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but Dow is at 50k!

https://www.specialized.com/us/en/shop/bikes/mountain-bikes?search=turb… 9K base build LOL

@jessemelamed rules

Or lower the price and sell more of them? That would be real innovation 😬

Great question. I read something recently that said XC mountain bike design, geometry and tech has basically been tapped out and every brand makes a very capable bike. Certainly plenty of bikes that look like the Epic. That’s hurting the industry as there’s not much new/improved to sell us consumers. So the question is, are 32er’s really an improvement or just something the industry is hyping to help boost sales? I don’t see a need for a 32 but will stay open minded. Will be interesting to see how it plays out.

They could jsut keep making XC bikes more expensive for the same thing.. is that an innovation?

I have ridden Conti's SuperSoft and Soft compound tires and find the SuperSoft perfect for anything, including wet rocks and roots. I wouldn't need any tackier even in the east coast. And they last forever. My previous tires were E13's TRS AT with Mopo compound which were as grippy but used faster. 2 years ago I picked up a pair of race leftover Argotals that Conti was giving away (probably used for only one run) and altough I ended up not riding them, when they were resting on the ground for a few days, I could feel the tires litterally...

To JVP's point about rougher terrain... Coming from the world of cyclocross tubulars.... A super supple casing at 20psi (almost riding on the rim) is faster on very bumpy grass/rough fields than a stiffer casing tire at 30psi because of deflection (casing having to deform over bumps). The same is true these days with UCI road racing and gravel racing. All are going to lower pressures and all have supple casings. Also, rolling resistance tests on drums are helpful for comparisons between tires, but they aren't fully translatable to the real-world trails. The Radials definitely rolls slow on smooth terrain...

Woooo! I've always wanted Maven power with the lever ambiguity of Shimano's wandering bite point! Count me in!

Man I've got some terrible news for you about mountain bikers and the word "loam:"

wow this is some classic vital content right here. Sspomer you can lock our threads but you’ll never make us not idiots

The Spur is a pretty sweet bike and you'd fit in with everyone else in Bellingham with a TR on your headtube. If an alloy frame is desired a Norco Fluid is a pretty awesome mid travel trail bike and would be very appropriate to slap a 140mm 36 on the front of it. Its probably closer to the jack of trades category with a bias to the gravity side of things (similar to the Tallboy). There are some alloy builds for less than the sale price on a carbon Spur frame set. Its more work to strip a frame...

I can vouch for the overbuilt tallboy. Amazing set up. highly recommended. Can dig further into detail on it if desired but would highly recommend one

I’d like to see more entry methods. Crank Bros are the only pedals where you can just slide your foot forward across the pedal and it will catch. They’ll also re-engage if you just stand on the pedal as you ride. I think that’s the reason they’re so popular with the gravity crowd despite their issues. Personally I find the “toe down” SPD entry method to be distracting in technical terrain. I’d like something that keeps the ease of entry that Crank Bros pedals have without the durability issues or vague centering. With the amount of horizontal space that gravity...

Does CB have a patent that prohibits brands from using their system? Not that I don't like their pedals, but I'm curious why we don't see any 3rd party options for cleats or pedals. Would love a steel cleat that lasts more than a month.

They say “proprietary binding” but when you go to their website it says “fully SPD compatible” So what’s unique about them then? I wish more companies weren’t afraid of deviating from SPD cleats, I feel like they really limit innovation.