Ask the experts

[east or bust]

Is trying to bed in pads on flat ground an unsmart thing?

Seems like every hill in town with a decent grade is either super wet or covered in gravel.


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[Shredhead]

Anyone have the Kuat NV 2.0 bike rack with a longer wheelbase (1250+) bike? Does it fit OK without the rear tire hanging off the back of the platform?

I have to use a bungee cord, instead of their piece of shit strap.


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[VTskibum]

Is trying to bed in pads on flat ground an unsmart thing?

Seems like every hill in town with a decent grade is either super wet or covered in gravel.


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People in Florida do it everyday.... can't see why it wouldn't work. Pads don't know if momentum is generated on flat vs hill. Pedal and drag brakes and/or a few high speed applications would be fine.

[muted reborn]

Why would I want Ride Wrap on my new carbon frame? Just resale value?

'Basic coverage' option seems reasonable...any advice? Other brands to get or are they all the same? Are these online only purchases?

[XXX-er]

Why would I want Ride Wrap on my new carbon frame? Just resale value?

'Basic coverage' option seems reasonable...any advice? Other brands to get or are they all the same? Are these online only purchases?

I do cuz the frame looks better and I did get a pretty good price for my 3M wrapped 5.5 but i just get the 25$ roll of 3M from the autoparts store and do some key area's, like top of toptube/ bottom of down tube/, outside of chain & seatstays the idea being to to cover the things that are most likely to get hit and look shitty

[rideit]

Is trying to bed in pads on flat ground an unsmart thing?

Seems like every hill in town with a decent grade is either super wet or covered in gravel.


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I’ll shuttle you up Amangani a few times!

[east or bust]

I’ll shuttle you up Amangani a few times!

Heh, that'd be something. I think I'll give the flat bed in a try. Just way more effort than I wanted to expend but it'll probably work just fine.


Another surprise for today, apparently forgot to drain the bladder in my mtb pack. No visible mold, no smell... Am I good to just rinse it out and let it dry or is there a way to actually clean it that won't leave a nasty taste?

[XXX-er]

Another surprise for today, apparently forgot to drain the bladder in my mtb pack. No visible mold, no smell... Am I good to just rinse it out and let it dry or is there a way to actually clean it that won't leave a nasty taste?

You can get a cleaner from a wine arts or brew store, the pink stuff ( I've heard the guy call it diversol ) that will soak anything clean but if it isnt nasty maybe you just got lucky

I leave the bladder full of water so nothing can grow in there, IME its the half empty bladders that grow evil things

[rideit]

Heh, that'd be something. I think I'll give the flat bed in a try. Just way more effort than I wanted to expend but it'll probably work?

TBH, I have broken in brand new pads and rotors many, many times just by riding them in. Do a bunch of stoppies, some sloooow descents, more stoppies, etc, they will bed in. Just don’t drop into the top part of Burro Pass without doing this first (lesson learned the hard way years ago, LOL)!

[Tailwind]

Thanks for the offer, I’m based out of Junction at this point so it’d be a long drive.

I think I’ll go with Dee’s idea of getting everything torn down and going into a shop and getting them pressed in… I’m also totally fine with paying a few $$$. Mainly I don’t want to wait for a new seal press to ship and most options are like $40 which is annoying when you already have a handful of sizes.

No insight there, but I have one in Boulder if you're randomly in the area and don't want to buy one.

[smmokan]

I have to use a bungee cord, instead of their piece of shit strap.


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Thanks. I ended up ordering their new slimmed-down Piston Pro instead of the NV 2.0.

[Meconium]

So you’re looking for a 1.9mm thick grip? ((26.0-22.2)/2)=1.9
Your only option in that realm is road bike bar tape.

Was kind of thinking thicker on top, skin thin on bottom. Yeah I didn't do the math.

Fallowing up for anyone looking for a thin, small hand/kid grip that is the foam/silicone verity, r2 has a outer diameter filter. If not a typo 26mm is available.
https://r2-bike.com/PROLOGO-Grips-Mastery-black

[XtrPickels]

OoooOOoooo.
I think that'll do it. My suspicion is that the top dust seal is binding to against the top of the head tube, so that washer might lift it up just enough.

Dee- all the pieces are there per the exploded diagram, nice to now know that crown races aren't used on carbon forks.

It didn't do it.

Everything feels good when first tightened down, but 20 or so turns of the bar and you can feel it start to bind again. Dust cap is no longer riding close to the frame.

It might have to go to the shop.

[Eluder]

It didn't do it.

Everything feels good when first tightened down, but 20 or so turns of the bar and you can feel it start to bind again. Dust cap is no longer riding close to the frame.

It might have to go to the shop.

Hmm, could be a bad bearing.

[D(C)]

Looking for opinions on what to do with my bike quiver. The bike I use most is a Norco Sight 29 (current version), set up with a Zeb and Double Down tires. Then, as a second bike, I have a Chromag Primer with 160 mm Fox 36, and currently set up with EXO DHR front/Rekon rear tires. I use the Chromag for quick, efficient rides, when I’m short on time and want to get a good pedal in.

I’m debating getting a modern short travel bike like a Transition Spur or Rocky Element to replace the Chromag. I wouldn’t mind having a bit more traction on technical climbs and a bit more comfort and ability to hold a line on descents.

