Mountain Bikes!

Chain in spec?
Derailuer hanger straight? (Same plane as rim)

 

Nice bars. The symptoms sound similar to 'Cyclists Palsy' which is ulnar nerve related, instigated by the angle of the wrist / hand junction, more likely in the drops but can get it from other positions. I have heard of elbows down and in (e.g. aero/TT position) causing a stretch that affects ulnar nerve too, probably doesn't affect you though.

 

I have two SRAM setups. Full NX and Full X01. The NX is bombproof and I haven't touched it since I got that bike. The X01 on the other hand..............But once I put loctite on the B gap adjustment, I haven't touched it. Prior to that, I was having to stop in the middle of rides to mess with it. I do think Shimano just feels a little crisper with shifting after riding some friend's bikes. But since I went ahead and already got extra wheels, I'm not envious enough to make the switch.

Oh, and I sent one set of rims off to Berd for some of their nylon spokes. Should be back soon. Curious to feel the compliance difference charging through chunder.

 

Yes sir.. I triple check all of that stuff before the bike goes on the rack and I head to the trails.. I rode Ft. Custer again yesterday. I just did a quick run through Red Loop as I didn't get out there until late. The big issue with the drivetrain happens when I try to downshift into a climb and really start putting power into the crank. its especially nerve wracking if I go into a standup position. The bike will jump out of gear up or down randomly. This has made me slam my knee into the top tube or handle bar (if turning while climbing) or will even knock my feet off the pedal (not so much now with the new pedals) It kills my momentum and spooks me up.

The climbing is the worst part. However, it will also happen when powering through flatter sections or mild climbs. It doesnt happen in the lower 3 gears or the higher 3 gears. It just sees to be the middle 6 or so where the drivetrain either cant figure out what it is trying to do, or it just doesn't do anything when I shift. So ill shift again, and it will drop 3-4 gears... (usually happens during downshifts)

If I'm on a section of trail where I'm looking to be in those middle 5-6 gears or so its an absolute shit show.. The drivetrain just pops and bangs the whole time and I feel like I'm going to break something. I've set the B gap correctly according to every video/article I've come across, chain is good, derailleur isn't bent, everything is clean. etc.. I have also tried adjusting the cable via the barrels on the hand controls and that help a little. (this used to be worse)

It also doesn't help that constantly read everywhere that "SRAM SX EAGLE IS SHIT!" lol maybe that has an affect on my perception of this equipment. This is my first mountain bike, and my second year in the sport. I figured the bike would suit me just fine with minimal issues for at least 2-3 years until I got up to speed/skills. (Bike is a '20 Trek Roscoe 7 in case no one read the first post on this thread)

On a positive note, I ran through Red Loop 5 minutes faster yesterday, than my fastest time last year. So that was nice..

I'm also fighting issues with my hands going numb, and am looking into adjusting my bars/ trying new bars. I think my bars are too low and maybe a smidge too far away. I'm going to try and raise up the OEM one which is a 15mm raise by 750mm width... The angle of my wrists seem to be pretty wrong when comparing to others. I may need to get some bars with a slight back sweep too. Or maybe a stem that brings the bars slightly closer.? I'm currently putting the majority of the pressure on the inside parts of my palm this is causing my pointer finger, middle finger, and thumb to experience nerve buzz and just go numb.. So, I feel like a bar with some slight back sweep would help distribute pressure across the whole of my palm?

 

thanks man. yea my main concern is weight here. its a substantial difference on this stuff, which was surprising. also i want set it and forget it, which the current XT stuff has been. seeing as how i'm a fat ass, being Nino is out the question, but every pound helps. I've had a 24lb. MTB and currently have a 33lb. MTB, and there is a definite noticeable difference irrelevant to my current fat level.

the chainring part though... could you elaborate? I've been using those KMC DLC/SL chains for the past decade. I love them and have never had one snap or anything. I was planning to continue that, and then give an Absolute Black Oval ring a try for once. XTR cassette and KMC chain and Abs Black ring a working combo? I didn't know they'd be that sensitive.

