Off-Road Adventure for the Sentient Being
Unlike the magazines, I don't have advertisers to please, so if something is a piece of junk, you can rest assured that I'll tell you the truth. I also recognize that everyone is different, and every trail is different. What works for one person in one place may totally suck for someone else, somewhere else. I can't tell you what will work for you, but I can tell you what works for me. Hopefully, you'll have enough information about how and where I ride to be able to decide for yourself if a review is relevant to you.
How I Ride, What I Know
I managed a bicycle shop, and built and wrenched on all levels of mountain bikes from 1991-1997, until I graduated and got a grownup job. During that time and beyond, I was also racing cross-country and cyclocross in the expert class. I won a few races, got on a Norba National podium (Big Bear), won the Surf City CX series, won a district cx championship, and recorded an 8th and a 23rd place at national cx championships. I also competed in ultra-marathon events such as the Cascade Cream Puff 100, Leadville 100, and numerous 24 hr races (team and solo). So I have some experience.
When I was racing, I was a real weight weenie (as long as components were still reliable), but I don't worry so much about that now. I'm only 165 lbs or so, and I tend to ride pretty light, so I can usually get away with lighter components and lower tire pressures than most people. I tend to finesse things a little, and I'm not the fastest downhiller in a straight line, but when things get twisty and more technical, I can pretty much hold my own. I don't really do shuttles, so I expect my bike to pedal well and go uphill effectively. I'd rather ride than work on my bike, so I don't much care for finicky parts. What I want in equipment is (in approximate order) reliability, ease of use, ease of maintenance, serviceability, durability, light weight, and low price. Obviously the low price gets sacrificed sometimes.
So keep this stuff in mind when you read the MotoSapiens equipment reviews. If you only ride downhill fast, you might not care that it's almost impossible to adjust Hayes brakes so they don't rub, so my opinion on that subject may not be relevant to you. However, if you do a fair amount of steep, slow climbing, it will probably drive you as crazy as it drives me, and if you're in the market for brakes, you might want to consider something that sucks less than Hayes.
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