Are expensive Bike upgrades worth it? High Low Season 2!
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 31 พ.ค. 2024
- BIKES
Grey Polygon Siskiu T6 - bikesonline-usa.sjv.io/ZQDPBk
Blue/Yellow Polygon Siskiu T7 - bikesonline-usa.sjv.io/Py7r6Q
Parts Seen in the video (affiliate link):
OneUp Composite Pedals - collabs.shop/uyva5x - Code "SagaMTB2024" for 10% off
OneUp Aluminum Pedals - collabs.shop/rlgbl6 - Code "SagaMTB2024" for 10% off
OneUp EDC Lite - collabs.shop/fpcnue - Code "SagaMTB2024" for 10% off
Specialized Tires - click.linksynergy.com/deeplin...
Tools:
Cassette Lockring Tool - amzn.to/3WQZOnT
Electric Ratchet - amzn.to/3UPZXZ4
Bike Repair stand with scale in arm - amzn.to/3ioCsXR
Rubber Mallet - amzn.to/3uVP2R6
Green Tire Lever - collabs.shop/olgii9 - Code "SagaMTB2024" for 10% off
Breaker bar - amzn.to/3YuKoGB
My Riding Gear:
Smith White helmet - smithoptics.pxf.io/PayRoll
Smith Pink Helmet - smithoptics.pxf.io/9g0MJ5
Smith Riding Glasses - smithoptics.pxf.io/jrYnOP
Giro DND gloves - amzn.to/3UTjyZD
Chad's Party Shirts - partyshirtinternational.com/c... - กีฬา
![[FREE SPEED] Can A World Cup Mechanic Make Me Faster? ⏱](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YuCuJP-mQe8/mqdefault.jpg)
Dang Evan, the amount of preproduction and forethought to making this series is already super impressive. I'm really excited about this series now!
I thought about it nonstop since January! Tons of writing, spreadsheets, ideation. I appreciate you noticing
@@EvansMTBSagaEvan it's amazing and appreciated. The genre is pretty much dead right now, nothing fresh, nothing original. Seth is still going strong and Matt Jones is crushing it this year, but I put you right up there with them. Phenomenal production and far from unnoticed! If this was 2017 you'd easily have a million subs right now.
Can you imagine if Evan eventually told us these videos aren't just him in two outfits and instead he has a twin?
#ChadIsReal
@@EvansMTBSaga I knew it! I knew it!
Evil twin brother! Dude needs a trip to PNW.
I actually really like the fact that you pointed out the caveats in the tests and trying to make the tests as one to one as much as possible. So far this series is looking really good! Keep it up!
Thanks! I put a lot of thought into this second season having a 2 year gap
You and Seth have the best mountain bike TH-cam channels from a self source production standpoint! Great production, videoing and relevant content.
Now this is quality content! :) I have been waiting like a year for this and you didn’t let me down!
Chad isnt used to climbing since Bentonville is so flat
The "Bentonville Pedal" is actually a thing haha
Your videos just keep getting better. Can’t wait for the next episode.
Such a good video! I’m so stoked on season 2 🤙
this video is frekin sickk, i can definitely notice how much effort you put into this, cant wait for the next one🤙
Thank you for the video Evan. That came out really fun 😉
Awsome video dude! Keep up the good work!👍
🔥 love the idea the theme the editing. The amount of work put into this and thought 👌 u are definitely on youre way good sir!
"I ride Whistler and rampage all the time"
I might have heard something similar in the lifts once 😂
Excited to watch these again!
Stoked on the content! Been watching for years and youve definitely become one of my favorite creators in mtb!
Thanks man!!
Phenomenal production Evan, please know it doesn't go unnoticed or unappreciated!
Awesome job on season to Evan! Super great video and I would say one of the highest quality videos you have ever done!
Thanks Caleb! I wanted to go all out for this series
I've been watching your videos for a while and just had to say I think all of the thought you put into the two 'characters' made it so fun and engaging to watch! I'm sure it made it a lot more work to shoot but I think it was definitely worth it! Hopefully the algorithm agrees.
Like the extra info about the choices and the explanation about the tubeless. Season 2 will for sure boost higher production quality!
Amazing content as always 🙏🙏 keep up the good work Evan
Thanks dude!!!
