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The more expensive bikes are still somewhat available. Although those are running out too. I might have just ordered something, and it might have been the last one.
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Aug 1, 2020 23:15
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Trailforks has a nice feature where if someone adds an illegal or closed to the public trail, a moderator can mark it that way and it won't show up and won't let someone else add it. Well, and a moderator has to approve any new trails anyway so like if I saw someone add one I'd just make it hidden and maybe send the creator a message saying something like "hey don't add that to trailforks dumbass."
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Aug 7, 2020 16:52
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Dangerllama posted:Cross posting from the maintenance thread, but does anyone know how to troubleshoot a rear shock lockout? Had my shocks serviced back in March but haven’t done any real riding since then. The other day I went to lock my rear and noticed it didn’t do anything. Full travel either way. I'd probably start by calling whoever rebuilt it and asking them. Bu you could try reading through the service manual and maybe checking out the diagrams in the spare parts catalog, it should show how the adjuster/lockout is supposed to work. https://www.sram.com/en/service Also, is it cable operated? could just not have enough tension.
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Aug 7, 2020 17:39
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I bought a new mountain bike last week. Posted it in the show us your bike thread but wanted to ride it a bit before it went here. 4 rides is enough, right? Kona Hei Hei CR. The 2021s are on the website but it'll be awhile before you can actually get one, so I don't feel bad about having the 2020. I've been riding my Kona King Kahuna carbon hardtail xc bike for 7 years now. 10k miles, 1.3 million vertical feet. A lot of mountain tops and my first race and a few podiums and wins. My best result ever was winning a 50mi backcountry race overall last year, but 3rd at the state championship 2 years ago in cat 1 with actual pros in the field was pretty cool too. Anyway, I've been due for a new mtb for awhile now, and still wanted something XC-ish but full suspension with a dropper and more modern geo. I figured even a 130mm bike would be ok and I could still race the hardtail. So scalpel, scalpel SE, Habit, orbea oiz were some considerations but I was kind of set on a Hei Hei even before the new one came out. With the 2020 update going to 120/120mm I figured that yeah this is the one. It got here last Wednesday and was ready to ride Thursday. I coach nica that day and our practice was over on the part of town with the rougher, steeper, and rockier trails. Initial impression is- wow, so this is what it's like to actually go fast downhill instead of just feeling like you're going fast. Very, very different having more travel, a dropper, a much longer bike, and a 67.5 degree hta instead of 71. Going uphill, I was worried about that extra length and slacker headtube but it works just fine and stays straight and goes around all the tightest switchbacks no problem. Pedaling out of the saddle even in trail mode is ok although I generally have been fully locking it out. Then it feels a lot like my old bike. It does weigh a little more, but I could fix that by spending more money and changing a few parts, which I'm already thinking of doing anyway. I was actually considering the fancy xx1 version of this bike but this was the only one they had, and I got a fairly good deal so buying, say, some xtr brakes, shifter, RD, cassette, and a new freehub body is a current thought and would still cost less than getting the nicer complete bike. The guide Rs definitely seem lacking but maybe after shortening the hoses and bleeding the brakes that will improve. GX eagle is also not that impressive to me and seems worse than the 11 speed GX I have on the hardtail. e- brake lines shortened and bled today, now they work good. jamal fucked around with this message at 06:56 on Aug 14, 2020 |
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Aug 12, 2020 15:55
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Yeah honzos are cool and you might even be able to find a new one in a shop right now. We just got like 5. Also since you mention the journeyman, the new Roves are also out there.
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Aug 14, 2020 15:44
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Sram derailleurs don't have a switch to turn the clutch on or off, just a pin that holds the cage forward when you push it in. I suppose the cage could be locked forward.
