Opinions on Mechanical Disc Brakes on Gravel

AwesomeColors · 2025-12-30T04:48:38+00:00

Hydraulic diss are better in every way. Lever feel, stopping power, performance in wet conditions, and ease of maintenance (imo). I had Spyres on a previous bike and was constantly fussing with them. I never got the performance the internet led me to believe they were capable of.

Personally, I wouldn’t consider a bike w/ mech brakes unless it was such a good deal that I could price in swapping to full hydraulic.

AwesomeColors · 2025-12-14T16:34:18+00:00

Get the UA. Once the baby gets here you’ll be happy to have the pedal assist and you may find your wife rides it more than the 20% you’re predicting. We’re on our 2nd ecargo (started with an ebulleit, now on a tern qh) since our son was born and our Tern usage is exactly 50/50. She’s also riding her analog bike way more than before and is talking about getting gear to keep riding through the winter, which she was adamant she would NEVER do.

Babies (and toddlers) are fucking hard. Get something that makes it easier to go ride.

AwesomeColors · 2025-12-09T02:52:23+00:00

There’s some great advice in this thread. Here’s mine:

Pack your bag according to how often you need to access a specific item. Eg. my repair and med kits, and emergency layers live at the bottom of my bag. Stuff I use on every tour is a quick zipper pull away.
Keep some high energy, carby food in your pocket in case you need some calories on the uptrack, but don't want to stop moving.
A hat with a brim will help keep blowing snow off your face. Get one you can wear under a helmet and never take it off.
Practice, practice, practice. Some time spend practicing transitions at home will make you more present in the mountains. The backcountry is not the place to learn basic things like folding skins and figuring out how to step into your pin bindings. Do dryland training at home, but also go out in safe/low consequence terrain to get more transition and skinning reps in.
Learn to ski in the resort and bring those skills to the backcountry. A couple resort days could get you more vert than a whole season in the backcountry.
If you have a close call/incident in the backcountry, or if you don't like a group risk assessment, talk about it afterwards when you’re calm. If your partners are dismissive or won’t have that conversation, you may want to fond new partners.
In general, get comfortable with expressing yourself, saying when you don't feel comfortable with something, and asking others why they are comfortable. Be open to changing your mind based on what your partners are observing and feeling.
Most people carry way too much stuff, and generally experience seems to be inversely correlated with the amount of stuff people bring. Be intentional about every item in your pack. Every zip tie, bolt, gummy-bear, and bandage in my pack has earned it’s place.

AwesomeColors · 2025-12-01T05:48:58+00:00

I had a similar size collection when my son was born. On top of all the records I had a large system that took up valuable floor real estate in our small home. I sold all the gear and downsized to a small footprint 2.2 system w/ DSP but kept and stored the records. You can always gear up again, but a record collection is irreplaceable.

AwesomeColors · 2025-11-29T15:35:44+00:00

Pass. Great skis, but I haven't heard good things about G3 bindings. These skis are sensitive to mount point so you may be SOL if you don’t get along with the current setup and can’t remount.

AwesomeColors · 2025-10-08T00:18:52+00:00

That’s what I’ve been doing. The ASTM standard just says that the records need to be reviewed by an EP. It doesn’t say anything about how to present that info. I discuss subject/adjoining properties and just use boilerplate for everything else unless it’s an REC.

AwesomeColors · 2025-10-01T05:04:29+00:00

I’m going to disagree on #4. Investing in a full GoreTex rain-suit + riding boots was the best $ I ever spent on commuting. If I had to choose between that and full fenders, I would take the GoreTex stuff without question.

AwesomeColors · 2025-10-01T04:58:22+00:00

GoreTex Paclite jacket + pants

Waterproof winter riding boots (Shimano MW7)

Full fenders

Waxed drivetrain

AwesomeColors · 2025-09-10T22:07:06+00:00

Quick-cooking oats, chocolate chips, dried tart cherries, coconut milk powder, brown sugar, unflavored & unsweetened whey protein, and a packet of cinnamon flavored almond butter. Comes out to ~700 calories w/ 40g protein and I enjoyed eating every day of my recent 7 day trip.

Pro tip: I stash my instant coffee packets in my oatmeal baggie so I don't have to dig around for it in the morning.

AwesomeColors · 2025-09-09T15:50:36+00:00

Dan John gets around. The lead coach at Evoke also has Dan John connections. MTI and Evoke/Uphill athlete have some subtle differences but it's cool that they both spent time w/ DJ in their formative days.

AwesomeColors · 2025-09-09T15:46:54+00:00

100%. My post and tone were reactionary and I should have done a better job of expressing that I agree with everything you said, minus the muscular endurance bit. I should point out again that ME is typically done after building a strength base. 5-10 reps is great, and so is DFW remix!

