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There does seem to be something there.

Saw a YouTube vid recently of the specialized fancy European proto tyre factory where they make the pro racers tyres and it was mentioned that the dh team are using wire bead versions of the tyres

Regarding wire bead and tubeless, it could actually be an advantage for bike park riding and general hooning. I had an interesting conversation with Pierre-Edoard Ferry about tire development last summer because he was one of the riders involved in developing Michelin's new DH tire line in 2016-ish, including the DH22 and DH34. I was curious why they went with wire beads on the new tires instead of folding. Wire beads are cheaper to manufacturer, but more expensive to ship and store, more difficult to merchandise at a bike shop, and heavier. Didn't make sense to me. He told me...

The last time I posted in this thread I glazed the Kryptotals pretty hard for their long life, but I've been sucked back into Maxxis world by the DHX. Initial thoughts on DHX after two days in the park Maxxgrip rubber has confidence inspiring grip on rock slabs. I don't think I have ever been able to go so slow down renegade or captain safety as I did on these tires. The new DH casing is noticeably more supportive and impact resistant as expected, these tires are heavy I don't feel the need to run the tannus pro inserts I...

John Tomac is widely considered one of the greatest (American) mountain bike racers of all time. During the early years of international racing he won numerous DH and XC events. He went on to be the namesake and involved with Tomac bikes. The 204 DH frame in the photo was their flagship model. The bike company then ceased to exist (in the late 2000s?). I also believe he helped coach several (a lot?) of racers over the years including Aaron Gwin for a time. Finally, if you’re into motocross, he is the father of Eli Tomac. Basically, John Tomac was...

I think you and I have already had this exact same conversation, but okay let's review my points again: 1. Lab tests ≠ absolute truth. Not all tests are created equal. People in these forums have repeatedly made the claim that radial tires roll slower than bias ply tires, but the tests they've shared to back up these claims ( example from Schwalbe's lab here) were performed on steel drums in a laboratory. Steel drums have been resoundingly proven to not be a reliable proxy for even smooth asphalt, let alone rough asphalt, gravel, or real world trail conditions. If...

Seasons is epic! Still rewatch it a lot to this day. Lots of memorable pieces to that movie. Mt 7 scene gives me jitters of stoke. Was surreal going to that race track last year after dreaming about it my whole childhood. The slo mo shot of peaty when all you see is his upper fork up to his eyes as he's making the turn in MSA. Would rewind that a million times. The Whistler scene always just made me feel good and think of all the times riding with friends and being in Whistler. Shandros segment just hit me...

Cool thread idea, thanks for starting. Seasons is my favourite MTB movie of all time. I was in high school at the time and went to the premier in Kamloops, I still remember the crowd going crazy when Hunters Rio part started. Stevie’s Prevost segment was a standout, obviously more so now given the years that followed with him winning the overall and his tragic passing. I remember timing myself on the local hill wanting to be like Stevie, his impact and legacy is very alive in Canadian DH to this day The vibes in the closing Whistler segment were...

Shame effigear can't get their act together. I genuinely think it's a better design; no double seal needed for concentric output, no overdrive, etc means out of the box there is a huge potential for efficiency gains, not to mention the removal of an idler.

Spotted an interesting DH bike in Verbier today, gearbox, high pivot and the rider was wearing what looks a Whyte Bikes t-shirt

He was just feeling the Assegai for that race. It’s a pretty natural track that doesn’t have the top speed of many World Cup tracks so the benefits of the stability weren’t huge, so it came down to very fine points deciding which tread pattern was going to be best for the track on that day. Both tires would have been fine but there’s something to be said for almost 10 years of experience on a tire vs 1 year if the track neutralizes some of the DHX’s advantages. When I say it does everything the Assegai does that is...

Alright, this bike fucks.

Chris Canfield on his titanium Gearbox Ripperatti (he mentions shifting under load)

Same experience for me, i am so happy that 27.5 x 2.5 dh casing maxxterra dhrii exists now it is the perfect rear tire between the slightly higher volume than 2.4 (i like to think this helps prevent rim strikes) and the durable but grippy-enough compound. Excited to see the amount of dh casing maxxterra options available in the new dh casing too.

I’ve been riding a 9sp SmartShift Kavenz G2 set up as a 180/180 superenduro or 200/200 park bike for the past few seasons. There’s definitely a learning curve getting used to shifting slightly differently, and being able to shift while coasting and such. When I ride it consistently everything is fine, if I’m coming off a long period of not riding that bike it’ll take me a ride or two to get used to it again. Shifts to harder gears will happen under full power, it’s just easier gears that can be delayed if you don’t let up slightly. I...

When I first watched the video a few days ago (I refrained from posting here, since some people were getting agitated by all the GB talk), my two takaways were that a). they were happy that someone finally made a frame with a GB that didn't suck, which seemed more about the bike, and less about the GB, and b). they weren't happy with the shifting under load issue. I'm also curious about the second one. On my XX1 Eagle gear, there is still a reasonable shifting-under-load limit. I haven't been watching the power meter when I'm in those situations...

How often is shifting under load a result of shifting too late? With a gearbox you’re able to shift at any other time. It may open more shifting windows than it closes