Steve Gets a New Bike

[@SkillsWithPhil]

Look forward to seeing it in person. Plus size hardtails are a blast!

[@TheMoreWeExplore]

Thanks Phil, can't wait to connect!

[@rickmartin976]

Bring the Tokul Phil!

[@TheMoreWeExplore]

The slickrock trail on the chameleon was one of my best riding days ever. What an incredible bike for that trail!

[@stazorm1]

PHIL!!!!!

[@adamdavidson2095]

Congrats Steve!!! Can't wait to see you ride it on the trails. I love my hardtails. I still need to get the wife her new bike. You guy's really need to come to Minnesota this summer. We will be up in Duluth the last week of July.

[@TheMoreWeExplore]

We actually might make it up there this summer.

[@chillwill1083]

Just ordered a 2020 aluminum chameleon last week. I can't wait to get it :D

[@Egcmikey]

Me too! I’m super hyped to get the mannies on lock!!

[@chillwill1083]

@@Egcmikey I'm just annoyed the price of the carbon jump in canada is 900$. in the US it's 300$ which is much easier to stomach lol. Whatever I'll ride the aluminum till I break it then just get a new frame :)

[@bkxc]

Finally I can see the mythical helicopter tape in action!

[@williamrush2112]

Awesome! I have the exact 2018 Chameleon R+ build since July 2017. It's definitely a favorite. Just finished an after work ride on it! My LBS built it and skipped that rear brake line tie down on the chainstay because it was too close. I've had no issues.

[@TheMoreWeExplore]

Interesting! Thanks for sharing that.

[@bigbluevioIence]

I got this exact bike end of last year. I love it. I haven't got to take it to any cool places yet and there is a bunch of snow here. Can't wait for spring time!

[@Dmiller_V23]

Wow. I was surprised when you pulled it out. Awesome!!!

[@PaulThePunter]

Hardtails are cool! Had a good look but couldn't see the answer, you can actually just loosen where the hose attaches, twist it and then retighten where the hose joins. No kinked hose any more!

[@TheMoreWeExplore]

Wow Paul, an honor to have you here. Currently the hose is kinking because of the sharp angle of the brake line routing (not a twist). Are you suggesting putting a bit of a spiral twist in the line to get it to form an S curve a bit more, thereby reducing the angle it goes into the caliper? Thanks for your advice.

[@PaulThePunter]

I guess I actually mean turn not twist. Pop it to a shop and they'll be able to do it rather than me poorly give advice haha. It takes about 15 seconds to move it!

[@josephnubile1970]

Absolutely love this video please dont hesitate to make more bike assembly videos its really helpful. Love your channel please keep up the great videos.

[@TheMoreWeExplore]

Let's hope we just keep getting new bikes every month so we can keep doing assembly vids ;)

[@cetxeverz1]

Hey Guys!!! It's really neat that you show many aspects of the sport and that you focus more on the fun factor. It's nice that you convey gaining the skills first before getting an expensive rig. In my experience I enjoy my 'big' bike now that the skill level is better than when starting. Plus the bike suffers less. Last but not least; there's a guy in our group that rips the trails we ride as good or even better and also I've come across dudes who ride their Hardtails really hard. Cheers.

[@siddhartaclark7040]

Nice bike Steve. Great video too on how to build it up. Hope you have fun on it!!!

[@dreamtech87]

I bought the lower spec 27.5+ Chameleon for myself and I love it! It's my only mountain bike and I didn't have that much money to dump on something so it was a great compromise for me. Plus hardtail is my poor man's full suspension, lol. Looking forward to seeing the adventures you guys take it on!

[@TheMoreWeExplore]

Cool, another chameleon owner! You made a wise choice with the D build. It's much better bang for the buck.

[@peterwillekens8275]

Super nice. I always ride ht. They're super fun and easy to maintain. Enjoy!

[@camodudemtbh7594]

Awesome bike Steve nice choice, and great team work Tess on getting the bike built up.💪👊🚲🚲😀

[@petertobey603]

Another good video. Nice choice of bike. Looks like your ready for fun. Enjoy the new ride.

