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October, 2024

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Official mountain biking thread

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bakedpow
Posts: 8770 - Karma: 10,467
I know there are more brown pow lovers on this site, yah there is pinkbike but lets be honest, newshcoolers is wayyyy cooler. so lets posts our rides, questions about components, mechanic questions etc in this thread.

I just bought this beauty and i definitely sacrificed uphill capabiltiy in order to get a beefier dh/park bike. id been on a nomad for a while and it's a huge switch in riding styles for me. definitely getting used to the weight and having to keep speed a lot more.

specs for said beauty, 2011 rc2 dh totem, 2012 dhx rc4, highrollers front and back (gona go dhf front and highroller in the back), mtx 33 wheel set, slx brakes, diablous cranks, FSA 760mm Handlebar, Shimano SLX Shifter & Shimano Deore XT Derailleur.



Alright newschoolers, post your bikes. i wanna see some sexy steeds.
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Jun 9 2014 5:41PM
2045 153
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littleman34
Posts: 1355 - Karma: 4,146
Friday was so sunny and nice I went for a ride on some low elevation switchbacks just outside of town. Then Saturday went up to the resort for some leftover pow. Kinda like these warm winters that way
Feb 11 2024 3:14PM
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vermontana
Posts: 487 - Karma: 750
jimbobsForbidden’s black friday deal and lifetime warranty was just too good to pass up. Swapped on a 240mm dropper, 50mm rise bars, and a high rise stem for a better fit with my long legs. Still getting used to it, this is arguably the polar opposite bike to my Clash. Very long chainstays, so hops/jibs/manuals will need some recalibration, but damn it’s pretty nice to feel perfectly centered through corners. Found the limits of the 150ish travel once or twice on it so far, so I’ll be looking into a cascade link and possibly a marzocchi bomber coil shock if I can confirm fitment. Love it on my other rig so hopefully I’ll like it here. Thing gobbles rocks with ease so hopefully it’ll be a perfect match for Shoe laps.



Awesome dude - my Druid V2 should be here this week. Got a mini-enduro build planned inspired by Rhys Verners EWS bike. Starting with the GX Fox transmission from stock, swapping in a 160 38, TRP DHR brakes w/ 200 rotors, DD tires, Nobl Tr37s.
Feb 12 2024 11:02AM
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GayWolf420
Posts: 37372 - Karma: 119,836
Bike Patrol or Trail Crew this summer?
Feb 19 2024 9:39PM
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dognutz
Posts: 2292 - Karma: 29,811
GayWolf420Bike Patrol or Trail Crew this summer?

join the trail crew dirt baggage 🤙
Feb 19 2024 10:44PM
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partyandBS
Posts: 4481 - Karma: 68,935
GayWolf420Bike Patrol or Trail Crew this summer?


bike patrol typically is on wheels more. i imagine trail crew is more chill though.
Feb 20 2024 11:46AM
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dognutz
Posts: 2292 - Karma: 29,811
all i want is a poppy 140ish steel bicycle with a gearbox

fuck derailleurs
Feb 21 2024 12:39AM
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Newsheepers
Posts: 2160 - Karma: 4,129
dognutsall i want is a poppy 140ish steel bicycle with a gearbox

fuck derailleurs

Thats actually quite a lot to ask for
Feb 21 2024 10:15AM
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JmckR
Posts: 1279 - Karma: 5,871
GayWolf420Bike Patrol or Trail Crew this summer?


Which resort? In a quieter resort during the week all bike patrol does is get paid to go riding really.

I've done trail crew and it can be serious work with long hours, especially once it heats up
Feb 21 2024 10:51AM
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Dani-B
Posts: 235 - Karma: 2,039
My local is developing a master plan for building for the next 5-10 years. Do any of you build off a multi-year plan like that, or just wing it?
Feb 21 2024 12:57PM
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vermontana
Posts: 487 - Karma: 750
Dani-BMy local is developing a master plan for building for the next 5-10 years. Do any of you build off a multi-year plan like that, or just wing it?


Really depends on your land partners. If your club or a partnering landowner own lands outright, you can usually get stuff planned and completed much faster and don't necessarily need a longterm master plan. If partnering with the Forest Service, BLM or other public (county/city/state) land you really want some sort of well developed master plan that takes into account recreational usage trends, goals of the partner, and other development considerations. Often these have multiple phases that the partner can approve in sequential steps, and in our case we had a trail that was a "sacrificial lamb" in the sense that we doubted the FS would approve it (elk habitat), but we included it so that the other proposed trails looked better by comparison.

