So I've finally got my new bike pretty much together (it's in one piece but a few odds still to sort, and that's where the bad idea comes in), quick spin to the office this morning but yet to use it in anger.
Hopefully it's a "one bike too rule them all" for me, tried one at Hamsterley back end of last year and it seems that a bike which fits is actually a bit of a revelation, like witchcraft as someone previously put it, and it is pretty bloody huge but feels instantly right.
The kitsuma shock will need some fettling this weekend on something repeatable, way too many dials and nothing but guess work to start from in terms of settings for those. The coil needs sizing down though I think.
Mrp ribbon air forks will need some getting used to, I nearly squished my self this morning when I tried to sprint through some temporary lights and discovered the compression does not give anything even pretending to be full lockout at max. Think the pressure needs upping in those but we'll see.
The wheels and tyres need changing over - they're a bit porky but the rear is the spare for my big bike and what I had to hand at the weekend add to that the accompanying front, the minion won't stay up so it got the wheel off my big bike plonked on at 8am today for the ride in. The dhr rear is really not my favourite tyre for pedalling on.
Fortunately I won a set of hunt trail wide from the advent countdown so they will be going on with a set of Goodyear Newton tyres over the weekend assuming my centrelock rotors arrive and I'll get my carbon rims rebuilt onto a boost hub for lighter/summer rubber.
So as it stands...
Aether 9c in black, XL.
Goodyear Newton 2.6, nukeproof ard insert mounted on on a spank Spike and superstar V6.
Rear is a minion dhr 2.3 exo, nukeproof ard, stans arch mk3, novatech d462 hub.
Xg 1175 cassette.
Magura trail sl brakes, rear swapped to a 4 pot caliper though just because.
180/180 rotors
Mrp ribbon air 140mm
Raceface six c 800*30 35mm bars
Spank split 45mm stem
Granite Stash rt tool
Dmr death grip slim - I normally ride chunkier grips so I don't think they'll last but we'll see.
X01 11 speed Shifter, mech and cranks
Pnw loam lever
Nukeproof gxp bottom bracket
Kitsuma coil with a 500lb spring, (I've a deluxe inline to try if I find that overkill)
One up 240mm dropper
Selle Italia slr ti saddle.
Mallet DH pedals.
Now for the bad idea...
The cassette and chain need replacing & I really fancy axs because bling, but I really don't want eagle, 50t is pointlessly large for me - I very very rarely want a longer gear than 32/10 so won't be putting a bigger ring up front to take advantage of the larger sprocket and that means it's just weight and expense for nothing. I also run 11 speed on the big bike so going 12 speed on one will, inevitably, mean going 12 speed on the other in due course. Then I got to thinking about an Eagle Shifter paired with a xplr 44t rear mech and xg-1271 10-44 cassette. I'm still not sure this is a sensible idea - it's still a lot of money for "ohhhh no cables" but, how bad or an idea is it? Has anyone got any time on the xplr mechs? Do they look too fragile for mtb use?
Anyhow, time for a few photos I guess (I did take one of the apprentice stood next to it for scale/comedy value, the saddle fits neatly under her shoulder, but I don't suppose I should post photos of random youngsters on the internet)
Not the best of evenings for getting shots of the bike on the ride home but there you go, we've all seen bikes before anyway.
Nice pics
I have nothing to offer on the gearing
Nice.
One up 240mm dropper
Talk people unite! The 240mm dropper is a revelation! The saddle is really, really out of the way, it's fantastic!
As for the AXS stuff - the mech will work with the controller, and if you use the flat top chain and suitable cassette it'll work with an eagle chainring. The only issue the the XD/XDR driver compatibility - I don't think an XDR cassette will fit on an XD driver.
Nice pics
It was definitely more artistic than artifact this evening! Can't really tell from the photos but the fog was pea soup. Actually ended up with my dinky little commute light doing all the work as even on low my proper one meant you couldn't see anything but a wall of white.
It was enough that I was keeping up with traffic on the nsl stretch.
Then I got to thinking about an Eagle Shifter paired with a xplr 44t rear mech and xg-1271 10-44 cassette.
I asked the same thing a few months ago.
Xplr mech lacks the impact protection feature, and allegedly a weaker clutch (possibly offset by shorter cage).