[@jackadler5941]

Very informative video. I have a 27.5 Motobecane Fantom Elite Boost that came pretty much assembled. Was great to see how all the components come together. More of these videos Por Favor! ✌🏼

[@seeyounorth]

Finally got that POP! Congrats on the new bike and staying in the SC family, Steve!

[@TheMoreWeExplore]

so much pop on this bike.

[@chuckc.5724]

Congratulations! Happy to see ya weren't jonesing to go for a ride for long.

[@jinavl]

great channel and very envious...you guys are very lucky being able to do what y'all do..god bless ya's

[@bradvaughn841]

I've gone completely over to the plus sized wheels. Like Phil says they are great fun( if you're not trying to break speed records). I've been on a stumpjumper 6Fattie for almost two years and a couple weeks ago I bought a Fuse 6Fattie. It's like your new ride a 27.5x3.0 hardtail. I hit the dropper post and it's an adult sized BMX so much fun! Hope you have as much fun with yours.

[@TheMoreWeExplore]

100% agree. Im never going to be the fastest guy on the trail, and I LOVE plus tires. The DHF 2.8s are my favorite aggressive tire. We will see how these 3.0s do. The fuse is a great bike, excellent choice. Get dusty.

[@peteedwards5438]

Good choice, I’m running the 2018 Chameleon 29 R1 had it about 4 months now. Only issues I had were the dropper wasn’t great so swapped out for a 150 drop reverb and the rear tyre wasn’t really up to winter riding conditions. Only other thing I would consider upgrading is the NX shifter as it feels a bit cheap compared to GX/XO. I think you will love it.

[@TheMoreWeExplore]

Great feedback. So far so good on the dropper and shifter. I hate the cheap feel of the dropper lever though. It has a lot of play in it. I need to tighten it up. So far the nx shifter isn't quite as nice as my old xx1, but it's good enough for me.

[@HerbsmanRevs]

Nice bit of kit, enjoy Steve!

[@gtxtx3]

i have a Trek x caliber 7 myself and with no one making frame protectors kits for my bike I used rhino hide tape (same as helicopter tape), a year on and several off's later and the stuff is still holding up strong with no peeling :) its preety good stuff if you ask me hope the new bike is going well, go the hardtails!

[@drucyphr]

I bought my first mountain bike for bikepacking but ride it all the time on local trails. It's a Jamis Dragonslayer hardtail. Love it, but now I'm looking at getting a full suspension bike. I'm curious how long you last on the chameleon before switching back. Anyway, cheers to new bike day!

[@TheMoreWeExplore]

The dragonslayer looks like a sweet bike.

[@verdonrocksphotography3510]

Congrats to your new ride, it reminded me when I was building hardtail for my wife, so satisfying ..... You are going to be perfectly fine , was riding on my Cannondale F-Si factory racing 3 years almost any trail, many times not fun but I managed, you will be just fine! If you need to remodel your van will be more than happy to help.....lol (or not?)

[@jonathanmtb9330]

I ride a plus hardtail and I love it. But I haven't been on a full suspension so I don't feel like I'm losing anything. Great bike enjoy.

[@TheMoreWeExplore]

I love your attitude. It's more important to be happy with what we have than unhappy because we don't have something else.

[@planesandbikes7353]

awesome choice, plus-hardtail I am impressed! So cool with the short chainstays, I thought my Fuse (Plus Hardtail) had short CS, but not quite as short. We keep a couple Fuse down in AZ for winter riding, and our pricey ful sus bikes at our main home in BC. My Devinci Marshall (Plus Full sus) came with those Level T brakes and I really found them inadequate, so went to XT M785. Oh and the NX derailleur on my Devinci - became sloppy junk in 4 months of riding. Solved with a GX

[@TheMoreWeExplore]

Sad to hear the level t brakes didn't work out. Same with nx. :( I like gx just fine. If I don't swap tgese brakes with cable bb7s, I'll probably go with code RSC. I love the feel of the code brakes.

[@TheDuds33]

Great looking bike!

