The Pinkbike Podcast: Episode 82 - Behind the Scenes at Field Test

 Hey @mikelevy
If you're looking for topics I'd like to see a discussion on places to save a few dollars. I'm a frugal guy and am always looking for alternative products that can be used instead of the (usually pricey) stuff you find in your local bike shop. I tend to shop for automotive cleaners, greases and oils - way cheaper. I also have purchased a lot of tools and misc products through aliexpress (rotors, master link pliers, hydraulic hose fittings, dropper levers, seatpost collars, stems etc) for a fraction of what the equivalent product would cost at the LBS. I've also had a couple spectacular failures with this approach (snapped a flimsy carbon bar and a crankset that didn't hold up) so it would be good to get some opinions on where the savings are worth it. Another place I've saved a few $$ is by buying bearing directly from a bearing manufacturer vs. a frame bearing kit.

You guys have been in the industry forever - what the best money saving 'hacks' you have heard of or used?

 PB content is getting smarter all the time. Some of the stuff the bike testers are saying in the reviews and in the comments speaks to a lot of thoughtfulness and integrity. This in the face of every marketing assistant in the industry trying to transmogrify every petty distinction between products into a meaningful ride-changing difference, and the whole peanut gallery that demands that everything and every one be rigidly ranked into some kind of pecking order. At some point, the smarter you get the smaller the claims one tends to make, the less one acts like they know it all or have seen it all. I'm curious to see how this trend goes for you, PB. We'll be ok as long as we can still get all our information from a mechanical engineer in the comments

 Just chiming in as someone who has had to do a lot of futzing with internal brake routing. My experience with internal brake routing has me in full disagree mode with Henry. In the last year I broke my chain stay and downtube on my trek slash (don’t buy a trek, the won’t warranty it even if it self destructs through the knock block system.) I had to cut the brake line and reroute my brakes when I got my borrowed chainstay while I waited for the warranty and then again when the warranty came in. I then needed to do the same when I had to send my bike to carbon repair and build it back up. Now that I am on a spire I am super happy changing brakes is easy. Maybe just don’t buy a trek so you can avoid the issue all together, but having to reroute brake cables often is a pain in the ass.

 Enjoyed RC on the last one - can always use more RC in my life.

 Something that I haven't seen come up other than in the comments with respect to the price of the We Are One is that the "cheapest" one spec for spec is actually quite competitive with other bikes with similar specs. This suggests to me that once WAO gets better access to a wider array of parts they could do a fox performance/slx build that would come in at a much more reasonable price.

 Simpsons references are really on the rise in the podcast. Everything's coming up Levy!

 Pinkbike ! @mikelevy @henryquinney @mattbeer
Can you include in future field tests a previous winner from a few years ago where the bikes where different enough, you know, old geo, 26” (maybe even external cable routing) etc to really give us an appreciation for how good bikes are now, would be fun to see how they compare in times and what the test riders have to say ?

 Would really like to see the DH bike comparison for future enduro field tests. I am thinking on some of the trails the Enduro's are winning over a full on DH rig.

 I'll start by saying you guys are massively entertaining so thanks for that. You guys are front-and-center for people's bike buying decisions possibly more than you realize. Dealers and brands often have to deal with customers thinking they need some gargantuan reach number for "speed" and "stability." You guys and gals also collectively remain one of the last publications standing that clamors for ever-larger bikes (reaches). Many other publications have dialled it back and also had articles about how your bike is probably too big, I am still reading and hearing how the YT was 'conservative' and should be rad and fit some imaginary version of their PR image. Possibly, they simply want to continue making bikes that ride well.

Here in the northeast, and all over the EWS series, Enduro-pro-bros (guys actually out racing pro, not praying for a Strava top-20 on the weekend) are downsizing and simply riding the bikes that fit and give them the confidence they need to ride fast.

Then there is the fact that nobody seems to talk about: why Enduro bikes have a longer reach than DH bikes? DH bikes are the more-capable big-brother to enduro yet those reach numbers are often smaller within the same manufacturer's range. Let's talk about this. And I understand that slacker = front wheel out further.

I have been riding, racing, wrenching and involved in the industry for over 25 years now. I am 5'8" on a good morning and also drank the long-reach Kool-aid riding large bikes for a few years and have since dialed my reach numbers back on my enduro bike to hopefully make it a little more nimble in those oh-shit-I-need-to-change-direction-now moments.

