Third in no way are as good as 32s. I sold my thors, for reasons mike likes them I sold mine, even with fine tuning they dive or are too stiff. Esp if you are a heavier rider you'll have untoward diving in incidents.
Get a 15 converter for your front hub and go Fox IMO. You get what you pay for. I had 3 pairs of pikes before giving up on RS, got a Thor, got agravated by the poor performance and spent admittedly a bomb on 32 150 rlc talas. I've no regrets
Marin wolf ridge gets my vote and as with a Pitch is good value IMO.
With propedal on the quad design makes it climb really well, it belies (sp) it's weight.
with the platforming off the bike simply flies. I run mine 40% sag and it doesnt bottom out (good old quad!) even mucking about dropping 3 ft to flat...
does all day rides, trail centres, bit of jumping... great all round bike.. brave step from the marins of old (sitting too high and stuuf).. you feel really in the bijke, just like a spesh.. but it climbs better...
i dont have a iscg on my frame... but dont like the bulk of an E-13... dont get me wrong - they work... but there's massive!
blackspire's are altogether less obtrusive. there isnt much out there i can find that doesnt need the oddly named iscg *converter*... this is a plate that will fit between frame and external BB cup... so you then bolt the iscg bit of the device onto the bike via the plate's fittings.
In the past you could get E-13s to fit without iscg converters, and iirc blackspire stingers as well. Stingers are now no longer made , which is a shame.
The problem specific to me is my all mtn bike doesnt have the iscg mountings on the frame, which IMO is a big oversight. In the main i run 3 rings up front, but for an intended holiday to Spain I'd want 2 rings and the bash / chain device.
Really thee should be a precondition that all frames come with the iscg, or someone needs to market a simple, cheap and preferably not chain line distorting product!
If anyone has other possible solutions to my plight i'd be very grateful.