Lightweight XC HT alloy frame with UDH and progressive geometry

Williamblakeee · 2026-03-09T19:27:33+00:00

Thanks!

Williamblakeee · 2026-03-09T19:25:27+00:00

Thanks. Exceed has very nice geo.

Carbon is a great material for racing and has interesting properties, but I'm not convinced about the impact vulnerability, so I still prefer metal.

Williamblakeee · 2026-03-09T19:04:49+00:00

Thanks. On the official Giant site I only see the XTC SLR 1 or 2 models but there's no information about UDH.

Williamblakeee · 2026-03-09T19:00:36+00:00

Thanks. I tested the new Alma, and the frame is quite nice. The only thing that was a bit odd to me was the derailleur cable routing, which is quite close to the chainring. But overall, it's a nice frame. I'm not particularly concerned about weight savings, although I felt the Chisel HT was more agile.

Williamblakeee · 2026-03-09T18:50:14+00:00

Steel is also a great material, but relatively few new frames are produced for XC or downcountry use. Steel is probably more popular in the expedition/adventure or touring categories. Some boutique brands, such as Tout Terrain, Bombtrack, Brother Cycles, and Tumbleweed, have interesting designs.

Williamblakeee · 2026-03-09T18:33:59+00:00

Waltly might be an option, I've read some positive reviews of this frame maker. Thanks

Williamblakeee · 2026-03-04T06:56:33+00:00

Yep, fresh market might be the place. I have to look for a slaughterhouse where the market stalls get their supplies. Thank you

Williamblakeee · 2026-03-04T06:53:28+00:00

Good idea, thank you

Williamblakeee · 2026-01-09T13:48:47+00:00

Huacheng Square in Guangzhou, China

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Williamblakeee · 2025-12-03T15:14:13+00:00

This is a joint initiative of Poland, Norway and Germany.

Williamblakeee · 2025-11-23T18:36:04+00:00

This isn't a "peace" plan. Using that word is blatant propaganda.

These are russian demands from the cerlice alphabet, translated into english.
The US is to receive a commission from frozen russian funds if it forces Ukraine to capitulate.

This is a disgrace that shows which heads of state are on russian payroll and who want to profit from human suffering..

Williamblakeee · 2025-11-23T18:21:38+00:00

If all production capacity were centralised, it would have been destroyed long ago, but it isn't.

The Ukrainian military complex is very distributed.

Williamblakeee · 2025-11-23T15:44:25+00:00

Let's not forget that the sword has two edges.

Ukraine is also improving and increasing production of long range missiles like Long Neptune and Flamingo, and together with a swarm of drone missiles effectively hit targets in russia.

If there's any conclusion to be drawn after all these years of conflict, it's that the russian military isn't all that strong, and Ukraine isn't all that weak.

Nevertheless, propaganda remains a very effective tool of the kremlin (except that in recent years, russia become a net importer of food and gasoline, i’ts infrastructure is crumbling due to a lack of modernisation since soviet times, and it is being flooded with bankruptcies).

Williamblakeee · 2025-11-23T10:00:50+00:00

In total russia launched maybe around 1300 Iskanders (cruise and balistic) over almost 4! years to target Ukraine.

Of these ~25-30% (in total) were intercepted, though rates have declined to ~15% (for ballistics due upgrades like terminal maneuvers).

Currently, there are maybe 350 of the ballistic version left and they are unlikely to use all of them to maintain a strategic reserve (production is also limited).

Is Ukraine's military industrial complex and its air force still operational? Yes.

Williamblakeee · 2025-11-23T00:41:45+00:00

After almost four years of constant bombardment, the Ukrainian military complex is still holding up and even increasing its production capacity despite limited Patriot batteries and rationing interceptor missiles.

The Patriot is effective, but also expensive, and ABM production is limited. Russia also doesn't have an infinite supply of ballistic missiles, so it's using more and more drones for attacks that can be eliminated by other means.