Such amazing content!! Can't wait for next episode!
Maaaaan this is one of your bests.
Fun and catching
It shows your creativity how much you care.
❤
Dang dude if I hadn’t watched your videos before I would’ve thought you had a twin! The amount of time and effort put into this is crazy, and I can’t wait for the rest of the season 🤙🤙🤙
Thanks Luke! I appreciate it
Your videos are full of great technical info and riding footage, like other TH-camrs, but what they don’t bring is the entertainment that I get on your channel. It’s always fun to”riding” with you. There’s a ton of work you put into your videos, likely more time than riding, and it shows, and it’s much appreciated! Keep up the good work!
Thanks GT!! I appreciate the recognition. Working on episode 2 right now
The effort that was put into this video is really noticeable, it's really good to watch.
Thanks man! I put in a ton of hours on this
High Low series is back! Yessss!!!
Your videos are so impressive! Looking forward to a million subscribers in no time🎉
Yea thats the series that I love in your channel and when I started subscribing
Great improvements so far over the last series - took that idea and refined it to be even better!
Thanks Matt! Lots of thought since the original 2 years ago. That and donut media keeps pushing the envelope and bettering their series haha.
Yes! Awesome job on the video.
I just bought a specialized eliminator and butcher grid trail yesterday when I saw the sale, good to see I didn't waste my money
Oh yeah awesome deal! So the Grid Trail is thicker than the "Grid". You might experience some rolling resistance (I have the exact combo you ordered on my YT), but they're grippy and should resist pinch flats better
If you live in rocky terrain, the Specialized sidewalls are known to be a little weak. But to be fair, Maxxis EXO sidewalls are also known for the same thing.
@@mrvwbug4423 I picked up an Assegai with the new EXO+ a month ago, and so far it's held up nicely. I said that I wasn't going to go back to maxxis because of the weak sidewalls but I couldn't resist. 🫠
@@mrvwbug4423the newest specialized tires are okay, anything older than 2 years ago or so is very weak.
Waking up and finding out high low bike is back, watched it!!!! Today is gonna be a good day.
♥️♥️❤️
Nice to see a T6. Best 1st upgrade to my T6 was ditching the heavy Vee Tires
Thx" Evan & Family. Keep up the good job ❤
Hi-Lo are always pretty fun to see, last season was really good. Looking forward to the changes for this year, should provide more useful information.
Tapered headtube is also a must have for mtbing
You have to pay to convert back to strait to install a fox 40, boxxer or dh38 which are really popular dual crown forks .
Interesting haven't noticed that
Cant wait for the next episode😎🤠
Awesome video! Thank you
Literally just got back from the ER from a flat petal incident. 2 large shin gashes requiring many stitches. Be careful with flat pedals LOL
These kinds of comments are why I'm honestly always leaning towards clipless, or even mag peds.
Superb content! Now we just need the High Low theme song back!
When the bottle cage fell I lost it, lol I’m glad you left that in.
Haha I love leaving that stuff in. Sometimes I'll re-record to not have the mistake, but who wants a perfectly polished video
Your video style reminds me of the old car shows I used to watch like Stacy's garage and two guys garage back on cable TV. I like it.
I love my T6, but there are minimum upgrades that are a must: tubeless, and an 11sp 11-51t drivetrain. Optionally I added a titanium rail saddle, 30t front chainring, Pike Select, and a Versus tire with trail casing in the rear. My Siskiu T6 get me up the steep Alaskan hills with gusto. I wish I could upgrade my legs and heart as easily as the bike. Can't wait to see what you do to your Siskiu's!
I've got myself a marin hawkhill 2, Second hand bbs02 and new battery now I have the performance!
You are hilarious. I lol so many times. When the bottle cage fell off that got me too. Keep it up!
Thanks! I love showing the mistakes haha
@@EvansMTBSaga Made my day, thank you!
"I'm pretty hard on bikes, I basically a pro." made me LOL!
After a lot of tyre testing I found when I ended up chasing grip it killed the bike. Lower top speed, the speed window the bike was happy in was smaller and it was harder to get there and stay there.
I now run the least amount of tyre I can get away with and found that ( for me ) extra communication made up for overall grip loss as that gave me the confidence, the bike had a much larger happy window and was easier to ride at all speeds.
