Max's MTB Reviews

There are a few pieces of bike stuff common across my fleet of bicycles.  Those are a helmet, clipless pedals, and oval chainrings.  Today I'll be writing about my experience with oval chainrings.   My anodized red Absolute Black chainring matched beautifully with my Industry Nine hubs on this custom build (photo credit; Tucson Bicycle Service ) Specifically oval chainrings from Absolute Black (AB) and here is their website, https://absoluteblack.cc/ .  I first tried an oval chainring on my custom Ellsworth Rogue 60 as the oval chainrings were becoming popular around Tucson and I wanted to give it a try.  Even more so when I learned they had a variety of colors, sizes, and were compatible with just about every crankset on the market.   The Tech Behind the Oval Conventional round chainring on top of the Absolute Black oval chainring The big idea behind oval chainrings is they provide a large chainring on the pedal downstroke (the power zone) and a ...

  Hi readers!  In this blog I will review the new Yeti 160e with the T1 build in the classic turquoise paint job.  I took this bike for a spin from Yeti's demo team when they stopped in at Bicycle Experience , in Colorado Springs.  This is one of two Yeti dealers in the Springs.  My friend and I took these bikes out for a mega two hour adventure and we covered a lot of ground! The  Yeti 160e , photo credit Yeti Cycles Spec's and Value Yeti Cycles are known as a premium mountain bike made for dentists and other high earners.  The 160e is no exception as it is beautiful, well spec'd with premium components, and provided an incredible mountain bike experience with that motor.  The T1 Turq is equipped with a Fox Factory 38 fork and X2 shock, Sram Code RSC brakes (220/200mm rotors), DT Swiss HX1700 wheelset, Shimano XT drivetrain, and the star of the show Shimano EP800 motor.  Shimano is my favorite drivetrain and the latest offering was fantastic...

  Hi readers!  In this blog I will review the new Yeti SB160 with the T3 build, in a new color "Cobalt, and answer the question, "could I be a dentist"?  I rented this bike from Yeti's Corporate Office in Golden, CO for a mere $40!  Btw, the crew there were super rad and kind.  One of them even made me an espresso after I mentioned I was exhausted and had a long drive ahead of them, very kind folks! The Yeti SB160 , photo credit Yeti Cycles While you're up there check out the mini-museum they've created in the lobby.  It was pretty sweet.   Spec's and Value Yeti Cycles are known as a premium mountain bike afforded by those with fat wallets, hence the "could I be a dentist" joke/reference.  Without a doubt their bikes are beautiful, high performance, and well spec'd.  The cheapest complete SB160 one can buy is $6,700 in with Shimano SLX components, DT Swiss 1900 wheels, Yeti cockpit, with Fox 38 and Float X Performance.  The frame on...

Hi everyone!  This blog will be about my 2016 Ellsworth Epiphany Carbon 29.  I bought this bike second hand in November of 2020 from a guy off Craigslist. The Ellsworth Epiphany , page 5 Spec's and Value The Ellsworth Epiphany came from the factory with a full Shimano XT suite and Fox Factory suspension in a brilliant candy-apple red paint scheme.  The Shimano XT specs included dual piston brakes with 180/160mm rotors and 11 speed drivetrain (11-42 cassette), add in my XT SPD pedals and I'm fully Shimano-ed out!  Suspension was handled by Fox with the Factory 34 (130mm) up front and the DPS out back (120mm).  The cockpit was full Thompson components. I bought this bike second hand, which means the bang-for-the-buck is through the roof and there will be wear/tear, but I will write the rest of the post as if I paid MSRP.  When new this bike retailed for $6,500 which I think is a great price for a high end bike.  These bikes had many build kits available ...

Hi everyone!  This blog will be about my custom 2018 Ellsworth Rogue 60.  I bought this bike in November of 2018 from Tucson Bicycle Service ! The Ellsworth Rogue 60   Spec's and Value This was a custom build that has gone through a few iterations.  Ellsworth offered me an excellent deal on the frame so I figured I would treat myself.  I wanted a high performance bike without qualifying as a dentist, so the initial build was spec'd with Fox Factory 36 (160mm) and X2 suspension, Shimano XT 11spd drivetrain and brakes (dual piston, dual 180mm rotors), custom Industry Nine Torch hubs to 27.5" Stans Flow rims, Fox Transfer dropper, and Race Face cockpit. Custom color matched because why not The final iteration now has a Fox Factory 36 (170mm) and DPX2, Sram X01 12spd drivetrain, larger 203mm rotor up front, Industry Nine Hydra hubs to 27.5" NOX Farlow carbon rim, and Deity carbon bars.  This bike weighs in right at 31 pounds making it a breeze to pedal and mane...

Hi everyone!  My first blog will be about my current 2022 Specialized Stumpjumper Evo Expert.  I bought this bike in November of 2022 from Oro Valley Bikes in Tucson! The 2022 Specialized Stumpjumper Evo Expert , photo credit to Specialized bikes Spec's and Value When it comes to value, Specialized is hard to beat.  Specialized spec'd out the Stumpjumper Evo with a mechanical Sram XO1 drivetrain, Fox Factory suspension (no Kashima), Code RS brakes with 8 inch rotors, One Up 180mm dropper post, Roval Traverse alloy wheels, and Specialized components filling out the rest.  That's a lot of performance bike for the price.  This bike is so much more appealing considering Specialized has marked it down to $5000 at the time of this blog, or the price of a Yeti SB160 frame only.   Adding further value is Specilized's Stumpjumper Evo Geometry Finder , where a user can input their weight and terrain.  Out pops Specialized's recommendations for suspension se...