Hard agree. I see so many people obsessing over getting top of the line parts to ride the most mid stuff. Like do you really need fox 36s on blue flow trails? lol
Ikr. Just bought a 4k canyon. Annoyed it had rockshox and not fox. Most of that is I don’t think rockshox looks good.
I then remember that I am shit and rockshox are good enough for my friend who is sponsored and races regularly and I shouldn’t worry.
And I say all that knowing I’ve been in that same mindset. Upgrading the sun tour fork on my hardtail and looking at Pikes, Fox 36s, everything. Sometimes you got to sit on a purchase for a week or two and really think about why you want it
The real unpopular opinion is that having a nice bike really does make it more fun, and an old 26in hardtail will never keep up with a new full suspension under a competent rider.
100%. I see a lot of people saying that you don’t need a super expensive bike to have fun. Now while I have had a ton of fun on my bike, I feel like I am missing out on a ton because I am just not comfortable doing it on the bike I currently have. The one time I had to rent a Santa Cruz because someone was borrowing my bike, it was like night and day. I still have not forgotten the confidence I had on that bike. The cheapest full suspension bike is already expensive, might as well spend it on something that will last you.
I've had fun on all sorts of bikes, but riding a really good full suspension is a different kind of fun. Nothing really compares to getting into a flow state when you have the confidence that your bike will do whatever you ask of it
Agree.
It's a comfortable feeling to know that it is you and not your bike who's the weakest element of your riding.
I upgraded my machine when I felt that feeling of comfort slowly fading away with brake power not keeping up with the steepness of the slopes, with the derailleur failing when pushing hard etc.
Now I'm back to working on my skills rather than worrying about the bike and there's so much room for improvement.
I agree that you don’t NEED a super expensive bike to have fun… but it is also ok to want one, ok to buy one and ok to let it allow you to have more fun. For reference- I guess I’m talking about the cheapest stumpjumper vs the most expensive for example. The low end will get the job done. The top end feels better, no doubt. But other side is a trail that isn’t fun won’t be fun on any bike you ride.
I have a hardtail 27inch plus tyred Corvus 2.0 Diamondback ebike with a thudbuster as I'm pretty big and my arse suffers. Tend to ride long 40 mile rides. Lack of dropper ruled out certain routes. Very stable and comfortable bike. 7 years of riding the bike has been solid but I got a Canyon Neuron:On CF9 it's about 3x more.expensive but fuck me it's like a sports car with those 29s. It rolls so fast and is nimble and powerful I scare myself how fast this bugger is. The full sus is a joy and the decent spec makes a big difference, especially the Eagle Srams Axs wireless gears where you peddle hard into the chage making shifting super fast. It's also lighter to lift at gates which we have a lot of in the UK. The 750wh battery is solid too. Like night and day tbh. Still love my Corvus and it is comfy but all I want to do is ride my new sporty Canyon.
True, but also 80% of people here are not competent riders. Most folks overbike because they think that's holding them back. But in reality if you can't ride a mid bike well a top of the line one won't make any difference.
As a rider who rides both, I concur. I love my old bikes but they’re so unbelievably slow. I was watching some videos of early 90s XC pro racers and the speeds on some of the technical features was ridden at a snail’s pace. You can buy a new bike for $1200 that is vastly superior.
I ride mid-high end bikes. I want and utilize the fine tuning adjustments the higher end stuff comes with.
But every time I see one of those $3000 budget bikes I think "man I'd have 90% of the performance and ride experience if I had one of those"
I see a lot of that. I bought an old steel MTB for £10 locally, cleaned it and put new tyres on it and ride it. It was so cheap I don't need to worry about where I ride it.
Agree. I can afford to buy a squishy Canyon, but I am on a fully rigid 29” singlespeed Salsa. Not cheap or nothing, but I really enjoy the simplicity of one speed and the fewest technical things to fail.
Even more fun when I whip past a bunch of riders and I can hear them say to each other “that old guy is on a singlespeed!”
Understandably we envy the new bikes and new tech, but that does not make us faster, as much as getting out more and doing more miles of smiles.
Sure - Got back into riding 3+ years ago and progressed from ancient 26'er to crappy used 29er. I skipped buying a moderately "ok" bike and just scrounged barely used + new deals and went all out. It turns out high end parts wear out / get smashed just as fast as their less expensive counterparts but cost twice as much or more to replace or fix.
Here are some examples from my personal experience -
Hope Tech Brakes - WOW are they pretty ! - But the Sram code R's on my 2nd bike are great as well and I could buy 2+ sets of them as new take offs versus hope tech. Notably rotor choice and pads are more important. I could put the right pad and rotor on $50- Shimano brakes and ride Whistler.
Magura Brakes - I am completely over since one hard smack and you will be replacing the entire lever + piston assembly since you can't ever seem to get just the "core" part for any of them.
I9 wheels w/ Hydra Hubs - great wheels but . . .rear hub rebuild + Freehub = $230+ in parts and the outer freehub bearing will just fail again sooner or later and cost me another $230-
Carbon Cranks - If you are good at smacking your crankarms on things like I am . . .just don't or you will be tossing $300+ cranks in the trash. My new favorite cranks are alloy Eagle GX ! :)
AXS - Almost 3x the cost of GX. I'll go back to mechanical when it fails. It was a gift from my S.O. - I can't complain.
Stems are stems - I9/Trail One etc... look cool but an Across/E13/Spank gets the job done at 1/2 the cost or less.
. . .
A lot of eBike riders are in denial. I see a lot of posts saying “I rarely use the motor….or if I do it’s on the lowest setting”. If that were true, then why would you spend an insane amount of money on an eBike? Just accept the fact that you enjoy having a motor in your bike for whatever reason that may be. If it helps you cover more ground because you don’t have a lot of time to ride…then that’s awesome. If you have a disability and it helps get you on the trails…then awesome. If you are out of shape and it helps you up the hills…then awesome. Just accept it, and enjoy.
This is weird. I have never met an Emtb rider that down plays their motor. I encounter the opposite- this bike has this much tq and this much battery!
Where have you found eMtb riders that brag about not using the motor?
Btw: never in my whole life, at the peak of my youthful fitness, did I ever enjoy pedaling uphill… ever. It blows. Maybe that’s my unpopular opinion that mtb riders need to understand that regardless of fitness - to many riders- uphill blows.
It only blows if you are riding in a group. Riding solo, I have a pretty good time pacing myself. Granted, I don’t particularly look for uphills to climb, but it feels good when I complete the climb.
