Tech Photos From the Pits: Crested Butte EWS

 More people need that shock than you would believe. Coil over air any day. Adding a light spring and climb switch is just great news for people who love the performance and reliability of coil shocks but are put off by the weight and lack of a climb switch.

 I want it too! Fox is stepping up their game! Fully adjustable low speed compression for 34 and 32 series, and Rockshox is lying down and crying.

 Love the idea, and the colour matches my frame! Does anyone think it'll fit my hardtail (4 lyfe blad)!!!!????

 yeah sure it will fit, you can do anything with a few cable ties

 Marzocchi do a coil shock with a climb switch (Roco TST R). I vowed Fox never again a few years ago, Marzocchi have been solid for me ever since, fingers crossed they continue..

 Just put a tst r on my spesh pitch, and damn that little switch can make that bike launch forward or plow through anything

 Seems like someone needs a Climb Switch to keep his lil bro alive in the deepest trail of Mommy Earth. #lamejokeintensifies

 @cunning-linguist use it as a seat post

 Can you believe they first introduced that in 2007 and still make it in 2015?

 The Roco TST R I mean...

 yeah, just like the vivid air with climb switch that curtis keene has but where is that for us? no where?

 Sorry, that's all the info Matt sent us. Wish I were there.

 Keep us in the loop, RC!

 @RichardCunningham what happened today heard race was cancelled?

 Someone got hurt pretty badly, PB has recieved a number of reports that say its the worst news, but we are waiting to post after we hear the official word from EWS.

 the race has been cancelled and rightly so. a disaster. singletrackworld.com/2015/08/competitor-fatality-at-ews-breaking

 Drinking the HATERADE

 Dont forget the anno black adjustment knobs and caps

 Well they're not going to make a whole new platform/model just for her signature fork. Lol

What exactly would you expect other than different graphics?

 Well, it has her signature on it. Job done. I'm just going out to the garage to make me a signature fork.

 Signatures are so 20th Century.. Just put four numbers on it.

 I'm sure her fork is quite signature. There's a very very small chance the fastest woman in the world is riding a stock fork with two stickers

 That is what signature products are: the same as the normal but with another sticker or color and the name of the rider. Do you want a entirely new fork? lol

 Thats not true! Troy Brosnan got a sweet custom painted Boxxer with Kangaroos and some other stuff.

 Better tech or getting us to spend? Maybe it's all genuine, but what is certain is regularly changing fashions is a fantastic profit generator used to great effect for centuries.

 Either the longer enduro stages create a heat problem for air shocks or changing standards sells bikes.

 it's way easier:

dh guys usually ride coil, so now marketing says : air is better
enduro riders usually ride air shocks, so now marketing says : coil is better

and the obvious truth is that coil shocks and forks suck, whereas air shocks and forks are awesome

...hate incoming

 Do they ditch the coils in any other off road sport?

 do they pedal? is the weight important in these offroad sports?
it seems pb users are champs at bringing stupid and non pertinent comparisons when talking about technical stuff. yesterday it was " carbon is good in planes so it's good for mtb"; now it's "coils are good in mx so it's good for mtb"; tomorrow it will be "spoilers are useful on race car, so let's do this on mtb"

 I reckon you read a fair bit into my question tbh, and you sound a bit defensive. I wanted to know if air is used in any other sport, you ranted. Which is fair enough but I ddin't make a stupid comparison. And I don't know what you meant but i never mentioned mx.

 "I'm not depressed. I'm just a curmudgeon."

 @zede that's not what I said at all! I replied to a comment that " carbon is weak". Witth words to the effect of " if it's so weak why do they use it for aircraft, cars etc etc".

At no point did I say " carbon is good for planes so it's good for mtb"

@tobiusmaximum only asked if other sports have ditched coils for air, which is a fair question that didn't des ever the answer you gave...

 in mx, i think air forks are starting to be trendy

 Lets hope they come with some Enduro specific blowout sealant.

 Yeah more Double Down info please. Is just me, or do DHF 2.5's have more of a dead zone when leaned over on wide rims? Seems you have to throw it over much faster to get outer knob action?

 For me DHF never had a dead zone even on rims with 29mm internal. I hate Highroller 1 for that matter - slight grip - no grip - SUPER GOD GRIP! - Death! No predictability what so ever, HR II is only a bit better. minion DHF for the win anytime

 Maxxis SUPER GOD GRIP edition.

 @WAKIdesigns @dirtdoctor It's the Maxxis Aggressor. It's an Enduro-specific 2.3 tire, already planned for production (not a prototype). Double Down is merely a tougher casing. It supposedly adds about 100g to the tire over EXO. This was introduced back in March in Taipei. I can't verify if it were optimized for wide rims, but I wouldn't be surprised if RC is merely blowing this up with misinformation...

