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Mountain Bikes!

Discussion in 'General' started by Trainwreck, Jun 9, 2020.

  1. ton

    ton Arf!

    i bought a brand new bike a couple weeks ago. wanted the XT build, but ended up with the Eagle XO1. I didn't love the SRAM brakes initially, but now that i'm used to them, i almost prefer them. plenty powerful (4 piston) and it's really a feel vs. initial bite (XT) argument. these SRAM brakes are adjustable for lever reach and bite point, too. realistically, at this level... all the stuff is SO DAMN GOOD now.
     
    ducnut likes this.
  2. brex

    brex Well-Known Member

    Yeah, some people like Sram. Everyone out this way has switched to Shimano. Hardly anyone races on Stam.
    Different strokes, different folks.
     
  3. Jon Wilkens

    Jon Wilkens Well-Known Member

    You can also go get some miles in on the Van-Kal trail to boost your endurance. If that bike is brand new...once you ride it a few miles it will need a tune up to adjust for cable stretch and such.

    SRAM or Shimano...welcome to the Ford vs Chevy of the bicycle world. Both work, both go about it slightly differently. Don't get caught up in the bs from the elitists...


    Grew up in Lawrence (Exit 52) and spent a lot of time cruising up and down westnedge in my days...lol
     
    stk0308 likes this.
  4. Sweatypants

    Sweatypants I am so smart! S-M-R-T... I mean S-M-A-R-T!

    like everyone's saying... ride it til it breaks. XT stuff is a few hundred bucks and kills that low level SRAM crap for the money, and it'll be at your door in a day or 2 when the time comes. Even X01 I've been hearing does not live up to its predecessor. I have had X0 9-speed on my DH bike for like 5-6 years now and its crisp and flawless and tough as shit. Apparently that went away with the latest generation stuff. XX Eagle is ungodly expensive.

    again with brakes... XT for $200 front and rear and you can never go wrong. they'll never fail and they feel good and consistent. wait until yours start fucking up then replace them if you wish. try different stuff. I've had Maguras, Formulas (Formula The Ones still have the best initial bite ever i think), Shimanos, Hopes. I've used Hayes stuff previously, as well as SRAM previous gen. The Hope V4s on my DH bike are again way better than XTs, hands down my favorite, but they're 3x the money. I've had XTs on my trail bike since i've lost count now for whatever that's worth. Like 4 different bikes. SRAM brakes have always sucked, Guide or not Guide, i'll never buy them. I've seen my buddy have X0 brakes lock up on him 2 different times.

    again... just replace shit as you break it. I'm SUPER hard on bikes. i've gone thru rounds of breaking 3 separate carbon XO cranks before i just gave up, pedals, shocks, frames, spokes, rims, seats... i over build my trail bike wheels to DH level spec so that i never touch them or have to worry ever. i use Race Face Atlas AM cranks with no inserts or stupid gimmicks and give up a little weight for bulletproof cranks. if you're tough on shit just get tough shit that works, not finnicky shit that saves a few grams or has a few more points of engagement.

    also... helmet/pads personal preference. i never use my FF unless i'm riding DH. they're just hot and in the way. nor do i wear knee pads except for DH, BUT... mine, as well as a ton of others now, have been using that D3O tech in the pads which is SUPER thin and still protective. if you spend a tiny bit more than the entry level, you can get pads that really don't intrude much these days and are slim. there still aren't pads for wrists and collarbones worth anything as i'm sure you can imagine given where we're talking, which are still gonna always be the 2 main offenders if things go south, so take that as you will. i'm up to like break #11 or 12 at this point, so i empathize.

    get some good shoes and pedals. will make your life dreamy. if you ride clips, have fun... if not, 5.10's or Shimano flats with some nice concave pedals with good pin spread. you'll hardly ever miss clips at all that way. Teva soles suck for flats, there's dozens of other brands i haven't tried, but 5.10's have 5.10's rep for a reason. the Shimano GR9 flats with Michelin rubber are really close. i've bought 2 pairs now. i've had like 10 pairs of 5.10's haha. enjoy.
     
