Ask the experts

[Dee Hubbs]

So, I could grab an even longer screw, or, hypothetically, isn't this like the whole point of Wolftooth's goat link? This feels like a really stupid question, so I apologize, but even though Wolftooth mostly talks about using it to jump up to a 42 cassette, shouldn't it also help with this? Or am I an idiot who should stick to actually compatible drivetrain parts?

The Goatlink came out to increase 10s 11-36 to a 40t or 42T specialty cassette. 10s only went to 36 until SRAM XX1 went to 42.
So realistically the Goatlink should gain you room for +4 to +6 tooth jump from the stock reach.

[jm2e]

Hey Experts, why don’t they have Women or Junior categories at Slope Style events?


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[grskier]

Hey Experts, why don’t they have Women or Junior categories at Slope Style events?


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They are starting to have some ladies at things like proving grounds etc…

The slope style comps at crankworks etc are pretty bonkers…. Those courses are tough to get through with the right speed, let alone what Emil is doing


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[toast2266]

Hey Experts, why don’t they have Women or Junior categories at Slope Style events?


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There really just aren't very many slopestyle events, which means there aren't that many competitors. But most of the FMB stops have both men's and women's classes. And some of the smaller events have women's and junior (and junior female) categories. Highland runs a series with those categories. Plenty of places do dirt jump comps with women and junior classes.

[El Chupacabra]

Is a 1x11 NX drivetrain worth keeping and using, or should I remove and sell it? Came on a new used bike I picked up (Surly Karate Monkey), has powerspline cranks and BB, and a 11-42 cassette.

I'm considering swapping in a 2x10 XT/SLX drivetrain that I have sitting around.

[Dantheman]

NX shifts fine, it's just heavy AF. That's a big deal on a FS bike where unsprung weight kills your rear suspension performance, but on a Karate Monkey I wouldn't sweat it at all. Considering that you said the uses for this bike will be "riding with the dogs, taking camping, and general bad weather bike use" I think the simplicity of 1x will be to your advantage here.

[toast2266]

^^^ X2.

I'd take an NX level 1x drivetrain over any drivetrain with a front derailleur in most situations.

[El Chupacabra]

Point taken.

[volklpowdermaniac]

What Hardtail am I:
Size medium
Available in frame only
Available in Ti or Reynolds’s 853
Reach 435 to 450
STA 74 to 76
Runs 120-130 fork
HTA no slacker 66, maybeeee 65.5 with a 130
Fork
Can run 27.5x3.0 or 29 regular
Boost spacing

I’m currently on a mark2 generation Stanton Sherpa and I love it, but the reach is 421 and the whole bike just fees too small especially compared to my medium epic EVO and 165.

It’s my foul weather and winter bike with occasional summer rides that are more XC focused.

Right now lynskey live wire SL or mark 3 Sherpa (a bit longer, just a touch more slack) and those are good options, but wondering if there is anything else out there. I’ve found that a lot of the new hard tails have gone extreme in the geometry which is fine but I have bikes for that

[toast2266]

What Hardtail am I:
Size medium
Available in frame only
Available in Ti or Reynolds’s 853
Reach 435 to 450
STA 74 to 76
Runs 120-130 fork
HTA no slacker 66, maybeeee 65.5 with a 130
Fork
Can run 27.5x3.0 or 29 regular
Boost spacing

Are your desired geo numbers sagged or unsagged?

Esker Japhy comes pretty close to what you're looking for. I don't think it's Reynolds 853 though. And frame only options appear to be out of stock.

[XXX-er]

NX shifts fine, it's just heavy AF. That's a big deal on a FS bike where unsprung weight kills your rear suspension performance, but on a Karate Monkey I wouldn't sweat it at all. Considering that you said the uses for this bike will be "riding with the dogs, taking camping, and general bad weather bike use" I think the simplicity of 1x will be to your advantage here.

My Bullit came with NX, I would say it shifted much the same as the 1x Shimano XT on my 3 yr old Yeti, I don't know how SRAM did it but I don't remember dropping chains, the EP8 puts out 4x the power an acoustic rider can generate and NX still shifts fine under power fine altho i do try to back off on shifts cuz it makes quite a clunk,

Maybe NX is heavy but the bike is 49 lbs so whats a few more oz ?

th no dropped chains with1x is awesume, unless you need more gearing range taking off 1x for 2x is crazy talk,

[beaterdit]

What Hardtail am I:
Size medium
Available in frame only
Available in Ti or Reynolds’s 853
Reach 435 to 450
STA 74 to 76
Runs 120-130 fork
HTA no slacker 66, maybeeee 65.5 with a 130
Fork
Can run 27.5x3.0 or 29 regular
Boost spacing

I’m currently on a mark2 generation Stanton Sherpa and I love it, but the reach is 421 and the whole bike just fees too small especially compared to my medium epic EVO and 165.

It’s my foul weather and winter bike with occasional summer rides that are more XC focused.

Right now lynskey live wire SL or mark 3 Sherpa (a bit longer, just a touch more slack) and those are good options, but wondering if there is anything else out there. I’ve found that a lot of the new hard tails have gone extreme in the geometry which is fine but I have bikes for that

https://canfieldbikes.com/collections/nimble-9-gen-5

Possible cons for you:
-Not Reynolds tubing but 4130
-A bit more travel than what you're looking for, 140 minimum
-Max 27.5x2.8 rear
-Maybe heavy for what you're looking for

Pros:
-HTA would be 67* with a 140, pushing the STA to 78*
-Sliding dropouts for lots of options including single speed
-3 colors available in medium frame only right now
-PARTY on wheels, climbs great, descends like a Canfield

[jm2e]

2011 called and asked for their front derailleur back.