The lower drag also gave me more energy for longer which also added to strength and confidence on the downhills.
great episode, I've been waiting for high / low. The specialized tires are great, I run them on a stump jumper but a butcher t7 on the back and a hillbilly t9 on the front, suits our conditions here in NZ
That sounds like a tire combo for UK winter, Is your part of NZ THAT wet?
Hats off to you for taking constructive comments from the last season to make this one even better! Can't wait to see the rest! Also, I know the Polygon is a budget bike but stock 38 pounds for a trail bike is.. a LOT. I've got a Canyon Neuron 6 (also 140 /130 travel) that I bought new during a Canyon sale for $2000 and it's 31.5 pounds, only change was running tubeless. I didn't realize how heavy those Polys are.
Yeah it is kinda crazy about their weight. Still trying to figure out what's so heavy on the bike now that the tires have been changed. Thanks for the comments on High Low, I spent 2 years reading comments and figuring out how to make it better. Episode 2 coming this Saturday!
@@EvansMTBSaga I have to wonder if part of it is the frame? I’d be curious what a bare frame weighs, like you weighed them in the HardTail Quest series. It was so interesting to see how much variation there was in the weights of those frames even made from the same materials. Thanks again for the amount of care and work you put into your content! Setting up the right camera angles alone has to take forever, let alone filming and editing it all to be a two person conversation with you and Chad! I’ve seen GMBN not execute that filming style as well as you, so way to go!
Great video!
I’m rooting for low bike this time around!
This is insanely high quality content for a one man band 🙌
Also, thx for the reminder to not leave the Enduro tires on my trail bike all year around!
just love it thanks Evan
You have said one of the most honest, insightful things I have ever heard from an MTB TH-camr. "Be honest with yourself." SO MANY people on my local trails are riding aspirational bikes/tires ... gear for the trails they WISH they rode (ie hard, enduro, chunky, steep, even park), instead of the mostly flowy, never too spicy local stuff they ride almost exclusively. I rode a 21lb hardtail for years here with folks on full-on enduro bikes and had no issue keeping up. And it's not becuase I am that great ... at all. They were simply WAY overbiked for the trails we ride. While I now ride a full-suspension, it's only because I got old (and more broken). It's 100/100 travel and I run SPecialized Fast Tracks F/R ... its plenty! Glad to hear someone say it out loud ... someone folks might listen to!
Haha I planned on saying more about that, but kept it short and sweet. I wanted to say that it doesn't make sense running certain parts because "I'm going to a bike park next year". It's just shooting yourself in the foot! Glad you liked it man!!
Back at it again
Bro you’re Editing skills 🔥🔥🔥
Thanks 💯
Those OneUp plastic pedals are fantastic. I’ve got those and a couple pairs of metal high end pedals and i prefer the plastic One Ups. Great grip and they’ve been extra durable.
They've grown on me quite a bit. They don't have the feeling of being actually glued to the pedals like the expensive ones when stationary. But when riding, I've yet to slip a pedal
Great way to kick off Season 2!!!! 🤘🏻
Thanks Matt!! Luckily the Castle opened up so I got to film for episode 2 yesterday
Super nice quality🔥🔥
My oneup pedals (the high bike ones) did the same noise years ago, i "installed" a shorter washer and put grease on them and never even took them off again, never had a noise or problem
Oh yeah takes the compression off the squeaking internals. OneUp has an official fix which I did for episode 2
Quality is so good on the new ones!
On that deore derailluer, did you forget to turn on the clutch? Or did someone tweak with the clutch spring tension?
Turns out the chain was too long
Evan, The oneup squeek is normal when new, all 3 of my sets did it, just Take them apart and put a smear of grease on the rubber seal, once they wear in they wont do anymore anyway.
When i spoke to oneup they are ment to come with a little grease but he said the factory dont do it.
I found some documentation that says to remove a certain rubber o-ring because its there to keep the seals in place during transport. I did it and they're working great.
Evan, incredible work on this video man! Enjoyed every second! Season 2 is shaping up to be the best for sure 🤙
As someone who's picky about what parts i like. I'll always either buy a frame and build it from there or get the lowest trim and swap parts.
