As someone who is never wrong at all (ever) and always completely right (always) I feel compelled to make others who might not have this talent feel more comfortable. That is why I am starting the “5 Things I Was Wrong About” monthly article so that I can relate more to the common person. All jokes aside, as someone who is very opinionated, I also know when to fold them. So this is what I was wrong about in February:
Super Boost: This is one of those things that is still hard for me to fully say I was wrong about because I still don’t completely understand what super boost spacing exactly does, or why it makes things better. Any research I do leads to so much tech terminology that goes completely over my head about chainlines and Q factors. My issue with Superboost has always been with how much I travel and how annoying it is not being able to use a friend's wheel in a pinch. I have to say though, I love the new Switchblade I've been testing, and I can't help but feel like some of that is due to Pivot knowing a thing or two about short chainstays. So I'm going to say I was wrong about this one, but also can we please get the spark notes “Dummy’s Guide” version on what superboost does.
Shimano: This one we can thank Japan for. As you guys read in a previous article, visiting Japan made me realize how functional Shimano is. After the trip, I started to look at Shimano in a new light and realized why they don’t make huge sudden changes, or have the flashiest drivetrains. They make things that work, and unfortunately, their North America Marketing team with their elitist attitudes were what was preventing me from seeing how cool Shimano is! So if I am ever in the market for Shimano, I'll probably hop on a plane and buy some in Japan, because it doesn’t feel like things are changing in North America.
Trucks as MTB Vehicles: As a full time vanlifer this is a tough pill to swallow, but I am starting to get truck envy. The amount of bikes you're able to carry and rough roads you can access is starting to make me want a truck shuttle rig. I feel like our recent visit to Rig’d started this and who knows, maybe a truck is in our future. I like being fully enclosed in a vehicle while camping but I also like not feeling as if the vehicle is going to flip while off-road. While I would like our future vehicle to be the Ford Raptor R, my financial advisor/manager has veto’d it (im looking at you Hannah) so who knows what the future holds in store for trucklife.
SRAM Transmission: I was wrong when it comes to the new SRAM Transmission drivetrain. I actually don’t just hate it. I now think that it's one of the worst inventions in all of mountain bike history and it actually makes me almost resent the bikes I'm testing with it. It shifts insanely slow and I am now starting to see clutch issues with it. On top of this the more SRAM doubles down on this being the future of drivetrains, the more I want to take a rock and smash it against my derailleur. But that won't even do anything for me because they spent all their time making it rock proof and not actually making a functioning derailleur
Double Downs: I used to think double down tires were overkill and only for downhill racers. Well, after our recent test trip to Tucson and riding La Millagrosa on my HD6, equipped with Double Downs, I now see the extra rubber light! The added confidence in being able to pick whatever line I wanted combined with the sidewall cornering support and ability to run lower pressures made me feel almost invincible! Will all my bikes have double downs? I'm still a weight weenie so most likely not, but I will say, I now understand the hype!
So there you have it, those are the only times I have ever been wrong ever. See you guys next month!
-Mo Awesome