I recently stepped into the trails coordinator role for my local club in Leadvillle CO, and it's been really interesting being involved the planning process for the next phases of our trail expansion, working a lot with FS but also with mining claim owners (ton of these out here) who could potentially grant a trail easement while retaining mineral rights.
Feb 21 2024 1:21PM
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muffMan.
Posts: 2764 - Karma: 25,974
Was driving by a park and found out they were building new dirt jumps there, f’in stoked.
Feb 21 2024 5:11PM
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Dani-B
Posts: 235 - Karma: 2,039
Just as I was about to take down my fat bike ad until next winter to try again, someone local and in the community just bought it. Covered the ski upgrade!!

ON is in a service frenzy getting ready for drier conditions. Our clay takes more time. I decided earlier in the month to go to a highly recommended shop for suspension help. I have done fork basic services, but this time I wanted opinions on the travel I was getting out of the bike. I was barely getting 2/3s out of the fork on my biggest hits and using up the rear travel too easily despite having up to 170 psi in there (I'm only 145 max pounds with gear). Glad I went as the shop pointed out the stock spacer setup was transferring excess energy to the shock, because the fork wasn't doing enough for my riding style/weight. They helped my change up the spacer combinations based on this info along with the routine service to balance out the bike.

Lighter riders honestly get shafted with out-of-the-box suspension setups even with correct sag and pressure sets. And this bike is a Juliana, a women's-specific brand that openly advertises they tune the dampers for lighter riders from factory. If you're too new or ignorant to the options, you wont know the ride could be so much better. On my very first XC hardtail I swapped the coil out for a softer one for this same reason. I was being bucked backwards on the smallest things, which isn't great for confidence when you're new and trying to get into the sport. Look out for your lighter friends!!
Mar 11 2024 1:25PM
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GayWolf420
Posts: 37372 - Karma: 119,836
I need to figure out a way to get my bike sent to colorado from michigan without having to spend money on flights or gas on-top of a bike bag and stuff to tear it down with.
Mar 11 2024 9:48PM
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Dani-B
Posts: 235 - Karma: 2,039
Ride it there
Mar 12 2024 2:35PM
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ThaLorax
Posts: 21083 - Karma: 8,455
GayWolf420I need to figure out a way to get my bike sent to colorado from michigan without having to spend money on flights or gas on-top of a bike bag and stuff to tear it down with.


Bikeflights
Mar 13 2024 1:11AM
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vermontana
Posts: 487 - Karma: 750

Druid build in progress
Mar 14 2024 2:13PM
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Dani-B
Posts: 235 - Karma: 2,039
What's the Kamloops MTB scene like? What styles of riding do the existing trail systems cater to?
Apr 3 2024 2:29PM
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Deez_Mcskis
Posts: 382 - Karma: 3,790
GayWolf420I need to figure out a way to get my bike sent to colorado from michigan without having to spend money on flights or gas on-top of a bike bag and stuff to tear it down with.


Some airlines will let you take bikes for free. I'm flying to Canada this summer and air Canada said 50 bucks which isn't too bad.
Also, don't get a bike bag, just go to your local bike shop and grab a cardboard box, and package it up. Safer for your bike than a soft case, and ways less, which means the airlines can't charge you more.
Apr 4 2024 2:43PM
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Dlonetti
Posts: 1760 - Karma: 18,140
realize this isnt exactly mountain bike related, but had some bmx bike questions. Kinda want to get into bmx this summer and have just been looking at cheap bikes on marketplace. Dont really know what im looking at, can I just buy a cheap entry level one and it will do the job? anything to look out for? Any advice for beginner level learning stuff?
May 2 2024 10:53AM
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partyandBS
Posts: 4481 - Karma: 68,935
Dlonettirealize this isnt exactly mountain bike related, but had some bmx bike questions. Kinda want to get into bmx this summer and have just been looking at cheap bikes on marketplace. Dont really know what im looking at, can I just buy a cheap entry level one and it will do the job? anything to look out for? Any advice for beginner level learning stuff?


bmx and mtb have gone in 2 vastly different directions.

mtb is over engineering the shit out of everything so they can squeeze every last penny out of your soul. lots of advancements for sure but also just out of control and over complicated.

