gregnash

@Pavel-Repak: Thanks for the info. I did all of that as that was the main stuff that everyone said were the main culprits. Followed the SRAM instructions for pressurizing the system with the lever syringe and all. Thing is that the brakes will work fine for a few rides, but after about 100 miles or so (which is normally about 2wks worth of riding depending). After that they start to fade fairly quickly, and it becomes especially noticeable on longer descents or sections where there is fast, quick stopping (like trying to roost through s-turns, or coming up on switchbacks quickly). Could be just me as I have never had great luck with SRAM/RS stuff. For me the stuff always seems to work for a while but then suddenly start having issues (like a bad luck used car). Had same thing with an old RS Revy dual air, worked great for a little over a year then suddenly wouldn't hold air in the negative chamber. Tried everything but eventually just got tossed in the bin. RS/SRAM definitely have ZERO customer service for this stuff and want you to go through your LBS but when they won't help your LBS that makes it hard to get things handled/warrantied.

@mikekazimer: Thanks for the comment back. Something to think about when furthering your writing career... "The devil is in the details." A bit more explanation as to the review process would have gone a long way for most readers. Someone else pointed out that in one part you said "With the Mezzer, I chose to pit it against a 160mm RockShox Lyrik RC2 after I'd put in plenty of ride time on my home trails to find my base settings." But the thing is, can you quantify "plenty" of ride time? I approach explanative, or detail oriented, writing as though the person reading it has no indication of what something vague like that means. If you were about to jump out of an airplane with someone and asked them how much training/practice they had and their response was "plenty" would you feel safe? While that is my own personal thing, and I feel that PB is very RS/FOX oriented in all their reviews, why would I take such a comment, however brief and buried in "a review" as more than "I threw it on the bike and did a few laps, probably less than 20 miles, on my home trails and thought... Meh, that's good enough." Qualitative vs. Quantitative? Again, months of ride time is still a vague statement. That could mean that it was simply "on your bike" for months of ride time, or it could mean that you put in at least 10 miles a day on your local trails, 3-5 times a week for X amount of months. Which is a more descriptive statement about a review of a bike... "I have put months of ride time on the new 2019 Get Revved Guerrilla Gravity The Smash, and can say that is one of the best bikes I have ridden to-date. Regardless of the front end being pointed uphill or downhill." or "I have put averaged 15 miles a ride, 3 to 5 times a week on the new 2019 Get Revved Guerrilla Gravity The Smash since April of this year, and can say that it is one of the best bikes I have ridden to-date. Regardless of the front end being pointed uphill or downhill." However, that is all subjective and personal preference. The writing style, information provided, etc., while referred to in the title as a "REVIEW" was more of a first impressions, nothing more. More detail of the riding done, other than some time on your local trails and an eluded to single park day, would have gone a long way to fill in some of the gaps in the information in my mind. But like I said to @Socket, But that is only my 2cents, and who am I other than a lowly internet responder. Also, I agree something is up with the Lyrik on my bike. However, contacts to RS, either personally or through my LBS, have gone mostly unanswered. Similar to my issues with my Code R brakes that I have received a basic "Yeah, those are ones we feel don't need warrantying" type response even though I have had to bleed them every 200 miles or less to ensure I have adequate stopping power, no brake fade and do not completely lose modulation (not the sticky piston/mc issue) lends to my furthered dislike for RS suspension and braking components. Still absolutely love their drivetrain stuff though.

@Socket: Right, advertising and someone that is more "invested" in the site, aka sponsors, are totally different. Or at least that is my way of looking at it. However, I do admit that I have never had good experiences with either RS or Fox and from the years that I have been part of the PB community, they have always been heavily RS/Fox focused and oriented. It is a rare occasion that you will see a bad or negative review on those two brands here on PB. Hence the comment about taking most reviews with a large grain of salt. But that is only my 2cents, and who am I other than a lowly internet responder.

