anyone know if those unite cranks can be run with a 55mm chain line? I know you can get a dub axle but I think I would struggle for clearance on a slash with standard dub sizing.

Thanks for the replies on this.

as a quick update, inner and outer cable replaced and no different. Managed to source a new second hand gx mech at a reasonable price so fitted that today and sure enough shifting back to 100 percent.

When it works 12 speed GX is lovely but I feel that a year and not a massive amount of miles out of a mech is pretty poor. Admittedly it took a very slight knock but I don’t feel enough of one to cause issues.

I would snap up a similar gx /XT quality decent range (say 10-50) 10 speed set up that isn’t so picky with indexing.
Maybe link glide is the answer but I do wonder about the strength of the cage on the mech having had an SLX one if the link glide ones are no beefier.

Which version of the zeb was the charger 3 version? The black or grey?
cheers.

I’m 5’7’’ and ride the M/L. It’s possible that I have relatively long legs for my size as I manage fine with a 170mm dropper in. I wouldn’t want it any smaller.

I imagine you would be fine on either. They aren’t particularly long bikes. Not brilliant for seatpost insertion though.

If you’re happy buying from Germany you can get a pair of MT5’s for about £110.
I have some on the full sus and when the Shimano deore 4 pots inevitably die on the hardtail thats what will replace them too.
Yeah the levers get slated. But I’ve never had any issues with them. And they are properly powerful brakes with very good modulation.

https://r2-bike.com/MAGURA-MT5-Set-Disc-Brake

Email Stanton. I imagine they will be able to tell you the dimensions / have spares. 

Or do the bearings not have any identifying marks on them? 

Depends what you want to spend. They have 44mm headtubes.

my Switch9er came with the Stanton headset. I find it to be decent quality and well sealed  they are about £50-£60

Hope 2 upper and type h lower would work. They are pretty well sealed.
cane creek do one too (linked below) . Both would be about £70/£80 ish.
https://www.biketart.com/products/cane-creek-40-headset-zs44-28-6-ec44-40?variant=40809445818547

Ribble have the below but I have no idea what the sealing / quality is like but it’s well priced

https://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/level-44-headset-w-top-cap-bolt/

And even cheaper is the below. Can’t imagine it being particularly decent though.

https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/p/brand-x-zerostack-zs44-ec44-tapered-headset?color=black&headsetIsSizeAndSteererDiameter=ZS44+%2F+EX44+%7C+1+1%2F8%22+%2F+1.5%22&utm_source=google&utm_term=&utm_campaign=CRC_UK_GGL_PMX_SMA_MAN_MIX_ALL_NA_NA_NA_TIER3_NA_NA_Newstructure&utm_medium=base&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiA8NKtBhBtEiwAq5aX2BJ8E5eUztDSaAoJg1W6edKrjRaQ9XMzbgb1H6FC7WMqfmudrd5rCxoCeoMQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Over the many years I have had:

Early Hope mono minis-good at the time, super reliable.  Formula something’s remember them being a bit fragile and not made very well but I imagine that may well be different now  

Shimano Zee-great reliable brakes. Good modulation, reasonable power. Shimano XT single pot-lots of power but wandering bite point from the start which I couldn’t get rid of and not as much modulation as shimano 4 pots. Shimano Deore single pot-reliable but average power and modulation. Sram Code- good power and modulation. Sticky pistons. Easy to bleed. Sram Guide re-as above. Sram level t- good lever feel. Low on power. Soon got changed out. TRP slate. Practically the same as Shimano Zee.

Currently have deore 4 pots on the hardtail-  good power and modulation. Have had to replace a caliper due to leaking piston seals and they just aren’t as good as:magura MT5 on the full sus- loads of modulation and power. Easily the most powerful of the lot. That’s the 2 finger levers which I can set up fine using 1 finger and 2mm thick 200mm storm rotors.If I was buying again it would be the Maguras. The lever construction isn’t the best but I have had no issues with it. Bleeding is easy (albeit not as easy as the double syringe sram) and they can be had for not much over £100 from R2 in Germany. If I really wanted to treat myself I would consider the new hopes or if I won the lottery I would love to try some Trickstuff. 

