By Far, the Best Bike at the Las Vegas Show - Interbike, 2015

 Have to agree!

 I had to google panache, now I agree.

 @Bluefire the word 'panache' should be used more often - not always accompanying winners but those with the most mojo.
Examples of positive panache: Schurter, Kovarik, Sagan, John Tomac, and most of the nutjobs competing in things like Rampage but notably Lacondeguy.
Example of negative panache: Froome.

 Panache? How is that similar or different from a crepe or waffle? Is it some sort of blintz perhaps?

 @cerealkilla Panache: a tuft or plume of feathers, especially as a headdress or on a helmet. I didn't really understand the comment, I just figured I would agree.

 @pbrider: I only know the word because I was a roadie in a past life. It's more often used in the espresso-sipping, skinny-tired world - it's borrowed from French, so there you go. It just refers to "flair" or "confident style"; the mountain biker's equivalent would probably be "steeze".

 These things are known. My jackassery is clearly lost on you heady wordsmiths.

 @cerealkilla: Not on me, sir, I assure you. I refrained from tagging you for just that reason. Consider your jackassery delivered and signed for.

 Those who win got the panocha

 Panache, or as the French would say it has a certain I don't know what

 J'approuve le panache.

 @ErwinR Well played!

 Anyone that's ever had the masochism to put themselves through the sweat-dripping-snot-flinging-suffer-fest that is an XC race will understand how much better it is to ride in a lycra bib shorts than anything else.

 Truth does hurt but in this case that isn't the truth

 Geoff Kabush?

 I've seen this first hand. The last World champs in Vail. My Friend Bailey laid out the course. The pro XC Roadies complained it was too hard and sure enough they changed it.

 @laxman2001 - Definitely. Not to take anything away from Nino, the dude has mad skills. I'm just saying there are a bunch of other XC racers with some wicked technical skills as well. Tomac just stands out because he was a regular podium finisher at DH Worlds and World Cups as well

 @streetfighter848 Totally! Tomac is the man.

May Nino's dominance usher in a prolonged era where tracks stay toothy, bike handling skills prized and the dirt roadies mercilessly crushed into bloody heaps at the back of the pack. This is mountain biking after all.

 ^someone buy this man a beer!

(im not even a xc dude either)

 Current WC XCO courses are pretty damn technical.


Here in the US we have lame XC courses because promoters who try to market legit courses don't get massive numbers of shitty amatuers to show up and pay entry fees.


Also at some point in time 3+ hour races became popular and we've lost the balls out speed fest XCO races.

 it just came backfrom the future ;-)

 He will hold the world champion title for the 2016 season until next year's worlds.

 Wow, I just noticed that. Bold indeed

 he was so bold, he was like, hey don't wash my bike after the race.... it's gonna be on display, I want the mud to make it look tough...

 Thanks tips

 @Tmackstab, Scott Bikes many submitted a permit for import with AHPIS (Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and subbranch of USDA) in which the bike was either quarantined, underwent full inspection, or frozen for 10 period to kill potential pest that could be harbored in the mud. It's also possible since bike simply cleared for shipment to Nevada there's little chance a pest from Andorra could establish itself in desert. I wouldn't take it personally your bike prohibited from entering the if wasn't clean. The impact of invasive species can have vast ramification a just everything from field crops (dusky wireworm), live stock (fire ants), timber (Asian long horn beetle), fresh waterways (Zebra muscles), and harbors (Asian green mussel).

For example as of 2008, total state and federal costs for the asian long horn beetle eradication program, including research and development, was about $373 million for the United States.*

*http://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/disturbance/invasive_species/alb/effects_impacts/eradication_costs/

 Whoops, I'll correct that for you... "I would do dirty things to it."

 I wish my wife would get that dirty

 Maybe he really wants that bike...

 Filthy tires and frame, but clean-as-a-whistle transmission and fork? Hmm....

 To each his own homie, everyone's entitled to their riding preference. God bless my bro.

 I just wish they showed the blood transfusions.

 Racing against yourself on a Downhill track

 Men's DH Women's XC

 4x. Nuff sed

 MojoMaujer = I would rather watch a large group of men riding past me all wearing Lycra than get on a DH bike and fly down a hill.

 here here ---- I'm the same way --- hitting the ski lift is kinda cool if you want to do downhily laps, quickly..

me, I'd much rather just pay for a hall pass to ride and have the option to climb to the top on my own.

climbing, that's half the fun of biking --- hence the reason I often skip out going to the resorts for biking. "they" do some amazing work, by no means and I knocking that.. for me, I rather just ride UP and DOWN.

