Thanks for the tip on the XT Double Downshifting! I have the XT shifter, but had no idea that it double downshifted! I've been single downshifting like a snail, but no more! I was genuinely considering 'upgrading' to XTR for this exact feature, as I had heard in the past that only XTR had it! Thanks!
Good luck on the first nica races coming up guys. It's almost time. Ours starts next weekend. Excited to see how much the kid has grown this practice season.
Love to see how you guys have so much fun in these races. My son is also a cross country racer here in Belgium but he's gonna make the switch to Mtb Marathon's because it suits him better. Actually we made a "downgrade" on his bike this year , he switched back from 1x12 to 2x11 gearing setup because he can more save his legs with the 2x setup and he also feels that with the better chainline with the (2x11) he has more power in the highest gears , but i think it's a personal thing . Wish you guys luck in the next races and especially great fun. Greetings from Belgium
Awesome. I love riding with my son. It’s awesome after practice and races when he’s all excited to talk about the ride and how it went. Being a dad is awesome.
Congrats, great upgrades! I have same bike but I switched dropper for a carbon seat post (flat terrain where I live) and 35mm length stem for a 50mm (so much balanced now).
I know you are being sponsored by Marin, but some NICA students also get a nice discount on Trek bikes, at least here on the east coast. I mention that in case some want a different choice.
Well, I don't know these fancy wheelsets. Just checked it out. The AM version, 30mm wheels weight 1816g at heaviest configuration and costs 1900$. I built with ali DT knock off hubs ( Goldix 370), Funn AM35 rims; 32 holes, MS, CL, 2mm DT spokes. This wheel set weight 1939g and "retails" about 340$. Which one would you give it to a child or an amature racer to destroy? What would you spend on the price difference? Maybe more travel and practice?
I'm so used to gearing in cars that 'lower gear' and 'higher gear' in terms of bike gearing throw me for a loop with them being the opposite haha. That said for me, the changing of the shifter(at least on 12 speed Shimano) from an SLX to the XT shifter was one of the best and easiest improvements to a bike for under $100.
Those bottle cages look just like the ones I bought on Amazon. We have lost bottles with these on mountain bikes. They have been fine on the road bikes. Keep an eye out.
Good to know. I haven’t lost a bottle on bumps and have a few hundred miles with them now. My son has lost a bottle once but it was a crash. They are not a tight fit but work well with my bottles.
I have not had to put any slime inside my wheels for over twenty years. Thats a lot of weight right there. If anyone lives in Denver they know what goathead thorns are LOL
None of my family are interested in cycling at the present time . I ride with friends only when it suits them . Cycling is a very expensive hobby for most people .
NICA racing is not only what gets so many kids into mountain biking, but they’re literally the future. You can always get by with a much cheaper bike, that is never contested, but that’s not the point of this video. He’s done that for years and this is a great opportunity for serious racers, kids, and adults all around to invest in a hobby or just do something they are passionate about. Love what you ride and ride what you love
and your point is? I put about $2500 worth of upgrades on my $400 (at the time) GT Aggressor Pro and I don't even race. If you can afford the upgrades then I don't see a problem. Also as he mentioned in the video all of the upgrades he received were from channel sponsors/supporters so he most likely didn't pay anything for them. And he also mentioned that the companies offer discounts for NICA racers.
@@NonLegitNation2 I should elaborate I guess.. My point is, $1900 carbon wheels for a NICA bike for any kid other than a top 10 racer seems to me like a serious waste of money. I'm a huge Magura fan, run them on all my bikes, and he's spot on with them, however, for the typical NICA family a $500 set of MT8 brakes makes no sense. An appropriate upgrade would be Magura MT4 which perform EXACTLY the same as MT8 and are a fraction of the cost. I have run a very successful NICA team for the past 5 years as head coach. NICA is about getting kids on bikes and giving them a love for the sport. It's supposed to be attainable for anyone, which is why they dumb down the race courses with zero tech and almost no climbing. We see the most success and growth from our middle school aged kids, and my team has many state champions, but none of them actually need $2K wheels. If I ran a program and was running around suggesting that everyone upgrade with these high end parts, I'd get laughed at. Some of my kids can barely afford the bike they ride. Elite level cycling is already really only attainable to the wealthy for the most part. Let's not ruin NICA in the same way. Cycling is already expensive enough.