I am also 190-195 pounds geared up to ride and I am built similar to a brick. One thing I have considered, also being in the winter sports industry, is how weight could play into bike fitment similar to how it does with ski and board sizing. Obviously, floatation and flex is not a consideration for mountain bikes but it does make me wonder how it could affect sizing choice with such a large ballast of weight transferring fore and aft. A large weight vs/ a smaller weight shifting in a small pocket could make a small bike nervous for a heavy rider but maybe not for a lighter one.

Food for thought. Thanks for the entertainment and a great assembly of personalities.

 Regarding external brake routing - I absolutely agree with Henry. In this day and age bikes should have internal routing - those who need to change brakes alot are surely a minority ! I am really impressed with Transition bikes - but this is a deal breaker for me.

 www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-gear/bikes-and-biking/mountain-bike-frame-size-fit

Your corporate overlords say that mountain bikes are too long and too slack and everyone is on the wrong size. Thoughts?
@mikelevy @mikekazimer

 Question for next podcast: It might be a bit taboo to talk about the new Outside+ membership right now but what benefit is there for any customer outside the US? No subscriptions or print issue. I always subscribed to BIKE in order to to have something tangible to hold on to, I see a hole in the market that Outside could fill and help sweeten the change for us northerners.

 Never been so happy to have passed on a sweet price on a pair of e13 carbon cranks...that I was going to buy from @mattbeer on the buysell. I thought to myself "this guy is a pro...he's either beat them to hell or he's broken carbon cranks". Amazing to hear many years later that is exactly what happened.

 What is your problem with bar-stem units? They are only fitted to the 10000+$ bikes. Nobody who buys these bikes cares if they have to replace them with something else in case the fit is not perfect. Such expensive bikes need to cool like they are from the future.

 Can you review the Evil Following? I own one, I really like it, but I need some Outside validation of how good of a bike it is.

 Maybe next year, you could have Matt and Henry both do the timed DH runs, it would be interesting to see if the order of fastest to slowest is the same or reversed.

 Prediction: Pinkbike changes name to “PinkEBike”

 Great to have @henryquinney on the podcast. He shakes things up and clearly does not have the same corporate mtb industry/sea2sky dork feeding tube that Brian park, Mike Levy and Mike kazimer have.

 What! A field test without Kaz? What has happened to Pinkbike?? Then you have him on the podcast??? He's been talking about all these E-bikes he's been riding, and no one shells out the goods on longer travel bikes like Kazimer does. Then hes not even in the tests. Truly disappointing. Henry and Matt need to take a seat and let the OG's run the show. Keep it up Mike & Mike.

 Hey Pinkbike: what where some bikes that you would really like to have had in the field tests but covid availability may have excluded ?

 Can anyone explain a 3 inch grip on a 4 inch turd? Sounds like something from Viz' Profanisaurus.

 @mikelevy @mattbeer @henryquinney what were the reasons behind the control tyre selection? What did you think of the selection?

 I completely agree with Henry on the Transition rear brake cable. I hated the look of it when I rode it. Zip ties on a premium carbon bike frame put me off buying the Sentinel. Bike only looks good from one side

 Do you think @mattbeer 's parents considered an alternative first name of coaster?

 I have a new marketing slogan inspired by the field test timed lap…. Longer, slacker, slower!!

 How about adding heartrate and power meter data in the for of a HUD display on the screen, YEAH I just listened to this!

 Who’s going to be the first to ask, how innovations/marginal gains/incremental changes lowers the cost to consumers?

 Question: What is the worse thing about being a mountain biker.

 How’d the bikes compare to the Specialized? I don’t think I’ve heard in the testing.

Hump

 Concerning ebikes, can Henry say the words "but" and "hole" really fast and then the word "Bottle"?

 I would’ve loved to seen the intense tracer 279 in this test

 We need more Henry Quinney in future podcasts, he's hilarious!

 First, for Mike Levy: imgflip.com/i/5nk4uv
Second: Please do bring back VOD.

 I want @henryquinney on Twitch playing Age of Empires.

 Wait, what day is it? "Sep 24rd, 2021" :-D

 Mike "Pink Man" Levy

 i hate pinkbike