Mountain Biking

Begbie said:
2.8s?! What are you riding?
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It's my 'mud bike' its a cheapo hardtail I use for my keepfit rides across farmers fields etc which also involve a lot of thorny backroads.
They are actually really good, a lot more stable than the 2.4s on my capra, and AMAZING on roots (its just a regular boost fork too so nothing huge)
 
bit more work fitting with a liner but once you have the right technique its not to bad, you just have to be not to greedy and keep going back to push the bead further into the rim bed under the liner. hardest thing i had to do was get a wild enduro (with a liner) of a sixth element carbon rim, just couldn't get the bead unseated, it must have taken me about 45 minutes. same tyre/liner was no problem on my old alloy DT rim.
 
Done about 50km this weekend, which is certainly a long way from where I was a few weeks ago. Feeling really good to just get out and ride too, awesome to find such a fun exercise method and gutted I didn't get myself a bike years ago at the same time!
 
I nearly killed myself today, my regular mtb popped a tyre right out of my driveway so I had to take the above hardtail on a group ride down the side of the river (only 45miles I thought)
WOW I was dying after the first 25ish miles, the michelin tyres are amazing but with the added armour weight those alloy wheels must be 3kg each, hard work.
Normally I power through but this time had to stop halfway for a mint aero and a coffee :P
 
What's the feeling here regarding Chinese carbon frames?

I have a Chinese gravel bike which has been perfect so far. Although I appreciate the demands placed on the frame is different to a MTB frame.

If anyone is interested, I'm running a group buy on another forum.

https://chinertown.com/index.php/topic,3172.0.html

No commercial interest for me, just helping help the forum to get the frames made.

Apologies in advance if this deemed inappropriate.
 
EddScott said:
What's the feeling here regarding Chinese carbon frames?

I have a Chinese gravel bike which has been perfect so far. Although I appreciate the demands placed on the frame is different to a MTB frame.

If anyone is interested, I'm running a group buy on another forum.

https://chinertown.com/index.php/topic,3172.0.html

No commercial interest for me, just helping help the forum to get the frames made.

Apologies in advance if this deemed inappropriate.
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i saw this vid and deemed it's worth spending that little bit more for a proper brand, warranty, etc:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZHWi2Ou5U8

I'd probably risk a road bike, but not something taking decent impacts.
 
No way would I ever entertain buying a Chinese carbon frame. You just have to look at the construction industry and the steel industry in China to know that buying anything like that is going to be an absolute minefield.
 
EddScott said:
What's the feeling here regarding Chinese carbon frames?

I have a Chinese gravel bike which has been perfect so far. Although I appreciate the demands placed on the frame is different to a MTB frame.

If anyone is interested, I'm running a group buy on another forum.

https://chinertown.com/index.php/topic,3172.0.html

No commercial interest for me, just helping help the forum to get the frames made.

Apologies in advance if this deemed inappropriate.
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Asking for a snapped neck. Good luck, but no way on earth I'd be buying something I'm hucking to flat with very little (or no) testing. Wonder what leverage ratios etc are like. Or if they just try and copy Santas stuff.

Screams death to me though, no way is it worth the saving. Just buy a cheaper bike. Some guy recently broke two legs doing this....
 
GSXRMovistar said:
I think you will probably find a large amount of bike frames probably come from China and are just branded by the big names.

This may be worth a watch, Rob's Rides built a full eMTB using parts from China and then put it through some decent testing:- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvFD0Q909ZY
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entirely agree with the facts, but disagree with the sentiment...

LOADS of frames come from China, sure. They're made for big companies with loads of R&D etc. to produce the best bikes possible. That doesn't mean all frames from China are good... Not saying they can't make good frames, just that not all will be...

These big companies produce decent frames, made in China, so what's the problem? Well, they also have decent quality and inspection criteria to separate anything that they deem sub-par from getting their branding. So, my cynical nature, makes me wonder what happens to the failed frames - to the factory they're unbranded blank frames, so why not get something for them through aliexpress/etc. Same goes with previous generation designs - those moulds still exist, so why not keep using them, ignore quality inspection and getting some $?

Also Chinese factories have an amazing ability of copying parts, which are 95% of the way there, but missing some crucial details... So, they could get a frame and copy the shape, so they're effectively using the same moulds... So, would they produce the same parts??? Not if the weave direction, or carbon material specification is different...

So, to those on eBay/AliExpress it's a frame that looks 99% like a Specialize WhatNot but may well be considerably different strength in all the critical areas...

I use Chinese factories/manufacturing day in, day out for my job for years now. I've also visited a few factories ranging from backstreet bits and bobs, to some producing Microsoft, Casio & Apple parts... Would I use a branded Chinese carbon frame, sure (from an official supplier). Would I use an unbranded/Chinglish frame that looks remarkably like a branded frame, hell no... it could be ok, but (for me) it's not worth the risk...
 
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Got a box delivered yesterday with a long awaited frame:


And some other bits :D



Still waiting on some parts but will be building it up over the next few weeks.

It's a Nordest Lacrau 2 Ti - a Titanium hardcore hardtail (150/160mm travel, 64.5 HA) which has a Pinion C1.12 gearbox and gates belt drive.
 
How do people carry small items (multi tool, puncture repair bits) on their bikes? I was considering getting a small saddle bag but wonder if there is a better option? I only need something compact.
 
I have a tube, CO2 inflator, quick link and tyre plug kit on a 76 projects little piggy mount which lives on the bike.



Then for multi tool, another spare quicklink etc I have an OneUp EDC in the steerer.

Then for water/food/phone etc either camelbak Mule, or evoc hip pack. New bike will have a bottle and pump mount along with the above kit so I'll be able to go packless.
 
Cleisthenes said:
How do people carry small items (multi tool, puncture repair bits) on their bikes? I was considering getting a small saddle bag but wonder if there is a better option? I only need something compact.
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I have a very small bag strapped to the underneath of my saddle (old pic below), even though its small it fits a Crank Brothers Multi-19 Tool, Pro Bike Tool CO2 Inflator, two CO2 canisters, tire leaver and a chain quick link.

All been used over the past month so worth carrying.

 
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