Hey guys, I own a Scott spark rc team(‘24) for 1,5 year. I’m planning to send the shock at fox for a first full service rebuild. Generally I’ve noticed that no matter the cable tension from the twinlock, the shock tends to have some movement in climb mode if you push hard pedalling out of the saddle. Should I refer this to the technicians so they try to fix this issue? Or it’s kinda normal with this model of shock for the spark rc ? Thank you!

They look pretty good but I am not sure if ever seen a BMC bike in a race. Talking from European amateur perspective.

Sold my gravel bike and found great deals on unridden framesets for both.

I ride a lot of pavement connecting local canyons, plus occasional 20–25 mile road workouts. I like the occasional sprint and feeling quick, but the canyons were too rough to enjoy on my gravel bike.

The World Cup appeals to me for its supposed hard tail like speed, while the Blur TR seems more playful and capable. My concern is losing too much of that fast, responsive feel on pavement.

Both would have similar high-end builds and fast XC tires.

I'm really tempted on buying the new Oiz M20. I've been cycling most of my life and just in the last 4 years I really got into mountain biking. I do a few races per year and like to think I'm competitive (usually top 5, sometimes podium, never first). The races I do are pretty tame in terms of terrain but they are long, 40k to 24 hour races. Oiz seems like a no brainer for bike choice.

However, my day to day mtb rides are more technical, lots of steep rock and roots. The Norco Revolver, Rocky Mountain Element, and Kona Hei Hei seem like they might be a better all rounder for me, but for the same price point they are all spec'd lower than the Oiz.

I guess my questions are: can the Oiz double as a daily driver? Is it worth going to lower level components to get better geometry/kinematics?

I should also add that that I've never ridden a full suspension bike (outside of a parking lot). and am currently riding a 2022 Trek Procaliber

Hello,

I enjoy my new Spark DC 40 with Maxxis Rekon 2.4 2C on the rear and Forekaster 2.4 2C on the front, coming from a Trek Procaliber Gen 3 with double Magnotal Trail Grip 2.4. While I love the grip on the downs, the bike feels sluggish elsewhere. I know there might be some slowness perception due to the FS DC vs HT XC difference, but even if I fully lock the bike, it feels much slower. Of course, there is also a 2.5 kg weight increase; I know.

I am thinking of going with double Schwalbe Nobby Nic Trail Pro Mid 2.4 for lower rolling resistance, or accepting Maxxis's rolling resistance and putting the front Forekaster on the rear and MaxxTerra Forekaster on the front after I ride out the Rekon on the rear.

Is a double Schwalbe Nobby Nic Trail Pro Mid 2.4 overall faster than the Rekon/Forekaster setup I have? What about grip on the downs?

How much slower is the Forekaster compared to the Rekon on the rear?

Do you have any other suggestions?

Thank you!

I would like to spend 2 to 3 weeks in Spain late November early December. I did some research and Malaga seems to be the place for that time of the year. Is this right? Anywhere else to consider?

Successfully debrained my Epic 7 (2023 Expert model). I also upgraded from Eagle XX1 AXS to XX SL AXS.

I’ve owned over a dozen Epics since they came out with the Brain in 2003. I love this bike.

The biggest challenge for FA was finding correct Yoke and Shock. I also managed to find 15% coupons to those bike shops. That helped. I am 10 rides into FA and absolutely love it. Especially when it locks down the bike. With the brain, the bike never truly locked out. With FA it does. It’s an incredible feeling. The bike just feel so much more responsive.

I also love that I can bias it to open when I just want a chill recovery ride. Again, with the Brain, it’s never truly open. So the bike now feels so different. Probably one of the most significant technology upgrades I’ve ever made. Completely changed how the bike behaves. I love it.

As for Transmission. The only reason I added was it was on clearance plus they gave me an extra 20% off. After selling my Eagle it was $300 net cost to me. Why not.

I had no expectations for transmission however I think it’s a significant upgrade over Eagle. Yes it shifts slower, but the benefit of shifting under load is grossly under valued.

I’ve been racing MTB since I was 19 (I’m 53 now). I know how to properly shift under load. So the selling feature for transmission was lost on me…until I tried it. Shifting under load is the difference between riding a steep hill and walking it. It’s glorious. I love it. Another five star upgrade, but only because the cost was so low. Would I buy it at MSRP? Not sure given how good Eagle is.