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Aug 18, 2020 00:43
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Went on a mountain bike ride yesterday. There's a trail south of town on a mountain called lolo peak that is a pretty cool and fun ride. You can even partially shuttle it because the trailhead is a couple miles up a road, but I rode my bike the ~20mi from town because of these distance and climbing things i'm doing Look buffalos  actually Bison. Buffalo is a completely different animal The road to the trailhead. There was a fire here in 2017. Burned like 50k acres.  Made it to the trailhead  it was this far. Or maybe more? My garmin had some sort of a recording error for the first part  The trail goes up a ways to a ridge    Some parts are still just charred dirt 3 years later   Eventually I'll be going down there  The top for me  The trail keeps going but crosses into wilderness a little past here so that's far enough. Now time for a 5k foot singletrack descent to the road   It took 33 minutes to get back down. Also, I'd added a touch of air to my shock and fork because it seemed a little soft but went too far. Should have left it, ride down was a little rougher than it needed to be. Usually a 5k foot day would be enough for me but not during this thing. I told myself that if I got down to the bottom by about 5 I'd consider trying to go up the back way to a mountain/trail system on the south end of town. Also there's a gas station/convenience store essentially right at the bottom of this so I filled up water, got some snacks, and then went for it. I had drawn a line on a map and had that loaded on my garmin. Am I going the right way?  How much do I trust this line?  poo poo that's still a long way and it's like 7pm now. Look close and you can see the fire lookout tower I'm going to  Mystery singletrack that seems to be going in the same general direction? Sure lets follow that for awhile  Made it to a section of open forest road that winds around the front of the mountain and then followed that to the moto trail to the top  That mountain over there is where I was. All that stuff in the middle is what I came through  Looking east and a little south you can see one of our nearby fires  Then I rode the ridge trail down, which is about a 3k continuous descent. Right now it's pretty rocky and loose due to a summer of moto traffic and the new bike handled it well. A dhf would have been nice though. Decided to get a beer as I was practically riding right by this place  Total for the day 73mi, 9700ft, 7 hours of moving time. Like I said the first part didn't record properly so this is a little shorter https://www.strava.com/activities/3979939186 jamal fucked around with this message at 07:04 on Aug 30, 2020 |
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Aug 29, 2020 17:23
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I put a new tire on my new bike because i already destroyed the rear on rocks (front tire got moved to back, and I'm going up like 1-2psi). First impression- yeah that's got a lot more grip. Bike tracks more where I want now, as before I've felt like it's a little slow to turn (but probably only compared to my other bikes). I notice the extra mass when it's going faster, but on the front of the bike it seems to roll just fine. It's also a little much compared to the rear tire (a rekon) and the balance is maybe not ideal, but seemed ok. I would have preferred to try a dissector as those are a little lighter and faster rolling than the dhf but they're out of stock everywhere. Nobby nic was another thought but mixing tire brands would have bugged me a bit and I didn't want to buy a racing ralph or something to go with it. That was a great combo on my hardtail and I like the vittoria mezcal/barzo setup I have on it now but wish the front had just a touch more grip. I feel like there need to be more tires that are thin and fast and light like xc tires but have the knobs of a trail tire for use on the front. And yes I realize that bigger knobs add weight. Shave like 2mm off all the knobs on the dhf? jamal fucked around with this message at 05:43 on Sep 4, 2020 |
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Sep 4, 2020 05:34
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Changed the volume spacer in the rear shock of my Hei Hei from 0.8 in^2 to 0.4 (0.8 is what it came with and the 2nd biggest one you can put in there). Pretty simple process- let out air, unscrew air can, take spacer out, put new one in, refill. Didn't even have to remove the shock or unbolt anything. In case you were wondering, a larger spacer means a lower air volume which makes the spring rate more progressive. An air spring is always going to be progressive because volume is getting smaller as the suspension compresses so pressure goes up so spring rate goes up. Suspension geometry also effects this but anyway I was feeling like my spring rate was too progressive and this tones it down a bit. At recommended sag the rear seemed way too soft compared to the front, and then bumping up the spring rate to get a better feeling balance I wasn't going through all the travel even on some pretty rough stuff. This way I'm thinking I can keep a more supported, firmer feeling rear suspension and actually use all of it. Still fine tuning and today was pretty casual but it seems better. There's also a 0.6 spacer if it turns out I went too far. Was thinking about just going to that but wanted to make sure I made a big enough change to notice. The front doesn't seem like it needs any changes to the spacers. Feels plush enough over small stuff and doesn't bottom out easily. I would change from the grip to a fit4 damper if I did anything to have a low speed compression knob and possibly the 2-position lockout. The standard grip damper just has a 3 position knob and for me at least the middle just seems a little too harsh and not worth ever using. Also put it on the scale. Slightly lighter than I was expecting but not XC bike light. With pedals, bottle cages, garmin, and 2.3 DHF it's 28lb 14oz. I was afraid it was going to be over 30. The descendant cranks and steel chainring are heavy as poo poo so swapping those out would save some weight and I do like the feel of carbon bars a lot better so I suppose I could get this down a bit if I wanted. On the fence about keeping it vs going to a lighter more XC bike like the scalpel. Maybe just keep it and get a new hardtail too. Anyway here's a picture 
