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I see the tracks have been added. The DH line is also smoothish - I've raced it before, but takes a lot of commitment to go fast. There are variations to the line so it may avoid some of the features I suspect.

Are they smoothish - wondering if my steel HT might be the deal for this?

A few years back my nearly new bike from the big S was chewing through rear hub bearings. The concept store mechanic claimed this was normal and most people had their hub bearings replaced every few months - at hundreds a pop. I never went back and got a different hub A few years later and its never had a new bearing.

Judging by the behind the scenes at the end, he's lucky to have finished this one without ending himself. Every video he makes must result in a trip in an ambulance and surgical intervention.

I'm glad I live in CT, we have our problems but being punched in the face by a ginger on an MTB is a rarity. 🙂

Good to hear. My Spesh frame also developed similar localized corrosion in the vicinity of the forward shock mount. No damage to frame in that area and very obviously a coating defect. I just peeled off the loose paint, cleaned it and left it unpainted (luckily its not visible unless you try hard)

Was the perp actually part of the group or on a frolic of his own? Did the rest of the group react or do anything when they witnessed the assault or aftermath?

Me on my enduro bike or even a lighter XC bike weigh more than the combined weight of many people I see on their eBikes. If eBike manufacturers wanted they could have started with XC forks and short travel - they didn't because its pointless where you can ride the extra weight up and have a blast on the way down, which is what most of the world want to do on their bikes...

No man you're missing my point - an eBike weighs in at 25kg or less anyway so its still way more nimble than a heavy moto. The fact that eBikes are enduro/trail bikes has nothing to do with their additional weight and all to do with their ability to ferry the rider to the top with proper amounts of travel and braking available at no penalty. The point is that they are mostly made for descending with more comfort safety and fun on tap than a marathon bike. Many of the eBikers come off marathon bikes and now happily descend faster and more safely because they suddenly have decent tyres and suspension. BTW, have you seen the video of Gee Atherton beating a top moto rider down Fort william on his 26er DH bike?

I have vivid memories of that first climb - 300 riders blocking the road as we crawled up to the Nek. Those were the days 🙂

What 🙂 Must be quite an old eBike... Have you noticed that almost all current eBikes on sale are trail/enduro bikes with upwards of 140mm travel forks and 130 -160mm of rear wheel travel. That makes them way better descenders than frisky 100mm marathon bikes, would you not agree?

I'm sure eBikers are doing stage events but it doesn't seem to be helping the numbers by the sound of it.

I find the whole Epic Series quite amusing - all these wannabe clones of THE EPIC around the world - just a bit cheaper and with hardly any people. I think the industry has slowly been killing itself with crazy pricing and a focus on high end appeal rather than grass roots cycling. This is also why I'd rather support local enduro and dh events than big money making stage events. The pre internet world of MTB in SA was very different to the rest of the world where crazy free ride and bike parks with big jumps became the norm. And its all ages - not just the 25-30's. Ebikes have also helped kill stage races I suspect. Now people can get up the mountain easily and because the bike works so much better than a marathon bike on the way down, they are actually enjoying descending and maye getting some skills training along the way.

Distance to race and cost of entry are issues for me. I used to do many of the old style PPA fun rides which now can't happen in the southern peninsula. If its a choice between driving 75km to do a road race or stay home and ride on the mountain or road, the latter prevails. The CTCT entry increases which are way over inflation every year means I may just miss out this year. I wish my income went up by the same margin.

As long as you're not the guy breaking rocks and dumbing down MTB tracks to make them gravel worthy? 😞 #spiritofenduro

I suggest you check the manufacturers website for your dropper. Specialized command post droppers rely on the stanchion to be in perfect condition in order to keep the airs pring sealed and they therefore recommend that you keep the seat in the down position to prevent it being damaged in storage or while racked on your car. That said, I recall reading that droppers with sealed cartridges should be stored with the post extended. I can't really understand why as the cartridges are much like the gas struts that hold your boot or bonnet up and spend almost 100% of their lives compressed.

You can add big wheels to that equation as well. My 27.5 Enduro is easier to chuck through consecutive corners than the equivalent 29er but loses its advantage when it gets chunky and steep.

You said it #endurancebro 🙂 Just having some fun - I'm sure they work well. I still have some Ergons with palm pads and shorty bar ends I used on a 3 day event just 3 years ago...

For sure, but its horses for courses. If you want controllable speed on steep rough terrain then a longer wheelbase is safer and faster. Not always needed in SA of course.

You see, nobody wants them 🙂

I don't think short stems introduce twitchiness, rather too wide bars on a longish stem. As the review states its not short stems but slack HTA's that lead to a tendency for the steering to be ponderous and "floppy" at low speed. Not an issue for experienced riders of course. I sometimes ride a 26er HT with a 70mm stem and 785mm bars and I call the twitchiness, "responsive,playfull handling" 🙂 . In fact its great fun to ride on the right trails. I was forced to run a longer than ideal stem to increase the reach a bit on a slightly too small frame but have kept the bars full width. Also the bikes fitted with this device are not your average SA marathon bike - MTB is a different sport in Europe where the focus is on bike parks and descending, rather than masochistic stage races.

1995 called and asked for their bar ends back 🙂

The Pinkbike reviewer said he found the sensation odd but could get used to it. That said, he wasn't converted. I can understand the thinking but I hate the thought of more complexity on my bike. The PB comments mention slack eBikes and unskilled riders who might need some help form a system like this. Most of us don't.

Ya, it should be low-ball v High-Ball surely?

R135k and all it can do is go down a gravel road under human power. Makes an EBike look cheap. Or a motorbike. Everytime I see a gravel bike on my local I wonder if it was him who came and smashed rocks to pieces to make the only rock garden on that section easier to navigate on drop bars....