What a coincidence.

Have a bike at work with exactly this problem. Sticks in 1st and won’t drop to higher gears as described.

play on pivot and a bit on the jockey wheels, mech hanger is fine

Was doing my nut in so was gonna ring customer tomorrow to recommend new mech.

We don’t see much SRAM stuff but every time we do is usually a ball ache!

Well I’ll have to put my initial EBB scepticism aside for now then as they do seem to have won the unofficial VS battle. I think this probably sums it up rather than which is best.

Whichever you choose (assuming you choose a good quality implementation of each) you almost certainly won’t end up constantly wishing you’d chosen the other.

My first choice for the frame build seems to favour EBB so thought I’d get a bit more info on them other than from the builder.

They produce a frame I like but are at the top end price wise once I’ve factored in my specific changes but what the hell. I’m worth it 👍

Cheers for the input everyone. Very helpful

Yeah. That’s what I assumed originally but the post above had me wondering if there was a bit of play etc… no bother though…

Cool. Have you used a brake rotor as a brace there?

PWM sliders also have the benefit of being able to swap the inserts for any axle type you may want to use in the future.

Good point but I honestly can’t see me ever ditching the rohloff on this bike. It’s perfect for how I will be using it

with sliders, you have to make damned sure that each side changes exactly the same or the disc will rub. Even with Tugnuts, this is a pain.

This is the problem I have now with rear facing dropouts. PMW sliders would solve this though wouldn’t they as the brake is mounted to the slider so move with it. Or is there still a little aligning to do? Johnm18? How did you find this?

One marginal difference for a custom build is that the larger shell of an EBB may, I suppose, offer greater scope for strength and stiffness in that area,

Good point. Probably minor but every little helps. It will be loaded up with kit every now and then.

I’d agree with James on this.
I had a custom frame built for a Hoff and the torque it put through sliding dropouts caused constant creaking in the lower gears

Another good point. Separating drive, torque and braking from the chain length adjustment makes sense to me as well.

EBB for distribution of weight.

Again. Every little helps

EBB – but it has to be a Bushnell

Builder I’m looking at uses these.

Well that’s 6 to 2 in favour of EBB. Who’d of thought this could be a controversial topic 😂.

Does a Rohloff work with sliding dropouts?

Yeah. Specific dropout to accommodate the small OEM torque arm.

Are you going to fit mudguards?

Yes I am. Current setup is a pain so I’d like this sorted. I have to let the tyre down and/or loosen the guard off a bit. From what I’ve seen of the paragon dropouts though wheel removal is straight down/slightly forward so shouldn’t be a problem.

I’d go EBB. The tension adjustment are small, and fore-aft to affect chain length. The height changes are tiny at that part of the rotation.

Also, how often do you really tweak tension? Moving the saddle (if you can notice the difference) a couple of mm now and then isn’t a problem?

I’d not worry about effective seat tube angle changes either… they’re small!

Good to hear. Thank you.

But

Stories of creaking EBBs made me go sliding for my singlespeed (they take a Rohloff I’m told). Possibly lighter?

Do people really worry about a few mm of saddle height? I mean the BB height change will have destroyed the handling already.

These points makes me want to pick sliding dropouts…

Back and forth, decisions decisions 😂

Modern day platforms aren’t they?

You short by any chance? 😂

Interesting video here from Anna Glowinski. Remember her? She kinda dropped off the radar due to fibromyalgia. Her video explains her recovery and points to a physical reaction to psychological stresses in her life. Sample size of one I know but interesting that the mind can initiate such dramatic symptoms on the body.

Close eyes

Go faster 👍

There’s a difference between difficult and simply not knowing how to do something.

Not a great argument really. I don’t know how to

Diagnose complex electrical issues on a car

But train me up and give me a little experience and hey presto… Complex electrical issue fixed and as I know what I’m doing now it isn’t difficult. Difficulty is subjective

This is a good comment

I do challenge anyone who thinks bikes are simple and working on them is a low skilled job to spend a day in a bike workshop

I started out volunteering at a local bike recycling place. Turned up saying how I’d been working on my own bike for years blaa blaa blaa I know everything… Surprise surprise I was rubbish on anything but my own bikes…

Taken me a few years to get a good knowledge of most stuff that turns up now but everyday is still a school day and it’s never boring but I have had to accept I’m never gonna be rich 😂

Is it?

Just out of curiosity I googled it and to get from zero to Cytec level 3 takes 20 days.

Now while I appreciate you have to deal with the great unwashed public, that’s neither a particularly onerous qualification or a high barrier to entry.

How long do KwickFit train their fitters for before letting them loose on a car? Or a 4 year nursing degree, apprenticeship in a trade etc.

A paper qualification does not make a good bike mechanic. The course is also very hard to fail 😜

A well rounded mechanic who can work on and fix anything really takes a good few years to hone his skills. It’s definitely an everyday is a school day job.

It’s an underpaid job for good mechanics unfortunately. Shame you can on average get more for putting things on shelves in a supermarket.

Mtb brakes, they’re all temperamental aren’t they? Market’s crying out for someone to do them properly.

Sums it up really.

My theory is we are asking a lot from the tiny lightweight parts they are made of. I think a reliable brake would need to use larger more robust components. Motorbike and cars don’t suffer the problems we put up with but I think it would need a very very good marketing department to convince us to stick a set of brembos on or bikes!

