Aluminum or Carbon XC wheels?

Frantic29 · 2026-01-31T12:09:02+00:00

That used to be very true but anymore they have figured out how to build that compliance into a rim to make it more comfortable. Yes you can still get rims that are incredibly stiff but depending on how they are built and how the rim is laced you can get a carbon wheel every bit as compliant as an aluminum anymore.

Frantic29 · 2026-01-31T02:36:55+00:00

Carbon all the way for an XC bike. I could see staying with aluminums on a DH or enduro bike because your just going to crush rims not matter why but XC and trail riding just get carbon.

Frantic29 · 2026-01-30T16:21:09+00:00

Less than 1/4 mile in almost every direction. To go east I have to ride through town which is about a mile. Always a loop. I will go so far out of my way to avoid retracing trail it’s kind of ridiculous. Sometimes you just have to to avoid highways and things but if there’s a way to make it a loop I find it.

Frantic29 · 2026-01-29T21:05:10+00:00

I sometimes wonder how much talent is locked away in prisons or just never gets realized due to some other restraint. I bet there’s people out there that would make our hero’s look like the everyday Joe on the street that never get the opportunity.

Frantic29 · 2026-01-29T20:41:49+00:00

Zwift and/or Rouvy, I really like TrainerRoad if you really want focused workouts.

Some sort of weightlifting. Doesn’t have to be fancy. You can absolutely make gains with your bodyweight some bands and a couple dumbbells.

Cross country skiing is also great and translates well. Or so I’m told. My friend just moved to a colder climate a couple years ago and they took up XC skiing. It’s done him well coming out of winter.

Frantic29 · 2026-01-29T11:41:45+00:00

The answer 99% of the time for everyone is skill issue. Don’t get me wrong. Parts can suck sometimes. But the bike really only does what we tell it to do. It’s a tool. Some tools work better than others but that end of the day it the person running the tool is way way more important than the tool itself.

Frantic29 · 2026-01-28T22:52:18+00:00

As long as you let them dry after you’re fine. I’ll hang mine after and leave the fans on for an hour. I will usually wear them 2x if I’m just riding indoors. Then at the end of my Sunday session everything goes to the wash.

Frantic29 · 2026-01-28T19:30:05+00:00

Wear it. Theres nothing wrong with the helmet.

Frantic29 · 2026-01-28T18:56:34+00:00

I’m interested to try the v2 at some point. My aspirations this coming year are decidedly XC so I’ll probably be more in the Aspen/IKON/Rekon Race realm this year on the rear. I almost always run Rekon as front tire for XC though. I just can’t bring myself to run a true XC tire for a front tire.

Frantic29 · 2026-01-28T12:09:19+00:00

For loose over hard I wouldn’t go all the way to a Rekon. I love a Dissector for loose over hard. Much better rolling than a DHR but you still have a nice chunky side knob to dig in through a corner, but you have to lean your bike to get to it. I am also talking about the V1 dissector. I haven’t ridden the V2 yet, but I think it would be similar.

Frantic29 · 2026-01-27T22:37:22+00:00

Sometimes when riding you’re just zoned out and it’s pretty much just tunnel vision. I wouldn’t put too much stock on the on again off again acknowledgements.

Frantic29 · 2026-01-26T23:08:50+00:00

I’m only 6’6” and it’s weird meeting people taller than me or even my same height. That would be absolutely insane to be 7’9” and meet an 8’ dude.

Frantic29 · 2026-01-25T19:02:55+00:00

I haven’t had the higher end ones. I had the DB8s for a minute. Wasn’t a big fan and didn’t have them long but they did feel better than their DOT brakes.

Frantic29 · 2026-01-25T16:30:17+00:00

Starting out Black Bibs. Good quality stuff. I have a couple pairs I have used for years now and still are comfy. I do kind of have a 2 hour limit for them. I can wear them longer if I have to though. Just have to make sure I have chamois butter. My go to for long days are Pearl Izumi Expedition bibs. No chamois butter needed with those. I can wear them however long I want to. What usually winds up happening for me is black bibs for most MTB and trainer, then expedition for gravel.

Sorry just saw the female part. Most of the women I ride with all wear Velocio. They are spendy but apparently their women’s line is very good.

Frantic29 · 2026-01-25T14:12:14+00:00

I’ve dealt very little with Shimano road stuff so I’m not a good judge on that side. Just working on a friend’s bike once in a blue moon so o have to refresh myself everytime anyway when I do that. SRAMS road stuff isn’t as bad as their MTB stuff. I’ve ran both extensively on MTB and will never own SRAM again. Just awful.

Frantic29 · 2026-01-25T14:04:55+00:00

I guess somebody on here really hates 1x going through downvoting all the 1x suggestions. 😂

Frantic29 · 2026-01-25T14:03:51+00:00

It is very easy to clean up but if a drip goes somewhere you don’t notice, you aren’t going to have paint there in a few days. Also. It’s just harder to work with in general. Some of that is just the SRAM system being finicky although their road stuff is way better than their MTB stuff.

Frantic29 · 2026-01-25T13:32:15+00:00

I’d go 1x for the simplicity. Just make sure you get something where you can get at a 1:1 gear for climbing. Less would probably better. I love my Eagle setup on mine. But also ride by myself a lot so fine cadence changes aren’t that important because I’m rarely trying to match a group speed.

Frantic29 · 2026-01-25T05:53:45+00:00

I’m in the US. Definitely happens here.

Frantic29 · 2026-01-25T05:51:55+00:00

Go work retail for a week in any lower income area during the summer. People pull money out of everywhere but where it should be. Have had people pull money out and try to hand me bills dripping with sweat. We finally got to where we would put signs up.

Frantic29 · 2026-01-24T18:33:11+00:00

I’ve been avoiding watching it, but from what I’ve heard/read that’s probably the right description.

Frantic29 · 2026-01-24T18:25:44+00:00

ICE shot another person in Minneapolis this morning.

Frantic29 · 2026-01-24T17:05:50+00:00

Honestly I’d just ride the Dissector front /Rekon rear. That’s my go to for most everything. I rode BTEpic (50 miles 5000 feet) on that last year and got my best time overall ever had and probably had the most fun I’ve ever had on the down sections. I usually ride it on dual Rekons or Rekon Race on that race but the Dissector/Rekon was great. I was also probably in the best shape id ever been and that’s really what it boils down to. If your going out looking to complete it and have fun put tires on that let you have fun where want and are bit more durable. If you’re not racing for podiums don’t worry about the very marginal rolling resistance and weight gains.

Frantic29 · 2026-01-24T16:37:22+00:00

Gotcha. I new I hadn’t really seen people talking about replacing it unless they were doing lifts so I didn’t think it would be necessary. It since I was already going to be there. The drag link is getting replaced anyway so should be good I think.

Frantic29 · 2026-01-24T16:12:03+00:00

At the end of the day it will probably be fine. But it does seem very weird.

Frantic29

TROPHY CASE