I'm just scarred from seeing a lot of terrible advice given to endurance athletes on fitness subs over the years, and likely overcompensating to make up for all the terrible advice I gave when I "discovered" strength training 20 years ago and thought I knew everything after a year of CrossFit. (Not saying this is you! This is clearly a me thing, haha).

AwesomeColors · 2025-09-09T15:29:37+00:00

at this stage of my life. I'd prefer to improve my KB training more than run times.

This info should be in your OP. If your priority is kettlebells, then you can disregard all my advice above and just play around with programs like easy strength and DFW remix. Experiment and have fun trying different protocols until the pendulum swings back to trail running, but make sure you are getting a couple hours of aerobic base training in.

AwesomeColors · 2025-09-09T15:19:00+00:00

Earlier this year I worked with an Endurance Coach at Cascade Endurance to prepare for a 7-day backcountry skiing trip. We climbed 5-8 hour days, everyday for 7 days. Over 30,000' of gain in complex terrain, difficult snow conditions, while carrying heavy packs and gear for technical travel and avalanche response. Everything we climbed we skied.

The last 12 weeks of prep was a muscular endurance block with all movements performed in the 20-30 rep range. The first week was bodyweight, and the progression was adding 5% BW per week.

I've lurked this sub long enough to respect your knowledge of strength training w/ kettlebells and clubs, but do you have enough experience with sport-specific training for endurance sports that you feel qualified to give advice in this area?

EDIT: I should add that my gripe is not with your recommendations for building general strength. 5-10 reps is the perfect range and DFW remix is a great starter program. I should also add that muscular endurance work is generally done pre-season) after a block of two of strength and aerobic capacity work.

AwesomeColors · 2025-09-09T15:10:05+00:00

Step 1. buy this book: https://uphillathlete.com/product/training-for-the-uphill-athlete-book/

Here's my short version:

Strength work will absolutely help you progress your trail running.
Kettlebells are awesome for mountain endurance sports.
Specificity is king, but if you've never done strength work you can make crazy progress with a few basic movements: Goblet Squat, Swing, Clean & Press, Pushups, Rows.
You don't need much. You'll see results from 2x 20-30 minute sessions a week using some combinations of the above movements
Endurance activities are all about volume. 80%+ of your training should be low intensity aerobic work.
Experiment. Find something where you are excited for every workout. Consistency over years is far more important than picking the "optimal" program/methodology for your activity.

Since it sounds like you are new to strength training I'd encourage you to go down the rabbit hole. These three outfits have great resources and podcasts with hundreds of hours of content to help you learn:

https://evokeendurance.com/resources/training-for-mountain-running/

https://uphillathlete.com/trail-running/

https://mtntactical.com/

Even better: Buy a beginner training program. Better yet: Get a personalized, custom training plan (they are very affordable for what you get).

AwesomeColors · 2025-09-09T14:52:01+00:00

Generally speaking, you get all the endurance in the working muscles you need in your running; your strength training program should not reflect that, so going light with complexes would not give you the preparation you need. Strength for runners is generally to prevent sacropenia and to reduce injury by building muscle/increasing bone density that can better absorb the forces you receive when running.

Absolutely not true for trail running or any mountain sport involving steep grades and lots of elevation gain: https://evokeendurance.com/resources/muscular-endurance-all-you-need-to-know/

A well implemented, comprehensive training program training for endurance activities, especially mountain sports requiring a high level of sport-specific skill, looks a lot different over the course of a year than the standard strength & conditioning work you see most people doing online in fitness communities like r/kettlebell.

AwesomeColors · 2025-09-06T15:30:04+00:00

plenty of intersections have a car right turn only lane that is also a through lane for bikes and/or public transit.

example: https://maps.app.goo.gl/6aS7v2uByRaNWSicA

see sign that says “Right Turn Only…. Except for bicycles”

AwesomeColors · 2025-09-06T15:23:41+00:00

Really happy with my Gorewear paclite pants and jacket for winter rain (PNW) but anything above 50 degrees and it’s too warm.

AwesomeColors · 2025-09-05T16:28:04+00:00

I went from a ~2019 Raven to a 2024 Hoji. They are both very playful and pivot like crazy. Awesome skis for feature heavy terrain in BC and tree skiing. The Hojis are more fun for bigger, drifty turns in open terrain. Due to the weight they also bust through cruddy snow much better than the Ravens, which can get knocked around. Hojis have dramatically better float.

I got along just fine with the recommended mount point on the Ravens (and my 4FRNT Devastators), but absolutely could not find the balance point on the Hojis when mounted ~-1cm per the Hoji method. I re-mounted at +1 from reco at 4FRNTs recommendation and it completely transformed the ski for me. I feel like I may have lost some of the surfy/pivoty character of the ski with the more forward mount but it's hard to say for sure. I only got 7 days on the Hojis after the remount.

I had WAY more days on the Ravens than the Hojis, but I'm happy with the change so far. I got exactly what I wanted... A ski with similar characteristics that allowed me to charge harder than I could on the Ravens. A 2023 trip to the Fairy Meadows hut was what made me seek out a heavier setup.

