Tech Randoms: Nove Mesto XC World Cup 2021

 With power meter cranks so he can use the force.

 May the Schwartz be with him...

 @VlajiciStrapec: Engage.... ludicrous speed. And jam the radar.

 And he’s using a 34. Wonder if the orbea Oiz trail version will merge with the xc version for 2022.

 @mrkkbb: not likely as long as there are ppl who think 200 grams makes a difference while riding and completely ignoring the benefits of stronger chassis and slightly longer fork.

 Hi, I'm here to ruin all internet fun and tell you it's pronounced "Vodder" and therefore your comment, while visually appealing, holds no weight phonetically. Have a great day and don't forget to downvote me!

 @BespokeTrailMix: as you please, sir... -1 ;-)

 @BespokeTrailMix: I’m well aware, but the joke was right there on the tee!

 is Milan Vader of Slavic origin? Czech? Slovenian?

 @pastronef: he’s Dutch

 @mtallman2: yes I know. I was wondering if he got parents/grandparents from eastern Europe. the "Milan" surname doesnt sound very Dutch. thanks

 @pastronef: yeah, true... Milan is common name here in Czechistan, and is of Slavic origin

 At least they got the color right on the wheels! Doesn't look like a candy necklace, unlike the frame options we have seen so far.

 When I bought my Blur a few years ago the shop mentioned the reserve wheels. I couldn't justify an extra ~£1000 for a weight saving of ~100g

 @richlong28: It's a night and day difference if you compare to alloy. I'm not saying it makes that much of a difference though. Better when pedalling and stiffer while descending. They both have pros and cons.
At least we are moving away from the road and CX carbon layout. Quite a few carbon rims, reserve included, offer some compliance.
Not to mention warranty and crash replacement, like what Bontrager offers.

 @richlong28: carbon wheels are not about weight savings

 I have a set of 25s, they were my race wheel for last year. They're on the upper end of the scale for XC but totally bullet proof! I've been a big fan so far, but moved them to my everyday wheel this year with something lighter for races. Also interested in these 28s! Seems a better width for XC with most riders choosing 2.4 tires now.

 that bike also isn't in the lineup just yet. probably new stuff all around for the XC team.

 @muscogeemasher: agree. Common misconception. Have the 27s in 29er. Stiffness & lack of deflection is a noticeable difference over margin weight save. Went for them over high end Ali set due to EXCELLENT lifetime Warrenty. Riding buddy has since proved the blisteringly fast Warrenty turnaround. Time off ya bike, particularly when the sun is shining is a big fun cost.

Personal choice but the replacement cost of a high end Ali wheel or total cost of rebuild a busted one made pure financial sense vs one off (not cheap) price tag of the SC Reserves. IMO, there are other carbon wheel players now but at the time SC’s made best sense.

 @boozed: Come ride in Colorado, you'll be asking for 28/52 gearing.

 @boozed: It's a big world.

 @m-t-g: haha same, I love my 28-51 setup.

 I run a 40 tooth, I believe it's the 2nd biggest on my cassette.

 @boozed: I have a 34/50 setup on the enduro bikes. I am a reasonably strong and fit climber. I routinely run into stretches of climbs that take full power just to turn the cranks over. I mean, stuff you couldn't do for more than a few min., on the button, modulating between wheelie and breaking traction.

32 would be great for this situation, but I would rather have the 34 for the high speed downs. it's a trade off. also, "most" people have no use for the bigger chainring as they aren't charging down hill at 40mph in 10t, on the gas. lol. so why wouldn't they opt for the increased climbing ability?

 @boozed: don't understand the downvoting on you!
A few years ago, riders were using
34t - 42t/10t ~ lowest gears = 0.81

Today, 40t - 51t/10t // 52t/10t~ lowest gears equivalent to 32t - 42t/10t = 0.77 (51t) // 0.78 (52t)

Conclusion
Back then, bikes were already 29ers (meaning equal distance for each revolution).
I suppose today, people prefer to have a higher gear than in the past.

Imho - 51t/50t is a really big ring, and I suppose I'd like a smaller ring combined with a shorter RD!

 @m-t-g: This x1000. I used to laugh at the pie plate cassettes too till I started riding bigger stuff out in CO. When your legs are done, yet there is still 3000+ more feet to climb, I'll take the lowest gearing I can get.

 @86cucv: Troll alert: Reall honest question:

For those high altitude and high accumative climb (suppose over 2000m), wouldn't it be better off, with a 2x rather than 1x?

I still have a 3x bike, in an holiday house, where the terrain and ride justify. And yes, I do have 1x, and prefer on my usual trails. But on that particular area, the 3x is hard to beat... place it in 44t and you can go the distance o Gravel/Road. On really steep climbs, drop to the granny, and you'll climb everything. Yes you can get the same with 1x, but will limit in top speed, meaning 1x is good, but like everything has it's downsides

PS - usually my rides are 35km with 1.500m

 @TDMAN: a meter and a half.....you live in Florida???