I’m currently looking at new frames to use with my 135QR rohloff. I know they are a bit niche, always have been, always will be especially if you wanted a neat rohloff ready frame without sticking on torque arms, monkey bones etc but I’ve noticed it’s even trickier now with through axle and boost sizing.
Most of the new frames come with these new “standards” giving me two choices. Sell my rohloff and buy a through axle/boost one to go with the new frames or get a custom frame made.

Think I’ll go custom as a rohloff doesn’t need the supposed benefits of boost as it builds a dishless wheel and never had problems with it being QR so see no need for a through axle.

Ultimately though it’s such a small market no one really cares enough to accommodate all the options.

I don’t but Midwifery is my favourite word. Thanks for giving it the attention it deserves..

Also.

Good luck 😀

My mate told me about this.
Its basically sleeping rough a few miles from home, with a grand & a half’s worth of Alpkit gear.

😂

Your not far from the truth there but in my defence I’ve at least gone further afield at times as well.

6ft 2″

FS is 500mm

Hard tail is 480mm

Metal tyre levers are better for pushing pistons back than a screwdriver. Use the blunted, angled end as there’s no sharp edges and the bend gives you better access and leverage.

Putoline on the drivechain so that never get’s specifically washed as the only thing on it is a nice protective coating of wax/graphite.

I can’t believe that stays on a chain after the first proper wet and muddy ride though. It’ll get rubbed straight off?

Nice one. Missed out last year.

Ticket bought 👍

If it’s fully booked and all the buses are running you can do 11/12 runs if you get straight down and back up and don’t hang about in the car park

Take food with you and eat on the uplift between runs to keep you going.

The uplifts don’t stop for lunch (they must stagger drivers lunch breaks) so you’ll miss lifts if you do.

On quieter days though, with less buses, it seems to run slower which reduces your runs but gives more time to eat and chill…

I prefer the busy days for maximum runs 👍

I don’t feel I need it on the front as the lever feel is crisp and out on the trails I rarely use the front, but do rely on the back more.

crashed on a race that tore my left inner thigh and nuts

🤔

I’ve got a longitude, love it and can ride all day on it loaded up. I’ve just got a big dog and that steep seat tube puts you quite far forward when just riding along putting pressure on your arms/wrists. It’s a weapon as a trail bike but I wouldn’t want to ride it all day like I do the longitude. Look at the bootzipper for that.

First ride on my big dog today.

Really impressed with it. It’s a good fit and the geometry makes it feel well balanced so was quickly up to speed on the descents and was happy to push hard into the corners. Chuffed for two hundred notes….

Would of been exactly what I was after if the top tube was a bit lower as I’ve got a feeling my voice may go a bit squeaky if I need to dab on steeper trails. Brant if you read this do a MKII with a dropped top tube and I’ll buy that as well 👍

Are you guys getting your frames chased/faced/reamed etc. or not bothering? If I can get away without any additional prep in a shop I could have mine built tonight

I did the BB on mine. Threads were fine but the faces were a bit out and material came off to even them out

Hoss it in and put one weak bungee round the fork/head tube area which barely holds it against the ply lined side….. Jump in and drive away not giving it a second thought….

#YOLO

Humanity…… I give up on you…..

Bah….. XL looks like a farmer’s gate built up. No dropped top tube.

Missed a trick their Brant what with the modern geometry on the rest of the bike.

He asked me to report you all to the Riser Bar Defence League.

‘Alt-bar Defence League’, Shirley? 😋

Good point. Mines actually a member of another splinter group really. The Riser Alt-Bar Defence League. Where will it end 😂

My longitude says you should all be ashamed of yourselves for considering defiling his brothers in such away.

He asked me to report you all to the Riser Bar Defence League.

so what is fair to expect?

Some zee brakes in various states of build.

I didn’t get what others have but I got what I paid for.

I got:

One connected up and pre-bleed brake with metal finned pads

And

One unconnected with non finned resin pads

Both in retail boxes but no adaptors?

Not bothered. Still a good deal.

We should all “Be more French ✊”

Might not get shit on as much

Thanks…. Christmas present to myself that I’m not sure I needed 😂

Depending on where you ride / tyre width 23 psi would be on the low side for a hardtail

This…..

I’d never go nearer that pressure on a hardtail

You heard of this before? https://www.tuscanytrail.it/en/

I was keen but it’s clashed with something else. Videos make it look a beautiful place to visit

The caliper isn’t just misaligned due to a lazy piston is it? Can make a similar noise to catching the spring of it’s just catching the caliper body I’ve found. Have a look to see if the rotor is dead centre of the slot in the caliper or see if one piston is out more than the other.

I’ve used a couple of the thin washers between caliper and adaptor to get better pad alignment, coincidentally also on a rigid fork, so crack on if need be I say…

I’d take a guess and say the mount isn’t quite as accurately placed on a welded fork over a cast lower.

I also had to get the mounts faced come to think of it to get rid of brake squeal when I first got them.

Just checked with customer service and the order is fine and frames are getting shipped out for delivery early next week.

Nice one. Wonder when new frame day will be then.

Anyone got news or had email on the frame only orders?

I’ve just noticed a mistake on my order confirmation from last month. It makes it look like I’ve only ordered a big dog thru axle 😮 but my PayPal receipt says big dog frame.

Eeeek. Wish I’d spotted that sooner.