B.A.D. I like that idea Aibek! RC

I began life as a bike builder and designer, and along the way, as guys like me tried to evolve the mountain bike, we assembled a grocery list of improvements that, alone we could not implement, but collectively, we desperately needed. For example: sealed bearings in the hubs and bottom brackets, index shifting, wide-ratio gearing, oversized bottom bracket axles, offset crankarms, roller chainguides, oversized steerers and head tubes, unthreaded headsets, wider rear hub spacing, through-axles, wider rims, remote-adjustable seatposts, hydraulic disc brakes, oversized handlebars, larger diameter seat posts, wider bottom bracket shells,.splined crank arm interfaces and suspension components that didn't leak. Every one of those improvements required a new industry standard and yet without them, bike designers' hands were tied. We could not move forward to make frames or bikes lighter, better handling and stronger without the cooperation of component makers bold enough to make breakthrough improvements. Presently, most of the mountain bike's weak links have been fixed, which means the grocery list I have been carrying for quite a while is nearly empty, The two glaring exceptions are the weak derailleur hanger and the undersized pedal axle. Both items have little or no reserve design strength. If there is a certain tone in the article, it may be because I occasionally get annoyed by riders who forget that they are standing on top of a mountain of beneficial industry standards when they shout down a proposal for a new one. Direct mount is a path to a better derailleur interface that opens the door for future innovations in the rear derailleur and dropout. I would be happy if any company introduced Direct Mount. Shimano was first, so it got my vote. I hope that helps. RC

Quite well done. Wish they included more on upkeep and lubrication. Thanks for the heads up. RC

Specialized and Norco have a licensing agreement for the FSR four-bar suspension patent. I was curious about that Specialized cable doohicky as well, so I asked about it. Norco's Dustan Sept says the relationship between the two companies is friendly and thus, they share some frame bits as well. RC

As long as the axle is attached to the swingarm, it's a single-pivot setup. Any other linkage just drives the shock or supports the suspension mech. RC

Um, No idea.

weezyb, It looks like the trail to Cathedral Rocks from the main highway to Oak creek. RC