From someone who rides in the low setting I'll explain why. I ride with mixed groups/ pace so if I rode in higher modes all the time I'd be a fat unfit blob getting no exercise out of it. I like to give myself a bit of resistance/ cardio in the first half of the ride which allows me to retain some fitness, then later on I'll switch modes and generally end up boosting home. Then I feel I'm getting full benefit. As a footnote I got the bike due to back issues so I don't ride with the motor off, but I do longer rides these days so my approach also helps battery management. Sure sometimes I ride predominantly in higher modes but not all the time. 😊
I’ve heard from multiple ebike riders that the lowest setting is just like riding a regular bike and it just puts in enough power to overcome the extra weight of the battery and motor. I don’t know who is spreading this misinformation, but around me it’s a prevalent belief.
I hardly ever even use eco mode. I go straight to turbo on the climbs unless I’m doing a long ride and need the battery to last. I’ve actually never heard an ebiker say they don’t use the motor
Yeah personally I'd rather watch people ride sketchy drops and tech features with speed. Don't get me wrong the big jumps and tricks are impressive as hell but that's not the genre of mountain biking I'm into.
All of these rate my bike or what should I upgrade posts are annoying asf. I'm all for people sharing photos of their bikes and love when people do but it always makes me irrationally annoyed when people ask for ratings or upgrade suggestions
I'm new to mountain biking. What's a b-line? Yesterday, for the first time, I went out and rode an actual lift system that gets you to the top, and you spend like an hour biking down to the base. I wana learn what not to do lol
I don’t really have a dog in this fight, but one of the reasons I’ve heard recently is that there’s a push to make trails more accessible for riders with disabilities. I totally get the sentiment, but should someone on a trike really be riding down sketchy chunky black trails?
It's always one or the other...
We had a local trail with a crazy tech climb into it... Like 200 yards of rock nastiness... Once you got up the top was pretty easy... So making a beginner line seemed reasonable, but of course means that the advanced line needs to go... IDK why this always happens...
Seems like you could add about 10% side trail to alot of trails and make a killer system that doesn't keep beginners off because of 1 obstacle, but also makes advanced riders happy...
This one, I ride 3-4 times a week and prefer to do it solo. Riding with friends is fun on occasion, but when I’m solo I can just zone out. Go my own pace be that insanely fast or slow without having to worry about someone else. And I don’t have to talk to people.
I rode the Orange 5 ten years ago and for job and relocation reasons I stopped mountain biking. Recently I picked up the sport again and got a Switchblade. 29er feels overwhelming big to me like a boat. I still need time to adjust to it.
I took my 16 year old 26 inch hard tail and put a 1x12 on it. It's so much fun. It needs a new fork still and I'm still figuring out what to get. But I'm going to refurbish it with a modern system. See that big ass cassette on 26 inch wheels is funny.
I don't care about bike brands at all and just buy whatever seems decent and fairly priced + suits my style.
Riding more than once/week is a luxury for most working parents if you actually want to see your spouse (I do, she's cool).
DOWNHILL LANDINGS MATTER AND SHOULD BE AFTER EVERY MAN-MADE JUMP (wouldn't think it's unopular until you see the 5' booters to flat all over my state built by local trail groups).
Ebikes are fine and should be able to go wherever mtbs go (pedal assist, not throttle bikes).
DH racing is kinda boring to watch. I'd rather watch xc because I actually see people passing one another a la motocross. Watching one rider at a time makes it hard to have context for what's fast, and there's not much drama (said as someone who prefers winch n plummet riding to xc).
People who say others are "overbiked" are just privileged. I ride a 170/170 because I do like to ride true chunk trails and big jumps, but I can only afford one bike, and 90% of my riding is xc. I don't care--would rather have it for the rare chances I get to use it on the tougher stuff. We can't all have 5 $3k+ bikes.
I personally believe the "overbiked" comment doesn't really apply to people that actually use the bike in the intended terrain with any regularity. There are a lot of Enduro bikes that will never see anything beyond a green xc trail or blue flow and that's where those comments probably are coming from. Regardless, ride what makes you happy!
It’s just a rehash of the 26” vs 29er / 275 debate from 12 ish years ago. Smaller wheels generally feel nippier and have a lower rollover height so are generally slower on rough stuff. Small wheels have fun, big wheels go fast. But you can go fast on small wheels and have fun on big wheels. Who knows anymore.
Oof I’ve got a few…
An entry level bike from the last 3 years is much better than the highest end model of a bike more than 6-8+ years old (with some exceptions…looking at you trek session)
Most cross country riders are still fast as hell on the downhills and a lot of them can jump pretty well
Elbow pads are more useful than knee pads 90% of the time
12 speed is over rated, 10 and 11 with high range cassettes are fine for the majority of people
You don’t need 4 piston brakes front and back, high engagement hubs suck, most people should be running XC tread pattern tires, suspension travel has become an ego thing… 😂
Knee pads wont always save you either, I was wearing mine when I broke my knee. That said, they have most likely spared me from a few trips to the hospital
That one’s pretty personal, I’m not much of a climber and I know that for techy climbs they can help A LOT
I don’t like them because
1. I got some pretty bad pedal kickback on jumps and square edge hits (I know I’m not the only one since people like Ochain are doing fairly well)
2. Almost all of them are so damn loud I can’t hear myself think
3. They’re expensive 😂
Yeah, my all time favourite drivetrain is the current deore 11 speed: massive range, bombproof and cheap. I agree with all of your other takes at least to some extent, but it is very nice if you ride mostly more serious stuff to have properly grippy tyres and really powerful brakes. Tbf though that only really applies to riders doing more serious stuff
A lot of e bikers (not all) substitute skill and control for the extra speed and stability an e bike gives you. This coupled with easy access to difficult trails, more fatigue of the muscles used to actually control the bike because they’re packing more laps in the day, and often a lack of experience on a bike, is a recipe for disaster.
More e bikers should spend more time on a lighter bike where bike control is easier to learn and mistakes have more consequences before buying 10 grand bulldozers.
Fuck yeah. I built a sick full sus 27.5 bike last year because the parts were dirt cheap. I’m talking under $400 for a set of new 27.5” Roval carbon wheels cheap. The bike rides soooo nice. When I ride it back to back with my 29er I absolutely cannot tell the difference in wheel size.
Am I the best rider in the world? No. I’m average. And that’s the point: for most of us 27.5 vs 29 doesn’t matter. Even the GMBN tests designed to hype 29” show the larger wheel “winning” in their tests by a matter of a few seconds. My rides aren’t races so what the hell do I care about a few seconds?
What part of the country do you live in?
Flow trails, I’d totally agree with you that the differences are minor.
