Pocair

@SickEdit: for me, by far the best overall combo for the Alps has been DHF rear and shorty front. Maxx grip, DD or DH. Insert rear. Since the sidewall quality problems arose with Maxxis, I have started to look for an equal alternative and have found in in the Vittoria Mota/Mazza combo, Race version with double ply casing. So far, nothing but joy. I prefer to ride mazza inverted in the rear.

@fluider: And Ayrton Senna before him.

@heinous: I broke (cracked) a firebird's frame and two Reynolds wheels, but I am aware why and how, not design's fault. Haven't come across a snapped chainstay yet, so I am very curious how you did it. Some more relevant info would be appreciated. Cheers.

@in2falling: I concur, and have had the same setup, but was disappointed with pin performance and the need for constant servicing. The pins were destroyed and became unreplaceable after less than 2 seasons. Now I am super happy with the OneUp alu. Better grip, less maintenance and I can always replace pins, after I shave them off on rocks.

@FuzzyL: I second that. Seems that there is a tendency to get too nerdy over numbers, for the sake of following some narrow trend, but it is the feel that dictates what actually works best in the widest spectrum of trails. I was quite glad to see that the numbers above almost completely reflect my own preferences. My bike is in high position, I prefer shorter over long chainstays (up to 435) and I certainly don't like flopping superslack headset angles. Looks like slacker geo is set more to work on flowy, wide, open, fast and non technical trails that are getting popular with regular folks. But if you prefer dealing with the proper alpine gnar, and possess some skill, then a bit more conservative numbers just work better.

Word. Plus, they get worn out super fast. On my previous bike I was burning through one set of Shimano rotors per season, until I have swapped them with Magura rotors. When purchasing new bike, there was no room for Shimano brakes left, I went back to Code, zero issues, happy days. Pads - Silver Swisstop, Disc E. Wonderful stuff for tricky business, long lasting, perfect modulation.

They are not.

I used to replace worn out Ice Tecs once a year. Unbelievable shitty durability for a not very special performance. Not to mention the price tags. Now I am happily using Magura's centerlock with zero issues, same preformance, looooonger lasting, half the price. Cannot fathom, why would anyone ever want to pay 100 bucks for a rotor? Because of shark fins? I'd rather watch the Jaws.

@jardo: well. I have been using the DHF 2.5 dh casing maxx terra (currently even maxxgrip) for years, and I dont swap it for any other rear tire. Had tried a few alternatives, but always went back for the DHF. Up front, the Shorty DD, maxx grip. Same story. No substitute found so far. Recently I put up the new Shorty 2.0 and it works great. It's a keeper. Once you find out what works best for your riding style, the terrain and bike, you just need to stick to it, develop the best possible feel and keep smiling.

Same here. I am completely unmoved by the update... Only DD or DH works for me. The last EXO+ I purchased because nothing else was available, got punctured on every serious ride. Basically, It got scrapped after a week of use. The last and most awesome puncture was a double penetration by a piece of wood - in through the sidewall and out on the top of the thread.