Ask the experts

[carlh]

I buy used pre scratched aluminum and don’t bother with tape. It’s patina 😆

No. Spending a bunch of extra money to save weight on a carbon frame and then put all the weight back in tape is hilarious.

[climberevan]

shallow rims. One of the well-reviewed chinese carbon wheel maker (BTLOS) has rims with a depth < 20 mm and claim that they provide a "better ability to distribute local impact loads". This is compared to their regular-depth rims (25-30 mm).
The shallow rims end up being a couple mm wider for the same ID as the regular rim and a touch lighter.

I have the shallow BTLOS rims in question. They have been great, but I haven't had any really hard strikes. I'm running 20psi in 2.35 Rocket Rons and riding pretty aggressively on what I'd consider to be a step out two down from maximum chunk.

The ones I have are 27mm IW (ID means Inner Diameter, as discussed before). The rims are, I think, about 360g each in the Premium layup. My wheelset is 1390g.

I did previously have a pair of Nextie rims that were a more typical depth, and I cracked a sidewall on a hard root hit. I fixed it with epoxy and fiberglass fabric and they are going strong 2 years later under their new owner. Who knows whether the BTLOS ones would have survived.

FWIW, I think the BTLOS rims are just as good as the "name brand" rims (which they might make, for all we know). They certainly look just as pretty as the $2500 Bontrager XXX wheels that are on my Emonda.

[climberevan]

[QUOTE=Iowagriz;6182795

If you want to get fast, you need to ride a lot. And a lot of that was at easier pace. But hard intervals were much harder then I had been going. You need to be consistent and trust the process.[/QUOTE]

Yep. Unfortunately there really aren't shortcuts. The various "time crunched" plans are attractive, but the science really seems to say that there is no substitute for time in the saddle. To be respectably fast one needs 15+ hours a week on the bike. To be competitive in P12 road racing in the US, I'd argue, takes more like 17-20. Pros routinely do 25- 30h in the base period.

If your goal is to be fast in short events, like under 90 mins, maybe you could do less volume.

I'd certainly be stoked to learn more of what the current science says in the Pickles Zoom seminar. Most of my knowledge comes from a while back when I read everything I could find. Friel is kind of the bible, butt it's not updated annually or anything.

[XXX-er]

probably ^^ I didnt spend a bunch for ridewrap just a 25 $ roll of 3m from the auto parts

3 rs later my Yeti looks a lot better without the minor scuffs

I thot it was so worth the 25$ that I did my new fat bike

[jm2e]

When buying the rolls of 3M, do you lads try to custom cut it, or do you just shlep it on and settle for a bunch of wrinkles & overlap?


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[XXX-er]

When buying the rolls of 3M, do you lads try to custom cut it, or do you just shlep it on and settle for a bunch of wrinkles & overlap?

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I buy the 4" wide 3m stuff, cut it more or less to fit different tubes round off the corners hopefully you wana do it on a brand new bike but at least get the frame clean, use soap and water in a spray bottle to put it on, a spray bottle with water & 25% alcohol on the curvy parts, if I get water or air bubbles pop them with a pin

i put it where the scratches are going to occur & look the worst like top of top tube/ bottom of bottom tube/ sides of chainstays/ sides of seat stays the paces where I have seen the paint get the most wear, you can pull it up slighty to reposition its not stuck on the first go, i anything is going obunch put it at the bottom of the frame where you won't notice it, very possible to make a nice job with a little effort for not much $, I will post some picts if i can find em

if you turn over bikes often its a good idea, i know an industry bro who buys a 10k+ bike, wraps the frame, puts 20 rides on the bike, sells it for what he payed and does it again



this turned out pretty, good notice the rounded corners top of top tube and bottom of downtube are protected and you really can't notice the film unless you look carefully

[east or bust]

Realize this thread is more about techy questions but don’t know where else to file this and don’t think it warrants a new thread.


I’ve been saving for about a year to finally replace my heavily outdated 2007 Coiler with some minty new tech. I still like the bike but there’s slop in the headtube that quite frankly freaks me the fuck out.

