Thumbs up/down is way too much of an opinion for that guy.

Making studs is dead easy, just like it was shown in the video. I made mine by drilling the tyre with a 2 mm drill, then screwed in 2,5 mm screws, the heads must be dome or round, mind you (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Screw#Screw_head_shapes). I used 9,5 mm length for the middle and 13 mm ones for the side knobs (i used some old tires, one was a scott manx, the other was a hutchinsons barracuda i think). Duct taped the heads on the inside and rode like a champ. On frozen ground the thing really, really grips. When it got warmer, i had problems pedaling up, since i didn't have enought grip. On the way down the conditions were perfect for some doriftos. Though my lenght choice made the bike kinda squirmish under braking, yet when i leaned her on the side, the longer studs gripped more and i could rail the turns. Drifts were still possible though. I recommend for all winter riders, though i think it works best on packed, frozen terrain. You might want to use a size smaller tyre to not scratch up the frame (which will happen anyway, when you're inserting the wheelset), so it won't be that good in deep powder.

On the other hand Rock Shox has had a 20 mm TA with 32 mm stanchions for how long now? Something like 10 years? :) Granted thoguh, they are starting to be phased out, 140 and 150 mm forks are getting put on lighter and lighter bikes, oriented more towards the XC crowd (as a logn legged bike) instead of towards the DH crowd, pitching it as a short travel DH bike. And for those XC-ers a 15 mm axle sounds plenty.

I'd like to see you make that claim in the Alps.

Okay, Pinkbike, your sources tell you it has completely reworked internals? What about the completely new position of the compression and rebound dials on the body to piggy bridge? Isn't that a significantly big hint to a completely (damping circuit wise) reworked shock?

What black one? If you mean the forks, yes. If you mean the shock, check your eyesight.

Isn't that a medium cage? o_O

THe truth will come out, yes. It's kinda weird, the Niner side of the story sounds like a TV infomercial, wile the Norco/26 side of the story actually details some technical (and true) details from desigining the bikes. And i completely agree, the axle path is a BIG problem with 29''. Chris SUgai said that it's not a problem, since they can go vertical. Well, make a DH bike then and let us see? The only bike design that i can realistically see working with 29'' wheels is a Zerode.

And wood prolly dampens the vibrations form the heli even more. At least more than steel.

THere was a rumour of him going to Giant (Needles said something about his bike having a front flat in Brendan's garage - i think it was in Vital's 17 questions). Though on the other hand, Santa Cruz wouldn't be too far off as well, after all he was Peat's protege back in the day before going to Honda.