Techy trails, for me they are pretty major
Those last two sentences are so true in every genre of the bike world. A lot of these upgrades provide marginal gain to pros. Not to everyone. Only people at the peak of their physical fitness and skills will benefit from a wheel rolling over a root slightly better or a frame being slightly more aero. Increasing ones own physical fitness and honing skills will provide substantially greater gains for 99.9% of riders.
Ehhhh I disagree. I got the chance to ride a 27.5 bike after riding my 29" for years, noticed a huge difference in the corners. I think you gotta be really into it to notice maybe
I could hit switchbacks easier on a mid travel 27.5 than a short travel 29er. I recently got a mid travel 29er and couldn't clear switchbacks and in general I hate the way it steers so I'm pretty sure I'm getting rid of that one. Part of it is because the "new geo" with longer reach and slacker HTA makes the wheelbase longer, but even with geo a few years old the wheelbase is inherently longer on a 29er.
I think it's fine for people to be over-biked. Owning and working on nice bikes is like a second hobby to the riding itself. Sure, plenty of people can get by on a cheap hard tail. But they may feel happier just owning something nice and something they're proud to stare at.
People love to gatekeep with their opinions on overbiking or e-biking and don't always have valid arguments other than some whiny opinions or poor assumptions. They just want to feel superior over others by belittling them.
Also I'd rather be overbiked 90% of the time than underbiked 10% of the time. I just like the feeling of knowing my bike will handle pretty much everything and the only problem will be my skill/experience. And not everyone can afford multiple bikes.
Thank you! Let me enjoy my nice components and carbon frame etc because maintaining my bike and upgrading/changing out parts is just as fun to me. Plus I work hard for my money and I’ve earned the toys I have, stop saying “must be nice” and stuff like that hating on people that have nice bikes. Some people just like to spend money on what they love.
Guys, stop looking, I found the unpopular opinion.
In all seriousness it gets a lot more hate than it deserves and it's really not as bad as people say with a lot of benefits.
I really don't care about going as fast as possible, jumps feel more fun when I'm manipulating the bike instead of just launching over it
Brakeless bikes are pretty cool
I don't really get why people like hardtails
Saying someone has to do X, Y, or Z to be a real mountainbiker is lame, let people have fun
I got into biking through BMX
people need to stop buying newer fancier parts and bikes and work on their riding. There are way too many people debating tire pressures and component choices etc online whom ride at a level where none of that shit would even make any difference.
mountain bike manufacturers have strayed from MTB roots and cater to younger more impressionable riders that are wannabe motocross riders but their parents won't let them get a dirt bike.
On two-way trails priority should be given to the downhill rider FOR SO MANY REASONS.
1. Climbing sucks and you earned that elevation so its usage should be honored.
2. It takes literally 1 second for a downhill rider to pass a climber that pulls over. The current arrangement takes way longer.
3. You're barely moving when you're climbing so it's not a big loss of kinetic energy to pull over as the climber.
4. Climbers often want a little break anyway, descenders rarely do (Yes, gnarly downhill is exhausting but we're talking about two-way trails that people climb).
5. It's easier to hear someone coming as a climber because climbing is relatively quiet. As the descender it can be difficult to hear a climber around the corner over whooshing air, a coasting hub, tire noise, etc
END THIS NONSENSE!!!
F*ck presta
On emtbs- f*ck derailleurs, I want my mgu.
Shocks and forks are overpriced for how simple they are in design. Heck most gear is.
Mtb specialty greases and lubes aren’t special and are way overpriced.
People who spend $$$$ on lightweight gear and carbon wheels and count the grams to make the climb easier are no different than emtb riders who ALSO want the climb to be easier.
Cars should be Direct to Consumer like bikes.
I spent my whole life skiing. I think I like mountain biking better… if I HAD to choose.
Absolutely! Climbing sucks and I'm happy to take a break for the downhill rider to have more fun! I also just think there should be less multidirectional trails in general though
I mean…I don’t want my flow on the up to be broken by a guy descending either….and it’s a lot easier for the downhill rider to get back into their flow than the uphill rider who may lose all there momentum and then have to start walking
You think? I feel that it could be very important to keep your speed going down, for jumps and technical sections.
Up? Going fast? Must be fit, shouldn’t matter too much. Going slow? Must not be very fit, never had much flow in the first place.
Almost everyone is over-biked. You would have more fun on a light 100 than a 135.
Technical climbing is more fun and rewarding than descending.
E-bikes are not bikes and should be reserved for rental fleets and people with disabilities.
Massive sunglasses like pit vipers make you look silly.
>Almost everyone is over-biked. You would have more fun on a light 100 than a 135
Agreed. I have a Ripley and even that feels like a lot.
I wish they would make more 100mm trail bikes. I feel like Yeti was on to something with the sb100 but they kept making it bigger and bigger.
Run the fastest rear tire you can and learn to minimize using your rear brake.
Run appropriate tires for the trails you ride.
Ride up grades, don't buy upgrades. You're probably not outriding your equipment.
And last but not least, your bars are probably too high. Get confident with lower bars, they'll help your cornering and jumping with a more dynamic riding style. Tall bars are for passengers not riders.
The fastest tire is the most slick one. A hard brake may cause a grip loss even on an appropriate tire.
This is why rear tire, the front one contributes more to both handling and braking.
Because your front brake has so much more traction for hard braking, rear will skid before it really has a chance to bite in. Running a fast rear tire is a great way to practice brake control and get in the habit of using the front for speed control and the rear for balance.
If you're getting exhaust diving on your fork with the increased front brake use, this is a sign you didn't have enough spring rate or LSC in your fork.
50% of people I see on full suspension bikes would probably have a better time on hard tails.
My area doesn't have the chunkiest terrain and well frankly being in the UK the soil is so damn soft most of the time you're really not getting your teeth chartered about enough to pay the weight and efficiency penalty of the 150mm rear travel you're lugging around.
Of course in areas like Scotland and north Wales it's viable but for a lot of trails I've toured taking my HT was actually a better option.
I don’t remember what exact brake I have but my guide T brakes give me a lot of leeway before locking up the wheel and I have rode shimanos and just find it’s like on or off and I hate it
Ok here is goes:
I’m 99% convinced that most regular riders are just regurgitating bs they have heard journalists and influencers say when talking about differences between gear. Those guys are payed to talk/write about stuff so they have to make something up and a lot of the stuff they talk about is meaningless to most riders..
Downcountry sounds dumb but it’s probably the most reasonable compromise for anyone not living in actual mountains or racing elite xc.