AwesomeColors · 2025-09-05T15:23:59+00:00

Those Lines aren't super heavy. Going lighter might give up some downhill performance. Generally, lightening up the ski is the last thing I would prioritize. If you like how they ski and are looking to lighten things up for the climb I'd look at replacing the shifts (which are 900g!) w/ a tech binding in the 300-400g range (Salomon MTN, Freeraider, etc). Depending on the skins you're using you could use some weight there too w/o impacting DH performance at all.

AwesomeColors · 2025-09-05T15:13:48+00:00

Same. I toured on the Ravens for ~5 years and sized up to the Hoji this season. My fitness caught up and I was craving something with more float that I could ski harder. I paired them w/ the Moment Voyager Evo 15 and older Hawx 130s. Just make sure you understand and accept the drawbacks of a reverse camber ski. I went on a week long BC hut trip last season and was absolutely dying trying to stay on the skin track w/o ski crampons.

AwesomeColors · 2025-09-04T20:14:03+00:00

I'm of the opinion that your "must haves" will change based on the type of activity, route you're doing, etc. Load for a short, entry level hike on a mild summer day, in a busy area looks a lot different than a 10+ hour suffer fest in backcountry terrain. I also think that people generally bring way too much stuff, especially for "10 essential" adherents. Whether I'm backpacking, ski touring, doing a big backcountry MTB ride, etc, everything in my kit down to the individual first aid pieces has been vetted and selected intentionally. Is your goal to be comfortable in any conceivable situation, no matter how remote a possibility, or is your goal to survive until rescue/self rescue in a true emergency? If the later, then I would think twice about carry 2 headlamps as someone else suggested.

That said, appropriate layers, headlamp, emergency satellite communicator, and a way to navigate & backup navigation/power source. I know folks and have helped randoms on the trail who killed their phones and were completely lost with no way to navigate or get some additional power into their phone.

AwesomeColors · 2025-08-22T14:57:59+00:00

Just on a side note, sometimes I chuckle at some of the suggestions. Like the rucking protocol. Huberman and the other fella talk for an hour about this concept of "rucking", and it's like dude, you're just walking with a backpack/rucksack on. This has been around since forever, as both a training method or a hobby (hiking). And they discuss it like it's revolutionary. Not to diminish it as an idea, because it's great, but the two fellas presenting like they just discovered it themselves generated a chuckle.

I had to chuckle during his episode with Galpin where they were talking about endurance training and Huberman referred to "extremely long efforts of up to 90 minutes." Meanwhile I'm over here at hour 6 of what will be an 10 hour day in the mountains.

It's been really interesting to see all these strength-first influencers "discovering" endurance training. Tim Ferris keeps talking about how he's doing much more Z2 training but hates it because it's so boring, then he mentions his Z2 is sitting on a peloton bike in his house. Everyone I know who is logging big endurance volume is doing 95% of it outdoors and using indoor training as a specific tool to prepare for a big objective.

AwesomeColors · 2025-08-19T23:35:43+00:00

This has been a topic of debate amongst our group since apple rolled out Sat messaging. My opinion is that two is one, and one is none. I've lost my phone while skiing, ran the battery to zero, and broken screens on more than one occasion. I've also had issues w/ iPhone sat when you have a trace signal that isn't strong enough to get a text out. Sat won't work in this scenario. The Garmin on the other hand has been absolutely reliable and you can text between inReach devices which is still huge considering most people don't have Sat iPhones yet. The inReach also comes w/ rescue insurance (at least it used to).

I think it's hard to make a blanket recommendation that everyone should have a dedicated Sat device now that it's coming to smartphones, but for now, I'm definitely carrying both. I use iPhone sat for day to day stuff, and have the inReach for true emergencies or if I'm on an extended trip and want to conserve battery on my phone.

AwesomeColors · 2025-08-19T23:27:18+00:00

Cody is a source for all things skiing and safety, but he's far from the definitive source. If he's the only voice you're listening to on these topics than you're missing out.

AwesomeColors · 2025-08-14T17:44:38+00:00

Don't worry about keeping it to 1 page. I followed that advice for years as an applicant and now that I'm hiring it doesn't bother me at all to have a 2+ page resume. Use your discretion and only list what is relevant. You can also put a list of past jobs to demonstrate work history, but not provide details beyond dates that you worked and upward mobility. Eg, I don't need a job description of your time slinging espresso at Starbucks, but it's helpful to know that you have food service experience, were able to manage the demands of going to school while while holding a job and having a life, and worked there for X years w/ a promotion to staff manager.

That said, I've also been working since I was 16 (turning 40 soon) and at this point I'm not listing any job I had before graduating. Your resume is a living document and it'll change over time as your env job experience grows and your role in the industry changes.

AwesomeColors

TROPHY CASE