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Tire question - does anyone have opinions on Ardent vs Rekon vs Ikon? I actually don't like the Ikon and I only mention it because the Rekon is a variation of it and it appears to have more bite. I have used the Ikon in the past as a rear tire, combined with an Ardent in the front. I ride single speed so I am usually out of the saddle on climbs. The small tread of the Ikon resulted in frequent slippage and I won't go back to that tire. I like the idea of a very fast rolling tire and I am after a combination of aggressive tread and speed (I guess most of us are). I wish I could use micro-knobby tires but they just don't work well for me. I currently run Ardent front and rear and I am happy with it but I'm always after a little more speed and acceleration. Is anyone running Rekon in the front or rear (or both)? How do you like it? me your dad fucked around with this message at 15:35 on Dec 28, 2020 |
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Dec 28, 2020 15:32
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Does an Ardent Race appeal? Can’t remember if their tread might roll a bit better I ran one on the back a bit and it felt pretty fast but we get real loose dry stuff in the summer here and I wanted a bit more traction. Probably would do decent in less loose conditions
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Dec 28, 2020 16:11
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I don't know much about the Race variations of their tires. I figured it meant less weight and less durability for sake of speed. Even though I can afford new tires when needed, I am a cheapskate and I like them to last as long as possible. Plus, changing tires is a damned pain and I try to do it as little as possible 
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Dec 28, 2020 16:20
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me your dad posted:Tire question - does anyone have opinions on Ardent vs Rekon vs Ikon? I run the Rekon as a rear tire with Minion DHF on the front. The tire rolls quickly and is pretty playful. Still enough grip in most circumstances.
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Dec 28, 2020 16:42
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I've always found the Ardent to just kind of suck at everything. It doesn't roll that fast or brake that we'll and its cornering is just vague - it never feels like it locks in to the corner. The Ardent Race is a much nicer tyre for that sort of thing in my experience.
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Dec 28, 2020 17:03
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me your dad posted:Tire question - does anyone have opinions on Ardent vs Rekon vs Ikon? For XC season I usually have a Rekon up front and an Ardent Race in the rear and that combo works quite well for me. The Rekon is grippy and predictable up front, and the Race rolls fast and has grip when leaned over. I run EXO casings and haven't had any durability issues. In my experience, I don't like the Rekon as a rear tire, it tends to spin out where the Ardent Race doesn't for some reason. I don't have a ton of time with an Ikon on the rear, but it seemed similar to the Rekon in that it would spin up on climbs if you're not careful, and it might roll ever so slightly better than the Ardent Race. Ardent front and a Race rear might work for you? I don't have a first hand opinion of the regular Ardent, so that'd be your call.
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Dec 28, 2020 17:58
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My hei hei came with rekons, and I didn't like them that much. However, I was still getting used to the bike, working on suspension setup and fit, and had some issues with the brakes, and then sliced them both within like a month. So I feel like maybe they deserve a better chance. My impressions were that they seemed slow for a light xcish tire, but then didn't have good grip to make up for it. However, I think some of that slow feeling is the bike itself. My plan was to try a dissector up front with the stock rekon rear, but I couldn't get a dissector, sliced a tire, and had to go with what was available, so a DHF. Can't complain about the dhf but paired with a rekon isn't a good mix as the rear has way, way less grip in comparison. So then I sliced that tire open too, and went with a nobby nic to replace because I had one sitting in the tire bin. I think dissector/rekon would have been a decent combo but I'm finding the 120tpi maxxis xc tires are pretty easy to cut open so maybe not a good one for general trail use. And yes, they've been the exo casing. The last one I cut happened at the beginning of a big backcountry ride and I had to limp through the middle of nowhere with a tube and a boot so that was pretty annoying and risked a really long walk. I've also ridden the ikon a lot and tried an ardent race on the front for awhile. I wasn't super thrilled with it because there's nothing in the transition area and just a line of cornering knobs, which doesn't work on a tall post xc bike as you spend a lot of time in that not aggressively leaned over area. I'd consider one again but as a rear only. Ardents have never really appealed to me. Ikons are... fine, but for a pure xc tire I like racing ralphs and my current vittorias (barzo/mezcal) better. IF I was going to race on maxxis again I'd consider a rekon/rekon race combo or maybe even aspens f/r. jamal fucked around with this message at 00:29 on Dec 29, 2020 |
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Dec 28, 2020 19:53
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I had a rekon on the back and replaced it with a high roller 2 send have been pretty happy with it. DHF on the front, good combo for traction but not super slow. The HR doesn't have infinite traction but it handles sliding out real well and is very predictable.