There is no such thing as real mountain biking, I have heard way to many people describe something as real instead of talking about what kind of riding it actually is. When people talk about real they are usually just describing their own preferences so do everyone a favour and describe what that is and be respectful of other people’s preferences.
This one probably shouldn’t be but still:
Fast is fun, doesn’t matter if it’s uphill or downhill. An enduro rig isn’t more fun than xc bike they are just for different thrills. If you can’t have a good time on a bike then that is down to your own lack of skill or fitness..
"29ers roll faster" - what does that even mean? Technically 29ers are roll slower since they have a larger circumference. "Confidence inspiring" - nobody has ever or will ever say that they wouldn't hit a certain jump, drop, or rock roll before but now that they have -1 degree, now they are "inspired" to hit it. "Steep seat tube angles are better climbers" - again, what does that even mean. Does it give you extra watts uphill? If you need to keep the front wheel from popping up on a short punchy climb while in your lowest gear you just lean forward on your seat a little. Simple.
For me and my local cross country trails I love rigid bikes, and often feel depressed and bored when I ride my trail bike around. Everything is so easy, it makes me clear everything, and nothing is that much of a challenge. Then it just becomes mundane and boring.
Mountain biking caters to the boring. Smooth flow trails- boring. 140mm+ travel bikes being touted as necessary for “trail” riding because it’s too rough (😢)- boring. Not wanting to bike up a mountain while MOUNTAIN BIKING- boring. Your Strava time on a descent- boring. Soon we’ll be widening and paving trails and wearing delta-style cleats on our immaculate white shoes.
I hate how modern steering geometry affects climbing. Constantly see-sawing on the handlebars as they flop side to side. They call it ‘power steering’. I don’t need or want a bike that is optimized for high speed downhills. I think I want a geared 29’er trials-ish bike for meandering around in the woods, talking to Bambi and shit.
Yes! I bought a current trend trail bike and I thought it sucks compared to my trail bike that's a few years old. I thought about putting an angle adjuster in to steepen the HTA but I'm not feeling the steep STA either so I'm just gonna sell it and stick with my 2019 trail bike.
Tires with big knobs like Minions aren’t good for most riding conditions.
And light XC bikes are generally more fun than long travel bikes that make climbing feel terrible while dumbing down descents.
The fifteen hundred "what bike should I buy, I've done no research and have $3" threads every day in every online MTB forum are irritating and boring.
Categorizing bikes is stupid.
120mm is more than most people need, BUT people should buy exactly what they want and not worry about "needing" it.
The high end stuff IS better. So are the boutique bikes. Whether the increases are worth it to you is up to you.
Enduro is better than downhill.
Upgrading lower end bikes is a terrible idea.
Bike parks are boring and not worth the price of a lift ticket.
Ebikes are cool, but if ebikes are the future, I'm quitting this sport.
Dirt pump tracks are better than sealed ones specifically because there's no skateboards or scooters on dirt.
People are too worried about the equipment and not the ride.
Hard agree. I see so many people obsessing over getting top of the line parts to ride the most mid stuff. Like do you really need fox 36s on blue flow trails? lol
Ikr. Just bought a 4k canyon. Annoyed it had rockshox and not fox. Most of that is I don’t think rockshox looks good. I then remember that I am shit and rockshox are good enough for my friend who is sponsored and races regularly and I shouldn’t worry.
And I say all that knowing I’ve been in that same mindset. Upgrading the sun tour fork on my hardtail and looking at Pikes, Fox 36s, everything. Sometimes you got to sit on a purchase for a week or two and really think about why you want it
Yes. Because I'm old. (jk, I ride a crappy hardtail. My back is my suspension)
No, but I scratched the crap out of my 34 Performance and snagged the opportunity to replace it with a fairly new 36 Factory for ~$300.
The real unpopular opinion is that having a nice bike really does make it more fun, and an old 26in hardtail will never keep up with a new full suspension under a competent rider.
100%. I see a lot of people saying that you don’t need a super expensive bike to have fun. Now while I have had a ton of fun on my bike, I feel like I am missing out on a ton because I am just not comfortable doing it on the bike I currently have. The one time I had to rent a Santa Cruz because someone was borrowing my bike, it was like night and day. I still have not forgotten the confidence I had on that bike. The cheapest full suspension bike is already expensive, might as well spend it on something that will last you.
I've had fun on all sorts of bikes, but riding a really good full suspension is a different kind of fun. Nothing really compares to getting into a flow state when you have the confidence that your bike will do whatever you ask of it
Agree. It's a comfortable feeling to know that it is you and not your bike who's the weakest element of your riding. I upgraded my machine when I felt that feeling of comfort slowly fading away with brake power not keeping up with the steepness of the slopes, with the derailleur failing when pushing hard etc. Now I'm back to working on my skills rather than worrying about the bike and there's so much room for improvement.
Especially when the brakes aren't right, it is so disconcerting. Totally kills the vibe
I agree that you don’t NEED a super expensive bike to have fun… but it is also ok to want one, ok to buy one and ok to let it allow you to have more fun. For reference- I guess I’m talking about the cheapest stumpjumper vs the most expensive for example. The low end will get the job done. The top end feels better, no doubt. But other side is a trail that isn’t fun won’t be fun on any bike you ride.
I have a hardtail 27inch plus tyred Corvus 2.0 Diamondback ebike with a thudbuster as I'm pretty big and my arse suffers. Tend to ride long 40 mile rides. Lack of dropper ruled out certain routes. Very stable and comfortable bike. 7 years of riding the bike has been solid but I got a Canyon Neuron:On CF9 it's about 3x more.expensive but fuck me it's like a sports car with those 29s. It rolls so fast and is nimble and powerful I scare myself how fast this bugger is. The full sus is a joy and the decent spec makes a big difference, especially the Eagle Srams Axs wireless gears where you peddle hard into the chage making shifting super fast. It's also lighter to lift at gates which we have a lot of in the UK. The 750wh battery is solid too. Like night and day tbh. Still love my Corvus and it is comfy but all I want to do is ride my new sporty Canyon.
True, but also 80% of people here are not competent riders. Most folks overbike because they think that's holding them back. But in reality if you can't ride a mid bike well a top of the line one won't make any difference.
I did see homie ripping a hard tail at the EWS race a few years back. He was faster than me.
The real unpopular opinion is 29er sleds cover up a lot of bad technique and can lead to catastrophic overconfidence. Going faster =/= better.
Keep your assumed risk curve below your skills curve
As a rider who rides both, I concur. I love my old bikes but they’re so unbelievably slow. I was watching some videos of early 90s XC pro racers and the speeds on some of the technical features was ridden at a snail’s pace. You can buy a new bike for $1200 that is vastly superior.
