The Pinkbike Podcast: Episode 139 - Crankworx Wrap-up and Bikes for the Zombie Apocalypse

 THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU Henry!!! I'm with you on slopestyle being uninteresting. For me it's two reasons:

1) It's a judged sport. Most people don't like this. Someone winning by 0.1 points does nothing other than make me wonder what would happen with a different set of judges.

2) It's hard to tell the difference. The tricks are so complicated, yet similar that I need someone guiding me through the broadcast, telling me that it was the first ever opposite double truck no hander can-can. If I can't tell what specifically made the winning run so great I lose interest. That's what made Lemoine's super huck so amazing. I knew straight away that it was amazing--didn't need to wait for the judges to decide if Emil's extra bar spin put him over the top.

Yes, slopestyle is super hard. 100%. I can barely get my wheels off the ground. But that doesn't make it interesting and fun to watch.

Who else stands with Henry??? I definitely do!

 Henry who pissed in your coffee this morning? Damn dude. Your EWS take was bad.

 @mikelevy I think at some point, it could be interesting to have a few different guests on the podcast who are more in the mtb trail building scene. There is a ton to talk about as far as riding, and bike tech, which is awesome, and I love it. But also another HUGE side of the sport and an essential side in responsible, trail building, and maintaining with longevity in mind. Even in my little Southeast PA region of the east coast, good trails are being built all over the place, and a few different organizations have been developing good relationships with land owners, and municipality reps. But, its a ton of work to get trail systems approved, and sometimes feels like we are "forging a new path" (pun intended) as far as the correct approach to going about building good responsible trails, and relationships within the community as our sport matures. I am always thinking about how and where trail systems could be built, I'm sure I am not the only one. More info on what to do with that kind of energy and desire to build good trails would be awesome.

 Turbo levo carbon, AXS dropper post, drivetrain, flight attendant, electronics and sh** everywhere, hydraulic discs that requires plenty of bleedings, simple ply tyres, and I'm good to go.

 Singlespeed Surly. Pretty much just my bikepacking rig with a couple more weapons mounted on it.

 @mikelevy I have a question for next podcast, or just an answer in the comments. I'm finishing my degree next spring and planning on moving to the PNW, specifically Seattle, for a post doc and to pursue the all the biking in that northern washington/southern BC area. Suppose I'm starting fresh with all new gear, what sort of clothes, jackets, shoes etc will I need out there? Does it rain as much as it seems? Would you recommend waterproof shoes? Do I need more than one rain jacket? Should I expect to have mud and grit spray all over my ass and shins after most rides? Do I need an industrial quantity of shop towels and lube for drying off my chain every day?
Just curious about what you would recommend. I may or may not be a part time mechanic for a certain large bike company that starts with S, so some gear is cheaper than others...

 @mikelevy I guess Kazimer(I don't know why I cannot just tag him directly) doesn't know that the Stache iteslf has been discontinued but has evolved into the 1120 which is exactly what he described.

www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/bikes/bikepacking-touring-bikes/1120/1120/p/33304

 Could you please get onto Crankworx slopestyle track and tell us how the hell far high and deep Lemoine went? No need to know anything else, cheers!

 Slopestyle is rad just like the other disciplines of MTB. It's just bmx on a bigger bike with more money involved for the riders and sponsors. It may not be your everyday thing, but I think should be respected just like all the other disciplines.

 @mikelevy and @mikekazimer once you've finished burning Henry's fan mail (I heart Quinney) can you please consider the following for the Q&A:

1. Is the rising price of mtbs going to prevent young people entering the sport? Surely the $5k entry point means teenagers are effectively blocked from mtb, eventually leading to a diminishing number of hip-replaced old knackers bumping around on an ever decreasing number of $45k ebikes.

2. Are ebikes for 40-somethings and upward? When was the last time you saw a 21 year old bust a berm on Santa Cruz Bullit? I'm 40-something, I ride an emtb, when I smash laps on my emtb I only see other 40-something blokes. Are ebikes inaccessible to young riders or just not cool?

