Haha I am also 40-something and recently gotten back into mountain biking after loving it in my youth. I've been absorbing mtb videos like it's nobody's biz but found your format not only informative but very entertaining. I so want one of these bikes, now to find one at a great deal to get it passed the wife's budget approval!
You have some great talent and enjoy your channel. I used to live in MA near N. Andover and Andover, rode road bikes then, used to go to Carl Hart bicycles in Middle Island. I live in NC the last 5 years and have a 2019 RM Instinct BC, i just had 10-52 XO installed yesterday, saved just over half a pound, its an amazing bike and more than i need, bought as a leftover in January 2020 so i got an AMAZING price, the $$$ i saved i put into upgrades like carbon wheels, bars, etc. and now the 10-52 XO
Great insight. Thank you very much or this review. I am 48 and need a new bike and have spent the last 3 months obsessing with what is out there since my current bike is 14 years old. Perfect info
Great video and like the honesty and offbeat humour. I'm 57 and like to hear from older non-poser riders who can also ride very well and YOU can. I'd be crapping myself on some of the terrains you rode.
Hello Thom. Just found out this video and you channel. At 47 with five compromised discs and just three years on a MTB I totally wish there‘d be more of this kind of content! I ride through trails, no serious downhill, parks or big jumps. To each his own. I’m switching from an unforgiving XC bike to a long travel 29er as my back requires more plush and I’m seriously considering the Instinct BC ed. That should ride similar to the Altitude so this video was really interesting to me. Have a great time out there and thanks for sharing this content with the community. 👍🏼
Excellent stuff and a really goog inside view of what the bike is capable of. Very good riding too, wouldn´t manage to climb over 3/4 of that gnarly stuff.
Now i see where you got your skills from. You sure kept in great shape for 40+, be careful out there after those previous operations but good to have the mental toughness to recover 100% from such surgery. I have a 2019 Instinct BC i bought in 01/2020 at an AMAZING $$$$$, thinking of the 10-52 AXS
Love the channel! Just switched from a XC Hardtail Entry Level bike to a Surly Karate Money Single Speed! I love the hardtail single speed life! I ride with my kids MTB Team and some days riding behind a young kid with a 12 speed eagle gear can be difficult, but it is a fun challenge. I say I am not switching to a full suspension until 50+!
Finally a video for us older dudes who 'ride a bike'. No I don't work for Red Bull nor do crazy stuff on one. Well I can manual and do wheelies. But like why break the wheels on my Norco Storm 9.1? Thank you for the informative video. Love the footage too! :D
Thanks for the feedback, man. I've been thinking about gearing more stuff toward 40+ (or beginner/intermediate) people. We can't all be living in vans and sending 20-footers. Still need to work on my wheelies. Hoping to have them by the time I'm 50!
Hi, i just got a 2019 Instinct 90 BC and was thinking of upgrading the hub to 54 but the stock 370 hub has different internals than the 350/240, I got an EXCELLENT price on the bike so I feel a few upgrades are worth it
Nice video from BH. I'll be 51 end of this week; have a Hip Replacement. I'd agree the cushier "bigger" bikes feel good compared to an Epic; although I like how efficient the XC bikes are and picked up a 19 Blur TR. Maybe next year pick up a spongey, Sponge Bob " Cushy, Big" bike. Rhino...
love the vid. Awesome riding terrain and skill. Notice you seem to be off your saddle a lot. Prob comes from your single speed days. I am trying to do the same to generate more power, but I find get too much pedal bob and rear wheel spin-outs. It is also more tiring.
I like the review. It was useful in a way similar to the Yum Yum reviews. Focused on what the bike could do and what you thought of it compared to other bikes. I am at the half way point with a "medium-big" bike (130mm) and feel like the switch to a big bike will be worth doing. What you are riding on is very similar to trails here. My only concern has been that it would climb like a pig. I guess the real answer is to demo a couple of them. Thanks for the review.
Demoing is always the best answer. These long travel bikes are definitely heavier but the Split-pivot and DW-links pedal so efficiently I hardly notice it.
