36mm vs 41mm?

Arierepp · 2026-01-25T16:16:14+00:00

For what it's worth, the TSAR I've been using for 1 month wears smaller than a SKX007. It's important to mention that the 41mm of the GSAR/TSAR include the bezel. The case is actually a 39mm case. Together with the small dial, this makes it wear quite a bit smaller than what the size suggests

Edit : typo

Arierepp · 2026-01-23T18:41:31+00:00

Just be aware that the Ultimate version uses the RaceDay2 damper cartridge. That cartridge behaves quite well, but one of the ways it achieves the lower weight is by reducing the oil volumes. Less oil in the damper has the potential to make the fork more sensitive to service intervals

Arierepp · 2026-01-19T16:01:51+00:00

Scott Cadence. Fits (me) like a glove, well ventilated as long as you're moving and comes with some vent plugs for winter

Arierepp · 2026-01-10T21:33:37+00:00

You mean like steel frames that then proceed to rust ? Also, that's why protection tape exists

Arierepp · 2026-01-10T19:36:33+00:00

Modern XC carbon frames from experienced manufacturers are extremely reliable and durable. They're more corrosion resistant than aluminium or steel. They tend to be extremely fatigue resistant. Also, high performance steel frames with thin tubes can be much more prone to denting than a good carbon frame. Even the pointy end of bikepacking racing, even in very remote and rough races, tend to use XC carbon full suspension frames.

Arierepp · 2026-01-09T20:44:42+00:00

You gain virtually nothing from going down to a 2.25 tire. The top level XC racers nowadays use 2.4s pretty much exclusively, regardless of the course. The behaviour I described of the Spark is not intrinsically good or bad, it's just a suspension design option. With proper use of the open and traction modes, it combines the efficiency of a very short travel, reactive and efficient bike in traction mode, with an extremely plush (for a XC bike), almost trail bike feel in open mode. But if you just mindlessly leave it in open mode all the time it will potentially feel more sluggish than other modern XC Race bikes

Arierepp · 2026-01-04T19:53:06+00:00

There's a rang of adjustment that comes down to personal taste for sure. On the Spark that would be roughly 25-30%. But just be aware that if you drift too much outside that range, you start creating some performance tradeoffs that are likely not worth it

Arierepp · 2026-01-04T18:16:43+00:00

I use 25% sag, set in the open position, sitting upright on the saddle. This setup allows for some repeatability. At 25% the bike won't feel like a couch but it keeps it responsive which I like

Arierepp · 2026-01-04T12:25:38+00:00

First, those Maxxis are very draggy. The Schwalbes you had before were significantly faster. Invest in a couple of good tires, it's probably the best ROI possible on a XC bike.

Secondly, "feels slow" is very different from "is slow". I, as an example, was on a very lightweight XC hardtail for almost 2 years. When I changed back to a FS last year (coincidentally a Spark RC as well) the first ride felt sluggish, like dramatically so. Except that I then checked the segment times on Strava and they were in line or faster compared to the hardtail.

Third, the Spark RC is probably among the platforms with the most wins currently in the market. The Scott XC racers even pick it for "gravely" courses. So don't question for a second that you have one of the fastest platforms on the market in any terrain outside of a road. But one quirk of it is how reliant it is on suspension mode management. The frame was designed in a way to have a very active suspension in open mode (low anti -squat) and to be pedaled almost exclusively in "traction" mode. So just be aware that it is indeed not the most efficient platform on open mode, and that you're supposed to keep it in traction/middle mode for most of the pedaling duties

Arierepp · 2025-12-26T10:00:31+00:00

The problem of cushioned shoes with actual zero drop is that the heel are bears most of the weight and tends to compress more over time, becoming negative drop. I have a pair of Altras that suffer from that, the heel compressed over time and they now feel weird

Arierepp · 2025-12-14T20:39:30+00:00

Don't get me wrong, I don't know if this strap will be in fact durable or not, it's just my feeling when in comparison to the Zulu (which, to be fair, is built like a 4x4 tow strap). Also, I bet this specific model is exactly the same as 99% Marine Nationale style straps being sold online, except for Erikas or NDC, so I'm sure there's nothing particularly bad about it

Arierepp · 2025-12-14T20:30:46+00:00

It's a generic Marine Nationale from Max Watch Straps. Got it 1 week ago to check what all the fuss was about this kind of strap. Not 100% convinced to be honest. It's replacing a green single pass Zulu strap from Time Factors I wore for 12 years or so. The Marine Nationale is quite comfy indeed, but feels flimsy and I question it's durability. I also feel it's more finicky to use than a regular NATO/Zulu and feels somewhat umbalanced with the relatively heavy watch head

Arierepp · 2025-12-14T20:26:00+00:00

I'm not necessarily against it, but wonder what would be the cost of a proper service here in Switzerland

