WLemke

3 minutes ago, throet said:

I've been riding my Rimpacts for 4 months without any issues. I've got the original in front and the denser pro model in back. Usually ride around 22psi rear and 18 in front. My rear tire was worn; so I attempted changing my tire prior to riding yesterday. Quickly discovered it was going to be impossible to break the bead with just my hands given the size of that Rimpact Pro. I won't go into all the details, but just breaking the bead involved some tools that I definitely would never have trailside. Once I got the tire unseated and removed the insert, I found indications of impacts very similar to what @WLemke is showing in his pics above, with no indications of damage to my DT Swiss carbon rims. 

Cleaned up the Rimpact and commenced mounting a new tire, exact same brand / model tire as what I removed. While this is only the second time installing tires on these particular DT Swiss rims, I've installed plenty of tires on my prior set of DT Swiss carbon, as well as on other wheels I've owned over the years, and I've never had trouble getting a tire on with anything more than a couple of flimsy plastic tire levers. This time though, I fought the damn thing for an hour and a half, trying various techniques, and for the life of me couldn't get it past 10 / 2. Eventually had to give up and dust off my back-up bike for a scheduled ride at City Park, which ended up being the second ass-kicking of the day for me. 

Not sure what to try next. I really don't think it's the Rimpact that is causing me this difficulty, but I suppose I'll try seating the tire without the Rimpact. The original tire had already been seated before I installed the Rimpact in the first place; so maybe there's something to be said for stretching that thing out a bit before trying it with the insert. If that doesn't work, I may have to try some better tire levers. I have two different types now, both plastic. One set has a really nice hook on the end but are too flimsy to work given the tightness of the bead. The other set are really stiff but just slip out when the going gets tight, given they just have a curved end without a true hook. 

You need to really work the bead under the tire insert. Use the end of your tire lever to stuff it in there. It also helps if you lay the wheel flat on top of a trash can. It really helps to get the bead under the insert around the entire rim without disturbing the work you’ve already done. 

18 minutes ago, Cafeend said:

Hey guys, Snapped a spoke this afternoon at Brushy. Im am very certain it was due to rock impact after kicking one up hard and I see the impact on the spoke. 

So I wont repair this myself and my question is then do all the spoke need replaced? Or just the one.

This is the original wheel and is just under 4 yrs old. Not sure how to approach this the best way. 

I told my wife it meant a new ride but she didnt buy that 

Just a new spoke. Try to replace like for like if possible. For example, if you have spaim cx-rays, replace with another cx-ray. You’ll also need a new nipple. 
 

I have a park tool TS-2 stand and a TM-1 tension meter. Happy to let you bring the rim over and use them. It’s super easy to replace a spoke. 

18 minutes ago, Barry said:

As I understand it, they rode bicycles in the woods at ideal temperatures. So I imagine it was great. 

Facts. 

3 minutes ago, throet said:

Sorry can we make it 7:45am - 183A Overpass? 

Can do. See you then. 

4 minutes ago, throet said:

Couldn't think of a better time than tomorrow morning to start this thing back up! I'd be good with either a 7:30am or 8am start time if anybody is interested.  

In for 7:30am

Hero dirt day. Go get some before it gets too hot.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

13 minutes ago, Barry said:

 I clean them up and put the Dumonde Tech lube on them about every 1000 miles. This recent time after cleaning/lubing, I did hear a concerning extra little noise in he hub. It lasted about 2 rides then returned to normal.  

I’m having to clean and reapply Dumonde tech every month to keep my hydra quiet. I’m hoping whatever modification they made to this new freehub will allow me to do this only every 1,000 miles. 

2 minutes ago, AntonioGG said:

This?

 

Thanks for posting these issues.  I know everyone's had trouble with pretty much every hub type, but I'm really enamored of the drive ring type of hubs (Chris King, DT Swiss) but I had considered i9 for my next wheelset.

Yep. Those tiny little gaps cause a bunch of noise when I pedal as the freehub moves slightly with each rotation. It doesn’t seem to effect engagement or coasting.
 

I don’t know if the issues I’ve had are normal (I suspect they are not) but I will say that i9’s customer service continues to be amazing. Despite the problems, I don’t think there is another hub I’d rather own at this point in time.  

And it happened again! Ruined another i9 hydra freehub.

Called i9 and they had me send them a bunch of pictures. They are sending me another new freehub. This time it will be a modified version that is currently in development. I have to sign an NDA to not disclose exactly what that modification is.



You can see there is a small gap between the pawl and the pawl pocket. That is not supposed to happen. Either my legs are producing more watts than this freehub can handle or I just have bad luck…the jury is still out on this one.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

It’s happening. I’m noticing a significant uptick of high end 2020/2021 bikes being listed on CL and FB. Guess the COVID bikers decided this sport wasn’t for them. Time to get that new bike you wanted at a steep discount!
 









 
 
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Oh Geeze. Guy dropped off a Cannondale Jekyll with a creaky BB. I removed the crank and found that the dropper cable was routed incorrectly, rubbing against the crank. Do y’all think this crank is still safe to use or should I tell this guy he is going to need a new crank? It doesn’t seem very deep but you can feel the groves when running a finger over it.





Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Alright. It is done. 
 

So I’ve always been in full concentration mode when riding but now that I walked the trail I could see that a downed tree was the source of the obfuscation. 

Here is the before looking down the trail. 

And here is the after. 

Hopefully this will prevent some head on collisions. I know I’ll certainly feel better going full beans down this hill now. 
 

There are a few punjis that I’ll need a chainsaw to remove but they are on the inside of the curve so they shouldn’t be of any immediate danger. I’ll try and get out there on Monday to deal with them. 