Yeah, catching a demo day somewhere is worth the effort, but sooner or later you gotta take the plunge. The Rocky Altitude had made my top 5 list... Norco Sight was a serious contender, Transition and Kona were runner ups... but in the end the Knolly Warden won my heart. What ever checks your boxes man.
That was awesome, thanks for the insight. Oh, and for people who have never ridden with Thom, he climbs like a goat on any bike in any terrain so... there ya go ;) also, what bike are you replacing the Altitude with? My guess, M5.5
Thanks, dude! Just did a first impression video of my new bike and the Hero 7 a couple days ago. Didn't talk much about the bike though. Focus is not my forte. More on both things in the near (I hope) future.
Hey Thom, question for you as a fellow ex-XC dude with a degenerative spinal condition. Do you think softer saddles, like a Volt, offers any real additional cushioning or vibration damping through the pelvis and the spine when we're riding full suspension bikes with 2.40 tires at pretty low pressures? I have been considering going to softer saddle, just to be on the safe side. But then I realized that my firmer saddle likely provides more stability to the pelvis so that there is less rocking, which may be even more beneficial. So I thought I'd ask a fellow dude who's trying to keep the back going for many more years.
A dork indeed, but right on target! Thanks for the review and just good to watch you ride the techie rocky eastern stuff. Any thoughts on something with a little less travel? Thanks....
Thanks! Check out my review on the Django 29. I had no issue riding all this stuff on that thing and would probably have less of a problem with the new 140mm for version. Same goes for a bike like a Pivot Trail 429 or Rocky Instinct. All those bikes will handle this stuff, I just might not be as inclined to "send it" (in my XC dork way) as hard. Great thing about having a bike as big as the Altitude is that you can also take it to the park, where you're gonna suffer on a shorter travel bike ... unless you're Phil Kmetz.
Great review, Thom! Always enjoy your videos and your perspective. Coming from the Django 29, I'm sure you lost a little on the climbs, but do you think the "cush" and more travel make it a wash? I'm on the D29, too, partly because of your reviews and I've been very happy this last season. It's perfect for what I mostly ride. I'm in mid 40s and I'm thinking of picking up a slightly bigger bike. (Love the Kyuss reference!) I'll be interested see how you get on with the Troy 29. That's on my radar.
Awesome, man, thanks! Troy is basically a Super Django. It's heavier but it's so much more capable. Today I went out and pinned it at XC pace and it didn't feel crappy at all.
Great review, I am always amazed at what you ride over! Have you ridden the Hightower LT at all? If so what are your thoughts? Keep up the videos man they are pretty refreshing.
Fuck a aspect repeating parrot, thanks for your .02, made alot of good points. And for the first time in my life, I have access to a shop with alot of awesome selection, and lots of demo ability.
good observations all around. so you went from a well regarded mid travel 29, to a longer travel small wheeler. you like the comfort of longer travel which i get for sure. how did you feel about going to those rough little wheels vs the smooth monster truck wagon wheels, especially in that tech terrain you ride? esp. as a former xc racer?
Thanks, man. I go back and forth between wheel and tire size a lot and I like and dislike things (but mostly like) about just about every one of them. That said, I don't like riding fat bikes in the summer. In part of the video that ended up editing out I talked about how I primarily used 2.6 tires on the Altitude. That seemed to be the happy place for me. I'm a huge fan of the Pivot 5.5 so that makes sense. The 2.6 is a whole lot of tire (so much traction!) and not much smaller than what most guys run on their 29ers. I'm on a 160/140 29er now and I have to say that it seems way more business and less like a toy than the Altitude. I know it's likely faster and more efficient but it's not always as silly. Which means I'm probably way less likely to smash my face in on it.
"Hey buddy, you did mention you probably left a bunch of stuff out. I was wondering, how did the components hold up over a year?" Oh, thank you for your polite question (that's not more like a curt statement), dude! Well, I generally smash one rear rim per season so that happened. No surprise there. Going to try running Vittoria Air-liners to (hopefully) prevent that from happening in the future. Other than that I just had to replace the drivetrain which is also normal for someone who rides the amount I do. Thanks for watching, Sandy.
