Another AM9 recommendation here.
Really durable, top warranty, pedals really really well and can be made into a DH monster with a 170mm fork, coil shock and RRR link.

I’ll be the annoying guy stepping in and suggesting the AM9 anyway.
The one you tried had original or RRR link, coil or air? This changes the bike’s character a lot

Five Ten Impacts are roomier than Shimanos and way grippier

I always wear bibs (whatever Decathlon has on sale) under the baggies. For me is not as much about saddle padding but mostly:
– rubbing and friction protection from shorts, protection, hip bag, etc
– it helps in crashes
– the chamois really makes a difference when the jewels hit something

I only put the bike upside down for that period to assess the wiper seals condition. There was not sign of oil from the 3 previous rides.
I reckon the scratch is a “negative” impression, no burrs.

Ok, so time for an update

Slapped the Lyrik into the AM9, 3 rides in now.
3 issues:
1 – I didn’t realize, but there’s a scratch on the Lyrik’s right stanchion. It went through surface treatment and can’t feel it with my finger or the more sensitive skin on the back of my hand (understandably, as I have hams for hands) but can feel it with my fingernail. Turned the bike upside down for 30min and then compressed the fork several times, there’s a very tiny trace of oil on the wiper seal where the scratch passes. What do you guys think of this? A bit uneasy about it.

2 – while it’s definitely a very, very smooth fork, I’m having trouble with setup. It dives a lot, even with 10 extra psi Vs the 36. Playing with pressure and LSC seems to have little effect on this, just starts to make it rougher, also little success with tokens. Maybe I just need time to adjust to the different behaviour.

3 – I’m under the impression I have less front wheel traction. Could be related to no2 or, but I’m skeptical of this one, the different offset

Do the serial number thing on Trailhead and also try to forcibly extend the fork to see if it shows the 170mm stanchions that way. Debonair forks are famous for doing that

We live in the golden era of the allmountain hardtail, so I’d suggest a Pipedream Moxie or Cotic Solaris/Bfe on a higher budget, Bird Zero 29 on a middle one and Nukeproof Scout 290 or a tighter wallet

Bikepacking can mean a lot of different things, but if covering lots of ground or raw speed is not high on your list of priorities, I’d definitely suggest a look into the current crop of trail/AM LLS hardtails. While not the fastest (going up) they are a level above in terms of comfort, stability, durability and fun.

I’ve done bikepacking trips on XC bikes, dedicated bikepacking bikes (Surly Ogre) and on a full on enduro bike. The one with the enduro bike was my favourite by far, slower but way more comfortable, the geometry and burliness of the bike made it handle the load much better and wasn’t afraid of breaking something or slashing a tyre and was actually having fun riding. Can imagine this would somewhat translate into a “hardcore hardtail”.

Yes, I completely agree that my anecdotal experience proves nothing, but considering that it was on the same trails, same riding style, it leaves a bad taste in one’s mouth nonetheless. And the Wild Enduros compound is objectively softer and faster wearing than the Aggressor I had, so that’s minus 1 point for durability.

Anyway, I’ve read the insert thing on Pinkbike, here’s their quote:
“In some cases, the tires have gained a few grams compared to previous versions, but Schwalbe’s intention with the extra reinforcement was to allow riders to run the tires without needing to use any inserts, an interesting change of course from the company that brought Procore to the market back in 2014.”

https://m.pinkbike.com/news/schwalbe-announces-5-new-tire-casings-and-2-new-tread-patterns.html

Edit: added link to Pinkbike’s article

I stopped caring so much about tyre weight some time ago when I realized that that can be easily offset with some weeks worth of fitness adaptation, while there’s little I could do to improve reliability (was going through a set of Exo tyres every couple of months at the time).
I’m fine with a tyre weighting up to 1200g or even a little more, plus insert, if that really warrants reliability.

I’ve read somewhere that part of Schwalbe’s scope for the new range was to save users the need for inserts, which would account for a 100-200g saving per wheel. However I couldn’t find any extra details on how do they expect to meet that claim.

