Hello and welcome everyone!
What a crazy year we've had!
But among all these cancellations, changed plans and lockdowns
I found a lot of opportunities, I hope you guys did the same!
This channel, you guys, my love for mountain biking kept me going
and here are some of the things that I learned and discovered in 2021.
To make it simple I've created 7 categories so let's talk bikes
This year I had the chance to build an aluminum, cheap hardtail,
I also built the Yeti ARC, a more expensive hardtail
fully enjoyed riding them and I truly believe they make you a better rider.
I got intrigued by the Peacemaker from Mullet Cycles,
I was surprised by the cheap carbon full suspension that I built
but if I am to talk about what I fell in love with
that would be the Santa Cruz Tallboy
In it's fourth generation this bike rides like a dream, it's very confidence inspiring
and I found myself rediscovering the local trails.
What bike did you fall in love with in 2021?
What plans do you have for the upcoming year?
Let me know in the comments below!
As for me if you're wondering about e-bikes???
No no no no, none of those!
so let's move on and talk about WHEELS!
If there is one component in the whole mountain biking world that really gets me excited, that is wheels!
This year I discovered the DUKE wheels and the DUKE rims.
I've already built a wheelset with them and I'm planning to build another one.
This year Stan's introduced their MK4 rims which are also asymmetrical
and they're even wider than before so those might be some that i'm looking into in the new year.
Throughout the year I raced a more expensive set of carbon wheels
but I also looked at the cheaper ICAN and what can I say?
Carbon makes a wheelset lighter and I love that but I can also tell you that this was the year
when we smashed a record amount of carbon rims!
What about you guys? What's your favorite wheels for 2021?
Let me know below, I would love to hear!
And that takes me to tires and some might say
that tires are most important for a quality ride.
This year we continued to race Schwalbe tires
and I talked about the new casing, not only in the Racing Ray / Racing Ralph
also in the Nobby Nic.
Overall, they are better than before, they seem to last longer,
and I'll probably do a follow up video based on my experience from '21.
Also this year I looked at more Maxxis tires
and specifically the Dissector is one that surprised me with its versatility
very similar to the Bontrager XR4 that I looked at recently.
In 2022, I think we're going to run Aspen's 29 x 2.4 on one of the race bikes.
I also want to look at the Pirelli and the race tires that they offer.
What about you guys? What tires did you run this year?
What do you have planned for the upcoming season? Let me know below.
And here comes the fourth category, brakes!
We are using Shimano brakes and this year, more and more people talked about 4-piston caliper brakes
I use 4-piston, I use 2-piston and I can recommend both
but I would say if you want simplicity, ease of setup and lower cost,
don't hesitate to use the 2-piston Shimano,
they're still rock solid they're still good bang for your buck!
What kind of brakes do you guys use?
SRAM, Shimano, TRP, Hayes, more exotic brands?
Let me know what your experience was in 2021
and if you want to use something new in the upcoming season.
Drivetrains, discussions about drivetrains...
I don't have a preference I use Shimano, I use SRAM, I use mixed drivetrains,
they all give you good performance as long as they are set up properly.
2021 is the year when SRAM gave us the cheap wireless AXS, the GX Eagle.
Also 2021 I think is the year when Deore 12 speed proved to be a very good drivetrain for the masses.
Do you guys have a preference? Shimano versus SRAM?
11 speed versus 12 speed? What do you use?
Maintenance - and I just said that
a good drivetrain it's a well installed and maintained drivetrain.
In 2021 I've given you a Shimano 12 speed installation step-by-step,
a video that seems to be very popular with you all.
Together with the clutch maintenance video that I did a while ago
that should be all you need to get your Shimano 12 speed installed, fine-tuned and maintained.
If it comes to SRAM I also did a video on how-to take apart that rear derailleur
adjust it, fine tune it, and ultimately make it work like new
something worth doing in this off-season.
I also looked at some of the options that you might have if you got a bike with the cheap SRAM Eagle SX
something that in my mind is subpar for actual mountain biking.
As for the GX AXS wireless, I've given you not only the details of the whole system
but also a step-by-step installation, and I made that a mixed Shimano and SRAM installation video
to put a bit more sizzle into it!
Do you guys want to see any new installation or maintenance videos in 2022?
I would love to hear from you, let me know!
And I had to finish this list with riding,
new places or trails that you've discovered in 2021.
In my case I have to admit I haven't really discovered much new
but I rediscovered most of my local trails by riding new bikes.
That was quite the experience but the highlight of my season must be the trip to Whistler, BC.
And you guys have probably seen my video from the Top of the World.
What about you folks? Any new trails adventures or new skills you've discovered in 2021?
What should I add to my bucket list going forward?
And I have to close this by saying thank you!
For being here, for coming back, for giving me ideas and being my online buddies.
It definitely helped me go through these crazy times
and I really hope that I made at least the slightest difference in your life as well.
So cheers to a great 2022!
Happy New Year folks!