 I totally agree with @kingeriii - especially in the last two years. With regard to the World Cup, the real competition is really only happening in the men's DH and women's XC. Once Nino and Absalon rose to dominance, it's watching a battle for 3rd every week. And even then, there's really on another 3 or 4 riders that can realistically threaten them. While it's great to see such talented riders absolutely dominate the sport, it's almost a bit boring. Same with women's DH. There's Rachael, and then everyone else. The lack of parity is displayed in no other discipline like women's DH.

Women's XC on the other hand is up for grabs every week by 10 or 15 solid competitors. With the exception of this past year were Jolanda really came into her own, it was usually a really fun and tight race every week. Same thing with men's DH. It's unbelievable how consistently tight the racing is week to week and it's just great stuff to watch.

 The difference is however... Anyone who has raced DH will tell you there is a moment when you are at speeds and "air" that your mind will tell you "aren't doable" and yet you do them and finish. With XC is a cardio thing but with DH, it's a spirit thing

 Dude, hating on a north American bully frat mentality, then puffing out your chest and ranting and finishing up with nuff said. Seems kind of like the same attitude as what you initially denounce. Personally I really like watching them all. Men's and women's dh and xc. Also slopestyle comps, and fest series. I struggle with road racing and velo stuff, but I'll usually watch for a bit if it's on. Pedaling is cool, regardless of how.

 @BigTallYeti and @kingeriii , meant to give you some ups but my computer is glitching it registered as a down my bad!

 

 are you kidding?

 I presume it's referring to the tube being sewn onto the rubber by hand, the rubber section will presumably still be manufactured in the usual fashion, but I could be wrong!

 @markg1150, Here's a short video showing some Dugast tires being made. youtu.be/CgcXTYbUhs8?t=1m25s

 ITs like that scene from Ghost.....just needs Swazy behind him....

 Was looking for this comment... Had to scroll down half the comment section to find it, but props to you sir! You're absolutely right. Very, very impressive (technical) riding that was indeed, as also noted by the commentators who jokingly said Nino could just as well join the DH finals with these skills.

Recently came across one of Nino's training rides, which he recorded on Strava. He snagged every single KOM on the route. In a training ride.

 Like Lance and his kajillion Yellow jerseys... Riders that dominate and are a level above the rest are 90% juiced. The only thing that separates dominant riders and dopers is that they haven't been caught yet.

 Doping = Cycling. Since day 1. Some do it more than others. People like Armstrong and froome, which never had any results until out of the blue started winning and going up mountains like rockets. absalon, shurter etc.. come from progressive improvement. Look at their story. However doping is part of most pro athletes of any sports. Too much $ involved.

 hah

 It's all about preference. Nino is so much smaller than the competition, so to him 27.5 is more of a fit for him than the rest of the field.

 then why all the 29er's in the womens field?

 Purely speculating: he seems to be the most skilled guy on the circuit so he may overcome the rollover disadvantage with his body language, at the same time focusing on utilizing acceleration and manouverability advantage over 29ers. To me 29er still FEELS to be a better climber than 650B, especially in loose and wet conditions, but with use of tubular tyres this advantage may be reduced since they have more grip than ust or tube setup.

 @Bikethrasher those wheels do look particularly small compared to the frame... Nino isn't a big guy so was he running 26" and just hiding it by having 650b printed the tyres?

 The question is. Why are so many racers and riders in general riding bikes that are too big for them? Riders who choose wheel size over fit have been misled by the industry and media.

 Bikethrasher - Syntace made a graph for man/wheel size fit. Looks very reasonable... and zey don't seem to have ze good sense of humor... we're engineers - we like efficient comedy. A comedian walks on stage, falls over, everyone laughs, we can all go home and read data sheet

 You're absolutely right and... wrong: the wheels are 26... but 650C (though the tire says 650B), which are 571mm diameter bead; 27.5 (650B) is 584mm and "true" 26 are 559mm. If you zoom-in on the pic: www.pinkbike.com/photo/12693572, you can (barely) read the specs on the sticker, which are clearly visible on crc's ad for the wheels (zoom-in): www.chainreactioncycles.com/pt/pt/dt-swiss-xrc-950-tubular-mtb-rear-wheel-2015/rp-prod81789.