    Senna and brex like this.
  5. 50Joe

    50Joe Registered User

    I've got a brand new TRS 9-50T 12 speed cassette I want to sell. I bought it for my new handcycle I put a 1x group set on but the chain rubbed the fork when in the big cog so I went with a 9-46T cassette. Only TRS goes down to a 9T cog which gives you huge range. They cost $250 but are on sale for $200 right now. I'd take $175 for mine including shipping.
     
  6. Monsterdood

    Monsterdood Well-Known Member

    I upgraded my old Giant Trance to the SRAM Eagle GX groupset and have been super happy about it. I went SRAM last year to get the 10-50 cassette range to go with a 34T 1x sprocket. It gives me the range I need to crawl up the steeps and to go fast enough down the trails. One issue I had was the 50T cassette is a huge diameter and my Trance is a 26" tire so the derailleur goes down almost to the rim when I'm in granny gear. I think 10-50 cassettes are really made for 27.5-29" wheels. I had a buddies bike that had XT brake issues and I've always liked the feel of the SRAM Guide R so I would stick with them next purchase. On the Trance though I have the short lived Hayes Stroker brakes with a full radial master cylinder setup. I love them! So converting my 2006 to tubeless and a 1x and added a dropper post too, the bike is transformed. Love it.
     
    sill'r B sill'd likes this.
  7. Bloodhound

    Bloodhound Well-Known Member

    Kinda strange...when I was seriously shopping HTs the Roscoe 7 (2019) had Deore M6000 (Shadow +) derailleur and Tektro brakes. I ended up with a 2nd hand (but unregistered) 2020 Fuse Expert for $1000 with SRAM NX Eagle groupset and so far am super happy with them as well. Just figured I'll upgrade whatever I destroy over time.
     
  8. oldmonk

    oldmonk Just trying something!

    I do a lot of mountain biking these days and the one thing I've learned that I might not have expected is that this shit will hurt you and it'll hurt you quickly!!!
    Don't get me wrong, I love it and plan on doing even more of it as I go on in life. But, after racing motocross for years when I was young and then going on to road racing later....I thought mountain biking would be "relaxed" comparably to both of those sports. They have two wheels and for some reason I always have to keep going faster until I find my limit and realize it hurts crashing these bikes at 20 miles an hour or even at 5 miles an hour when the steering head is rammed into your groin area with all you weight!!
    The thing about bicycles that is different than motorcycles to me is the amount of warning you get before crashing!!! Motorcycles let you know you're in trouble and will even try and fix themselves sometimes or give you a chance to adjust or at least prepare for the fall. Bicycles are more like everything is feeling great and in control and within a split second you're face down into a rock (my last experience) and you didn't even know you were doing anything wrong!! I don't wear a full face helmet yet and I don't do downhill, mainly just all mountain stuff that can have some pretty decent downhill fast sections for sure. My friend did go full face after knocking himself out cold on a wet wooden bridge, when he came to about ten second later he had no idea where he was and what had happened and trust me.... he asked me about 20 times where we were and what happened!! :confused:
    The full face helmet has save him a couple times since that crash. Good luck with the bike and don't worry about those components, they all break eventually and then you get to UPGRADE! Come to WEST VIRGINIA when you're ready for a great mountain biking adventure! I'd like to get to the Pacific Northwest once before I die and just ride for a week straight! I've got the equipment for it, just lacking time and travel money. :D
     
  9. Trainwreck

    Trainwreck I could give a heck

    I went out to Maple Hill Trail yesterday without the wife. It was the "easier" direction. I had an absolute BLAST! This shit is so fun. My gears are still having issues though. I packed the bike in the Cummins today and am going to stop by Pedal in Portage (where we bought them) and see if they can adjust things.

    I'm running tubeless tires set at the psi Pedal pumped into them. I think i'll prolly drop them a bit, the front felt like it was washing out a bit in some of the faster downhill sections.

    I also rode without the jawline attached on my Bell helmet. I definitely did not like it at all. IDGAF what people think, i'm running full face..

    I do want to thank you guys for all the info/tips/crash course on the ropes. This forum rules.
     