bmx is the simplest design around. its stayed relatively the same for decades with minor advancements and trends. so the real focus has been on efficiency on making bikes affordable.

i think a good bmx will have:
intergrated headset
sealed bottom bracket
freecoaster/cassette hub

you can get a high quality new complete for $600 easy these days. its way more affordable than skiing lol
May 2 2024 3:03PM
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muffMan.
Posts: 2764 - Karma: 25,974
partyandBSbmx and mtb have gone in 2 vastly different directions.

mtb is over engineering the shit out of everything so they can squeeze every last penny out of your soul. lots of advancements for sure but also just out of control and over complicated.

bmx is the simplest design around. its stayed relatively the same for decades with minor advancements and trends. so the real focus has been on efficiency on making bikes affordable.

i think a good bmx will have:
intergrated headset
sealed bottom bracket
freecoaster/cassette hub

you can get a high quality new complete for $600 easy these days. its way more affordable than skiing lol

They really are built insanely tanky.

to add, go for full chromoly I think it’s standard now but just in case, and at least a double wall rear wheel, preferably both if you can but rear especially cause you take a good amount of landings back wheel first.

Also if you’re grinding, make sure you get 14mm axles, learned that the hard way and bent a fork.

i got a old haro for 150, have only changed out tires, front wheel, and swapped a new bar/stem combo
May 5 2024 8:22PM
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jimbobs
Posts: 281 - Karma: 2,667
Snowshoe bike park opened 20 minutes ago and I'm already feeling hella FOMO. Been checking the livestream from work for hours now, conditions look immaculate. Just gotta make it to Saturday.
May 23 2024 10:28AM
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freestyler540
Posts: 13083 - Karma: 18,720
I went for a exploratory hike on a nearby mountain and stumbled across some hefty stunts. Anyone care to ride them? Ill film!




May 30 2024 4:46PM
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whatscore
Posts: 987 - Karma: 6,226
Just moved to a new area and I'm super stoked since the local bike park is opening this weekend! 5 minute ride from my house to the chairlift, ill finally be able to try new tricks and stuff
May 30 2024 5:23PM
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treebeard
Posts: 3661 - Karma: 1,939
freestyler540I went for a exploratory hike on a nearby mountain and stumbled across some hefty stunts. Anyone care to ride them? Ill film!






Bottom one looks awesome! Top one from the first picture, "eh that's not so bad". Looks at second picture, "lol fuck no"
May 31 2024 11:15AM
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partyandBS
Posts: 4481 - Karma: 68,935
headed to angel fire tonight! lets fuckin gooooo!
May 31 2024 2:24PM
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treebeard
Posts: 3661 - Karma: 1,939
partyandBSheaded to angel fire tonight! lets fuckin gooooo!


Get a Navaho taco for me, extra Christmas

God damn I miss New Mexico food
May 31 2024 5:21PM
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GayWolf420
Posts: 37372 - Karma: 119,836
Why do people hate on Specialized?
May 31 2024 7:57PM
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TOAST.
Posts: 7479 - Karma: 36,030
GayWolf420Why do people hate on Specialized?

The guys at my local bike shop will promote brands that they dont carry if they dont have something that will work for you ,but they always ask that you stay away from specialized if possible. Apparently the way it is ran is very shitty for bike shops.
May 31 2024 9:06PM
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skierman
Posts: 8332 - Karma: 7,738
GayWolf420Why do people hate on Specialized?


Because they started to cut their b-grade frames before tossing them in the dumpster so dumpster divers could no longer get free frames.
May 31 2024 9:42PM
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BallClapper
Posts: 2670 - Karma: 10,793
I'd be down, what state?
freestyler540I went for a exploratory hike on a nearby mountain and stumbled across some hefty stunts. Anyone care to ride them? Ill film!




May 31 2024 10:58PM
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switchlip2
Posts: 2139 - Karma: 24,986
freestyler540I went for an exploratory hike on a nearby mountain and stumbled across some hefty stunts. Anyone care to ride them? Ill film!






Oregon? Hood?????
Jun 1 2024 12:41AM
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freestyler540
Posts: 13083 - Karma: 18,720
switchlip2Oregon? Hood?????


