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I think one of the largest "We're not in Kansas anymore" moments I had when I began working for a component manufacturer after years in bikes shops was when I had the insignificance of aftermarket sales explained to me. Don't get me wrong, every brand worth their salt is going to support aftermarket product bc why leave money on the table, but OE sales are king in the bike industry and ultimately OE sales drives every design decision. SRAM gets to push the convenience of full SRAM spec by limiting cross compatibility. For brands like Canyon, Specialized, etc., who are...

P.S. Praise the lord that new saint is still mechanical

kolb's V10 27.5 conversion dropout for XL (sorry, i had it backwards)

Pick a chainring size and be a dick about it? Honestly who cares. Kind of reminds me of skiing, where if you don’t ski on 130 flex boots you’re a lil bish. I have a commute and regular guy job and live kinda far from trails. I don’t have as much free time as others to be an ascent monster. Let me enjoy my 30t ring. Don’t yuck my yum yo!!

We are not/haven't been running it.

Things get a little tricky when you step down to 30T using OChain and especially the adjustable models. They don't have a symmetrical design like some of their fixed versions. There is a hump on top that needs to be cleared. Sure you can take a Wolftooth ring and use a Dremel to get that clearance or buy something that is designed around that hump. source: I went through analysis paralysis trying to find a OChain and t-type certified 104BCD chain ring in 2024. Pilo brand was the only option. CLEARLY I needed to hit the gym instead and get...

I just want to back up the claims regarding wax. It's amazing. Clean and does wonders for longevity of a chain. I mentioned this a few times, I was on a ~yearly chain cycle before switching over to drop-on wax, the first waxed chain lasted well over twice what the ones before it lasted. All XX1/X01 Eagle chains on the same drivetrain. As the chainring and cassette were shot (cassette was missing two teeth on the 50T, front chainring was like an old grandma's mouth, barely had any teeth left), I didn't check the stretch. After retiring the bike, it...

I've been to Primoz' neck of the woods and would like to add that: You should absolutely go to that neck of the woods to ride if you get a chance. Primoz raced cross country for years before switching to longer travel bikes, and was fitter than me when we rode together. He's a great host and I cannot recommend Bled Cream Cake enough. However, I would not recommend eating it right before a 87 F/31 C mountain bike ride with Primoz. Primoz, I'm still right about heavier tire casings and softer compound. Fight me. Most power-based training plans emphasize...

I think the point was it takes away the skill of the rider input. Which is the same as f1, not that outcome was the same. I’d be willing to bet we don’t see it come race day for the reasons your listed. Im thinking it’s a marketing stunt.

I wrote this on Pinkbike but will crosspost here to as I firmly believe ABS should not be involved in WCDH. I'm all for innovation in DH and I am absolutely fine with electronics in suspension but I strongly believe that ABS has no place in competitive DH. Braking ability and threshold braking are massively important skill that do separate riders. Having a system that would theoretically allow a rider to just full pull brake but not lock the wheels would be a huge advantage on most tracks and certainly would for low grip tracks or conditions. Formula One as...

pit bits shots of richie's derailleur (assume saint)

Hmm. Do I get to decide when it’s a sustained steep or recovery is necessary? Cuz I spent like an hour yesterday desperately clicking my gravel bike’s shifter in search of an even lower gear. I’m old, been drinking too much beer and eating Trader Joe’s peanut butter cups, and now I gotta deal with the knowledge that I have suboptimal gearing? Eff it

You ideally want to be biasing your climbing for 2nd and 3rd gear because you get a better chain-line ( especially if you have SRAM Transmission on a non-Super Boost bike since that uses a 55mm chain-line which creates awful angles, Super Boost helps bring that back more in line which is why I mention it) and on most modern 12 speed cassettes the 1st gear is aluminum while 2+ is steel. So if you're spending most of your time in 1 then you should consider swallowing your pride and moving down a chain ring size unless you have a...

Being realistic about your terrain and fitness and biasing your gear usage to the middle of your cassette is going to be better for your drivetrain long term. If you wanna be a hero and only climb in first and second gear you’re gonna roast your cassette real fast.