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I have not, but did ride with a buddy who was demoing a v1 Amflow. He said he was impressed with the motor but would not buy an Amflow to get it. He said the bike itself was unimpressive - nothing terrible but not worth spending money on. He'd consider getting the Mondraker or some other version. He said the standout things of the demo were the motor system and the Shredda Rear tire the shop owner had mounted up front. Afterwards, we talked to the shop owner whose bike it was and the co-owner who also had one. They...

Not to get too off track, but people aren't buying it because of how it rides. They don't really care about how it rides, the geo or flex characteristics. They're buying it because of how powerful the motor is

The rose colored glasses was directed specifically at the your comments on the Amflow bike itself (not the motor). The first one was by and large a sub-par bike in and of itself. I haven't read any long term reviews of the second gen ones yet but it does look like they've addressed enough of the issues to bring it up to average. Regarding what ebikers change out on bikes, that must be a regional thing. Around here, the number of guys I see on bone-stock ebikes is tiny, like maybe 1/20. Bars, stems, & grips all get changed out...

and most people don't care. They just want the best thing at the best price. Again; and this is where I'm pretty sure your assessment doesn't universally apply. Over here, people sort-of do care and it will take companies like XDS years if not decades to lose the China-stigma - even if they offer a good product at a good price, backed by perfect after-sales support. You need real product management, strong engineering, credible distribution, at least some kind of dealer or service network, and a serious effort to show customers that you are going to stand behind the product...

I am going to be completely transparent here in that I work for FSA, but I will say I worked really hard on making the 31.8 40mm Gradient alloy bar one of the most compliant on the market. and here is the proof: (chart from PB article)

I have no insider info... but IME burgtec is up there with renthal in terms of the stiffest handlebars I've ever ridden. My assumption is that they are running 31.8 to try and get back into a more reasonable compliance window. I never thought a handlebar could be so stiff that it would wreck me... but my most recent time on either brands 35mm alloy bars has proven otherwise. Maybe things have changed in the last 3 years as that was the last time I ran either.

Shut the fuck up about drivetrain efficiency. Holy shit. Go find a different thread.

It's not the bearing. It's the chain wrapping onto and off a sprocket. With a small idler, the angle each link has to rotate is very large. And it's happening in the taught part of the chain unlike the rear derailleur. But I've explained everything in my original long post. Now this debate, besides being offtopic, has serious vibes of trying to explain things to @seanfisseli, so much so I was convinced @Trocko might be an alterego. Looks like I was wrong about that one 🙂

I typically use the climb switch once per ride. I like to turn it on halfway up the climb when I remember I have it and might as well use it. I tend to turn it off halfway down the descent when I’m puzzling over why my suspension isn’t working. I suspect I am not in the minority.

My guess is they’ll phase out the aluminum Reserve products to position Reserve as the premium product with a premium warranty. It would be a sneaky way to quietly stop offering a lifetime warranty/replacement on aluminum wheels too.

No ageism in here! I'm 40, and the bike I ride most is my Singlespeed. So I, in fact, do stand while climbing, a lot.

Losses from bearings are extremely minimal and not noticeable. ~0.1w. The losses in an idler bike are coming from forcing the chain to articulate under tension. Most mtb riders probably have somewhere between 5-10+% loss from the drivetrain (chain). Those losses come from making the chain articulate under load via internal chain friction. Forcing that extra loaded articulation I would expect losses to increase by 30-50%. So your typical dirty oiled mtb chain goes from losing 20w to 30w at 200w chill pedaling load and only gets worse from there. 5w increases are generally considered noticeable. The only thing you...

The oneup aluminum wheels are interesting when you view the overall portfolio of products at PON. Based on the initial information, there is no intention to offer the rims separately. It makes me wonder if these will be positioned as the slightly more budget option for santacruz oem builds. They weigh more or less the same as a pair of reserve AL|HD wheels. I like the 28f/32r and front/rear specific rim ideas with regards to compliance. Overall seems like a good option as a lower price point then reserve ALs. I've had good luck with reserve AL|HD wheels and find...

Much love! I'm just stoked to be part of a brand (Vital) that I grew up being such a fan of. We might be small, but I love what we stand for and everyone out there who connects with it.

Another great podcast. Anyone else here happy about J. Schroeder's increased prominence at Vital? It's nice to think that Spomer has some good support from a smart, conscientious second. Just wanted to give that guy (Schroeder) some props. As they say in Tennessee: " 'preciate you". Thanks all, for feeding the MTB content beast.

I think you've got rose colored glasses on regarding the Amflow frame. The v1 got a lot of criticism for being very flexy, particularly in the rear end. It had the dubious design choice of a yoke-driven trunnion shock (Vorsprung says in their suspension design manual that if you end up with that design, you should "put down the bong and start again"). Slapping Fox suspension and Transmission drivetrain on it isn't some genius product manager move - almost every bike out there does that these days. The wheels, hubs, bars, and stem are all in-house products and not exactly...

"Riding stuff from Asia" is a pretty gross over-simplification of what actually happens to bringing a performance bike to market. I'd guess that the secret sauce for western brands is operating in a core environment that drives product excellence, which translates to a superior product to what non-core brands are able to offer. The Amflow frame, for example, is largely panned over by most and the focus of the brand is on the e-system itself. If that frame contained a Bosch of Shimano drive, it wouldn't have made the same impact. Frames like these are often referred to as parts...

I don't think this is universally true. At least not here in Germany. In the more conservative markets like Germany (- notoriously conservative), consumers are generally still very suspicious and skeptical of chinese brands. Buying products from a chinese OEM or brand still carries the stigma of low quality, ip theft and bad warranty support. The fact that chinese branding is often terrible and generally incompatible with western expectations isn't helping either. It'll take years if not decades until the general cycling public over here changes their mind on this. I don't see anyone over here walking into a bike...

I don't know. Perhaps that's the price you pay for a literally half price high performance bike - no warranty and limited aftermarket support. As an enthusiast I've kept up with DTC Chinese stuff for years now, and it seems anecdotally people are left out to dry when it comes to warranty with the exception of very, very few brands. The usual response seems to be something along the lines of "sure, we'll warranty your frame, but you need to send us your old one to our shop in Shenzhen completely arranged by you, and you need to pay shipping...

This 100% (I mentioned something similar earlier). Chinese companies will take over WHEN they can also show easily accessible and efficient customer support. Until that time it is worth buying from a legacy brand that can be reached easily when an issue arises.