If you have a look on page 4 of this thread you can see the metal plate on my bike.

None of those parts look farmiliar- it’s really just a square of stainless or Alu, not sure which

Has anyone else had trouble with the KS Lev seat post being reluctant to extend or stay extended? Seatpost collar definitely not too tight. Also forks feel quite sticky and dry. I guess they might need time to bed in a bit?

Not mine, but a pic of the plate to stop cable rub from the shock cable.

I just put loads of frame protection tape in the areas where a cable would rub whilst building it.

Think I’m done with tubeless. There hasn’t been one week where I didn’t have to pump up the tyres. Went to check them today and the rear was down to 5psi. Pumped up to 60psi and noticed latex solution escaping from one of the spoke holes. I’m guessing the rim tape has not been applied correctly. Also if I move the valves I can hear air escaping. It’s a total PITA. It also changes from font to back wheels in any given week. Aaaargh.

Options are buy new latex, rim tape, and possibly valves also or figure out how to get the supplied valves to seal properly. Easier to just shove the tubes back in, the tubes only weigh 200g and there is at least 100g of latex in the tubeless anyway.

Suggestions?

Are you using the dreaded WTB Wolverines, I couldn’t get my ones to seat at all, I think the Michelins I’m using now will be better. Next time I have a go I will be retaping the rims and using different valves

Both, and having the same issues on each. I have the Michelin Wild Grip R2 Advanced, and they seat perfectly.

Might try Gorilla tape as an option from what I’ve read!

Tubeless tyres – the solution to a problem that doesn’t exist. After reading of countless experiences like this, I really don’t know why anyone bothers. Unless you really are a proper race snake.

I’m replacing the hated Wolverines with a pair of Nobby Nics this week, complete with tubes. Apparently they take some serious leverage to get off the rims

Nics went tubeless on my rims using just my hand pump.

Getting the wolverines off is ok, getting them back on again is a shit.

Just finished installing offset bushings and now have a 66 degree head angle, will hopefully see how it rides this week.

I deliberated long and hard about going tubeless too.
So far, so good though it’s only been one ride!
Wolverines came off fine and put Specialized Butcher grid on front and Purgatory on back.
Had to add extra layer of tape on one of them but both went up easily with track pump.
Not ridden for 4 weeks but tyres still fully inflated.
Will probably all go tits up with multiple rides in a short space of time though!

I’ve given up on tubeless on my mountain kings. I went on an epic mountain ride and came home ruining tubes. Running 25psi tubeless I dented the rear rim and lost the seal. Tube fixed it.
Then after 3 burps and 3 reinflations I put a tube in.
I enjoyed the experiment and loved the feel of softer tyres but it ended up causing a lot of problems and nearly cost me a small fortune to replace my rear wheel. I hadn’t had a flat in years!

Punctures are a good point. Touch wood I’ve not had a puncture in years on the bicycle, can’t remember the last one and I’ve never had a snake bite. Quite a few in the car and motorbike though.

Tubes it is and I’ll carry a spare. Not looking forward to cleaning the tyres and rims from liquid latex!

longmover: Where did you get the offset bushings from, and do you have sizes? Front feels a bit lighter since changing to a 50mm stem so slackening the forks angle might help. Why can’t I just leave stuff alone?!?

To sum up my experiences with tubed 29″ Wolverines.

Grip – OK
Removal – Almost impossible
Refit – Don’t know, as I ripped the sidewall trying to unseat the bead

Replaced with Vittoria Barzos, which are an altogether lovelier experience.

Tubeless tyres – the solution to a problem that doesn’t exist. After reading of countless experiences like this, I really don’t know why anyone bothers. Unless you really are a proper race snake.

Only once have I ever had a problem running tubeless, and that was a flint slash to one of my tyres. Plus I’m a heavy rider.
I instantly noticed improved feel/feedback and lighter rolling resistance when switching to tubeless, plus have heard/witnessed umpteen punctures seal themselves almost instantly whilst on the trail.

This is a combo of running stans set-up or ghetto set up with gorilla tape, on various bikes.
Clearly horses for courses but I would never switch back to using pointless tubes. I carry a spare in my bag for emergencies and that’s it. I would urge anyone having bad experiences to practice their set up, seal any gaps, and crack on.

Clearly horses for courses

True.

