Just picked up a new to me Chisel HT but I’m not loving the blue lowers. Fork is a 2021 SID Ultimate SL 100mm. By any chance, would anyone want to trade for some black lowers?

I'm looking to dip my feet into some XC racing and general trail riding. With all the changes to the XC geo recently is there any reason not to pick up this bike in 2026? Would anyone have regrets?

To give some background I have my cat 1 road license and all my focus for the last few years has been on the road. So I don't have any frame of reference if I will need something with more travel. I just want to ride and race with some of my roadie friends when they decide to ride the trails.

I have finally got a PROPER mountain bike (i.e. a bike with a properly rated frame, Boost Thru Axles, Dropper Post and all the shizz to safely and confidently go up and down mountain trails !) and now I can confidently and safely explore the mountain trails of my hometown (Ziro, Arunachal Pradesh, India).

Thank you u/Zilork for educating me on what is a proper mountain bike, for opening my eyes to this beauty and for steering me away from less VFM MTBs.

Now I am gonna SEND IT 🤘🏻😂🔥🫶🏻

Would love to hear racers’ strategic personalities, in terms of pacing, positioning, mind games, bike choices, and anything else unique!

PACING: I like to start aggressively, ease off a bit through the middle section, and then have my wits about me for a strong kick. As a soccer player and full Ironman triathlete, I tend to feel most comfortable delivering effort that is decidedly aerobic or anaerobic - pushing a consistent tempo/threshold pace is less of a strong suit for me, and gives fewer opportunities to leverage fartlek style surges

POSITIONING: I like to be in the lead on technical sections, and then take them easier. I am more of a fitness rider than a technical rider, so blocking technical riders by being ahead of them in their strong sections negates their advantage. And by the time we reach smoother sections that are more of a test of fitness than skill, I can usually drop them. On these sections where I feel like I have more of an advantage, I feel more comfortable hanging back, assessing the situation, and then surging before the next technical section or if I think I can break past someone without letting them draft off me while the course is tame.

MIND GAMES: As described above, Fartlek pacing and blocking through technical sections then surging on easy sections tends to frustrate people and throw off their game affording a psychological advantage over riders who are metabolically more fit and skilled than me. I can be scientific, straightforward, and time trially on any old solo ride. The fun part about racing is that you actually get the rare, juicy opportunity to strategically clash with other real opponents, and leverage advantages through drafting, positioning, and surges that allow for an underdog win!

BIKE CHOICES: I like to ride hardtails. They enhance your power output on tamer sections where the dominant ride factor is fitness, at the cost of being less resilient against rocks and other trail inputs on technical sections where the dominant ride factor is skill. I like to ease off and block defensively on technical sections, and then attack/drop people on hills and smooth trails. The choice of a hardtail further accentuates my inherent physical strengths, weaknesses, and overall personality as a rider, even if they are generally seen as inferior to full suspension XC bikes.

OTHER: I also ride platform pedals with minimalist shoes, so that I can hop on and off easily to leverage my running muscles up steep hills or across deep sand, where it is more efficient to be off the bike. I like to think that this partially makes up for the loss of watts I experience from not wearing clipless pedals, and maximizes my trail running background, though probably my I have simply yet to see the light, haha

Edit: I regret using the word “blocking” to describe my positioning strategy, and I’m glad people called it out. What I was trying to describe was the track and field equivalent of “holding your position.” Aka legitimately traveling the A line, such that opponents are forced to either spend extra energy passing you on the B line, or hold an undesired pace behind you until a better opportunity to pass does arrive, at which point they might not be prepared to cover your surge. I’m not advocating for swerving in front of people or literally being an obstruction. That’s a clear violation, and my desire is to explore legitimate tactics, not ways to cheat / ruin this beautiful sport. Positioning and timing surges relative to your opponents’ strengths and weaknesses however is a huge part of the Tour de France, and that’s what I’m getting at. Sorry for how it sounded, though!

Hey everyone!

I'm looking for some feedback on my first frame-only build: the Specialized Chisel FS!

I've put together a few screenshots of the main components I'm planning to buy and would love to hear your thoughts.

A bit of background: I'm based in the Netherlands, so mostly flat terrain and smooth, flowy XC singletrack, with the occasional trip to something a bit more technical and challenging.

Any tips, suggestions, or feedback on the build would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance!

I am looking at this tyre set up for the winter. What do you think/ any recommendations?

Found this shop called bikable.com and their prices are way lower than everywhere else I checked. Like suspiciously low. Looks like a Danish company and the site seems fine, but that doesn’t mean much.

