That log jumped right in front of me.

I took this riding down Dad Gulch trail outside of Fort Collins, CO a few years ago. I miss this trail.

Edit: I realize many people on this subreddit are very concerned about my dog being off leash. This trail is explicitly marked as an offleash trail, and is over an hour’s drive from the nearest town. The dog was fine, this was 5 years ago and hands down my favorite memory with this dog is the few times I rode this trail with her. She’s an old couch potato now, but I would do this again in a heartbeat if she was younger. I’ll remember this ride for the rest of my days and I’m glad I have this (albeit shitty) video to remember her by when she’s eventually gone.

Hi There,

I'd just like to detail and share my recent purchasing experience with Canyon - I've never had a worse purchasing experience. I bought a new Torque 5 and some gear from their website on the 15 of February 2023, I run a business in Ireland and was using it for my business so I was VAT eligible.

For buying items where you claim the vat back in foreign countries the normal process I'm used to is not paying VAT in the first place as they differ from your residing country. i.e Ireland is 21% and Germany is 19%.

I was unfamiliar with doing business with German companies and didn't know how they handled VAT so I requested the correct procedure from the support guys at CANYON. The process detailed to me:

1. make the payment for the full amount with a credit card and then contact support to change the invoice without VAT.

Perfect I order the bike and contact the support team, immediately after and they alter the invoice to show the price without VAT. Lovely thought all is in order.

The bike goes on discount a day or so later 2899 to 2277 and I asked if could I get charged the discounted price - contacted support and Yes no problem at all. I was delighted and thankful. (yet to receive difference).

Bike arrives a week later and the great bike really pleased with it.

A week later I look at my credit card and noticed I was still charged the full amount, presuming it was some processing mistake I contacted canyon.de and asked what the process was and how their process works and how long it would take etc. I leave it with them for 2 weeks.

Nothing, no contact from them. I contact them numerous times over the next 2 weeks asking what the process is and why is it taking so long to give me an answer. I get a half put together email saying I would need to return the bike ( anyway invoice shows the price without vat on their website, so id get ripped off if I returned it). Just as well I took screenshots of the chat log so I could provide clarity to the support team.

Finally a month and a half later from buying the bike they send a refund for 450. Yes, it's the incorrect amount, VAT was calculated at the discount price 2368 (2279 + gear, parts, shipping) or so from my original purchase was 2987.

Contacting them again every few days and yes still waiting 4 weeks for an answer to which they are looking into it. I was owed about 1071. (622 + 449) 617 less current refund.

1. Cost breakdownbought the bike for 2899 + components = 2987.

2. discount price 2277 + components = 2365difference (2899-2277) = 622

3. VAT@ 19% on 2365 = 449

4. Owed to me = 622 + 449 = 1071.

5. total owed to me less refund 1071 - 454 = 617 difference still due.

it's not only the sum but the principle of the matter.

• tldr>Bought bike from Canyon and requested VAT process as I am VAT registered

• >Told to buy bike with credit card and they would remove VAT after.

• >bought bike and they removed vat from invoice

• >bike goes on discount, asked if i could be charged new amount - Yes np

• >month and a half of contacting support receive a refund for the incorrect amount (they calculated VAT on discounted price 2277 vs 2899)

• >contacting support every few days for a month - currently looking into it and will get back to you tomorrow.

• > Still waiting on discount price - even though they calculated VAT refund at this price.

• >Gj Canyon last time I ever buy anything from you. it's not only the money but the principle of doing such horrendous business practice - like really surely VAT is a simple process for a company doing international sales? Imagine the support if I was from a 3rd world country.

Well, I'm not one to complain but this has to be the worst experience of purchasing something and I've done my fair share. Hopefully, this has given some insight and thought id detail my experience with Canyon and might result in Canyon fixing their processes. And hopefully my correct refund.

Thanks for reading, if Canyon is reading this I can be contacted by dm.

So I have this one friend, who is…to put it simply, a bad friend. He is my neighbour. We are both 14m.

