showmethemountains

@huvudvind: wonder much longer, since Monster bought Bang

Audio seemed perfectly synced, detailed, and natural to me, other than the assumption that something recorded from a noisy drone couldn't sound that good. So I'd like to know why I should believe that people spent many, many hours building this audio from scratch with samples and dubbing it in so perfectly vs. believing that they had something more natural like multiple mics on the drone to help with noise cancellation possibly combined with a mic on the bike

@panthermodern: Whatever the exact reasons with the wall thickness or reinforcements needed or ??? to make steel work in the small diameters needed for handlebars, they tend to be heavier and less comfortable than modern aluminum bars. Surly does sell a DH-rated, 780mm steel flat bar called the Cheater Bar. At 400g, I think that is the lightest production steel bar I've seen with that rating. A comparable aluminum flat bar is under 300g, and I'm curious how the comfort compares Steel riser bars with a crossbar seem to usually be above 700g though. Surly sells one of these as well (the Sunrise), but its 788g and not even DH rated. A few years ago I was building a klunker-inspired bike and ended up with a steel moto was sold for Yamaha dirtbikes. However, it also weighs more than three times as much as an average aluminum riser bar (1033g!) and is uncomfortably stiff. A well-made DH-rated steel riser probably weighs somewhere closer to the Surly Sunrise though

@jesse-effing-edwards: Yep, there are certainly zealots about rigid SS or hardtails, and that is probably true of a niche corner of any hobby. I agree that a rigid bike is certainly not the ideal tool for a technical trail! Sorry if I projected that. When I ride my rigid bike, I'm purposefully accepting the big limitations that it brings in order to enjoy a different and big challenge. I have no expectation that most people should be or will be interested. I'm not trying to assert that it is "the way to go" or that its better in any way. I'm just trying to say that a rigid bike can be fun and can work for some people. (A marathon in heels is guaranteed to cause injury and definitely a bad idea. Riding a rigid bike on tech trails might cause injury but is more likely to just leave most people frustrated and not interested in trying again. Or maybe it'll catch on ;) )

@AndrewHornor: Oof, you're bringing back tough memories for me of trying to descend rocky trails on 90s bikes with 2.1" tires on 17mm rims, v brakes, 71deg HA, 130mm stem, narrow bars, and my body way back over the rear wheel with the seat in my gut because getting low wasn't enough with that steep front end. A modern bike even with a rigid fork is still so much more capable than the bikes that most people were riding 25-30 years ago

@R-M-R: Agreed, though rigid forks add an interesting twist as you can get away with steeper geometry when you don't have to account for the fork compressing into its travel and further increasing your head angle (or that compression shifting your weight forwards).

@jesse-effing-edwards: Why does there have to be a "best choice" for the task? There is a huge spectrum of mountain bike types because all of can be an enjoyable way of riding for the right rider. Max speed is fun but it isn't the only way to ride a trail. That's why I have a 160mm Knolly and a fixed-gear rigid bike. I ride the same trails with both bikes, just differently and with a very different focus and mindset