That's the best way! And when you're ready to sell, install the stock parts and it's basically a new bike
If you want your feet to be glued to your pedals, you should try Magped pedals. I was a die-hard flats guy until I tried the Mag peds. I will never go back!
yooo i came back to watching ur channel today
We missed you Chad!!
My takeaways:
1. Buy solid tyres
2. Upgrade your brakes and discs
3. Use a chain guide for chunky tech
Great stuff Evan.
Love the videos
With current fork prices you could probably snag a Lyrik Ultimate for low bike, I've seen em on sale for $500 in a few places.
Ended up with a Lyrik Select+, but I'm gonna mention a deal like you just said
W vid man!
FYI. I am fairly certain that Shimano and Tekro use almost the same hydraulic fittings so you can just swap the lever and calliper and leave the hose. at least it worked when i did it
I can confirm. 😁
Tires weigh 1000 grams, you might just say they weight a kilo each for smaller numbers / simplicity. Amazing information overall, thanks very much :)
The difference between an expensive one and a non expensive one is usually just the parts, the frames themselves are usually near enough the same price.
Should've run a Purgatory T7 in the rear, with the Eliminator T9 in the front.
The purgatory just got a redesign so they aren't on sale
I personally buy the lowest trim because I like to swap to the parts that I like most of the time the frame is the same. The only thing that changes is the components.
Do you like to swap shocks? That's been my hangup, I can't find a cheap build with a nice shock. And the shock sizing always seems to be wonky.
But I agree on building it up all custom like.
I have a T6 love it.
What do you think about doing a MinMax series that emphasizes getting the best bang for the buck? That is, is there a way to get 80% more performance for only 20% more spend? That is, what are ways someone can improve their bike WITHOUT buying top-line components?
This is kind of that. Episode 2 I'm introducing a cost per second metric so you can see where to get the most value for the lowest cost
Specialized tires are a fantastic choice even when not on sale. But at $40 you won't find a better option
I wouldn't pay full retail for them, they're decent, but at full price there are better tires out there. Vittora Mazza is probably the closest of the newer tires to the Butcher, but absolutely destroys it in performance while costing about the same at full retail. Conti Kryptotal front and the Assegai I think are still the top two front tires out there and its hair splitting between them. Conti Kryptotal rear is hands down the best rear tire on the market right now by a mile.
I think the Shimano Saint with the Long Pins are still the best option (or Rafe Face Atlas Pedals)
Well done! Just one question, those are enduro-but-budget tires, am I right? What happened to those 80-100USD ridiculous tires for the high bike?
From last season?
No no… just to be fair to the “High” spirit. Just to test if expensive tires worth the money vs sensible ones. Or maybe you could have keep stock tires to the low bike and buy expensive for the high one. I don’t know hahahaha. Really nice work!
Ah I had a very tight budget and retail tire prices don't vary that much. Like theres no $120-150 tires
I have to sit on a towel when i watch these videos
#moist
MOW PEDAL POWER BABY !!
I would love to see an Ingrid components groupset on the high bike
I'd love to try their stuff too, but the saga squad overwhelming voted for regular high end stuff instead of exotic. So drivetrain will be something like gx cable vs GX axs
Hey Evan! I got a set of those Tektro Orion 4p +2 on my DH bike, but I'm not sure if they're capable enough for actual downhill riding.. they are the exact same brakes you had on the High bike. What would you say?
For a DH bike, I'd say no way. 4 piston front and back is the only way for DH
@@EvansMTBSaga I'm selling the brakes and buying a set of used Saint brakes. Thanks for the feedback!
WOW you put some effort in the editing dude 🎉
ran vee tires before and they were absolute leg killers on climbs
So heavy! But for an entry level bike they're pretty rad. I can only imagine when a new person finally installs proper tires, they're gonna feel like Superman
My T7 came with Vee Tire Flow Snaps. As much as I loved the insane grip they had, I swapped them for some lighter and faster rolling Maxxis EXO/EXO+ tires ASAP and put the Vee Tires to the side for my (then) future eMTB.
@@EvansMTBSaga exactly how i felt when i swapped for a more trail tire set up. But the hardship of the heavy tire stood to me overall
Love it ❤
Hey Evan can’t wait for the next season. I’m looking for a new carbon race bike in the 3500 dollar range and was wondering if you have any suggestions
This video is the next season 😅 check out Superior bikes
What type of racing? XC, Enduro, DH?
