Ask the experts

[jackstraw]

My shop closed permanently a couple of months ago. I'm now looking to build up a Hightower frame and I'm quickly realizing I don't have a fucking clue. Way too many options with just the BB and crank! Maybe this should be in the rant thread and I can rant about my lack of knowledge.

[mall walker]

Looks like Fox will still sell you a 32 with a straight 1.125 steerer. QR only and the lower end Grip damper, but I'm sure it's a lot better than the Suntour.

https://www.ridefox.com/family.php?m=bike&family=32s

Ah interesting... do I just search for retailers, or is there some recommended online spot to get this sort of thing? (Fox forks)

[Dantheman]

A but no clue what my options are for non-tapered xc forks.

Approximately fuckall. Rockshox might still make the Recon in straight steerer, though finding one might be a problem. The Machete will be fine. The internals are relatively unsophisticated and external adjustments will be limited compared to current high-end forks (same goes for the Recon), but for your purpose it will be fine and definitely an improvement over the Suntour.

As far as what travel to get, do some googling and try to find a spec sheet for the Suntour. There you should find the axle-to-crown length, or A2C. You want your new fork to have an A2C that is within +/- 10 mm of the Suntour.

[Dantheman]

Ah interesting... do I just search for retailers, or is there some recommended online spot to get this sort of thing? (Fox forks)

Looks like Jenson and CRC both have it, though at a price you probably won't be very excited about:

https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/...iABEgJjMfD_BwE

https://www.jensonusa.com/Fox-32-FLO...SABEgIiHfD_BwE

[mall walker]

Looks like Jenson and CRC both have it, though at a price you probably won't be very excited about:

https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/...iABEgJjMfD_BwE

https://www.jensonusa.com/Fox-32-FLO...SABEgIiHfD_BwE

hmmm yeah that's about what I paid for the bike. I don't necessarily mind spending the money, but I can't help but figure I'd be better off selling the bike for 1/2 price and buying something nicer lol.

the frame mfr told me 100-120mm travel is fine, so I'll probably get one of the Manitous and see how I like that. there is the interpersonal aspect of it being immeasurably easier to justify "upgrading" something than "replacing" something in my household... so I've got a dropper post arriving tommorrow, going to size up the rear brake rotor, etc.

(I figure my window to freely upgrade my gear shrinks as my wife's due date approaches so... better sooner than later!)

[HAB]

Yikes, yeah, that's spendy for that Fox.

I've been super impressed with the Manitou Mezzer, but have no idea how that trickles down to their lower end/XC stuff.

[Dantheman]

but have no idea how that trickles down to their lower end/XC stuff.

It will still be leaps and bounds better than the Suntour:

https://bike-advisor.com/reviews/com...view-2013.html
"As for the actual performance, we could just say it’s at the bare minimum, welcomed if your budget’s tight, but useless if you desire performance. The coil proves to be pretty hard, and suited more to heavyweights, with no trace of consideration to things like smoothness or sensitivity on small bumps. Neither is the travel linear, after the first 50mm the dampening becoming brutal, which may serve as a guarantee that you’ll avoid bottom-outs, but this is a system meant to kick in in the final 15mm of the travel. Strange noises also come out of this 29er version when you pull the handlebar upwards, and stiffness doesn’t even belong in the same sentence with the XCT.
...
This title had to go to a certain component, and we reckon that the Suntour XCT is this year’s lousiest suspension fork we tested. From the 100mm of travel, you can practically use 80, that is if you weigh over 90 kilograms. And other than being better than a rigid fork, its performances are at an universal low."

That review also mentions that there is elastomer somewhere in that thing.

[toast2266]

Are the Manitou (Machete, Markhor) forks any good? I'm looking at eventually upgrading the fork in my cheap hardtail, it's a 29" 1-1/8" straight 100mm (suntour xct) and the mfr recommends 100-120mm travel... thinking one of these may be decent, but no clue what my options are for non-tapered xc forks.

Depending on the specific headtube on your frame, there are some headsets that will allow the use of a tapered steerer on a straight 1 1/8 headtube. I think it only works on zero stack headtubes though.