jamal fucked around with this message at 17:03 on Sep 11, 2020 |
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Sep 11, 2020 06:29
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Made a few more adjustments to the hei hei Firstly, new bars and stem. Went to a raceface 800mm carbon bar from the stock 780. 780 felt fine but I am tall with long arms and the 800s also feel ok. It was more for the sake of carbon and lighter than any fit concerns. Rise and sweep are also about the same. Went with chunky esi grips instead of regular, and also raised my levers up a touch. The bigger change is the 45mm stem coming from 60. This bike has felt a little long and the shorter stem really seems to have helped on the first ride the other day. Seems like I'm a little more in control and the handling has quickened up. It was a little sluggish to change direction in the tighter corners. It also seems like the smaller volume spacer in the shock is an improvement for me. I get to have the rear end feeling a little more like I want and it used most of the travel down my nearest "rough" descent. I'm keeping track of my settings and changes in a spreadsheet. Initial pressures were 67 in the fork and 185 in the shock, and I've gone up just a touch for today to 69 and 190. Also gave it one more click of rebound front and rear, but that's just to stay at fox's recommendation. Fork is a 34 SC with standard grip damper and rear is a float dps, so ok but nothing fancy. Would be nice to have a low speed compression adjuster on the fork. Next change will probably be a new set of cranks. I'm annoyed at how heavy the truvativ descendants and stamped steel ring are, and that they put them on an XC bike. Just going to sram's aluminum chainring is like a 100g saving, so getting something like raceface's carbon cranks or even the carbon gx ones plus a new ring is going to save close to a pound. Then some XC tires next spring and I might like going uphill on this thing a little more. Still probably going to need a new xc race bike next season though. Either keep this and get an fsi or sell it and buy a scalpel. Two bikes better than one right?
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Sep 24, 2020 20:51
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Seems like I'm going the right way with bike changes. Suspension is feeling good with the lower volume spacer and slightly higher air pressure. Better balance where the rear doesn't feel overly soft compared to the front, but still great compliance over small stuff. Running this pressure with the bigger spacer beat the crap out of me and only used like 70-80mm of travel. The other thing I'm trying is keeping the shock and fork in "trail" mode. With the fork especially, when fully open it seems like there's not a lot there beyond the air spring, and my pressure is on the low side which doesn't help. Middle might be right on the edge of being too much but at least I notice it's there. An actual adjustment knob would be really nice. The little bit closer reach is a good change too. Feeling more comfortable and more in control. Other thing is I need to get off my usual smooth trails. The other day I was out on some rougher and steeper stuff and had a really nice time.
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Sep 29, 2020 05:21
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Killed a chain and my brake pads in less than 2 months on the new bike. But also 875mi and 120k feet up then back down in that time. With another bleed and some new metallic pads I'm finally reasonably happy with how the brakes feel. Was on the verge of replacing them with those fancy xtr trail brakes but that would make my brakes and group not match so and I decided to hold off on spending a whole bunch more money. New chain is nicer than the old one  Nica practice tonight was fun. I had some of the faster middle school kids and they were great. They came up with a plan of where they wanted to ride and we wound up doing 2.5 laps on the upper trails and climbing 2200 feet. Even took the steep road climb to the top every time because it was shorter and faster. jamal fucked around with this message at 18:59 on Oct 2, 2020 |
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Oct 2, 2020 04:12
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I'm not all that thrilled with the rekon. For a light "xc" tire it seems to roll fairly slowly, but then for an "aggressive xc" tire it doesn't have all that much grip. More than an ikon or rekon race or aspen I suppose. The 2.3 dhf front, 2.25 rekon rear combo I currently have works pretty well but I'm looking for a little more balanced setup. Next year I might do the barzo/mezcal like on the hardtail, or nobby nic / racing ralph.
jamal fucked around with this message at 01:55 on Oct 3, 2020 |
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Oct 3, 2020 01:47
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Yeah, kind of weird. The aggressor has more and bigger knobs and I think it would work better the other way around. It is designed more as a rear but I see them as front tires occasionally.
