Wayners

I work for Michelin, nothing to do with MTB tires, and have a discount. I bought two of Last season's Enduros from MEC because their price is better. I've avoided the Magi X because they don't rebound in cooler temeratures. I've stuck with the Gum X. Where I ride there is lots of granite and a rear Enduro would easily get through a season, front would get me through two. I have never had a sidewall go, at 200 pounds fully kitted out. I thought I might try the Contis but the price for a set jumped with their popularity. Maxxis are ridiculously expensive here, why would I buy one tire that may wear slightly slower when I can get two for the same price? I have never lost a lug, the sidewalls are strong enough that I've never had a slash and don't use inserts. I don't know where you are riding but at the price I bought them for they are well worth a try.

You may need a bigger headtube to squeeze it into.

This is what most mountain biking was like in the past, minus the Trailforks and Strava. You found a trail, grown in logging/fire road, on a topo map, you checked it out. It can be a lot of work but, like hiking, can take you to some amazing places that stay that way because they are not "popular". I've shared some of my most amazing memories doing just this in kayaks, on skis and bikes with like minded friends who bitched and complained a good portion of every trip!

What Band?

This is Tragic. There are a lot of "facts" in this article that lead us to come to the conclusion that these women made a few mistakes. Camping next to a chicken coop, with food in the tent, not moving or looking for help knowing there was a bear in the area doing things bears don't naturally do. I read a book when i lived in Northern British Columbia, " Bear Attacks, Causes and Avoidance", by Stephen Herrero. If I can remember correctly, there were only one or two examples of predatory bear attacks. They are rare. The one thing that stuck with me though was that, in the end, bears are wild and not necessarily predictable in their behaviour. Every person heading into bear country should read it. There may have been factors other than the food in the tent that led to this. The heat wave in the west? Competition for natural food sources in the area? Did this small community that caters to hikers and bikepackers, (assuming that they do), have proper camping spots with infrastructure for properly storing, hanging, food? The bear hasn't yet been trapped. Was it sick? Chances are, this bear will be back and some of these questions will be answered. For the time being it may be best to reserve judgement. It's never as simple as a 1000 word, click bait article on your phone's news feed.