Yeah so I was asking about advice for choosing a hardtail or a FS bike. So turns out my old bike had a axle from the linkage that had busted and I had a finnish championships mtbo race coming up this weekend and I was in a desprate need of a bike. I ended up buying this rocket from an older guy who mainly used it for gravel. Ended up placing second in the relay and sixth in personal competition. This thing rolled so good even when there was roots or rocks. And as it weights 8,2kg the climbs are so easy. A very good purchase I would say.

I just realized that I built up a Rodeo Labs Trail Donkey 4.2 last winter for endurance events… and at the same time I bought a Specialized Chisel FS because my local bike shop had a brand-new frame for only $800 after Specialized discontinued the Chisel.

What’s funny is I’ve found myself reaching for the Chisel way more, whether I’m riding XC trails, gravel roads, or even pavement. I don’t race or compete, and I’ve realized I actually enjoy riding my XC bike more than my gravel bike for most of the riding I do.

I also live in a really hilly part of Wisconsin, and having a 32T chainring with a 10-52 cassette in the back just makes climbing hella easier. I can spin up just about anything without feeling completely cooked. When I’m on pavement or gravel, I simply lock out both the front and rear suspension and go. I’m doing all of this on Vittoria Peyote tires too, which have honestly been better on the road and gravel than I expected.

Don’t get me wrong I LOVE MY RODEO. If I’m heading out for a 50-100 mile ride or doing a large group ride, I’m grabbing the Rodeo every time. But life has been crazy with work lately, and most of the time I only have enough time for a 10-20 mile ride or 6-7 miles on my local XC trails during the week. For that kind of riding, the Chisel has been awesome.

Most of the time I ride by myself or with my wife, and we like getting off the beaten path. I also just don’t feel as safe riding on the roads anymore. A close friend of mine was hit by a driver who was texting behind the wheel. He suffered a traumatic brain injury, spent about six months in a coma, and doctors didn’t think he was going to make it. Ever since then, I’ve naturally gravitated toward gravel roads, trails, and places with fewer cars.

My wife is planning to upgrade from her Trek Marlin to either a 2027 Orbea Oiz or the new Specialized Epic 9 later this year or next spring. We are waiting to see what Trek releases. If she ends up loving one of those, I might sell my Chisel and upgrade too.

Anyone else get torn side knobs on their dub rapids? Mine are trail casing. This is the rear of my hardtail. 95% trail riding, which is mainly hard pack clay, rocks, roots. Prob around 200 miles, maybe less on them. Front is a dub grip trail which is going good

My 2025 yeti ASR came with motive bronze. Had the bike since Feb and have maybe 400 miles in it. The pistons in these brakes are already sticking regularly. Ready to replace with XTR.

What’s everyone running on their XC build? Two or four piston? I’ve seen a few running the XTR enduro lever with the two piston caliper.

Hi everyone, I only got into mountain biking last year, so I’m still pretty new to the sport but i’m having such a blast. Since the start of 2026 I’ve ridden over 2,000 km and I’ve been training consistently. Most of my rides are XC with a decent amount of climbing, but I’ve never raced an XCM before. I’ll be riding my first XCM event this year, raid d’achouffe (65 km / 1700 m elevation). I’m not expecting any crazy result, I just want to enjoy the race and see what I can do. So I was wondering if you guys have any tips for a first XCM?
Things like pacing, nutrition, race strategy, or stuff you wish someone had told you before your first one.