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Shimano XTs are the best bang for your buck light switch brakes, run a 2mm rotor and galfer pads. FIVE10 shoes are the best and a nice pedal like the DMR vault.
My Shimano XT brakes are very linear and not light switch at all?
Light switch.
I agree bang for buck they are good for normal trail riding.
Are you guys running the 4 pot XTs? The old 2 pot weren't that great but the 4 pots with 223 galfer rotors and galfer pads are amazing, they lock up instantly if needed.
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Every Shimano brake I have ever tired has the light switch feel.
I run sram codes with sintered pads. Squeel like a bitch but have awesome stopping power, esp when riding park.
Mine are 4 piston with 203mm rotors and they're very linear. I can modulate them very easily to keep from locking up, but can lock them up if needed. Definitely not a light switch.
That's how brakes work 🤦♂️
I went from riding hardtails to my first enduro bike. When you start mountain biking, there's no going back.
Brake brands are just like motorcycle brakes. Everyone loves Brembo and Nissen. Most 4 piston mountain bike brakes can work well. Yes they have different characteristics but they can get the job done. Go out and get some miles on that thing before you change anything. The internet has some good information, use it sparingly. What ever you do don’t ride with a bunch of e-bikes. You will be selling your bike shortly.
absolutely love that trail. I concussed myself on one of the jumps on there this spring. Have you ridden much on the ridge?
Stay with flats unless you're uncomfortable. I'm faster than my whole ride group, and only use flats. I'd recommend trying to angle your feet to help keep them on the pedals. When going downhill, especially when braking hard or going over chunder, drop your heels so that they bed into the pedals. I'd also recommend using the dropper. I would honestly take a hardtail (no rear suspension) with a dropper vs a full suspension without a dropper. It'll feel very odd for a long time, but on long rides, your legs will get smoked way sooner, because you're supporting your body weight ontop of pedaling.
I have the 2 pot xt's. I swapped them from Shimano Zee brakes because I'm a lightweight, and the superpower Zee's broke traction too easily. Everyone I ride with is flabbergasted when I show up with a 170mm enduro hog with 2 pot brakes.
Light switch brakes = little to no modulation with poor feedback. You squeeze the lever and get no braking, squeeze a little more then all of a sudden they lock up.
Linear brakes have good feedback and start braking early in the lever travel without unexpectedly locking up the wheel.
It depends on your riding style. I try to only brake when I'm going straight, not during a turn. I bomb one area, then right before a corner or some section that demands a slower speed, I slam the brakes, then roll brakeless through the section. I use "on/off" brakes because it means I can slow down hard and fast. High modulation can be awesome if you cover the brake more. If I need to brake HARD in a split second, but my brakes are super soft in the lever, it takes a load of forearm strength to pull to a slow. Do this a bunch of times on a long trail, and arm pump is significantly worse. Obviously not everyone rides like this, so there is certainly a market for high modulation brakes, but for a lot of people, it just doesn't fit the way they want to ride.
Intense all the way because they support moto and make great bikes!!
Pit Row
Sick bike, love the DVO forks and shock 🔥
I'm in Phoenix for school. I love hawes. I'm down to hit up the trails at some point!
choose downcountry or XC. pro supercross riders are rolling fast with 100-130 on the front. they're not trying to balance 1mph over some root garden or dropping off ledges. they're looking at speed like pro mtbers. don't listen to your buddies who copied what their friends do. mtb crossover from motocross is about cardio and speed like road cycling only in the dirt..
Specialized Epic EVO
Scott Spark
Pivot Mach 4 SL
“Balance at 1mph on a root garden, or drop off a ledge”? You must ride a lot of Mtb stuff. That’s hilarious, “pro mtbers” like cross country guys? There probably more pro mtbrs that don’t wear Lycra. I don’t think, and maybe Jake can clear it up? Are we talking Mtb for training or getting a thrill and having fun shredding, kinda like that satisfying feeling you get riding moto?
Im sure “most” Pro SX guys don’t ride the fun stuff during the season, it’s kinda risky you could die or get hurt, more Lycra wearing kinda stuff for sure.
I think most of us are past the point of trying to be a pro racer. It’s about having fun and also getting a work out in and hanging out with your buddies talking shit. I used to see the big dogs ride at Greer and they will do all the trails on there epic evos
X2. I don't see anyone except XC guys riding an XC bike. Lots and lots of motocross, downhill MTB, and average Joes on Enduro or Trail MTBs, though. It's a much more satisfying crossover from moto, for sure, and still a great workout.
Right on. I usually ride hawes and I’ve been to somo once. Trails are fire today and should be good all weekwnd
120-150 bikes have gotten alot better as xc bikes and are really the goldilocks bike but it really comes down to what kind of terrain you're riding. East of the Mississippi there's some places to get rowdy for a while but most of the time you are only dealing with a few hundred feet of elevation loss at a time. We don't climb fire roads then bomb the downhill like you do in California.
I don't get back to school until the next year, but the weather is certainly excellent at the moment.
Totally right, depends on the terrain out of your back door.
But Lots of DH gravity parks east of the Mississippi, and a huge amount of fast American DH kids coming out of the race series thats running out east. Lots of them race moto also
If I’m not mistaken, Aaron gwin just bought some bike park in Tennessee? His local trails he built in so cal are super fun. I can only imagine what he can do with a bike park
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