Big Bike Thread

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Thinking of going from a 3x9 setup to a 1x9 setup any recommendations on the best size ring to get? I still want it to be able to go uphill and get down them at speed so need something in the middle.
I currently have a Shimano XT crankset which i am going to sell and get a new crankset, also want a bash guard and chain guide but i dont have the new mounts
 
What a complete **** day this has been. :( Going to go to Greno woods tomorrow to the spot we used to stop and have a drink, and bury her towel there. Probably seems stupid/sad to most people, but I spent a lot of time at that area with her, so it just seems right for me. :(
 
always4lora said:
Thinking of going from a 3x9 setup to a 1x9 setup any recommendations on the best size ring to get? I still want it to be able to go uphill and get down them at speed so need something in the middle.
I currently have a Shimano XT crankset which i am going to sell and get a new crankset, also want a bash guard and chain guide but i dont have the new mounts
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I've gone from 3x9 to 1x9, using my x7 Shifters and rear mech.
With an SLX crank with an E13 34guide ring + E13 TRS+ guide and using an 11-34 cassette for the rear.

It requires you to attack the trail more, I've probably upped my fitness from doing this and I don't think I'd go back to having a front mech.

At the minute I don't see the point going to 1x10 as Sram X1 will trickle down we'll see some sensibly priced 11speed stuff mid way through 2013.

If it doesn't trickle down I'll wait until my shifters and derailer break,
 
CasKirensys said:
What a complete **** day this has been. :( Going to go to Greno woods tomorrow to the spot we used to stop and have a drink, and bury her towel there. Probably seems stupid/sad to most people, but I spent a lot of time at that area with her, so it just seems right for me. :(
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Very sad news, can't imagine how it'd feel when my buddy goes.
Also follows me when I go ride xc :(
 
YorkshirePadd26 said:
I've gone from 3x9 to 1x9, using my x7 Shifters and rear mech.
With an SLX crank with an E13 34guide ring + E13 TRS+ guide and using an 11-34 cassette for the rear.

It requires you to attack the trail more, I've probably upped my fitness from doing this and I don't think I'd go back to having a front mech.

At the minute I don't see the point going to 1x10 as Sram X1 will trickle down we'll see some sensibly priced 11speed stuff mid way through 2013.

If it doesn't trickle down I'll wait until my shifters and derailer break,
Click to expand...

Where did you get the SLX crank from? Not to many places seem to sell just the cranks. You find the 34guide ring ok for both uphill and downhill?
I'm hoping it'll sort my fitness out , i certainly need it lol
 
The best way to decide on your chainring size is stick to your middle ring for a while and see how you manage, everyone rides different trails so its not one size fits all. I'm unfit and have lots of climbing around here so ust a 30t although may go up to 32 with my new bike which is lighter than I'm used to.

You can also use a gear ratio calculator to help you decide what'll work well with your cassette range.
 
always4lora said:
Where did you get the SLX crank from? Not to many places seem to sell just the cranks. You find the 34guide ring ok for both uphill and downhill?
I'm hoping it'll sort my fitness out , i certainly need it lol
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I already had an SLX crank running x3 chain rings, I just got shorter bolts and the guidering.

I've ridden at Hamsterly and done Lady Bower loop and found the climbing( at both there is quite a bit) just about manageable. Usual trail centre is Dalby Forest and I can ride that fine.

like others say ride around in your middle ring to get a feel for the gearing and then if your brave take a leap.
 
Last week or so I have been setting up my OLD OLD bike for the other half to have a go on(I've tried her on bikes a couple of times in the past with very little success in getting her interested). I got this bike when I was in year 10 at school so must have been about 12 years ago. I guess it was my first semi-decent bike, Rock Shox Indy S forks, I put some DMR V12 pedals on and a handle bar brace when they were all the rage. Ended up taking it to uni where a friend borrowed it whilst I was on holiday and left it outside his work unlocked, obviously it got nicked and he gave me some cash to replace it. A couple of years later another friend spotted the bike in Oxford and I eventually managed to get it back. Having replaced it a couple of times over it never really got rode again. Until now! I've replaced the original CB saddle with a more lady friendly saddle, put new chain and cassette on and have a shorter stem sitting in the post office waiting to be picked up. I've also stuck some of my old 2.4 tyres on it because they were the only thing I had laying around, there is less than a cm clearance between the frame at the rear! I rode the bike to work yesterday to check everything out and fell in love with it all over again. So if the other half doesn't take to it I think I may set it back up for myself, may even turn it into a single speed.

