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Hey man, you are derailing the fuck out of this thread. This thread is for "tech rumors and innovation". If you want to have pointless pedantic arguments with people, make your own thread for that.

Dude, collaboration is not unique to engineering. Inter and intra specialty collaboration is surprisingly normal in the world at large, especially when people are working on a common outcome. I think where you might get that perception is how you tend to be combative with so many people.

This forum at the moment (not actually just poking fun)

Two great interviews over on NSMB with a couple of long time Whistler Bike Park staff about the process of getting the Whistler World Cup, and getting the course built. Hopefully the Vital mods are ok with me posting this. I'm not affiliated with NSMB, but I've worked with Wendy and Marty for decades so I want them to get some shine. Feel free to delete if this breaks a forum rule. https://nsmb.com/articles/the-nsmb-podcast-wendy-robinson-whistler-worl… https://nsmb.com/articles/building-whistlers-first-world-cup-downhill-t…

This feels emblematic of WBD's failures to understand and effectively market the sport of mountain biking. More extensive live race coverage? Nah, let's create an awards show, because TV execs like awards shows. "The Golden Arrows," "The Summit," "The Globe"... gimme a break. I'm not opposed to WBD giving out some awards or recognition, but this all seems unnecessarily elaborate and self-congratulatory for an organization that just abandoned the elite tier of one of the sport's major disciplines.

The Olympics ruined mountain bike racing in America before the first Olympic race ever happened. Just a reminder that USACycling was formed in the fall of 1995 by merging the mtb governing body (that literally invented the rules of the sport, NORBA) with the amateur road governing body(USCF) and the pro road governing body(USpro), along with the National Collegiate Cycling Association(NCCA) and a MOU from bmx’s National Bicycle League(NBL). Originally USACycling was managed by NORBA’s executive director, Phillip Millburn, because mtb racing was far larger than road racing in membership, sponsorship and participation numbers. USPro was integrated into USAC because...

It’s weird - sram can release an ecosystem of groups with proprietary cassettes, derailleurs, chains, rings, that have stratospheric prices and persistent issues (speed, shift calibration limitations, QC issues, cassettes that need to be installed multiple times to settle, battery pins corroding etc etc), plus compromises they try and correct release to release. Maybe that’s ok, it’s up to the rider. At the same time, Shimano releases a new di2 ecosystem that uses their existing(and awesome) cassettes, chains, rings, has the industry leading shifter for ergonomics. A sealed battery compartment, but its perceived to be noisy on some bikes, but...

@sspomer and @Jason_Schroeder I just listened to the recent Inside Line pod where y'all were perplexed by the Avinox haters. I wanted to provide some honest insight into this: for many of us, it's because they're higher power than Class 1 and we worry that they're going to jeopardize e-bike trail access. I'd like to see DJI and Specialized eat dirt since they don't care one iota about trail access dynamics. I'd love to hear you start calling Avinox (and others) out on being over 750 watts and not Class 1. It's maddening whenever there's a review that doesn't bring...

Once Jackson's sister showed up and surprised him in the pits, after that heartfelt hug, it was pretty much over for all the other senior men's racers. I think she deserves a cut of his winnings, just like his mechanic.

What's with Yeti not running national colors for their riders?

I don't think this has anything to do with environmental protection but instead the organisation of the event. Do you guys not remember how often course marshalls were busy fixing the tape when a racer missed a line and went through it during practice? Or how often tape got wrapped in a wheel and dragged with the rider for the remainder of the run? Not talking about all the helmet POV cam footage where at every stop during practice the racers needed to lift the tape to get off an on course. I think the pole are an improvement from...

Just give me a motor that doesn't have boat loads of resistance after its cuts off and I'm happy to pedal with no assistance over whatever mph we all agree is acceptable.

re: rushing the finish, in a chat of videographers at the race, filmer, TJ Smith is going to get x-rays on his leg as he was smushed in the melee near max at the end and it was reported that a girl in the crowd was removed w/ a bone sticking out of her arm (compound fracture). perfect storm of racing, fans, alcohol and narrow spaces. lawlor said he was near a barrier before the end of the race and realized it was a bad idea and got away from it. it was leaning in at 45 degrees once everyone...

posting a question i heard it in a text thread - WBD signed an 8-year deal w/ UCI in 2022. how does ditching one of the events before the contract is up work? is it breach of contract? does someone get paid out? are they vague b/c they're sorting those details out?

It's an unbelievably vague press release. My first thought was that they were trying to sugarcoat "We're killing the series forever" in positive-sounding corporate-speak, but on second read it's kind of wishy washy and undefined, like maybe the UCI is exploring ways to offload the series to another organizer or multiple organizers, which is what it was all along until Chris Ball sold it to the UCI. Back in the day, the EWS was mostly a collection of events that were already taking place independent of the UCI, like the SuperEnduro series in Italy or Crankworx Whistler. After rereading it...

Sorry, yeah... I think you're the only one.

Kneepads at ankles is the way to go and I refuse any other opinion on the matter. I prefer my knees not constantly feeling like they are going to get some form of trenchfoot (trenchknee?)

Im not core enough to comment on the core element of this. But I gotta say I agree with Lars on the long travel bike thoughts. I still love to go for big long pedals. I want to rip downhill, but it needs to still let me climb a shit ton in a day. Although I do pedal with my knee pads around my ankles. D: