Ask the experts

[Huskier]

Assuming you mean it's 1,200 for new frame + rebuild, could then sell for 2500. So only like 1,300 net that route, sounds like a bad deal.

I'd go the 4,500 route. You can probably get *something*, however little, for the 27.5 fork & front wheel, to ease the sting. Rest of your parts suit you well enough now, so no reason they can't carry over to the mullet.

You could also pick & pull parts off the complete new build, but the value isn't great there either, especially if they're not top end parts. I parted out a Levo Comp a couple months back, and was selling brand new parts (Performance 36 / Float X, Code Rs, etc.) for like 40% of retail. If it was brand new Factory / XTR type stuff, I'm sure I could have gotten more like 75%-80%. I didn't even to try and sell the Roval MX wheelset because it's only worth like $200, and shipping that shit would be like $50.

Yeah I think you're right. I've been trying to sell a decent lyrik for the better part of a year and I'm basically giving it away at this point no bites. Having to hawk random shit sounds like a pain at best

[jm2e]

I’m trying to buy a cheap, mint, used DH bike.

I found a 2015 Giant Glory 2 locally for $1200. It’s barely been used, you can still see the little hairy/prickly things on the stock Magic Marys that are there when tires are new.

Now I’ve ridden that generation Glory 2 and I know I like it. What will I likely have to rebuild/grease/perform maintenance on? I have never bought a downhill rig this old before, however this thing is barely used.

Toast you told me bearings, anything else I should look out for?

should I avoid and go a little newer? I’m broke, but live near a bike park

Nothing big goes bad on a bike from sitting around. The grease is still in the bearings and the oil is still in the suspension. Brakes may squeal. New pads will sort that out.


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[Velomayniac]

Thanks

anyone ridden a 2017 or newer alloy Kona Operator?

[MCS5280]

Picked up a cheap gravel frame. The brake flat mounts are painted closed. Any thoughts on the best way to remove this without messing up the surrounding paint?

[VTskibum]

Picked up a cheap gravel frame. The brake flat mounts are painted closed. Any thoughts on the best way to remove this without messing up the surrounding paint?

They should be covered up by the caliper mounts anyway I'd think. My first attempt would be to take a pick and poke a small hole through the painted over thread hole and very lightly file (if you pick has a file part of it by the handle) or sandpaper it to the threads w/o damaging them.

[joetron]

Picked up a cheap gravel frame. The brake flat mounts are painted closed. Any thoughts on the best way to remove this without messing up the surrounding paint?

Call some good shops nearby and see if they have a flat mount facing tool and have them face that paint off. Good flat mount alignment will be near impossible if you go at it by hand.


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[singlesline]

Need some cheap brakes for my wife’s flat bar road/urban bike.

Shimano mt201? Tektro m275 or m285? Something else?

[Andeh]

I need advice on how to silence a seatpost / saddle creak. I'm about 95% certain its from one of these, because I've freshly serviced the BB / cranks and put on fresh pedals. Pedaling standing up is silent, as soon as I sit down it creaks. Creaking continues (maybe even worse) when shock is locked out while seated, silent while standing. Seatpost is a Reverb AXS, saddle is Ergon SM Enduro. I run the same setup on my other bike with no creaking, but that one gets a 30.9->34.9 adapter shim.

The seatpost is a 30.9 using a shim to fit in a 31.6 frame. I suspect this is the culprit. Originally I installed with carbon assembly compound between the shim and frame, was too tight a fit so I wiped it clean. The slot in the frame is facing forward, the seat clamp came with the bolt at the back. I've tried the shim so the slot is both forward and backward. I've also tried a thin coating of slick honey between all contact points in this area. Seat clamp is torqued to 5n-m.
*should I try orienting the shim so the slot is on the side, or does it to forward to match the frame cut?
*what lube/compound should I use on what spots? Carbon prep on the inside of seat tube and where the clamp goes? Grease on the seatpost itself?
*on the other bike, the adapter shim is black metal. On the creaky one, it's silver. Maybe the black one is grippier?