"staying on top of..." is exactly what I'm looking to avoid. I don't want to wash my shit, I don't want to work on it, I just want to get on and go. I check tires every ride, and suspension air pressures every few rides, and keep my chain cleaned and lubed, but outside of that I wish to continue one big servicing a year and otherwise leave it alone. if that means stay away from SRAM that's what I'll do.

my old SRAM shifter does feel more crisp than my 5-6 year old XT, but neither really bug me much in that regard. or rather, i don't think how much i like one over the other when riding. i know XT brakes are still the cheap/reliable standard... i got Hope V4's for this bad boy though, they destroy XT's (not accounting for cost). SRAM brakes are god awful. they always have and always will be, i don't care what people say about Codes. i remember people with X01 brakes getting air bubbles and it locking the caliper up (instead of usually air just making lever feel mushy) and almost killing a bunch of people. Fuck that. I went thru 3 sets of X01 cranks back in the day because I kept gorilla leg torque'ing the inserts out of the carbon and breaking them. I was always pleased with the shifter/derailleur so I was considering here, but I won't use their other crap.

Right on, thanks for the feedback.

 

I went for a ride yesterday really trying to be aware of the angle of my wrists and to generally loosen up. It made a huge difference but I fear it is too late. I have opened Pandora’s box and now I see carbon bars in my near future because...well...carbon. Somebody noted my seat was pretty far back, I’m going to move it forward and see if that makes it even better.

 

The higher end SRAM stuff is fantastic. I realize it's not a price point for everyone, but I've got XX1 Eagle on my bikes (MTB, Fat bike, Gravel) and it works flawlessly. Coming from the NX/GX originally (and some mid-level Shimano as well), I didn't realize how nice it is to have butter/smooth shifting and performance, until actually using it on the trails/road.

Disclaimer: That's not to say you can't dial in the mid-level components to work well also. If you're bombing around on rocks/sketchy terrain and crash a fair bit, you may not want to go the higher-end route.

 

The Shimano 12 speed has their newest version of hyperglide+ (all through the line XTR to Deore). It is what makes it shift noticeably smoother than Eagle, particularly under power. That "magic" is in the new ramp cuts in the cassette and the chain plates. They also don't do the narrow/wide thing that Sram started. It is "narrow-wide-ish", and the tooth profile has a slightly different cut to it. Any 12 speed chain will work with it, but not have the true full hyperglide+ smoothness. A Shimano chain will work on a traditional narrow/wide chainring, as long as you use an Eagle quick link, as the Shimano quick link isn't machined out enough to work on a traditional narrow/wide ring. A Shimano 12 speed chain will also be a bit more "sticky" on a new narrow/wide chainring until it wears in a bit, but a worn chainring won't have that same "stickiness".
I use Absolute Black oval chainrings. They have their HG+ profile chainring, so if you are looking to swap to them just get that profile for your crankset. They even make the HG+ ring for Sram cranks, which is how my son's 22 lbs. race bike (120mm, dropper XCM) is configured - the XX1 crankset is so light, I used it for his bike.
For example, if your Race Face cranks are Cinch mount - https://absoluteblack.cc/raceface-b...g-for-12spd-shimano-hyperglide-hg-plus-chain/

As far as "staying on top of" yeah, with Shimano 12 speed you set it and forget it. It is much easier to get the b-gap set since the line is on the derailleur (printed on XTR, stamped on XT), so no need for the Eagle tool or measuring. And Eagle gets incredibly finicky if you don't have it set just perfect. My son's old race bike for two years was XO1 Eagle. I was adjusting that thing weekly so he wouldn't complain about the shifting. My Stumpjumper had XO1 as well, and I got sick of that thing before one summer was up, replaced it with a new build all XT.
Not saying Eagle sucks, it doesn't. It's a fine system. Just saying it is more annoying to stay on top of and still has the sync issue by design (some notice it, some don't until you mention what it is), especially for bikes that get 10+ hours of riding each week. Shimano's HG+ is just smoother and has better cassette spacing in the larger quarter of cogs, plus it's install it right the first time and don't mess with it.

It does mean that I don't see those bikes as often to tune from the locals on the teams, but I'm OK with that.

