D_C_ profile

An update: I took my 701s back to the shop where I got them this morning to see if they had any ideas or suggestions. It looks to be a sizing-related issue. On the bigger sizes, the cleats go all the way back, but they don’t on my 42s and on some 43s that were there.

I’m curious to know if it’s a similar situation with the 702s.

Awesome! Thanks, Matt. Please do report back if you figure something out :)

Yeah, I tried “persuading” them but they wouldn’t go. The cleat nut plate hits a hard stop inside the shoe before the cleats can go to the back of the track. Seeing what those cleat nut plates look like, they’re asymmetric and I’d be able to move the cleat position farther back by flipping the plates around, but they’re sealed in there on the winter shoes and can’t be flipped.

Looks like they made changes to the cleat nut track. On my MW-701s, I’m unable to slam the cleats all the way back in the track.

Specialized Recon 3.0 is worth a look. Happy with mine.

@A.Ron Burgundy - 60 tpi EXO versions of the ~2.4 variants of XC tires would be on my wish list. The Forekaster/Rekon combo on my Spur has a pretty high limit before things fall apart, and I’ve been tempted to try an even faster/sketchier tire setup (something crazy like dual 2.4 Aspens). But a 120 tpi EXO 2.35 Ikon I used in the past had multiple holes after not very many rides, so I’m hesitant to run that casing again.

Nice review, @cooper. I agree that this tire strikes the right balance as a front tire for fun short travel bikes. Also, I always assumed that rolling speed was mostly governed by rear tire choice, but going from DHRII/Rekon to Forekaster/Rekon has livened up my bike far more than expected. And, while the Forekaster requires paying attention a little more than the DHRII, it can be pushed hard.

Looks like the Dual Compound version in the photos.

Severed is the hardtail of Shore trails - on a good day, it flows; on a bad day, you’re coming to a stop, maybe upside down, in the bushes. Combining the hardtail of trails with the hardtail of bikes has the potential for a bad time.

You nailed the description of where hardtails fall apart. That said, Ned’s and Severed are a blast on a hardtail if you get going fast enough to skip over the chop. At that medium speed, the back wheel hangs on everything and it’s not a rewarding experience. Plus you get a few mils of plastic travel when you dent your rim.

Probably my least favourite hardtail experience is a blown-out mid-August John Deer, where you just can’t track through corners as the back wheel skips around.

I’ve often thought that a full-suspension hardtail would be ideal - something with direct trail feedback but just a bit of rear travel to help the bike track better, basically the steel frame compliance we’re all looking for, which can’t actually be achieved by frame flex alone. This bike could be it.

Posted by: heathen

Posted by: D_C_

Is the Element your only bike, or do you have something more descending-focussed as well? If it’s your only bike, I can see considering some of the tires discussed in this thread (which I would argue are more what you’d run on an enduro bike), but I think you could push it more to the XC side of things to match that bike.

On my Spur, I ran a Forekaster V2 MaxxTerra 2.4 / Rekon MaxxTerra 2.4, which was quite versatile but rolled well. I now swapped the rear to an Ardent Race 2.35 MaxxSpeed, which rolls even faster but has been fine so far in wetter conditions on the Shore. I think the Ardent Race is about as sketchy as I’d want to go for the winter, and the Rekon is a safer choice for grip while still being good to pedal.

I have an "Enduro" fun bike for the gnarly stuff. The Element is for "BCXC" "Down Country" stuff.

The Element is my fun exercise bike. I like to ride around 15km solo without stopping, at not quite race pace. You can see by the elevation gain over the distance that it is not very steep terrain. It is however very rooty and mid level tech. If you have ever ridden Rotten Rooter in the wet you know what I mean. If the trail has a TTF be it a steep chute, rock face or up to 5' drop I sent it on the Element. In the summer I run a Recon 2.4 in the back and love it. But I still run a 2.5 DHF MaxxTerra EXO up front as I find XC tires up front just can't hold the line around here. I have tried 2.3 tires in MaxxSpeed and I just found they sketchy AF around here. No fun at all. Not worth the weight savings.

I just ordered a pair of Tacky Chan in 2.4 Super Trail Ultra Sticky. They are supposed to roll fast but corner awesome. I am stoked to see how they work out. They are not cheap, so I hope they live up to the hype.

Fair enough. I just reason that, at a certain point, after adding grippy tires, over-forking, etc., these bikes start becoming just a less capable version of our bigger bikes. My approach has been to try to keep my BCXC bike a distinct riding experience. But it’s all about what’s fun.

Is the Element your only bike, or do you have something more descending-focussed as well? If it’s your only bike, I can see considering some of the tires discussed in this thread (which I would argue are more what you’d run on an enduro bike), but I think you could push it more to the XC side of things to match that bike.

On my Spur, I ran a Forekaster V2 MaxxTerra 2.4 / Rekon MaxxTerra 2.4, which was quite versatile but rolled well. I now swapped the rear to an Ardent Race 2.35 MaxxSpeed, which rolls even faster but has been fine so far in wetter conditions on the Shore. I think the Ardent Race is about as sketchy as I’d want to go for the winter, and the Rekon is a safer choice for grip while still being good to pedal.

Pretty much anything can creak. General methodology is to try to isolate where it’s coming from while ruling things out. For example, bike creaks under pedalling - does it creak when I hold the frame and twist the back wheel? Does it creak if I hold the back brake and stomp on the pedal? Does it still creak if I do the same by loading the crank arm directly rather than the pedal? Then does it do it if I remove the rear wheel and squeeze the dropouts together? Does it come from the hub if I torque the cassette with a chain whip with the wheel removed? Etc. You just have to be a detective.

If all else fails, start cleaning and greasing things. Start with the easy/more likely stuff.

Posted by: syncro

So what about a faster rolling rear tire for the wet on a Shore XC bike (Instinct) used nothing harder going down than say Forever After or Executioner?

I'm needing to replace a DHR II and debating if I should try something different in the interest of saving a few bones.

If you want something a bit faster, the Dissector is a good choice. It’s still fairly meaty.

If you want to go even faster without going full XC, I’ve had good success with the Rekon MaxxTerra. Combined with a DHF or DHR up front, you still get a lot of confidence but it rolls well.

The 2.35 Ardent Race I just put on is almost 900 g, and that’s an XC tire. 29 inch tires are heavy. It is what it is. I don’t think you can go wrong with a Maxxis EXO setup. The Assegai is more forgiving than a DHF as a front tire but rolls slower.

The Godfather supports Mathew Bond. What more convincing do you need?

https://www.instagram.com/p/CjuL_6fOwYs/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

I’ve found the fit on the NF DP3 a bit tricky. I usually wear a medium, but the medium was quite tight. I ended up sizing up to a large and the legs are a bit baggier than I’d like. The quality is unbeatable, though, and they’re made locally and only marginally more expensive than other options made overseas.

I also have some iXS Trigger pants and the fit is better for me. I’m in the (North American) medium and they fit my bum and thighs with more fitted legs. They’re lighter-weight than the NFs and have held up well so far.

I wouldn’t hesitate to get the 2022 Lyrik, or even a 150 Pike. They are great forks.

Some people are just a-holes, and some of them happen to mountain bike.

Bar roll is the big one for me. If that's off, particularly if the bars are rolled too forward, the bike feels weird.