@@sandykavor8434 No problems with the frame. While I cleaned harder moves than I ever had before on this bike, I also crashed it a ton. The rear triangle ended up with a bunch of dings and scratches on it. I was ultimately glad it wasn't carbon.
One time I was in Monterey and had a mile walk to a restaurant from the hotel. Didn't have my headphones so I held my phone to my ear and listened to Burr's podcast. It was like I had some angry, psychotic Boston friend on the line just freaking ranting for 20 minutes.
Haha I am also 40-something and recently gotten back into mountain biking after loving it in my youth. I've been absorbing mtb videos like it's nobody's biz but found your format not only informative but very entertaining. I so want one of these bikes, now to find one at a great deal to get it passed the wife's budget approval!
You have some great talent and enjoy your channel. I used to live in MA near N. Andover and Andover, rode road bikes then, used to go to Carl Hart bicycles in Middle Island. I live in NC the last 5 years and have a 2019 RM Instinct BC, i just had 10-52 XO installed yesterday, saved just over half a pound, its an amazing bike and more than i need, bought as a leftover in January 2020 so i got an AMAZING price, the $$$ i saved i put into upgrades like carbon wheels, bars, etc. and now the 10-52 XO
Great insight. Thank you very much or this review. I am 48 and need a new bike and have spent the last 3 months obsessing with what is out there since my current bike is 14 years old. Perfect info
Great video and like the honesty and offbeat humour. I'm 57 and like to hear from older non-poser riders who can also ride very well and YOU can. I'd be crapping myself on some of the terrains you rode.
Hello Thom. Just found out this video and you channel. At 47 with five compromised discs and just three years on a MTB I totally wish there‘d be more of this kind of content! I ride through trails, no serious downhill, parks or big jumps. To each his own. I’m switching from an unforgiving XC bike to a long travel 29er as my back requires more plush and I’m seriously considering the Instinct BC ed. That should ride similar to the Altitude so this video was really interesting to me. Have a great time out there and thanks for sharing this content with the community. 👍🏼
Really appreciate that, thanks for watching!
You make it look so easy dude! I do love that drone shot at the entrance/exit of the canyon...familiar trails
Excellent stuff and a really goog inside view of what the bike is capable of. Very good riding too, wouldn´t manage to climb over 3/4 of that gnarly stuff.
Now i see where you got your skills from. You sure kept in great shape for 40+, be careful out there after those previous operations but good to have the mental toughness to recover 100% from such surgery. I have a 2019 Instinct BC i bought in 01/2020 at an AMAZING $$$$$, thinking of the 10-52 AXS
Love the channel! Just switched from a XC Hardtail Entry Level bike to a Surly Karate Money Single Speed! I love the hardtail single speed life! I ride with my kids MTB Team and some days riding behind a young kid with a 12 speed eagle gear can be difficult, but it is a fun challenge. I say I am not switching to a full suspension until 50+!
I still alternate between the big trail bike and the Kona Honzo Ti singlespeed (that does have a 140 fork). Keeps me honest (and terrified).
I have this Revel Rascal bike that is 31 pounds. I really like it. Great review.
Sick video! The drone shots came out great and those trails look rad!
👊
Finally a video for us older dudes who 'ride a bike'. No I don't work for Red Bull nor do crazy stuff on one. Well I can manual and do wheelies. But like why break the wheels on my Norco Storm 9.1? Thank you for the informative video. Love the footage too! :D
Thanks for the feedback, man. I've been thinking about gearing more stuff toward 40+ (or beginner/intermediate) people. We can't all be living in vans and sending 20-footers. Still need to work on my wheelies. Hoping to have them by the time I'm 50!
I spy a lot of previous vids in this review. Fun stuff, nice job putting it all together.
that's beautiful terrain. looks really fun, technical and tiring to ride!
"coffee mesa" is the best thing i heard in this video that is packed with other good things
Agreed. I'm adding "coffee mesa" to my lexicon.
Nice review! Look forward to riding this bike.
You're a beast dude!