The other possibility is the saddle-clamp interface. I originally installed dry, and it creaked. I swapped saddles to a new one and it still creaked. I tried pulling the saddle, cleaning all the contact points with iso, and then lightly greasing all the contact points with slick honey.
*any lube/compound on any of these contact points?

[XXX-er]

I need advice on how to silence a seatpost / saddle creak. I'm about 95% certain its from one of these, because I've freshly serviced the BB / cranks and put on fresh pedals. Pedaling standing up is silent, as soon as I sit down it creaks. Creaking continues (maybe even worse) when shock is locked out while seated, silent while standing. Seatpost is a Reverb AXS, saddle is Ergon SM Enduro. I run the same setup on my other bike with no creaking, but that one gets a 30.9->34.9 adapter shim.

The seatpost is a 30.9 using a shim to fit in a 31.6 frame. I suspect this is the culprit. Originally I installed with carbon assembly compound between the shim and frame, was too tight a fit so I wiped it clean. The slot in the frame is facing forward, the seat clamp came with the bolt at the back. I've tried the shim so the slot is both forward and backward. I've also tried a thin coating of slick honey between all contact points in this area. Seat clamp is torqued to 5n-m.
*should I try orienting the shim so the slot is on the side, or does it to forward to match the frame cut?
*what lube/compound should I use on what spots? Carbon prep on the inside of seat tube and where the clamp goes? Grease on the seatpost itself?
*on the other bike, the adapter shim is black metal. On the creaky one, it's silver. Maybe the black one is grippier?

The other possibility is the saddle-clamp interface. I originally installed dry, and it creaked. I swapped saddles to a new one and it still creaked. I tried pulling the saddle, cleaning all the contact points with iso, and then lightly greasing all the contact points with slick honey.
*any lube/compound on any of these contact points?

had that ^^ exact problem on a couple of Yeti 5.5's and carbon paste fixed it up, but you already tried that

I use carbon paste on whatever is creaking and it seems to work

[joetron]

I need advice on how to silence a seatpost / saddle creak. I'm about 95% certain its from one of these, because I've freshly serviced the BB / cranks and put on fresh pedals. Pedaling standing up is silent, as soon as I sit down it creaks. Creaking continues (maybe even worse) when shock is locked out while seated, silent while standing. Seatpost is a Reverb AXS, saddle is Ergon SM Enduro. I run the same setup on my other bike with no creaking, but that one gets a 30.9->34.9 adapter shim.

The seatpost is a 30.9 using a shim to fit in a 31.6 frame. I suspect this is the culprit. Originally I installed with carbon assembly compound between the shim and frame, was too tight a fit so I wiped it clean. The slot in the frame is facing forward, the seat clamp came with the bolt at the back. I've tried the shim so the slot is both forward and backward. I've also tried a thin coating of slick honey between all contact points in this area. Seat clamp is torqued to 5n-m.
*should I try orienting the shim so the slot is on the side, or does it to forward to match the frame cut?
*what lube/compound should I use on what spots? Carbon prep on the inside of seat tube and where the clamp goes? Grease on the seatpost itself?
*on the other bike, the adapter shim is black metal. On the creaky one, it's silver. Maybe the black one is grippier?

The other possibility is the saddle-clamp interface. I originally installed dry, and it creaked. I swapped saddles to a new one and it still creaked. I tried pulling the saddle, cleaning all the contact points with iso, and then lightly greasing all the contact points with slick honey.
*any lube/compound on any of these contact points?

I’d try taking the saddle clamp assembly apart, cleaning and regreasing with a light coat - all interfaces and liberal amounts on the threads.


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[XtrPickels]

Could also be where the saddle rails insert, I'd toss another saddle on to rest.

[Andeh]

Thanks for suggestions. I also asked my mechanic buddy, and he said for the seatpost: nothing between frame and clamp, carbon assembly compound between frame and shim (face shim opposite of frame slit for less load on frame), and marine grease between seatpost and shim.

I did that plus the suggestions here of cleaning seat/rails interface, light coat of marine grease on all the interfaces, and a thick coat of anti-seize on the bolt threads.

Knock on wood, something seemed to have fixed it. Pedaling up and down the street was silent.

