I run an insert all the time now in my rear tire. Vittoria Airliner Light. It’s pretty common for me on rocky trails to notice rear wheel rim strikes as I don’t run high tire pressures. For example, I had multiple rim strikes over three days at Moab Rocks in April, and no flats, so I assume the liner is doing its job. The liner is very light, so I don’t really see a downside of keeping it in the tire all the time.
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What tune did you end up with on the shock?
That’s the one hangup for me for changing mine out, the magic middle on the SIDLuxe is absolutely awesome.
That’s a sweet bike @eddie!!
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I have a sneaking suspicion mine does (xo transmission) but it’s my one source of truth so I try not to dwell on it much.
Yep. 3 out of 3 for me. They all read 4-7% more than pedals and kickr. Confirmed and calibrated with a stomp test. Works fine after that, spot on with kickr during a winter with all sorts of Zwift riding.
Road quarq was very good out of the box.
With XC forks now going out to 130mm how are people keeping their fits the same? I’m looking to go to a 130mm 34SL but there doesn’t seem to be any 35mm clamp stem options with more drop than the Bontrager Kovee Pro (-13)?
Has XC embraced 130? 120 is the split between trail and XC for me personally.
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The 100mm forks were the split for XC before the 34-step cast and the 35mm SID came out. We’ll probably see Rockshox launch a 130mm SID to match the 34SL next season, and that 10mm fork travel is just part of the bike fit to adjust stack height & geometry.
When you had to go up to a Pike or full weight 34 to get 130mm it was half a pound on the front end and really changed the feel of the bike IMO.
I did Little Sugar MTB on a Rekon Race rear with a Vittoria Airliner, trails were extremely dry and blown out with lots of sharp rocks. I had been told to “leave the XC tires at home” and I have punctured everytime I’ve been to Bentonville so I was okay with that. I had intended to run a regular Rekon in the front but ended up flatting while we were doing a training ride the day before and I was not about to start a race on a compromised tire even though it eventually sealed up. Luckily, I always travel with a spare tire and threw a Vittoria Agarro on the front and even tho my OCD wanted brands to match, it performed so much better than my original choice anyway. I did also run a liner in the front which was nice as I was able to ride back on the flatting front tire vs walking back. When I got done with the race there were several inch long gashes from tread to bead on the Rekon Race that went through the first layer of rubber but never deep into the casing/threads so no sealant weep or loss of pressure so I was very happy with the durability even if they do feel quite slower than a lightweight XC tire. I’d opt for the insert, helps against pinch flats, allows you to run flat ride, and does let you run lower tire pressures which can give you that extra grip on loose trails.
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Probably have to switch to the 31.8 bar for more options
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I’ve got a bunch of Kovee Pro stems and really like them, but when I moved up to 120, I swapped out for a regular Bontrager Pro -17 and a 31.8 set of bars.
As forks keep getting longer, and BBs lower, designers will have to find new solutions to fight higher stack heights.
My idea is to make the stations more like DH bikes and use cafe racer-style clip-ons. 
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Can you please explain this?
What would be your thoughts on a Rekon Race Front and Rear for the Little Sugar course?
yeah but that’s trail bike weight
too high rolling resistance, use dubnitals or ricks
wait the epic Evo frame the same as the epic?
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I’m signed up for it, based on the conversation here will run Barzo / Mezcal Trail casing as they are a known quantity. Too bad Ray/Ralph doesn’t have a burly option.
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Held up well and I liked the “grip” but they aren’t the fastest/lightest. I was prioritizing no flats and I made my MPH goal so I was happy with how they performed. Would run again if I didn’t have the opportunity to test out other options. The Barzo/Mezcal combo in the trail (not XC) casing was ran by a member of our group and he raced a hardtail with no issues. Those seem to be lighter/faster depending on which size you go with.
Yes, exact same frame. There’s a flip chip in the shock pivot that is in a different position for Epic 8 vs Epic 8 evo. The only outlier frame is the epic 8 S-works that has hose routing through the head tube and also nixes cable routing options for mechanical (so only supports wireless drivetrains and dropper). I went with an Epic 8 because I generally liked the components that came with it, but much prefer the understated paint/logos on the Evo frames.
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I’d say that’s a solid choice and would be near the top of my list for the race.
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