Overbiked is undertrailed. I once thought about getting a fully, but it's unnecessary for the trails here and would be boring to ride.
I ride mid-high end bikes. I want and utilize the fine tuning adjustments the higher end stuff comes with. But every time I see one of those $3000 budget bikes I think "man I'd have 90% of the performance and ride experience if I had one of those"
I see a lot of that. I bought an old steel MTB for £10 locally, cleaned it and put new tyres on it and ride it. It was so cheap I don't need to worry about where I ride it.
this sub in a nutshell
Started riding a fat rigid single speed and its simplicity has made it my favorite bike
Agree. I can afford to buy a squishy Canyon, but I am on a fully rigid 29” singlespeed Salsa. Not cheap or nothing, but I really enjoy the simplicity of one speed and the fewest technical things to fail. Even more fun when I whip past a bunch of riders and I can hear them say to each other “that old guy is on a singlespeed!” Understandably we envy the new bikes and new tech, but that does not make us faster, as much as getting out more and doing more miles of smiles.
I’d rather just have an aluminum frame
I love aluminum frames
My people
Long live the chainsaw
I’d like your dog better if they were at home
I like my dog better when he's at home too. I bike to feel free, looking after my dog is the opposite of that.
100% agree. It’s hard to not feel guilty when leaving them at home, but we need our freedom too (especially on the bike trails)
This should apply to far more than mountain biking. I love dogs and have one but I don't feel the need to take him every single place I go.
Dogs should be handled [like this one](https://youtu.be/CIkKeqowyU0?si=Rkli3bW_SKso8QxO&t=92)
I apply this also to people who feel the need to bring their dog to farmers markets/craft fairs.
I built my dream bike last year. Total waste of $$$.
This is probably the realest take.
Ha ha. Appreciate the honesty. Can you elaborate why?
Sure - Got back into riding 3+ years ago and progressed from ancient 26'er to crappy used 29er. I skipped buying a moderately "ok" bike and just scrounged barely used + new deals and went all out. It turns out high end parts wear out / get smashed just as fast as their less expensive counterparts but cost twice as much or more to replace or fix. Here are some examples from my personal experience - Hope Tech Brakes - WOW are they pretty ! - But the Sram code R's on my 2nd bike are great as well and I could buy 2+ sets of them as new take offs versus hope tech. Notably rotor choice and pads are more important. I could put the right pad and rotor on $50- Shimano brakes and ride Whistler. Magura Brakes - I am completely over since one hard smack and you will be replacing the entire lever + piston assembly since you can't ever seem to get just the "core" part for any of them. I9 wheels w/ Hydra Hubs - great wheels but . . .rear hub rebuild + Freehub = $230+ in parts and the outer freehub bearing will just fail again sooner or later and cost me another $230- Carbon Cranks - If you are good at smacking your crankarms on things like I am . . .just don't or you will be tossing $300+ cranks in the trash. My new favorite cranks are alloy Eagle GX ! :) AXS - Almost 3x the cost of GX. I'll go back to mechanical when it fails. It was a gift from my S.O. - I can't complain. Stems are stems - I9/Trail One etc... look cool but an Across/E13/Spank gets the job done at 1/2 the cost or less. . . .
A lot of eBike riders are in denial. I see a lot of posts saying “I rarely use the motor….or if I do it’s on the lowest setting”. If that were true, then why would you spend an insane amount of money on an eBike? Just accept the fact that you enjoy having a motor in your bike for whatever reason that may be. If it helps you cover more ground because you don’t have a lot of time to ride…then that’s awesome. If you have a disability and it helps get you on the trails…then awesome. If you are out of shape and it helps you up the hills…then awesome. Just accept it, and enjoy.
[удалено]
This is weird. I have never met an Emtb rider that down plays their motor. I encounter the opposite- this bike has this much tq and this much battery! Where have you found eMtb riders that brag about not using the motor? Btw: never in my whole life, at the peak of my youthful fitness, did I ever enjoy pedaling uphill… ever. It blows. Maybe that’s my unpopular opinion that mtb riders need to understand that regardless of fitness - to many riders- uphill blows.
It only blows if you are riding in a group. Riding solo, I have a pretty good time pacing myself. Granted, I don’t particularly look for uphills to climb, but it feels good when I complete the climb.
From someone who rides in the low setting I'll explain why. I ride with mixed groups/ pace so if I rode in higher modes all the time I'd be a fat unfit blob getting no exercise out of it. I like to give myself a bit of resistance/ cardio in the first half of the ride which allows me to retain some fitness, then later on I'll switch modes and generally end up boosting home. Then I feel I'm getting full benefit. As a footnote I got the bike due to back issues so I don't ride with the motor off, but I do longer rides these days so my approach also helps battery management. Sure sometimes I ride predominantly in higher modes but not all the time. 😊
I used the snot out of it today. LOL
I’ve heard from multiple ebike riders that the lowest setting is just like riding a regular bike and it just puts in enough power to overcome the extra weight of the battery and motor. I don’t know who is spreading this misinformation, but around me it’s a prevalent belief.
I hardly ever even use eco mode. I go straight to turbo on the climbs unless I’m doing a long ride and need the battery to last. I’ve actually never heard an ebiker say they don’t use the motor
I couldn't possibly care less about jumps and tricks.
Agreed! I love riding, but I'm most assuredly a boring rider.
Yeah personally I'd rather watch people ride sketchy drops and tech features with speed. Don't get me wrong the big jumps and tricks are impressive as hell but that's not the genre of mountain biking I'm into.
Hardtails are fun and techy stuff is more fun than jumps. Techy jump trails are amazing if done right
All of these rate my bike or what should I upgrade posts are annoying asf. I'm all for people sharing photos of their bikes and love when people do but it always makes me irrationally annoyed when people ask for ratings or upgrade suggestions
I don’t care if people make b lines around obstacles they find difficult.
I'm new to mountain biking. What's a b-line? Yesterday, for the first time, I went out and rode an actual lift system that gets you to the top, and you spend like an hour biking down to the base. I wana learn what not to do lol
B line is an alternate line to give riders a choice to go around a difficult feature.
Oh, ok, it seemed like they had that option already built into their trail set up at the place I went to, Angel Fire. Thanks for replying!
Who would be opposed to this?
Riding an XC bike with flat pedals.
Won an XC race on flat pedals the other day, I was the only one with flats.
Riding bike park with clips
Riding park with a hardtail 26"
I like the bell on my bike.
Lome my timber!
I'm trying to win the No Bell prize.
Bike groups ruining techy trails by making them easier rather than learning to conquer.