[@michaelmathis1961]

It may not be totally SRAM 's fault but how Santa Cruz places it mounting brackets. My first time at tubeless, I kept blowing the tires off and could never get them to seal. Here in Thailand, rubber deterreates if not used and the tires, even though they said they were tubeless ready, weren't. Took awhile but we got some Specialized tires that worked. After wearing them out, I used some Bontrager XR1 Team Issue. Checking the internet on how to seat them and remembering my days decades ago working in service stations, I used soapy water to seat them first and then broke down a small section to insert the sealant and wal la! It worked like it was supposed to. Nice big garage! Thanks for the video.

[@SalvadorFrieri]

Great choice!! I have the Specialized Fuse Expert Carbon as my only bike. It has very similar numbers. I love it!

[@tommorris2050]

Congrats!!!

[@HallMarc_Trails]

Awesome hard tail, great idea with the tape too :)

[@thim8009]

Man I hope your happy with it, ever since I got used to full suspension I don't think I will ever go back unless I set one up for snow nice vid thanks

[@TheMoreWeExplore]

I am very happy with it. I still plan on getting a full suspension later on this year, but these plus hardtails are a blast.

[@grantfeddema5332]

Like the info on building a ride, that's great!

[@Ben-py9no]

Can't go wrong with a modern plus hardtail! I've got a Norco Torrent and love it. The number of times you wish you'd be on a full suspension will be way less than you think.

[@TheMoreWeExplore]

Awesome! The torrent was a close second place to the chameleon. Almost identical grometry.

[@IsaacHaupt]

Sweet! I want to get a plus hardtail for my second bike.

[@Geohoundw]

I just bought that same bike! partly based on your review of it and the reputation of the company. Psyched since I'm upgrading from an entry level steep hardtail from 2012/13

[@chameleonpogono]

That is a nice looking bike. I still have my Gary Fischer Paragon from 1998. Even signed by Gary. Definitely a different ride on hard tails. Hope you have fun with it.

[@freerangemtb]

Well that certainly didn't take long, did it? Haha! Glad to see you got what you wanted. I ride a hard tail plus bike - a Specialized Fuse 6Fattie. I love it. It's my first (and currently only) true mountain bike and it's fantastic. Some day I'll look into getting a full suspension, but I'm real happy with what I have right now. -Brian

[@TheMoreWeExplore]

Awesome. The fuse is a great bike too. No rush to "upgrade" to a fs. (It's not always an upgrade)

[@freerangemtb]

I've had it for a couple of years and see no reason to get anything else right now. I hope that it will be the right bike for me in Florida.

[@freighttrainshane3953]

Love the bike! I have aYeti SB5+ and have upgrade quite a few things. Probably going to buy the Chameleon frame in the next couple weeks and build with my old parts. I thought it would be cool to have two bikes I can swap wheels and parts back and forth. Great video! You got me pumped on the review video! I saved it.

[@ravynx]

Right on Steve! I really dig the purple lettering on it, good choice.

[@TheMoreWeExplore]

Thanks. It's a great color.

[@JediSuPhu]

Good choice for a hardtail. If I didn't already have a hardtail, I might have sprung for one of those in plus size.

[@mc540flip]

Rad! I just watched a review on that bike the other day. I bet you’ll have a blast on it. Looking at the Stache 7 myself.

[@TheMoreWeExplore]

The stache is amazing too. It's one of my faves. Ultimately I thought the chameleon might suit my small size a little better. I'd love to try to fit 29x3.0 on this one day.

[@mc540flip]

The More We Explore 👍

[@antoineg639]

I'm ready to pull the trigger on a Stache or Chameleon soon, just cant make up mind and keep it that way. I'm 6'2 so the stache would def work well for me, but Chameleon looks so dope.

[@TheMoreWeExplore]

Both bikes rock. Either way, you'll be happy.

[@polishguywithhardtospellna8227]

I've preordered a plus bike too - Dartmoor Primal Pro 27,5" with 2,6" tyres with capability up to 2,8"

[@TheMoreWeExplore]

Sweet! I can't wait to hear what you think of it. I've heard great things about dartmoor..

[@coreygerlach747]

Great choice! I rode the Chameleon in this same build, and found it to be my favorite hard tail bike that I've ridden. I added a dropper, and didn't feel the need to upgrade any other components.