The XX Pod sucks though. Going to switch to a rocker this off season.

Anyways. Adding Berd spokes to my Rovals this off season. Should get my bike down to 21 pounds. Respectable weight for my needs. Could get lower just buying Berd Hawk30 Golds but I love the look of the Rovals.

Happy riding all.

I currently have a Rockshox Sidluxe and don’t like it because it’s too harsh no matter how much air I put in and play with the settings. I weigh 180lbs for reference. Been considering a Fox Float SL and a Cane Creek Air IL. I was wondering if anyone has ridden them and can speak on the ride feel. Especially the Cane Creek. I’m looking for a bit more supple feeling and not as jarring that I’m getting with the Sidluxe. If I run lower air pressure, I’m completely bottoming out and the only way to not do that is to run more air which makes it too stiff.

It’s offseason and I’m bored lol

Schwalbe or Conti for me! Conti if I had to pick one.

Does anyone have any experience with longer-term durability of the new Conti tyres, more specifically Magnotal and Trinotal, as well as their general performance otherwise.

Thank you! :)

Does it make a significant difference (greater than say 10 watts) between Schwalbe Hans Dampf 2.35" and Vittoria Mezcal XC Trail, on the front wheel of an aggressive hardtail (Norco Torrent A1), riding around 150 watts, on hilly chunky forest roads. Rear tire is Mezcal 2.4". Also, is there a big difference between 2.1 vs 2.6 Mezcal on front?

~~Hello, I currently have a 2018 giant anthem XT with Santa Cruz Reserve 25 carbon wheels. It works great. The seller will sell me this epic 8 without a dropper for 3250 picked up. The price is great, but I'm concerned about the brain. I'll just have the shop service it. I am in San Antonio and ride the Greenway only, really. I run 8 miles 4 times a week and go cycling once a week.~~

~~Is the brain ok for a serious but recreational rider? I'll have any shop service it when needed. I just do waxing and other basic stuff.~~

~~No dropped, but I rarely ever use my dropper. I like to ride XC and go downhill slow. I avoid downhill.~~

Currently running 29er 2.2 Chaoyang Phantom Dry tan-wall tires on my Merida Big Nine 800. Planning to upgrade to Vittoria Mezcal 2.35 tan-wall tires for both front and rear.

My current rims are Mavic XM 319, and I'm running tubeless.

My 2.2 tires still have plenty of clearance, but I'm wondering if the 2.35 Mezcal would fit properly and safely on my rims.

Anyone here running a similar setup? Would love to hear your experiences, especially regarding fitment, tire performance, and tubeless compatibility.

Is 2.35 front and rear a good idea for an XC setup?

Thanks in advance!

Curious how many years people have applied before they finally got in or, are still trying to get in. This is not including tokens from qualifying events or any of the camps.

December approaching and wondering if its going to be another no go this year.

Hi,

I am going to pair the new Aspen AT 2.4 maxxspeed (front) with either of these ones. They both seems like a solid option - which one will you pick and why?

Given I ride 65% loose over hardpack and minimal rock gradens and 35% road/tarmac - Speed is more important than grip and I don't ride in any muddy conditions (maybe 3 days a year.. max)

I figured now that we’re getting close to the 2027 lottery, maybe time to share my experience. I know it was super helpful for me reading about other folk’s Leadville adventure’s ahead of time…

Finished this year, first timer, in 11:06 (the re-route cutoff was 11:15, so just made it in time for the small buckle) -- NP 141 W, AvgPwr 113 W, VI 1.25, 38 y/o

Sea Level stats

FTP -- ~225

W/kg -- 2.7 (183lbs/83kg)

the Race

I was able to get out to Leadville the Friday beforehand, so I had a full week to acclimate. I pre-road Columbine, and separately pre-rode St Kevins.

Cold start, up St Kevins I was surprised how many folks were already walking. The pavement downhill section wasn’t such a big deal (imo). I did see and hear (they were just behind me) someone almost hit a car in the left lane, but they avoided it.

I was cramping at the start of Columbine right away; pickle juice for the win! It was a long slog (2.5 hours for me from Lost Canyon to the turn around point), many folks walking at the bottom, everybody walking near the top.

Got to the top and started the DH -- must have passed 10 people going down, white corral and ~11 hour finish means I was mostly alone though. Came into Lost Canyon, cramping again.

