MTB Content: I LOVE/HATE new tech

[Lewis Moon]

OK, I can be curmudgeonly: still running a front der, mechanical group, rim brakes and tubes on my road bike, but new tech can be sweet, especially on MTBs. I bought a Turner Czar a couple weeks back and was reveling in pimping it out...but, did I REALLY need to go through three bottom brackets, two sets of cranks and front ders to get it running?
A PF30 BB takes a 30mm crank spindle, except SRAM specs 31mm ID bearings and uses shims (which didn't come with the BB I bought). This meant the SRAM GXP conversion kit I bought didn't work...so I bought another full BB and finally got it to work. The bike has a high, direct mount front der...but the brand new SRAM XO I bought touches the rear lower pivot. Had to buy a side swing Shimano to fit (hope it runs with an X0 shifter). Thanks Turner for hiding that fact down in the FAQs. As for Cranks...The XX carbon I bought almost touches the swing arm so I have to revert back to the X9...which, for some reason binds the BB.
/End Rant/

[JAGI410]

PFBB's and MTBs shouldn't be a matching combo. Same with front derailleurs.

That sucks that you've gone through so many hassle. Have you been able to get some good miles on it yet? What do you think?

[fmradio516]

oof, that is frustrating. But at least at the end of it, you'll have a sweet mountain bike!

[Lewis Moon]

PFBB's and MTBs shouldn't be a matching combo. Same with front derailleurs.

That sucks that you've gone through so many hassle. Have you been able to get some good miles on it yet? What do you think?

Haven't even swung a leg over it. Hopefully I'll get it running in a 1x mode tonight. I ordered the side swing this morning with a pretty please note to ship it ASAP. Curmudgeonly Me sees no reason to go 1X in the long term. Can't say I'll stay 2X, but it has worked perfectly so far.

[texbike]

The amount of tech and its complexity on mountain bikes is just insane these days. I've been riding more MTB recently with my son joining a local mountain bike club and also with several outings with friends/coworkers. While my buddy's new carbon FS Specialized is incredible (the braking is mind blowing), the maintenance (and the related costs) required on these machines seems over the top. I've been doing fine on my fully rigid single speed on the more popular trails in our area. On our rides, the other Dads are talking about reseals/rebuilds, bleeding, continual adjustments, etc. It just seems too much. While the new bikes are NICE, the amount of care and feeding needed to maintain these complex beasts is more than I'd want to take on. I think I'll stick with the simplicity of my SS and devote maintenance hours to the kids' bikes.

Texbike

[fmradio516]

The amount of tech and its complexity on mountain bikes is just insane these days. I've been riding more MTB recently with my son joining a local mountain bike club and also with several outings with friends/coworkers. While my buddy's new carbon FS Specialized is incredible (the braking is mind blowing), the maintenance (and the related costs) required on these machines seems over the top. I've been doing fine on my fully rigid single speed on the more popular trails in our area. On our rides, the other Dads are talking about reseals/rebuilds, bleeding, continual adjustments, etc. It just seems too much. While the new bikes are NICE, the amount of care and feeding needed to maintain these complex beasts is more than I'd want to take on. I think I'll stick with the simplicity of my SS and devote maintenance hours to the kids' bikes.

Texbike

I have a full suspension bike but am too bothered by how much maintenance there is with these. The modern answer is: Rigid fat bikes!

[DonH]

I have a full suspension bike but am too bothered by how much maintenance there is with these. The modern answer is: Rigid fat bikes!

One of these is possibly in my future,its a very fun bike. I currently have a severe case of the N+1 fever.
I definitely have a love/hate thing going on with full suspension.

[joosttx]

for maintenance haters:

1) T47 BB
2) Sram AXS Eagle BB30
3) XTR brakes
4)Fox Fork
5) AXS Rockshox dropper

all you got to do is charge the batteries. I am very capable of this upkeep.

Seriously, although this is a very tech setup, it is so easy to maintain. Not having wires is the best.

[Lewis Moon]

Unfortunately I'll be joining the ranks of pumper/bleeders....I have a herniated L5 that doesn't play well with hardtails. Also, too: a lot of AZ MTB riding can be likened to riding on a sea of baby heads. There are smooth trails, but that's what CX bikes are for.

[KonaSS]

I love mtb. It is where I started cycling, a great day on the mtb brings me the most joy, it is the discipline I race the most.

That said, the amount of tech and changes in tech, standards, geometry, etc. is at a dizzying pace, especially the last 5-10 years. Used to be you could get a hardtail and get a new drivetrain for it every few years and you could keep up with the market.

If you want to do that now, better plan on buying a whole new bike at least every 3 years, if not 2.