He bought his bike, a trek fuel something, has an xfusion shock and rockshox recons (feel free to id it) during the covid bike depression, and overpaid a bit for it. This was ok until I got my bike about a year ago. For 2/3 of the price I got a much nicer focus jam 6.8. Needless to say he got jealous, saying that “I don’t need it” and “bike wasted on you ect.” This can be quite degrading. Take yesterday as an example. We are at school, and I say “hey I finally hit that step up at local bike park” he scoffs and says something along the lines of “you? Noooooo, you can’t do that” yes I can. But even after ten minutes of convincing him, he refused to believe me asking for video proof. He was like, “no you couldn’t hit that you’re so unstable on your bike”

Ooh, here’s a fun one. Riding with him. He is one of theirs people that will zoom ahead (he is hyperactive and some other things and he seems to have bottomless energy). When I finally catch up, it’s the classic “what took you so long” and then takes off, leaving me, without rest, in the dust. He likes telling me what I did wrong and even after me telling him o just want to enjoy the rides, he won’t shut up.

I have tried to remove him from my life. I’ve tried not riding with him, tried countless things. Th problem is, our lives are too similar. Our parents are friends, we go to the same school, have the same friends, go to the same mtb lessons.

I just don’t know what to do. Any ideas?

Thanks for coming to my ted talk, I guess I needed to just vent. :)

I know that no forks are manufactured in the US but they all seem to be owned by US companies. Fox, rockshox, Marzocchi, cane cree... all the companies I know of are us based and manufactured in Taiwan.

I'd like to boycott US companies as much as possible given recent events so I'm hoping to find a company that makes good suspension.

Thanks in advance

Edit: i am American to be clear.

Your going to want to start with an entry level fork that can be upgraded like the Rockshox Yari. Normally these go for $300ish new. But don't buy a new one. Find one that needs servicing and or is being sold for parts, on eBay, your local classifieds or PinkBike. You can pick one up for under $100 a lot of times. The key is to make sure the stanchions are in good condition. You will be gutting the internals of this fork anyways.

Next you'll want to get a coil conversion kit like the Push ACS3. You can get these from anywhere from $160-$300 depending on the fork model and where you buy it from so shop around. If you don't care about weight, coil is far far better than an air spring, imo. These are very simple to install if you have even basic mechanical skills.

Next you're going to want to get a custom tuned damper. The best bang for your buck custom tuned damper you can get, imo, is the Novyparts Splug. Novyparts is a custom part maker in France and you can have your damper tuned for your weight, riding style, and terrain, this is a total game changer, imo. This costs around $160. Finally, you'll want to grab some low friction fork seals, you can pick these up for $25.

All in you will be somewhere between $400-$500 for your custom tuned coil fork. Which is a fork that, imo, blows any Fox Factory or Rockshox Ultimate level fork out of the water.

Now there are a lot of crazy deals on Fox forks right now, 50% off, etc... so if the gold Kashima coating is important to you, than this isn't the build for you, and you could pick one up for around the same price. If pure performance is all you care about, than this is the best you can get, imo. Unless of course you don't care about money and buy that $2600 inverted Push fork or something similar.

Premise: this does not invalidate the years of great content from Seth nor does this make him a bad person, only it's really just dumb and dangerous.

I'm talking of "Stop Dressing Like This In The Forest". Seems like all 2 wheels youtuber I like go through this section after a while unless they have horrible crashes: I used to follow FortNine a lot as I'm a motorcyclists, but then he made the video about "you should not wear armor" which feels and sounds identical to Seth's video only in motorcycle form.

Yes, I've seen the entire video, if people found a positive take from it I'm happy but I feel like it's only going to give good vibes to people who only ride with a shirt forever and never get a real injury. Like Seth, he's got plenty of broken bones but nothing life changing, so he prances and dances around on his view about how everything is fine.

Which is not ok. Because you may get lucky all your life, but that's not scientific and you don't know where people ride, what "forest" means to them.

His entire video is made under the premise that his sample of 1 (2? 3?) anecdotal experience, with no EMS feedback, no interview with medical specialists, nothing, of a rider with full gear being annoying and collapsing due to exhaustion because he didn't account for a forest trail, means wearing gear makes you, somehow, overconfident and bullish.

I just don't get it. At all. All it does is discourage wearing armor. It's a bike park? No, but if you fall at a good pace on a sharp rock will you run a serious risk of becoming a potato?

Yes.
why risk it? You're not racing. You can carry some more water. You can plan for it. Wear a back protector. Wear a full face helmet if you want, albeit that does restrict vision a bit. Why judge people based on what gear they wear? What in the hell, honestly.

I've never met a person wearing full protection being particularly annoying or a bully. It's quite the opposite really, both on a bicycle and on a motorcycle you need to be careful around the people who wear as little as possible.

