simple
MB Action sucks and R.C is a Tool.
any questions?
MB Action sucks and R.C is a Tool.
any questions?
DWLink mentioned in mbaction...and ignored
Kind of. Several emailers/readers asked about the DWLink....and RC either didn't have time or didn't have the answer. At lease people know DW exists! I like how the one reader wants to know if the MKIII will be like the Ibis 
http://www.mbaction.com/qanda.asp
Q. Hi RC. It's time for a new bike. I live in north east PA where everything seems to be straight up or down. I ride just natural terain with no big drops or jumps. I am looking for an all mountain bike in the 2 to 3K range. My choices are the SJ pro (I know that one is streching the budget), trance, reign, IH mkIII from LBS or IBIS, comencal meta 5, or Blur lt from mail order. How would choose for my area? Also when are you going to test the Iron Horse? Should it be very similar to the Ibis? Thanks for the great mag Jim
Jim/mbaction.com - 6/25/2006 7:01:30 PM
A. RC: You'll like a bike with a slightly slacker head angle than the Specialized to handle the technical descents in PA. Get the Santa Cruz Blur LT or the Comencal.
Q. Hi RC, I own a circa yr.2000 Intense Tracer. I recently got the shock "Pushed", bearings replaced and bought an OE closeout of an '05 Talas RLC fork. I know you own a Tracer yourself. I want you to give it to me straight; how does that bike, with the shock upgrades compare to the current crop of 4-bar linkeages and more modern VPP and DW-link designs? Are the modern designs really that much better? I just can't afford buying a new bike every 3-4 years!
mikeder/mbaction.com - 6/24/2006 7:33:08 PM
A. RC: I still ride my Tracer--it's a great performing XC machine and it only suffers because it lacks the travel of modern trailbikes. I run a four-inch Fox X-fork and that is about the maximum travel up front that you can use while maintaining its steering geometry. Keep your Tracer until you decide to buy a five or six-inch travel machine.
http://www.mbaction.com/qanda.asp
Q. Hi RC. It's time for a new bike. I live in north east PA where everything seems to be straight up or down. I ride just natural terain with no big drops or jumps. I am looking for an all mountain bike in the 2 to 3K range. My choices are the SJ pro (I know that one is streching the budget), trance, reign, IH mkIII from LBS or IBIS, comencal meta 5, or Blur lt from mail order. How would choose for my area? Also when are you going to test the Iron Horse? Should it be very similar to the Ibis? Thanks for the great mag Jim
Jim/mbaction.com - 6/25/2006 7:01:30 PM
A. RC: You'll like a bike with a slightly slacker head angle than the Specialized to handle the technical descents in PA. Get the Santa Cruz Blur LT or the Comencal.
Q. Hi RC, I own a circa yr.2000 Intense Tracer. I recently got the shock "Pushed", bearings replaced and bought an OE closeout of an '05 Talas RLC fork. I know you own a Tracer yourself. I want you to give it to me straight; how does that bike, with the shock upgrades compare to the current crop of 4-bar linkeages and more modern VPP and DW-link designs? Are the modern designs really that much better? I just can't afford buying a new bike every 3-4 years!
mikeder/mbaction.com - 6/24/2006 7:33:08 PM
A. RC: I still ride my Tracer--it's a great performing XC machine and it only suffers because it lacks the travel of modern trailbikes. I run a four-inch Fox X-fork and that is about the maximum travel up front that you can use while maintaining its steering geometry. Keep your Tracer until you decide to buy a five or six-inch travel machine.
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RC had good answers
Annd owning a Tracer for over 4 years now and demoed the Mkiii (Hollowpoint and I. F. DW-Link), I like the slacker handling adjustment of the Tracer much better than the current steep fork angled MKiii for technically rough terrain trail riding. The current Mkii is more optimized for tight corners on smoother terrain such a s DS racing or singletrack without larger obstacles. Perhaps a 6 inch fork on the current MKiii could better match the handling of the slacker Tracer adjustment, but 6 inch forks are too big for good trail riding if you need to climb more than a few hundred feet. The Tracer can be adjusted in handling to be just as quick or adjusted to be even quicker handling than the MKiii. Pedaling the Tracer has nearly as little bob as the MKiii on smooth pavement. The advantages of the MKiii is more plush longer rear travel and noticeably smoother pedaling with even less, even no noticeable feed back in the granny on rough terrain than the very smooth pedaling Tracer. The '07 MKiii should match or better the Tracer in all categories, but currently there are still some areas the Tracer is superior.