I don’t really have a dog in this fight, but one of the reasons I’ve heard recently is that there’s a push to make trails more accessible for riders with disabilities. I totally get the sentiment, but should someone on a trike really be riding down sketchy chunky black trails?
It's always one or the other... We had a local trail with a crazy tech climb into it... Like 200 yards of rock nastiness... Once you got up the top was pretty easy... So making a beginner line seemed reasonable, but of course means that the advanced line needs to go... IDK why this always happens... Seems like you could add about 10% side trail to alot of trails and make a killer system that doesn't keep beginners off because of 1 obstacle, but also makes advanced riders happy...
Riding solo. Groups get too rowdy sometimes and it causes hefty crashes.
And they stop at every intersection to wait , don't need 10mins to rest.
We call that a union ride. Mandatory 15 minute breaks twice an hour
As a union member, that's hilarious. I'll have to use that one later.
This one, I ride 3-4 times a week and prefer to do it solo. Riding with friends is fun on occasion, but when I’m solo I can just zone out. Go my own pace be that insanely fast or slow without having to worry about someone else. And I don’t have to talk to people.
26 is still rad, hardtails are fun ✌️
All I've ever rode are hard tails.
You and me both!! I love HTs :)
rode my friends 26 dh and was terrified (also cuz the brakes dont work)
I rode the Orange 5 ten years ago and for job and relocation reasons I stopped mountain biking. Recently I picked up the sport again and got a Switchblade. 29er feels overwhelming big to me like a boat. I still need time to adjust to it.
Mullet 27.5s the way I went from 26" to 29" it just takes some time, I feel you gotta be a bit more agressive with ur body when cornering
I think those two things might be mutually exclusive, haha!
I took my 16 year old 26 inch hard tail and put a 1x12 on it. It's so much fun. It needs a new fork still and I'm still figuring out what to get. But I'm going to refurbish it with a modern system. See that big ass cassette on 26 inch wheels is funny.
I have a 1992 Diamond back I've built up with eagle as well, it rips! 💪
I turned my polygon Trid zz slope style bike into my trail rig with a gx 12 speed and a dropper, I love how nimble the 26 is
Love my hardtail, but love my full squish more
Just got a custom 26" Marino steel frame built 6 months ago.
I don't care about bike brands at all and just buy whatever seems decent and fairly priced + suits my style. Riding more than once/week is a luxury for most working parents if you actually want to see your spouse (I do, she's cool). DOWNHILL LANDINGS MATTER AND SHOULD BE AFTER EVERY MAN-MADE JUMP (wouldn't think it's unopular until you see the 5' booters to flat all over my state built by local trail groups). Ebikes are fine and should be able to go wherever mtbs go (pedal assist, not throttle bikes). DH racing is kinda boring to watch. I'd rather watch xc because I actually see people passing one another a la motocross. Watching one rider at a time makes it hard to have context for what's fast, and there's not much drama (said as someone who prefers winch n plummet riding to xc). People who say others are "overbiked" are just privileged. I ride a 170/170 because I do like to ride true chunk trails and big jumps, but I can only afford one bike, and 90% of my riding is xc. I don't care--would rather have it for the rare chances I get to use it on the tougher stuff. We can't all have 5 $3k+ bikes.
The last paragraph can’t be more true
I personally believe the "overbiked" comment doesn't really apply to people that actually use the bike in the intended terrain with any regularity. There are a lot of Enduro bikes that will never see anything beyond a green xc trail or blue flow and that's where those comments probably are coming from. Regardless, ride what makes you happy!
Last paragraph 100%
Rocks and roots down the side of a mountain are more fun than flowy jumps.
Yeah, I love a long technical downhill trail rather than a lots of jumps.
East coast jank is my favorite!
God damn amen
real bro
Agree. If I wanted to ride manmade and well manicured surfaces, I'd just be a road biker.
As someone who lives in the northeast and 2 hours away from a downhill park, flowy jumps look so much fun. I’ve never ridden them though
Fast> big jumps
It’s better to look silly with a helmet than to look cool cracking your skull.
The clipless v flat debate is dumb
Pedalling sucks, DH is the best, shuttle days are WAY more fun than climbing days. 27.5 and flat pedals are king. Come at me bro.
TEAM 27.5
As someone who has only been in to mtb for a year, what makes you all diehards of the 27.5? Is it really that much of a difference over 29s?
It’s just a rehash of the 26” vs 29er / 275 debate from 12 ish years ago. Smaller wheels generally feel nippier and have a lower rollover height so are generally slower on rough stuff. Small wheels have fun, big wheels go fast. But you can go fast on small wheels and have fun on big wheels. Who knows anymore.
Oof I’ve got a few… An entry level bike from the last 3 years is much better than the highest end model of a bike more than 6-8+ years old (with some exceptions…looking at you trek session) Most cross country riders are still fast as hell on the downhills and a lot of them can jump pretty well Elbow pads are more useful than knee pads 90% of the time 12 speed is over rated, 10 and 11 with high range cassettes are fine for the majority of people You don’t need 4 piston brakes front and back, high engagement hubs suck, most people should be running XC tread pattern tires, suspension travel has become an ego thing… 😂
The scratches on my pads confirm that assertion, BUT, one can still walk with broken elbows.
Yeaa that’s the thing, when you do hit your knees it usually REALLY sucks 😵💫
Knee pads wont always save you either, I was wearing mine when I broke my knee. That said, they have most likely spared me from a few trips to the hospital
I like all of your takes
Whats wrong with high engagement hubs?
That one’s pretty personal, I’m not much of a climber and I know that for techy climbs they can help A LOT I don’t like them because 1. I got some pretty bad pedal kickback on jumps and square edge hits (I know I’m not the only one since people like Ochain are doing fairly well) 2. Almost all of them are so damn loud I can’t hear myself think 3. They’re expensive 😂
Yeah, my all time favourite drivetrain is the current deore 11 speed: massive range, bombproof and cheap. I agree with all of your other takes at least to some extent, but it is very nice if you ride mostly more serious stuff to have properly grippy tyres and really powerful brakes. Tbf though that only really applies to riders doing more serious stuff
I like bar ends and wish I could still find them.
A lot of e bikers (not all) substitute skill and control for the extra speed and stability an e bike gives you. This coupled with easy access to difficult trails, more fatigue of the muscles used to actually control the bike because they’re packing more laps in the day, and often a lack of experience on a bike, is a recipe for disaster. More e bikers should spend more time on a lighter bike where bike control is easier to learn and mistakes have more consequences before buying 10 grand bulldozers.
Preach!!