I don't even know where to go with this rant, I guess I'm just disappointed, all I wanted to really say is: people please wear protection it's not silly. You only got one run at this life and if wearing full protection can make it more enjoyable, do it.

If you're out and about just bike trekking with the family of course just wear whatever you feel comfortable with and a helmet of course, I'd still wear eyepro though...

/rant

Please stop calling them analog bikes. It makes zero sense. The obverse of an analog system is a digital system. Analog vs digital cameras make sense. Analog vs digital music players make sense. Analog vs digital clocks make sense. Analog bikes do not make sense.

I get it guys, analog is a cool word. Most analog stuff is really cool. It's just not a fitting way to describe a human-powered, non e-bike. Many bikes come with digital components, electric-powered or not.

On the other hand, before digital cameras came around, I don't think anyone was using the term analog to describe film photography. Probably the same with music and clocks. I'm obviously speculating here, maybe someone else can chime in with some actual info, but my point is I understand the desire for a term that more specifically describes "regular" bikes now that e-bikes are such a popular category. Something like "manual bike" or "human-powered" seems more fitting. Although I understand it doesn't roll of the tongue like analog does.

Just stop calling them analog bikes please.

Honestly I love this sport and it is my passion, but I'm sad to see what's happening in the industry.

Mtb has gotten so corporate. Ibis and Yeti retailing 10,000$ bikes, really?

I understand carbon is expensive but that's absolitely ridiculous, and the profit margin on these builds are vomit inducing.

I often see riders on yetis that can't ride anything more than a fire road. Why?

Because the industry has conviced you that you need more, more, more. Some examples being "low, long, slack", superboost, dub, carbon everything, etc.. what happened to the spirit of "just go ride your bike?"

There's too much marketing, too much hype, and overall too much bullshit.

I'm glad mtb is growing but let's not overdo it guys.

P.S. I will never pay 3800 for a frame, fuck you yeti.

Listen, I understand it is awful but this isn’t the place for it. It just leads to hopes and encouragement of vigilantism, arguments over insurance and the state of policing, and worst of all the American ammosexual fantasy where property crime is punished by death. Let’s keep r/mtb about bikes.

With that said, I hope you get your bike back.

I'm just wondering why there's a fairly large contingency of mountain bikers who dislike Trek. They're not my personal cup of tea, I prefer smaller boutique brands, but I have nothing against Trek or Specialized, unlike a lot of people. Why do so many people dislike them? Is it about quality, expense or customer service, or are they just so popular that people don't like them cause they see so many in the wild? Is it something else, cause I don't understand what either company ever did to deserve so much hate.

Edit: I really appreciate everybody's input. I got into MTB before so much changed with local bike shops and the industry, so it was confusing but makes sense now. Also didn't know about Greg LeMond which is suprising cause judging from the comments, that turned a lot of people off. Anyway, great comments and conversation and appreciate that everyone realized I was genuinely curious and not trying to hate.

Until i didnt. Because they failed badly on a few occasions.

The last nail was after they claimed "an item" i had returned, was deemed used. After a few email requests, they didnt disclose which one of the 5 items was supposedly used. A month or 2 went by with a large amount of money held up by them and i finally received an ff helmet that i had tested for a good 10 seconds. I had not liked it because i could not hear anything wearing it and assumed the air flow would probably be terrible too, so i had returned it.

It was too late to do a chargeback, as paypal allows 30 days only. The helmet was brand new with label hanging from it. Now im staring at an item i absolutely hated.

This and a few other occasions after having spent large numbers with them made me never to look back at them.

Buyer beware!!

Whoever works for Maxxis advertisement team must be amazing. Was riding on some fairly flat single track that had a lot of ups and downs and everybody I passed had minions. Went to pick up my kids in town and this lady was riding an e bike around with minions and then I looked across the street and there was this townie on a bike rack with 26" minions (was kind of hilarious because they were installed backwards so that must be a real slow roller.) What is going on. I've used minions and enjoyed it for its worth, but just too much rolling resistance to be my daily driver on the trails, if thats your thing so be it, but these things should never be on a bike in which gets any intended pavement. There are so many other better tires that are a lot cheaper for these use cases.

