PlinyTheElder

I couldn't agree with you more. Let's be honest, with the speeds that we are traveling on these enduro bikes a crash into a tree/rock could easily cause serious injury or death. I had a very serious concussion and facial lacerations from a STUPID crash on a trail that I've ridden thousands of times about 10 years ago. Lucky that I walked away with only a serious concussion and stitches. Since then I only wear light full face helmets and wouldn't consider not wearing a light full face. We aren't descending at the speeds that were common in the 80's and 90's on hard tails. 160mm travel bikes will get you to DH bike speed very quickly and the risk that comes with higher speeds are real. I come from the MX world so wearing a full face on the MTB never really bothered me, the extra safety vastly outweigh whatever mild discomfort/heat that the full face added. Stop being a baby about the discomfort of a full face, your significant other will thank you when you inevitably take that hard spill and walk away with bruises and stitches on your knees instead of facial reconstruction.

Very true. I'm surprised that they are getting away with selling like 4 trail bike models that basically do the same thing. 5010, Bronson, Megatower, Nomad. It's redundant to me, but I guess people are buying them.

So Santa Cruz makes the Nomad, Bronson, Hightower, 5010, and the Tallboy. I have a strong suspicion that one or two of these products will be getting discontinued. Santa Cruz is basically rolling out 5 models of trail or "enduro" bikes that are similar to one another. I don't work in the industry, but it seems like their product line is a little redundant in the trail bike segment.

The bike industry is not much different than any other consumer industry. Bike companies will do whatever possible to stay competitive and sell bikes. Even if that means make a component that the average rider will not see any benefit to. If it helps sell bikes, they will try it. This is no different than the any other business or industry. The consumer is not forced to buy the latest components or bikes. People have FOMO complex, so they *think* they need the next best thing, which keeps the industry innovating to stay competitive.

Two years ago I had a serious MTB accident on a moderately challenging single track. I pushed my limits beyond reason that day and had to pay the consequences with a concussion and scars on my face that I'll have for the rest of my life. I consider myself lucky that I didn't lose teeth or fracture my skull or face. However, after that crash I ALWAYS wear my Bell Super 2R full face helmet. Even on mellow rides on single track that I've been riding for years. It gives me the peace of mind knowing that if I ever mess up and crash like that again, I'll have a better chance of avoiding a concussion or needing facial reconstruction. I'm convinced that if you are a rider that is pushing yourself riding "enduro" you should be wearing a full face helmet. The speeds that we are obtaining with modern enduro bikes and the structure of our riding is basically the same as downhill riding 10 years ago.

This is an awesome article. I love reading about the design and engineering aspects of mountain biking. Keep it up PB.

Two wheeled guilty pleasure is definitely my Moto. Expensive and polluting, but damn it's fun.

Jack Olsens garage is probably one of the coolest things I've seen in awhile. Thanks for sharing!

With all of the engineering and manufacturing prowess that the industry has, Keene has a tube attached to the frame of his bike with what looks to be electrical tape. This should tell the industry either that A) Our tires need to be more reliable or B)There should be a storage area on the bike for an extra tube. Personally, I think option A is where the industry should be headed.

Super jealous of all the Euro's that take 5 weeks vacation a year. Having that much PTO is a fantasy to 95% of Americans. Congrats on an awesome trip!