Good review. Loved the humor 😂
Hi, i just got a 2019 Instinct 90 BC and was thinking of upgrading the hub to 54 but the stock 370 hub has different internals than the 350/240, I got an EXCELLENT price on the bike so I feel a few upgrades are worth it
Nice video from BH. I'll be 51 end of this week; have a Hip Replacement. I'd agree the cushier "bigger" bikes feel good compared to an Epic; although I like how efficient the XC bikes are
and picked up a 19 Blur TR. Maybe next year pick up a spongey, Sponge Bob " Cushy, Big" bike.
Rhino...
Great Video Thom!
👊
Thank you for the video. Where this beautiful trail.
Just a small spot in my backyard. If you're local I can give you a tour.
Love your vlog stuff. I’m also a dork but that has nothing to do with mountain biking.
love the vid. Awesome riding terrain and skill. Notice you seem to be off your saddle a lot. Prob comes from your single speed days. I am trying to do the same to generate more power, but I find get too much pedal bob and rear wheel spin-outs. It is also more tiring.
I like the review. It was useful in a way similar to the Yum Yum reviews. Focused on what the bike could do and what you thought of it compared to other bikes. I am at the half way point with a "medium-big" bike (130mm) and feel like the switch to a big bike will be worth doing. What you are riding on is very similar to trails here. My only concern has been that it would climb like a pig. I guess the real answer is to demo a couple of them. Thanks for the review.
Demoing is always the best answer. These long travel bikes are definitely heavier but the Split-pivot and DW-links pedal so efficiently I hardly notice it.
Yeah, catching a demo day somewhere is worth the effort, but sooner or later you gotta take the plunge. The Rocky Altitude had made my top 5 list... Norco Sight was a serious contender, Transition and Kona were runner ups... but in the end the Knolly Warden won my heart. What ever checks your boxes man.
Hahaha Recovering XC Dork! Intermittent Boston accent.. Checkin all them boxes!! Hope you get some more free time kuz it’s fun to watch ;p
all is great!
That was awesome, thanks for the insight. Oh, and for people who have never ridden with Thom, he climbs like a goat on any bike in any terrain so... there ya go ;) also, what bike are you replacing the Altitude with? My guess, M5.5
Thanks, dude! Just did a first impression video of my new bike and the Hero 7 a couple days ago. Didn't talk much about the bike though. Focus is not my forte. More on both things in the near (I hope) future.
Hey Thom, question for you as a fellow ex-XC dude with a degenerative spinal condition. Do you think softer saddles, like a Volt, offers any real additional cushioning or vibration damping through the pelvis and the spine when we're riding full suspension bikes with 2.40 tires at pretty low pressures? I have been considering going to softer saddle, just to be on the safe side. But then I realized that my firmer saddle likely provides more stability to the pelvis so that there is less rocking, which may be even more beneficial. So I thought I'd ask a fellow dude who's trying to keep the back going for many more years.
A dork indeed, but right on target! Thanks for the review and just good to watch you ride the techie rocky eastern stuff. Any thoughts on something with a little less travel? Thanks....
Thanks! Check out my review on the Django 29. I had no issue riding all this stuff on that thing and would probably have less of a problem with the new 140mm for version. Same goes for a bike like a Pivot Trail 429 or Rocky Instinct. All those bikes will handle this stuff, I just might not be as inclined to "send it" (in my XC dork way) as hard. Great thing about having a bike as big as the Altitude is that you can also take it to the park, where you're gonna suffer on a shorter travel bike ... unless you're Phil Kmetz.
Great review, Thom! Always enjoy your videos and your perspective. Coming from the Django 29, I'm sure you lost a little on the climbs, but do you think the "cush" and more travel make it a wash? I'm on the D29, too, partly because of your reviews and I've been very happy this last season. It's perfect for what I mostly ride. I'm in mid 40s and I'm thinking of picking up a slightly bigger bike. (Love the Kyuss reference!) I'll be interested see how you get on with the Troy 29. That's on my radar.
Awesome, man, thanks! Troy is basically a Super Django. It's heavier but it's so much more capable. Today I went out and pinned it at XC pace and it didn't feel crappy at all.
