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This is what's wrong with The Industry™

Yo, so honest question...how many of us are "overbiked"? It's certainly nice to have a serious bike that can handle aggressive downhills, but how many times are those present, and how often could you be 90% as fast on a lighter and simpler bike?

I wish they had added an enduro bike to the same trail in order to see comparable speed...but then again, horses for courses. I know that folks out west grind up dirt roads so they can get multiple mile-long descents. Just because my trails suxx0rz, doesn't mean theirs does.
What the hell difference does it make? Get on your bike and ride it.
 

Nick

My name is Nick
Sep 21, 2001
24,862
16,399
where the trails are
Yo, so honest question...how many of us are "overbiked"? It's certainly nice to have a serious bike that can handle aggressive downhills, but how many times are those present, and how often could you be 90% as fast on a lighter and simpler bike?

I wish they had added an enduro bike to the same trail in order to see comparable speed...but then again, horses for courses. I know that folks out west grind up dirt roads so they can get multiple mile-long descents. Just because my trails suxx0rz, doesn't mean theirs does.
I ride a 160r/170f trail bike. Although I have plenty of legit rowdy descents I could manage on a bike with less travel. My intent was to move to a 1-bike solution, but that was a dumb idea. I really should have a slightly more agile trail bike, say 130mm with good geo and proper tires, and perhaps another DH bike.
 

FlipSide

Turbo Monkey
Sep 24, 2001
1,432
888
Yo, so honest question...how many of us are "overbiked"? It's certainly nice to have a serious bike that can handle aggressive downhills, but how many times are those present, and how often could you be 90% as fast on a lighter and simpler bike?

I wish they had added an enduro bike to the same trail in order to see comparable speed...but then again, horses for courses. I know that folks out west grind up dirt roads so they can get multiple mile-long descents. Just because my trails suxx0rz, doesn't mean theirs does.
I spent the last 15-20 years underbiked, as I thought it was preferable to ride a twitchier bike instead of having a heavy bike that pedals like crap. Now that the bike geometry is much more figured out, that pretty much all bikes are pedaling well and they all weight pretty much the same, I don't see any reason to be underbiked. I now think it's best to just ride a bike that is well adapted to the gnarliest trails you ride often and accept being overbiked the rest of the time. I bought a Devinci Spartan LTD late in 2018 and I couldn't be happier.
 

jstuhlman

bagpipe wanker
Dec 3, 2009
17,314
14,123
Cackalacka du Nord
Yo, so honest question...how many of us are "overbiked"? It's certainly nice to have a serious bike that can handle aggressive downhills, but how many times are those present, and how often could you be 90% as fast on a lighter and simpler bike?

I wish they had added an enduro bike to the same trail in order to see comparable speed...but then again, horses for courses. I know that folks out west grind up dirt roads so they can get multiple mile-long descents. Just because my trails suxx0rz, doesn't mean theirs does.
me, according to most, but idgaf and i love my nomad and the simplicity of just having one bike and also what @StiHacka said.
 

sethimus

neu bizutch
Feb 5, 2006
5,317
2,414
not in Whistler anymore :/

Electric_City

Torture wrench
Apr 14, 2007
2,047
783
Dirt Rag magazine is defunct.

Though not everyone read their stuff, they were more East Coast than anything else. They were around for 30 years and hosted a lot of events like Mountain Bike Weekend in Jim Thorpe, Pa and 2 Dirtfest- one at Raystown (basically replaced the JTMBW) and one in West Virginia.
 

jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
88,637
26,885
media blackout
Dirt Rag magazine is defunct.

Though not everyone read their stuff, they were more East Coast than anything else. They were around for 30 years and hosted a lot of events like Mountain Bike Weekend in Jim Thorpe, Pa and 2 Dirtfest- one at Raystown (basically replaced the JTMBW) and one in West Virginia.
woke up to that news.

1580389880344.png
 

jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
88,637
26,885
media blackout
Trek sending out frames with the dropper port installed/manufactured upside down: https://forums.mtbr.com/fat-bikes/warning-problem-trek-farley-5-internal-dropper-cable-routing-1127093.html

One of two situations. Either your QC is really bad, or you were just hoping no one would notice...
So many fucking homers on empty beer - that's also wrong with this industry.
i can't believe people are claiming its not functionally defective and is only cosmetic.
 

Wuffles

Monkey
Feb 24, 2016
157
98
Probably because of the paper thin plus tire. Those things are an abomination when riding fast and at their recommended pressures.
No doubt you're right, I'm just having trouble wrapping my brain around the failure mechanism. Obviously the rim took a hit, but how did it buckle outwards?

Only thing I can think of is thin tire folds completely over, and the side of the rim hits a rock or something.

Moral of the story: Plus size remains, as it always was, a shitty idea brilliant marketing scheme for shitty riders new riders who don't know better.
 

Wuffles

Monkey
Feb 24, 2016
157
98
Me too

So so much.

Like a LOT.


Might be for different reasons than you do, but it's a lot.
The hell of it is he actually has a number of genuinely good posts, with good ideas. Off the top of my head- his revised flat mount brake standards are far better than the current industry BS; his post about parametric design is pretty much standard engineering knowledge that seems to be skipped over by a lot of bike designers; and recently his "reach is not a driving parameter" was good as well (i.e. reach does not tell the whole tale, there's a bunch of other things too).

And then we get the batshit lunacy: the infamous "what happens if I put mineral oil in a DOT brake" post; the multiple extremely long, low, slack, and aggressive frames designed with what appears to be zero structural analysis but plenty of hopes and prayers; and the self-made components of questionable chinesium provenance.

It's like watching a coked-up test pilot do their thing, success or disaster you're pretty much guaranteed an entertaining show.
 

englertracing

you owe me a sandwich
Mar 5, 2012
1,657
1,145
La Verne
My usual weapon of choice is a pivot 5.5 rear 140, front 160
The hell of it is he actually has a number of genuinely good posts, with good ideas. Off the top of my head- his revised flat mount brake standards are far better than the current industry BS; his post about parametric design is pretty much standard engineering knowledge that seems to be skipped over by a lot of bike designers; and recently his "reach is not a driving parameter" was good as well (i.e. reach does not tell the whole tale, there's a bunch of other things too).

And then we get the batshit lunacy: the infamous "what happens if I put mineral oil in a DOT brake" post; the multiple extremely long, low, slack, and aggressive frames designed with what appears to be zero structural analysis but plenty of hopes and prayers; and the self-made components of questionable chinesium provenance.

It's like watching a coked-up test pilot do their thing, success or disaster you're pretty much guaranteed an entertaining show.
I think you would be supprised to know that many mfgs dont do FEA, they draw it and say YEA DUDE LOOKS RAD.....
3:25
Just uhh sketch around for that look you want
No mention of fea
 

Jm_

sled dog's bollocks
Jan 14, 2002
20,065
10,630
AK

maybe crazy idea but i like my old cannondale prophets bikes, i thought that the frame could be modified to give a longer front center which is now normal on modern bikes, could a second headtube be welded like piggy back on the origanl headtube, thus lengthening to bike by an inch or 2, might take a little patience, could i find 1.5 headtubes pretty easy? or is this flat out dumb
1580449103060.png
 

xy9ine

Turbo Monkey
Mar 22, 2004
2,940
353
vancouver eastside
think of the adjustable reach possibility tho! the slider thing could have a bunch of holes in it, and you'd just stick in a pin through to lock in the optimal reach. from dirt jumper tight to dh bomber stretch, all in one bike! no need for that dual head tube. (though i'd still like to see a dual bb; stacked on top of one another. old school east coast high clearance mode or west coast slammed).