Xplr cassette requires a different free hub.
I got full eagle a few weeks back. Got the 52tooth too as it was over 100 quid cheaper for the cassette.
I said I’d be treating it as a 11 speed with a fancy pie plate.
But I have used it a few times.
I am also very much in the “ooh fancy and no cables” camp too
Talk people unite! The 240mm dropper is a revelation! The saddle is really, really out of the way, it’s fantastic!
What I can't get my head round is why the insertion is 100mm longer than the 200mm post, but yes, very very odd indeed being able to get the saddle of the way properly.
I don’t think an XDR cassette will fit on an XD driver.
Xplr cassette requires a different free hub
Ah, three new freehubs adds a bit to the cost too!
Nice bike. XL frame and 240mm dropper 😎
I'd really like to try a coil shock on my aether.
I can't add anything on gearing compatibility, but the crappy cable routing on the frame can be used as an additional justification for wireless shifting
I can't say the routing on the 9c is bad. Though I did discover that if you don't have a long enough poop of cable and housing between mech and final frame stop that it [sram 11 at least] won't index properly
poop of cable
🤭
Would the 4 pot caliper not be better up front? Nice bike, I hadn't seen 240 droppers were available so will keep in mind for next build......
Nice photos. Not the most handsome of frames I've ever seen but would love a shot of one.
Out of interest, how much did it set you back?
Would the 4 pot caliper not be better up front
Ah, so the trail (in various guises) are a 4 pot front, 2 pot rear out of the box. I ran them like that on my evil and they were very nice but I managed to get a matching 4 pot caliper for a decent price and I've put on the rear so it's currently 4/4.
I may go back to 4/2 depending on how it runs.
Out of interest, how much did it set you back?
There's a difficult question 😂
The frame was a bargain - I'd actually been about to buy the alloy version the day before, something had distracted me and I went back the following day to buy it and the c frames with faulty paint (it's nothing a few days of winter riding and a clean wouldn't do to it anyway) were up for a significant discount so I couldn't come up with a reason not to order that instead. Think that was £1250 ish with headset and seat clamp.
Fork and shock were from birds factory clearance about £800,i guess it'll be another bajilion in coils now trying to find one that suits.
Bars, stem, dropper post and lever, grips, BB and stash tool are all new, I guess about somewhere £350-450 for those but they've been picked up here and there since November.
Wheels I won [had] so no cost there.
Brakes, pedals, crank, Shifter and mech are lifted straight off my evil, though I'm going to replace the mech I think, £100 for a good nick 2nd hand one.
New cassette & chain will be £100 ish, maybe 2 depends on the wear I can see on the sroad one I've been running on the big bike, it's half the price of an xg 1195 but I got 5 years out of the last one of those so it works out a much more palettable £40pa.
C/l Rotors were a bargain £40 for the pair, when they land.
Tyres I've picked up here and there at a good price, I've been running the newtons for a while and they really suit me, not least as I've paid about £20-25 an end!
Saddle I don't want to think about. Its an expensive place to park yer arse - about £180😭
So I guess about £3k but that doesn't include wheels, crank, brakes pedals or shifter.
I'll end up buying another boost hub for my light wheels at some point so that will offset the free wheels a bit I guess!
That's a bargain at the price you paid. Nice job 👍
And it even looks good in the fog!
What I can’t get my head round is why the insertion is 100mm longer than the 200mm post
40mm extra extension when raised, plus 40mm more body needed for that to drop into… so the minimum it could be is 80mm longer if all else is the same… all sorts of other things could have resulted in the extra 20mm.
> scratch that … misread and posted a nonsense reply <
40mm extra extension when raised, plus 40mm more body needed for that to drop into… so the minimum it could be is 80mm longer if all else is the same… all sorts of other things could have resulted in the extra 20mm.
I was about to clarify what I meant, turns out I'm doing so in a way that I didn't intend.
It seems what I meant is I'm an idiot and can't read the table.
kelvin
Full Member
> scratch that … misread and posted a nonsense reply <
Yeah, you were right. Even if you didn't mean to be!
Just looked... and the insert is 40mm more.
All makes sense really. Let's say no more about it... 😉