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Dec 28, 2020 20:09
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I think the HR2 is my all time favourite tyre just because of the way it locks into turns, but I hardly ever ride them any more because you have to be at 100% all the time to get them leant over on every corner to feel locked in.
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Dec 28, 2020 23:35
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Thanks for all the feedback on tires. I'll be looking at the Ardent Race and Rekon. I'm stuck on Maxxis since it's the only brand I've ridden for the last 15 years but I really should explore other brands.
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Dec 29, 2020 17:16
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me your dad posted:Tire question - does anyone have opinions on Ardent vs Rekon vs Ikon? I use a Rekon rear and it’s good except it packs up easy if you have any kind of mud or wet soil. I like it because it’s wet a lot where I live but I’m mostly dealing with wet rocks and roots and the smaller knobs do well on those. It sucks real bad though in any kind of mud or sticky loam. I run it with an XR4 front which is a bit less aggressive than a minion. Sort of similar to a Nobby Nic but it’s way more durable and I like the side knobs better.
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Jan 5, 2021 01:57
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I've been toying with grabbing a dropper for my Pine Mountain 1 but there's a Tranzx Jump Seat with no cable routing and 100mm drop that I'm toying with....anyone have experience? I think Salsa uses Tranzx for their OEMs so it seems like they're reliable and substantial yeah?
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Jan 6, 2021 04:18
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I've had two of them now without issues. It could use a nicer lever but no real complaints otherwise.
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Jan 6, 2021 04:55
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Suburban Dad posted:I've had two of them now without issues. It could use a nicer lever but no real complaints otherwise. Sweet! I may go ahead and order one then. I’ve been wanting to get a dropper but I didn’t really want to drop like 240+ if I didn’t have to and that seems like a reasonable option at 99$.
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Jan 6, 2021 18:04
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 Love it when it's below freezing so all that slop and mud that's usually around this time of year is frozen solid.
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Jan 7, 2021 14:46
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Aphex- posted:
That's a sweet photo. We're dealing with a freeze/thaw cycle right now as well and I'm considering getting out this Saturday morning when it's actually cold enough (25°) to ride. I love how fast rolling the ground feels.
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Jan 7, 2021 16:07
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I drat near cheered when the forecast updated from 0c to -4 on my day off. This year has been too mild. All the trails are soft.
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Jan 7, 2021 16:16
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My local trail has been closed since 12/14 because of rain and the temps not getting high enough. I miss my bike rides 
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Jan 7, 2021 17:31
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I did 16 miles in 25°F temps to beat the thaw this morning. I rode a multi-use, mixed-surface trail that stretches 40 miles across our county and I had never been on this stretch of it so it was fun. It was also legit dirt single track, which was good. I got too confident at one little technical section and my front wheel got caught on a rock at slow speed and I went OTB for the first time in about two years. I bruised my hand and the guy I was riding with went down too and wound up with one of his feet in a creek. Good times were had.
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Jan 9, 2021 20:09
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Anybody have any impressions on high (12-16 degree) backsweep bars? I'm having an issue in my shoulders/upper back with pain between my shoulder blades that I've tried rest, stretching, strengthening, and PT on without much help so far. I tried checking my bike fit vs me with help from Lee McCormack and sounds like my fit was already really close to ideal. Still, I made the changes he suggested and it didn't help the pain. Seems every ride about 6-7 miles in it starts to hurt and makes doing normal rides more of a chore. I rode a lot more this year than normal, but still only ~700 miles on trails. It started mid summer at the height of my riding, so may have been due to overuse. I haven't really ridden much since August but the few rides since then it's happened still. I've tried paying good attention to my posture while seated as well but again nothing seems to help. I'm thinking I'll give SQ labs bars a shot and see if it helps because I don't really know what else to do at this point.
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Jan 13, 2021 13:05
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IME, you don't really notice the ergonomic changes and accompanying relief at increments of less than 10deg. In other words, you'll notice going from 10 to 20, but not 10 to 15. I'm running 29 deg Koyotes, and they feel noticeably less swept (and less comfortable) than Jones' 45 deg. Levering the bar feels very different at 45 deg, like less pull with the delts/traps and more with the lats. It's weird but also comfortable (for me). I didn't immediately feel like the 71cm felt as narrow or lacking control as that number might seem. kimbo305 fucked around with this message at 22:44 on Jan 13, 2021 |
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Jan 13, 2021 22:40
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The koyote ones are only $40, heck for that I'll try them. Thanks for the 
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Jan 14, 2021 02:13
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Suburban Dad posted:Anybody have any impressions on high (12-16 degree) backsweep bars? I know this is late, but I’m a big believer in the 16 degree sq lab bar. It puts your shoulders in a more relaxed less hunched position. I also have a little time on the pro taper 20/20 bar which I liked but were too narrow. You might also try narrower bars as well.