 Tubular just means 'with tube ' surely?

 It means it's literally a tube: www.tufo.com/accessories-2

 khaki, bloody hell there's another new standard then 26 1/2"

 For the last time: wheel size is completely different than bike fit. your frame and cockpit setup can be the exact same on ay wheel size. all that changes is the agility of the bike, not the fit.

 @WAKIdesigns DO you have a a link for that? I'm curious...

 Here's the thing. I don't have a single 26" tire that measures less than 26.5 mounted. Many of them actually measure over 27".
I'm just Sick and tired of every Bike company and every Bike Media outlet saying. The little wheel version is fun but, If you want to go Really fast you have to be on the niner. When it simply isn't true! This industry loves to cut off its nose to spite its face.

 I race XC on 29" wheels and enduro on 27.5". It's all about the type of riding you want and the feel of how the bike rides for the riding you will be doing. I would never think of dong 27.5" for XC and never even consider riding 29" for enduro. Once you get your wheel size down you can fit the cockpit accordingly. wheelsize has nothing to do with fit. Riding attitude, yes. Fit, no.

 I have to disagree with you @GH29orBust, look at Emily batty for example, yes she raced 29 for many years but always struggled to get a good fit due to the wheel size, she is now on 27.5 and loving it as her fit isn't compromised because of it

 @mark3: if you look here (page 5), they're all under 26'', even 584mm (650B/27.5'') www.skeppshult.se/media/42824/TechInfo2-GB.pdf

 You know Pauline won Worlds on 650B as well...

 Some interesting insight by Cervélo on 650C vs 700C (for triathlon, though it still can apply elsewhere): www.cervelo.com/en/engineering/ask-the-engineers/what-is-your-opinion-on-650c-vs-700c-for-smaller-cyclists-.html

And mtb industry insiders on the move to 650B (under 'WHAT’S DRIVING THE SUDDEN EXPLOSION IN 650B?'), which should also apply to the move to 700C (29''): www.bikerumor.com/2012/06/06/whats-driving-the-650b-explosion-interviews-tech-breakdown-more

 This is Nino's 4th world title.

 Trust me,they would if they needed to.

 Trust me nozes - as soon as main sponsors, that is RS or Fox makes an XC specific dropper (which boils down to making it lighter, around 400g range) , they will all be riding one. That is the force of marketing. Now for other forces, physics related to movement range of center of mass of a rider in relation to Bottom bracket are simple - more movement for the hips - the better, droppers simply work. It has nothing to do with daring to descend sht, it has to do with efficiency

 I know,man,I use it myself. And guess what,I also raced XC many years. When Brian Lopes showed up with his KS on World Cup Eliminator races,I thought it was a sign of change...well,it wasn't.

 It didn't happen because there is no dropper made and marketed as an XC-specific one. I blame close relation of XC racing with road racing ( as lots of training is done on a road bike and many enthusiasts race both) where bike technology hasn't changed much since 1980:s, one one hand due to UCI regulations and on another, there is not much to change, road bike is a very simple bike with absolutely dominating human factor, so conservatism is in-built in the roadie nature.

 Mathias Flückiger was racing with dropper post, check: www.pinkbike.com/news/xc-pits-world-champs-2015.html

 @angusprox no he wasn't. He had one on his bike but didn't actually race with it.

XC bikes don't need droppers. The steep angles, and long stems mean that they offer minimal advantage. I have tested one on an XC bike and it made no difference what so ever.

On a modern trail bike they make a stunning difference, modern trail geometry does not work with a high seat. With my seat-up 160mm trail bike is terrifying to ride and a lot less capable with then my XC bike.

 They clean the drive train parts they want people to look at. Sponsor.

 I think Scott has all the best riders...they snatched em up first

 As you can (barely) see on the pic above at full res/zoomed in, they're marked '5XXx26 (650X)' on the rim (X is too blurred to tell), and on crc they're marked '571x26 (650C), 1090g per set', so there you have it. I also wonder why they'd do both and only sell the 571, which is pretty much unknown to mtb.