I have a slash which I mulleted and the only think I changed was the link to high. No issues with pedal strikes. Feels pretty much the same angles wise. For me it rides much better better though. Less catching the rear wheel on steeps and feels more agile in corners. 

I think they changed them between 2020 and 2021 to add more negative volume (and also bumped the price up a fair bit).

Everything that I read when I was looking suggested they aren’t cross compatible due to the older design not matching with the transfer port on the inside of the stanction as designed.

For a 2021 fork I would be go with the one you have linked to be safe. Frustrating as there always seems to be 2020 available for a lot less second hand but never any 2021.

Cheers guys. The cartridge is fine. It’s just the play in the bushes.

don’t think there’s much in buying the stuff and having it shipped to having it serviced frustratingly.

Cheers all. I ended up getting up early and riding up towards Simonside then back down then up and over. Didn’t see a soul. Was great.
Lovely views.

That book arrived today so thanks very much to hedgehopper.
I will try keep an eye out and pass it on should it be needed.

Yeah I think the other half wants to call in on Friday. Sounds like there’s toys and ice cream so should the kids entertained too.

it’s generally a lovely spot. Been on some great walks so far. Dunstanburgh to craster. Bamburgh beach. Cragside.
wallington to do at some point with the kids and their bikes.

Signed up to the full OS maps and plotted a few possible routes. Couple from Alwinton. But may even get out for a circular round Simonside. Try take in the crag. Any particular tracks to look out for in there?

Excellent, thanks.

That’s very kind thank you. I’m here til Saturday so if you think it will be here in time that would be great. I can leave it here for other holiday makers or take it and pass it on. Upto you.

address is:

Simon Huscroft
High Weldon Farm, Weldon Bridge, Longframlington, Morpeth NE65 8AZ

<p>Thanks all. Alwinton it is. Don’t have ages but will try find something round there. </p><p>Seen mention of clennel street. Will be a 2-3 hour ride so will see what I can piece together. </p>

Same 36.5mm inner I believe.

Cane Creek 2.5" VALT Spring (for Claymore)

550 and 600 here for £41.

My guess would be it has a charger bladder style damper but with only low speed adjust and the oldest debonair air spring.

If so I had the same fork  changed the air spring for the C2 (I think? Not the newest but the one before) as that really improves the spring side but it was a decent fork

You could just take the tops off and check.

I wouldn’t say it’s rubbish, bot not perfect. I ended up getting 2 SLX mechs for my two bikes during the lockdown when parts were sparse. Both mated to NX eagle cassettes. Shifting was adequate. Definitely not as good as the full NX set ups. There was always one particular cog where it over shifted down the cassette then jumped back up. It was a fraction of a second and once it was in it was fine. That was same on both bikes, same cog.

But the SLX mech cages are awfully soft and once they have taken a knock they are hard to get indexed correctly. The one which I used the most ended up with fairly loose pivots and it wouldn’t shift from the 50t without a quick bunny hop. I still have one on the hardtail and that’s getting to be the same way. But the NX were the same too. Pivots went in no time.

Hopefully the xt are better in both those regards.

In now have a gx on the full sus and it’s much sturdier and shifts lovely. I have had a couple of gx mechs where the clutches go a a bit baggy though so I think it can be a bit of a lottery in general with 12 speed stuff.

If only the older 11 speed XT stuff went upto 52t. That was built to last. Or maybe I need to get fitter / new knees!?

Sportshsoes have fiveten freeriders for £45/50.

https://www.sportsshoes.com/products/five-ten/z/biking/?q=five+ten%2a

And H4 are for hope.

I would guess if it’s that shape you need S5.

I think the S4’s should fit most shimano 4 pots or certainly the more modern ones. Saint, Zee, SLX 4 pot( 7120)deore 4 pot (6120) XT 4 pot (8120) all use the same.

So I’m guessing either they have sent the wrong pads or you have 2 pot (7100).

This might give you more of an idea……

https://www.superstarcomponents.com/library/pdf/BrakePadIdentifiier.pdf

Yeah Iv seen a TTX for sale but it’s a bit more than I would ideally like to spend. They don’t sound to have much range on the rebound with 7 clicks either, unless they make a massive difference on each click, so may potentially need a retune.
It’s the 7 so standard shock mount bolts.