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Oct 3, 2020 02:21
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I mean you are only talking about 0.1 to 0.2 inches here which is like, within the variation of different tires and wheel widths. Assegai for example only even comes in 2.5 and 2.6. Also 2.4 on a 30mm wheel is becoming the thing for xc. jamal fucked around with this message at 06:25 on Oct 3, 2020 |
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Oct 3, 2020 06:22
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Got a little bit out of town to do a ride I've been wanting to do for years. Trail 7 in the swan mountains, a little bit to the south of glacier national park bring your bear spray  Generally this ride gets shuttled, and we sort of did that, by parking a car at the bottom of the road and then driving a little bit up toward the trailhead. Which meant we still had to ride 2k feet up to the start of the trails and then back to the first car on the highway. You get up there a ways    These mountains are big and pretty remote. Don't gently caress up.  There was a pretty long section of hiking      The new bike worked really well except for when i sliced my rear tire like 10 min into the ride.   hi  we came from over there 
jamal fucked around with this message at 06:19 on Oct 5, 2020 |
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Oct 5, 2020 06:07
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vikingstrike posted:This is extremely my jam. Looks like a great ride and would love to do something similar if I ever made it up to Montana to ride. How exposed did it get at the top? There was a good amount of steep side hill where you really needed to focus on keeping your tires on the trail but nothing really that bad. Phil, who's one of the best riders I know, put his wheel off the edge and went otb at some point behind me and it did throw him off a bit for awhile. There were a number of things we had to walk up but on the way down I can only think of a couple of steep switchbacks that seemed a little too tight to get around coming off this little high point.  But the ridgelines the trail follows were generally flat and wide   There was even a series of little narrow "lakes" up on one  At the same time it's definitely not an easy ride or a mellow trail. Lot of rocks, lot of steep, technical climbing. Would have been a fairly unpleasant day on my old hardtail but was great on the hei hei, and these are the kind of rides I need to do more of with this bike. On my local smooth trails I just notice that it's slower on the climbs. I think I have my suspension mostly figured out and essentially didn't touch the shocks all day- just left them in "trail" mode. Partway down the descent I did switch to open which added just a touch of extra comfort, and we did get going pretty good toward the bottom. We were all on 120mm bikes actually- me on the Hei Hei, Phil and Andrew on Orbea oiz TRs, and Jeremy on an epic evo. https://www.strava.com/activities/4152637348 jamal fucked around with this message at 17:24 on Oct 5, 2020 |
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Oct 5, 2020 17:12
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And the only thing second teir to SX is box.
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Oct 7, 2020 02:40
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Most stuff goes in my pockets. I tend to wear baggy shorts plus a jersey so I have a lot of storage space for my phone, multi-tool, snacks, and a light jacket. I also have cargo liner bibs so I can wear a regular shirt and still stick some bars in the back pockets. Then I use a backcountry research strap to carry a tube and co2 on my saddle rails. On my hardtail I usually had a tube strapped into the bottom of the triangle and then have a little thing that straps a co2 and chuck and tire lever to the seatpost. If I'm riding more than 2-3 hours without somewhere to refill water or need extra storage I'll wear a pack, either just a waist/fanny or full backpack.
jamal fucked around with this message at 23:25 on Nov 9, 2020 |
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Nov 9, 2020 21:09
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Fanny pack is definitely still better than a backpack in that regard. I have a dakine hotlaps 5l and it's good as long as I don't fill it all the way up with water and then I try to drink more of that first before the bottles on the frame so that it's lighter. You feel it bouncing around quite a bit on descents when it has more than like 1.5l in it (it holds 2). If I don't need the water I can pull the reservoir out and it's a pretty good way to carry just a little bit of extra stuff and is pretty light and unobtrusive. Other option is the frame bag. I picked up a topeak midloader and it fits both the cx bike and hardtail pretty well. Was really great for all the bigger gravel days I did this summer.  