More info: www.bikerumor.com/2015/03/30/tpe15-maxxis-revamps-mountain-bike-line-new-fat-bike-tires-gravel-road-tubeless-more

 I love the mattoc but keep eyeing their McLeod

 That's why I went with DVO

 Ha, yeah it's obviously popular, the push industries one is selling like hot cakes right now

 SENSUS grips are the best

 Bar ends. ESI's are the shit. Hell, at $10 bring another pair.

 @schofell84 If you're implying that SENSUS grips are expensive, the swayze single ply costs $12

 I'd never run another grip. ESIs are simply better than anything else I've used. Except when you forget to bring gloves then they are crazy slick.

 That's great, I've tried my friends ESI grips. Personally, I like the feel of sensus more, but I was talking about how it is more durable and can take more of a beating then ESI

 I've never had a problem even with super sweaty hands. I do prefer gloves with them though.

 Why am I getting so much hate? have any of you actually tried senses grips?

 I love love love my esi grips. Once properly worn I'm there the comfiest things ever, with or without gloves

 Link to these sensus grips please?

 @schofell84 shop.thesensus.com/category/grips

 Yeah uhmmmm no. They sell those at the local mtn. Guess what the shop guys run on their trail rigs. ESI's.

 these are some wicked black diamond bikes

 Heh, I'd be fine with either. Fox will probably be cheaper and slightly lighter, I would image the Push will have better performance.

Mostly I'm happy that a big brand has gotten into it's head the idea that there may be a market for coil shocks with pedal platforms. Hopefully RS and DVO will follow suite (*sniff* RIP Zokes...)

 Wasn't Push so utterly expensive, that no one commenting under Pinkbike News can afford it?

 expensive yes but hasn't any compition - I'd buy one with my next bike

 Didn't Marzocchi get there first EIGHT YEARS ago with the Roco TST R?

 suppose it was a lock out wasn't it not a compression adjust?

 Just looks like they replaced the LSC dial with a lever to me? So presumably it functions just the samended but can be easily adjusted whilst riding. I'm guessing obviously.

Lockout levers like CTD RC3 and TST achieve the same thing but using a needle valve rather than a shim stack. Much of a muchness.

 I think Leov's bike is 140mm stock but who knows if the stroke of that DHX2 is the same as stock.

I guess the Scott Genius of Remy Absalon is another. It's a 650b+ but he runs 29" wheels.

New Enduro next year that will be a monster. I wouldn't be surprised if Specialized are already waving big $ in front of a top DH racer to convince them to ride EWS. No disrespect to Curtis but Specialized are pretty fickle when it comes to marketing riders who aren't winning.

 Yeah who knows about his shock. I'll have to look into how he runs 29s on a 27.5 bike. And you're probably right about the enduro, last time they got Mitch to DH on it (does he still do that?), but I'm not sure about Curtis, he's a big feature in the US and has been with spesh for a while. Granted, he's likely to become second ride sooner or later.

 Yeah, thankfully in mtb there's more to marketing bikes than just results - personality, style and visibility are as important (and in some cases more) than straight results. Look at someone like Brendog (and I'm not hating in the least); he's not someone that is necessarily expected to win either in WC (though obviously his results this year are great and seems to be getting better all the time) or Rampage. But everyone loves to see his run in Rampage because he brings something different to them, and everyone loves to see his style in the WC. Plus his personality and the way he straddles both disciplines mean he is worth his weight as a sponsored rider for Scott. Especially given the hardcore reputation of the Gambler.

 Yeah I reckon bren sells a lot of bikes personally. You're spot on it think, the truth is if he wasn't liked he wouldn't be that well known I don't think.. He's done a great job of getting consistent good rides and solid coverage WITHOUT winning. To be honest I'd be right there jumping up and down if he does make it, but I don't care if he does, I love him anyway and I think 'freeracer' is a brilliant tag. Partly because it also sums up an awful lot of consumers.. 'I ride 'free', I also race, I probably won't win.. But I'm gonna get loose anyhow'.

 Yet? Ever.

 They gotta lose the plus size idea... Sounds like a bike for.. ahem.. Large ladies, shall we say.

 hey I only meant the name..

 Supposedly there is a serious crash and they canceled racing for tody

 Yeah does anyone else know anything.

 twitter.com/nealrogers/status/627615991145455616

 ...damn...

 Very sad news, according to the Twitter feed sounds like someone died :-( Condolences to the friends and family.

 Just puts into perspective that the EWS isn't "old mans downhill" and is still a very dangerous sport.