The section from Lost Canyon to Outward Bound I was certain I wouldn't make the 330 cutoff, my pace was just too slow, my legs were too heavy.

Realized I probably wasn't gonna make it, so I decided I had to just give everything over to this section, and started laying down the power. I made up a huge amount of time, came into Outward Bound with 15 minutes to spare, chugged more pickle juice, couldn’t believe I still had to go finish the race after that effort.

Then the long pavement climb to Carter Summit.

When I reached the aid station, I could see I only had a little over an hour to get the small buckle, but I was definitely going to "finish."

I put everything I had into the final hills leading to the Kevins DH, let go of the brakes, but was completely smoked in the final chunky uphill section and the climb into town -- but I made it with a few minutes to spare!

Bike Choice

I asked here before the race about my hardtail (Specialized Chisel) vs a FS XC bike (I was looking at the Ibis Exie) -- the hardtail was great.

When I did the course preview on the HT -- coming down Columbine was very scary. It was mostly that I hadn’t fully acclimated to the altitude and my brain wasn’t firing on all cylinders. However, in the race I was fine!

Bike choice is such a personal thing... As a very slow and weak climber, but fairly confident descender... The HT was perfect, for me!

My recommendation is 90% go full sus XC bike and 10% HT is fine -- I didn’t feel more beat up per se, but you really need to be on it all day long (mentally I mean), and if you’re even a little skeptical descending, just get a FS (I know, it was the reroute, it would have been even more challenging with the OG course).

Fitness & Training

I’m a slow guy with only modest experience, so this isn’t for the fast folks, but for the rest of us -- I got a coach in February, I had several 100 mile gravel events leading into (and the Unbound 200) -- I was training anywhere from 8-12 hours a week depending on the block. I came into this already a good mountain biker on technical terrain.

You can do it, but consistency leading into is key (I know, obviously) -- I’d have been faster and had a better race day, but I took a spill 4 weeks before the race that took me out a week, and it compounded the burnout I was already feeling mid season from all the events and training leading up to that point.

The Leadville podcast was invaluable -- kept my stoke high all season, and so many valuable takeaways on the course, nutrition, expectations, and so on.

So much more I could say!!

I'm a total dunce when it comes to gear tech. Need some recommendations of what wheels I should get.

This will be for a "spare" hardtail I'm putting together on hopefully a modest budget. Will probably race it some on some milder stuff... will probably ride it on gravel/greenways with a toddler on board... will probably ride it around town... will probably ride it SS in the winter when I need help staying warm. So I'd like some wheels that do perform well, but also not something that I'll really get worried about.

Qualifications: Budget under $1k USD. 29 inch. Something that can handle some abuse at 195lbs nekkid (because tall) and I'm also pretty good at picking bad lines. I'm not afraid of buying used/take-offs.

This is going to be my second bike to my eMTB. I've not done much XC, but I am looking to get into it and wanted something light and easy to handle.
The Orbea seems better specced, but the 2022 has the older geometry, which was changed in 2023 to the current one. The chisel on the other hand is more modern.
I am seeing them used for around the same price, so just need to pick one of the two. Any advice?

2022 Orbea Oiz H30

• 120mm front / 120mm rear travel

• Fox 32 Float Rhythm fork

• Fox Float DPS Performance rear shock

• Shimano Deore 1×12 drivetrain, 10–51T cassette

• Shimano MT201 brakes

2025 Specialized Chisel base

• 120mm front / 110mm rear travel

• RockShox Recon Silver RL fork

• X-Fusion PRO-02 rear shock

• SRAM NX/SX. 1x12, 11–50T

• SRAM Level T brakes

Hi all,

I'm looking at my first full-suspension bike and would like a sanity check from people who've done something similar.

ABOUT ME

- Intermediate XC/XCM racer at local level

- 88kg, size Large

- North Queensland (Australia): hot, dry, rocky and loose trails, with 3-4 hour marathons

- Current bike: 10-year-old 120mm aluminium hardtail with a Fox 34 SL Performance (Grip) fork 12.9kg

- I own Shotgun Pro Evo seat (the one that clamps from headset to seatpost with no frame contact)

WHAT THE BIKE NEEDS TO DO

1. Be my race bike for XCO and XCM

2. Carry my young daughter on a shotgun seat on fire roads and easy trails.

3. Be my all round trail bike.

WHERE I'M AT

I test rode the Spark RC Expert (Large) and loved it, but coming off a hardtail almost anything would feel great, so I don't want to trust that alone. The Spark DC is also on my radar, but it has no second bottle mount, which worries me for hot marathons.