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Nov 12, 2020 19:32
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I have a light and motion taz 1200 for the bars, and then a cheap knockoff light on my helmet with an external battery pack. The taz is pretty good as it has a wide beam pattern, and is really bright, and claims to last 6 hours on low. It has a race mode that switches between high and medium instead of cycling through all the options, but that would be better if it went from high to low instead. I thought that's what it did and then had my light die on the way home the last time i was out. I also bring a spare light. Overall it's a pretty good setup and I was out for 3.5 hours the last time. One issue I had with my other light and motion, an urban 500, is the usb connector broke off when i went to charge it, and it was only a few months old. They sent me a new one right away but still I'd probably only plugged it in like a dozen times at that point.   
jamal fucked around with this message at 19:11 on Nov 16, 2020 |
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Nov 16, 2020 19:08
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Still mtb riding apparently  A little cold out though  Top part was a little snowy but had reasonable traction  Few sketchy bits on the way down the ridge   jamal fucked around with this message at 05:14 on Nov 29, 2020 |
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Nov 29, 2020 05:12
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me your dad posted:Clipless pedal question: if I feel a slight bit of play when I pull my foot forward when clipped in, is that a sign that I need pedal adjustments, new pedals, new cleats/shoes, or a combination? I don't feel as attached to my bike as I'd like. I go through a set of cleats about every year so start with that if they're old. Also have to occasionally re-grease and tighten up the bearings. The cage parts on some pedals is replaceable so that would be the next step before just getting new pedals.
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Nov 30, 2020 17:48
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Zwift is a lot warmer but also it's not real bikes  
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Dec 6, 2020 04:13
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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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Pretty much, yeah. At least wipe all the dirt and grime off after every ride, lube every couple or if it gets really muddy or starts squeaking. Something like rock and roll is a lot quicker and easier to use than dumond. RnR you just pour a bunch on there and then wipe off the excess and it cleans and lubes all at once. Dumond, which I've been using for a few months, needs your chain to be really clean, then you apply pretty sparingly, then wipe off all the excess, then there's still gonna be some grime and lube that comes out after the next ride that you have to wipe off again. In addition to shifting better and lasting longer, a super clean drivetrain looks better too  
jamal fucked around with this message at 06:56 on Jan 24, 2021 |
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Jan 24, 2021 06:05
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Fox puts a 4 digit code on their shocks, you just type that in here https://www.ridefox.com/fox17/help.php?m=bike And it will give you the details of what's going on with it, then you can probably send fox an email asking for a compatible upgrade or have your bike shop do it. I don't think there are actually that many different tunes, more like just recommended damper and pressure settings for different bikes. jamal fucked around with this message at 20:26 on Feb 16, 2021 |
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Feb 16, 2021 20:22
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This is all nice to discuss and all but the real answer is take whatever combination of parts they can actually put on a bike and get you. Shimano is out of most of that and has crazy lead times.
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Feb 26, 2021 00:58
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I tried various heights and all the way up still looks the best but you have to be at the right angle also. For example, saddle height starting to look a little ridiculous here  But in this one it seems fine 
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Mar 12, 2021 22:06
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Thanks, that first one was a real good ride. https://imgur.com/a/clsUgoL The way background here is the bob marshall wilderness and you can even kind of see a glacier https://www.strava.com/activities/4152637348 jamal fucked around with this message at 22:34 on Mar 12, 2021 |
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Mar 12, 2021 22:29
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giro dnd is solid and durable and cheap but a little heavy and warm on hot days giro rivet 2 is lighter and thinner/cooler and breathes better but less durable 100% ridefit is a little lighter than the dnd but lasts longer than the rivet, think i liked those more than the dnd pearl izumi divide is more like the rivet 2- really thin and light. my current gloves, seem to be holding up well. pearl izumi summit is more like the dnd none of the above gloves have any padding. my one pair of padded gloves actually bothered me because the gel inserts created pressure points.