3. All things being equal (which I know they aren't) if you could run a shock with high progression rate and lower (relative) spring rate or (for the same "other" variables) a lower progression rate (v linear) and high spring rate, why wouldn't you run the higher progression?

 Henry keeps saying the things I didn't know I was already thinking.

 survival bike? as simple as possible. aggressive geo, 650b+ tires, singlespeed. steel frame, steel fork, steel cranks, steel handlebars. steel everything. paul brakes. done.

 I swear I think some of these guys must think that if you don't have 3,000 ft or more of vert around you might as well not mountain bike at all.

 Question for the future Q&A:
If you had the budget to go on one destination stage race (trans Madeira, Andes Pacifico, megavalanche etc) which would you choose? Very keen to do one after Kazimer’s adventures in the stone king rally.

 @mikelevy question for the next podcast, I am building up a dream rig with a DH Drivetrain, and want to ruin the lives of all PB commenters by using AXS. However, I plan on using a 7 speed X01 DH drivetrain. Is it possible to put a short cage on a GX AXS derailleur and somehow limit it to 7 speeds? Or even use a road derailleur? Ive asked on multiple forums and no-one seems to be able to answer? Maybe Henry might have a solution? Thanks

 @mikelevy question for next podcast, coil shock on a Stumpy Evo 2022 set up as a mullet, good, not so good? I hear mixed reviews. Quick background history, mostly riding the S2S corridor, bike park duties are delegated to a different bike. Cheers!

 If Henry didn’t hate mountain biking so much what industry would he be in?

 Question for the podcast: I've been riding Sram derailleurs for a couple of years but in April I upgraded to their 1x12 set up for the first time. Since then I have bent or broken three GX derailleurs. I tend to ride harder than most and will occasionally slide out or fall and I'm super tired of breaking these stupid parts, mostly bending the cages. There is nothing online about which company's derailleur can take a beating. It's like durability is not even a category for testing these when actually that's the most important thing. I'm hoping you can tell me which derailleur will last the longest with falls and hard riding. Sram? XT? TRP? Your advice could save my marriage or at least my sanity!

 Really interesting conversation - except for the Kaz EWS 100 interview ;-). Your thoughts on Supra vs. gearboxes may be a bit outside of reality, though. Yes the gearboxes are a bit draggy, but damn do they shift fast and run reliably. And is an Enduro bike at 34# really heavy? Bradley Lauder seems to have done well in Masters EWS on a Katipo...

 If Levy really read the Zombie Apocalypse survival guide 6+ times, he might want to reconsider a nice Pinion with belt drive!

 Zombie apocalypse bike: Actually after having gone through a disaster and losing utilities for a month, a bike was the most important item to have. First thing that happens in a disaster is the roads get clogged with debris and stay that way; all the monster survival trucks just sit parked.

Most important aspect of survival bike? Ability to carry a lot of water.

 Damn @mikelevy you beat me to it, fatbike for the apocalypse, the choice isn't hard as I disassemble my suspension linkage for the 4th time this year trying to find a creak! Also I almost never smash my derailleur but the day the Supree article came out my derailleur had a run-in with a rock...

 Apocalypse bike - Surly Krampus with rigid forks, silent hub, crazy alt bars that are comfy for long distances, set up with racks and a trailer so I can travel a bit with it and take it off if I want to just go ride/explore. Probably some old 10 speed drivetrain (or Micrososhift AdventX). Was also thinking about a gates drive, but then would have to go internally geared hub or gearbox and if I went that route I would look at a Priority 600X.

As for Slope, I generally don't watch it..but I love joyride and rampage (I feel rampage is more slope than what is was now). I can appreciate the complexity of what they are doing, but it gets boring...at least it's better than just straight DJ which I just can't watch much of at all.