My main concern is that a Spur or Element are too capable. I’ve tried aggressive short travel bikes in the past (Kona Process 111, Devinci Django, OG Transition Smuggler) and they all felt like different variants of a bike you’d want to rip descents on. My hope for this latest crop of short travel bikes is that they’d be more of a rocket on the way up and a bit closer to a hardtail type of experience on the downs.

[rideit]

Conversely, I sold my Element because of the opposite…I didn’t find it capable enough for my tastes, I tended to bottom it out on every ride, and wished the HTA was a bit slacker.
It could rip, but I still felt like it was holding me back.
It might actually be just what you are looking for.

[Falcon3]

HUUUUUGE shoutout to Eluder hooking me up with a loaner shock. Thanks so much, dude. Going from my blown/wallowing JadeX to his Float X has made a world of difference! I PR'd almost every regular DH segment in the last two days going back to air with my cascade linkage providing the top-stroke butteriness.

[toast2266]

Conversely, I sold my Element because of the opposite…I didn’t find it capable enough for my tastes, I tended to bottom it out on every ride, and wished the HTA was a bit slacker.
It could rip, but I still felt like it was holding me back.
It might actually be just what you are looking for.

Same for me with the spur. It was a sweet bike to be sure, but on shorter rides I didn't really find any reason to ride it instead of the bigger bike - the efficiency just doesn't really matter that much for my normal 2-3 hour rides. And on longer rides, I found myself constantly wishing for just a *little* more bike. Which is how I ended up with the hugene. But that'd be a little too close to a sight to be worth owning both.

[smmokan]

Looking for opinions on what to do with my bike quiver. The bike I use most is a Norco Sight 29 (current version), set up with a Zeb and Double Down tires. Then, as a second bike, I have a Chromag Primer with 160 mm Fox 36, and currently set up with EXO DHR front/Rekon rear tires. I use the Chromag for quick, efficient rides, when I’m short on time and want to get a good pedal in.

I’m debating getting a modern short travel bike like a Transition Spur or Rocky Element to replace the Chromag. I wouldn’t mind having a bit more traction on technical climbs and a bit more comfort and ability to hold a line on descents.

My main concern is that a Spur or Element are too capable. I’ve tried aggressive short travel bikes in the past (Kona Process 111, Devinci Django, OG Transition Smuggler) and they all felt like different variants of a bike you’d want to rip descents on. My hope for this latest crop of short travel bikes is that they’d be more of a rocket on the way up and a bit closer to a hardtail type of experience on the downs.

Maybe get something like an Epic EVO or Revel Ranger instead?

[Dumbest Known Time]

Bah gawd, that's the Chromag Dharco's music!

[TCNROMPER]

Looking for opinions on what to do with my bike quiver. The bike I use most is a Norco Sight 29 (current version), set up with a Zeb and Double Down tires. Then, as a second bike, I have a Chromag Primer with 160 mm Fox 36, and currently set up with EXO DHR front/Rekon rear tires. I use the Chromag for quick, efficient rides, when I’m short on time and want to get a good pedal in.

I’m debating getting a modern short travel bike like a Transition Spur or Rocky Element to replace the Chromag. I wouldn’t mind having a bit more traction on technical climbs and a bit more comfort and ability to hold a line on descents.

My main concern is that a Spur or Element are too capable. I’ve tried aggressive short travel bikes in the past (Kona Process 111, Devinci Django, OG Transition Smuggler) and they all felt like different variants of a bike you’d want to rip descents on. My hope for this latest crop of short travel bikes is that they’d be more of a rocket on the way up and a bit closer to a hardtail type of experience on the downs.

I just picked up a Scott spark for that reason. The epic evo looks awesome but found a great deal on the spark so I ran with it. Another bike that intrigued me in that category was the Norco revolver.

[D(C)]

Same for me with the spur. It was a sweet bike to be sure, but on shorter rides I didn't really find any reason to ride it instead of the bigger bike - the efficiency just doesn't really matter that much for my normal 2-3 hour rides. And on longer rides, I found myself constantly wishing for just a *little* more bike. Which is how I ended up with the hugene. But that'd be a little too close to a sight to be worth owning both.

I think that’s telling. I want something that rewards extra hammering on the way up (as opposed to the diminishing returns on my Sight, or even a bit on the Chromag) and descends like a slalom bike (or how I imagine it would). Your feedback suggests that the Spur is maybe a bit more tipped to long and slack.

[D(C)]

Maybe get something like an Epic EVO or Revel Ranger instead?

Yeah, I was maybe thinking that was well.

[toast2266]

I think that’s telling. I want something that rewards extra hammering on the way up (as opposed to the diminishing returns on my Sight, or even a bit on the Chromag) and descends like a slalom bike (or how I imagine it would). Your feedback suggests that the Spur is maybe a bit more tipped to long and slack.

I think if you want something that descends like a slalom bike, you should get a ~130mm travel bike with 27.5 wheels. More emphasis on turny playfulness. Less emphasis on being an extra capable cross country bike.

[D(C)]

I think if you want something that descends like a slalom bike, you should get a ~130mm travel bike with 27.5 wheels. More emphasis on turny playfulness. Less emphasis on being an extra capable cross country bike.

Yeah, actually the bike I think about as I’m writing this is a Santa Cruz 5010 I rode at Kingdom Trails back in 2018. That thing was a rocket, and so much fun on twisty trails.