[Lvovsky]

Marine grease: why use anything else? (Carbon carbon interfaces excluded)

Cheap. Easily available at hardware stores. Why bother with anything else?

[jm2e]

I need rims. Hoping to find a good source for good hearty blue collar rims.
DT Swiss EX or XM
Stan’s Flow
Spank
Carbon <$200 ……

Anyone got a good line on rims?


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[toast2266]

I need rims. Hoping to find a good source for good hearty blue collar rims.
DT Swiss EX or XM
Stan’s Flow
Spank
Carbon <$200 ……

Anyone got a good line on rims?


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If you're going aluminum, go with whatever dt swiss option suits your use case the best.

And personally, for < $200, I'd go aluminum. Cheap carbon is a crap shoot.

[Andeh]

Reserve 30 AL. Really good warranty, no other AL rim brand is doing that.

[Eluder]

Reserve 30 AL. Really good warranty, no other AL rim brand is doing that.

Race Face has it on there complete wheels. Which are on sale for $600 at the moment.

Looks like they offer it on the ARC rim as well

https://www.raceface.com/products/ar...31976315945042

[jm2e]

Reserve 30 AL. Really good warranty, no other AL rim brand is doing that.

Was not aware of that rim only option. Might consider if I can't find a good discount price for DT EX511 or Stans Flow EX3...... which is looking unlikely.

[Huskier]

Frame up build . Full build version comes Spec'd with 38mm fork. I was happy with 36 and want 36. Is Downside to under-stantioning? Why is 38 a thing? It just seems like extra heft...

[Andeh]

Frame up build . Full build version comes Spec'd with 38mm fork. I was happy with 36 and want 36. Is Downside to under-stantioning? Why is 38 a thing? It just seems like extra heft...

The larger diameter is much more stiff, which results in the front wheel feeling more precise. I questioned the need for a 38mm fork myself at 170lbs rider weight, riding not super chunky trails, and the first time I rode one, I was blown away at how precise the front wheel feels. A buddy of mine also recently stepped up from a 36 160mm to a Zeb 160mm and was commenting about how straight the front wheel tracks in rough parts.

[One (+) Sentence]

Reserve 30 AL. Really good warranty, no other AL rim brand is doing that.

Was not aware of that rim only option. Might consider if I can't find a good discount price for DT EX511 or Stans Flow EX3...... which is looking unlikely.

There is decent stock of stand alone Reserve AL rims right now. Ask your local Santa Cruz dealer. FYI the AL HD and SL rims are exactly the same, but the HD is 32 hole and the SL is 28.

[toast2266]

The larger diameter is much more stiff, which results in the front wheel feeling more precise. I questioned the need for a 38mm fork myself at 170lbs rider weight, riding not super chunky trails, and the first time I rode one, I was blown away at how precise the front wheel feels. A buddy of mine also recently stepped up from a 36 160mm to a Zeb 160mm and was commenting about how straight the front wheel tracks in rough parts.

The 38's just way smoother too. I never realized how much flex was making the bushings bind up on a 36 / lyrik until I got on a 38. The front wheel tracks sooo much smoother while braking through mild chunder into a corner.


That said, I'm not sure I'd want one if the travel is less than 170. They're definitely heavy, and the benefits diminish a bit on shorter travel setups.

[jackstraw]

That's interesting about the 38. I'd like to try that out.

The first time I rode carbon reserves I was pretty blown away also. I didn't realize it could feel so different.

[jm2e]

There is decent stock of stand alone Reserve AL rims right now. Ask your local Santa Cruz dealer. FYI the AL HD and SL rims are exactly the same, but the HD is 32 hole and the SL is 28.

Interesting.
$150/rim with free shipping straight from SC. I’ve never met a LBS that charges a nickel under MSRP.


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[volklpowdermaniac]

What lens color/type do I want for riding in deep
Woods with sun shining through (I know first world problems) but I struggle with the sun scattering the light and it makes certain trail things harder to pick up…. Something high contrast? Some stuff I read suggested rose/pink maybe? Old trusty low light hello?