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This is what's right with The Industry®

toodles

ridiculously corgi proportioned
Aug 24, 2004
5,819
5,195
Australia
Paul Aston bought a farm in Italy, not far from Finale Ligure, that he's making into a testing area with several tracks, bike lab and whatever else the mad man is thinking. He's maxing out his credit cards to buy bikes for testing then raffling them off to get some money back. For his sake I hope he succeeds.

Although I would say, from a few videos I've seen, that his demeanor can be described as grumpy cat does mtb reviews.
As cool as that sounds, how many reviews can you listen to where the only feedback is "bike is not a Geometron therefore shit"
 

vivisectxi

Monkey
Jan 14, 2021
516
617
yeast van
yer. the format sounds neat (no ad revenue / no bias), but the reviews i've seen so far (or fast forwarded through) are tedious. like he goes on for an hour about the saga of a loosening norco pivot bolt. dude needs to learn to be concise & edit aggressively. and the sustainability of the revenue model does seems questionable...
 

konifere

Monkey
Dec 20, 2021
607
753
Vorsprung's latest Youtube video : "Dear Bike Industry... Tuesday Tune Ep 34"
(His video is what's right, it's a rant against what's wrong with the industry™!)
 

fwp

Monkey
Jun 5, 2013
415
410
Paul Aston bought a farm in Italy, not far from Finale Ligure, that he's making into a testing area with several tracks, bike lab and whatever else the mad man is thinking. He's maxing out his credit cards to buy bikes for testing then raffling them off to get some money back. For his sake I hope he succeeds.

Although I would say, from a few videos I've seen, that his demeanor can be described as grumpy cat does mtb reviews.
He seemed refreshingly honest, although some of the things he came out with had to make you wonder?
Nobody is buying a bike from Norco or a Canyon Sender after listening to that podcast.
He placed 15th at the Masters worlds on the Sender (with factory level suspension mods) and believes he could have gotten on the podium had he been riding the Commencal Supreme? He was 15 seconds off the podium!
Everyone knew the Supreme was good but damn if that ain't a hot take?
Also
Don't buy a Norco if you are looking for quality.
He fired some shots.
The industry needs more of this brutal honesty/ transparency in the reviews and tests.
 

djjohnr

Turbo Monkey
Apr 21, 2002
3,109
1,799
Northern California
His review videos are interesting although he spends a lot of time bitching about the same thing over and over. I own the Norco Shore he reviewed, although I built mine up from the frame. He keeps bitching about dropping the chain because the version he's testing wasn't spec'd with a narrow-wide ring. That's obviously a stupid spec from Norco (maybe supply chain related?), but to spend three videos on it seems like beating a dead horse. Just swap the chainring and be done with it. I haven't experienced the bolt backing out issue he has; I have my own set of complaints about the bike, although that's pretty universal to every one I've owned.
 

vivisectxi

Monkey
Jan 14, 2021
516
617
yeast van
His review videos are interesting although he spends a lot of time bitching about the same thing over and over. I own the Norco Shore he reviewed, although I built mine up from the frame. He keeps bitching about dropping the chain because the version he's testing wasn't spec'd with a narrow-wide ring. That's obviously a stupid spec from Norco (maybe supply chain related?), but to spend three videos on it seems like beating a dead horse. Just swap the chainring and be done with it. I haven't experienced the bolt backing out issue he has; I have my own set of complaints about the bike, although that's pretty universal to every one I've owned.
^THIS. amazingly, he actually got a refund on the bike based on his epic saga. i was expecting some critical design faults when I first checked out his review videos, but it seemed to boil down to a loose bolt & a poorly spec'd chainring? a bit of locktite & swap out the cheap ring & be rolling in 15mins, but he spends HOURS going on & on. jesus he's tedious.
 

Andeh

Customer Title
Mar 3, 2020
1,177
1,138
I think some of his ideas are interesting, and like the no-holds-barred reviews. But I suspect he might be a little bit on the spectrum.
 

vivisectxi

Monkey
Jan 14, 2021
516
617
yeast van
^ you may be correct there. the concept / format is great, and there's no doubt he's a skilled rider & astute technical analyst, he just needs an editor to (aggressively) constrain his output.
 

canadmos

Cake Tease
May 29, 2011
21,881
21,391
Canaderp
a bit of locktite & swap out the cheap ring & be rolling in 15mins, but he spends HOURS going on & on. jesus he's tedious.
I've only watched a few minutes of one of the Shore videos and he says that he wanted to switch the chain ring out, but he can't as the crank won't come off the bike.

I'm guessing they are Sram cranks?

So he should really be bitching about Sram and not entirely about the bike...
 

buckoW

Turbo Monkey
Mar 1, 2007
3,838
4,881
Champery, Switzerland
I've only watched a few minutes of one of the Shore videos and he says that he wanted to switch the chain ring out, but he can't as the crank won't come off the bike.

I'm guessing they are Sram cranks?

So he should really be bitching about Sram and not entirely about the bike...
I think he didn’t have a crank puller and the cranks didn’t have the integrated nut inside a nut.
I know paul well and rode with him a bunch when he lived in Morzine.

I think it is in fashion to moan about “the industry” or “the government” or “the whatever.” Consumers have rights, right!
Dafuq? Aren't they fitted with self extracting bolt?
I think not. His bike was a very low end spec.
 

