Nerf Herder
Wheel size expert
This is actually a really good discussion.
Good ad for the Spur as well
the comment from the plaid shirt guy re building bikes up ... or over building ... definitely hit a chord with me a likely quite a few riders in general
my comments on topic
Fracking hell the SID Ultimate is a bloody good fork and the SID Luxe Ultimate is a pretty awesome shock as well ... caveat: on the platform I’m riding ... Revel Ranger. The CBF ramps up at the end stroke which really helps what I’m doing or wanting to feel when descending on this setup.
On my short descending test track with 35% sag ... on an XC fork and shock mind you ... mind blown.
not a gnarly track and likely found on most fun steeper / faster trails anywhere ... but where I get a little bogged down on the bigger/slacker 29’ and 27.5 out of the berm ... the nimble Ranger just whips around or if I muff it I can squirt out with a couple pedals hit the next jump and accelerate and pop over the next bike and a half length root carpet which is just that much easier given the weight differences.
when I get it right all three of my rigs 170mm/27.5 ... 140mm/29 ... 120mm/29 produces the same times ... but more importantly the same exhilaration. I think that’s important for the modern XC. No puckering, no tentativeness ... just the same level of rider commitment, understanding consequences of a fuck up will be more intense ... which adds an element to the ride that I’m looking for
35% sag absolutely sucks balls pedalling ... the Ranger bobs like no tomorrow at 35% where the other rigs love it ... but purely from a descending point of view ... am I the only one that has wanted an XC bike (11kg build with dropper and front Dissectors) that can descend like an old skool DH bike. Pop jumps, schralp corners and skim off the rough at Mach 6.
get it wrong, especially high speed, high frequency hits and you will need solid bike handling skills and maybe a few more psi in the tires, but frack these things are fun and the consequences gets your brain pumping.
in more normal setup of 20 to 25% sag ... the front is fairly harsh from a trail bike point of view ... rear platform is bang on IMO, but I’m still playing with my preferred setup which I think is going to be 30% front 25% rear for all round (descending biased) or 25F/20R for longer distance pedalling survival mode.
anywho ... do you have a modern XC ... what is it? how do you use it? Would you do it again? Have you resisted over building it?
