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Glad you got something out of the video! Thanks for your comment:)

Thanks! There’s more to come:)

The Epic is a sweet bike, and I'm sure you'll love it:) The climbing on these bikes is definitely a standout feature, and it's really helped remind me of how much I enjoy a lightweight XC bike (even if it's not the bike I choose for every ride)! Have fun out there!

@@SilverShamrock71 Haha:)…yeah I hear you on the graphics on this one. I really like the way it looks, but pretty much everyone who sees it seems think hair: pet hair, other hair, whatever. That said, I think it’s a rad bike and it’s super light and fun. One interesting difference between the Epic and the Chisel is the slope of the top tube, and so the stand over. My buddy has an Epic hardtail, and the stand over for the same size frame is much higher. This could be good if you want to run a frame pack or something like that, but personally, for a mountain bike, I prefer the lower top tube. It keeps the tube from being in the line of the brake levers if you ever happen to crash and have the bars spin around, and it just feels lower profile. If you ever want to run a transmission group (or just want to get one stock as you noted with the S-1000 version) the Epic is the only choice since the Chisel uses the older, non-UDH, sandwhich hanger. I think you’d be stoked either way, but it depends what you want to end up with.

@@brendonrambles Well I've put a deposit down on a silver Chisel, to hold it until my cycle2work kicks in in about a month or so. Agree on the frame, it somehow looks sleeker than the Epic. Actually decided on an XX1 mechanical set (cable activated) eventually rather than AXS, will run the NX until I'm ready to upgrade. Have already secured a lightly used SID SL Ultimate (2023 edition) fork set. Will look at carbon Roval Controls, but will hold out until they are on sale, Next upgrade after the forks will probably be a BikeYoke dropper. I'm looking forward to getting started with the build.

@@SilverShamrock71 That sounds like a rad build! It's funny because in the evolution of my build, I've ended up replacing the Eagle drivetrain that I had on the bike with an older X01 11 speed drivetrain that I had around. Somehow it just seemed fitting for this build to have a lighter option since I really didn't find myself using the 52t cog ever, and the bike was already so light it seemed like a good idea to make it even lighter! Even though the shifting with the AXS stuff is great, I tend to be a bigger fan of the cable actuated Sram parts because they're lighter, and if the bike has decent cable routing (which this one does), then they tend to shift perfectly. That's a bigger discussion of course, but still, I like your choice.

@@brendonrambles Well I may experiment with AXS further down the line. Hey quick question, do you know if a 3 position remote twinloc lever set would comfortably clear the top tube? I'm planning on running a remote fork lockout and a dropper. Bike fit test is scheduled for next Monday, so not sure if I'll be running a slammed XC stem position or a more relaxed stem and bar set up as yet. Also, I've seen a chisel frame in chameleon colour flip, grey, blue, green which looks really smart, pity they don't seem to do it anymore, I'm sure the satin silver will grow on me and there's always custom painting if I decide that I really like the frame (which, going by the numerous favourable reviews, I think I will). SID SL Ultimate in gloss black arrived yesterday and I'm watching the market for a set of Roval Controls in carbon

@@SilverShamrock71 That sounds like it's going to look amazing! As far as the clearance, I can't say for sure, but I'd tend to think that there's a good chance that it will clear because of how low the top tube is on this frame. I've found that even with quite a slammed stem and a flat bar I don't have any clearance issues with the levers on my bar, but I realize those Twinloc levers are larger, so it's possible there could be an issue. Let me know how it goes!

@@pepeanza6187 I totally get where you’re coming from. I guess the geometry feels ok to me because overall this just feels like a very cross-country oriented hardtail, rather than one of the more progressive hardtails that have become popular more recently, and I’m ok with that-for what it’s good for. I really like how light the bike is and how well it climbs, and I actually enjoy the more on-edge feeling that it gives me on a descent because of its very short travel and pretty aggressive, racey geometry. But again, I totally get where you’re coming from and I don’t think I’d want it to be my only bike. As far as the seat tube angle is concerned, I really don’t think it needs to be steeper because of the short travel and the fact that it’s a hardtail. There’s a lot to say there so I’ll just leave it there. I started out with the seat more slammed forward like I usually ride it these days, and then ended up sliding it back more because the at felt more appropriate on this bike. Anyway, thanks for the insight, and I think this is a great example of how a bike can be great, but still not be right for everyone. Thanks again!

In other words, you buy into marketing hype and believe everything TH-camrs tell you. I doubt you could honestly tell the difference between a degree or two without looking at a geo chart. Buy a bike based on comfort and suitability to the terrain you ride most.

Thanks for the kind words! As you say, it does seem like it would be more cost-effective to use less packaging, which I guess I tend to think might be one thing that helps better packaging get adopted more quickly now that it seems to have started being a bit of a trend. I know I look at that as a very good thing! It's also cool to hear that this isn't just a trend in bikes (though I'm not surprised to hear it). It's always great to see good things happening in the world! Yeah, the land across the tracks is now just a superfund site because of that roundhouse, but for the moment at least that mostly means that from work I get to look out at the deer and hawks that use the land, and that I have a free view of the mountains to the north!