Nick

Reviewing isn't always play, unfortunately. Sometimes you have to work to meet those deadlines.

Glad to hear that you dodge them. Please send me any details you might have in a private message so we can take a look into it.

I tested it on an Endurace. It works really well on the road.

NTT Pro Cycling is delighted to confirm the eight riders that will represent us at the 2020 Tour de France, our team’s sixth appearance at the sport’s biggest race. Click here to view the article

Awesome. Glad you came right.

I can't see your log outs in our logs. Did you do it from Forums perhaps? You'll need to do it from a part of the site where the notifications icon is broken, such as the homepage or classifieds.

Please log out on the device. When you log back in again, it should start working.

I don't think they'd ever want a Diverge. The new Diverge geo is far from ideal for a world tour racer. The Roubaix would get picked before it but even then, the Roubaix only really gets raced at Paris-Roubaix where some riders are probably being forced. In previous editions, riders have locked out the FutureShock with a custom block. Now it comes with a lockout at least.

Here's some great speculation about the shock placement: https://www.brujulabike.com/scott-spark-2021-en/

Haha, nope. I might be proven wrong. From the grainy images coming out from the race, it looks like the new bike but they're similar looking.

Looks like it might have just taken a stage win at Vuelta a Burgos

I wouldn't read more into this than them simply trying to give the consumer more options. Currently the LBS has a monopoly which does limit sales to people who can or like to visit stores. Going online is a very easy way to suddenly increase your customer base in a way that physical stores cannot. Selling on Backcountry & CompetitiveCyclist exposes them to so many more customers. It's also not a binary thing. The two sales channels can coexist. There are different customers. Some will like retail and some will like online. You'll surely make the most sales servicing both. I'd expect to see that being the future plans.

The big S has been online overseas for some time now through Specialized.com. The news here is them doing it through online third-party dealers. Which sort of goes in the opposite direction of that comment you posted. If the plan has to have total control of the retail channel, surely they'd do it through Specialized.com and not open it to online third-party dealers. Also, what parts will Specialized plan to withhold so they can overcharge and make millions? They have been moving away from propriety parts and these days it's really just the Brain and maybe some parts for the aero bikes. Most parts are off the shelf.

These would be gold for summer commuting. Now where's the SPD-SL version?

That's crazy talk! I'm a terrible high poster.

I wouldn't be surprised if they phase out the Stumpjumper ST. The Epic Evo is just as capable, is lighter, and pedals better.

I didn't check to be honest. Spec sheet says 170/175, so I'm guessing that it might be size specific? Pedal strikes was not something I noticed while riding.

We're all different. I love riding short travel bikes on all levels of trail. It makes every trail on your ride fun no matter the grade. Our trails aren't overly technical or steep and I find riding a big travel bike limits my enjoyment on easier trails. I also like the pedalling as I tend to link a number of trail networks into a single ride all while leaving from home. That said, I'm definitely more in the Epic Evo camp than the race-focussed Epic but give it a dropper post and the bike still rips.

They are being coy about the alloy frames. There is apparently something else related to the Epic coming later in the year which may or may not be it.

The regulations relate to professional sports, as far as I understand it.

Well, it's not exactly exciting stuff you look up for fun, until you're told to stay there

Because you might not be in a district. You might be covered by a Metro only. https://municipalities.co.za/

So the regulations are fairly clear. Of course, what's happening in reality is a different story. But if you want to be on the right side of the law: Section 33(4) Movement of persons between provinces, metropolitan areas and districts and hotspots is prohibited, except for- (a) persons doing so in the course of carrying out work responsibilities or performing any service permitted under Alert Level 3, provided that such person is in possession of a permit issued by the employer which corresponds with Form 2 of Annexure A;(b) persons travelling for purposes of-(i) moving to a new place of residence; or(ii) caring for an immediate family member: Provided that such person is in possession of an affidavit which corresponds with Form 6 of Annexure A;(c ) members of Parliament performing oversight responsibilities;(d) learners or students referred to in regulation 34(5) who have to commute to and from those schools or institutions of higher learning during periods when those schools or institutions are permitted to operate;(e) the attendance of funerals as provided for in regulation 35;(f) the transportation of mortal remains;(g) obtaining medical treatment;(h) persons who are returning to their place of residence from a quarantine or isolation facility; or(i) any movement permitted under regulation 41.

From the options you've mentioned. The newer Ground Control is my favoured front tyre for XC/ light trail bikes. Look to the GRID model for durability. The Maxxis Ardent (and the Race model) is another good choice for an in-between front tyre. Ikons are also decent. Rolls well on the rear wheel. Less grip than the above two on the front. Don't go Crossmark - they've had their day.

In their testing, weight is pretty much a constant. It's the UCI limit. Sure, the lower priced models would benefit from weight savings. Trek mentioned in the press call that they were not doing a rim brake version because they simply were not selling enough rim brake bikes to justify building them.