[@TheMoreWeExplore]

If you added a dropper than it was probably the D build.

[@coreygerlach747]

It was the R+ build that I purchased. When Santa Cruz first released the new Chameleon in early 2017, the build did not include the dropper. They since added it to the 2018 R builds.

[@TheMoreWeExplore]

Gotcha. That makes sense.

[@hedmisten]

nice! I was totally hoping it would be another SC

[@theyetilife]

Nice, always good times when setting up a new ride :-)

[@fullfacejosh6809]

Great choice Steve! Nothin wrong with a fun hardtail. I keep. Chameleon around too. Cause why not?

[@danbean5536]

Miss hard tails! My body doesn’t though. Can’t wait to see the first ride vid. Congrats

[@pwdt4r313]

Huck yeah! I’m stoked. + size FTW! I have 2

[@sidvish159]

Awesome edit Steve and Tess...really looking forward to Steve riding the hardtail. The modern plus hardtails are a far cry from the hardtails of old. Looks like you are going to have a blast on that thing and you are killing two birds with one stone(backpacking rig and overall fun bike).

[@mihaifalcusan824]

Hardtails rock! Amazing color scheme

[@TheHuester44]

Cool bike . Hope you like it over time.

[@jf8534]

Congrats on the new bike. I'm impressed you chose to go ht. Any chance we could get video interview with Steve? Be nice to know more about him.

[@JimmyRadloff]

Sweet bike Steve! I have a Spot Rocker single speed that I absolutely love riding. Your bike looks like it might be even more fun. A great upgrade for you would be to put some Push internals in that fork. My Spot has it and it makes a big difference on a hard tail.

[@TheMoreWeExplore]

The Spot Rocker looks awesome. This chameleon has shorter chainstays, which makes it super fun. So far the fork is holding out just fine.

[@mtbyumyum]

Yeah, congrats Steve!

[@samphilx4]

FYI, use soapy water on your frame when putting on frame protection, it stops it sticking until you use a squeegy to press it on.

[@MTBMOM]

Im definitely surprised with hardtail choice, but im looking forward to seeing it in future videos. 👍

[@TheMoreWeExplore]

Hardtails aren't "cool" right now, but I love em. I've ridden hardtails for 15+ years and it's great to be back on one.

[@MTBMOM]

I grew up riding hard tails, I don't think they are uncool. I'm just interested in how a hardtail will fair on a black diamond or otherwise. I know very little about bike riding but you know your stuff. All I know is if it were my body on a hard tail, I'd get beat up. I'm not hatin on your choice, I'm just really curious about how the bike will do on serious trails. 👍😊

[@TheMoreWeExplore]

Right on. I didn't mean to imply that you're calling them uncool. You're spot on, hardtails can be a ROUGH ride. It'll be an interesting experiment to see how it does on black diamonds and where the limit of "fun" is. Fingers crossed I enjoy it as much as I think i will...

[@MTBMOM]

It's all good Steve, no worries. You'll have a blast for sure. 👍😊

[@TheMoreWeExplore]

We'll see how long my knees and ankles can take the abuse. :) at the very least it'll be great for bikepacking.

[@newttella1043]

Cool! I still have my 2011 Chameleon that is morphing into a dirt jumper. Curious to see how you like the new plus version.

[@TheMoreWeExplore]

My best friend my freshman year of college had a 2000 chameleon. That was my favorite bike in the world. I loved borrowing it from him. Time will tell how I like this one...

[@MaquinasDePalomitas]

Newt Tella hey, can you send me a pic of the finished DJ??? [e-mail]

[@pahhaw4251]

LOVE that bike - almost got that but am anxiously awaiting my Highball 27.5+ to deliver in MAY

[@wiggyt.3398]

love my big honzo!! hardtails are awesome!!

[@TheMoreWeExplore]

I hear incredible things about the big honzo. Sadly I've never found a ship with them in stock to test. I'd still love to try one out.

[@rtran9562]

Is Phil and Steve going to teach Dusty Betty some skills in Moab's dirt jump park? That would be an awesome VIDEO!! I can also learn!! Also Congrats on the bike!! HTs really make the trails more alive.

