So I have my shiny new enduro, and the guy at the resort tells me they are just about to start an enduro race this day. This is after I already rode to the top of the lift and down, since I was waiting for the lifts to open. The "enduro" race is more of a dirt-crit with a straight-up vertical climb followed by a short back and forth in the twisties. Each "lap" can be done in maybe 7 minutes, but the climb is straight up suffering. Different categories are different numbers of laps. It's basically the bunny-slope lift with some nice short trails to ride. So as I'm starting out and shift to the easy ring (yeah, could solve this by just going with one ring...soon) and the freaking derailleur locks up, clutch engages, it's just swinging freely in the "extended" position. WTF? This is not the most precise derailleur I've owned, my X5 10spd actually is more reliable at hitting the gears, supposedly this is due to the factory overtorquing the clutch bolt? (read on some other boards). Still passed everyone except the leader from the last place and got 2nd place and a free lift ticket, so I guess it was successful, but I had to spend a minute or two trying to get the damn thing un-clutched or whatever. The way this manifested is the clutch engagement caused the chain to fall off the front gears, due to the slack and free-swinging derailleur. Then, later in the day, I try a similar maneuver to head back up the trail a few feet and take a trail I missed and it does it again. Derailleur locks up, chain falls off front rings. WTF? Isn't this what the damn thing is supposed to PREVENT? And don't get me started about the rattle, the mechanism rattles all day long like ovalized RM9 pivots. What kind of derailleur is this? The bike comes with a semi-chainguide, so it's obvious they don't trust the derailleur alone to keep the chain on the rings. I was thinking about going to XO in a month or so, now I'm thinking this is just a kraptastic idea.
Oh well, I think I could have won the race if I hadn't lost those minutes, but I can't complain about a free lift ticket too much. Especially if they have races each weekend (lift ticket covers race-fee). Make it kind of a rolling-freeride.
The bike rips anyways. It doesn't give up much to a DH bike and the pike completely erases braking bumps. Impressive.
Oh well, I think I could have won the race if I hadn't lost those minutes, but I can't complain about a free lift ticket too much. Especially if they have races each weekend (lift ticket covers race-fee). Make it kind of a rolling-freeride.
The bike rips anyways. It doesn't give up much to a DH bike and the pike completely erases braking bumps. Impressive.
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