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RAAW addressed this issue by using modular dropouts. They first did it with their Yalla DH bike which has now trickled down to their Madonna v3.2. This is what the DH industry might head towards to accommodate UDH. Also can we take a moment to drool over how the black and silver SRAM design works with the RAAW frames 🤤

This is a great point. The Transmission derailleur is what doomed adjustable chainstays on so many single crown bikes, including my beloved SCB Megatower. I'm sure SCB and many others will either ditch adjustable stays on their DH bikes or go with a full modular dropout configuration like Banshee or Forbidden.

Seeing as SRAM has not released a derailer that doesn’t have that direct amount. I wonder how that’s going to affect downhill bike frame design because most downhill bikes have adjustable chain, stay with a flip chip so bikes like the V10 I would say the most sought after downhill don’t have the ability to run the new downhill transmission. I know the last generation TR 11 is also a Flip chip as well it looks like all bikes are gonna have to go toward modular dropouts like forbidden otherwise you’re stuck only being able to offer the older drivetrain...

So something to note on pricing that is coming through. and this is not meant to be a political post. but the new steel tariffs HIGHLY affect bike prices. ESPECIALLY e-bikes. basically all the bike companies have to figure out the percentage of steel in a bike (HS, bearings, cassette, motors) and then that times the pricing of the bike etc. And these are not cheap... like some bikes increasing close to $1k just on tariff prices.... (cross posted to bike economics thread)

your currency is not much worth anymore, it lost like 25% in just 4 years against the swiss franc, what do you people expect things to cost when you import everything and the fascist king wants his cut on top?

So FOX said forcing Legacy brands to "consolidate or cease operations". Should that be taken at face value?? I understand roughly how much some of the BIG 3-4 still owe to their suppliers, It kinda makes sense...But that's unreal.

Fox Factory reported earnings this evening. I'll do a deep dive post later, but here are a few takeaways. Q4 Results - Came in about as expected (overall). 2026 Guidance - Lighter than expected, but there are talks of divesting in certain assets (like Marucci) SSG (the unit bike components live in) lagged about 5% in year over year sales. Management described bike as "slowly stabilizing" but explicitly acknowledged "disruptive market entrants" forcing legacy brands to "consolidate or cease operations". Maybe they have caught onto this thread? Lol. Stock is flat in post market trading, down 4% prior to the...

$6,666 x 15% = $1,000. i.e. at the low range what was $6,666 became $7,666. $1,538 x (15% + 50%) = $1,000. i.e. at the high range what was $1,538 became $2,538. Many, perhaps most businesses operate by borrowing money, converting it into products, selling those products at a gross profit, using that to pay interest, salaries, leases and other overheads, and then hopefully leaving a net profit which might be reinvested (or be the reward of capitalism, but the reward hasn't existed in the bike industry recently, it's been negative). Borrowing 15% more requires paying 15% more interest, which...

typo

The new SRAM Transmission chains should be replaced sooner than most classic chain checkers indicate to prevent wearing into the cassette which in SRAM's case is frighteningly expensive to replace. Threaded #24: a modern guide to measuring chain wear

So wander bite point and pump out are two different things I’ve experienced. Sorry for the confusion. Piston message is still needed to get the seals worked in and avoid having a wandering, changing bite point (whether that is a bite point that gets longer or shorter). I’ll need to update the review to clarify that. From how I understood it, the new linear lever leverage and slightly lower hydraulic rate helps reduce the chance of lever pump out. Which is when the pistons don’t recede back into the caliper during repetitive brake pulls. This was taken from notes I...

Thanks for the follow-up @sspomer ... I watched the video and re-read the article. I'm still not entirely sure if he's making assumptions based on the changes or had this exact info told to him. -Wandering bite point and "pump out" are different phenomena. I believe (from everything I've heard, the wandering bite point/inconsistency is the bigger issue. He seems to be talking a lot about 'pump out' though. He references the new swing link and lower hydraulic pressure (from the smaller 18mm piston instead of 19mm) as 'fixing' these issues because it lets the pistons retract more easily. That...

jason's off to another land far away for a diff press camp, so not sure how quickly he'll be able to reply. the vid in his article addresses the topic a bit (i think it's what you're referring to) at around 1:30 - he also mentions similar things in one of the paragraphs. (if this is not what you're referring to, ignore this, ha)

@Jason_Schroeder Your initial review of these updated/new Mavens talked a lot about the 'pump out' (I think you're referencing pump out and wandering bite point with that same phase a few times?). Saying the new brakes have mostly addressed/fixed that. However, the Pinkbike review makes no mention of that and still says you need to do a piston massage and good bleed to remove any of those pump-out/wandering bite-point issues. And I don't see any press from SRAM noting this issue as being 'fixed'. From your article, it sounds like SRAM told you the changes addressed this issue(?) Or, are...

This was so cool to hear.

POTUS has multiple other ways to impose tariffs, so barring a full-scale revolt from Congress (unlikely) I'm betting it won't get better until after the mid-term elections (and it's not a sure bet then either...)

but Dow is at 50k!

Someone just posted in the RAAW thread on PB. I'm guessing this is just going to be a US issue due to a certain level of... uncertainty... these days? They got this email last night. " Hi xxxxx, First of all, we would like to thank you for your order and we're happy you've chosen to ride a RAAW in the future. Unfortunately, we need to inform you about a short-notice change in the shipping process that affects your DHL shipment, which has already been dispatched. DHL has recently changed its customs clearance procedure for shipments to the USA. However...

I'm as excited for new saint as anyone, but lately this is how I feel waiting for them at this point:

some interesting brake talk from schroeder in our bikes unaffiliated podcast that just went up - scrub over to like 1h10m - https://www.vitalmtb.com/features/vital-staffers-heaven-queenstown-and-…