09/13/2025
For the last few seasons, I’ve been running the Glyde skid. The first season, I threw it under my 9R. Immediately, I was in love. The trail manners made the entire ride fun, and let’s face it, as I age, I find as much joy in comfort and compliance as I do horsepower. However, within a few weeks, I realized the effectiveness of this suspension are ten-fold in the backcountry. Crossing frozen lines is effortless, no longer jerking the bars out of my hands. The control I have over my sled because I can stay neutral during so much more of the ride is unmatched. I would say prior to the TRF Glyde, I spent more than 60% of the time out of neutral position. Now, I bet I stay neutral 90% of the time. On top of that, it preserves my energy.
Then I bought a boost (while keeping my 9R). I didn’t even have to ride it “stock”, I knew what I wanted. As soon as it showed up, I bought another TRF Glyde skid. Now, I could have just swapped it over. In fact you can swap them to any other current sled, even different OEM’s, just with an install kit. But after the season on the 9R, I couldn’t go back, even for the few days a year I rode the 9.
I can tell you that this is a product that works for me. Expensive, yes. But honestly, I’ve owned “mod” sleds since 2008. I’ve regularly dropped 5-10k a season on performance mods. So, the price tag is not out of line. And now that you can pick up a factory “mod” with the performance the OEM’s are cranking out, I feel the biggest gains you can make are suspension; getting the power to the ground. And knowing I can 100% trust what the machine is going to do, my confidence is so much higher.
A lot of my rides, I’m riding above my pay grade. Whether I’m gathering content for some of the best riders out there, or just on a ride with buddies, my skill level is generally not on par with the rest of the group. This skid allows me to excel. It makes the toughest rides still “fun”. And it makes me feel like I’m riding at 25, not (nearly) 45 years old.
On top of that, I believe in the Thomas family. Justin and his dad know their stuff. They stand behind it, and are advancing the ride!