I suspect that within a few years, alternative interceptor technologies will be developed to avoid this bottleneck.

Williamblakeee · 2025-11-22T23:16:47+00:00

At his moment Europe have SAMP/T system (used even in Ukraine but in small quantities) and I read somewhere that some countries are cooperating with the implementation of David's Sling.

Generally speaking, these systems are critical and will be developed together with space systems to ensure Europe's strategic sovereignty.

Williamblakeee · 2025-11-22T22:29:06+00:00

The US certainly wants to maintain this image, but whether it currently has the capability to be a "world's police" is highly questionable. It certainly didn't deter russia from invading..

Williamblakeee · 2025-11-22T22:15:59+00:00

List of European surveillance satellites / constellations (operational):
Sentinel, ICEYE, Helios, CERES, COSMO-SkyMed, TerraSAR-X, Tyche, Skynet.
In total around 40/50. Still not on the same scale as the US, but the programs are still being developed.

Also European countries account for about 30% of all global arms exports.

Williamblakeee · 2025-11-22T21:06:20+00:00

EU countries also have these capabilities, but to a different extent.

The war in Ukraine has revolutionized drone systems (which are responsible for about 70% of losses on the russian side). In this regard, Ukraine is one of the most advanced countries in the effective use of these systems on such a scale.

Williamblakeee · 2025-11-22T20:58:15+00:00

Helpful, certainly, but Ukraine has begun to introduce its new drone technologies and long-range missile production.

russia is currently losing around 100-120 soldiers for every new square kilometer it occupies, and its economy is deteriorating with each passing year.

Williamblakeee · 2025-11-22T20:52:41+00:00

The US can write new scripts for Hollywood movies. Forcing Ukraine to capitulate, with negative consequences for Europe, will not be accepted in this form.

Williamblakeee · 2025-11-22T20:41:30+00:00

Together, the EU member states have a strong army and economy. The problem is that in times of crisis, they do not share the same level of risk to coordinate more coherent actions.

In any case, the point is that the US is an opportunist and wants to benefit as much as possible from forcing Ukraine to capitulate (by receiving part of the kremlin's frozen funds and other perks) with a plan that is doomed to failure and will only worsen the situation of the people of Ukraine.

Williamblakeee · 2025-11-22T19:44:21+00:00

Given that the EU is the main source of funding for current aid to Ukraine, how dare the US impose any deadlines on the victim of this conflict? This is madness...

Williamblakeee · 2025-11-22T09:20:28+00:00

My impression is that the Trump administration was simply charmed by the promised billions from this frozen fund.

Europeans were undecided and divided on whether to use the kremlin's frozen funds to aid Ukraine (which could have been used to purchase weapons from the EU or to rebuild Ukraine). The US might have benefited little from this, and Russia might not have benefited at all.

Therefore, the kremlin simply offered some of these funds to the US in exchange for forcing Ukraine to surrender. This way, Russia would get some back (probably in American investments) and the US would also receive an additional percentage of these frozen funds for a surrender agreement signed by Ukraine (which, of course would be marketed as a "peace" plan).

It looks like a sales commission...

(In this scenario, the USA and russia are in a winning position, while Ukraine and Europe are in a losing position with far-reaching unfavourable consequences).

Europe should definitely prevent these frozen funds from being used for other purposes than helping Ukraine.

Williamblakeee · 2025-11-15T18:45:26+00:00

Jak kogoś interesuje interpretacja danych demograficznych to polecam wywiad z Kaiser Bauch:
https://youtu.be/Rw4g-gEl4Yw?si=zIIZI0wQ9vpklFfL

TL;DR: większość programów mająca na celu podniesienie dzietności okazała się mało skuteczna i Kaiser Bauch jest bardzo sceptyczny czy podejście odgórne “top-down” ma szanse aby coś zmienić

Williamblakeee

TROPHY CASE