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RAD is really just the concept of spread, with extra steps. Spread (somewhat used before rad) is just the length of the hypotenuse of the triangle formed by reach and stack. Its important as it determines "fit" and overall body position, but without FC/RC head angles, BB drop etc, it is useless by itself.

“… You’ll still be able to rip. Yes, they have a different feel, yes the cornering technique is different. Yes they’re suited to different riding style and terrain.” Brother, that’s just called being good at bikes and is kind of besides the point 😂

Sure they might be maintaining the same standing body position on any bike that they've set up to have the same rad and rad angle measurements, and they're equally comfortable standing on either bike, but that does not translate to the bike having the same handling characteristics. You can't disregard the physical geometry of a bike by using Rad, you'll likely walk away with some bad results doing so. Like kapolczer implied, Rad doesn't account for a riders proportions, and that affects where your center of gravity is while riding. Whether or not you follow the Rad system is a...

This bike brings to mind an inexperience-based question: What is the appeal of a linked-driven single pivot (LDSP)? I have owned and ridden exactly one full-suspension bike, and it is a Horst link design. I know that simplicity is a valuable thing in and of itself, but a linkage brings additional bearings and whatnot into play. I know that other designs separate braking and suspension forces to various degrees in a way that a LDSP design cannot. Given that LDSP bikes are still the preference for certain manufacturers in certain applications, though, I know that there must also be positive...

We can continue to talk about this over here to not derail this forum https://www.vitalmtb.com/forums/hub/frame-design But in my opinion there are benefits to a linkage driven single pivot design over a Horst link, depending on what you are looking for. The biggest consistent difference between Horst designs and ldsp is the anti-rise, where Horst link bikes are generally low (80% and below) and ldsp bikes are high ( above 100%) and each of those have their own merits. I love ldsp bikes, they tend to be playful, predictable, and consistent in feel and geometry, I'm designing a high ldsp DH...

crossworx dash mk2 https://www.crossworx-cycles.com/en/shop/bikes-en/racing-en/dashmk2_en/

Love the levers. Bumped up the ergonomics and also modulation + power is much better! Looks good aswell 😎

I've discussed these kinds of brake combos with him and he persistantly insists that they don't have a lot of throw (which just isn't true). The brake will have tons of power but will naturally have lots of throw. I tried a Radic/Gustav setup and the lever throw was 28mm with the pads against the rotor. For some reason he likes to mislead.

The cannibal at $52 is a great tire. I'm a fan of the radial MM but if you prefer tires with a locked in cornering feel and a supportive side wall, it may not be for you. I think the radial MM is better at slower speeds where mechanical grip is favored in lieu of support. Michelin tires might be worth considering. The MS is a better version of the Magic mary imo, with more support yet still supple. The MH is more similar to the other tires you mentioned - has a pronounced channel and provides locked in grip...

I'm overdue to write that Telum review, but in short it's phenomenal. If the damper is anywhere near as good as the shock, it will be unreal. I couldn't believe how much better my fork felt with the MRP Lift damper, so I'm totally down for a Vorsprung fork damper.

Better in engineering terms != better in practical terms. There's a lot of people out there with heel rub on 148 frames. I also don't really like the idea of my $400 electronic derailleur being any further outboard than it already is. Sure, 157 is better on paper, but in the real world, 148 works fine for everyone from beginners all the way up to world cup pros.

Listening to the latest Downtime Podcast. New Jackson Goldstone signature grip incoming https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0GOwsidM2U https://www.primeauvelo.com/en_ca/jackson-goldstone-lock-on-grips-00596…

2026 Frameworks DH and Enduro frame information and details https://www.vitalmtb.com/news/press-release/frameworks-launches-2026-do…

10mm is not a big different, but the difference in intention between a 120mm bike and a 160mm bike is pretty enormous. Frame weight and frame flex should be radically different on both platforms because of the much higher peak forces you expect a 160mm bike to be absorbing, as it's basically going to get ridden like a DH bike by a subset of the population. I would imagine a 120mm bike with the same layup as a 160mm bike would feel like it's made of 2x4's. Additionally, it's shockingly hard to keep head angles, seat angles, bottom bracket heights...

Agreed. I have seen the crossover point to be 130mm rear travel. Two frames could cover XC to Trail and all Mtn to Enduro. We could also skew it downcountry to all mountain and enduro to dh.

I'm on the Vital forums so naturally I love tinkering with setups and thus love modular bikes/bikes with aftermarket links. I don't see myself buying a bike without at least one: Cascade link, progression adjust, rear travel adjust/overshock-ability. Setups I've tinkered with in the past: Nukeproof Giga: progression adjust, 170mm, 180mm lyrik. Stumpjumper Evo: stock mullet link, WRP yoke, Cascade link. 160mm Lyrik or 170mm Zeb. Also the headset cup should be on every bike. It made zero noise and was super cool to try it out in all 3 settings. Truly was 1 bike to rule them all that...

GG bikes are horrifically ugly. They also weren’t a big brand with wide distribution. The power of modular bikes comes into play especially when the used market has lots of options floating around. I think I also include wide aftermarket parts availability in my definition of modular: used cascade links and wrp yokes give owners of those bikes cheap ways to modify their bikes to better suit their needs. I know this is kinda far off from the Rallons of the world but it still plays a factor in the modularity conversation. At the very least the existence of Jank...

That'll be some interesting data to correlate to real life experience, if Steve releases it. I don't know why, but my old avalanche hybrid zeb is still kicking dirt in the face of everything that has been brought to market over the last few years, including the podium and 9-1. I'd love to see if this is represented in a damper plot.