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Apr 11, 2021 05:25
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Yea strap the tube to your bike so you don't have it in your pockets. I have a backcountry research strap but the blackburn deal is pretty good too and offers moderately more protection to the tube and will hold your lever, co2, and multitool, although I like to keep my tool and plug kit in a pocket for quicker access. Taping a tube into the bottom of the triangle also works. Plug and co2 should be your first attempt at a leaky tire and only swap in a tube and get out the pump if you have to. My goal in races is to have as little on me as possible so just a small tool and snacks until the next time I can stop/get a handup. And then force yourself to eat what you planned to eat. If there's a spot you can line up all your bottles for quicker access at the aid station, like on the ground nearby, that would save you some time vs getting your bag (I know some aid stations are pretty good about seeing your number and getting things out but who knows how that's going to work). Also you're swapping on faster, lighter tires right? Speaking of zip ties, I bring a hole punch, scissors, utility knife, and zip ties to races and trim my number plates to fit around the cables and add extra holes if I need and then use zip ties instead of the twist ties you usually get. jamal fucked around with this message at 23:07 on Apr 20, 2021 |
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Apr 20, 2021 23:00
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Been out mtbing a few times lately  '  
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Apr 24, 2021 15:50
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Tifosi has some reasonably priced glasses with either multiple or photochromic lenses. Bigger is better to keep wind and grit and bugs out of your eyes. https://www.tifosioptics.com/product/sledge-lite-matte-black-with-red-foto/ With my old pivlocks I almost always used the rose tint lens for mtb, now I have some fancy photochromic jawbreakers and those are great for mtb and everything except bright sunlight out in the open. There is a little bit of a delay to them going back to "clear" in the evening but then once it's dark i can keep them on if I want. But on full night rides i wear completely clear lenses.
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Apr 25, 2021 02:54
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I like my backcountry research tube strap that goes through the saddle rails, but the dakine and blackburn are nice and also protect the tube from grit somewhat so it'll probably actually hold air when you need to use it. I'll likely pick up one of those or at least figure out a cover for the tube (BR does make a "tubetarp"). I usually have a plug kit and co2 in a race as well, although on Friday I forgot everything. Generally I just keep snacks in my jersey pockets but yeah you have to pick your moments to eat, like on a road climb, but then also you're breathing hard. But on a long race it's worth it to just slow down or even stop for a second to make yourself eat over not doing that. Usually I can cram 1-3 shot blocks in my mouth fairly quickly and easily, just have everything pre-opened. I use scissors. Also don't stick them to your top tube that's gross. You might as well just start wearing sleeveless jerseys and short socks and peeing on your bike. jamal fucked around with this message at 00:30 on May 11, 2021 |
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May 10, 2021 04:49
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I know, I just meant in general. Because I saw it today at a gravel race.
