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Hey, let's stay on topic here. This is the UCI 32" rule debate thread. Seriously though, that aluminum hydroforming and construction work looks really clean. It's really hard to tell where the carbon models end and the aluminum ones begin in the website photos.

Going to add my opinion that protected riders was f'ing stupid. Ironically an elite bro-club of top teams working to prioritise TV time for their big-bucks athletes at the expense of newer riders and small teams and privateers is exactly what WB and Chris Ball frequently get accused of doing but the worst example was a hangover from the redbull era. Giving people a free ride through quali (and that one year, 2 separate rounds of quali) while others will have to pull the run of their lives just to make the cut, totally changes the dynamic for the haves...

The trivia when Ethan started was pretty crazy, last Scott men WC DH victory was in freaking 93 :D

Am I the only one who thinks the fact that we've seen some big name not make the show this year makes things pretty exciting?

Hottake, The new Q1 and Q2 formats are great and I much prefer it over rider protected status as its probably the most fair way to narrow the field down. Does it mean some really popular riders lose out? Yep. Does it also mean that seasonal consistency is more rewarded in WC overall standing points? Also yes. Seems odd to have both protected riders AND riders trying to qualify all in one group. It's either we lock the field to the same 30 riders for each race or everyone needs to qualify for finals. No offense to riders like Danny...

unsure if been posted but that saint derailleur and Direct-mount Crank looks production ready. Surely that derailleur has a clutch.................

Excuse my French, but could we fucking please stop calling bikes "analog", "acoustic", or -the worst I've heard- "bio"? Bikes are bikes. Ebikes are something else. Now get off my fucking lawn you punks!

Frameworks does riding/training on a different brands e-bike, and races on their own frame. Aventon is doing the inverse to Frameworks 😁

sorry, it's not ebike talk, but here are pit bits photos from leogang https://www.vitalmtb.com/forums/hub/pit-bits-2026-leogang-world-cup-dow…

Tech Rumors and innovation

The part where Moi Moi is filming the stump section while eating a snack was giving THIS energy so hard...

🤷‍♂️

Name a more annoying sound than an American complaining about ebikes. Honestly, we've all heard your opinions before. We know you have them. I don't really like or want an ebike either but there are 12,000,000 whingy comments online about how you're too pure or too dedicated or too fit or too angry at unskilled riders and you're mad about it. We don't need any more. Talk about the market or discontinuation of normal bikes, sure, but complaining about being passed on a climb track or peoples ass cracks is tiring af at this point. You've been yelling about it...

Charlie no

Fair point

Yes! It’s great the men will have to practice in that first session! Just like the removal of protection and the euros having to deal with Korean jet lag, it’s nice to switch it up. The women’s racing is definitely the best it’s ever been, they deserve the spotlight. And it’ll be interesting to see how the colder wetter shorter (?) less dialed practice affects which men how…

The "multiplier effect" is an economic fallacy. "Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed."

You are correct, thanks for making mention before I could catch up in this thread. On longer climbs I would take the chain off but most times I just wouldn't care to. The bigger problem was the chain length in my largest rear cog when using the lower guide, only a problem during climbing though. The system was great while descending. But I just run the ochain now instead of the lower guide because it's manages the chain whipping and is less faff.