Welp now that it's reset and dialed in again it's making me question the whole 160mm thing. It feels nice and smooth for the full stroke again.
First ride on the 203mm rear. Not a great test ground but initial impression is it feels more smooth and better modulation, I felt I could get deeper into a section before braking and then not lock the rear, get in get out, but could just be the newness factor.
So I've spent entirely too much time researching new rims for next month. I've narrowed it down to these:
Stans Arch Mk3 - advantage, I can get a rear for £50 cheaper than the others from Merlin, on Hope hub. Would order the front from PTCycles (they have the 32 hole hub). Downside, no reviews anywhere and the consensus seems to be Stan are a little soft.
DT Swiss XM481 - seems to be the new hotness - reviews well, strong, reasonably light. Only downside, apart from the £50 premium over the Arch since Merlin don't build them, the 30mm rim might be a smidge too wide for my Wild Grip'r 2.25 Advanced, therefore necessitating a new tire too.
DT Swiss EX471 - strong, proven, well reviewed. Only 25mm feels less future proofed than the XM481. Perhaps over engineered for my needs.
I don't do big drops (only small ones :D) and I don't jump. So really, the Arch is probably fine. However there are sections of my local trail that get fast and rocky so I think the burlier XM/EX rims might be wise. I'm tempted to get the EX so I don't need to worry about tires, but I think I'll go for the XM and try the 2.25 on it.
Any thoughts? Am I over-thinking? Initially I just wanted better wheels than the Crossrocs, but quickly that spirals into best bang.
Forgot to say, I'm running a 2.35 up front and a 2.25 at the back, so it's only the back that is the immediate challenge on the XM.
Future proofed for what? The rims will always be useable, these bikes came with 19mm and people happily run them all day long with no issues. Mine are 26mm, it's just about right for 2.35. It's not like you'd tear some non boost wheels apart for a boost bike one day, just build new wheels with as wide as you want then.
It isn't just about drops and jumps it also gives a much better shape to the tire and a bed that won't collapse on itself when rolling the tire.
Kinda crappy pic but you can see how the tire doesn't muffin top out around the wide rim as much as the 19. That billowing on the narrower rim detracts from cornering. 25 imo is plenty, 30 is probably too much.
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Cheers JNM. When I said future proofed - I am kinda expecting with the rush to 30mm rims it's only a matter of time until we see new tires that really optimise their use. It's still a toss up between the EX471 and the XM481 but I think I'm going to give the XMs a go.
I changed to 471,rms from crossroc
No problems so far , feel a lot stiffer than the crossroc
Thanks EG, I keep flip flopping between the 481 and the 471. 😀
30 won't be too wide for a 2.35 and probably not a 2.25, DT Swiss even has charts with a 40mm wide rim on 2.35 tires. Good point on the tire though, they could well make tires with treads outboard more to account for the wider platform that comes with wide rims, or sidewall changes. But the difference in how it sits isn't huge until you hit 40, so not sure companies are going to flock to yet another line of tire to design and stock.
[img] https://www.dtswiss.com/CmsPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=189185f7-9580-4237-899f-fa3571e56cbd [/img]
https://www.dtswiss.com/Technology/MTB-rim-width
Thanks JNM1. Thats useful.
Keep in mind there isn't such a thing as a rim being 'too wide' for a tire until you're really stretching it width wise to the point it wont support itself vertically because the sidewall is gone.
Agreed. Just don't want to lose the edge wrap.
It seems to be a common opinion that the Mavic Crossroc rims are too flexy and too narrow, has anyone tried, or is it possible, to replace just the rim with something wider and stiffer?
Just a thought......
The issue is they are also only 24 spoke so changing really needs new hubs too. Just been in Evans checking out the EX471 rims attached to a couple of Norco bikes. Very nice looking rims.
I just wouldn't bother building around the stock Mavic hubs. Jenson will sell you a set of DT350s for $275. Course we need the lefty hub but the Cannondale front + 350 rear will up it to about $300. Keep the Crossrocs with tires on, maybe even with tubes, for seriously crap days or you walk out to a flat.
Just about to order EX471 rims. 32 spokes front and rear. Supermax hub up front, Hope Pro 4 hub out back in black. Sapim race spokes in black. Will be built with the nipples that DT ship with the wheels. Am I missing anything? Using PT Cycles.
Looks good, enjoy them
Cheers. Ordered earlier today.
By the way, the oval chain ring (34/30 oval) almost feels like cheating. Cycled with a friend today and found that on the climbs I was pulling away. Lots of PRs. Very pleased with it.
Anyone got a link for a 203mm lefty brake adaptor?
When i was looking for a 203mm adaptor i read that cannondale only warrant a 180mm rotor on the lefty and I guess they don't make them because of that reason.
TFT have the parts in now for the 2spring upgrade. I'm going to strip mine down this week and send it off for the work to be carried out Friday. Get it back early next week.
ssmith - when you removed your lefty using the mallet and plastic tubing - I presume the 40mm OD tubing doesn't fit, did you use 32mm pipe and just balance it against one edge of the steerer tube?