Yeah the thru shaft super deluxe is supposed to be great but I would have concerns over reliability which sounds to be woeful.

Thanks for that. Glad you’re enjoying it. I too now fancy a coil for the rear.

What made you decide on the firm rather than extra firm? I have both and have contemplated trying the firm just to see what it’s like but never got round to it.

I’m not sure Iv ever used full travel with the extra firm and it’s generally 80-85 percent in most rides.

It’s difficult quantifying it with doing both upgrades at the same time but going on the two I have I would say coil is a better upgrade than the grip 2 damper but it depends what you’re after.

In your case if weight isn’t an issue I would go coil. Spring weight range could be better though.

It’s the current year essentially. Floating axle, rounded arch etc.

I did the exact same thing. The only caveat would be that I also managed to get a cheap grip 2 damper and I installed both at the same time.

It definitely improved small bump and grip a lot.

I have a standard 2021 36 elite on the hardtail and the coiled 36 rhythm on the full sus feels much better.

I had an eagle gx which got swapped for an SLX after a dog paw to rear wheel incident bent it. The SLX were cheaper and more readily available at the time than the gx but after a year of not a lot of miles I’m not that impressed with the shimano.

The pivots have all gone baggy and it no longer shifts from the top cog. I did do a clutch service in the hope that it might fix things but it hasn’t.

So a new gx was fitted yesterday which feels a lot better made than the shimano. Uri Geller would have a field day with the shimano cage.
Not sure if XTs are any better? And like you I have had issues with sram clutches going slack in the past.

If this GX turns out to be poor I reckon I may give microshift 10 speed stuff a go. At least there’s more room for error if anything gets knocked out of line and it’s much cheaper to replace.

I’m very tempted by one of these to swap over from the big dog. Iv always hankered after a ti hardtail and would like to fit a decently wide tyre which you can’t with the big dog.

The only thing that puts me off slightly is the long stays.

How do people find them? Is the front a particular pain to lift or do you soon acclimatise to it?

I’m used to slack as I have a stumpy evo and to be fair the stays aren’t much shorter.

The park cassette tool fit over the bottom footnut to get to the air shaft when I had my mattocs.
Think it was the 5c version. Looks much like the new 5.2.

Crc had some boost 29 150mm lyrik ultimates for just under £600 last night.

I had a 2.8 snakeskin on the hardtail. Was a great tyre but I have never punctured a front. The rear is a different matter.

I’m sure you will be fine with the snakeskin if you’ve been ok with EXO.
The plus snakeskin tyres also have a bit more sidewall protection than the older 2.35s. Helps with tyre squirm a bit.

I also have a 2.6 super trail on the full sus and would have happily used the snakeskin if it was available.

Not used a 2.8 super trail though.

Would be in a rhythm so essentially would make it a Z1 coil.

Would likley be the marzocchi kit I think mainly due to cost.

Brand x mushroom. Cheap, comfy and never struggled for grip.

Specialized? Black diamond is fairly tough albeit not quite as tough as the WTB tough (not sure much is).

https://www.sigmasports.com/item/Specialized/Butcher-BLCK-DMND-2Bliss-Ready-MTB-Tyre/T5TI?utm_source=google&utm_medium=base&co=GBR&cu=GBP&glCountry=GB&id=1360610&ds_eid=700000001845766&ds_e=GOOGLE&ds_c=UK_EN_Profit_Google_Shopping_All+Users_Brand_All+Products_Mobile&ds_cid=71700000053301088&ds_ag=AA_NEW_1360566_Specialized_Butcher+BLCK+DMND+2Bliss+Ready+MTB+Tyre_Tyres+and+Tubes+%3E+MTB+Tyres_55+GBP&ds_agid=58700006999541252&ds_k=PRODUCT_GROUP&ds_kid=92700062988240915&ds_kids=p62988240915&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI4bPhs4bv8gIVBobVCh1JqwE2EAQYByABEgJeQfD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

I find the butcher a pretty reasonable rear tire. Not too draggy.

2.6 eliminator here for £30 odd if you can go with a 2.6.
https://www.specialized.com/gb/en/eliminator-blck-dmnd-2bliss-ready/p/157849?color=237522-157849&searchText=00119-3235

I don’t think there’s many tough plus tyres really.