 @TDMAN: in theory yes a 2x or 3x would be better for big days...but the added weight and decreased reliability means that outside of bikepacking I wouldn't ever want a FD setup now that wide range cadettes are here

 @TDMAN: You're not wrong about 2x, but I think most folks have decided fafing about with a front derailleur isn't worth it and will take the long cage derailleur and extra sprung weight weight over the alternative.

I know of at least one person who's experimented with going back to 2x (sort of):
nsmb.com/articles/going-14-speed

 @gibspaulding: I've kept my granny ring on my 1x10 and just switch by hand at the base of a long steep climb.

 @TDMAN: The “I need a lower gear” crowd is quite sensitive if you hint that “need” may not be completely accurate. They all have their personal reasons, and they’re all legitimate problems that lower gear ranges solve. But it’s kind of funny watching how defensive they get. “Well you’ve never ridden real mountains!” “I have bad knees!” “I have a family!” “One day you’ll be older too!” All this in response to bland, 95% true statements like “you don’t need a 52 if you have the legs.”

There’s a reason dinner plates exist, and I am genuinely glad they’re an option. But I personally don’t want a derailleur that can double as a plow (to say nothing of the weight, cost, chain line, sensitivity to contamination…) and get along just fine with a 32-34 combo. Yet the only options for a clutched midcage is XTR (with an XT model announced but available god knows when), scrounging discontinued 10/11 speed, or microshift/box.

Yet somehow you’re the exclusionary a*shole if you say that there should be good bikes specked without a ridiculously low gear.

 @TDMAN: Horses for courses but I'll never go back to a 2x or 3x. Let's not forget that the larger cog upfront is a great target for rocks and logs. With low BBs, I don't want much larger than a 32 upfront along with a bash guard. Yeah, you can tune a front derailleur to not drop chains when you shift, but with N/W chainring on my 1x, I haven't dropped a chain... Well I can't remember the last time.

If your setup works for you, awesome! Just not my cup of tea when the trail is stupid technical and steep both up and down.

For others saying a 36t is enough, sweet! I had that setup on my fat bike and yeah, it works but I'd much rather have the option for a bail out gear on long steep climbs rather than redlining my heart and then having to walk.

My riding needs in Indiana are completely different from what I want in Colorado.

 @m-t-g: 28/52 is wtf.. just push the bike uphill it will be faster and/or more economical

 @GZMS: Some crazy people like to ride up the steep hills rather than hike.

Those people are called mountain bikers.

 Glad you dig it!

 Galfer make really solid parts with a good price (at least here, in fromage land)

 Galfer makes pads for hope and such, bloody good stuff

 @galferusa:

I dig everything galfer makes except their brake lines. (Motorcycle)

Rear all the rubber boots and grommets rotted off

Front the hose began sliding in the plastic tube.

 @galferusa: Love my new rotors and pads!!!!

 What is going on here?

 @pioterski: We're stopping people from riding.... errrr... poor wording maybe. We're helping people slow down and stop while riding. There we go that's better.

 100% agree with you, might be biased though

 I bet they far outperform my current centerlines... added to want list. Sssssexy!

 Galfer rotors somehow use a harder steel than shimano discs. My shimanos got eaten by sintered pads, and the galfers barely show any abrasive wear, so for sinter pad users i'd definitely recommend them.

 @SickEdit: High carbon content 420 stainless steel, proprietary to us! Great material. Thanks for recommending them!!!

 @mattg95 I think the proprietary "Predictive Steering Torque Tube" hub was the death knell of the RS-1.
RS never licensed the hub and the RS-1 won't work without it.

 @Augustus-G: That and it didn't work as well as the SID.

 @packfill: and it was heavier, and twistier, and expensivier - complete waste of time that fork.

Torque Cap interfaces still exist across their lineup. it's a PITA unless your bike actually comes with a torque cap hub - not many actually do.

 @hungrymonkey: RS-1 needed a completely different hub. Not just one with a Torque Cap.

 @hungrymonkey: torque caps significantly increase the stiffness of the fork though.

 @Augustus-G: I think it was the heavy, flexy factor that did it. Also there were other hubs available (carbon ti and I believe extralite made them)

 ... and when you wanted to put the wheel back in you could be sure the legs would go off pointing in different directions. Wasn't a vintage SRAM product.

 it just didnt make sense against the cheaper lighter sid. i remember lots being discounted to around £600 less than a year after a launch price of over £1,400 i believe it was. I was skeptical about their torsional rigidity and tried one an it was more flexy than i would like. Totally usable but not as good as my fox 32's or reba forks.

 @Augustus-G: rock shox licensed the hub to Tune and American Classic. The biggest problem with the RS-1 was its stupid high price. It is more expensive than a cannondale lefty Ocho carbon

 @golefty: I stand corrected. Thanks for the update.
My source was a bit dated. 2014..... I guess they changed their mind.
BTW, What year did they do that?

 @Augustus-G: the AMC wide lightning with the PS hub was available in the 2016 model year. I still have the fork and wheel set on what is now my wife's bike. Tune came out with their hub also in 2015 for 2016 model year it used bigger bearings. RS1 was just too expensive for too much weight and too little torsional stiffness and I weigh 70kg. My wife is less than 60kg so she doesn't feel the flex. I'm back on a lefty.