EWS, it is what is is and if I was to enter an enduro type race I would rather enter one of the trans BC, Cascadia type where they take you all over a region and you feel like your exploring rather than racing...but that's just me.

 Henry Quinney obliterates the clíché that when a person with a British accent speaks, the ideas sound intelligent based on that fact alone.

 1. www.pinkbike.com/news/bike-check-matt-lakins-fully-rigid-stooge-cycles-mk4-enduro-race-bike.html definitely the ultimate zombie apocalypse bike. Rigid, bike tire, simple, shreddy.

2. Question: What's the shortest ride you'll enjoy? Do you still jib around in a parking lot or cruise and hit random stairsets?

 Levy I've realised you sound like the radio presenter on Burnout 3 Henry's simple mind can't figure out any mtb disciplines that aren't just timed against the clock! He doesn't represent all brits either, BTW! He seems to like to disagree with others for the sake of it - good on Alicia for calling him out with some sensible arguments

 @mikelevy, question for the podcast, an old one I don't think made it on, based on the overwhelmingly positive response to Pinkbike Racing, is this the most well recieved project / content Pinkbike has produced? What are the highs and, possibly, unexpected lows from what you've put out?

 Why is Henry such a crotchety old man?

 How about a two-bike challenge: at what price point would you each choose to buy two bikes with different purposes instead of one super bike, and what would they be?

 you mean to tell me that danny beer has a mountain biking brother??
and put some respect on dannys name, the dude is a monster and an icon in a niche sport that has endured ostracism for some 20 years

 Henry Pottymouth Quinney F@&% yeah

 Reason for the zombie apocalypse question. China invading Rowan will start WW3 ending when the world is in a nuclear disaster. at that point the few survivors will need to use bikes to get around places.

 @henryquinney
“Antithesis of romance and genuine expression”. We’ll said.

I have no interest in competitive slopestyle but the slopestyle in the latest Ride or Die edit was pure expression. So good.

 Interested to hear which Conti tires were used in the field test and how they were set up (casing, compound, inserts?, pressures) if you get a chance to address that in the pod!

 Hands down the best apocalypse bike is a Jones Bike! Steel frame, fat/plus tires, incredible geometry/handling. Try it on your next “impossible” climb video!

 There will bikes and parts everywhere, zombies don't ride!

 @mikelevy still waiting for Mike vs Mike video to drop

 Apoclypse bike? None

Tires aren't going to last long, so no point in even wasting my time riding one, I will just run. Granted, I am also a distance runner. I will be crewing for my GF who is running 100k tomorrow (but I will be riding my bike when she doesn't need me).

 You’re not alone, Henry. You are not alone.

 I agree with Alicia. Speed and Style is a great event. I enjoy that one more than slopestyle now.

 38 minutes in and Henry is still angry.

 I'm in for a Devil's Avocado shirt...just sayin'. PS - Best bike for apocalypse, Niner belt drive 29er SS with a coil Marzocci on the front.

 Not gonna even read the other comments, agree w u Henry, only pts scored btwn teams/competititor, score to par, and timed result count as a sport)

 Canadian Shock Jock Henry Quinney says good riddence to RedBull downhill coverages and laments the absence of big crashes in enduro racing.

 Should I put a single crown fork on a downhill bike(canyon sender) as a kind of heavy enduro bike or park bike?
What do you guys think about Rotor's new hydralic drivetrain?

 Mikes. When do we find out when the fall field tests come out and what bikes will be tested?

 The trek stash with a rack would be ideal and practical, but a Raaw Madonna would work.

 I'm gonna make a bumper sticker to sell for the apocalypse that says My Other Bike is Just Food

 Does pinkbike have any more plans with The Grim Donut 2.0 and when will we see that content?

 Henry is my spirit animal. The edgiest edge lord in mountain bike podcasts.

 Alicia. What bike did you use for the EWS 100 race?

 Also @mikelevy who is covering crankworx Cairns for you guys?

 You can judge a race by the after party. DH > Enduro

 (see other post)