What I'd like to see ..........

[jm2e]

What do you want out of the real, virtual, social media or political world of mountain biking?

What I'd like to see is a comparison between a super low end budget bike and a super high end bike. Like the archetypal "Walmart Bike Sends A-Line". But my twist would be a parts swap between high and low end. $10k Carbon Nomad for instance. Put the shitty brakes, drivetrain, suspension (if possible?) parts on the Nomad. Then take the department store bike and kit it up with the Enve wheels, Saint brakes, Float 36, X2, modern drivetrain. Remind people that it's so so so not about the "bike". Or maybe it is!

Oh, and I'd like to read stories about how IMBA has been motivating people at the grassroots level to secure access to more land and hand build trails the way the local shredders want the trails to be. Crazy, right?

[babybear]

I'd enjoy that comparison for sure. although I recall from my bike shop days that the walmart bikes where never machined well etc etc so I'm skeptical that one could get the parts to fit right.
that would be a great article even just for the amusement tho

We also laugh about the names of the walmart/ cheap bikes. always something too appropriate - the Catapult etc

I'd also like to see some non-lesbian-looking womens riding gear
there's a couple co's out there but so hard to try on/ look at and the sizing is always so varied

[smmokan]

Check out the new Bike Magazine "Bible of Bike Tests".... while their reviews are for the most part pretty worthless, they do attempt to include a handful of comparisons between bikes that are more than $3000 apart in price. That's about as close as you're going to get.

Along those lines, I'd like to see an honest bike review once in a while. Can someone please come out and say "this bike sucks at climbing" or "you don't want to ride this bike down anything steeper than a downtown sidewalk"? I know most new bikes these days are $$$$, but still- bike reviewers these days skirt any negative feedback by spewing verbal diarrhea. Not every bike climbs well and descends better.

Oh, and I'd also like to see a few bike companies spec "old school" Shimano 1x11 on their new builds. It's ridiculous that everything is 1x12 Eagle now... and a $5000+ bike with a $500 GX Eagle drivetrain? WTF?

[jm2e]

/\ /\ /\ ........ or maybe just; "Seriously folks, almost every bike out there is awesome these days. This over hyped over priced plastic charger isn't an inch better than the 2 year old bike you could buy off craigslist. $1,000 a pound in weight savings isn't going to get you any Strava Trophies you fat fucker"

[babybear]

/\ /\ /\ ........ or maybe just; "Seriously folks, almost every bike out there is awesome these days. This over hyped over priced plastic charger isn't an inch better than the 2 year old bike you could buy off craigslist. $1,000 a pound in weight savings isn't going to get you any Strava Trophies you fat fucker"

I'd say that would be fairly accurate.
you should think about doing some writing

[Anospa]

Replace any and all bike media with 50:01 edits.

The world will be a better place.

[plugboots]

Global Mountain Bike Network does cheap bike versus expensive bike reviews, as does their road bike version Global Cycling Network.

[Terrapin Ben]

What I'd like to see is a comparison between a super low end budget bike and a super high end bike. Like the archetypal "Walmart Bike Sends A-Line". But my twist would be a parts swap between high and low end. $10k Carbon Nomad for instance. Put the shitty brakes, drivetrain, suspension (if possible?) parts on the Nomad. Then take the department store bike and kit it up with the Enve wheels, Saint brakes, Float 36, X2, modern drivetrain. Remind people that it's so so so not about the "bike". Or maybe it is!

I think it'd be cooler to see a base model aluminum frame swapped out with all the high end parts vs a full carbon dentist bike with a budget drivetrain/brakes/suspension/etc. Seems more feasible and I'm pretty sure we already know the wall mart frames are crappy on a whole different level from base model stuff from reputable brands...

Cool idea regardless.

[evdog]

I'd like to see shredits that aren't full of unnecessary roosting and riding off trail

[dunfree]

I'm pretty sure we already know the wall mart frames are crappy on a whole different level from base model stuff from reputable brands.

the TarMart frames are the base model stuff. Dorel distributes Schwinn/Mongoose to Walmart & Target and sells Cannondale & GT stuff at better quality shops. the qc is especially shitty on the really cheap ones.

I'd like to see more recs for cheap bike stuff that works well enough like the Ibera frame packs.

[bagtagley]

Same model, AL with cheap components versus carbon with bling. Timed runs, let the times drive the comparison. Minimal subjective mumbo jumbo.

A similar comparison could be a "proven" cheap option like something from Diamond Back, versus a carbon bling machine. Same type of timed test.

[John_B]

I'd like to see shredits that aren't full of unnecessary roosting and riding off trail

Amen! I hate that. And the word "loam"

[jono]

I'd like to see shredits that aren't full of unnecessary roosting and riding off trail

+2. I like to imagine people ride trail/location appropriate. Nice to see GoPro stock take a hit this week.

[smartyiak]

Check out the new Bike Magazine "Bible of Bike Tests"....I'd like to see an honest bike review once in a while...

This. I've watched most of the Bible reviews from this year. Based on them, I was thinking of getting an Orbea Rallon or Norco Sight for my XC racing needs...or the Smuggle, Following MB, or 429T...b/c, 100 = 120 =160.

How about parsing it out a bit? Maybe the phrase "this thing bobs and is only great downhill." I get that most bikes are pretty good...but when they're comparing >$5K...and some nearing $10K, they should be a bit more nit-picky: "Hey, we're in Michigan...you should never buy the Rallon for here...it just don't make much sense."

[funkendrenchman]

I'd like to see a shift back from flow trails to handbuilt trails. Enough already.