Ask the experts

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Originally Posted by Whiteroom_Guardian

Lol. Those SRAM apex are a full ordeal. You have to open the whole reservoir to unhook the hose. Guess I am gonna learn to ride moto brake style for now.

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Yep. It's not hard, but you for sure need a bleed kit.

Running those on mine - bought them cheap as take-offs, and the fucker had just plain cut the hoses by the caliper end rather than taking things apart. Assuming for easy stealth routing removal. Had enough length (and hose barbs/olives) to make the front work, but had to order up a hose kit (got two, just to have a spare...) for the rear, after discovering my spare mtb hose would in no way work. . Grrrrr! So much for the cheap deal.

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Originally Posted by scrublover

Yep. It's not hard, but you for sure need a bleed kit.

Running those on mine - bought them cheap as take-offs, and the fucker had just plain cut the hoses by the caliper end rather than taking things apart. Assuming for easy stealth routing removal. Had enough length (and hose barbs/olives) to make the front work, but had to order up a hose kit (got two, just to have a spare...) for the rear, after discovering my spare mtb hose would in no way work. . Grrrrr! So much for the cheap deal.

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I can't leave well enough alone. The bar tape already needs to be replaced after investigating the brake thing last night. Gonna get another damn bleed kit if I am gonna have sram brakes again now and do it right today, swap hoses, re-tape, etc etc.

Whose making the best mtb platform pedal nowadays? GF is the aging cross country rider that wants to ditch the clip. Quick search on Jenson showed mostly combo platform/clip styles. There was one by Crank Brothers that looked OK, but I'm pretty much of the opinion CB stuff suxs.

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Originally Posted by Fred Pabst

Whose making the best mtb platform pedal nowadays? GF is the aging cross country rider that wants to ditch the clip. Quick search on Jenson showed mostly combo platform/clip styles. There was one by Crank Brothers that looked OK, but I'm pretty much of the opinion CB stuff suxs.

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If she's fairly easy on pedals, I'd say the Xpedo Spry are worth a look. My only complaint is the "screw-in" style pins that eventually get pulled out if you're a hack that smashes his/her pedals on rocks a lot.

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Originally Posted by Boissal

This probably has been discussed uphtread but a quick search didn't reveal anything so here it goes.
My drivetrain is in need of a refresh with a worn cassette and pretty banged up rear derailleur (both Eagle GX). I'm not a big fan of the SRAM shifters and I really miss the pull-to-downshift option of the Shimano version so I'm thinking of swapping to an XT trannny. Well, mostly, I'm not touching my cranks or Garbaruk oval ring (gold color I'll have you know) so I only need rear der, cassette, shifter, and chain which should total about $300 (already have a new wheel with microspline hub).

I have XT brake levers and when I replaced my dropper remote last year I got a headache just trying to figure out compatibility between the Wolftooth remote and the 47 I-SPEC versions that are out there. I ended up getting a clamp-version for simplicity which means my bars have 4 clamps on them, something I haven't really lost sleep over but which have caused several buddies to express profound displeasure at the sight of my cockpit (yes, I almost said cock) and tell me I was bringing shame on them. So...

A. Fuck them, they're all slow anyway
B. Is there any actual benefit to mounting the shifter on the brake lever other than aesthetics being more pleasant? Adjustability with clamps is essentially endless and I run my shifter further inward than most as I don't have the greatest mobility in my left thumb. I'm worried an I-SPEC mount may restrict that.
C. Assuming it doesn't, is there an option to get a 12-speed shifter (they all seem to be I-SPEC EV) onto a M8000 XT lever which is I-SPEC-II (90% sure, that's the 2018 version)? I love Wolftooth but I'm not sure I'm ready to give them $25 for an adapter just to appease my OCD.
D. Thoughts on 3rd-party cassettes with that drivetrain? Would a Garbaruk 10-52 ruin the shifting performance? They apparently make microspline options, they weigh the same as XTR and cost $100 less. Admittedly they also cost $150 more than XT but you get 1 extra tooth, a cool name, and an anodized gold sprocket for that.
E. Chains. Will I die if I get an SLX chain instead of XT? The argument about coating extending lifespan makes me laugh...

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A. Agreed, they all suck camel.
B. No, just aesthetics. That said, the new I-Spec EV has a metric shit-ton of adjustability. Plus its a great excuse for new brakes which will fix "C" below.
C. No, but the clamp style shifter has a pretty small clamp surface. I would guess you could squeeze it in.
D.Don't do it. The beauty of the Shimano 12sp is it's shifting performance. Unmatched. Key to that performance is the chain to cassette relationship. There might even be an issue with the Garbaruk chainring as the new Shimano chain has some weirdness to it. I'm using a Garbaruk oval chainring with my XTR 12sp and it's working fine but that might be due to the ring being somewhat worn. RaceFace even specs a special ring for new Shimano.
E. Why bother? XT chain is pretty cheap.