  10. TurboBlew

    TurboBlew Registers Abusers

    get one of those chain checker tools... will save you undue wear on cassettes. And dont use wet or sticky lubes on the chain.
     
  11. ekraft84

    ekraft84 Registered User

    I've always been a SRAM guy, but that's the higher-level grade components. My Fatboy has the mid-level SRAM and I want to upgrade the brakes, as the calipers/pistons just don't retract like the high end stuff does - and I always get a little 'tink tink' on the brake rotor, no matter what I seem to do.

    I'm not on the west side of Michigan - but if you ever come out this way. Stoney, Addison, Pontiac Lake, Riverbends and DTE/Poto (more towards Ann Arbor) are some of the common trails in these parts of Michigan.
     
    Trainwreck likes this.
  12. CausticYarn

    CausticYarn Well-Known Member

    I love my Trek! I have a hybrid, but I have been whooping this thing’s butt for several years.

    They are like Honda’s... Tanks.
     
  13. ton

    ton Arf!

    Pedal is a good shop, they should take care of you. Tim, the owner of both shops was a friend when i lived there. He's prolly still got an old Duc Monster 900 built by Hordboy.

    Glad you're having fun with it.
     
  14. Sweatypants

    Sweatypants I am so smart! S-M-R-T... I mean S-M-A-R-T!

    hahaha i've said this a dozen times. all the real ignorant shit i've done on a sportbike and chances i've taken in all those years and miles, and my mtbs have hurt me WAY more than any motorcycle ever has. things get out of shape quickly sometimes, and the faster you go, the worse it is when the horse decides it doesn't want you on its back any more. besides the ribs and wrist and shoulder separation etc etc, i'll just say this... the one time i flipped over the front of my bike when the front wheel taco'd and bucked me into oblivion going a million miles per hour, not only did i have a broken wrist and ribs from compressing my elbow into my side as i tried to tuck in on impact, but i got legit road rash on my back, from dirt, from sliding for like 30 feet from the initial crash spot. i got up holding my arm and just looking in disbelief, before i had to call my buddy to come get me because the wheel was mangled so bad i couldn't push the bike out of the woods with one arm. i barely even had time to put my hand out to try and soften the blow before i hit the ground. this is not a twilight of your life activity haha. i guess it CAN be, but geezus christ. luckily its been a while since a bad get off.
     
  15. Jon Wilkens

    Jon Wilkens Well-Known Member

    Typically I ride alone, so don't push things that hard...we don't bounce like we used to. lol
     
  16. brex

    brex Well-Known Member

    Yeah, mountain biking can bite you real quick for sure. Quality helmets can save your life just like in roadracing.
    IMG_20190812_084945.jpg IMG_20190812_084956.jpg
     
    Jon Wilkens likes this.
  17. Pants Romano

    Pants Romano Well-Known Member

    I've been back to biking for about a year now, and really loving it. Modern bikes are fantastic! I prefer Shimano to SRAM, but I think its a personal preference. Trainwreck, I think you've just got somee new cable stretch that's throwing you a bit out of adjustment. The shop will hook you up, but it's good to learn how to set up you derailleur. Park Tools youtube videos are very helpful.

    Oldmonk, where are you at in West By God? I'm in Kanawha County, but ride a lot in Greenbrier. I'm headed up to Big Bear on Sunday for the WVMBA event as well.
     
  18. Trainwreck

    Trainwreck I could give a heck

    I have a Bell MIPS 3R. I've heard great things about it, i wanted a jawline and i liked that this was convertible. So, if the wife and I want to go get ice cream in town I don't look like a dickhead. lol
     
    brex likes this.
  19. Razr

    Razr Well-Known Member

    I just picked up a Diamondback MB yesterday. I haven't ridden a bicycle in 30 years. I didn't remember it wearing me out this much!
     
    oldmonk and TurboBlew like this.
  20. svracer22

    svracer22 Well-Known Member

    It's crazy to be reading a thread about mountain bikes and thinking "I know these places". I live in Portage and picked up a Giant Fathom 2 last fall. I usually ride Al Sabo because it's close and easier for an out of shape old guy.
     
    Trainwreck likes this.

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