[@TheMoreWeExplore]

I would LOVE that, but sadly Phil won't be in Moab when we will. But we should cross paths in sedona

[@effie2206]

Congrats on the new bike. Since the 27.5+ wheels are about the same diameter as the 29, I was wandering how you feel about the small frame with the large wheels.

[@mtbboy1993]

which ratchet did you use? it looks similar to Topeak ratchet rocket lite. how did it perform? I currently have soem cheap crap. I am researching ratchet at the moment, I am looking for the best ratchet.

[@RGCastro7]

You guys make such an awesome team! Congratulations to Steve on his super nice new ride, and to Tess for her growing skills in bike mechanics. Do you guys name your bikes? If so, what are their names?

[@BGWordneemig]

Good luck for your new bike! :D

[@streddaz]

Nice new ride! Spraying a mist of water on the frame before sticking the frame tape will help with positioning it an allow it to be moved and a credit card like piece of plastic helps push the bubbles out. Enjoy!

[@TheMoreWeExplore]

This is actual tape with adhesive, not the style like the invis.

[@buckrodgers3096]

Nice bike! ...like, ever since they first released them back in ...um... early 2000's ?! With that rear brake hose though I would just run it on the upper guide, or if that's too 'flappy' then, either with some more Heli-tape, rubber mastic tape (e.g. Scotch 3M) or even just a piece of old inner tube to protect the frame, you can cable tie the hose in place on the top side of the tube above the existing routing, or higher up the seat-stay if required. A neat trick is to put one cable tie around the frame tube and hose but don't tighten it down fully, then use another smaller tie around that to pinch up the slack between the frame and the brake hose, creating a closed loop which holds the brake hose securely in place but not directly in contact with the frame! I look forward to seeing what kinds of adventures and diverse riding you get up to on this bike. Good luck! ;)

[@the_derpler]

I keep going back and forth between the 27.5 and the 29. I tend to ride about 8 miles or more to my trails so I am thinking the 29 would be best. So hard to find a place with it in stock though...

[@grn9209]

Love your videos guys!!🚵🏽🌵👊🏽

[@monstervlogster1157]

I was hoping for this video.....love the military green color....great info too guys thanks as always =)

[@tmwei396]

Cool. I looked at the Chameleon also before I settled on the Mason Pro. Love the plus size hard tail. It's more capable than one might think. With going tubeless what I would recommend since you have a compressor is to seat the beads to the rim first before putting in the sealant. It's a lot less messier this way.

[@TheMoreWeExplore]

I'm ok with a little mess. :) I like to avoid putting sealant in via the valve core because it increases the chance that it will plug up one day.

[@tmwei396]

Fair enough. Sealant is still going to get in the valve tube anyway as it moves and splashes around in the pressured air but I get that you want to take very precaution. The valve core is removed when you inject the sealant in through the valve tube so the core itself won't see much sealant, if any.

[@TheMoreWeExplore]

Yeah. Persomally I'd rather not risk it contacting the threads to begin with. To each their own. I don't mind spilling a little bit of sealant, but I also get why people inject it through the valve. I've worked at several shops as a mechanic for years, and if there's one thing I've learned, it's that there's more than one way to skin a cat. :) I'm glad you posted your tip , I'm sure it'll help others who don't want to get sealant on the sidewall.

[@baesterr]

May I ask how tall you are/inseam and what size you went with? I noticed in the video that you said you arent looking to be the fastest down the mountain but to have fun with it. With that being said, if you happen to be between sizes, I am assuming you went with the smaller size? I am 5'11 32" inseam and by measurements alone I should be a large but have been contemplating trying a medium. The geometry of the chameleon seems to have a longer reach than most bikes. The large chameleon has an 18" reach while most other manufacturers have their large with a 17" reach. That makes me think I could possibly get away with getting a medium 17" reach chameleon. I only weigh 150 pounds and possibly could throw the smaller size around more without sacrificing too much stability by going the smaller size

[@ChasingCornfields]

I had no problem setting up WTB Trail boss 3" on 40 mm rims, but that might be because its the WTB Scraper rims. Only needed a track pump.