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Jan 15, 2021 01:19
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kimbo305 posted:IME, you don't really notice the ergonomic changes and accompanying relief at increments of less than 10deg. I want to see these 45 degree bars on a mtb
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Jan 15, 2021 01:37
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I don't have a pic of this setup with a suspension fork, but I rode this with the Jones bar a few times and didn't feel like I was gonna crash because of control issues: One problem is that the sweep back is so significant that you have to run a longer and flexier stem to get the same reach / hand distance.
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Jan 15, 2021 10:31
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I liked jones bars, well the knock offs i can afford, for bike touring enough that I also stuck them on my hybrid bike for work. You need super long grips and bar tape to get as many hand positions as possible though. I also found they took a lot of adjusting and setting up before I could get them really comfortable. One rule of thumb is that they're supposed to be angled down and about the same height as your seat.
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Jan 15, 2021 12:30
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Jones bars are great for touring and cruising and kinda terrifying for single track riding. Might as well have a steering wheel up there at that point lol
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Jan 15, 2021 23:04
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hemale in pain posted:You need super long grips If you use the advertised long grips, then the brakes so end up really far inboard. I didn't like riding that way on the street, much less on dirt.
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Jan 16, 2021 00:17
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Bottom Liner posted:Jones bars are great for touring and cruising and kinda terrifying for single track riding. Might as well have a steering wheel up there at that point lol I think they're fine for like 99% of natural single track I'd find here in the UK. I wouldn't want to try using them at a bike park though. I do find the straightish bars on my trail bike a bit uncomfortable and was considering getting something like the stooge moto bar which has like a 17 degree sweep. Probably not worth it 
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Jan 16, 2021 13:24
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Oh hey, a MTB thread! What’s the recommendation for tire sealant? The GF just picked up a Canyon Neuron 7 and it’s tubeless ready so I’m going to convert it for her. Also, rim tape? Any better than others? My mtb came tubeless and I haven’t had to mess with them yet so ...
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Jan 23, 2021 04:05
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Orange seal has been the go to for the thread.
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Jan 23, 2021 04:11
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bamhand posted:Orange seal
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Jan 23, 2021 04:17
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Braincloud posted:Oh hey, a MTB thread! I think in general "tubeless ready" means all you need is valves and sealant, no tape. Specifically, my Neuron 6 came with rim strips that sealed just fine
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Jan 23, 2021 04:20
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i use stans and never have any problems but ive also not tried anything else sooooo
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Jan 23, 2021 05:02
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meowmeowmeowmeow posted:i use stans and never have any problems but ive also not tried anything else sooooo Stan's is "adequate" at best. Orange Seal is still the best overall sealant in terms of sealing, air retention, longevity, not balling up, etc. Other sealants like Bontrager TLR (I think it's a derivative of Joe's) have evolved over time as well, but nothing creates that continuous elastic film around the inside of a tire casing like Orange Seal. TobinHatesYou fucked around with this message at 10:49 on Jan 23, 2021 |
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Jan 23, 2021 06:25
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Orange seal it is! What’s everyone’s choice of chain lube? I usually run Boeshield T-9 on my road bike but that doesn’t see. Whole lot of dirt. I’m in the PNW so it’s wet season until June. I just picked up my first modern mountain bike last month. I’d been shopping for a while and trying to find an entry level bike but of course no one had any stock unless my price point went way up to $4K. My buddy just happened to be upgrading to a custom Transition and sold me his 2018 StumpJumper Carbon Comp 27.5 for less than the Giant Stance I’d been trying to source. Took it to Death Valley a few weeks ago   Been hitting up the local trails outside of Seattle too. It’s hella fun to ride even though I’m bad.
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Jan 23, 2021 07:06
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There's no one right answer for lubes. They all have trade-offs. For wet/rain: Dumonde Tech Rock n Roll Extreme Rock n Roll Holy Cow Silca Synergetic NixFrixShun For mud: Silca Super Secret Chain Lube Smoove Squirt I'm sure there's lot of other recommendations and it all depends on what your priorities are.
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Jan 23, 2021 10:53
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Your list is missing “moon dust” (I’ve just been using Dumonde Tech for everything for years but now I ride like 90% or more in completely dry conditions but with a lot of dust, so I’m interested in suggestions for when my bottle runs out)
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Jan 23, 2021 18:04
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wax for moon dust, it doesn’t attract anything because it’s not sticky, just pull the chain off before you hose the bike down
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Jan 23, 2021 19:47
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Thoughts on products like Ride Wrap? I am getting new bike and maybe that's a good buy? I fall enough that the sweet roarnge paint job is gonna see some hurt.
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Jan 24, 2021 00:15
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