Nelson, BC. There are 4-5 trails of about the same level
Jun 1 2024 7:27AM
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snowmosexual
Posts: 1933 - Karma: 10,020
Anyone have a recommended resource for explaining fork/shock setup? My bike isn't feeling the best after hibernation this past winter.
Jun 4 2024 11:49AM
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nCrow
Posts: 1203 - Karma: 7,842
Finally got a full suspension after not having a mtn bike for almost 4 years. Felt so good to get out on the first ride last week, but definitely gonna take awhile to get my confidence back going downhill again.
Jun 5 2024 1:38AM
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ski_salmon69
Posts: 1837 - Karma: 27,492
snowmosexualAnyone have a recommended resource for explaining fork/shock setup? My bike isn't feeling the best after hibernation this past winter.


Run 300 psi front and rear and you should be good 😎
Jun 5 2024 6:33PM
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jca
Posts: 4171 - Karma: 6,311
snowmosexualAnyone have a recommended resource for explaining fork/shock setup? My bike isn't feeling the best after hibernation this past winter.


Bike companies usually have published recommended settings for your weight so start there. If not, they should be able to help you out with an email.

If you want to go in depth with compression and rebound, there's tons of resources out there. The vorsprung youtube goes really deep into the nerdy side of things to help understand what's actually going on in there.
Jun 5 2024 11:26PM
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GayWolf420
Posts: 37372 - Karma: 119,836
TOAST.The guys at my local bike shop will promote brands that they dont carry if they dont have something that will work for you ,but they always ask that you stay away from specialized if possible. Apparently the way it is ran is very shitty for bike shops.

Fair. That's a point to consider. I'm lucky to have a shop in town that's cool at least.
Jun 6 2024 6:51PM
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snowmosexual
Posts: 1933 - Karma: 10,020
ski_salmon69Run 300 psi front and rear and you should be good 😎


Just went on a road ride with this setup and now I have to tell my parents im gay wtf dude
Jun 7 2024 2:10PM
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ski_salmon69
Posts: 1837 - Karma: 27,492
snowmosexualJust went on a road ride with this setup and now I have to tell my parents im gay wtf dude


Damn guess you gotta buy Jskis now
Jun 7 2024 7:08PM
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jimbobs
Posts: 281 - Karma: 2,667
Update: Bike absolutely fucks. Added a coil shock, and for legal reasons, I definitely did NOT add a cascade link. In 29er mode, this bike wants to go fucking fast and plow through god damn everything. In mullet mode it's absurdly playful, and makes me want to lap steep loamers all day just to scandy flick into every catch berm. Leaving it 29er for park season, as my local is mostly tech/race trails. Proportional chainstays are downright incredible. 464mm+ rear end is magic. I'm never going back to short chainstays. Being able to weight the piss out the bike through my feet in corners is an absolute game changer. Forbidden knocked this one out of the park. My Commencal Clash now feels like a bmx bike in comparison.

Took me a while to warm up to the riding characteristics, honestly. On slow, flat trails, it's borderline punishing to ride, but once it's up to bikepark speeds... completely different animal. Smashes everything and wants more. Way more bike than I am rider.

If they ever make an alloy frame version i'd probably change to that. At the speeds this bike feels best at, I kinda want the extra weight to keep the bike more composed. I'll take the climbing penalty. Plus the carbon is already getting scuffed up, which is annoying. Not getting rid of it, but my theoretical perfect bike would be an alloy version of this bike, or at least very similar.
jimbobsForbidden’s black friday deal and lifetime warranty was just too good to pass up. Swapped on a 240mm dropper, 50mm rise bars, and a high rise stem for a better fit with my long legs. Still getting used to it, this is arguably the polar opposite bike to my Clash. Very long chainstays, so hops/jibs/manuals will need some recalibration, but damn it’s pretty nice to feel perfectly centered through corners. Found the limits of the 150ish travel once or twice on it so far, so I’ll be looking into a cascade link and possibly a marzocchi bomber coil shock if I can confirm fitment. Love it on my other rig so hopefully I’ll like it here. Thing gobbles rocks with ease so hopefully it’ll be a perfect match for Shoe laps.

