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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lI5w2QwdYik couldn't resist!

Don't open this can of worms again . Someone got in in their head that a 6 bar linkage bike is only a "real" 6 bar if the wheel and not the shock is attached to the follower links.

Neko also had an article on PB a little while back stating basically there was no reason to run a mullet and they were objectively not faster than full 29 on a DH course. He’s rad but not everything he says should be taken as irrefutable truth.

From a pure numbers perspective (cost of running a factory team vs. sales generated from the team) I don't believe DH racing has ever made financial sense. That doesn't mean there isn't a bigger return for the company. DH racing is a halo product for an entire brand. DH racing has a huge impact on the brand image. The brand image helps sell bikes. DH racing also helps develop technology that transitions out to other types of bikes.

I think this forum (and industry in general) makes too much fuss about the frame design. I think the fork is as or more important than frame, your front wheel has to steer and do the majority of the braking. Id rather race a good fork over a good frame if I had to choose. But to answer the question- it’s 90% rider 10% bike. And any rig out on the circuit can get you 7-8% with proper setup and tuning.

And it looks like a squishy boing-boing to me... Can we please NOT have another nerd-fight about suspension layout names...?

Good question. Those that think it's worth it, will stay in the sport, but it's increasingly looking like many don't think so. However, as someone who watches a lot of different sports, MTB is pretty awful at promoting itself to the wider world; whether that is the teams, riders, or even the various series. And there is the problem of road cycling sucking up all the money, sponsors, and media coverage. It doesn't help when lots of MTB teams go into hibernation when the season finishes. Compare to the road scene; where there's always something on social media, etc throughout...