[ariw]

Just got a new Ibis Ripley with 2x12 XT drivetrain and I am loving it. Shifting and braking are awesome, as they were on my niner that was 2x10 xt. I don’t get the FD hatred, not that hard to setup.

Ari

[fmradio516]

for maintenance haters:

1) T47 BB
2) Sram AXS Eagle BB30
3) XTR brakes
4)Fox Fork
5) AXS Rockshox dropper

all you got to do is charge the batteries. I am very capable of this upkeep.

Seriously, although this is a very tech setup, it is so easy to maintain. Not having wires is the best.

Just got a set of XT brakes. Cant wait till they come in.

But Fox Fork? Im currently on a 34. Are they less maintenance than Rockshox? One difference i noticed between the two, you can do maintenance on rockshox with most tools youll have at home. Fox, you need proprietary tools to do the same jobs.

[Gummee]

IDK if it's because I learned to ride mtn on a rigid bike or what, but the Top Fuel and the P650b with the MRP Loop on it keep getting left in the garage while the rigid Superfly AL gets ridden

I've got gears, but keep thinking about going SS on the bike

M

[joosttx]

Just got a set of XT brakes. Cant wait till they come in.

But Fox Fork? Im currently on a 34. Are they less maintenance than Rockshox? One difference i noticed between the two, you can do maintenance on rockshox with most tools youll have at home. Fox, you need proprietary tools to do the same jobs.

I never had to do any maintenance on my Fox forks. If I did I would probably break it. :)

[vqdriver]

seems the oems have abandoned trying to design bikes around existing limitations and have just jumped in on design first, parts second. suspension design dictates so much parts choice now, that it's almost more trouble than it's worth to buy and upgrade.

fwiw, fox suspension does require maintenance, but will just keep on trucking without it. instead choosing to quietly lose dampening

[fmradio516]

seems the oems have abandoned trying to design bikes around existing limitations and have just jumped in on design first, parts second. suspension design dictates so much parts choice now, that it's almost more trouble than it's worth to buy and upgrade.

fwiw, fox suspension does require maintenance, but will just keep on trucking without it. instead choosing to quietly lose dampening

Good to know. Its hard to tell with service interval demands. the bike has about 240 miles of mostly dry miles. They say yearly for the whole "rebuild". I might just do a lower leg service until the end of next season. Or maybe I wont :)

[weaponsgrade]

Just got a set of XT brakes. Cant wait till they come in.

But Fox Fork? Im currently on a 34. Are they less maintenance than Rockshox? One difference i noticed between the two, you can do maintenance on rockshox with most tools youll have at home. Fox, you need proprietary tools to do the same jobs.

Fox specs a 30 hour service interval for the oil changes. I've done it with regular tools. World Wide Cycles has a nice how-to. The more advanced servicing probably requires specialized tools, but basic oil changes are pretty easy.

[fmradio516]

Fox specs a 30 hour service interval for the oil changes. I've done it with regular tools. World Wide Cycles has a nice how-to. The more advanced servicing probably requires specialized tools, but basic oil changes are pretty easy.

I should take a look at the how-to. If you follow Fox directions, you need to buy a $60 "lower leg remover" when I think you can just whack the nut with a hammer.

[weaponsgrade]

I should take a look at the how-to. If you follow Fox directions, you need to buy a $60 "lower leg remover" when I think you can just whack the nut with a hammer.

Exactly, all you need to do is unthread the bolt a little, put a socket over it, and give it a solid tap with a hammer. It's kinda like knocking the wedge out of a quill stem. One thing I'll do differently next time is to use a 6 point socket instead of a 12 point socket. I just happened to grab the 12 point and it left some little tool marks on the soft aluminum nut. Not a big deal since the nut's hidden in the fork leg. It's also cheap to replace. Real World Cycles sells them and that's also where I got the foam seals.

[Jaybee]

Keeping your suspension fresh is well worth it if you ride a lot. You don't notice the degradation in performance until you refresh everything - the first ride on on a fresh fork/shock is like floating on unicorn farts.

[joosttx]

Keeping your suspension fresh is well worth it if you ride a lot. You don't notice the degradation in performance until you refresh everything - the first ride on on a fresh fork/shock is like floating on unicorn farts.

“Float like on unicorn farts. Sting like a bee”

[Jaybee]

for maintenance haters:

1) T47 BB
2) Sram AXS Eagle BB30
3) XTR brakes
4)Fox Fork
5) AXS Rockshox dropper

all you got to do is charge the batteries. I am very capable of this upkeep.

Seriously, although this is a very tech setup, it is so easy to maintain. Not having wires is the best.

I'll be curious to see the long term reliability of that dropper. I haven't had good luck with my (admittedly abused) Reverb. That said, SRAM has had some time to work out the kinks on this.