[HAB]

Oh yeah, I don't doubt for a second that the Suntour is a pile. That's still a fairly separate question from whether or not Manitou's more budget offerings are any good.

[HAB]

Depending on the specific headtube on your frame, there are some headsets that will allow the use of a tapered steerer on a straight 1 1/8 headtube. I think it only works on zero stack headtubes though.

Yeah, you can fit a 1.5" steerer through an IS44 headtube if you switch to an external cup. Lots of steel frames use those still, since you don't really need a massive headtube to weld to when your downtube is relatively small diameter anyway.

[mall walker]

Depending on the specific headtube on your frame, there are some headsets that will allow the use of a tapered steerer on a straight 1 1/8 headtube. I think it only works on zero stack headtubes though.

I don't know what any of this means though the frame, which is aluminum, purports to have "73mm threaded BB, 135mm OLD" and the headset is "Semi-integrated, 1.125", the stem is "±7-deg rise, 31.8mm with Cr-Mo bolts, 60mm"

[toast2266]

I don't know what any of this means though the frame, which is aluminum, purports to have "73mm threaded BB, 135mm OLD" and the headset is "Semi-integrated, 1.125", the stem is "±7-deg rise, 31.8mm with Cr-Mo bolts, 60mm"

what frame is it?

[mall walker]

what frame is it?

https://feltbicycles.com/products/dispatch-9-80-2020 this one (I know I know I should've spent more money)

[toast2266]

https://feltbicycles.com/products/dispatch-9-80-2020 this one (I know I know I should've spent more money)

They don't list the spec for the headtube, but I don't think one of the adapter headsets will work.

Honestly, given the specs for the rest of the bike, it's probably not worth spending money on upgrading the fork. There's enough parts on that bike that aren't compatible with modern equipment that any upgrading is just going to result in backing yourself into a hole. Example: you upgrade the fork. Down the line, you want to swap your upgraded fork to another frame. That's slightly complicated by the fact that you have a fork with a straight steerer, but also complicated by the fact that you have a QR fork / wheelset, and very few modern frames use that standard any more. But you can't upgrade your wheelset, because you're stuck with the fork you bought that doesn't work with any modern through axle wheelsets.

Same goes for lots of other things. Seatpost diameter is 27.2, which means upgrading to a dropper post is hard. Drivetrain is 8 speed, which means buying any worthwhile replacement parts will involve replacing pretty much the entire drivetrain.

My advice would be to ride it as it is. When things start breaking, sell it and buy something that's more easily upgradeable.

[El Chupacabra]

I didn't realize this was a current bike.

Suntour has a fork upgrade/trade in deal:

https://www.srsuntour.us/pages/upgrade-program

[mall walker]

They don't list the spec for the headtube, but I don't think one of the adapter headsets will work.

Honestly, given the specs for the rest of the bike, it's probably not worth spending money on upgrading the fork. There's enough parts on that bike that aren't compatible with modern equipment that any upgrading is just going to result in backing yourself into a hole. Example: you upgrade the fork. Down the line, you want to swap your upgraded fork to another frame. That's slightly complicated by the fact that you have a fork with a straight steerer, but also complicated by the fact that you have a QR fork / wheelset, and very few modern frames use that standard any more. But you can't upgrade your wheelset, because you're stuck with the fork you bought that doesn't work with any modern through axle wheelsets.

Same goes for lots of other things. Seatpost diameter is 27.2, which means upgrading to a dropper post is hard. Drivetrain is 8 speed, which means buying any worthwhile replacement parts will involve replacing pretty much the entire drivetrain.

My advice would be to ride it as it is. When things start breaking, sell it and buy something that's more easily upgradeable.

right on, yeah that's fair. I have probably taken 10 total bikerides in the last 3 years, and tbqh I'm perfectly happy with the bike out of the box, for what I'm doing (riding a handful of trails I use to run, to keep getting vertical footage in the summer, because I hate running). just was keeping an eye on what I might incrementally improve. I did already buy a 27.2 dropper so... I don't mind upgrading a couple pieces if it'll keep me happy for a year or 18mos or whatever

[toast2266]

right on, yeah that's fair. I have probably taken 10 total bikerides in the last 3 years, and tbqh I'm perfectly happy with the bike out of the box, for what I'm doing (riding a handful of trails I use to run, to keep getting vertical footage in the summer, because I hate running). just was keeping an eye on what I might incrementally improve. I did already buy a 27.2 dropper so... I don't mind upgrading a couple pieces if it'll keep me happy for a year or 18mos or whatever

yeah, that makes sense. I'm sure that bike will work fine for a while - there's nothing horrendously wrong with it or anything. But it's probably not worth throwing a bunch of money at trying to improve it.