Used a DD rear Aggressor for 8 months, awful thread pattern (this is like, my opinion dude) but very durable, zero issues. Installed a set of Michelin Wild Enduros a month ago and already have a deepish slash on the rear one, not impressed.

This Schwalbe range makes it clear on the intended use of each tyre and casing.

Bird AM9

Update on my part after about 20 rides or so. They’re mounted on 29 30mm wide rims, Rimpact front and rear.

Front – I think I’ve started to get how this tyre corners. While on a DHF you’re very pushed to lean the bike under you (body-bike separation) while the WE seems to work better if you lean with the bike. Not convinced on hardpack, DHF definitely better here, but feels safer everywhere else. Very soft rubber, don’t think they’ll last long, maybe 2 or 3 months max.

Rear – can confirm, these have a fantastic balance between braking traction, climbing traction and rolling resistance. Cornering is good, once you adapt your technique, as per the front one. Very soft compound, already lost a couple of knobs, quite disappointing. Also, seems not to be as resistant as a DD casing, already have a mean looking slash on the sidewall, which never happened to me on 8 months of DD use, on the same trails (I know, could be bad luck).

Both front and rear feel stiff and have a muted, damped ride feel typical of heavier tyres, which I like.

All in all, unless they suddenly stop wearing at the present rate and the slash was a bonkers isolated incident, I don’t think I will buy again. Performance is great, but they seem to wear too fast and the casing apparently isn’t up to Doubledown resistance.
Don’t let the lower price fool you, it’s a false economy, these will likely cost more £ per mile than Maxxis

When I had the Stumpjumper Evo I asked them directly about 160mm fork compatibility. They answered that all the range supports 10mm longer forks than specced

Maybe I sound a little too negative about the Evo so let me refrase it: it’s not like the Evo is a bad bike, it’s just that there are, IMHO, much better bikes around.
If I was riding mostly bikeparks and trail centers I could pump that shock up and have a riot with it.

Some mentioned pushing the bike, but that’s actually when pushing it that I found the limits of the bike

Not to sound like too much of a Stumpy basher, but I’d say the regular Stumpjumper shares many of the same issues with the Evo, like poor pedaling performance, durability and linear rear suspension.

So many killer options on that range right now, would be hard pressed to even consider a Stumpjumper.
Have you looked at the new Bird Aether 9C, or even the Pace RC295?

Got a length of M12 threaded rod some 10 years ago. Half of it went as a Landy drop arm ball joint puller, only lasted 3 or or so ball joints as those in the know would expect.
The other half, together with a couple of large washers, lives to this day as a headset cup press. Used it on dozens of frames. Cups on freezer overnight makes the job easy

Owned a Stumpy Evo 29 alloy for an year, honestly, can’t recommend it.
Is an interesting experiment, but a flawed one. Mine was with the shock spacer removed (155mm rear travel) and a 160mm fork, always on high setting.
Let’s start with the pluses:
– it’s great at cornering, as long as the terrain is smooth
– it’s a very comfortable bike at moderate paces
– high quality finish
– gorgeous
– loads of rear wheel traction

Minus:
– it’s not very durable, mine kept creaking from everywhere, bending shock bolts and most pivot bearings where shot within an year
– BB is way too low, even on high setting. It’s really a handicap when climbing any actual trail (not a fireroad), even sprinting becomes a hazard
– very low anti squat makes it sluggish on climbs. And I hate climb switches
– very linear rear suspension, easily reaches it’s limits when one starts to push the bike.

Now own a V3 AM9 (actually my second AM9, had one before the Evo, regretted that move badly…), way better bike, much more robust, much better climber, much more composed downhill, can actually pedals it over rocks and such. Only drawback I can think of is that it looks like an agricultural appliance next to the Evo

I bikepack with my enduro bike (yes, I know… but it’s great fun), so 4 pot brakes and 200mm rotors.
Seeing the abuse those brakes get in DH shuttle days, I couldn’t care less about what they go through while descending at half the speed with an extra 5 or 7kg on board on easier trails

Pipedream Moxie

Anyone with experience with both the original and the new C1 Debonair airshafts?

