My mate asked Easton about the grey imports – apparently Easton were not happy about the ebay seller. They said they will not be guaranteed ❓

Last time I looked the price of those ebay wheels had gone up quite a lot 🙄

I’ve had a look at the Reynolds and ENVE sites but neither of their wheels are available at the moment. The other AM/Enduro rated wide carbon rimmed wheel I have seen is the DT EXC-1550.

The Easton blurb on being “Ballistic rated” etc makes you think it will be stronger… but is it just blurb???

From my personal experience with fancy hubs I would be tempted to get a wheel which has a hub I know I can get spares for. I once spent two months without my race wheels while Mavic fixed them! There was talk of Easton rims being available separately… but I imagine they are in no hurry to do that.

PS – I should say I’ve seen a set as a friend has them, and I drooled plenty. Unfortunately six weeks of his two year warranty will be lost since he broke his ankle 🙄

Only problem he has found is that he was looking at new frames, and his wheelset is 20mm front and 135×12 rear, apparently no adapters are available and the only way to change is new wheels – which seems totally daft to me but that is what has been said. I’m sure adapters will be available at some time… surely… 😈

I’d love a set… but I’d first need to dig a very large hole in which to bury my wife.

Sunline = 300g which is stupid heavy.
I have a Gravity lite which is about 190g and 60mm long.
Thomson is the lightest I’ve seen at about 175g but only comes in 45mm.
Truvativ AKA if you want 60mm plus, or Holzfeller for 40-60mm are other options which are not too heavy. I have a 40mm Holfeller which is 215g.
Syncros also make some but watch the year – early ones are heavy.

I use Kinetic K-Gear software to see what difference changing gear ratios is going to have.

Does going to a 11-36 make that much difference to using an 11-34???

Depends for a start on what size ring your using up front – if your planning to use a 32 up front you lose your three lowest gears at the back, if you go to an 11-36 you only lose the last two.

If you follow fashion and go for a 34 up front your back to losing the lowest three at the back but gain one bigger gear up front… If it was me, and I had an 11-34 9spd cassette kicking about I would simply give 1×9 a whirl with what I had. If I only had a 11-32 cassette to try I would try it, and beg/borrow an 11-34 off a mate to give it a go.

Changing to 10 speed or even buying new bits at all to “try something out”, when that something can almost be accomplished without the expense seems a little daft.

gave me a filthy look and raised her eyebrows

You like to make movie, doof doof ya?

I saw a few mega equiped Carbon Blur LT and Mojo HD’s at the Macavalanche. I spoke to a few of the owners as my mate was really interested in building up a lighter enduro racing machine. Amazing bikes and incredibly close to what I would call XC weight despite being able to take a beasting – I guess you have to think how long they could take that kind of hammering for… and hence if they are the riders only bike or a race-day-special??? I used to think it was a bit of a case where you had to think about if you are willing to live with the risk of breaking a part if you have a wee crash vs. having a stronger and heavier bike which will survive more offs. But it seems these days that that is less and less of a problems as even the light weight kit is far stronger than it used to be. Looking after your bike and checking things before you ride is better than having an overbuilt bike and keeping your fingers crossed.

One comment I remember is that the Carbon Blur LT was preferable to the Carbon Nomad as it was lighter and more responsive – the extra travel of the Nomad made it more of an all mountain cruiser than a sprint and shoot enduro weapon… and I guess that’s the key to riding these superlight enduro bikes: You may lose ground to the bigger bikes in the gnar but you’ll more than make up for it on the smooth lines and pedally bits. Fork changes were common, fit a Fox 36/Lyrik if the course requires it or use a 32/Rev if you think you can get away with it as weight saving is substantial.

It had me thinking if I am still overbiked with my current 33lbs AM machine? But then… I’m not an enduro racer and tend to be taking it easy on the smooth bits so I can enjoy the gnar… different strokes for different folks. I’d still like a lighter bike though as it makes a big difference to the rolling bits, and what goes down must first go up.

