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You are correct, thanks for making mention before I could catch up in this thread. On longer climbs I would take the chain off but most times I just wouldn't care to. The bigger problem was the chain length in my largest rear cog when using the lower guide, only a problem during climbing though. The system was great while descending. But I just run the ochain now instead of the lower guide because it's manages the chain whipping and is less faff.

Some sort of UDH +15mm chainstay standard would fix a lot of XXL bikes.

Torrent is clean. Bottle rocket is adjustable freeride. Quake is a capable race geo. (Iirc) Different bikes for different folks . I freeride and park my race bikes - and xc ride my enduro bike. But the world does seem to want FUN 27.5 park bikes and the racers do seem to want FAST DH WEAPONS. Why can’t we have both? The marketing isn’t even for us. There are literally armies of 15 year old boys AND GIRLS! Getting really into modern freeride, just riding down shit and off shit and being park rats in jnco jeans where I live...

I used to be all about flip chips and adjustments but now I see them as a great way to lose half you season trying to find “the perfect setting” instead of just learning to ride the bike.

If you don’t like the torrent DH, the bottle rocket and the Marin quake you might not have kids who are regularly sending their carcasses— emulating Everything they see on YouTube— I do have kids. They don’t quite send yet…. but my fellow parents that have high school aged kids that send ( like what the fuck!! These “kids” are sending seriously raw lines, maybe not heavy af but the youth are currently charging hard everywhere and always ) are always pleased to see much cheaper, and aluminum frames that aren’t going to break the demographic for these “ not...

The Torrent isn't for bike nerds. It's for people that set it and forget it and spend their day lapping A-Line and Dirt Merchant. And for that purpose, the Torrent sounds like a perfect bike. Simple, reliable (hopefully) and affordable.

I think there's a business case to be made for lower-cost park bikes now that many peoples' primary bikes are eMTBs. Back in the day, my cohort of friends had a trail bike and a DH bike. Later, I feel like it became an enduro bike and a lighter trail bike (aka downcountry). Now, I imagine a lot of mountain bikers' pairings will either be a park bike and an eMTB, or a XC bike and an eMTB.

I have to admit, I do not love the side profile of some of the 32" bikes that are coming out. They end up looking like XS bikes with cramped triangles and kinked bottom/top tubes. Hopefully more progressive geo will enable these things to look like something other than a 2010-2012 era niner.

Lenz goes dual 32" - https://www.vitalmtb.com/news/press-release/lenz-sport-leviathan-32er-c…

I have a '23 Smuggler and every time I get that "new bike" itch I end up asking myself why? The Smuggler isn't perfect but it's so damn good I can't convince myself a new bike is worth it (and I'm pretty darn good at finding reasons to justify a new bike). I suspect a lot of folks are in a similar situation...

As someone who, for 20+ years, got at least 1 new bike every year, I haven’t purchased a new bike in almost 3 years. I feel like 90% of bikes in the last 5 or so years have been great. So much so, that I’m actually considering buying the last gen Norco Optic as my next trail bike. Coming into 2026 I was convinced I would get a “New” full suspension frame this year. While I’m sure I’d be happy with the new Tallboy, Reya, or Ranger, it’s hard to justify the $$$$ for a new frame when I can...

Me: Can we stop and get a 6-bar suspension from Yeti? Mom: We've got 6-bar suspension at home: For older Amflows, but I suppose the new ones might be supported as well: https://www.mklinkage.net/

My gen3 optic + dvo diamond 36 is the same weight as the status 160 + fox 38 it replaced lol. I wouldn't call it a useless bike. It's niche as fuck, but it's excellent at what it does. It's super jibby and the suspension performance is incredible for only 125mm. It's quite stiff and very burly, and rides like it's meant to be ridden at enduro bike pace on enduro bike terrain if you can hold on to it.

Those 6 bar yeti bikes had reviewers gushing. I’ve had absolutely zero desire to try a switch infinity bike. If they follow through with 6bar non e-bikes I’ll be really trying to give them a shot.

Carcinization continues...

I had assumed this would be 'one bike' now. As with the LTE & MTE, the Sixfinity platform allows you to run either full 29 or MX set up via a flip chip. I can't see that in the current climate it makes any sense to manufacture two platforms. I currently own an SB120 and an SB160 and wonder whether they will become the pinnacle of engineering when it comes to development and complexity of the SI system. It seems like the industry is defaulting to a four/five bar approach by default now. Santa Cruz are obviously another majot example...

When everyone knows new bikes are to be tested in Transition's parking lot

"So, you're telling me that Pivot came all the way to Golden Colorado, a mere 1.5miles from Yeti's HQ to telemetry test one of their bikes?"