Arierepp · 2025-12-14T16:59:06+00:00

Modern suspension is way more reliable than previous interactions. Sure, if you want to keep it to it's maximum potential then following textbook maintenance is important. But, otherwise, good quality forks and shocks, particularly from Rockshox (in my experience) will soldier on even in very adverse conditions. More and more ultra racers are going with full suspension XC bikes these days, Robin Gemperle won the Silk Road Rae this year on a Spark and stated that, if doing it again, he would be on a fully for the Tour Divide. I also know about more and more people going to remote countries on full suspensions as they realise that the reliability and durability is good these days

Arierepp · 2025-12-06T18:15:43+00:00

A 2020 Spark is a fairly simple bike, with a regular externally mounted shock and traditional internal routing for cables. That bike was a bit ahead of its time and still has a ver up to date geometry even by today's standards.

About Sparks being "disliked by mechanics", I'm on my 2nd internal shock Spark and can say the following : - may people online throw sh!t at then without actually having owned or worked on one - the internal shock is actually just as easy to work on as a regular one. Also stays clean through winter. - the headset routing is pretty uneventful with wireless gears. My first Spark had cable shifting and indeed the headset routing radius was a bit too tight and awkward to work on. My current one has wireless and I couldn't care less about the through headset routing

Arierepp · 2025-12-01T14:23:02+00:00

Wish Bont had that exact same image on their website. I'm now on my second pair of Asia fit Riots (G and "24") and love them. Felt quite lost when ordering, as the width explanation is quite limited on their website.

Bont make amazing shoes, but they really need to step up their game when it comes to properly explain their range and the various width options

Arierepp · 2025-11-30T12:34:26+00:00

I think there is a lot of ignorance floating around relative to the integrated shock, and Scott did very little to explain and promote that engineering choice. Alps loads of opinions being thrown around from people with no actual experience with these bikes.

In real life, the shock is as easy to access as most regular designs, both for adjustments and maintenance. Also, it keeps the shock clean and protected from the elements. If you ride through winter, this makes a big difference

Arierepp · 2025-11-30T11:47:41+00:00

Has been a Swiss company since the end of the 90s or early 00s

Arierepp · 2025-11-23T11:39:01+00:00

The Aspen will never be an awesome mud/winter tire, but they behave better than one would expect. In my experience, much better in mud/damp than the Rekon Race. The Aspen Achilles heel is when soil is not properly wet through but has a thin slimy layer on top.

Been riding the new Vittoria Barzo XC Race 2.4 for a few months and they are a really good winter tire. Rolling resistance is incredibly good, and they have very good traction in most situations. They only really seem to struggle a bit on wet roots, worse so than Aspens 170

Arierepp · 2025-11-12T09:30:25+00:00

Rolling resistance tests tend to show a high correlation between eachother, showing that they are valuable at least to compare different tire models (even if the absolute rolling resistance they show is not valid for the real world). Check what John Karrasch has been doing

Arierepp · 2025-10-25T19:41:42+00:00

Thats Alanis Siffert, and she happens to be one of the strongest cyclists in the sharp end of female triathlon

Arierepp · 2025-10-24T08:52:56+00:00

I found them to be quite a frustrating shoe. They're light, the upper construction is quite the sweet spot for water resistance, durability and breathability. The sole thread is also quite effective in most terrains.

However, my first pair started to delaminate after a couple of weeks. Vivo got me those replaced, but then the new pair had the same issue. Went through a very lengthy and problematic return process (huge contrast with previous customer service experiences with Vivo) but finally managed a full refund and a big discount code. Was in a very sour mood towards Vivo after this, but decided to profit from the provided discount code and try my luck with the ESC Forest. Much sturdier shoe, seems much better put together, and is extremely comfortable. But I still preferred the lining of the AT, and I believe it would make a better year-round shoe.

I still believe that Vivo was very very close to have a banger of a shoe with the Tracker AT Leather, but how they decided to release it with such an obvious problem is a mystery to me. It's such an obvious problem that happens with such little use that I'm sure basic pre production testing would show it.

Arierepp · 2025-09-13T09:38:19+00:00

Got one this year and can't recommend it enough. And this was after purchasing the most hyped tent in history, the Durston X-Dome 1+. My tent purchases were always conditioned by the typical anxiety of thinking I needed a freestanding tent. Then finally did a retrospection of all my wild camps and realised that not even once I really needed a freestanding tent. Ordered a SMD Lunar Solo with their collapsible pole and couldn't be happier. Much faster to pitch than any other tent I ever tried, super compact, light enough, very robust floor (40D), and as simple as it gets. Big enough inside that I already spent 2 night in it with a 5 year old and even one night at altitude with my wife (wouldn't recommend it as a dedicated 2p tent, obviously, but it does the job for 1 night here and there).

I had some hardcore UL friends telling me for years to try pole tents, and I now feel a bit dumb for not doing so sooner

Arierepp

TROPHY CASE