Been doing a bit more research lately and it seems like the vast majority of “enduro” bikes are now 29ers. I demo’d a Pivot Firebird earlier in the year it was really weird feeling coming from 26” tires. At the same time I also demo’d a Mach6 27.5 and later a Nukeproof Mega 27.5. The latter both felt more natural/nimble.

I guess my question is for those that went straight from 26” to 29” did you adapt and love it or did you end up hating it and downsizing? I see advantages to 29ers for particular scenarios but for a do it all bike think I’d rather go the agile/nimble route.

[XXX-er]

IME with the big wheels/ long WB/ slack head tube/ better suspension i just ride up and over shit bank around tight corners in big arcs where i used to thread around at slower speeds

You wana have yer nose over that front wheel with elbows out,

not rearward like you did with an old 26er

[Dantheman]

Yep. Unfortunately there really aren't shortcuts. The various "time crunched" plans are attractive, but the science really seems to say that there is no substitute for time in the saddle. To be respectably fast one needs 15+ hours a week on the bike. To be competitive in P12 road racing in the US, I'd argue, takes more like 17-20. Pros routinely do 25- 30h in the base period.

This is my armchair-expert understanding as well. 20+ hours per week to get the real results available from low-intensity work. At least for cycling--for running I've read that 10-12 hours will do it. If you have a regular life where that's not feasible, you can get pretty respectable results from a few high-intensity workouts during the week and a long effort on the weekend. I've personally done pretty well on this plan.

If you're seriously time-stressed and only have a few hours per week available, just do high-intensity work. You'll get more out of a few sets of hard intervals per week than you will from 2-3 hours at an easy pace.

Definitely count me in for a free coaching session from XtrPickles.

[skaredshtles]

I have the shallow BTLOS rims in question. They have been great, but I haven't had any really hard strikes. I'm running 20psi in 2.35 Rocket Rons and riding pretty aggressively on what I'd consider to be a step out two down from maximum chunk.

You must weight 85#, no??

[nickwm21]

Realize this thread is more about techy questions but don’t know where else to file this and don’t think it warrants a new thread.


I’ve been saving for about a year to finally replace my heavily outdated 2007 Coiler with some minty new tech. I still like the bike but there’s slop in the headtube that quite frankly freaks me the fuck out.

Been doing a bit more research lately and it seems like the vast majority of “enduro” bikes are now 29ers. I demo’d a Pivot Firebird earlier in the year it was really weird feeling coming from 26” tires. At the same time I also demo’d a Mach6 27.5 and later a Nukeproof Mega 27.5. The latter both felt more natural/nimble.

I guess my question is for those that went straight from 26” to 29” did you adapt and love it or did you end up hating it and downsizing? I see advantages to 29ers for particular scenarios but for a do it all bike think I’d rather go the agile/nimble route.

Adapt and love.

I'd suggest you take the time to demo a few bikes in the current crop of 140mm 29ers. Especially if you want a "do it all" bike. In my opinion, you get a little more capability out of each MM of travel when you're on wagon wheels, IE; a 140mm 29er can be as confidant of a descender as a 150 or 160mm 27.5...

A big enduro race bike like the Firebird is overkill for most of us... A lot of those big 29ers were designed for EWS athletes and need to be going at near race speeds to come alive.

The other aspect of this is how big of a human are you and what is your riding style. You just may have a better time on a 27.5 bike because you are shorter or prefer the feel.

[climberevan]

You must weight 85#, no??

140#, but I learned to ride on full rigid so I'm prob a little easier on wheels than many. Smooth is faster than smashy.

I started with these wheels at 25# and have been gradually reducing the pressure. I was down to 18# on the 35mm IW Ibis wheels with bigger tires.

[skaredshtles]

140#, but I learned to ride on full rigid

me too.

Smooth is faster than smashy.

Yeah - def a "how you ride thing" 'cause I find smashy way more entertaining. Thus, higher pressures and much beefier sidewalls for me.

Not to mention I'm a bit tubby at 180#.

[EWG]

if you turn over bikes often its a good idea, i know an industry bro who buys a 10k+ bike, wraps the frame, puts 20 rides on the bike, sells it for what he payed and does it again

We always sold off each years sponsored bikes and parts at the beginning of the next year. That is enough of a pain in the ass. Having to do that every 20 rides would pretty much make me want to murder somebody.