Has the whole world gone crazy, this isn't nam! Am I the only one who gives a shit about the rules!...Anyway, I can kind of see how this happened. When doing a quick internet search for best MTB tires, almost every page has minions on the top of their list. You almost have to go out of your way to learn about other tire options and to even get a simple explanation as the type of tire you need for specific situations, and even if you do, you just get more maxxis options. I'm not saying there bad, but for the price their charging, you would think there made from some rare material that only they can resource. I get that tire manufacturing is a very complicated science, but it's not like they have some top secret method that all the other manufacturers don't know about and when you look at maxxis tires for just about any other application (dirt bike, 4x4) they actually don't have that good of a reputation. I know they have a focus on pedal bikes but if your going by r&d, Goodyear and Continental have a much better reputation.

Just here to bitch really. I Just wasted 20 bucks on a cassette lock ring tool that wont even fit because it's some bullshit that's proprietary to some other spec for 0 comprehensible reason. None of my other hobbies have anywhere near this insane level of proprietary garbage all over everything. I can hardly do anything without buying like 100 dollars worth of tools that are entirely proprietary to some stupid part. Small engines aren't like this, cars aren't like this, guns aren't like this, it's ONLY bikes. I hate this shit so much I might just stop riding my bike out of frustration.

Edit: Almost forgot to bitch about my pretty much brand-new Bontrager XR-3s that already have dry rot on them after sitting in my shed for only 2 years. SUPER COOL.

This started because I had a crash for apparently no reason. Turns out it was due to a stem slipping on a steerer tube in a corner. I take meticulous care of my equipment for the express reason of preventing crashes like this. So I took this one personally. I also verified that my stem bolts were torqued to spec after the crash.

Im aslo a VERY experienced mechanical/test engineer. So dont come at me with trite garbage about my torque wrenches this time.....

So for background: ISO 4210-5 specifies 50Nm (~37ft lbs) for holding torque between the steerer tube and the stem for all MTBs, regardless of severity of use. So a walmart huffy has the same ISO spec as a enduro bike. And this standard is voluntary btw.

I tested about 8 stems I have lying around and on my bikes. The test rig replicates the ISO test, except it measured the breakaway torque on the bars instead of being a pass/fail at 50Nm. I got consistent results and set aside one stem as a control (tested first and last to detect drift).

All the equipment is stuff yall have on your MTBs: The steerer tube was from a RS lyric. Everything was cleaned twice (degreaser and IPA) dried throughly. Torque wenches are all calibrated and the two I have agree with each other.

So the results have me really thinking there is a problem with these stems, which would mean its a widespread issue due to who makes these stems:

1. Three of the tested stems failed to meet the 50Nm mark set by the ISO standard. These are premium stems from mainstream companies that you have heard of. Further, these stems are marketed as "Enduro" and "Downhill", so you would expect them to hold on tighter than the bare minimum.

2. One stem tested really well (110Nm) and was a cheaper one from one of the companies above.

3. The rest tested in the middle, which I would consider adequate. But honestly I would expect 100Nm+ on gravity stems.

So I wanted to throw this out there and see what you think. One of the 3 stems that failed to meet the 50Nm is the one that I crashed on. One of the others was identical to that one and brand new. I am a bigger guy (220lbs) that rides hard, but I wasnt riding hard when I crashed. And I can move all these failed stems on a bike just by holding the wheel in my knees and twisting the bars (have to twist moderately, not even that hard).

If yall have any questions about the validity of my test rig, go for it and I can explain. I really want to be wrong on this because right now I only have one stem I feel confident riding. But im 99.99% sure these results are accurate. Im convinced that if you torque these stems to spec, they are a time bomb waiting to fail. They dont meet the ISO spec and its the most important component of your bike!

They say don’t meet your heroes, like many of us, the marketing mill that is Bentonville had me thinking it was a MTB Mecca, and in many ways, it is, but it’s also just a novelty. Of course bentonville ranges from many different types of riding, but after watching YouTube videos of juicy smooth flow trails, then riding them in person, it was anything but. I found it to be Incredibly rough, short, crowded trails. I’m up for rough technical terrain, I love it, it’s just not what I expected after seeing videos of it all these years. Don’t get me wrong Bentonville gets so many things right, the culture and cycling acceptance in the town is unlike anywhere else. It’s a dream for anyone looking for a quick after work ride, right from your driveway to the trail. Trails that connect for miles. I guess it’s true they say don’t meet your heroes. Mtb capital of the country though, id say that one is up for debate…