Ask the experts

[Sandbox]

question regarding offset valve stem on rims....on my raceface rims, the valve stem is offset from the center and there's a small plastic shim on one side so it fits snug when tightened down. long story short, busted this and put in a new valve stem but doesn't have the shim so only about half the nut is in contact w the rim. rode it and seemed ok but should i seek out the same offset specific valve stem and swap it out w the regular one? hope this makes sense. can take pics if need be.

I have the same rims and have one with the OG shim and one with just a standard mucoff and I’ve had no issues with the non shimmed one. I could easily be wrong but I’ve had no issues as of yet


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[toast2266]

My Fox36 Factory Grip2 has started making a sharp loud cracking noise on hard compressions (not using full travel). It was brand new last winter and I’ve only got 48 hours on it.

All the tuning is in the middle of the road, nothing full open or closed. I’m used to the fork making some noise but this is very loud and very different. Yes my headset is tight. Anybody got any ideas?

I'd bet it's your steerer creaking in the crown. Sometimes you can replicate the sound by standing the bike vertically on the front wheel with the brake locked and bouncing the bike down kinda hard (so basically stressing the fork rearward).

If that's it, you'll need a new csu. Fox will almost certainly cover it under warranty. You'll have some downtime though.

[XXX-er]

i've had creaking twice on a 36 and once on the zeb, the first time a shop manager/ mechanic guy told me he dropped the Fox and " cleaned all the shit of there" which stopped the creak

I've since done it another time on the fox and now on the ZEB, I drop the fork clean & grease the stem/ spacers, there was some mud/ dirt in there, I didnt even touch the headset bearings and it stopped the creaking

[Falcon3]

i've had creaking twice on a 36 and once on the zeb, the first time a shop manager/ mechanic guy told me he dropped the Fox and " cleaned all the shit of there" which stopped the creak

I've since done it another time on the fox and now on the ZEB, I drop the fork clean & grease the stem/ spacers, there was some mud/ dirt in there, I didnt even touch the headset bearings and it stopped the creaking

Thanks guys, I’ll start by servicing the headset/crown race/bars and stem and see if it helps then ask Fox for help if it doesn’t work. Luckily I kept my 34Rhythm as a backup so if they do take it back I won’t be lacking a bike.

[XXX-er]

I was on a Moab trip ( hot/ dry/ dusty) when it starts creaking so I mentioned it to the mechanic ( manages a shop in a hot dry dusty place) he had the bike fixed so fast that I didnt even see him work on it so i'm wondering if he had seen that problem a bunch ... just dirt and dust ?

[toast2266]

I've heard that loctite in the crown / steerer junction can solve it. Sounds like varying success with how long that lasts (or if it works at all), but I haven't tried it personally.

[singlesline]

You don't really need it in a day-trip first aid kit (can wait until you get home), but Tegaderm is fantastic stuff, especially for large abrasions or road rash.

Sticks to the skin but not the wound. Waterproof so you can shower and sticky/flexible enough to use on moving parts. Lets the wound heal wet with no scabs forming which means faster healing, less scarring, no reopening scabs, no itching, etc.

OBRA has some instructions for how to use vaseline to create a vent for fluid to drain: https://www.obra.org/wound_care.html but I don't think that complication is always necessary (can just change it if you have to).

It seems easier to find these days--Walgreens almost always has several sizes to choose from and you can cut down large pieces. Kind of expensive but totally worth it.

If you have an FSA with money left at the end of the year, stocking up on Tegaderm and other first aid supplies is a good way to use it up.

[El Chupacabra]

Hey experts: do I need to use a Shimano 203 to 180mm post mount caliper adapter to put a Shimano brake on a Lyrik (which has 180mm as the smallest rotor size)? Or will a 180mm to 160mm adapter work?

[g_man80]

Shimano 203mm rotor? Then, yes, you’ll need the F203P/PM adaptor. Some folks will use washers/shims with a standard 20mm adaptor.

[El Chupacabra]

Shimano 203mm rotor? Then, yes, you’ll need the F203P/PM adaptor. Some folks will use washers/shims with a standard 20mm adaptor.

It's an Avid 203mm rotor, which I assume is the same size as a Shimano 203. Thanks - I'll order the right adapter.

[Falcon3]

Ask the experts

Casual inspection of my headset shows the crown race is really badly pitted! The fork still spins nice and smooth but the race is definitely shot. Might have been contributing to the creak so I’ll see if it resolves after getting a new one in there. I run a Works Components -1.5 degree and it seems like it puts lots of extra pressure on the front of the crown race.

[XXX-er]

It was brand new last winter and I’ve only got 48 hours on it. ?

is the head set also brand new, and yeah I think off-set head sets have a lot of stress on them

[funkendrenchman]

Is the DT Swiss 240s still the best option for a lightweight and durable hub? Any issues with the current version?

[jamal]

The new single side floating ratchet exp hubs are arguably worse and early production had issues where it would stick and not engage properly. But I have two sets that were made after the update and have no issues so far. MTB wheels are approaching 2k miles.

[TrueNorth]

Size up or size down on MTB frame for larger than normal armspan?

I've been mostly out of the mountain bike game for more than a decade and geometry has changed a lot. Local shops still don't really have bikes in stock to buy, let alone demo, so I'll probably end up ordering something without riding it first.

At 5'10" I'm usually between size M and L on most size charts, and conventional bike industry wisdom now seems to be to size up if in doubt. However, I have pretty long arms relative to the rest of me (ape index around +5 inches) and I'm seeing conflicting info on what this means for frame sizing. On one hand, it seems that a longer reach of a larger frame would make sense to match the longer reach of my arms, but on the other hand the "RAD" (Rider Area Distance) method says that because my hands are closer to my feet I should go smaller on the frame reach.

This would be for something in the trail bike category, and my local trails tend to be more flat, twisty, and technical than high speed flow or gnarly descents.