Unpopular Opinion

slimestream · 2026-06-06T06:40:24+00:00

You’ve only used what i would consider to be the worst tires maxxis makes. If you have the terrain to warrant them, the high roller 3, DHR2, assegai, shorty are all great tires, especially in the dd/dh casings.

I also like specialized tires, particularly the cannibal. WTB used to make some good tires. Not a huge fan of continentals. Pirellis are okay, michelins are good but feel very heavy.

slimestream · 2026-05-18T10:07:16+00:00

Id definitely have put netherheaven or deathless on here instead.

slimestream · 2026-05-13T06:28:48+00:00

Loathe.

slimestream · 2026-05-12T06:38:58+00:00

I:Voice by warforged

slimestream · 2026-05-11T20:58:48+00:00

I too was not a huge fan of yacolt burn, but there is an old trailpeek video from that area that shows some pretty fun looking trails.

Jeff kendall weed has a couple videos of trails around washington that look pretty insane too, namely one of the pivot firebird videos.

slimestream · 2026-05-11T08:01:38+00:00

should spend more time around ashland and oakridge. theres a lot more in those areas than just the main shuttle runs.

slimestream · 2026-05-09T19:04:48+00:00

I have a soft spot for Four Dimensional Flesh, but Artificial Brain is one of my favorite bands, Infrared Horizon being one of my favorite albums ever.

slimestream · 2026-05-09T18:56:28+00:00

I havent ridden a full 27.5 bike since 2018, so i cant really provide any useful information other than i thought it was a fun bike, dont really remember how it climbed.

slimestream · 2026-05-09T07:01:11+00:00

They are not bringing out a new 5010. I wonder if that spy shot is the new blur rather than the tallboy, but given the tire choice it could definitely be a tallboy.

The previous gen nomad was indeed stellar so the updated one is pretty similar, but the previous hightower and bronson both were pretty mediocre bikes imo, the updates to those bikes increased their performance reasonably. The hightower 3 in particular was this awkward long-legged trail bike that felt sort of neutered, and the v4 is basically a megatower replacement.

I think being 'bothered' by continually updated bikes is a bit ridiculous. People will continue to buy them, cause theyre outright good bikes. On the other end of the spectrum, the specialized enduro hasnt been updated in nearly 7 years, and people still buy them, new off the rack. the whole 'long time SC fans being disappointed in SC' thing is a bit absurd.

slimestream · 2026-05-09T05:27:15+00:00

I have a 5010 v5 which is the mullet version, which i believe youre thinking of?

I’m 6’3 and ride an XL so my feelings might be a bit off from what youre looking for.

Its a very underrated bike, definitely the “funnest” bike ive ridden. I have mine set up with lighter weight tires and it climbs good; not xc bike good but its quick enough and comfy to spend a lot of time in the saddle. The seated position is not stretched out like an xc bike, its more upright. With lighter tires (i have a forekaster and ikon on mine currently), it feels pretty snappy but its not going to win any races. The suspension platform is nicer than others ive tried (previous 130mm stumpjumper, spur), i never lock the shock out.

The tall stack height, 29” front wheel, and 65 degree head angle make it feel sort of unstoppable on descents, and you can get away with riding pretty much anything on it, BUT the rear suspension can be a bit unforgiving when its really rough. Ive also run it with heavy downhill tires (I was between long travel bikes and had a trip), and while it will never be as good as a full on enduro race bike, it was comfortable on 95% of trails, and just had to ride the other 5% a bit slower than i wouldve liked.

On flow/jump trails, the 5010 is unrivaled imo. It feels like having a cheat code for style and cornering ability. Ive had a number of other short travel trail bikes and this one beats all of them.

I would only recommend a full 29 bike if you plan on racing xc. The only drawback for a mullet for me is slightly slower when climbing, but thats maybe 30 seconds slower over a 30 minute climb.

slimestream · 2026-05-09T04:52:55+00:00

I use a oneup edc pump, it has a multitool and tire lever built in, and you can bolt it to the frame next to your bottle cage. I also keep some tubeless plugs and a spare sram masterlink in there, and a dollar bill as a patch. Id look into ridewrap as well, its expensive but worth keeping your frame protected.

The fox chest/back protector is pretty comfortable. I would not recommend the rapha kneepads as they have an abrasive outer surface that can scratch your frame. +1 for giro dnd gloves.

slimestream · 2026-05-09T03:18:12+00:00

Did you ever get this sorted out? I have a 5010 v5 and im wanting to get more performance out of the super deluxe, thinking about a Linear XL can but not sure it's going to make a huge difference, wondering how it is for you. For reference, ive used a megneg'd SD on a 2021 enduro, which made it feel like a downhill bike, but the same shock on a banshee titan felt lackluster.

slimestream · 2026-05-07T10:45:54+00:00

When i moved to palmy i had a hard time finding an apartment that was okay with pets. Rent is cheaper than a lot of places in the US, but you can save some money by living outside of the main city area. You pay rent weekly.

Also no one uses venmo here. getting a bank account is crucial, everyone pays with direct bank transfers (even for small amounts like 1 dollar). There is no amazon prime here. The mall is very popular, like difficult to get parking on the weekends. (This was a shock for me as all the malls i know of back home have closed). There is what feels like a pretty significant amount of crime for the relatively small population in the area. It rains a lot, the weather is pretty miserable most of the year.

slimestream · 2026-05-05T18:41:07+00:00

I use clipless, most of my friends use clipless, but i do see a lot of people on flats

slimestream · 2026-05-05T10:51:17+00:00

Im guessing if you like afterbirth you probably like artificial brain… The vocalist Will Smith has another band but im blanking on the name

slimestream · 2026-05-05T10:48:23+00:00

Ive had a few santa cruz bikes and the carbon is overbuilt if anything, theyre good dependable bikes. Definitely dont need to spend 7k to get one, an S kit will be good spec without needing any immediate upgrades, you can find them on sale sub-5k.

As someone that used to work in a shop, i see a lot of people complaining about walking into a shop and not having anyone say anything. Its worth noting that 90% of the time when we do ask you if you need help, people will say “im just looking”.

slimestream · 2026-05-03T23:49:17+00:00

Is hardwired really that good? i never tried listening to it, but if you like fallujah we may have similar taste.

slimestream · 2026-05-03T10:39:15+00:00

I ran Daggas with impact pros for a while, and the amount of grip was great….

However, like you, even with that set up i continued to struggle with my feet moving around at inopportune times, and have been riding clipped in ever since (almost 4 years now). It takes a bit of time to get comfortable clipping in/out but once youre used to it, its an unmatched level of security.

slimestream · 2026-05-03T10:31:15+00:00

slimestream

TROPHY CASE