@GreenMTBrider

There are a couple sections on 1/4N with low/over grown branches that are causing some major visibility issues. The most egregious is when going E-W, there is a short downhill into a quick right hand turn. There is a leafy branch that you have to duck to clear and absolutely no visibility leading into the corner. 
 

Do you have any concerns if I went and trimmed it back later today?

Shimano parts are super spotty right now. Chains and brake pads are especially difficult. Check with me next time, if it’s not showing on the site I can get you an ETA at least. We actually have the SLX chainring in stock and had the XT in 32 last week.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Bent the hell out of my front chain ring two months ago. Put it in a vice and bent it back to tide me over until I could get a replacement. Only took two months but I finally got my hands on a new XT chain ring. Ended up finding one at Richardson Bike Mart up in DFW. 

12 minutes ago, Cafeend said:

Thanks ..
It is a integrated headset from Wolftooth
Its been on this bike for 11 months with a RockShox fork.
I move the race over from the RockShox fork and moved all the pieces directly over as well. I do have several of the .10 spacers I can play with. I know this is not Apple to Apples but the only difference is the new fork and using a plug instead of a star nut now. Every other piece is the same.

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk
 

If it’s integrated and you’re using all the same pieces on the new fork, then that won’t be an issue. If you didn’t need a shim before, you wouldn't need one now. 

The only effective change is moving from a star nut to a compression plug so that’s more than likely is your issue. 
 

IDK exactly the type of compression plug you are using but I recently worked on a cannondale road bike with a FSA compression plug that needed to be “pre-compressed” so that the total length was 48mm before you inserted it into the steerer tube. If it was too short, the compression plug wouldn’t compress the headset enough.
 

Maybe investigate if something like that is your issue. 

2 minutes ago, Cafeend said:

I swapped out a squish fork for a carbon Whisky on one of my bikes.
For the life of me I cannot get the headset dialed in perfectly snug. There is a maddening slight play and I just can't seem to take out the smallest slack.
I have played with different spacers and still can't get the headset tightened correctly.
What can I be missing?

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk
 

Integrated or press-in headset cups?

Just got to the nut. No sign of rain. We’ll see what happens…

Anyone got boots on the ground? Hard to tell on the radar if WC has gotten enough rain to rule out R&Iing today.

edit: Hydromet is showing no recent rain  

For those of you who are waxing your chain and running 11/12 speed groupsets, are you replacing your master link every time you take off the chain? I’ve always heard you’re not supposed to re-use a 11/12 speed master links. Not sure this is a fact or clever marketing perpetrated by Big Chain. 

1 hour ago, Mattlikesbikes said:

90% of the time I am in my spanky bottoms (Black Bib Co) but I'd like to pick up another pair or two of baggy shorts. No liner.

Anyone have an Amazon favorite? I cannot do $100 Oakley shorts or similar, that is just silly. I'm not looking for some built in protection, just cover my butt up. 

https://www.amazon.com/Ally-Mountain-Bicycle-Cycling-Loose-fit/dp/B08XM716ST/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=mens%2Bmountain%2Bbike%2Bshorts&qid=1625597161&sr=8-5&th=1

Since most of these less expensive options seem to come from Asia, any insight of actual fit would be great. 

I bought two pairs of those shorts you linked about a year ago when they were on sale for $20. Like many things, you get what you pay for. The fabric itself is stretchy, are comfortable to ride in and wicks moisture well but it doesn’t hold up great in a crash. I had one ~6-8 mph low side that tore a hole in the leg. The chamois that comes with them are utter trash. 
 

the MTB shorts I own that were in the $80-$100 have been in multiple crashes without any major damage. 
 

if you are going to buy the cheap stuff, try to find shorts that don’t come with a chamois. I’d rather have my $43 go all into the construction of the shorts and not shorts+chamois. 

36 minutes ago, Chief said:

Service/rebuild for a Diamond is pretty simple and only requires three new parts. You'll need new wiper seals, a new damper end cap and a new air piston. Along with specified fork oil and slick honey/fork butter. 

This is the procedure for the damper service;

http://tech.dvosuspension.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/diamond_damperservicebleed.pdf

Looks like you’ll also need a vice, soft jaws, 22mm chamferless socket, heat gun, and DVO’s special oil catch can. 
 

Reading the instructions, it does looks fairly simple compared to other damper services, but it does require a number of tools that you’re average home mechanic doesn’t have. 

“Cool” weather, and hopefully the rain last night will give us some hero dirt. It was lunar conditions last week!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

If I drive my bike to brushy/walnut and it’s cool enough that I can get away with one water bottle, I only bring a multi tool. 
 

If I ride to the trails or it’s hot enough that I need to bring a hydration pack, I bring a multi tool, pump, tire plug, and a small microfiber towel. (A good hitch hiker always brings a towel)
 

I stopped bringing a back up tube about 2 years ago when I started using cushcore. It would be so difficult to get the insert out on the trail and they are run flat capable so why even bother with a tube. 
 

It sounds like you are still running tubes. If that’s your thing and you’re sticking to it, then by all means, you do you. With that said, there are absolutely no benefits to not running a tubeless set up. 

Similar experience to you. Last week I was on my road bike and got a nasty, tire ending sidewall cut. I was only a little over a mile from the 183 Trek store so I decided to walk over there and not bug my wife to come save me during rush hour traffic. Walked in and asked for a new tire. The sales guy walked me through my options and recommended a model that would match the performance of my old tire. The rub was that they were all bontrager tires. Not a brand I would have purchased on my own accord but it was that or not continue my ride. They had a bike stand and tools set up for customers to use which made installing the new tire a breeze. They even offered to top up my water bottle. Overall, I had a very positive experience but yeah, would have greatly preferred more than just one tire brand choice. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk