Blofeld

Good way to get an incurable lung infection. Idiocy.

@NoahColorado: You're exactly right. This is the exact fork I had wished for but, up to now, did not exist. I do---not---want OR need what all the other dual crowns offer. I need / and want EXACTLY what this fork provides : Travel adjustability from 170 to 190, relatively light weight, and of course the plush feeling of an MRP fork. So my Ribbon will be replaced by this new fork and I will have exactly what I need and want for my Evil Wreckoning as well as for my soon to arrive Pole Machine. Very smart decision to make this fork!!! Thanks being smart!!!

What the hell was RaceFace thinking with that ugly ass jacket. That's got to be 'thee' ugliest most repugnant looking jacket I have ever seen. My god who makes these types of design decision....?...?..? I wouldn't even wear that thing if they gave me one for free for christ's sake.

I had to get rid of my ENVE mountain stem because of the NOISE it made. I just could not get it to stop creaking. Mounted a Chromag aluminum stem and problem solved. Waste of my money. There's nothing I hate more than 'noise' coming from my bike. Now my Evil is super quiet front and rear. Be warned.

I've been riding mine now for some time and I, too, have not noticed ANY hesitation in down or upshifting on the big cogs. This is 'thee' best investment I have made in some time. The range I now have access to is perfect. The design, installation, look, and weight of this piece of gear is spot on. I run mine with SRAM X01 and it is absolutely great.

Also, regarding 'built' price : If you're smart, you can build an $8 thousand dollar bike for LESS than half that cost. I built ALL of my bikes in the dead of winter...where you can, if you try, hunt down 'thee' best top shelf components for less than half of what they cost 'in season'. If I were build my current Chilly right now during peak season, it would have cost me close to 8 grand, but instead it cost me just under 4. And the same can be true for an Endorphin build as well.

@RichPune: Baloney. Never once had a single issue with anything 'backing out' on my Knolly's...not the old Delerium T, nor my current trail built Chilly...and I ride the Chilly on average 30 hours a week. Sure I check the pivots for tightness just to be on the safe side, but I've never, and I mean not a single time have I ever had anything 'back out' or 'come loose'. As for myself, I did the exact opposite of You : I was on a Carbon Santa Cruz for a while which I got as payment for work I'd done for a customer, and I gave it to my brother. Seems to me that a Knolly is made for a certain type of rider, which, to me, seems to equate to someone who makes utmost use of incredible rear traction at any--angle, and, which is super stiff and very very comfortable to ride hours on end. Add to this the fact that the Knolly allows you to get away with all kinds of stupid mistakes or 'experiments' as you try to push your current degree of talent to the next level... Riding my Knollys has contributed to making me a better and more capable rider with the passage of each month. I can try stuff on my Knolly that I would--not dare attempt on any of my other bikes... Once in a while I try another bike, only to go back to my Knolly's.

I've put two hard rides on my new Meridian as of today. Both rides were in the pouring rain. Temp was in the low fourties. Underneath the jacket I was wearing a single layer Merino-wool hooded jersey, also made my Maridian called the 'Faroe'. This is the first jacket for MTB that I am entirely happy with. It wicks away all traces of body sweat before it gets to the point that you feel it on your skin. Sure it was costly, but what none of you fools seem to realize [or acknowledge] before you jump on the ridicule bandwagon is that some stuff is in a whole different class compared to everything else. This jacket is s work of art, and as an Artiste myself, I recognize this fact. Every aspect of the jacket is incredibly well-done, well designed, and UNLIKE my $250 Endura jacket...is incredibly well-made. There are gussets in key areas for strength, and the taped-seam work is flawless and well executed. So yes, I won't be using my $250 Endura jacket anymore now that I've got this Meridian, and I very much doubt that the Meridian will fall apart, literally, at the seams like my Endura jacket did at the 8 month mark. In fact, they gaurantee it for life against defects in craftsmanship. It is a whole new level of stupid to put down a work of art that you are too broke or cheap to purchase for yourself. What good is having a great bike and access to great riding if your cheap gear ruins your comfort level. This jacket is something of a game-changer in terms of comfort.. Anyone who makes a statement such as using garbage bags in comparison to a jacket like this is either an idiot plain and simple, or is too lazy to work hard enough to purchase one and see just why a jacket is being made like this one. Even the side pockets are perfectly thought out, and no, the zippers are not going to be 'toast' like some moron above so stated. These zipper are gauranteed not to fail, and are already proven to last. It comes down to how much you ride, and if you ride as much as some people do--like myself--then you'd actually be willing to pay almost ANY amount for gear that actually makes the riding experience a pleasure in all respects instead of a curse. And no : goretex doesn't hold a candle to this material. Thanks Meridian for daring to create high functioning Artwork. No one does this anymore. Most stuff is utter garbage after very little use.

I just ordered a Meridian in gray. I'm by no means rich but living in WA I'm sick of not having a jacket that works the way I want it to, in fact NEED it to. I'm riding in the rain nearly 90% of my rides...and a jacket like this just might be a game changer for me. Also, I spoke personally with a guy on the phone and the jacket has a life time warranty against defects. He also said that should I ever damage the jacket from a major crash they can repair it. I'm not a rich dude by any means but there IS a need for super-high end stuff like this for people who actually NEED a jacket that functions like the Meridian.

It's looking like 'I' might be one of the rare few people who appreciate this jacket enough to do what it takes to buy one. I'll be buying one this week. I moved to the Pacific N.W. last year [Bellingham area of WA]..and NONE of my jackets can 'do' what I need them to do here. I'd say, 90% of my riding takes place in wet, cold, clammy weather. And a jacket like this that is at once tough, waterproof, and exceedingly breathable is exactly what I am after. Sure it's a lot of dosh, but so is the beer I like, the food I eat, and the other gear I own. If you buy the best you buy once. Like my Danner boots : handmade, paid $400 for them, but they are going on 12 years old now, and just as good as they were when new. As for myself, I'm thankful that someone out there dares to make jackets for mountain bikers that are both cutting edge in terms of fabric as well as function. It's still cheaper than an Acterix shell...which is what I was leaning toward until I found Acre online...