[@SWFlowseeker]

Congrats

[@TheMoreWeExplore]

Thanks ken!

[@merrick926]

what do you think about suspension in a minnesota winter? my coldest ride so far has been 90 minutes at -40f. i've heard shocks wont last a cold winter? my current bike is a road bike with 30mm tires. i'm looking for more off road bikepacking and more comfort. EDIT...my bike is outside while i am at work but inside at home

[@TheMoreWeExplore]

Dang, I have zero experience at temps that cold. I've felt shocks being firm below 30*, so I wouldn't be surprised. It's tough for those seals to do their job at that level. Maybe check out a Jones bike with his leaf spring front suspension. Zero seals.

[@stazorm1]

I found out about your channel from BKXC's last live stream. it's good stuff :)

[@mumsbasementmtb9175]

YESSS OMGG YESSS I have a chameleon too and its such a fun bike!!! I'm so happy for you guys! Best hardtail ever!!!

[@TheMoreWeExplore]

Awesome! I guess I just want to be as cool as you. I love this bike.

[@mumsbasementmtb9175]

The More We Explore nah you guys are cooler. You guys have a decked out van!

[@TheMoreWeExplore]

Ohhhhh THAT'S why everyone states at us. Cuz we're cool, not cuz Fred is enormous. Got it. ;)

[@mumsbasementmtb9175]

The More We Explore 😂👌👌

[@josereneducharme142]

Can I ask how tall Steve is and what size of frame the Cameleon is?

[@antoineg639]

Mind if i ask where you purchased the bike from? I'm considering buying one online but i'd be a bit worried assembling a bike this much as a first timer. I thought they generally came more assembled than this, but maybe thats other brands...

[@TheMoreWeExplore]

No matter where you buy the bike from, it will come more assembled than this. All bike shops will assemble it for you. I requested to build it myself, so the ship left it in the box as Santa Cruz ships it.

[@zacherytoone9957]

Maaan i want that bike but went with the the roscoe 8 by trek....still a good ride

[@TheMoreWeExplore]

Congrats, that's a cool bike.

[@TheJoePavlik]

Will you guys possibly do the coconino loop in April/October this year?

[@TheMoreWeExplore]

We have a different bikepacking trip booked in April. That sounds like an amazing loop. Hopefully i can get enough vacation days to be able to do it in the fall. Have you done it?

[@TheJoePavlik]

I've done 75% of the loop in different sections. It is pretty tough, but I think Steve's new bike would be perfect for it. You guys are pretty determined and I think it would only take you the usual four days. I'll probably try to line up for it.

[@TheJoePavlik]

Another date to do it is early october. (group leaving flag on the 5th)

[@TheMoreWeExplore]

Cool, I'll keep that in mind. It looks like an amazing loop.

[@TheMoreWeExplore]

It's definitely in our radar. We will see where we end up in Oct.

[@CaptainShiny5000]

Man, what was SRAM thinking? The whole time I thought, they must be missing something - this doesn't look right. But no - that's how it's supposed to be and it's a really bad idea. Anyway, nice video!

[@TheMoreWeExplore]

Yeah, awful design on that one.

[@RyanMarcyesOutdoors]

Very Rad!! Pretty sure (98%) my next bike is the TREK Stache 5🤙🏽!!

[@TheMoreWeExplore]

The stache is an awesome bike.

[@mtbboy1993]

