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Not a Spec bike, but the Santa Cruz Stigmata might be a relative bargain with upgraded XO Tranny. The pared down 40mm Rockshox Rudy may not get you through rooty or rocky outcrops but it should take the edge off steep cambered singletrack most likely with the rebound damping wide open. A...

We cycled from Jasper to Athabasca Falls back in 2021 and to Maligne Lake in 2022. It’s still our favorite national park here even though it’s a longer drive to get there than Banff. It’s beautiful because it hasn’t become this huge city.

I have a Peak Designs out front mount that I reverse mount to accommodate the handlebar bag when it’s installed on the bar as seen in the images above. I use their universal adapter attached to a rigid third-party case and it works quite well. I’ve never had it release prematurely, ever.

Since you have your sight aimed squarely at adding a Tranny into the mix and with few other options to choose from, another contender (although it could be considered a bit of an outlier as it’s aimed more towards aggressive enduro/DH riding) might be the Transition Relay. Similar to the Trek...

Jasper was a jewel for many who lived and worked there and for those fortunate to have spent time visiting the park there was no other place like it. Some positive news is that 70% of the structures remain standing. Bad news is that most of the remaining 30% that burned to the ground were...

For stowing small items, top tube and frame bags might be ideal for your needs. My road bike will take on the role of a fast-tourer for an upcoming excursion in the fall and this 2.3L half-frame and 1.1L top mounted bag should work well for longer day trips. Multi-day trips will see the addition...

It was quite gusty most of the day so I snuck out for a solo ride this evening. Perfectly calm conditions for a 35km ride. 👍

If things get a bit rough, a 40mm Rockshox on the Skitch might smooth out bumps and light washboard on gravel but isn’t designed to cope with anything more serious than that. I’m just speculating that it might be the same shock that’s found on the Canyon Grizl. The Trib’s 120mm travel is likely...

@mschwett makes a rather convincing argument against riding a mtb on tarmac even with the suspension locked out. My mantra has almost always been trying to obtain the right tool for the job. For your broad range of riding, I’m not sure if a dedicated trail bike would be the ideal fit but only...

Our air quality health index this morning remained at level 4 (moderate) but the smoke appeared heavier than yesterday and the smell of it was fairly evident the moment we started our ride. Speaking of which, tragedy has struck the national park resort of Jasper as the wildfires have reached...

Good on you for riding in such conditions. I think that I prefer venturing out in sub zero temps as humidity is an absolute game changer for me and would find it difficult to breathe. 😧

I realize that the Levo SL made your viable list but you might want to drop the 1.1 version if any amount of ascension is going to be part your ride repertoire plus you may feel that it’s further hampered by its non UDH compliance. The lighter more powerful Creo 2 E5, however, would likely be a...

Despite the hazy conditions due to wild fire smoke, we still managed to fit in a 42km ride this morning. Meanwhile, 400km to the north, Jasper National Park including the townsite has been placed under evacuation notice over the past 36 hrs. 25,000 residents and tourists were forced to flee from...

Sheesh, leave it to @BlackHand attempting to convert me into a gravel grinder. That’s a kicka$$ ride.👍

Finding a UDH compatible bike might well be a deciding factor in what you eventually will ride. I’m just not sure it should be that imperative to your needs as going without actually opens the door to more options. It does sounds like you’ve made your decision to add more flavor to your rides...

It would have been hot out on the links as well. The heat was so stifling we headed back into town after the ride for refreshments but as hard as we tried, we couldn’t find anywhere to park. Seems like everyone from Calgary had converged on the town in one fell swoop. Bummer to hear about your...

Sounds like you might need to re-evaluate your goals and consider where most of your riding will take place. As an all rounder, an e-gravel bike seems to tick all of the boxes with the exception of the gnarliest singletrack. A SL emtb will get you through rock gardens with aplomb but would be...

As far as shifting out of the saddle goes, it’s not a practice that I would generally recommend on any bike. I would say dumping multiple gears is noticeably quicker on my road bikes but not that I would define it as significant enough to make a drastic difference on my mtb. That’s just my...

Two of my road bikes are equipped with Ultegra/Di2 and I agree with @mschwett that shifting action is both ultra smooth and precise. Perhaps comparing the two drivetrains isn’t quite that simple. I find when riding technical singles my primary focus is on scanning the changing terrain in front...

DH Run #2 – Race of Spades No epic views this time and a bit more of a challenge than Family Guy but nevertheless a ton o fun. There were plenty of TTFs along this DH single but it would have been nice if there was some way to differentiate between the (no way Jose) jumps or the more...