Well that was fairly straight forwards. I stripped the stem and what not off the bike then initially tried a mallet with a cork block in between but that didn't seem to have any affect, so I tried the mallet direct to the steerer, but flipped 90 degrees so I was hitting it gently with a large flat side of the mallet head rather than the face of the head. Two gentle taps and it dropped. The issue I had, as ssmith points out, is that it then catches firmly half way out. I ended up getting a second hammer and placing the wooden edge gently on the end of the steerer and tapping it, alternating sides, and it popped out easily enough.
I'd have liked to have had the ernie tool to make it easier and less fiddly though. Maybe next time. Anyway, all packed up and ready to go.
Actually, this looks perfect for the job. 38.1mm wooden dowel.
http://www.toolsandtimber.co.uk/ash-dowels-config-1151
Question?
Are other shocks compatible with the Trigger or does it have to be the Dyad shock?
Mate has one & the noise its making is not good. Squeaks & groans with every pedal. He's going to get it fixed on warranty but if not he's thinking of swapping it out all together.
Unfortunately, only shock is the Dyad as it's a pull shock.
The squeak will be the sag indicator. Just pull the metal bar out and store it someplace safe for when you need it. Squeak will be gone.
Definitely want to hear how the new solo springs go.
Anyone know where to buy the cable ties from the lefty? I could get other ones easily but if the stock are available I'd just use that.
Do you mean cable ties or cable guides?
TFT just called. My Lefty is on the way back now with the 2Spring upgrade. Shame I won't have my new wheels until next week.
Whilst I have the bike up on the workstand with the fork removed I decided to re-organise the cables so they flow better - moving my rear gear cable and right mounted travel lever through the Lefty and moved the the dropper and rear brake to the opposite side. Looks much cleaner.
I noticed that there's been quite a bit of cable rub on the underside of the downtube since I bought the bike, just behind the headtube, where the cables flow out towards the bars. If you haven't already, I suggest you stick some helicopter tape in there to protect your carbon frame.
zero yup that's the ties I need, out of stock though. I busted one in a crash and I wanna get it back to right.
I took all the stickers off the lefty, have some vinyl coming that if it works well as a wrap I'll post pics. I think it will look good if the vinyl itself is as nice as it looks in the pics and if my skills are up to snuff. Not the entire fork top to bottom, leaving some black showing. But I also like hot it looks jet black with the all black stickerless rims, black spokes, tires etc. So not a total loss if it doesn't work.
zero... also you should ride 1 upgrade at a time anyhow so you can really ascertain what changes you notice are from the upgrade. If you have a new fork spring, new front wheel, and presumably a different tire relationship to the rim (if not also a new tire) it will be impossible to know what changes are attributed to what.
Built the bike back up. Factory wheels. Only had a short ride up the street and down a grassy hilly trail at the end of it. Lefty definitely feels different. I'd say small bump is more sensitive and there's definitely a bit more support / different feel at the end of the travel. I'm going by memory.
Obviously not this clunky but I think it could work. Not sure how well the backing is going to stick though. Think I'll give it a shot.
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Noooooo! I love the factory decals.
The decals are gone and not coming back. If the wrap doesn't work out I'll leave it black.
I think the factory graphics are quite eighties style!
They're not bad just not very unique or fun.
Is that a cable looping across the front of your crank JNM1?
Thats just how they are, it's the dyad lever, never bumped it, will check if it could be tightened up tho
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Maybe it's just the perspective of your photo, it looks like its quite clear of the frame in a big loop. It should come straight down, against the middle of the metal protector plate and the up the under the downtune. Nice smooth run, and well clear of the cranks, and definitely not looping under the frame ready to catch a root.
If it's too long, it's really easy to shorten. Cut the cable end cap off, loosen the grub screw on the shock, pull the cable out the bottom, and up inside the outer, chop the outer down, feed the cable back through the shock, press the barrel at down slightly then tighten the barrel grub screw again (that pre-tensions the cable a wee bit), chop off the excess and fit a new cap. Takes about 5 mins. Or just push/pull the excess cable up to the bars instead.
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I shortened it a bit with a much, much easier way. I just gave a gentle tug on the lockout switch cable from the headtube.
Not wild about the vinyl. It's more the vinyl itself isn't enough red. I think Ill be sticking with all black but will keep it a bit and see if it grows on me.
Let's see a photo of the finished fork?
I've got my ex471s on now. Looking forward to taking it out for a spin. Loving the hope hub sounds though the dramatically more rapid engagement makes the higher gears clunk a bit. That'll take some time to get used to. Liking the 32 spokes up front over the 24 on the Mavic.
I almost want to replace the 105 hub on my road bike with a Hope just for the clicking.
Almost done with mine. Still need to sort out the tyre pressures and fit a goatlink. Shame the new fabric saddle is more black /orange than the claimed black / red.
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