 

yea i really just don't care to do $1250 for a drivetrain. the $700-800 is fine, but XX1 just seems excessive. I'm real hard on my bikes, so i overbuild wheels, and get the beefiest cranks, and i'll give up some weight savings on carbon bits and wheels to not have to touch it. so high-ER end, but not breaking the bank or getting light stuff to the point of it'll break more.

 

thanks man, that's what i'm after. appreciate the answer.

 

I've moved to all Shimano, except on my fat bike.

A good friend replaced his Guide brakes with XT, and gave them to me for the fat bike. In my opinion, they are awful. Super mushy and no feel, even after I took them to shop because I thought I was unable to bleed them properly.

A lot of my riding friends run Sram 1x11 and 1x12 drivetrains and all seem to function pretty well with very few trailside repairs. I've heard some complaints that the hangar is pretty easy to bend, but that's just anecdotal.

I just got back from a weekend in Brevard. Rode Bent Creek, Pisgah and DuPont. Wow. Worth the trip.

 

Same, I have XTR Race brakes and I dislike them. Maybe with enough friction it might lower the line pressure to where it's tolerable?

@kurveygirl Are you able to get the newer pad shapes for Vesrah?

 

Wife and I hit the trails again Monday.

I switched out the Bontrager Avada 138mm wide saddle that comes stock on the Roscoe 7, with a Spank Spike 160 saddle. First impressions seem to be that it is a decent improvement. The saddle is slightly softer, and it also feels like it has a lot more grip for some reason. Also, when I say that I am a NOOB to this sport I mean I am a SUPER NOOB. I knew you could change the saddle angle and saddle height on bikes, but I did not know that you could move the saddle forward and backwards.. lol The bike shop had my saddle all the way back. I thought this may be contributing to my arms being really stretched out, causing my thumb, pointer, and middle fingers going numb. So when I installed the new saddle I actually put it all the way forward. I figure going from one extreme to the other will help me figure out what I really like.

My wife and I love Red Loop at Fort Custer, so that's what we did on Monday. I did find that my hands faired much better this time and only started to experience issues towards the end of the loop, and instead of my thumb, pointer, and middle fingers going numb, I was mostly just my thumbs.

However, I did also change out my grips, and maybe that also had a lot to contribute.

I switched out the OEM Bontrager XR Trail Comp grips with a set of Ergon GE1 Evo's. I found that I liked these grips much better. The have a lot more traction and feel, but are also much softer. So it seems like I have to use much less grip strength to feel "comfortable" over the more technical parts of the trail.

Still having trouble with my drivetrain, but I have decided to focus on getting comfortable on the bike, then get everything needed to either upgrade to SRAM GX or switch over to Shimano stuff.

Also have realized that the brakes suuuuck. Now that I am much faster, and actually need to USE them, they seem to be lacking... They are the Shimano MT200 kit that come stock on the Roscoe. Any tips here?

I think next up is maybe trying a slightly higher handlebar, (maybe increase width? stock is 15mm rise and 750mm wide)

I also want to try some better gear.. I just wear some Nike compression leggings and undershirt with a pair of Dickies shorts and a t-shirt over them. I have a Bell MIPS MTB helmet and some gloves but that's about it. My Wife wears some padded biking bottoms and swears by them so I think I might try some too. We want to hit some trails in the Upper Peninsula over the summer, and I think some knee pads and elbow pads are in order at the minimum. Especially with how often she crashes. I also want to try different shoes.. as of now I've just been trying out different pairs of skate shoes I have laying around. The Vans seem to work best. I think I just need to make them tighter.

 

Dudes what pads are you running? Standard resin or sintered?

Also the hot setup for older xt brakes is to put on the newer 4piston slx/xt caliper. The deore one might even be the same.

 

Great job on sorting out the grips and trying new positions. It's impossible to make suggestions for anyone else, it's really up to you so try to make individual changes and just get in more saddle time in the riding position, even around the block/driveway. Practice wheelies and endos, all that stuff that leads to familiarity on the bike. Occasionally focus on how everything feels and just get that feeling locked in. Then when you make changes you have a baseline, otherwise everything is new and different, every time. You won't know if you are chasing your tail.

For protection, unless you tend to stack or the trail is unforgiving/high probability, then most armour is overkill. By all means get it, but chances are you'll prob wear it once or twice then put it away. Even the best stuff gets old when you are pedalling for more than an hour.