Totally valid point. As a coach I’m seeing kids ride all kinds from fixed up 10+ year old bikes (like my Gary Fisher HiFi and Paragon) to top of the line custom carbon bikes. Stock I think the Team Marin is a great value. On Magura brakes I totally agree, the MT4’s are awesome and would have made a great upgrade… perhaps I should have mentioned that. The weight savings on the wheels is nice but the big upside was the high engagement hub. Forge and Bond is a big local NICA sponsor and their in it not to just sell wheels and so I am also happy to just get the word out about what they have.
@@trick1420 okay I 100% agree with you on that, it's just the way you originally "said" it made it look/sound kind of @$$hole-ish, but after you explained it I absolutely agree.
It just brings joy and a huge smile seeing father and son racing together, sharing a common interest, great film keep them coming.
Thanks. It has been awesome, we have gotten a lot closer Thea last couple months.
I think it's awesome you and your son share in this. Great memories to be made.
Thanks for the tip on the XT Double Downshifting!
I have the XT shifter, but had no idea that it double downshifted! I've been single downshifting like a snail, but no more! I was genuinely considering 'upgrading' to XTR for this exact feature, as I had heard in the past that only XTR had it!
Thanks!
Awesome happy to help 😁
Good luck on the first nica races coming up guys. It's almost time. Ours starts next weekend. Excited to see how much the kid has grown this practice season.
Love to see how you guys have so much fun in these races. My son is also a cross country racer here in Belgium but he's gonna make the switch to Mtb Marathon's because it suits him better. Actually we made a "downgrade" on his bike this year , he switched back from 1x12 to 2x11 gearing setup because he can more save his legs with the 2x setup and he also feels that with the better chainline with the (2x11) he has more power in the highest gears , but i think it's a personal thing . Wish you guys luck in the next races and especially great fun. Greetings from Belgium
Awesome. I love riding with my son. It’s awesome after practice and races when he’s all excited to talk about the ride and how it went. Being a dad is awesome.
I actually just switched out my 11-speed slx shifter with a 11-speed xt shifter a few days ago and I love it.
They change is worth it. Keep that 11 speed. I prefer the xt 11 speed over 12.
Congrats, great upgrades! I have same bike but I switched dropper for a carbon seat post (flat terrain where I live) and 35mm length stem for a 50mm (so much balanced now).
I need to experiment with the stem…
Great stuff, I've been really digging your "Nica racing" arc. love the enthusiasm
Thanks it has been and is a lot of fun
I know you are being sponsored by Marin, but some NICA students also get a nice discount on Trek bikes, at least here on the east coast. I mention that in case some want a different choice.
Totally perfect to share. There are a lot of good deals out there from the cycling community to be had for NICA racers.
Forego all of the tech, race on your LeMond Streetfighter, and show the youngsters how it's done. 😉
Lol 😂 🙌
I love this MAGURA Brakes, they where produced in my Area.
hello from france, your channel is great, you are very competent and very kind.
Well, I don't know these fancy wheelsets. Just checked it out. The AM version, 30mm wheels weight 1816g at heaviest configuration and costs 1900$. I built with ali DT knock off hubs ( Goldix 370), Funn AM35 rims; 32 holes, MS, CL, 2mm DT spokes. This wheel set weight 1939g and "retails" about 340$. Which one would you give it to a child or an amature racer to destroy? What would you spend on the price difference? Maybe more travel and practice?
I'm so used to gearing in cars that 'lower gear' and 'higher gear' in terms of bike gearing throw me for a loop with them being the opposite haha. That said for me, the changing of the shifter(at least on 12 speed Shimano) from an SLX to the XT shifter was one of the best and easiest improvements to a bike for under $100.
Agreed. The xt shifters are so much better.
