The Hayes Dominion A4 brakes paired with the 220mm SRAM HS2 rotors have been a very positive experience. I’ve run Code RSC's and Shimano Saints in the past and the A4's brakes have provided higher performance in almost every department. The initial bite is not quite as potent as the Shimano’s, but they have such deep reserves of power that I never feel like I’m pushing them to their limit. A somewhat unnecessary, but very nice touch, is how light of a throw the levers have. It takes almost no effort to begin to engage the brakes, which I can’t say that I notice very much on the trails compared to another lever, but it sure beats a sticky lever.

    I’ll be rolling on the DT-Swiss workhorse enduro rim, the EX 511, laced to some Industry Nine 1/1 Hubs. Both the front and rear rims are wrapped in CushCore Pro as well as Schwalbe Big Betty tires in the Super Gravity casing and Soft compound. The EX 511 rim is one of the absolute best bang for your buck rims on the market, and is known for its bomb proof reliability. Unfortunately, I have already put a small ding in the rear rim, but it was pretty warranted after coming up short on a sizeable double. The 1/1 hubs are a great way to get some of that Industry Nine quality without having to fork up all that cash for Hydras, and I really enjoy the high engagement on technical climbs paired with the quiet yet constant buzz on the descents.

    This is my first experience with any Schwalbe tires and so far they’ve been great. The sidewall is plenty supportive, especially with the CushCore Pros installed, and the traction has been immense. I’ve only ridden them in the best conditions so far, so it's a bit hard to say how they’ll fare once I’m on something besides hero dirt.

    Finally, I’m running the OneUp Dropper V2 with 210mm of drop, and so far it hasn’t missed a beat. I’ve got it paired with their dropper lever and the action of it feels very nice but I wish it had a bit wider range of adjustability.

    This bike has definitely been built with reliability and downhill performance in mind, and unfortunately that doesn’t mean good things for the weight of it. It comes in at a hefty 39.5 lbs with pedals and no waterbottle. It’s been noticeable on the climbs but it certainly won’t be stopping me from putting in some all day pedal missions!