LOL..... Love how one day at the bike park with a few runs "back to back" with the main market contenders (read: sponsors) is considered a "REVIEW" here. Seems more like a first impressions writing but who am I to say otherwise. I have a Lyrik RC2 (2018 model) and feel like it can't figure out whether it wants to be a pogo stick or a couch. Some days it will ride good, feel supple off the top but have a hard time with midstroke or deep travel, other days it will be the opposite. Then there are the days that it doesn't want to play at all and basically riding my full ridged would feel on par. Have changed out seals, done oil change in lower legs, bled the damper and threw a ShockWiz on it for a few weeks. Still the same. Guess since that is how this review of the Mezzer was written, this could be my official Lyrik RC2 review?! Guess that is why I take most PB reviews with a very large grain of salt.

The problem lies in who is responsible for paying for said investigations and research. What you are talking about can be tens of thousands of dollars and years of research. Many times the government agencies have such a limited budget that doing such things are very cost prohibitive. So then does the community pay for such a impact analysis? I am sure someone will say, What about grants? Well, if you have any experience with writing and submitting grants, they aren't free money, can be very restrictive in what they "apply to" and so forth. Finding the right grant is the first problem, getting approved is the next and then they can escalate from there. So then we are back to, well who pays for it. And that becomes a cyclical argument that many that have worked in government aren't really willing to go through. The quick and easy answer (not necessarily the RIGHT one) is to close the trails until someone bitches enough to get them opened. Or in this case, offload the issue to someone else (e.g. sell to another group, do a land transfer, etc.) and let them deal with it. First step is working with the local agencies that own the property and land and then move from there to get them DESIGNATED as trails. This will HELP is slowing the process of these land acquisition trades and what not. Not a perfect answer but it helps.

@xeren: Remember, just because that is the dial that is on there doesn't mean that it is not A) a comp version, or B) a modified version that has the HBO in it. Prototype without decals could really be anything.

Top notch is always a DREAM, but for many of us "average joes" that have mortgages, car payments, credit card bills, etc. to pay on a monthly basis, the biking budget tends to thin. Many people will give it the old "well if I want it/to do it bad enough I will just make it happen" but in reality that tends to be a narrower group of those who actually implement vs. those who say (walk the walk vs. talk the talk). Believe me, I am currently pinching pennies as we speak so I can have a new GG Smash with the build kit I WANT (which isn't even close to top of the line stuff, barely even middle ground) by May of 2019. Purpose is that this will be my 40th bday present and I want to have it prior to the Carson City Off-Road race that is local to me and I participate in. Honestly, if this were not my 40th, I would probably be riding my current bike until it breaks. The one that baffles me is the riders that purchase a new bike every other year (sometimes every year) but are what I would call part of the Bro/Brah group. With my situation, and my wife and I live comfortably with no kids, I can barely afford to put away those pennies at the end of the month so I can have my toy. How these guys do it on shop wages, going out and drinking (sometimes heavily) on almost a nightly basis, traveling all the time, etc. is beyond me. And the bikes they go for are still in the $5k+ range. My last bike came out to just over $2500 with me building it and scouring the internet for deals on a constant basis. So to answer the direct question.... Would I spend the money? HELL NO, I am strictly in the $4k-$5k range and will ride that GG Smash until it breaks or I come into money that I don't need for something else and decide that it is better invested in a new bike vs. something else.

@Doogster: Dude you and me both!!!! I have to say that GG's customer service has been stellar. Been going back and forth with one of their guys about my build and what not, he has been giving me honest opinions on what I want and really you can have them build up your "dream" bike with whatever components you want, sometimes it an extra charge and sometimes not. Just depends on what they "stock" regularly. For me the same is happening, shaking the piggybank, and I was looking for a quote as to what I would be looking at price-wise with an intent to purchase around the beginning of the calendar year. The rep (Bobby) gave me the lowdown on everything, custom Extra Medium will be a 10-12wk lead time vs. normal sizes 6-8wks, and then other custom bits they normally don't stock could possibly add extra time. He quoted me with everything that I wanted and then another with the stuff they stock with a few of the components I REALLY wanted as custom. Price blew me away. Seriously, this is why we need to support these smaller builders and local companies!!!!