Great review, I am always amazed at what you ride over! Have you ridden the Hightower LT at all? If so what are your thoughts? Keep up the videos man they are pretty refreshing.
Thanks, man! Just 27 years of practice to get here. I haven't but some guys I ride with have and they love them.
Nice review. I’d like to rock one of those for sure, the paint is sick too. So what’s the next bike for you? Stumpy?
Thanks! New bike has been outed. It appears in the previous video on the channel along with my first impressions of the Hero 7.
and lastly.... what bike is next. seems like it will be mighty tough to top the Altitude given your review!
Totally true. Been on the new bike for about a week. Check out my previous upload for a little bit about that.
Didn’t catch where the riding was for those canyons/Mesa etc
Fuck a aspect repeating parrot, thanks for your .02, made alot of good points. And for the first time in my life, I have access to a shop with alot of awesome selection, and lots of demo ability.
Hi! RM Altitude vs. SC 5010? Pls. help. Ty
Yeah dude
Do you think that you could marathon xc race it? Or local xc race?
good observations all around. so you went from a well regarded mid travel 29, to a longer travel small wheeler. you like the comfort of longer travel which i get for sure. how did you feel about going to those rough little wheels vs the smooth monster truck wagon wheels, especially in that tech terrain you ride? esp. as a former xc racer?
Thanks, man. I go back and forth between wheel and tire size a lot and I like and dislike things (but mostly like) about just about every one of them. That said, I don't like riding fat bikes in the summer. In part of the video that ended up editing out I talked about how I primarily used 2.6 tires on the Altitude. That seemed to be the happy place for me. I'm a huge fan of the Pivot 5.5 so that makes sense. The 2.6 is a whole lot of tire (so much traction!) and not much smaller than what most guys run on their 29ers. I'm on a 160/140 29er now and I have to say that it seems way more business and less like a toy than the Altitude. I know it's likely faster and more efficient but it's not always as silly. Which means I'm probably way less likely to smash my face in on it.
Nice review! How do you compare this with the Mach 5.5? Which do you prefer for east coast singletrack?
And how tall are you? Thanks mate.
Trent
Would you do those rides in the shocks fully open position mostly?
Absolutely.
How did you like the 27.5's vs the 29's?
Did you like that bike better than the Pivot 429 plus?
I do, for my purposes. If I weren't regularly riding such abusive terrain I'd lean more toward a bike like the 429.
Intermittent Boston Accent Syndrome. Hilarious. Great review style. Sweet tech riding too.
Thanks, dyude!
Good stuff man. People say the bike is playful do you agree? I want to demo this thing really bad.
Super-playful, really fun to ride for sure.
Haha awesome dog!
He's 100% purebred knucklehead.
Dude, weah ah you riding in the video? Lynn woods?
Just a little spot in my backyard. I'll give you a tour if you're local.
Where are those rock filled trails?
Boston area. If you're local I can give you a tour.
I am local and would love to know where this is. Please pm me if possible!
Hey you you're a funny bastard I'm subscribed
I think the bike technology goes in cycles.
Nothing about components and how they held up for a year.
"Hey buddy, you did mention you probably left a bunch of stuff out. I was wondering, how did the components hold up over a year?" Oh, thank you for your polite question (that's not more like a curt statement), dude! Well, I generally smash one rear rim per season so that happened. No surprise there. Going to try running Vittoria Air-liners to (hopefully) prevent that from happening in the future. Other than that I just had to replace the drivetrain which is also normal for someone who rides the amount I do. Thanks for watching, Sandy.
@@DirtWireTV Thanks! So no problems with the frame at all?
@@sandykavor8434 No problems with the frame. While I cleaned harder moves than I ever had before on this bike, I also crashed it a ton. The rear triangle ended up with a bunch of dings and scratches on it. I was ultimately glad it wasn't carbon.
I agree with the rear triangle. Looks like a pretty good bike.
You do remind me of Bill Burr- very funny.
One time I was in Monterey and had a mile walk to a restaurant from the hotel. Didn't have my headphones so I held my phone to my ear and listened to Burr's podcast. It was like I had some angry, psychotic Boston friend on the line just freaking ranting for 20 minutes.