Thanks guys, yes i suppose i prob am a hard rider, not as hard as some but yes.

The guys at the shop said make sure i get eyeleted rim next time?
But then i have seen that it looks like DT Swiss have washers around nipple for extra strength?
Not many rims out there with eyelets these days!

So I am worried about the actual wheel build, and if the place that builds them actually does it correctly as its lots of money and I have just been made redundant!

Seriously thinking about doing it myself!
I have not put any of my bikes in a shop for last 8 years and built loads of bikes, services forks, replace bearings etc. but always avoided wheel build.
Think i may have a go and just take my time if i can borrow a truing stand.

So guys, thanks for all the info.

Opinion please, this is my wheel. Tape is all holes that have cracks. Bike shop said basic XC only, my m8 said run it into the ground or do i trash it now and replace. I case the odd small gap, i do drop offs about max 1.5m height.

Should I ride it, how long will it last, will it explode :)

Big thamnks

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thanks ill have a loo, guy in the shop said DT swiss are a bit soft?

No, this one was built at Merlin’s so I don’t have tension report.

mmm.. I have a tension report somewhere from the hand built wheel build, i will have a look

Thanks guys think I will look at the halo bolt up skewers. I remember I had some bolt up axle on my superlight once at the back. This could help for the short term, plus i will speak to halfords as the video for the bike shows kids doing 10ft table tops at coed llandegla!

Cheers all :)

Cheers thanks, managed to hammer the center pin out of one of my old cassette tools and got the top off now.

Yes i’m ok with setup just really would like a manual stating some facts about the new forks, for £740 its a bit of a joke.

Thanks for the links but have been through them all.

Anyone have any idea why CRC and Merlin custom wheel builds have gone?
A bit strange

Thanks guys

No its all fitted correctly as i have fitted many new bushing before. DU bush is in eyelet and then rubber seal either side of eyelet and then Aluminium space at each end.

I worried frame i wonky as when i did lower linkage clean and grease i could see wear but only on one side of bearing caps which would indicate sideways force of some sort.

Going to take apart again and remove spacers and see if i can see shock sitting off centre.

Cheers guys

Also my fox fit 32 feel so much better on small bumps and more plush. How do X fusion Trace compare to reba for plushness or fox?

Yes 15mm on the Reba but just still feels so flex to my 26 fox 32’s. I know its always going to be a bit more flex due to 29er but just want to improve it a bit over the reba.

Maybe Rev is the way forward

Yes the chain line is more or less dead centre of the 2 double rings and on a triple its inline with the middle ring so my only concern was would the double mech adjust in close enough for the inner.

I’m looking to do something like 24-36 or 22-34 on a 29er so I can stay in the middle ring for 90% of the time and only use the granny for real hard climbs. I think these doubles with 26-38 or 28-40 makes you change gear at the front too much.

Great thanks, i thought it would be ok but just wanted to check before i spent the money

Do you find your changing gear at the front much?

Only forgetting to turn back on and then wishing I had half way down the decent. Recons were really bad as coil so never getting lever back in same place after lockout and they would bob really bad on climbs if not locked out.

I think I may try a Reba RLT and see how I get on

I’m wondering if I can set some reba RTL ‘s up and just leave them or would they still bob too much on climbs or could i dial out the bob enough with Lockout Threshold to be nice and solid on climbs.

Great thanks everyone, i already ride a Superlight but am looking to go to a 29er full sus and do like to ride it all year round on and off. My friend has a cannondale and has nothing but problems with it in the bad weather so basically does not use it unless its dry!

I would like the tallboy but not sure I will be able to find the funds to stretch to that.

I do also have SS for when its really bad but like to ride all weather on the full sus.

Cheers all

Thanks yes thats what I was thinking but not sure if i will like the 28.40 or 26.38, think i will end up doing loads more front shifting than i do at the moment.

I want the blue hubs

Yes chain was pretty clean because i had degreased it not long ago plus had wet lube on but not loads.

I have had the bike only 9 weeks keep very clean with jet wash being careful not to get jet wash near bearing and use on softest setting.

Cheers for all info guys

LOL, when i was trying to fix problem i did take the chain off just so i could listen to the crank turn without chain and when i put chain back on i did thread it wrong around rear derailleur but noticed straight away and just put it right by taking derailleur cage off one side and pushing chain back round. But yes that does it did make same sort of sound.

PS. when chain was off it was silent! lol.

Bike is only 8 wks old so its going to go back in for first free service soon, I was not planning on doing this as i do all work myself but going to see if they can spot whats wrong with it while there.

If no different when i get it back i’m going to try changing to a KMC SL 10 i think and lots of wet lube.

Everyone out on my ride wednesday night said it really didn’t sound right at all.

It really is making my rides not very much fun in this weather, good weather and all is ok just the occasional creak from crank / chain.

No but I have noticed that when i take off the none drive side crank arm it has a lot of wear on the inside of the crank arm, around the hole for the crank shaft spline but just on one side! like the BB is not in straight to frame or maybe that part of the arm just stick out more than other side!

BTW its a 2011 Cube GTC Team with full XT crank, HG74 Chain and CS-HG81 11-36T Cassette.

Checked B-tension last night and top jockey wheel was a long way from large cassette ring. Have adjusted to around 5-6mm and now i can actually pedal backwards without chain coming off! Not had time to get out and test noise under load since but don’t think its going to make any real difference there.

Chain line seems to be correct, about 50mm but looks like there is a hell of an angle when in front middle ring and rear large ring and obviously even more when in largest front ring.

Chain line looks almost straight when in front middle and rear small 11T

Anybody else running it and find it noisy?
It sounds especially bad on my bike on the 3 biggest sprockets which are attached to the alloy spider on the cassette and is especially bad under pressure.
It makes a noise as if the front mech’s rubbing (it isn’t) or the D adjust is not set correctly and the top jockey wheel’s rubbing on the sprocket (it isn’t). It’s almost as if you can hear every roller making contact with the cassette.
Chainline is within the recommended tolerances and it is a full XT system including chain which has plenty of length in it too.
The frame has a carbon back end so I don’t know if that is amplifying the sound, but it bugs the hell out of me?
Anyone else?

Yes me, this is exactly what i am getting and its doing my head in on rides. I cannot work out what it is. But it sounds just like what you said or the chain not going down on the chain rings teeth square because of cross chaining or something. But its just so loud. I have read some people have changed chain an all is silent now. Thinking about trying this with maybe a a KMC X10.

Its much worst when the bike goes through muddy puddle and trails etc.

Have you managed to find a cure yet?