No comment on specific brakes other than most things will be an upgrade. And put the biggest rotor you can on the front.

 

Lots going on here haha...

Not sure if this still applies, but "back in the day" I always set up my seat position so that my bent knee is 90* angle when the crank is parallel to the ground and foot in position on the pedal. You can also measure your pelvis width and get the proper seat width to support you on the bones... too wide or too narrow is not quite as comfy.

 

Just updated from a 2016 Orbea Alma (for sale in Other btw... ) to this custom built Cannondale F-Si with all the go-fast light weight goodies. I waited 3 months for this SID Ultimate SL fork, and man it is amazing! I've only ridden about 25 miles on it so far.

Total weight is 22.5 pounds. I could probably drop some weight in the tires, saddle, and bar, but for now I'm just trying to get used to this new fangled geometry and gearing. 1x12 and SRAM drivetrain takes some getting used to after riding Shimano for 25+ years LOL

 

Some good info above in regards to riding position along with grips etc. I run esi super chunky on my bikes or the esi plush. As for the shifting... SX eagle truly is terrible.

 

So just in case anyone needs a reference... been ordering all the pieces for a new bike. Some long and undetermined leads here on a few things... other stuff no prob.

- Commencal Meta AM frame to replace my previous gen Meta AM 29 from like 2014, and ZEB Ultimate. they're saying July, we'll see. Considered going Manitou Mezzer Pro and Mara Pro for suspension, I hear awesome things, but they're not in stock anywhere. Rockshox is easy to own and the ZEB gets good reviews.
- The Commencal's all now use a 230x62.5 shock which for Rockshox, seems to not exist with no date in sight. I went with the new Cane Creek Kitsuma Air and it was in stock. I've had DB Air's on 3 bikes and never a single problem and they ride awesome. I know there was a run for a while of Inline's with problems, but Cane Creek is such a rad company to deal with. Worth a go for me.
- They also use 34.9mm seatpost diameters for I guess the better droppers out now. I don't want a dropper. KCNC and Commencal are literally the only people making a 38.5mm regular ass seat post right now in case you need one. Bought 2... one I'll cut down and keep my DH bike seat on and just swap out for when I go to the bike park or DH trails. One I'll keep for normal riding.
- DT Comp white spokes... they WERE in stock in enough quantities from Universal and BikeBling to give me what I need. BikeBling fucked up their inventory so now I dunno when the last 15 will get here.
- Onza sweet ass white tires and Hope rotors from a place in Germany and on good ass sale too. No problem there.
- OneUp pedals I already had from Xmas.
- Hope V4 brakes I already have from my DH bike.
- Stem, seat, bars already have. DT EX511 rims easy to get.
- If you need Shimano to Hope brakes matchmakers there's a place in Italy that has them. most places only have the SRAM ones.
- Sweet Enduro bottom bracket where the halves screw into each other I bought for a previous bike where the shitty design of the seat tube hindered it from working. Gonna use that on this one.

- XT 170mm boost cranks are non-existent. 3 weeks ago, Jenson said yesterday. Now saying 6-8 weeks. There's some on ebay for an extra $100 from the UK. I guess if you're desperate (or I get desperate) that's an option.
- Hope rear boost Microspline hubs are non-existent. I just put in an order from Colorado Cyclist. Who knows.
- XTR chains, rear long derailleurs, and shifters are all backordered. No date yet. Also ordered.
- Found this company Garbaruk that has sick ass 12-speed cassettes and oval chainrings. Ordered some of those. They say 45-55 days from order date.

Should be good. So yea... XT cranks, XTR drivetrain, Hope Microspline are the problems here. Rockshox and Manitou shocks if you need specific sizes. If you need anything else, its more or less around. Frames are a problem for any company I looked at. Some more than others. Was also considering Knolly, Guerilla Gravity, and Propain. Propain won't ship or sell only frames to the States currently. Only full bikes here. GG and Knolly have similar lead times to Commencal, and pushing the price past what I cared to spend.

 

Lightest cassette available, quietly growing at the moment, and I got one on my bike up above. Made from a single billet, so cool.