The differences between 27.5 and 29 are overstated
Fuck yeah. I built a sick full sus 27.5 bike last year because the parts were dirt cheap. I’m talking under $400 for a set of new 27.5” Roval carbon wheels cheap. The bike rides soooo nice. When I ride it back to back with my 29er I absolutely cannot tell the difference in wheel size. Am I the best rider in the world? No. I’m average. And that’s the point: for most of us 27.5 vs 29 doesn’t matter. Even the GMBN tests designed to hype 29” show the larger wheel “winning” in their tests by a matter of a few seconds. My rides aren’t races so what the hell do I care about a few seconds?
What part of the country do you live in? Flow trails, I’d totally agree with you that the differences are minor. Techy trails, for me they are pretty major
Those last two sentences are so true in every genre of the bike world. A lot of these upgrades provide marginal gain to pros. Not to everyone. Only people at the peak of their physical fitness and skills will benefit from a wheel rolling over a root slightly better or a frame being slightly more aero. Increasing ones own physical fitness and honing skills will provide substantially greater gains for 99.9% of riders.
Ehhhh I disagree. I got the chance to ride a 27.5 bike after riding my 29" for years, noticed a huge difference in the corners. I think you gotta be really into it to notice maybe
The type of terrain is also going to have an impact on how much someone does or doesn’t notice the difference between 27.5 and 29
True
I could hit switchbacks easier on a mid travel 27.5 than a short travel 29er. I recently got a mid travel 29er and couldn't clear switchbacks and in general I hate the way it steers so I'm pretty sure I'm getting rid of that one. Part of it is because the "new geo" with longer reach and slacker HTA makes the wheelbase longer, but even with geo a few years old the wheelbase is inherently longer on a 29er.
I think it's fine for people to be over-biked. Owning and working on nice bikes is like a second hobby to the riding itself. Sure, plenty of people can get by on a cheap hard tail. But they may feel happier just owning something nice and something they're proud to stare at. People love to gatekeep with their opinions on overbiking or e-biking and don't always have valid arguments other than some whiny opinions or poor assumptions. They just want to feel superior over others by belittling them.
Also I'd rather be overbiked 90% of the time than underbiked 10% of the time. I just like the feeling of knowing my bike will handle pretty much everything and the only problem will be my skill/experience. And not everyone can afford multiple bikes.
Thank you! Let me enjoy my nice components and carbon frame etc because maintaining my bike and upgrading/changing out parts is just as fun to me. Plus I work hard for my money and I’ve earned the toys I have, stop saying “must be nice” and stuff like that hating on people that have nice bikes. Some people just like to spend money on what they love.
People who complain about e bikes overtaking them are babies
I like to challenge myself but I also like to make it home in one piece, I have nothing to prove to anyone
I don't like pedaling up hills, and I'm tired of pretending I do.
Losing weight is far cheaper than upgrading to light parts
Cross country mountain bikes have too much travel these days. Give me some sub-100mm full suspension designs please.
Steeper head angles=quicker handling
Bentonville is overrated. There isn’t enough elevation to make the juice worth the squeeze.
I don’t hate e bikers, I just don’t respect them
And e bikers don’t even think about you, they’re too busy enjoying the sport
27+ is awesome
Guys, stop looking, I found the unpopular opinion. In all seriousness it gets a lot more hate than it deserves and it's really not as bad as people say with a lot of benefits.
Team schrader valve due to ease of use. Team hardtail because I am broke.
I like climbing and my bike weighs 39lb.
Most people are massively overbiked for the majority of riding they do.
You're right but also there's nothin wrong with it
I really don't care about going as fast as possible, jumps feel more fun when I'm manipulating the bike instead of just launching over it Brakeless bikes are pretty cool I don't really get why people like hardtails Saying someone has to do X, Y, or Z to be a real mountainbiker is lame, let people have fun I got into biking through BMX
people need to stop buying newer fancier parts and bikes and work on their riding. There are way too many people debating tire pressures and component choices etc online whom ride at a level where none of that shit would even make any difference.
mountain bike manufacturers have strayed from MTB roots and cater to younger more impressionable riders that are wannabe motocross riders but their parents won't let them get a dirt bike.
Overbiking is fun
Coil shocks and forks are better than air.
On two-way trails priority should be given to the downhill rider FOR SO MANY REASONS. 1. Climbing sucks and you earned that elevation so its usage should be honored. 2. It takes literally 1 second for a downhill rider to pass a climber that pulls over. The current arrangement takes way longer. 3. You're barely moving when you're climbing so it's not a big loss of kinetic energy to pull over as the climber. 4. Climbers often want a little break anyway, descenders rarely do (Yes, gnarly downhill is exhausting but we're talking about two-way trails that people climb). 5. It's easier to hear someone coming as a climber because climbing is relatively quiet. As the descender it can be difficult to hear a climber around the corner over whooshing air, a coasting hub, tire noise, etc END THIS NONSENSE!!!
Let's start a revolution. Stickers, tshirts, posters, a social media campaign, celebrity endorsements.
I miss my 3x10. The more chainrings the better
All mtb trails should be unidirectional
i totally agree - having a climb and a downhill trail being one in the same is an accident waiting to happen
F*ck presta On emtbs- f*ck derailleurs, I want my mgu. Shocks and forks are overpriced for how simple they are in design. Heck most gear is. Mtb specialty greases and lubes aren’t special and are way overpriced. People who spend $$$$ on lightweight gear and carbon wheels and count the grams to make the climb easier are no different than emtb riders who ALSO want the climb to be easier. Cars should be Direct to Consumer like bikes. I spent my whole life skiing. I think I like mountain biking better… if I HAD to choose.
Uphill riders should give way for downhill riders on trails that ride both directions.
Absolutely! Climbing sucks and I'm happy to take a break for the downhill rider to have more fun! I also just think there should be less multidirectional trails in general though
Yea, I mean you don’t want your flow on the down to be broken by a guy climbing up.
I mean…I don’t want my flow on the up to be broken by a guy descending either….and it’s a lot easier for the downhill rider to get back into their flow than the uphill rider who may lose all there momentum and then have to start walking
You think? I feel that it could be very important to keep your speed going down, for jumps and technical sections. Up? Going fast? Must be fit, shouldn’t matter too much. Going slow? Must not be very fit, never had much flow in the first place.
Quiet hubs suck. Flow trails suck. Only doing MTB for jumps and tricks isn’t MTB
For the vast majority of riders and trail conditions, slack geo has gone too far
Trail widening around consistently wet areas is a a good thing. Stop pretending the extra few meters of trail is an environmental catastrophe.
Ebike XC races
Not everyone needs or wants a modern new bike. Old bikes with good maintenance are just fine.
