bike isn't worth riding... especially so in 160/160 format where you can't hid poor suspension behind a firm feel with limited travel. The last FS i test rode in this bracket was a giant stance at ~1,600 dollars a hard tail would have been my choice in that price range. As @ervin321 mentioned... There aren't...
ebruner Added a reply to 2026 MTB Tech Rumors and Innovation - Longer and Slacker
2/24/2026 1:06pm Yes on the XX chains, not so much with GX. I wear out a GX transmission chain in ~1,500 miles on a pedal bike and 1,000 miles on an ebike.
ebruner Added a reply to Vital’s Bikes: Unaffiliated Podcast - Community Conversation
2/23/2026 9:48am I was absolutely rolling laughing while listening to the last podcast. Never before would I have thought a discussion about catheters on a mtb podcast, would have been something I was into lol. Podcast name ideas: Vital's Mostly Bikes Podcast B Lines & Good Times Vital MTB - What's In, What's Out Vital Tech News and Pontification
dolface Liked a reply to forum topic Vital’s Bikes: Unaffiliated Podcast - Community Conversation
2/23/2026 9:42am
PSA: Peeing while sitting causes your blood-pressure to drop. I know this because I did it up in Mammoth and apparently dropped like bag of cement when I stood up. Bounced my head off the toilet and tagged the baseboard on my way down to the stone floor and opened up a 3" gash in my scalp. My poor wife found me in a pool of blood on the floor and thought I was dead... The ER doc who stapled my head closed told me that it's called micturition syncope, mediated primarily by the vasovagal reflex, and was likely caused...
This forum topic has 96 replies.
ebruner Added a reply to Is It 4 Bar?
2/20/2026 12:48pm Sixfinity would be a pretty perfect name for their 6bar linkage though.
ebruner Added a reply to Tweener: make a small bike big, or a big bike small
2/20/2026 12:26pm Pretty much yes to this. I would add that ideal reach numbers can also shift based on the style/category of bike and the terrain. For example, I tend to want to be on the shorter side of my ideal reach on a bike where I am doing a lot of seated pedaling (think xc bike or short travel trail bike)...
iceman2058 Liked a reply to forum topic What are people's favorite true trail bikes in 2026?
2/19/2026 11:32am
It's not all about climbing speed and fitness though, the 120/130 bikes FEEL very different on the trail. You get a lot more direct feedback and much more "snappy" behavior, which can be very rewarding if you ride them on trails that suit them. Even a light build on a capable 150 bike doesn't get anywhere near that same feeling. Of course it all depends on the terrain you ride. If you take your shorter travel bike on essentially the same kind of steep and rough trails that your 150 bike excels on, you'll just beat yourself and the bike...
This forum topic has 99 replies.
ebruner Added a reply to 2026 MTB Tech Rumors and Innovation - Longer and Slacker
2/19/2026 11:29am As a consumer, I think it's hard to see the value in a wireless DH drivetrain. However, from a racing perspective, I could see that there are advantages that may be worth it. For me, one of the biggest advantages to wireless drivetrains are the ergonomics and the fact that I can get an AXS pod shifter tucked up under...
seanfisseli Liked a reply to forum topic 2026 MTB Tech Rumors and Innovation - Longer and Slacker
2/19/2026 9:45am
wow this is some classic vital content right here. Sspomer you can lock our threads but you’ll never make us not idiots
This forum topic has 4887 replies.
ebruner Added a reply to Favorite current 150-160ish bikes
2/19/2026 9:43am I was shopping in the same bracket of bikes and ended up with a v4 hightower. I sorta hastily moved up my purchase timeline once the new colors were released... I really had a thing for the purple 2025' color way. So far, it's more then met my expectations and this iteration of VPP with significantly lower anti-squat has been...
ebruner Added a reply to What are people's favorite true trail bikes in 2026?
2/17/2026 4:39pm You can get C framesets from Santa Cruz. I just bought a C level hightower 4 and I previously bought a C level nomad 6. They rarely discount frame only purchases however... the only place I've seen deep discounts on SC frames is from Jenson.
ebruner Added a reply to What are people's favorite true trail bikes in 2026?
2/17/2026 3:34pm Just to clarify, you're talking about the "Trance X Advanced". That bike is sold as a 29/29, 140/150 bike with a 52.5mm stroke shock. They used to sell an SX version of it, that was MX, 150/160 with a 55mm stroke shock. Probably one of the best giant bikes made in the last decade that they completely screwed up with...
ebruner Added a reply to What are people's favorite true trail bikes in 2026?
2/17/2026 12:39pm I spent a bunch of time demo'ing trail bikes over the last 6 months. A few impressions below, I'm 6'2" so a few of my impressions are driven off of that. -Tallboy is still the benchmark and nearly impossible to beat and the geometry has no surprises, nor weird steps between sizes. A platform that can punch above or below...
ebruner Added a reply to 2026 MTB Tech Rumors and Innovation - Longer and Slacker
2/17/2026 10:05am Pedal rumors aren't all that interesting... but I can't resist. Have you tried the new CL-MT001 shimano cleats? I'm not going to say that they provide exact crank brothers entry/exist vibes... but they are A LOT closer then the sh-51's were.
jazza_wil Liked a reply to forum topic 2026 MTB Tech Rumors and Innovation - Longer and Slacker
2/16/2026 8:26am
A mate of mine just got some of these for his mavens, seemed pretty happy after the first ride, and cheap. https://www.lizardskins.com/product-details?h=dsp-lever-grip-platinum-g…
This forum topic has 4887 replies.
Mat_Slow_Rider Liked a reply to forum topic 2026 MTB Tech Rumors and Innovation - Longer and Slacker
2/12/2026 9:24am
Opening the picture of the maven levers on the sram countdown, the file name is 'new_lever_blades'. Guess we're getting a longer lever for more leverage to overcome friction better and the gold swinglink that does that as well, can't see what else they'd change on the current blade since it feels good. I know p*nkb*ke posted a picture where booker had a different one on his brakes at hardline, but seems like this one's different.
This forum topic has 4887 replies.