I was quite excited about the Daggas until I saw NSMB’s review with pics of them next to other popular pedals. The size difference next to the Horizons (my current ones) is so marginal I could never justify the cost

If it’s a matter of building with the components you already have, then a 142mm hub is generally easily converted to Boost and a 30.9mm seatpost fits perfectly in a larger diameter frame with a good quality shim.
This is to say, don’t shrink your options needlessly based on those 2 factors

Freeriders or Freerider Pros on sale.

I personally am a Impact fan, very protective, the rigid sole keeps feet fatigue down on long or intense days, very good pedaling efficiency and love to walk on them on rough trails

Thanks for all the answers.
I’ll go with the Lyrik, worst case scenario it’s not worse than the 36 Rhythm. Also the longer offset should moderate a bit trail increase caused by the longer travel.

Now only need to decide between a “old” Debonair 170mm airshaft or a new C1 unit

The remedy for low heels on long bikes is a taller handlebar. I had the same issue you describe with a size L AM9 (500mm reach) until I raised the bars about 20 ou 25mm. Problem solved.

While I generally enjoy Cunningham’s writing, that specific article, IMO, was not very sound for a number of reasons, many surrounding the pseudo scientific “Sam Hill rides aligned with the bike forces” thing. In my view WC racers tend to ride clipless because:
– their risk-reward balance is way different than ours
– they are good enough technically for the clips not to mess with their riding
– as professionals, they need to search for every single drop of juice

I would definitely sell them both and buy a Mezzer or Zeb, but the one I’m not using is promised as a giveaway to a friend. Also not willing to spend any more £ besides the 170mm airshaft, I put myself on a strict “consumables only” diet to the end of the year…

So for me the question comes to which one has the better chassis, 36 Rhythm or Lyrik, and which one is the best damper, GRIP Vs RCT3.

Picking the RS would mean I have matching forks and shocks, but that’s just next level vanity…

Also, on the RockShox side of things, does anyone have experience upgrading from the regular Debonair to the new “C” spec airshaft?

I can’t really comment on the RS’s 51mm offset, haven’t used it for an year, but I’m not adamant about it. I’m perfectly aware that the offset discussion is greatly exaggerated.

Also curious on people’s opinions on the Charger2 RCT3 Vs GRIP dampers

Over the last 2,5 years I had Alpinestars Paragons, Dakine Slayers and POC VPD Airs. The Slayers fell apart in weeks, the Paragons look great and are super comfortable but fail to provide any meaningful protection, won’t stay in place during crashes and the pads tend to break in half after an year or so (know of several cases besides mine).
I always go back to the trusty POCs. They don’t look as good (tight gap!!!!) and feel uncomfortable each time I put those on. But once the pad heats up and conforms they are super comfy, provide real coverage, stay in place and the build quality is just heads and shoulders above anything else I’ve tried

Also, on foot positioning, I see a good number of comments on trouble to both place the foot right away in the right place and correcting the position when riding.

This was an issue for me as well for a very long time, each time I put my feet on the pedals they went into the wrong place, to the point I was looking down to check what I was doing. Besides putting down the miles (perhaps the most important thing) the biggest thing for me was simply stop thinking about it. Just slamming the feet into the pedals and not pay attention to it for some reason seems to make things right.

On foot position correcting when riding, I’d say it pays off to play a bit with the pedal pins. Using Nukeproof Horizons with Five Ten Impacts I had trouble to adjust foot position, and then, after seeing so many people doing so, I removed the two inside pins on the pedals. This somehow made a world of difference, I can now adjust my feet mid ride without and detriment to actual pedal traction

Was on clips for about 10 years, then precisely 2 years ago decided to switch to flats. Might be relevant to point that my use ranges from full on DH tracks to all day trail rides.