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Originally Posted by rideit

Pro tip: if you run all of the new Shimano stuff with your existing chainring, you should use a SRAM masterlink, and NOT the Shimano masterlink. Trust me on this.

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Please explain further.

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Originally Posted by Fred Pabst

Whose making the best mtb platform pedal nowadays? GF is the aging cross country rider that wants to ditch the clip. Quick search on Jenson showed mostly combo platform/clip styles. There was one by Crank Brothers that looked OK, but I'm pretty much of the opinion CB stuff suxs.

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Flat pedals are plenty. There is also plenty of crap, and plenty of heavy/burley Downhill pedals to stay away from.
Look for one that adjustable and replaceable pins. If you can lower the pins or replace the pins that have been sharpened by rock strikes. On my wife's bike I constantly run my hands over her clipless pedals to look for and file down any sharp rock strike marks.
Composite pedals have come a long way, and are lighter and absorb the shock of pedal strikes, and are a cheaper option.

OneUp Components makes a great composite pedal (355g). So does RaceFace - Chester (340g) Both around the $50 mark so they won't break the bank if they are not liked. The Xpedro Spry (mentioned above) is another good option, it has a lighter Magnesium body pedal (260g) at $80.

The OneUp composite pedal has better grip than the RaceFace Chester which has little less surface area but is more durable— both the pedal itself and the pins which seem to be less easy to alter/break. I’m a beater who smashes pedals into rocks.

Bicycle Wheel Warehouse.com. Legit company? Looking to get a new set of pre-built mtb rims. Their site came up after a search. Choose rim, hubs, spokes, nipple colors even, free Fed-Ex shipping. Would like to pull the trigger but their website shows as non-secure, which for me would be a no go. Anyone have any dealings with them? Other similar companies out there that offer the same sort of service?

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Originally Posted by Roxtar

A. Agreed, they all suck camel.
B. No, just aesthetics. That said, the new I-Spec EV has a metric shit-ton of adjustability. Plus its a great excuse for new brakes which will fix "C" below.
C. No, but the clamp style shifter has a pretty small clamp surface. I would guess you could squeeze it in.
D.Don't do it. The beauty of the Shimano 12sp is it's shifting performance. Unmatched. Key to that performance is the chain to cassette relationship. There might even be an issue with the Garbaruk chainring as the new Shimano chain has some weirdness to it. I'm using a Garbaruk oval chainring with my XTR 12sp and it's working fine but that might be due to the ring being somewhat worn. RaceFace even specs a special ring for new Shimano.
E. Why bother? XT chain is pretty cheap.

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Thank you! The Garbaruk cassette was mainly about the bling (to math the gold oval, the whole bike is black and gold, tacky as fuck) and my deeply repressed desire to go all spandex, titanium harware, and chase those grams away. I can get an XT cassette for $100 shipped and saving $150 with better shifting is pretty compelling. The oval has a bunch of miles on it, hopefully it's worn enough that it won't cause issues. But if it does it will give me a reason to step down to a 32 teeth Shimano ring.

Hey experts: where would you list for sale bike parts that are rare/ expensive/ vintage? Ebay? Craigslist and FB marketplace seem unlikely to work well.

I have some stuff I should unload, as it's just sitting here. Brooks Alpe d'Huez saddle, CBR cranks, assorted stuff from circa 1990 -- some probably worth something, some not so much.

E-Bay, for sure. CBR cranks and other Mt. Bike exotica, VRC forum on MTBR.

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Originally Posted by Whiteroom_Guardian

I can't leave well enough alone. The bar tape already needs to be replaced after investigating the brake thing last night. Gonna get another damn bleed kit if I am gonna have sram brakes again now and do it right today, swap hoses, re-tape, etc etc.

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Ok, so I was at the LBS and got some new bar tape, dot fluid etc. They didn't have any bleed kits. Assuming I cleaned the kits or funnel with alcohol to make sure no mineral oil is there any reason I couldn't use a TRP (same at Tektro) bleed kit?

Are the actual port opening diameters/threads different across brands?

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Originally Posted by Fred Pabst

Bicycle Wheel Warehouse.com. Legit company? Looking to get a new set of pre-built mtb rims. Their site came up after a search. Choose rim, hubs, spokes, nipple colors even, free Fed-Ex shipping. Would like to pull the trigger but their website shows as non-secure, which for me would be a no go. Anyone have any dealings with them? Other similar companies out there that offer the same sort of service?

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I got some wheels from them 9 years ago... Seem legit

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Originally Posted by Whiteroom_Guardian

Ok, so I was at the LBS and got some new bar tape, dot fluid etc. They didn't have any bleed kits. Assuming I cleaned the kits or funnel with alcohol to make sure no mineral oil is there any reason I couldn't use a TRP (same at Tektro) bleed kit?