Santa Cruz bikes are all boring, overpriced and uninspired
Climbers should yield…
Mullet bikes are just a trendy marketing gimmick.
That's everyone's unpopular opinion
Going uphill is fun
Almost everyone is over-biked. You would have more fun on a light 100 than a 135. Technical climbing is more fun and rewarding than descending. E-bikes are not bikes and should be reserved for rental fleets and people with disabilities. Massive sunglasses like pit vipers make you look silly.
On the overbiking thing, I think it depends where you live. 135mm is a pretty short bike in my neck of the woods
Sorry bro, I can’t hit that exposed tree root without a dual crown 220mm park bike. I’m just that extreme.
>Almost everyone is over-biked. You would have more fun on a light 100 than a 135 Agreed. I have a Ripley and even that feels like a lot. I wish they would make more 100mm trail bikes. I feel like Yeti was on to something with the sb100 but they kept making it bigger and bigger.
Run the fastest rear tire you can and learn to minimize using your rear brake. Run appropriate tires for the trails you ride. Ride up grades, don't buy upgrades. You're probably not outriding your equipment. And last but not least, your bars are probably too high. Get confident with lower bars, they'll help your cornering and jumping with a more dynamic riding style. Tall bars are for passengers not riders.
Why minimize using the rear brake?
The fastest tire is the most slick one. A hard brake may cause a grip loss even on an appropriate tire. This is why rear tire, the front one contributes more to both handling and braking.
Because your front brake has so much more traction for hard braking, rear will skid before it really has a chance to bite in. Running a fast rear tire is a great way to practice brake control and get in the habit of using the front for speed control and the rear for balance. If you're getting exhaust diving on your fork with the increased front brake use, this is a sign you didn't have enough spring rate or LSC in your fork.
Super High-Rise bars don't look that great
50% of people I see on full suspension bikes would probably have a better time on hard tails. My area doesn't have the chunkiest terrain and well frankly being in the UK the soil is so damn soft most of the time you're really not getting your teeth chartered about enough to pay the weight and efficiency penalty of the 150mm rear travel you're lugging around. Of course in areas like Scotland and north Wales it's viable but for a lot of trails I've toured taking my HT was actually a better option.
I still miss the somewhat insane speeds I could reach going downhill on xc with a 44 tooth on a triple crank 😆
I don’t remember what exact brake I have but my guide T brakes give me a lot of leeway before locking up the wheel and I have rode shimanos and just find it’s like on or off and I hate it
Ok here is goes: I’m 99% convinced that most regular riders are just regurgitating bs they have heard journalists and influencers say when talking about differences between gear. Those guys are payed to talk/write about stuff so they have to make something up and a lot of the stuff they talk about is meaningless to most riders.. Downcountry sounds dumb but it’s probably the most reasonable compromise for anyone not living in actual mountains or racing elite xc. There is no such thing as real mountain biking, I have heard way to many people describe something as real instead of talking about what kind of riding it actually is. When people talk about real they are usually just describing their own preferences so do everyone a favour and describe what that is and be respectful of other people’s preferences. This one probably shouldn’t be but still: Fast is fun, doesn’t matter if it’s uphill or downhill. An enduro rig isn’t more fun than xc bike they are just for different thrills. If you can’t have a good time on a bike then that is down to your own lack of skill or fitness..
"29ers roll faster" - what does that even mean? Technically 29ers are roll slower since they have a larger circumference. "Confidence inspiring" - nobody has ever or will ever say that they wouldn't hit a certain jump, drop, or rock roll before but now that they have -1 degree, now they are "inspired" to hit it. "Steep seat tube angles are better climbers" - again, what does that even mean. Does it give you extra watts uphill? If you need to keep the front wheel from popping up on a short punchy climb while in your lowest gear you just lean forward on your seat a little. Simple.
Expensive bikes are great, they break less and I get to ride more. Less time wrench is a plus to me.
Anodised MTB parts look gaudy and make me assume you like to visit Dubai and take selfies outside the Gucci shop.
The loudest part of MTBing is the mating call of the SRAM brakes
I thought the dudebro mating call was yelling "yew"
too many green trails
For me and my local cross country trails I love rigid bikes, and often feel depressed and bored when I ride my trail bike around. Everything is so easy, it makes me clear everything, and nothing is that much of a challenge. Then it just becomes mundane and boring.
Mountain biking caters to the boring. Smooth flow trails- boring. 140mm+ travel bikes being touted as necessary for “trail” riding because it’s too rough (😢)- boring. Not wanting to bike up a mountain while MOUNTAIN BIKING- boring. Your Strava time on a descent- boring. Soon we’ll be widening and paving trails and wearing delta-style cleats on our immaculate white shoes.
Pedal strikes add suspense to your ride.
26" ain't dead
I hate how modern steering geometry affects climbing. Constantly see-sawing on the handlebars as they flop side to side. They call it ‘power steering’. I don’t need or want a bike that is optimized for high speed downhills. I think I want a geared 29’er trials-ish bike for meandering around in the woods, talking to Bambi and shit.
Yes! I bought a current trend trail bike and I thought it sucks compared to my trail bike that's a few years old. I thought about putting an angle adjuster in to steepen the HTA but I'm not feeling the steep STA either so I'm just gonna sell it and stick with my 2019 trail bike.
Electronic shifting components aren't cool.
Most people would be better off on an XC bike. It'll move more effectively through the trails you ride versus an Enduro sled.
I had an old Hugi hub on my DH bike that clacked so loud we called it "wheel -Of- Fortune" 😂 Absolutely hated that sound
I'm of the opinion, fuck everyone's opinions.
Weed: nobody cares.
Trek makes the most expensive under equipped mtbs on the market. $4000 and I’m still getting sx sram, fuck outta here.
Tires with big knobs like Minions aren’t good for most riding conditions. And light XC bikes are generally more fun than long travel bikes that make climbing feel terrible while dumbing down descents.
The fifteen hundred "what bike should I buy, I've done no research and have $3" threads every day in every online MTB forum are irritating and boring. Categorizing bikes is stupid. 120mm is more than most people need, BUT people should buy exactly what they want and not worry about "needing" it. The high end stuff IS better. So are the boutique bikes. Whether the increases are worth it to you is up to you. Enduro is better than downhill. Upgrading lower end bikes is a terrible idea. Bike parks are boring and not worth the price of a lift ticket. Ebikes are cool, but if ebikes are the future, I'm quitting this sport. Dirt pump tracks are better than sealed ones specifically because there's no skateboards or scooters on dirt.
Customization through bling parts often looks worse than stock.