Flite carbon/Ti saddle = 140g
Formula R1 brakes are much lighter than XTR – and if my Formula RX are anything to go by they will be more than powerfull enough (or go Th1 one with smaller disk a la Nico).
The Whyte is intriguing… have you seen the testing vt?

Hi Rik, I did some searching on this a few years back and ended up very disapointed, it seems that Truvativ use non standard bearings which are unavailable… and people think Shimano are evil 🙄

Dries out too quickly to lube…. but great if you didn’t use enough of the real stuff.

I like the udder creme stuff and the Assos not quite as minty as it used to be arse lard.

There are a couple of Alpine’s in the group I ride with. So far there has been one rear end failure and one front end failure… the rear end happened in less than a year and was replaced under warranty with an improved version (Orange had seen this type of failure before on a team bike). The front end failure is recent and the frame is 18 months old, the early Alpines like this had a one year warranty!!! Orange are looking into it but first comment is that it won’t be a warranty, but he can buy a new front end at a reduced price. New Oranges Alpine’s are 2 year warranty I believe.

The rider loves his alpine… but is feeling a little unhappy about the current situation and is not sure he will be sticking with the brand 👿

I find the 22 Hammerschnooze perfect with the 11-34 rear. The overdrive is 1.6 so close enough to 22/36 front.

Only gearing justification I can see to going 10 speed is to run the 24 at the front which ends up with 24/38 front with 11-36 rear, so you gain one gear at the top end – which bothers me not so I am happy to stay with 9spd.

The other reason to go 10spd would be to drop weight and go XX pimp to da max…

I like my Shimano rear shifting so run XT/Saint on the back and X9 for the HammerSchmiter – works a treat.

Yes – the ring on the Hammershnizzle works with 10spd.

I guess your looking at a SRAM rear mech in which I can help you not. I run a dinky little saint rear mech on mine with a 11-34 9spd and it’s perfect.

I’ve got a DHX 4.0 in that size sitting here which I am selling. Just serviced by TFT and I have 400 and 450 springs for it 8)

Looking for £125. I was going to buy a Van shock but was put off by the Pro-Pedal nonsense – with the DHX shock you can turn it “mostly” off – unless you get the Van tuned it will have a pre-set level of pro-pedal, I much prefered the DHX to the Van I had before because of this.

thepimpmessiah@gmail.com

Whyte 19 Steel would be perfect if you could track down a second hand one 😉

Luckily there are no pictures on this thread or would be needing new pants 🙄

It’s only gay if you make eye contact.

Love it, suits my big bike perfectly. Instant gear change, never loses the chain, huge ground clearance. Weight and cost are the only negatives… worth it I think.

Yes… doesn’t seem to be listed online anywhere but U.S.E do make them.

U.S.E make a shim to do that, order from a dealer.

I’ve posted my feelings about my Whyte 19 Steel on here quite a few times. Do an advanced search for me and Whyte in the last year and there should be a few posts to look at.

I broke some Pace forks a bit like this. The dropout twisted on the carbon leg, and the carbon leg twisted in the crown.

I could reel out all my excuses but truth be told I’m well chuffed with my final position… which matches my age 🙂

The day was fantastic, blue skies and chilly winds when we took the chairlift up to the bowl, and then rode round to the cliff-hanger chair where we had to hold the bikes up to the dismount point, and then get off carrying the bike. We then pushed and carried the bikes up to just below the ridgeline which took about 30 mins of steep hiking. It was worth the extra little hike to get to the very top and look down on the rest of Scotland. It was so clear we could see Ben Nevis and even make out Ben Macdui in the far distance. With the bikes dumped on a snowy ridge it was time to scope out the course. At this point I was still a bit fearful of how I would be able to ride and rather than scope lines I kind of wandered down the hill with the Nicolai owners club. With hindsight I should have stayed on the hill scoping out cheeky lines just away from the markers safe in the knowledge that I would not be penalised for such activities… despite what we were told at the pre race briefing! Some of the bikers only just made it off the hill for the briefing, and with our chopper times booked it was time to get some food in and relax for an hour or so.