 @Pigman65 I'm gonna chuck an up vote here cause I feel the same...I just don't get it. And this thread seems to have been hijacked by roadies in disguise

 can be very light wheelset with light tubular rims . no pinch flat. can control feel of tire with casing chosen in handmade process

 You can run ridiculously low tire pressures but still maintain a stable feel (doesn't burp off the rim or feel sloppy like when clincher tire pressure is low) in corners and on climbs, but also maintain a much better rolling resistance because the casings have really high thread counts so it maintains an incredibly smooth feeling. DH and aggressive trail tires are generally about 60tpi. XC, light trail, road, and cyclocross tires are generally about 120tpi. A standard tubular tire is up in the range of about 200-300tpi I think.

Imagine the difference between switching from tubes to tubeless...riding a tubular is supposed to be like taking that same difference in feel and applying it to the ride quality of a tubeless set up. CX riders are generally running no more than 35psi in a tubular set up, but are often much lower than that just because it's possible to have the same speed benefits without sacrificing any traction for it with a tubular.

 Thank you very much sirs @fullbug @Twallywilly

 love how some moros give minus to the comment.... nino schurter says it in an interview! f ideaos... 'nuff said.

 I've ridden tubular mountain bike tires and they roll much faster than clinchers with similar tread and at similar presures. They also grip better, even with minimal tread. As mentioned above, the rounded rims make the tires almost immune to pinch flats and they can be ridden flat at a pretty good pace without coming off the rims. All of those are exceptional advantages at a race.

 i think @MojoMaujer its because everything you say is wanky, 'nuff said, eh.

 @ccsnz the true May sound wanky to the ignorant masses. Now that RC chimed in, people get it. But most of you don't even know Who RC is FFS!

I ll tell you one more difference btw tubular and tubless... The tire is glued to the rim, they are just one thing.

 Agreed. Remember, it's the indian that is accurate, not the arrow that he fires.

 Or it demonstrates the BS that is the wheel size debate.

 arent 27.5 / 650 wheels supposed to roll faster? They are definitely faster in corners...

 No way. If you set up a 29er and a 27.5 exactly the same, a 29er will destroy 27.5 in rolling resistance every single time. Plus, in XC courses the rocks and obstacles are generally pretty small compared to enduro and DH so angle of attack is really important as well because it maintains rolling power and momentum a lot better and it smooths out the course a bit more (ie...less rider fatigue).

However, the reason why this works is because Nino can really take advantage of his superior descending skills with the increased nimble, light, and snappy feeling of a 27.5.

 Ok, so why is 29" not taking over the DH world?

I'm pretty sure that DH riders hit higher speeds than XC riders.

Corners on an XC course are much tighter and therefore you must roll slower on an XC course.

So what I understand you to say is that if you are going in a straight line with no obstacles, 29 is faster than 27.5

But are we drag racing or mountain biking?

Chevrolet tested a Corvette next to a Ferrari a few years back and touted that their 700 horse power engine was faster.

But they had a professional driver in the Vette and guy that was writing the review in the Ferrari, guess who won?

the guy in the Corvette, but he had to muscle that car around to do so. There are so many factors here.

My DH is a 26er, my Trail bike is a 27.5, I ride both bikes on the same tracks and enjoy the DH for its plush and forgiving ride but My 275 is faster in the flats and twisty stuff. Not to mention that at the end of the day I have more energy, but I guess weight has much to do with that.

In any case, I suppose most of it has to do with the pilot, and wheel size is just a small part of it.

 @Twallywilly: for xc your absolutely right, being under your own power is completely different from slamming into holes and rocks downhill at speed, a lot of suspension is what matters, just like a dh bike is a joke for xc

 ....read the article again, they are hand made TUBULARS.......

 I was thinking on tubular when I wrote sory, I just didnt found this mud tread on the website just that and I am curious

 lol, no.

 What? That's what I run. So what?

 Not on this type of course.

 36 t is not outa the question when you have nino power and smaller wheels than every one else.

 36x42 is easier to push than a 32x36 1x10 conversion and has a kick-ass top end. Stock SRAM 30x42 setups are unnecessary for fit amateurs much less top pros.

 I run a 38t. Bfd.

 I must be a wuss. I am happy with 32t, I am planning 34t when the current ring wears out.

 Hes running a 36 because his smaller wheels have less top end than the niners. XC is all about the hole shot. he could easily spin out a 34 in the opening sprint. a 32/10 on a 29er wheel will spin out at around 30 mph so very few people have trails that require more than 32t.