Has anyone actually bought from them? Did your stuff show up and was it legit? And does anyone know why they’re so cheap?

Thinking of ordering some parts but don’t want to get burned.

Hey there,

I'm curious if anyone has experience on the newest generation Pivot Mach 4 SL? I'm keen to hear peoples ride impressions.

I want a xc bike that is efficient when banging out miles, and quick on flatter trails. I have an enduro bike, I don't want a downcountry-ish xc bike. My favorite bike to this point was the Epic Evo generation 7. I felt like that bike made me a better climber than I am, and made my flatter trails more enjoyable. I'm leaning towards the Mach 4 SL because I appreciate the tuning kinematics you can squeeze out of a dw link and favor the shorter reach with a longer stem on an xc bike. (470mm reach size large, 60mm stem) However I've read conflicting reviews of users experiencing noticeable pedal bob while others claim it's the most efficient platform they've pedaled.... Any insight would be great. Thanks!

• Running the flip chip in low, because I can’t get enough saddle setback in high
• 70mm stem with a 5mm spacer underneath
• Same bar I had on the Evo
• Fit is mapped and feels good seated

My experience:

• Way more capable descending in the chunk. Feels calm and stable.
• Much less top-heavy than the Evo. On the old bike I felt way over the front, with lots of weight on my hands.
• But the front end feels taller, and the bike feels more “cramped” when I’m up and attacking.
• In tight, twisty stuff and flat corners, I’m having a harder time getting over the front to pump and keep front-wheel traction. Can’t quite find the sweet spot.

My theory is that the low chip rotates everything back (slacker HTA and STA, shorter reach, slightly taller front). Combined with a longer front center than the old Evo, my weight ends up further back than I’m used to.

Questions:

1. Anyone else come from the 2021 Evo and have to relearn cornering on the 8? Did it click with time, or did you change your setup?
2. Has anyone solved the saddle setback issue (saddle choice, longer rails, offset dropper head, etc.) so they could run the high chip? Did high feel noticeably better in tight terrain?
3. Did dropping spacers or going to a lower or negative-rise bar help?
4. For FA users, what bias setting are you running for twisty trail riding?

I started riding in 2010 here in DFW, did some races and enjoyed it up until 2020. Covid, taking care of a dying family member at home, kids going off to college etc and I lost focus, eventually dropped it entirely in 2021.

Picked up a good condition used 2024 Kona hei hei aluminum with an upgraded wheelset and a few other components. Been enjoying just being back on the back and getting it set up to my liking, bought new pedals, new pair of XC tires, etc.

I’m doing a mini road trip next summer and would love to rip a lap on a few of the World Cup courses. I’m based in Europe :)

Yes, you could just buy a DaySaver. But I thought this turned out to be a neat little setup. 6,5,4,3mm and T25 Torx. All I really need. 31 grams. Works incredibly well.

Who else was at BT yesterday? Amazing weather and an amazing course too! I came in 5:28 and am super happy with it. Bike and body were solid all day.

hi all,

wondering if anyone has recommendations for winter xc tires in the UK? Rides are a mix of pavement, gravel, hardpack, rooty and rocky single track, steep descents, flat boggy sections, wet grassy hills with no grip, overall conditions from dry and frosty to very wet. General hiking trails and hill tracks as well as trail centres

In summer the Vittoria Barzos are amazing but I slide around in winter. I am currently running the old Bontrager XR4s (RIP) which have more than enough grip but wondering whether i could get away with a faster tire. I never puncture so i like a light casing.

I am considering trying the following:

Schwalbe nobby nic super ground speed grip F/R

Schwalbe nobby nic super ground soft front, speed grip rear

Schwalbe nobby nic speed grip front, rocket ron rear.

Question - Is the nobby nic noticeably faster than an XR4 or is it much the same?

Any other recommendations or input appreciated thanks

Innerste Hang im Harz

Any recs for something I could wear for big days. Preferably for something that would work on and off bike?

Those Roval Control SL are indestructible they said.

Those Vottoria Air liners will save your rims they said.

Honestly I don’t know how this happened. Just some normal rocks on the state mtb course ST George Utah. (Also location for western regionals).

I speculate I just got really unlucky with a rock hitting the side of the tire and catching the rim directly.

I’m back to MTB after a long pause and now looking for a lightweight dropper post for my Scott Spark RC World Cup from 2018 in XL. I’m 193cm/6’4” with very long legs (96cm). There’s a ton of dropper posts and it seems really complicated to figure out which models a which one can be fitted.
Can you help? 170mm-200mm? Syncros, oneup, bikeyoke, fox?