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[volklpowdermaniac]

Are your desired geo numbers sagged or unsagged?

Esker Japhy comes pretty close to what you're looking for. I don't think it's Reynolds 853 though. And frame only options appear to be out of stock.

I suppose unsagged, If I understand correctly under a little climbing sag 74-76 gets steeper, hence why I don’t want much steeper than that?

[toast2266]

I suppose unsagged, If I understand correctly under a little climbing sag 74-76 gets steeper, hence why I don’t want much steeper than that?

Yeah, that's correct. It's just one of those quirks of hardtails - the stated geo numbers vary from company to company on whether they're sagged or unsagged. Seems like it's about 50-50 on which way they're listed, which makes it semi-annoying to compare bikes.

It's also why a bunch of hardtails have pretty slack head angles these days. A 65 degree head angle is a bit over 66 degrees once the fork is sagged 20%.

[jamal]

I've been shopping for an xc hardtail, and while nothing we can order is going to be available for awhile, yeah I figured out that the listed numbers on, say, that new cannondale aren't quite what they'll be while riding. I was a little annoyed with the tall stack and shortish reach for a modern bike. But with a 100mm fork, sagged, it suddenly seems a little more in line with what I'm looking for.

My hei hei, which I assume sits at close to the listed numbers aside from bb height with me on it, has a reach of 500 and stack of 610. Shortening the fork of the scalpel by 20mm takes the reach and stack from 470/635 to more like 480/620. And the hta goes down to 67.9 from a listed hta of 67 (66 for the 110mm lefty version). So with 10mm less spacer, 20mm more stem, it'll fit close to the same.

using bikegeocalc btw. You can type all the numbers in then just change axle to crown to see what it'll be like when riding

https://www.bikegeocalc.com/#10scalp...1F172.5G30H30Z

[volklpowdermaniac]

I've been shopping for an xc hardtail, and while nothing we can order is going to be available for awhile, yeah I figured out that the listed numbers on, say, that new cannondale aren't quite what they'll be while riding. I was a little annoyed with the tall stack and shortish reach for a modern bike. But with a 100mm fork, sagged, it suddenly seems a little more in line with what I'm looking for.

My hei hei, which sags pretty evenly, has a reach of 500 and stack of 610. Shortening the fork of the scalpel by 20mm takes the reach and stack from 470/635 to more like 480/620. And the hta goes down to 67.9 from a listed hta of 67 (66 for the 110 fork version). So with the right stem it'll fit the same.

using bikegeocalc btw. You can type all the numbers in then just change axle to crown to see what it'll be like when riding

https://www.bikegeocalc.com/#10scalp...1F172.5G30H30Z

Good points. Added that esker japhy to the list. Looks sweet

[sethschmautz]

Binary Maniak checks almost all boxes

Size medium
Available in frame only
Available in Ti
Reach 445
STA 77
Runs 120-130 fork
HTA 65 (not sure if this is sagged or unsagged)
Can run 27.5x3.0 or 29 regular (also 29+ to 2.8 or some 3.0)
Boost spacing

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[NuMexJoe]

Good points. Added that esker japhy to the list. Looks sweet

If you're not in a hurry, you might consider WaltlyTi. The 29er SS I had them build for me is still going strong 3 years in, and I don't baby it. If you're patient and can pay attention to details, you'll get exactly the frame you want for ~$1k.

[volklpowdermaniac]

Binary Maniak checks almost all boxes

Size medium
Available in frame only
Available in Ti
Reach 445
STA 77
Runs 120-130 fork
HTA 65 (not sure if this is sagged or unsagged)
Can run 27.5x3.0 or 29 regular (also 29+ to 2.8 or some 3.0)
Boost spacing

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looks sweeet!

[schuss]

Nevermind - the issue I had was between the wrench and the floor.

[sethschmautz]

looks sweeet!

Agreed. I have been riding a Trek Stache (29+) for a few years and have really loved it. I *just* bought a used carbon frame when I saw this otherwise I'd probably be in line for one...

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[Iowagriz]

I can't find any wool short sleeve jerseys (besides Rapha$$$).

Any tips on brands?

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[toast2266]

I can't find any wool short sleeve jerseys (besides Rapha$$$).

Any tips on brands?

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I've got some mons royale stuff that I like. Not cheap at full msrp, but can often be found on sale.

[scrublover]

What’s the Hope Pro 4/DT 350 of headsets? I’m looking for something high-quality, reliable and good value.

I’m currently running an FSA ZS44/ZS56 headset. The headset is most definitely tight, and I’m running enough headset spacers for proper preload. But the top cover rotates when I ride rough trails, and I am getting some scoring/rub on my steerer tube, which I have read means there’s some movement. A prominent bike mechanic I follow on Instagram suggests this issue is due to the design of the compression ring on the FSA headset, which pushes down on the bearing but doesn’t create enough of a wedge between the bearing inner race and steerer tube to stop all movement. He says that this will eventually do irreparable damage to the steerer tube and the only solution is to get a Chris King.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CYutYdHh...dium=copy_link

So let’s say I don’t want to spend the money on a Chris King headset. What else gets the job done at a lower price?

Cane Creek or Wolf Tooth all day long. Shop their websites and pick what works for your pricepoint. Bonus- WT comes in all sorts of colors.