Soon enough it was chopper o-clock and the awesome day got better. Flying up the hill in a five seater was an immense experience with outstanding views over Rannoch and the Mountains, and being landed just below the ridge was an awesome piece of flying. Then walk down and move the bike to a better position for the Le-mans style running start, and a seat in the rocks out of the wind to stay warm for an hour. Soon enough we were gathered for the start and those with high hopes jostled for position as I and the also-rans stood at the back. With the chopper back up with us with a film crew the air horn was blown and we were off running up hill to the bikes. Grab your bike and hit the snow running. The usual snow technique of hanging back off the saddle was not much use to a man with very delicate plooms, so after a couple of painful experiences I ended up running much of the snow section and losing loads of ground. Once off the snow and back on the bike the tables turned and it was time for me to pick off loads of riders and storm through the field… well… that’s what it felt like anyway. Before long the rocky steep bit was over as we rode past the Cliff-hanger chair and into a flattish section before the next stupid steep run down to the Poma lifts and a little bus-stop feature, then fireroad to the main chair and join the Doonhall track for wee way before peeling off and diving down a steep grassy/rocky/rough/muddy chute to the tree line, and finally along a boggy and rocky flat to the final finish slope under the chair. By sticking to the route I kept seeming to pass the same group of about 6 riders… and I eventually realised they were massively cutting corners… it seems that cheeky lines were the norm. Just before the flat bit at the bottom I made an epic manoeuvre and ended up with only one rider in front of me, but I blew it on a poor line and rather than risk bashing the plooms with a large ditch jump I ended up with a dismount and hence a back of the group finish.

A hell of a day for only 15 mins of riding. F*&* knows how the winner got down in under 11 mins… truly mental 😯

PS – it was definetly a race for the fit and the brave… an epic mixture of pedal-pedal-pedal and hang-on-for-grim-death-bounce-over-the-rough-stuff. No Doonhall fatty stormtroopers were ever going to do well, and AM type bikes at about 30lb were definetly the correct choice of bike (IMHO).

Edit – huge thanks to No-Fuss for doing this event… you dudes are nuts!!!

Chopper flight eight had three stw forum dwellers out of five passengers… what were the chances?

I was grinning like a loon all day. I’ve got nothing but praise for all those involved, it was an epic day out. Considering my *cough* handicap I am well chuffed with my final position. I wish I had made a better start, but getting my tender bits snagged on the saddle in the snow had me on the floor… I had to make up time on the rest of the course. Epic day out, the chopper ride was ace, and the race was even better. Cheers to no-fuss… it was brilliant.

I’ve no time to make any changes… bike is as usual.

Pack the sunblock… it’s going to be a scorcher 🙂

I’m getting three months per axle with the BETD bolt 😈

I need to send the wheel to Hope to get them to EVO it… but I’m too busy riding it 🙄

Go Evo.

I’ve broken three axles in the last rear running a solid BETD bolt.

http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/hope-12mm-rear-axle-snapped

Nicolai Nucleon… probably should sell it.

If you ride like a wuss you’ll never notice, but if you ride hard and push your fork you’ll find the simple damper will not feel good… and the upgrade would have been worth it.
The black box dual rate damper thing is worth having if you rag rather than mince.

messiah, stitches and ball bags made my eyes water a bit, bike related incident ? or maybe i really dont want to know.

Bad timing for the snip.

Nicolai Helius AM 😀
SPD pedals 😕
Conti Rubber Queens 😕
Stitches in my ball sack 😯

Back to the topic.

I did the same when I bled mine, you need to have the adjuster screwed all the way in to the correct position during the bleed or you will have too much oil in the system – I can’t remember which way round it is but the youtube instructions were very clear. Either rebleed following the instructions properly this time… or cheat and crack-open the port at the seatpost and screw the adjuster in until some oil comes out, retighten bleed screw and try it… worked for me.

Whyte 19 trail

Got some on my BMX, they look soooooooo hawt 8)

Light bike + groomed trails = 🙂

Did you take it down the black 😉

I lost a Reverb bleed screw this morning… how glad was I to find that little bu**er.

I wouldn’t bother with a bash guard with a 32.

😳