Why not a Santa Cruz Chameleon? Better fork for the money and lighter. I don't get all the hype Salsa gets. Generally not a lot of bike for the money and I...
Yeah keep us updated on how this goes. I'm shopping for a rigid fork too. I'm leaning towards biting the bullet and just plunking down the money for a Niner RDO fork...
Bigger tires also mean dragging around a lot more weight. For short durations, that's probably not a big deal as was shown in the tests. But for longer rides with lots of...
I would say most XC FS bikes that are competitive are going to be in the 25lb range or lower. Trailbikes tend to average from 27lb-32lb depending on how much you spend. ...
Kona Honzo. 415mm Chainstays
The way you describe the crash with the front end too high, I'm not sure a full suspension bike would have made much of a difference. If you had cased the jump...
I push hard partly because it's fun and partly because anaerobic workouts deliver way more bang for the buck in terms of strength and keeping your body lean. I'm in...
The guys I know who ride those conditions regularly swear by Bontrager XR3s or XR4s. Very tough tires for dealing with strewn rocks and rock gardens and decent rolling resistance. I've...
If you are the fastest dude on the trail, feel free to wear earbuds. Otherwise, you end up being a road block that is impossible to move because you have no idea...
Average speed on a mountain bike is meaningless. We have several trails near us all of which are intermediate level. I average about 7mph on one because it's tight and twisty and...
I'm a fan of 29'' but that is a personal preference.
As for gearing, I actually slightly prefer 2x10 when riding hilly terrain because I can transition from downhill to climbing with a...
I wouldn't worry about boost just yet. There will be plenty of 142 wheels on the market for the foreseeable future and you might even get better deals on them.
As for me,...
I am definitely not a fan of spandex and I come from a motocross background so I'm naturally drawn to enduro over XC. But I have to admit, the XC guys I've...
I have a pair. I also have some One UP components flats and to be honest, can't tell much of a difference in efficiency or stickiness because my foot doesn't slip off...
I generally like old school trails with lots of technical climbing (I hate to climb in general though - long smooth fire roads are the worst). But I am a sucker...
The wide array of choices of mountain bikes (trail, enduro, xc, recreation, sport, downhill, etc etc) was really confusing to me when I was looking to buy my first bike.
Also, the non-uniform...
For 1 x drivetrains, I think there is no question that SRAM has Shimano beat for most people. But I am also starting to see more and more 2x drivetrains returning on...
Very good post.
Thanks for posting that. Yeah exercising in a fasted state and intermittent fasting are part of the fad diet craze. I think you get a lot more bang for your buck when...
The X cal is a 2x 11 not a 1x11.
If you are looking at an XC hardtail at that price point, I'd also take a look at the Specialized Chisel. It's the...
I have an aluminum hardtail and the frame creaks a little bit as I get near the recommended torque while tightening the rear axle. Has anyone experienced this and is this something...
The amount of time this sport requires. Rides are not rides unless they are at least 1.5 hours. And then you have to ride muliple times a week to keep your fitness. ...
Thanks for the clarification. By maintenance weight, I mean staying a constant weight. But I realize this is hard to achieve because hunger levels vary with exercise. But I can say that...
Robert Dobbs - Just curious, how do you add muscle weight without eating excess calories? I only bulk up if I try to by eating more calories than needed for maintenance...
1. I don't enjoy riding in the cold. I do this for fun, not for the grind.
2. I don't like riding at night and I would have to because of work hours.
3....
I like my full suspension bike for super rooty trails and for casual group rides, but I would not say I "need" it even in the most technical courses in the midwest. ...
Another thing to consider is that the Epic is an all new design whereas the Top Fuel is going on its third year with the same geometry. May or may not matter...
Thanks for everyone for your thoughts. Nice review Greg.
I use both front and rear , standing with weight back, drop my heals so that they are pushing into the pedals, wrists straight and pushing against the back of the grips....
I didn't know too much about the brand but figured that they are pretty good since I see them getting good reviews in various magazines and they show up on Global Mountain...
Full suspension bikes have more potential for creaks and stuff going out of whack - more moving parts. So if the concern is that the bike is beat up and needs frequent...
The Mezcal TNT G+ is a good tire. The only issue with it is it tends to run narrow but that might not matter to the OP. Otherwise, I'd stick with...
Why do you want to switch away from the XR3s? Are they team issue or experts?
I come from a similar background. Mostly MX but some BMX. I think one factor to consider is that the suspension on a mountain bike will involve more tradeoffs than on...