[volklpowdermaniac]

My shop closed permanently a couple of months ago. I'm now looking to build up a Hightower frame and I'm quickly realizing I don't have a fucking clue. Way too many options with just the BB and crank! Maybe this should be in the rant thread and I can rant about my lack of knowledge.

I was in the same boat about 2 years ago before I started my first build. I personally love the GMBN videos, something about the soft spoken brits connects, the videos are accessible and not too long. IIRC Hightower is threaded? If so I’ve had amazing luck with my hope bb, they seem to know their threaded stuff, personally I’m a shimano fanboy but I also like the simplicity of shimano’s 24mm axle standard. Feel free to PM me!

[Dantheman]

Drivetrain is 8 speed, which means buying any worthwhile replacement parts will involve replacing pretty much the entire drivetrain.

To be fair, the Microshift stuff seems a lot nicer than your average 8sp group.

I didn't realize this was a current bike.

Suntour has a fork upgrade/trade in deal:

https://www.srsuntour.us/pages/upgrade-program

Yeah, I also assumed it was an older used bike. Would have come out way ahead buying a nicer bike to begin with than upgrading this one. I'd look into this option before buying a Machete, but I'd also be hesitant to put any money into a bike with square-taper cranks/BB.

[mall walker]

To be fair, the Microshift stuff seems a lot nicer than your average 8sp group.



Yeah, I also assumed it was an older used bike. Would have come out way ahead buying a nicer bike to begin with than upgrading this one. I'd look into this option before buying a Machete, but I'd also be hesitant to put any money into a bike with square-taper cranks/BB.

alright, thanks everyone. yeah I should've spent more up front, but such is life. I grabbed something off the suntour upgrade program for $100 less than the manitou, I'll see how far that + the pnw coast dropper gets me. if I'm gonna upgrade I may as well get a FS bike but maybe that'll be next summer. meanwhile at least I don't have to run!

[Dantheman]

It's all good, we've all stepped over dollars to pick up dimes before. It will be a much better ride with the new fork and dropper. No matter what, it rolls, and therefore it's fun. If you want some help installing your new stuff I'd be happy to assist.

Check the bolts on those cranks regularly. Having a crank arm fall off is one of those "could potentially kill you" failures.

[snowaddict91]

It's all good, we've all stepped over dollars to pick up dimes before. It will be a much better ride with the new fork and dropper.

I tried to warn him, but I'm sure he'll be a bike gear whore in no time.

[mall walker]

lol, sadly yes, anything which is both fun and this deep of a gear nerd pit is irresistible to me... but I have some work to do, as at this point I'm still googling wtf part names are every 3rd post or so

It's all good, we've all stepped over dollars to pick up dimes before. It will be a much better ride with the new fork and dropper. No matter what, it rolls, and therefore it's fun. If you want some help installing your new stuff I'd be happy to assist.

Check the bolts on those cranks regularly. Having a crank arm fall off is one of those "could potentially kill you" failures.

sweet thanks! I may take you up on this, I am clueless at this, if that was not already apparent haha

e: upon googling, it seems the square taper bb can be replaced with hollowtech by my shop for not a terrible amount of money... all aboard the bad idea train!

[rideit]

You should insist on upgrading to Isis.


J/K, have fun on the revamped ride!

[El Chupacabra]

Thoughts on this Race Face Aeffect wheelset? 30mm internal, Trace hubs. I have the same hubs on another bike that came with 29er Aeffect SL 24 rims, and they're holding up well - though not a ton of miles on that bike yet, maybe 800.

Looking at these as a possible replacement for a stock wheelset with Formula hubs and WTB STP i29 rims. The rear hub eats bearings.

https://www.jensonusa.com/Race-Face-...R-30-275-Wheel