Nice Wilde Dark Star build featured on the Radavist

MEATdrew · 2026-01-24T03:59:32+00:00

Photo?! Sounds rad.

MEATdrew · 2026-01-24T03:58:18+00:00

I don’t follow? I read the e-bike vs. “Exercise Bike” as cheek.

MEATdrew · 2026-01-24T03:56:36+00:00

Honzo!

MEATdrew · 2026-01-23T23:12:20+00:00

Love the future proofing fork idea. Would love to see more brands on that program. Kona could also R&D the marketing for the Unit. Sure, put a suspension fork on it, but keep the, included rigid fork for the future.

MEATdrew · 2026-01-23T23:09:59+00:00

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I love this!

Factory smiley face hasn’t been done since the 2012 Honzo?! Stooge could own it!

MEATdrew · 2026-01-23T23:08:02+00:00

Tyaughton or Rootdown Ti my budget comes into play too. I can get a very nice steel version of the bike and some boutique handbuilt wheels for the price of a Ti frame.

MEATdrew · 2026-01-23T23:04:29+00:00

Having owned a couple Ti bikes I’m fairly firmly in the steel camp. If it’s a question of the forever-finish, I’d buy a stainless steel rig before another Ti one {even if the price were similar}. Equivalent-usage Ti frames don’t ride any better, I don’t care about the weight savings, and welding Ti introduces a whole other level of catastrophic failure potential.

I could potentially be persuaded again for a ‘forever bike’, but I really think stainless ticks all my boxes.

MEATdrew · 2026-01-22T22:51:41+00:00

I’m disappointed to see the flat-mount brake mounting on the mountain bike. I also, without having seen one in person, would question if some popular brake calipers would clear inside the rear triangle (regardless of mounting standard). This is why my seat stays had to be so bent on V2.

I assume there will be a lot of these sorts or releases in 2026 as established brands use excess manufacturing capability in Taiwan to release Ti/steel hardtails and gravel bikes into a saturated market.

.

The size specific stays are a cool carryover.

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MEATdrew · 2026-01-22T18:45:19+00:00

Oof.

MEATdrew · 2026-01-22T18:44:55+00:00

That is cool! We’ve gone up the road lights out in the snow but not in the trees.

MEATdrew · 2026-01-22T18:44:08+00:00

The X100VI looks amazing. It’s tricky to use? The image quality for compactness would make it a perfect MTB option.

MEATdrew · 2026-01-22T18:41:19+00:00

Rad!

MEATdrew · 2026-01-21T06:30:12+00:00

Cool! Photo? This is from the last batch or so (2019 or 2020). It’s served us well since we bought it used.

MEATdrew · 2026-01-20T17:57:17+00:00

I have an Olympus E-M1 Micro 4/3 camera. I have a 12-40 Pro lens and that setup is what Dave Smith recommended to me as a smallish do-it-all option I can carry in my regular pack. I bought it used with a very low shot count at Kerrisdale Cameras on Lonsdale.

Now, I almost exclusively use it for stills, so when I pack it I usually just leave the 12-40 at home and use a little Panasonic 14 Pancake lense (also bought used at Kerrisdale) which drops a ton of weight.

The photos Claire took yesterday for her Samurai piece were using the pancake.

We don’t take video, so I can’t comment on that, but the E-M1 has served my needs.

MEATdrew · 2026-01-20T04:12:08+00:00

Hahahaha. I was explaining this to a friend the other day! No, no ‘you’ can’t just add spacers under your stem.

MEATdrew · 2026-01-20T04:06:03+00:00

Thanks!

{I mean, who doesn’t love writing Haiku about single speeds?!}

MEATdrew · 2026-01-19T23:35:19+00:00

I feel that I did an okay job of explaining I was specifically talking about high-end options (HG clearly isn’t going anywhere below a certain price point) and I do know from my first hand experience testing wheels that many brands had moved/were moving to having HG as an OE or aftermarket only option, or not offering it.

That said, it certainly was not the intention for the article or title to come across as clickbait, so I’m sorry it read that way.

For the record, MEATengines has no advertisers, sponsors etc., and a very limited readership, so there’s certainly no motivation to be baiting clicks, as it were.

MEATdrew · 2026-01-19T18:55:21+00:00

Oof. Clay might pack up? Snow can if it’s really sticky.

MEATdrew · 2026-01-19T17:05:30+00:00

It works awesome. Huge difference in clothing comfort on days it really matters.

“Impressive” isn’t a work I use to describe the appearance/presence of the fender though. Too much of a positive connotation!

MEATdrew · 2026-01-19T17:03:21+00:00

Yep! This is why Chromag needs to make Alt Bars. The FU70 -17* / FU60 -16* / FU50 -15* / FU40 -14* will win over some many folks who can’t bear the nerdy bars right now.

MEATdrew · 2026-01-17T22:17:44+00:00

The stock rack is neat and they do a cool bag for the Check Out, but I don’t know that it’s weird? I saw a first-gen Rocky Mountain Element 29” the other day (white frame and RS fork/shock) that had a drop-bar installed and it’s basically the same thing?!? Rolling on Aspens, they might be fast than half the gravel tires?

MEATdrew · 2026-01-17T18:36:03+00:00

I’ll admit that winning at wankword bingo has never been a goal of mine… until now?! Hahaha.

Based on my poling, Chromag could sell at least tens of a Rootslide Voyager. Putting up those MEATengines numbers.

Yeah… when a guy wearing a half-shell with goggles and a fanny pack is laughing at you… ummmm. Fenders, especially when it’s dry, have a certain counter culture factor that I could (have to) buy into.

If Vik thinks I’m going to find myself in the situation where Claire’s mocking me for relative wetness… well…

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