It was a slow process of adaptation for me, but an absolutely worthy one. My riding had several issues that were being camouflaged by clips but badly surfaced with flats:
– my body position was all over the place, the load on my feet was not consistent, I was loosing composure all the time and the bike was taking me for a ride
– I wasn’t dropping my heels
– I wasn’t preloading the bike prior to maneuvers

Correcting these not only made flat pedals usable, but also made me a way better rider.
After 2 years I can say that:
– flats let you know on spot if you are with the wrong body position
– I used to consistently drop my outside foot on corners, now I always corner with level pedals, feel more stable this way
– all my current personal bests are on flat pedals
– climbing was never an issue, personally never understood the whole pedaling efficiency thing
– feel way more comfortable on long days on the bike. Feet, ankles and knees are not locked and more naturally
– raising your bars a little Vs your clips setup is generally a good idea, in my case +20mm made a huge difference on how planted my feet feel
– I feel a lot more connected to the bike, I know that as long as I do the correct operation the bike will do what I want, no unforeseen unclipping, etc

Had one of the first MK1s.
Tyre clearance wise, mine could fit a 29×2.4 Ardent on 25mm rims up to mid dropout position and a 29×2.5 Ardent on a 30mm rim but only on the rearmost dropout position.
The news ones are supposedly better in this regard.

Loved mine, only minus were:
– the said tyre clearance
– head angle could be slacker for the bike’s intentions
– I’m a hair under 6’1, the longer felt too long for me with a 140mm fork and a low rise bar.

The new ones seem to address most of this, and I’d love to try a longer with a 160mm fork to shorten the reach and a higher cockpit.
The sliding dropouts are a distinctive advantage of the Moxie for me, and make absolute sense on a hardtail. If you screw the derailleur you can always rig a SS setup on the go.

Every time someone mentions a Moxie I wonder about getting one again. Had a couple of big crashes recently and a hardtail could be a good way to slow me down a bit

I’ve been on my Wild Enduro Set for nearly a month.

I’m also having issues with air loss. My rear rim happens to have a flat spot and the rear tyre tends to burp there. Never had an issue with that flat spot with various Exo and Doubledown tyres before, seems like the rear Wild Enduro hast a stiffer bead that will not seat as well there. I need to add more sealant, there’s not much of it inside and might be making things worse.

Performance wise, the front seems to not be as good as a DHF on very dry trails and on loose over hard terrain. On more moist trails, roots and rocks however, seems to be quite better than the DHF.
I’m also on the fence regarding the rear one. The 30mm rim gives it a squarish profile, it’s quite sensitive to any braking or weight shift mid corner and there’s the air loss thing. But on the other hand I don’t think I ever tried a tyre with such good combination of climbing and braking traction together with fairly reasonable rolling resistance

There is this thing called Stooge cycles…

Or any Yoann Barelli’s video of late with him on a new size L Meta AM 29

Anyone around here has experience with the Daggas? I’m seduced by the Burgtec MK5, but tales of mediocre grip and narrow Q factor make me uneasy

@beanieripper I think the thing here is that now people have the option to choose how agile-stable they want the bike to be. We used to be kind of locked into a size due to seat tube lengths, but you now can easily choose between 2, sometimes 3 sizes within a model, which is great.

You’re right, there’s always a compromise with each geometry, but I’ll also say that the “agility ceiling” for a proper LLS bike is higher than many of us think, and their gentle manners tend to better fit the type of riding most of us do

Down, always down please

I’ll spit out my unpopular opinion about grips: every grip I ever tried was uncomfortable on a bike with bad ergonomics, and every grip seems to be comfortable when the cockpit ergonomics are on point.
I just turned 30 and do lots of grip strength related workouts, so that might be related

I can’t but recommend the Nukeproof Horizons I’ve been using for the last 2 years. Did a thread about them recently:

In praise of Nukeproof Horizons

If these ever die (I doubt) I’d love to try either the Burgtec MK5s or the Daggas, or even the Catalyst Evos