I would never switch back to using pointless tubes

In your opinion.

I’m on the tubed horse on the not stuck in the middle on nowhere course.

PSA: Hope Tech 3 V4 calipers do not fit onto the Lefty brake adapter. Well not without the 4 washers I need to buy. And at the back end neither the caliper nor the lever assembly fit through the gap betwixt Lefty and headtube, so despite the brake pipe being pretty much the right length you have to remove it from the lever assembly and bleed. Grrrrr.
At least the shift to 1×11 XT went OK.
Looking forward to getting my Jekyll back out in the mud.

Yeah. First world problems I know, but really thought I’d be riding it this afternoon. 🙁

I’ve got some pretty serious wear on my rear cassette. I had noticed my shifting had started to get a little poor.
I’ve never had to replace a cassette before but I’ve also never been winter riding 3 times a week.

So it turns out. Once you buy a sunrace mx3 cassette and two chains your mate will phone and say that the teeth are meant to be different and they aren’t worn. Oh well. The hills will be easy now.

Offset bushings installed and ridden. The bb feels like it is in a better position for me as I like the rear suspension quite firm and run less than the recommended amount of sag. The static head angle is now 66.5 degrees and makes the bike feel quite stable on the steeps. I only had a play yesterday but will add more when I have given it a proper go on the steep stuff.

The bushings themselves were a doddle to install with the correct tool. So far I am definitely impressed by the change, it now feels like it will be more upto the job on really steep and technical terrain. so far I am impressed.

About to replace the bottom bracket on my Cannondale Trigger 4. I guess 4 months isn’t too bad… I have never had a press fit bottom bracket before, can anyone recommend a replacement BB? I am a bit confused by the press fit standards.

Thanks

Henry

Hope ceramic fitted by my LBS.

@ Longmover…Where did you get the offset bushings from and what sizes were they please?

Offsetbushings.com I can’t tell you the size, I just told them the frame and shock combination and they arrived a couple of days later.
I am pleased to report there have been no bottom out problems and the bike feels a lot more planted on the steep technical stuff. I have 3mm offset top and bottom.

Perfect. Ta!

No problem, definitely worth doing in my opinion.

Flowerman, if your trigger 4 is the same as mine then it has a bottom bracket converter. Don’t buy a bb30 bottom bracket unless you want to change cranks too. I’ve not examined mine in much detail but I imagine you could buy any shimano hollow tech bb and it’d do the job.

Has anyone thought about fitting some kind of downtube protection? I notice Rockguardz do them for the 29er but I think the frames are different aren’t they?

Cut up one of the wolverines and cable tie it on, it’ll be better as a frame guard than a tyre.

Haha! Mine came with the mavics, although what you suggest is as true for them as it is the wtb’s!

flowerman, how many miles would you say that your bb has lasted? I’ve done around 400 and I think mine is on the way out also. Has been a muddy few months though

I would guess I have done about 3-400 miles or so, maybe a little less. Not sure at the moment, what is this BB converter?

I have a trigger 4 medium with 17.5cm of seat post sticking out of the frame. I want to get a dropper post and was looking at RockShox reverb but not sure if i should get stealth vs regular, 100mm drop versus 125mm, length of post, left or right – although left seems logical. Any advice! Diameter is 31.6?!

Thanks!

I’m about to get one also. My understanding is that the bike has stealth routing so stealth is an option. Seatpost is 31.6
My medium trigger can fit 200mm of seat post inside. My max seat height is 18 cm. So if I get the 380mm I can put 200mm inside, 180mm outside and utilise the full 125mm dropper.
I haven’t got a shifter on the left so I’m going to mount it there but underneath. Which means ordering the reverb with RH shifter.
I think I’ve thought of everything. Please help if not.

I am not sure about stealth or regular reverb. Seat hight seems tight I may check mine again.

I have a strealth ks lev on my xl trigger. It worked fine and have the perfect amount of adjustment. Getting all the routing set up was a pain being that I hadn’t done it before but it’s been faultless since.

Looks like you may need to remove shock and BB and bleed etc. if you get stealth. Is it still worth it over regular reverb?

The routing for a reverb stealth is pretty easy, it comes out of the seat tube and into the down tube at the lower shock mounting.

It’s fairly simple if you have a set of picks.