Jm_

sled dog's bollocks
Jan 14, 2002
20,040
10,603
AK
I bought an 18” breaker bar to get mine off. Still had to prop the bike against the wall while on it and stand on the breaker bar to break it loose.
Go the extra mile and buy the 2 3' sections of PVC. Put one on the crank and one on the breaker...comes off like butter.

I think lots of people still try to do dumbass stuff with allen wrenches and the like, all those do is round out the interface and make it even harder. Using drivers/breakers, it's not much of a big deal IME.
 

Bike078

Monkey
Jan 11, 2018
598
439
I think he didn’t have a crank puller and the cranks didn’t have the integrated nut inside a nut.
I know paul well and rode with him a bunch when he lived in Morzine.

I think it is in fashion to moan about “the industry” or “the government” or “the whatever.” Consumers have rights, right!


I think not. His bike was a very low end spec.
I've watched a few of his videos. It does seem like he complains over much at times. Or maybe he's just British. "Grumble, grumble, moan, grumble... this Commencal is the best downhill bike I've ever ridden."

Also maybe he can tighten production a bit, work off a shorter script or bullet points so he doesn't ramble too much. Not a lot of people are willing to watch 30 to 40 minute reviews. I don't know how he will sustain his venture using the current business model but I hope he gets that farm/bike lab up and running.
 

FlipFantasia

Turbo Monkey
Oct 4, 2001
1,693
549
Sea to Sky BC
A friend and I ran into him in Finale in 2017 post Trans-Provence, my friend knew him quite well from when they worked together in Whistler....grumbly seems apt from my recollection. Overly confident in his own opinions and preferences as being relevant to everyone is what I remember thinking about some of his perspectives.
 

FlipSide

Turbo Monkey
Sep 24, 2001
1,428
884
xt cranks have been what's right with the industry for a long, long time.
I had one with an Octalink BB about 15 years ago and it was great. I just bought an FC-M8100-1 for my new hardtail build. It's pretty and very simple! I am sure I will like it a lot :)

I was just a bit bummed to realized I needed to buy two new tools: One to install the BB-MT800 (Park BBT-59.2) and another one for the Shimano Direct Mount lockring (Park LRT-4).
 

iRider

Turbo Monkey
Apr 5, 2008
5,682
3,137
I had one with an Octalink BB about 15 years ago and it was great. I just bought an FC-M8100-1 for my new hardtail build. It's pretty and very simple! I am sure I will like it a lot :)

I was just a bit bummed to realized I needed to buy two new tools: One to install the BB-MT800 (Park BBT-59.2) and another one for the Shimano Direct Mount lockring (Park LRT-4).
To be fair, while I never had issues with Shimano cranks, there seem to be reports of them cracking. I have mainly seen this for road cranks, e.g.: https://www.bikeradar.com/features/shimano-crank-failure/
 

FlipSide

Turbo Monkey
Sep 24, 2001
1,428
884
I mean why couldn't they just be the same tool? :confused:
Just checked...the BB and lockring do have the same spline pattern. The BBT-59.2 is for a 3/8 drive and the LRT-4 needs a wrench. Basically, you can install both with the lockring tool.
 
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Westy

the teste
Nov 22, 2002
55,921
21,952
Sleazattle
Mine did not. Do you have the current M81XX model?
Mine came with the tool. Might depend whether or not you get the OEM or end user package.

My only complaint with XT cranks is that the spider feels purposely heavy to create a more desirable upgrade path to XTR.
 

FlipSide

Turbo Monkey
Sep 24, 2001
1,428
884
Mine came with the tool. Might depend whether or not you get the OEM or end user package.

My only complaint with XT cranks is that the spider feels purposely heavy to create a more desirable upgrade path to XTR.
I got the aftermarket version with the end user package. I just triple-checked and there is not tools to be found in the box.

I doesn't matter. I would have bought the metal version anyway.

Regarding the spider: I got the spider-less version and the OneUp Switch system. The bike is not assembled yet, but the OneUp/Shimano crank is looking pretty good! :)
 

Leafy

Monkey
Sep 13, 2019
635
408
Mine came with the tool. Might depend whether or not you get the OEM or end user package.

My only complaint with XT cranks is that the spider feels purposely heavy to create a more desirable upgrade path to XTR.
Nothing a dremel can't fix.
 

Westy

the teste
Nov 22, 2002
55,921
21,952
Sleazattle
I got the aftermarket version with the end user package. I just triple-checked and there is not tools to be found in the box.

I doesn't matter. I would have bought the metal version anyway.

Regarding the spider: I got the spider-less version and the OneUp Switch system. The bike is not assembled yet, but the OneUp/Shimano crank is looking pretty good! :)
Mine came with the metal version. This was also pre-pandemic. Wouldn't be surprised if they stopped including the tool to align resources elsewhere.
 

Bikael Molton

goofy for life
Jun 9, 2003
4,088
1,235
El Lay
Yes - XT M8120 Crankset - 175mm.

I had already pre-purchased the Park tool, unfortunately.

I remember the Shimano tool was sorta hidden in the box under one of the flaps and I didn't find it until I went to throw out the box.

I also have a current set of SLXs that didn't come with the tool, as far as I remember.

Mine did not. Do you have the current M81XX model?
 

Carraig042

me 1st
Apr 5, 2011
766
373
East Tennessee
My only complaint with XT cranks is that the spider feels purposely heavy to create a more desirable upgrade path to XTR.
I would agree, the XT chainring is approximately 115 grams where an aftermarket is 55-60ish. You add one of those rings and your not that far off of the xtr setup.