Kent's mention of their portfolio of outdoor brands seems like a move to build consumer confidence but I have never heard of any of those brands so it seems like a misfire.
Added a comment about news blog Kona Bought by Kent Outdoors
Liked a comment on the item Full GoPro Run At THE ROCK With Aaron Gwin and Neko Mulally
Are you watching this, America? If you want to be competitive at World Cups, start building trails like this at your bike parks. Big jumps and flow are sick and all, but we need more steep, fast, techy and tight.
Liked a comment on the item Kris Krispy Baughman, Moab Rim DH Race, October 2000
That chairlift is now located at the ski hill in Whitefish, Montana. It services the bunny slope, so it's not quite living up to it's legacy.
Liked a comment on the item Luca Shaw Joins the Canyon CLLCTV DH Team
Liked a comment on the item Vital Test Sessions - Pivot Firebird
Sounds like a lot of people wanted to hear something specific about this bike and didn’t get to see it. Thanks vital for being thorough and trying to remain objective about your experience in the face of the criticism. This for me boosts (maybe super...more
Liked a comment on the item Vital Test Sessions - Pivot Firebird
For a counter-counter point, the article notes that the bike ships with 800mm bars yet the testers were given 760. They should have tested all bikes with the same bar width IMO… to remove that variable. I respect your need to follow a budget, and on the...more
Added a comment about product review Vital Test Sessions - Pivot Firebird
Jeff,
I thoroughly enjoyed your response! For clarification, my $350 was including new tires too. I enjoyed Vital's tire test they did a few months ago and how they measured rolling resistance. You must have a background in STEM because you like backing up qualitative information with quantitative facts. I also approve of your use of "gnarcissim!" On a heavier note, I just "tested" out a fox 36 with a ACS3 coil. Un-quantifiably fun as hell although I could try a smiles per mile correlation to refine my results.
This product_review has 79 comments.
Liked a comment on the item Vital Test Sessions - Pivot Firebird
We'll just say "agree to disagree". Few thoughts...
What bar/stem are you buying!? "Conservatively" $350? Unpopular opinion but alloy 31.6 bars are where its at. They usually cost sub $100. I've got drawer with all sorts of stems from over the years, but...more
Liked a comment on the item Vital Test Sessions - Pivot Firebird
While I understand the desire to put multiple riders on a bike in a relatively short period of time, I'll be honest and say "this could be better". Anyone looking to spend $5K+ on a bike knows swapping stem & bars is relatively minor, as is monkeying...more
Added a comment about product review Vital Test Sessions - Pivot Firebird
To offer a slight counterpoint. My last two bikes were over $5k and I did not swap anything on them when they were brand new. Two reasons why. The first is my spouse took a lot of convincing from me to make a purchase this large and I was not about to beg to spend more money on tires, bars and a stem (Conservatively estimating that at around $350). The final reason is that I'm an average sized rider and most bikes fit me out of the box.
I think Vital is fair to rate a $5k plus bike on how it comes out of the box from the company without hanging a bunch of personalized items on it. If it is good enough to sell at that price to you and I, then it is good enough for Vital to test. Tires may be my only concession as they do provide testers the most consistency between bikes. I definitely agree with your comments on the shootout format as potentially being to quick in nature.
This product_review has 79 comments.
Liked a comment on the item Vital Test Sessions - Devinci Spartan HP
Yup, we acknowledged and applauded Devinci for putting proper tires on the Spartan HP. It didn't keep us from smoking the rear rim before the test started though...
Much of the Spartan HP's weight is in the frame, which we are pretty sure will outlive us all.
Liked a comment on the item Enduro Bearings Continues Maxhit Line with New Bottom Bracket
So the pro tip for me is to stop living in Washington. Got it.
Liked a comment on the item A Straight Rhythm Section for MTB - Thomas Estaque's Dream Track
I'm way more pumped on video projects like this that result in a usable trail for other people, as opposed to one-off spectacles that either get bulldozed when they're done or just slowly erode and covered with weeds in the middle of nowhere.
Added a comment about photo G-Out Project - Snowshoe World Cup Downhill
Haha, I thought I was some internet bike sleuth for a minute there. Thank you for clearing that up.
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Liked a comment on the item G-Out Project - Snowshoe World Cup Downhill
schwalbe made custom tire labels for their riders for world champs w/ rider names on them but treads weren't different. magic max was for max hartenstern.
Added a comment about photo G-Out Project - Snowshoe World Cup Downhill
Schwalbe come out with a new tire? Picture 4 rear tire "Magic Max"
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Added a comment about photo Cube Two15
Schwalbe come out with a new tire? Picture 4 rear tire "Magic Max"
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Liked a comment on the item Delium Introduces New High-End MTB Tire Range
If these work anywhere near as well as other high end makers, the $35-$45 price point is a steal!
Added a comment about feature Canyon's All-New Spectral Line
Noted. I'll bug him. Maybe he could do a T-shirt that would make it's way into the Vital Gear Club Box!
This feature has 9 comments.
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Liked a comment on the item First Ride: PNW Components Launches Loam Pedal 1/21/2022 4:48 AM
Compared to the OneUp: the Loam is ever so slightly less grippy, particularly when it gets wet. The OneUp has another millimeter of "effective concavity" if you want to nerd out about it (the height difference between the tallest pin and the surface of the pedal body). More importantly, the...more