I have been riding bicycles for a long time, just wondering how you obtained your ability to adjust, and repair bicycles? 🤔
Yep those are the best upgrades to do. Though I'd go with the TRP brakes and sram shifters.
Really been enjoying the series,thanks!😊
Good to hear. Thanks 🙏
Those bottle cages look just like the ones I bought on Amazon. We have lost bottles with these on mountain bikes. They have been fine on the road bikes. Keep an eye out.
Good to know. I haven’t lost a bottle on bumps and have a few hundred miles with them now. My son has lost a bottle once but it was a crash. They are not a tight fit but work well with my bottles.
Ciclismo é meu Sport preferido 😊.
Awesome
Well done! I like your uploads
Thanks
For racing you should be using XTR. Lighter, stronger, and more precise shifting. And for the record Hates offers better brakes then Magura ever will.
Fast engagement hub pawls wear out quicker , though .
Everybody love upgrades I love this word badly lol
😁🙌
I have not had to put any slime inside my wheels for over twenty years. Thats a lot of weight right there. If anyone lives in Denver they know what goathead thorns are LOL
Nice
😁🙌
My rear hub is a I9
🙌
I am all for "Made in America", but $1899 for a wheelset is way out of my range.
👍👍👍👍❤🇲🇱
Too bad your posts have become more of a commercial display for your partners than the initial spirit that I appreciated so much.
None of my family are interested in cycling at the present time . I ride with friends only when it suits them . Cycling is a very expensive hobby for most people .
You just highlighted $2500 in premium, pro-level parts to upgrade a $2500 bike... For NICA racing... 🤦♂
NICA racing is not only what gets so many kids into mountain biking, but they’re literally the future. You can always get by with a much cheaper bike, that is never contested, but that’s not the point of this video. He’s done that for years and this is a great opportunity for serious racers, kids, and adults all around to invest in a hobby or just do something they are passionate about. Love what you ride and ride what you love
and your point is? I put about $2500 worth of upgrades on my $400 (at the time) GT Aggressor Pro and I don't even race. If you can afford the upgrades then I don't see a problem. Also as he mentioned in the video all of the upgrades he received were from channel sponsors/supporters so he most likely didn't pay anything for them. And he also mentioned that the companies offer discounts for NICA racers.
@@NonLegitNation2 I should elaborate I guess.. My point is, $1900 carbon wheels for a NICA bike for any kid other than a top 10 racer seems to me like a serious waste of money. I'm a huge Magura fan, run them on all my bikes, and he's spot on with them, however, for the typical NICA family a $500 set of MT8 brakes makes no sense. An appropriate upgrade would be Magura MT4 which perform EXACTLY the same as MT8 and are a fraction of the cost. I have run a very successful NICA team for the past 5 years as head coach. NICA is about getting kids on bikes and giving them a love for the sport. It's supposed to be attainable for anyone, which is why they dumb down the race courses with zero tech and almost no climbing. We see the most success and growth from our middle school aged kids, and my team has many state champions, but none of them actually need $2K wheels. If I ran a program and was running around suggesting that everyone upgrade with these high end parts, I'd get laughed at. Some of my kids can barely afford the bike they ride. Elite level cycling is already really only attainable to the wealthy for the most part. Let's not ruin NICA in the same way. Cycling is already expensive enough.
Totally valid point. As a coach I’m seeing kids ride all kinds from fixed up 10+ year old bikes (like my Gary Fisher HiFi and Paragon) to top of the line custom carbon bikes. Stock I think the Team Marin is a great value. On Magura brakes I totally agree, the MT4’s are awesome and would have made a great upgrade… perhaps I should have mentioned that. The weight savings on the wheels is nice but the big upside was the high engagement hub. Forge and Bond is a big local NICA sponsor and their in it not to just sell wheels and so I am also happy to just get the word out about what they have.
@@trick1420 okay I 100% agree with you on that, it's just the way you originally "said" it made it look/sound kind of @$$hole-ish, but after you explained it I absolutely agree.
$2000 in upgrades on a $2000 bike. 🤦🏻♂️