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May 10, 2021 05:29
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Since I missed out on getting a new hardtail XC bike this year and a new cx bike is starting to seem unlikely too, I'm going to spend money making the hei hei a little lighter and racier. Last fall it got carbon bars, now I have carbon cranks too and went back to XC tires, although I think they're a little heavier than the original rekons. Really nice how much better they roll but on the other hand a vittoria barzo does not grip anywhere near as well as a DHF. First choice of tires were schwalbe's racing ray/ralph combo in 2.35. But right now I only have a rear and the front racing ray is backordered, hopefully I'll get one before june though? Then these vittorias can go on the hardtail. It's what's on there now and I generally like them. The mezcal rolls really good, the barzo has decent xc tire grip, they're durable, and msrp is below a maxxis or schwalbe. I just wanted to try something different. Even considered aspens but those were out too. I think I can get them now but don't really need more tires at the moment. Might pair well with my leftover rekon though. Should figure out a new rear tire to go with my dhf as well. Going to be either minion ss or aggressor I think. The trivativ stylo cranks and aluminum chainring are a 188g weight savings over the stock descendant cranks and steel ring. Annoyed they put those bricks on there. I also added some rubber tape in strategic locations based on the wear and chips on the hardtail's cranks   Also improved the brakes a bit by going from guide R to RSC levers. Not too pricey and they have much better bite and power. Next big weight items are the wheels and cassette. It's still 27lb 12oz, which I guess is light for a trail bike. Have some fancy wheels on order (dt swiss xrc1501) but actually getting them any time soon isn't a really sure thing. I suspect this dt370/wtb i27 rim combo is in the 2kg ballpark and that gx cassette isn't light either. So that's another lb or more (although not a very good $/g value). Still won't be XC race bike light, but with bike availability what it is I might as well do something in the meantime before I sell it for something else or just get a new hardtail. If I order an Orbea Alma now I'll probably have it by next spring. Anyway, with faster tires and better brakes (and a little less weight) the bike feels pretty good. Going to try racing it Friday. I used the hardtail last week because it was straight up the road and down a pretty tame descent. This week is a little more technical and doesn't go up as high. My fitness is about where it usually is so it will be interesting to see how the lap times compare. jamal fucked around with this message at 04:47 on May 11, 2021 |
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May 11, 2021 01:28
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Yeah my shock pretty much never sees "open." I even went with smaller volume spacers and more air pressure to give it more support. With the fork on the other hand I don't really like either open or trail. Open has like no LSC, trail is too harsh. One of these days I'll probably buy a fit4 damper for it (it's a fox 34 sc so grip or fit only). Dialing in the finer details on that bike. Added a few titanium bolts and a different front axle to save a little weight and streamline things. Bottle cage, brake caliper, lever clamp is good for like 30g saving (which... yeah, is not much but I found some of them in our bolt bin so I'm only out about $20).   Have wheels possibly coming along with a cassette and tires and brake rotors so I can just swap between and XC and trail setup. We'll see if any of that shows up. I have a rear brake rotor and a rear tire and that's it so far. Currently the bike's a bit over 27.5 lbs. Carbon wheels, a fancy cassette, and 2 piece rotors should get it closer to 26 even, which is pretty decent for a 120mm FS bike with a dropper I think. Not XC race light, but acceptable. jamal fucked around with this message at 22:01 on May 24, 2021 |
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May 24, 2021 21:02
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Steve French posted:You haven't been able to tune it to your liking in open? Seems like leaving it in trail all the time, rather than tuning it so that you actually want to use open for descents is sort of wasting that ability... There's no low speed dial or open mode adjust on the shock (or fork) so trail is the only way to get any more compression force. I do open it fully on the right trails, like a rougher, extended descent, but most things around here are pretty smooth and the rear suspension feels pretty good just in trail. With the fork I do use open but wish I had a low speed dial. The last two weeks of xc racing I only went from closed to trail on the suspension and without remotes even that was too much to handle sometimes. There were some short sections that would have been nice to have some suspension and the dropper down but wound up on them rigid with the post up. In contrast last fall when we did that big alpine ride I had the suspension in trail mode for basically all the climbing and rolling ridgeline riding, and then opened it up for the descent down to the road, and it was great all day. jamal fucked around with this message at 16:11 on May 25, 2021 |
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May 25, 2021 00:57
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Rode some new trail that I've worked on tonight which was cool. I generally have just been showing up, volunteering at work days and kids mtb programs and whatnot but this year our MTB group actually hired me to run some of the trailwork days. I have to supervise and show people what to do and make sure no one hits themselves with a pulaski, tow the trailer around, etc instead of actually just going up there and digging but it's still fun and nice to get something for my work. Our newest project is pretty big, mostly managed by a local land trust who bought a bunch of land to make a new conservation and recreation area and the cool thing is they're letting our group do most of the trail planning and building. On the last project we even made some downhill only, bike only stuff, although this current one is pretty mellow and wide and machine built and multi use. But it goes to the top of a mountain and the next section will continue way past that down a ridge out to another road. This was the last work day I put on, a week ago  and then tonight we were up at the top  From the lowest trailhead to the top it's about 5mi and 2500 feet and there's a little loop around the top so you get good views in all directions   
jamal fucked around with this message at 15:32 on Jun 25, 2021 |
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Jun 25, 2021 05:55
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