[Rossymcg]

Back to 'Ask The Experts' for a minute, Am I the only one that doesn't even consider wrapping a frame in clear shit?

count me in your crew as well. funking pointless in my opinion

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[Rossymcg]

140#, but I learned to ride on full rigid so I'm prob a little easier on wheels than many. Smooth is faster than smashy.

I started with these wheels at 25# and have been gradually reducing the pressure. I was down to 18# on the 35mm IW Ibis wheels with bigger tires.

you use inserts? a pre hop over an obstacle on to a rogue rock with them pressures I'd place money in the rock

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[XXX-er]

For 25$ the bike does look way better 3 seasons later,
full wrap on a personal >10K bike might make for higher resale
but if you don't care , you don't care ... do something else

[climberevan]

you use inserts? a pre hop over an obstacle on to a rogue rock with them pressures I'd place money in the rock

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That's def the dangerous scenario I worry about. I'm prob playing with fire at 20psi. I'll run more on rocky trails I don't know.

Inserts have been discussed, and I personally don't see the point. I think they must be for bigger folks who shuttle. If I were not pedaling up the hills, sure I would run them and heavy wheels with Assegais.

[Dromond]

IME with the big wheels/ long WB/ slack head tube/ better suspension i just ride up and over shit bank around tight corners in big arcs where i used to thread around at slower speeds

You wana have yer nose over that front wheel with elbows out,

not rearward like you did with an old 26er

I just switched from a 140/160 27.5 bike to a 135/150 29er with longe/slacker geo and the 29er does feel more capable. I’m figuring out how to push it harder and stay more centered on the bike in steeps. It’s subtle, but the bigger wheels do seems to just add that bit of stability and traction that lends confidence without extra squish - definitely nice for a bike you take on a variety of terrain including hours of pedaling. I do take a little wider arc through corners but with that extra stability and traction it works and feels faster and more fun the majority of the time. I’m glad I didn’t raise the amount of travel with wheel size - this bike still feels poppy and nimble.

[XXX-er]

I used to be back more on the old bikes, for me i think learning to stay centered/ forward and trust the front end to take me thru was key

[Flounder]

Bottom line upfront - Ibis carbon wheels with I9 hubs worth an extra 300-400 hundred bucks over Chinese carbon rims?

I'm replacing my v1 Bronson with a V2 Ripmo that hopefully will arrive in March. Currently on Stans aluminum rims with Chris King hubs. Original plan was to order a frame and build up like I always do. Then I started looking at the lack of part availabilty and the fact that there won't be any deals on overstock this year. Ordered an xt build Ripmo and I have the option to include wheels or not.

I laced up my current wheels and a buddy trued them. He's got 30 years of wheel building and he's done every bike of mine. That was my plan this time but with carbon rims for the first time. He's still game to build what I want but points out I can order a fully built wheel direct from China that will be every bit as good as what he builds and probably for a bit less money.

Looks like I can build or order complete for about $1,200 to $1,300. Build would likely be light bicycle carbon rims with Chris king. Complete wheel would be from Nextie with I9 hub. Ibis rims with I9 will add about $1,600 to the build so an extra $3-400. The biggest advantage is the 7 year warrenty on the Ibis. That's about how long I typically own a bike. I haven't broken a rim before but haven't been on carbon yet. I'm a wuss on big air since my last set of broken ribs. I do like ripping through rock gardens though and I often rely on the bike to compensate for poor line choice.

WWMD? Not much info out there on Ibis wheels. Seems like the rims are made by Stan's, at least I saw that on the internet.

[carlh]

Ibis carbon is really wide arguably too wide. $1600 will get you lots of carbon options on nice hubs and you get the stock wheels as a backup. Either go cheap straight from China or for a warranty. We are one on hydra is about that price and you can get a 15% off coupon pretty easily.

[Roxtar]

I'd look closely at a pair of the new Revel Wheels.
After reading all the raves about them I recently built my first pair using the Revel rims. I'm pretty impressed.
They'll cost you a little more than the Chinese but American made + recyclable carbon + great product = win.

[jackstraw]

I need a shimano rear brake adapter for a 2016 Santa Cruz Hightower. A few options are similar to what I need, but cannot find specs. Does anyone have a source?

[simple]

What size rotor?