BTW, I've put large money down on the Ibis DW-link Mojo Carbon. If it shows up with the specified geometry it will the first trail bike that is as good or superior to the Tracer in all situations.
And the specs for the lighter and slacker steering and wider tire clearing '07 MKiii should produce the second bike in all ways better than the Tracer for mountain trail riding.
- ray
RC was suggesting bikes with slacker head angles. The steep head angle of the MKiii currently doesn't qualify for superior technical downhill geometry, and the Ibis would qualify but is not availble yet.westin said:
Having ridden nearly all the more recent designs, I agree with RC's answer.westin said:
Annd owning a Tracer for over 4 years now and demoed the Mkiii (Hollowpoint and I. F. DW-Link), I like the slacker handling adjustment of the Tracer much better than the current steep fork angled MKiii for technically rough terrain trail riding. The current Mkii is more optimized for tight corners on smoother terrain such a s DS racing or singletrack without larger obstacles. Perhaps a 6 inch fork on the current MKiii could better match the handling of the slacker Tracer adjustment, but 6 inch forks are too big for good trail riding if you need to climb more than a few hundred feet. The Tracer can be adjusted in handling to be just as quick or adjusted to be even quicker handling than the MKiii. Pedaling the Tracer has nearly as little bob as the MKiii on smooth pavement. The advantages of the MKiii is more plush longer rear travel and noticeably smoother pedaling with even less, even no noticeable feed back in the granny on rough terrain than the very smooth pedaling Tracer. The '07 MKiii should match or better the Tracer in all categories, but currently there are still some areas the Tracer is superior.
BTW, I've put large money down on the Ibis DW-link Mojo Carbon. If it shows up with the specified geometry it will the first trail bike that is as good or superior to the Tracer in all situations.
And the specs for the lighter and slacker steering and wider tire clearing '07 MKiii should produce the second bike in all ways better than the Tracer for mountain trail riding.
- ray
I'm hoping this will materialize from Iron Horse. I want 5.5 in. of travel also. I still think this would be the ultimate trail bike(5.5 in. and under 6.5 lb.).derby said:The '07 MKiii should match or better the Tracer in all categories, but currently there are still some areas the Tracer is superior.
And the specs for the lighter and slacker steering and wider tire clearing '07 MKiii should produce the second bike in all ways better than the Tracer for mountain trail riding.
- ray
Ray,derby said:RC was suggesting bikes with slacker head angles. The steep head angle of the MKiii currently doesn't qualify for superior technical downhill geometry, and the Ibis would qualify but is not availble yet.
Having ridden nearly all the more recent designs, I agree with RC's answer.
Annd owning a Tracer for over 4 years now and demoed the Mkiii (Hollowpoint and I. F. DW-Link), I like the slacker handling adjustment of the Tracer much better than the current steep fork angled MKiii for technically rough terrain trail riding. The current Mkii is more optimized for tight corners on smoother terrain such a s DS racing or singletrack without larger obstacles. Perhaps a 6 inch fork on the current MKiii could better match the handling of the slacker Tracer adjustment, but 6 inch forks are too big for good trail riding if you need to climb more than a few hundred feet. The Tracer can be adjusted in handling to be just as quick or adjusted to be even quicker handling than the MKiii. Pedaling the Tracer has nearly as little bob as the MKiii on smooth pavement. The advantages of the MKiii is more plush longer rear travel and noticeably smoother pedaling with even less, even no noticeable feed back in the granny on rough terrain than the very smooth pedaling Tracer. The '07 MKiii should match or better the Tracer in all categories, but currently there are still some areas the Tracer is superior.
BTW, I've put large money down on the Ibis DW-link Mojo Carbon. If it shows up with the specified geometry it will the first trail bike that is as good or superior to the Tracer in all situations.
And the specs for the lighter and slacker steering and wider tire clearing '07 MKiii should produce the second bike in all ways better than the Tracer for mountain trail riding.
- ray
All great comments, as usual.
I thought even in the slack mode the Tracer's HA was 70d, and in regular/steep mode it was 71 or 71.5.
For my preference, I could not get used to the high bb of the Tracer (I don't ride tons of logs and rocks and such where a higher bb would be beneficial to prevent crank/pedal bashing that I sometimes get on the low-slung MKIII).
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