 Agreed. That custom Ghost looks really good too.

 Paint is SO last year.

its all about The Tape now.

Tape is the essence of existence. A linear of way defining how we (as humanity) can stick one edge to the artistic sense of ones self awareness, or lack thereof.

 You don't paint - you tape.

 @hellanorcal: "A linear of way defining how we (as humanity) can STICK IT to the artistic sense of ones self awareness, or lack thereof"

 Same

 gotta dial those shots in right, scale and timer 100% required

 Its XC, they probably have scales somewhere..maybe they opted to have a Ti tamper instead of a leveler?

 There's some kind of flat object behind the espresso cups that could be a scale...you'd need to park the trailer in a flat spot though!

 If you've got a Rocket Fausto and Appartamento as your shop setup its safe to assume you've graduated beyond mundane amateur gadgets like scales, levelers ans stopwatches.

 @sikedallam: that’s like saying World Cup mechanics don’t use torque wrenches because they’ve tightened bolts so much. If anything it’s the opposite. I don’t see Weber Eg-1 and Decent espresso machine users skipping on shot timers, mirrors and levelers.

 @usedbikestuff: No its not

 yes the enve looks a bit bulbous compared to the syncros fraser, gemini propus or the bikeahead prototype

 Ive been running the Syncros for about 2 years now, bloody good combo unit IMO

 Agreed! that is definitely some quality bike pork.

 Yeah! That really messed up my OC(P)D. I love having everything sorted.

 totally stealth to a deer!

 @conoat: underrated comment, this!

 Even cooler imho.

 Most likely personal preference and comfort. Rebecca McConnell is fairly small (158cm), and thus likely has narrow shoulders. Nino isn't that tall either. Super wide ape bars are not comfortable for everyone (especially smaller riders). I myself do not like more than 700mm on my XC bike. Anything wider feels awkward and uncomfortable. Different strokes for different folks ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 A narrower bar helps one to get the most out of their lung capacity. Look at where road pros put their hands on the toughest climbs. They’re often on the tops, and close to the stem.

 Rebecca bars are also upside down @islandlife98:

 620 used to pretty standard like 10 years ago

 @gcrider: there isn't anything such as "upside down" in bars or stems.

 @Themissinglink83: There is, and her bar (and stem) is definitely upside down. Nothing says you can't mount bars/stems upside down though.

 Nino uses 680 mm afaik. One of the reasons for narrower bars in XC is overtaking ability imo. Being able to slip through small gaps in the "peloton" will be much easier with 680 than 760 mm bar.

 MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONDRAKER!

Moonraker?

Momdinker?

 @jaycubzz: the only thing that matters is the relationship between the saddle and bars and bottom bracket. Her bars are almost level with her saddle, which is pretty typical for female riders. There is no "upside down" on parts designed to accommodate a proper fit.

 I recently listened to a podcast where XC athletes discussed using narrow bars (I believe they were in the 680 - 720mm range). A big reason was for mass starts and the ability to pass on a race course. Wide bars can easily get tangled when you're riding really closely. Other than that personal comfort with bar width is the main factor.

 @hllclmbr:

Nonsense

 @hllclmbr: I doubt it. I ride both wide bars and narrow road bars 8-10 hours a week and don't notice any difference ever. Surely your rib cage stays in the same shape almost all of the time, and your lungs occupy the same space?

 There are pad springs in two different sections...right next to each other. I have seen Lego bins with more organization.

 Looks to be the same lever as the Santa Cruz/FSA team, but not a lever I recognize. Looks different than any 2x lever I’ve seen before.

 Tracking and pacing on the long sustained climbs.

 For tracking and reviewing race performance, for pacing during the race and for training. Even though the top riders seem to go by 'feel' during a race, being able to see your power at a glance and determining if you are within your limits is very useful. It's a fine line between performing at your peak and blowing up prematurely.

 @islandlife98: good info, thx

 A lot cheaper than the stealth bomber

 And Rebecca McConnell is running her bars upside down!!
For that extra few mm of drop

Syntace made low 5 and low10 (aka upside down) handle bars at one stage

 Dropper seatpost!

 I was wondering this, too.

 Because pinkbike users are idiots and dropper lever should be always on the left side under the bar!!!

 @Skarhead89: Oh, it's a dropper actuator. Then, I roll my eyes at the outrage. Doesn't sound like a bad idea to me, cleans up the cockpit a little, at least around the grips.

 @mab411: Scottsram used for the dropper because they have twinloc lockout for the suspension on the left side

 That's because Saeco doesn't exists anymore for years already. Long time ago, Phillips bought them, so now pretty much all coffee machines are sold under Phillips with some of them still carrying label Phillips by Saeco, but even that is getting smaller and smaller every new year.
Not to mention that Rocket is "slightly" different class machine then any Saeco you could ever get. maybe not so much in coffee quality, but definitely at bling factor, with it's 5-10 times of price of most expensive Saeco