@@mrvwbug4423 XC racing. I have been racing an aluminum hard tail but it is 2 and a half years old and is getting tired. It’s a Trek Marlin 6 and I have been interested in the SJ Expert but I haven’t quite decided. My current bike is my logo next to my name.
Hey Evan, how are the trails in Benton like after the tornado
Lots of trees down but I was able to ride yesterday
I have that same polygon and I put a stupid amount of high quality Parts on it it's pretty ridiculous but I love it
The joys of upgrading a budget/affordable bike. It's super fun to customize them. You should check out some of the deals on frames using 210x55 shocks. I saw some really good ones going for like $1000 on Pinkbike. Heck even a Status 140 with the rear shock was $419 a month ago
Chud vs. Chad. There are no winners here. Lol. Both bikes are heavy imo. My Rocky Instinct C30 w a heavy Deore group set, and DHF/DHR weighs 33 lbs. w pedals. Cool vid and production. This was a pretty ambitious comparison.
Thanks man. Why do you say Chad vs Chad?
As a T7 owner myself, yeah, the bike is heavy. But that's because of the components, specifically the wheels. Those Entity wheels are beefy! But this is just the first episode. They will shed a few pounds by the end of the series.
@@EvansMTBSaga Chud is a meme my teenage kids always use. Just kidding.
Why buy a bike you need to keep upgrading? It is more expensive, unless you have multiple bikes w compatible parts. That why you buy a bike for the frame. These alloy bikes will never get near 30 lbs. ,even if you hang carbon parts and XTR components on them.
That's pretty light for that build on the Instinct. My Altitude C70 with DH casing contis or EXO+ Maxxis and cushcore (I don't run cushcore on the Contis) is 34lbs
So what happened with the One Up pedal? Rock stuck between the crank and pedal?
I'll show it in episode 2. But it's an o-ring that isn't needed
@@EvansMTBSaga ah cool, looking forward to it sir.
As fun as the premise of this video was, I'm kinda disappointed that you didn't do an actual high/low comparison of trail tires. I would've opted for a set of Conti Kryptotal trail casing tires for high bike. The Vee Flow snaps are known for being a cheap DH tire that's pretty grippy but maybe not to the level of Maxxis, Conti, Schwalbe, Vittoria, etc.
That was the #1 complaint last season, I used different tires. So I get what you're saying, but with very tight budget restrictions, this is the best I could come up with
Whistler is definitely open already...and they don't get tornadoes that tear through events.
Yes but they are open for 5 months out of the year
Not all expensive upgrades are worth it under specific circumstances, the only expensive bike upgrades I would consider Crank Brother's Stamp 7 Seagrave assuming they are affiliated with Muc-off, maybe their Synthesis Enduro (No I9's), and Schwalbe Nobby Nic's 27.5 x 2.4 Tan Super Ground decent all round tires. I actually find this series the most entertaining, possibly even better then Seth, was wondering that Evan had an expensive twin, and would love to see more.
I never clicked on a video this fast before
What brand is the black cassette that you’re running?
That is a SRAM NX
Yes! Chad's back baby!!! 🤑🤑
What does your totally rad twin brother Chad do when he's not filming High-Low? Apart from riding Hardline and Whistler...😂
Love this High-Low series, the first one was brilliant so hoping this one will be even better. It's looking that way 🤘
Also, I've had one of those EDC multitools in my steerer for a year or so and it's ace for making small adjustments but absolute shite for getting an axle out in the middle of nowhere. Just not big enough. Now I carry a normal 6mm Allen key if I'm going more than a few miles from home.
Chad is a used bike salesman. I remember the first time I handled a OneUp tool it thought there's no way you could torque anything more than 6nm. I might need to carry a 8mm Allen for pedals
@@EvansMTBSaga a used bike salesman? Sweet 😂
Don't suppose you know where he gets his shirts from? 😆
@@SteveKimbo They're called Party Shirts. They're awesome too, perfect for riding in partyshirtinternational.com/collections/theshirts
dont you set your suspension to closed for climbing?
Never because I always forget to open it back up