We are riding to a beer and sausage festival later which is conveniently the other side of one of the places I ride so I may take her along a couple of the easy paths, wish her luck...

imag1473.jpg
 
Managed to mount both sets of Muddy Mary's up, tubeless, the FR onto ZTR Flows and DH onto Mavic EX823s.

Previously had Specialized Chunder SX on the Flows and Maxxis USTs on the 823s, both of which required very little effort to mount, popped both tyres on with the bead in the central channel, pumped up with a floor pump and away they went.

The Schwalbes needed a little more effort though, had to inflate the tyres with a tube to set the bead, remove the tube keeping one side of the tyre still seated to the rim, pour the sealant in, install the vale, carefully persuade the unseated side of the tyre back on, then they inflated fine. Bit of a PITA doing four, what I thought was going to be a 10 minute job eventually took a lot longer!

Schwalbe's 2.35 is the equivalent to Maxxis 2.5 and I suspect the Vertstar compound is softer than Maxxis' 42a, you can feel the rubber stick to your fingers when you touch them. Just shoving the bikes around with the new tyres on and I can feel the drag from the new rubber, whether it's a the tread pattern or the softer rubber I can't yet say. Hoping they don't take too much speed off my riding though.
 
The HH stuff is awesome at keeping you warm, I've got one similar to that and it keeps me toasty in the winter. Got one of their merino ones too but I get too hot wearing it on my bike!
 
Looking good. :D. Make sure you look after your forks with Fork Juice. It makes a real difference from day 1. Once they have their first service they will feel even better. :D
 
Andelusion said:
The best way to decide on your chainring size is stick to your middle ring for a while and see how you manage, everyone rides different trails so its not one size fits all. I'm unfit and have lots of climbing around here so ust a 30t although may go up to 32 with my new bike which is lighter than I'm used to.

You can also use a gear ratio calculator to help you decide what'll work well with your cassette range.
Click to expand...

I used only my middle ring today and it was actually ok, not sure how many teeth it has on it but could do with one the same amount or taking my outer rings out and using the xt crankset.

I took my rear wheel of today and stuck it in the boot so there wasn't as much weight on the car rack but when i got to grizedale i realised i had left the skewer at home :( So came home and went riding around here, wasn't to bad , quite enjoy pottering around
 
jimferno said:
Managed to mount both sets of Muddy Mary's up, tubeless, the FR onto ZTR Flows and DH onto Mavic EX823s.

Previously had Specialized Chunder SX on the Flows and Maxxis USTs on the 823s, both of which required very little effort to mount, popped both tyres on with the bead in the central channel, pumped up with a floor pump and away they went.

The Schwalbes needed a little more effort though, had to inflate the tyres with a tube to set the bead, remove the tube keeping one side of the tyre still seated to the rim, pour the sealant in, install the vale, carefully persuade the unseated side of the tyre back on, then they inflated fine. Bit of a PITA doing four, what I thought was going to be a 10 minute job eventually took a lot longer!

Schwalbe's 2.35 is the equivalent to Maxxis 2.5 and I suspect the Vertstar compound is softer than Maxxis' 42a, you can feel the rubber stick to your fingers when you touch them. Just shoving the bikes around with the new tyres on and I can feel the drag from the new rubber, whether it's a the tread pattern or the softer rubber I can't yet say. Hoping they don't take too much speed off my riding though.
Click to expand...

All you need is a large fizzy pop bottle, two spare valves, fit one to the lid and one to the bottom, pump the bottle up to about 80psi, connect it to your tyre and release the air. Instantly pumped up tubeless tyre.
 
I love the idea of the ghetto method but wouldn't be suprised if someone had their hand blown off by an exploding high pressure piece of pop bottle one day :p
 
robj20 said:
All you need is a large fizzy pop bottle, two spare valves, fit one to the lid and one to the bottom, pump the bottle up to about 80psi, connect it to your tyre and release the air. Instantly pumped up tubeless tyre.
Click to expand...

Sounds interesting but I suspect fabricating one of these would have taken me even longer. :D
 
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