2:12 according to Chris King integrated headsets are bad engineering, So I am concerned, I would like to find some more info on this, but I think the rest of the bike looks quite decent. 4:26 I prefer compression plug instead of star-nuts I can reuse them and swap forks if I want to fast, Trickstuff makes the lightest on the market, But I have not tried it, currently using Hope Headdoctor. 8:35 awful, yea that's the right word, I had similar issues with my 2014 fuel ex, it caused issues with the mechanical brakes I put on, when the suspension was moving it pulled the brake, so I had to just use 1 zip ties and one just around the tube instead through the zip tie thing, but the stock brakes were Shimano m615 bit it basically did the same thing as on the Santa Cruz, but with mechanical brakes it just does not work with such an extreme bend. Mynext frame has to have good routing, and brakes have to be proper, without silly stuff like this. I still have a hardtail, not the greatest bike, but upgraded it to acceptable parts, my full suspension bike has to has been a pain in the butt, horrendous frame, but my hardtail started out as a cheap outdated bike to a more ok bike, but at least it's not too flexible. So I will stay away from Trek full suspension frames they are flawed in my opinion, 26er hardtails were so much easier to get right, but suspension linkages and full suspension 29er is not as easy. So I will have to get a new trailbike someday, but the research seems to never end, so I have been upgrading and upgrading as I was researching, I am out of necessary upgrades at this point, at least now the hardtail won't be unrideable due to some silly flawed design or bad quality part, and not the most economical choice, but I went the easy route, but my next bike will have to be built by me, with components I want, But still a lot of work to do, SO many choises, of components, including frames, most suff I know, but which frame and supension to get is the main conserns right now. I guess I could buy a new bike every year or two and sell it, but hopefully, I can find a bike that I can have for more than that.

[@jmoutdoors2801]

My buddy has one he loves it

[@stevepodraza6363]

Cool! You say you have been running 2.8's? Are currently running maxxis minion 2.8?

[@TheMoreWeExplore]

I was running a DHF 2.8 on the front of my Bronson, but this comes with wtb 3.0 tires. So far I'm enjoying the bigger volume of the 3.0s, since i need all the help I can get to keep the rear end feeling soft.

[@themiddleagemasher8108]

Plus size tires are fun. Not full squish fun but great to have as a second bike. Looking forward to potentially seeing you guys in Sedona!!

[@TheMoreWeExplore]

Yeah, it's dedinitely a different kind of fun. On some trails I'd rather have the chameleon. On other trails I'll wish for my old Bronson back... Please say hi and introduce yourself if you see us at the featival. Ill probably be on some full suspension demos to determine my next bike... If you're a patron, check out Tess' page for her meetup rides on Thursday. She has a beginner ride in the morning and a black diamond ride in the afternoon. I hope we see you there.

[@tycojewel7979]

What are the bikes seen in the background? Lucky you Tess. I am still aspiring to a Steve!

[@TheMoreWeExplore]

We are building this at a friend's house. Those are his bikes.

[@CobraKyle]

Awesome bike Steve. Keeping hardtails alive!

[@TheMoreWeExplore]

Yeah, cheering for the underdog!

[@TwitchyNick]

Yay. Congrats on your new bike. Have you used that helicopter tape on a carbon frame? I can’t imagine it would be an issue though.

[@TheMoreWeExplore]

Yes, we have. It's a great way to protect the frame from rub spots like cables, bikepacking bag straps, rock chips, etc.

[@will2835]

Wait a minute, are you telling me Steve hasn’t always been about that hard tail life?

[@JosephWhite2046]

Just curious why you prefer an 11 speed over 12?

[@TheMoreWeExplore]

Great question. 1. Less weight 2. shorter cage rear derailleur (less likely to hang down and smack stuff) and it shifts better in my opinion 3. The 50t is too low. I haven't needed a lower gear than a 42. 4. The 50t leads to more pedal strikes. The only time I might want eagle is bikepacking with a super heavy rig, but even then, a 28t front would solve that.

[@glock19gen3]

Awesome vid guys!

[@Richard1976]

Not a canyon yet 😂... But still nice looking bike in army green

[@johnnypacman4481]

Nice bike

[@wills4343]

Really enjoy the videos. Are you guys sponsored by Santa Cruz or just loyal to the brand? I have a new bike on pre-order, I'm still riding a 5 year old 26er. I decided to go with an Intense primer.

[@TheMoreWeExplore]

I wish! That would be a dream come true. We are just fans of the brand.

[@bobbyhempel1513]

I need that so bad. I love hardtails and my trail bike is trash

[@apnk6870]

Super dope!

[@FlowFinderUSA]

That's the R+ build?

[@TheMoreWeExplore]

Yup. Apart from the brake levers and the rear hub, I like the build.