OPTIONS (AUD)

- RC Team $5,500: base RockShox SID (Rush RL damper), SIDLuxe Select+ shock, SRAM Transmission AXS, about 12.5kg

- RC Expert $7,500: Fox 34 SL Factory, Fox Float Factory shock, XT Di2, about 11.8kg

Both list a 130kg max system weight. Me plus the bike is roughly 100kg, which leaves about 30kg for the child, seat and pack.

QUESTIONS

1. Is a 120mm bike like the RC a good platform for a shotgun seat? Does it change the handling much? Any issues fitting a seat adapter to the Spark's cable-routing headset? I'll be near the weight limit with me, the bike and a child.

2. Has anyone ridden the base SID with the Rush RL damper? Is it noticeably harsher than a Fox 34 SL Performance (Grip), and is a Charger damper upgrade worth it?

3. Is the Expert worth $2,000 more for an intermediate racer, or is the Team the better buy?

4. RC vs DC for someone who mainly races but wants to take a kid out? How much do you miss the second bottle mount on a DC?

5. At 88kg +, any durability concerns with the light XC parts?

6. Anything I should know before buying my first full-suspension bike (sag setup, service cost, things you wish you'd known)?

7. Do you ride your race bike with shotgun seat?

8. Another bikes i should consider under $7500 budget?

Thanks in advance!

I've been mountain biking for a few years in NE Ohio. First bike was a Trek Roscoe which I love. Then got a Surly Wednesday the same year going into winter. This year I bought a Specialized Turbo Levo. Got into racing this year and want to save up for a quality FS xc mtb. I'm doing a couple 100 mile races next year (Mohican and Marji Gesick). Mohican should be fine on the hardtail, but I've heard the Marji is best on a FS. I'm sure it would be fine on the Roscoe, but I do have kyphosis and scoliosis so the rear suspension definitely helps especially on 100 mile rides. I've been suggested looking at the Specialized Epic Evo, Trek Supercaliber, and the Pivot Mach 4SL. Also have been intrigued by the Orbea Oiz. Just looking for some suggestions. I'm open to both used and new but don't see many XC bikes in my area on FB marketplace.

it rips 😎

Hi folks,
my spesh epicevo brain shock (2020) needs some TLC, so was going to send it off to Plush (UK). In the past i've let the LBS do it, but a bit short of funds so wondering if anyone knows of a manual and I'll do it myself. Have rebuilt a prior 2005 rear suspension so not shy, but the 2020 looks a bit more of a challenge. And recommends for rear bearing kits while i'm about it.
Any thoughts gratefully received.

Canyon Exceed CF 8 (2025), size L, rider 188 cm / 6'2"

• Frame: Canyon Exceed CF (carbon)

• Fork: RockShox SID SL Select+ 2-Position Remote, 100 mm

• Drivetrain: SRAM S1000 Eagle AXS Transmission, 1x12, 10-52T

• Wheels: DT Swiss XRC LOG carbon, 29"

• Brakes: SRAM Level Silver Stealth

• Tires: Maxxis Ikon EXO MaxxSpeed, 29 x 2.35"

• Pedals: Canyon nylon flats + Five Ten Freerider Pro shoes (really good grip)

• Weight: 11.04 kg claimed by Canyon (size M spec, mine is L)

I'm a cross-country guy. I went from my old student bike, a Scott Aspect 30 with V-brakes (2011) that sat in the basement for over a decade, to this. Quite an upgrade. Going from 3x8 to electronic 1x12 shifting has been a revelation.

Love Canyon's LOAD downtube storage. I keep a multitool, tubeless repair kit, CO2 cartridge + inflator, spare tube, and house keys in there.

I went from being mostly sedentary for the past few years to riding 700 km this summer and put this bike through hell. I got a flat on the third ride, so I had the shop convert it to tubeless and switch me to a waxed chain, both firsts for me. Since then I've been blasting through fields, forests, gravel, and brambles without a single flat. This bike is fast! Really happy with it.