Jun 11 2024 1:05PM
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skierman
Posts: 8332 - Karma: 7,738
jimbobsUpdate: Bike absolutely fucks. Added a coil shock, and for legal reasons, I definitely did NOT add a cascade link. In 29er mode, this bike wants to go fucking fast and plow through god damn everything. In mullet mode it's absurdly playful, and makes me want to lap steep loamers all day just to scandy flick into every catch berm. Leaving it 29er for park season, as my local is mostly tech/race trails. Proportional chainstays are downright incredible. 464mm+ rear end is magic. I'm never going back to short chainstays. Being able to weight the piss out the bike through my feet in corners is an absolute game changer. Forbidden knocked this one out of the park. My Commencal Clash now feels like a bmx bike in comparison.

Took me a while to warm up to the riding characteristics, honestly. On slow, flat trails, it's borderline punishing to ride, but once it's up to bikepark speeds... completely different animal. Smashes everything and wants more. Way more bike than I am rider.

If they ever make an alloy frame version i'd probably change to that. At the speeds this bike feels best at, I kinda want the extra weight to keep the bike more composed. I'll take the climbing penalty. Plus the carbon is already getting scuffed up, which is annoying. Not getting rid of it, but my theoretical perfect bike would be an alloy version of this bike, or at least very similar.


scandy flick? LOL tell me you don't know shit about rally or MTBing without telling me.
Jun 11 2024 1:09PM
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vermontana
Posts: 487 - Karma: 750
Huge fan of my Druid, got me scheming about building a Dread for park days next year, I’m 25 mins from Copper and they’re putting a ton of work into their bike trails this summer. Should be worth getting a bike pass next season.
Jun 11 2024 1:37PM
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jimbobs
Posts: 281 - Karma: 2,667
Very nice, I'd say definitely do it (even though I am a bit biased). Shit, maybe even go Supernought if you want the 2 bike quiver. I can only imagine how ridiculous this platform is with 205mm of rear travel and a 200mm dual crown up front.
vermontanaHuge fan of my Druid, got me scheming about building a Dread for park days next year, I’m 25 mins from Copper and they’re putting a ton of work into their bike trails this summer. Should be worth getting a bike pass next season.
Jun 11 2024 1:49PM
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vermontana
Posts: 487 - Karma: 750
jimbobsVery nice, I'd say definitely do it (even though I am a bit biased). Shit, maybe even go Supernought if you want the 2 bike quiver. I can only imagine how ridiculous this platform is with 205mm of rear travel and a 200mm dual crown up front.


Supernought would be a monster truck. I'd probably go Dread with 180 fork just for the pedal-ability if I want to race enduros on it too. Cascade is supposedly working on a link for the Druid v2 too, hoping for a bump to 145ish. Although I hit some decent sized slopestyle jumps on it and was impressed with how well it hides bottom out.
Jun 11 2024 2:00PM
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partyandBS
Posts: 4481 - Karma: 68,935
vermontanaHuge fan of my Druid, got me scheming about building a Dread for park days next year, I’m 25 mins from Copper and they’re putting a ton of work into their bike trails this summer. Should be worth getting a bike pass next season.


i forgot the number but i think copper was having gravity logic put in like 15 trails over 5 years or something rad like that. but that means you probably arent too far from keystone or trestle so a bike park set up would probably be a good investment!
Jun 11 2024 2:03PM
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vermontana
Posts: 487 - Karma: 750
partyandBSi forgot the number but i think copper was having gravity logic put in like 15 trails over 5 years or something rad like that. but that means you probably arent too far from keystone or trestle so a bike park set up would probably be a good investment!


Yup! They're dumping a ton of money into it, my buddy works there and he's been updating me on the progress. I'm in Leadville so a bit far from Trestle, but I usually make it one day a year there, and not bad driving to Keystone and Snowmass as well.
Jun 11 2024 2:11PM
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ski_salmon69
Posts: 1837 - Karma: 27,492
BUYING A SHITTY DH BIKE LFGGG
Jun 11 2024 8:38PM
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BigPurpleSkiSuit
Posts: 9337 - Karma: 68,180
what's the best brand of chamois to get, my sit bones hurt from hard seat
Jun 19 2024 1:33AM
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jca
Posts: 4171 - Karma: 6,311
BigPurpleSkiSuitwhat's the best brand of chamois to get, my sit bones hurt from hard seat


Annoyingly, it depends on your body. I have fairly narrow sit bones so a lot of brands have padding that's too wide. You just have to experiment to see what feels best.

Don't overlook different seats too, I finally found a comfortable seat and only wear a chammy ~50% of the time now.
Jun 19 2024 9:07AM
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