Are the actual port opening diameters/threads different across brands?

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I'd say test the threads for fit to see. If it fits, clean out that TRP kit and go for it.

It would certainly be nice if they were! Surely The Industry won't be that kind to us home mechanics though.

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Originally Posted by Self Jupiter

The OneUp composite pedal has better grip than the RaceFace Chester which has little less surface area but is more durable— both the pedal itself and the pins which seem to be less easy to alter/break. I’m a beater who smashes pedals into rocks.

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I don't know that I found the Chesters any more/less durable that the OneUps, but I agree the OneUps havae more grip. With that said, for someone with smaller feet, the Chesters may be more than adequate.

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Originally Posted by Whiteroom_Guardian

Are the actual port opening diameters/threads different across brands?

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Ports are definitely not standard across brands. But yeah, couldn't hurt to try the bleed kit you have.

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Originally Posted by rideit

E-Bay, for sure. CBR cranks and other Mt. Bike exotica, VRC forum on MTBR.

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Thanks. Guess it's ebay time!

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Originally Posted by Roxtar

Please explain further.

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The new Shimano Narrow/Wide chainring is a slightly different width/tooth profile than any prior Narrow Wide chainrings. The new shimano masterlink is just a smidge narrower than the SRAM masterlink, and causes noise (minor binding) and shifting funkiness when run on an older style narrow wide chainring. Simple fix, though, just run the SRAM masterlink.
Curiously, it’s just the master link, and not the rest of the chain.

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Originally Posted by toast2266

Ports are definitely not standard across brands. But yeah, couldn't hurt to try the bleed kit you have.

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For what it's worth the TRP "Mechanics" Bleed Kit does come with two different size threaded tips for the syringes. The smaller of the two fit my SRAM Apex road/gravel brakes. I'm guessing it would fit all other SRAM too. I cleaned everything with alcohol beforehand. Hopefully any tiny tiny percentage of mineral oil that maybe got in the system won't wreck the brakes. Bleed turned out great. Brakes work wonderfully and are not moto anymore!

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Originally Posted by Whiteroom_Guardian

For what it's worth the TRP "Mechanics" Bleed Kit does come with two different size threaded tips for the syringes. The smaller of the two fit my SRAM Apex road/gravel brakes. I'm guessing it would fit all other SRAM too. I cleaned everything with alcohol beforehand. Hopefully any tiny tiny percentage of mineral oil that maybe got in the system won't wreck the brakes. Bleed turned out great. Brakes work wonderfully and are not moto anymore!

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Nice. I think you'll be fine. I've definitely done some very minor cross contamination of dot / mineral oil in the past without issue.

For the bleed kit, just a heads up, you'll need a different port to fit newer sram mountain bike brakes. Caliper end uses the "bleeding edge" port, which is awesome, but different.

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Originally Posted by volklpowdermaniac

Question about the 9120/8120 XT and XTR brakes...

On shimano site under 8120 (XT) it says they have a set of pads without fins that will work:
Pad_Option
D03S Resin (w/o fin), D02S Metal (w/o fin)
Pad_Standard
N03A Resin (w/ fin), N04C Metal (w/ fin)

On the 9120 (XTR) it lists only a pad standard with no finless option:
N03A Resin (w/ fin), N04C Metal (w/ fin)


So they both use the same standard shape pad, which makes sense the bodies look identical, but any reason the finless optional ones wouldn’t also work in the XTR? The finned ones are rattly as shit.

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So I just bled the front brake, I did it follow gmbn steps using a syringe, pushing fluid upwards towards the lever. Went through everything as prescribed, cleaned everything, used the caliper block appropriately etc etc... but unfortunately still doesn’t have good lever feel once you turn the lever reach past about 60% toward the bar, what am I missing? Is there anything about these new 9120/8120 4 pistons that’s different?

Welp now the back is f’d a bit as well, gonna have a beer, clear the mind, and try the syndicate method next.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=piWBVDh1pTE

Well, took a third try, back at the classical method to finally feel about 85% sure I have them both sorted. Woof, that first fast downhill is gonna make the ass pucker.

About to embark on the full rebuild of my DVO Diamond fork. Got everything but the 2.5wt oil for the damper. It's an oddball blend that no one has locally. I don't want to wait for the mail since I need to do this rebuild now if I want to ride this week. I have 3wt rock shox oil. Other than it maybe fractionally slowing down the damper is there any real reason I can't use this? I saw on other forums that there is hardly any viscosity difference between 3wt and 5wt or 7wt. Can't imagine any real difference between 2.5 and 3. I just don't want to damage anything if I can help it.

The fork is so overdue that it would benefit from new oil of any type VS it getting run as it is now. (ridden hard and put away dry? ;)