Teamsloan Posted August 19, 2020 Share Posted August 19, 2020 Gotta do something about that gold fork knob. [emoji14] Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AntonioGG Posted August 19, 2020 Share Posted August 19, 2020 2 hours ago, Teamsloan said: Gotta do something about that gold fork knob. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Ryt die? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teamsloan Posted August 19, 2020 Share Posted August 19, 2020 Black sharpie... ...not really. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry Posted August 19, 2020 Share Posted August 19, 2020 5 hours ago, Teamsloan said: Gotta do something about that gold fork knob. Sandblast. Then it'll match the dull gray bits. Or rattle can it whatever color you want. Or sandblast then rattle can. But doesn't it match the floating rotors now? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RonSurly Posted August 19, 2020 Share Posted August 19, 2020 5 hours ago, Teamsloan said: Gotta do something about that gold fork knob. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Black plasti dip spray, if you decide you don’t like, peel it off 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheX Posted August 19, 2020 Share Posted August 19, 2020 Easy-Off oven cleaner removes anodizing. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teamsloan Posted August 20, 2020 Share Posted August 20, 2020 Sandblast. Then it'll match the dull gray bits. Or rattle can it whatever color you want. Or sandblast then rattle can. But doesn't it match the floating rotors now?Nope, floating rotors match the lever adjustment knobs, rim decals, tire labels, and PNW orange pads. The gold ano is out of place. Cane creek makes a black ano version for the new MKII Helm that I might try and get ahold of.Now let’s end this wild thread derailment. WTB has orange sidewall labels for their tanwall tires. The Vigilante tanwall I have on the front is a great front tire in the chunky stuff. It actually seems to be doing great on WC’s moon dust. The side knobs are TALL and feel great when leaned way over. I have found the limits of their traction, but they recover very well. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mack_turtle Posted November 9, 2020 Author Share Posted November 9, 2020 (edited) Surprising turn of events: my front 2.4" Bontrager XR4 tire was starting to look pretty sad, so I replaced it with a 2.6" Specialized Butcher. I was running around 18psi with the previous tire, so I lowered it to 15 with the new tire. this Butcher has huge lugs, a thick carcass, and it's HEAVY. I assumed that bigger tire = more traction, but I have not found this to be the case yet. corning on this tire does not feel confident. when I tried to push it using all the body language I could muster—out of the saddle, fingers off the brakes, body in attack mode, pedal pressure carefully placed, etc.— the tire slides in the corners. again and again, I just felt timid and slow on the twisty south Austin trails. this is the same trail that I was riding with the exact same setup a week earlier and I felt confident and (subjectively) fast. now I feel like I am going to tip over or slide out on every turn that I take with conviction. first: what have you all experienced with moving to bigger tires on the same bike? should I expect instant additional traction, or how do I need to adapt? lower pressure. 15 psi seems crazy-low already. I have a 29mm internal rim, if that matters the sidewall of the tire is awfully thick and stiff, so I can probably get away with it lower. lower handlebar. the bigger tire does make the front of the bike stand up a bit higher than the old one. it's probably less than 1/4" but I think I can feel it. I like my handlebar pretty low. I can flip my stem over and get it nearly slammed. Edited November 9, 2020 by mack_turtle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ATXZJ Posted November 9, 2020 Share Posted November 9, 2020 In some instances a wider tire doesn't necessarily equal more traction. The 2.6 DHF has less grip than a 2.5 on 35&30mm rims. Usually run 19-17psi in the front and I'm 190lbs geared. I don't ride anything but maxxis at this point, so cannot comment on specialized tires. Rode the tour of SATN last week and it seemed like anti-grip anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mack_turtle Posted November 9, 2020 Author Share Posted November 9, 2020 it does not help that everything is moondust right now, but I just didn't feel remotely confident on the hardpack or the rocks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cafeend Posted November 9, 2020 Share Posted November 9, 2020 I've come to swear by semi slicks in the rear , Ran the heck out of a Rock Razor 2.35. When It needed swapped I moved to a Maxxis Minion SS back there. Out of the two I like the Rock Razor better. I was shocked at the grippy climby aspects of it. The low knobs in the center and slightly higher side knobs are like velcro on trails. Dry and dusty dont matter. I run 23-25lbs. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bamwa Posted November 9, 2020 Share Posted November 9, 2020 I ran my crossmarks bald to see how it do. It does. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ebflo Posted November 9, 2020 Share Posted November 9, 2020 4 hours ago, mack_turtle said: lower pressure. 15 psi seems crazy-low already. I have a 29mm internal rim, if that matters the sidewall of the tire is awfully thick and stiff, so I can probably get away with it lower. lower handlebar. the bigger tire does make the front of the bike stand up a bit higher than the old one. it's probably less than 1/4" but I think I can feel it. I like my handlebar pretty low. I can flip my stem over and get it nearly slammed. I would try more psi first not less. At that pressure the tread may roll enough to disengage the cornering blocks. Geometry change is a long shot. Are you that precise with how much you bend your arms that you would notice +/- 1/4"? 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ATXZJ Posted November 9, 2020 Share Posted November 9, 2020 (edited) Heard some of those spec 2.6s run narrow so you may also consider that. Edited November 9, 2020 by ATXZJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xl_cheese Posted November 9, 2020 Share Posted November 9, 2020 Here's what I think I do that helps in cornering faster. I don't know if I'm right or wrong... Think about the side knobs on your tire. Know that putting those side knobs into the trail will give you grip and pull the bike through the corner. Literally try to picture in your head getting the side knobs in the trail as you ride the corner. Lean the bike over to do this. Push your inside arm away to get the bike leaned over. While doing that keep your body upright maintaining balance on your outside foot. Also, stay relaxed and allow your ankles to work as extra suspension over the bumps to stay smooth. It probably also has to do with the type of turn you're in. If it has a berm you probably wouldn't use the technique above. Above works best of regular non bermed singletrack. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mack_turtle Posted November 9, 2020 Author Share Posted November 9, 2020 the current Spec tire is noticeably fatter than the Bonty I had before. I always assume that more volume = more traction and less pressure = more traction, but I'll have to experiment. I am checking with an AccuGauge, so I feel confident that I am at least getting more/less pressure each time because I use the same gauge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mack_turtle Posted November 9, 2020 Author Share Posted November 9, 2020 2 minutes ago, xl_cheese said: Here's what I think I do that helps in cornering faster. I don't know if I'm right or wrong... Think about the side knobs on your tire. Know that putting those side knobs into the trail will give you grip and pull the bike through the corner. Literally try to picture in your head getting the side knobs in the trail as you ride the corner. Lean the bike over to do this. Push your inside arm away to get the bike leaned over. While doing that keep your body upright maintaining balance on your outside foot. Also, stay relaxed and allow your ankles to work as extra suspension over the bumps to stay smooth. FWIW, I've been doing that. I've been getting faster and more confident, until I changed to a new tire. the new tire seems like it should provide more consistent traction given the same imput, but it does not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
notyal Posted November 9, 2020 Share Posted November 9, 2020 I'm not a tire connoisseur like some people around here. (I have always liked Specialized tires, tho.) I'll just say that I recently swapped from a worn out Specy GC/Purg combo to some Nobby Nics f/r. First couple of rides, conditions were a little slick, so I thought "meh". Next few were hero dirt, so I thought "these are badass! Unlimited traction!" Yesterday, it's getting really dry and loose out there, and we're back to "meh". So essentially, I'm not smart enough to isolate how the new tires feel vs. the old tires without being heavily influenced by conditions. I *think* they are grippier, but they are new and a more aggressive tread pattern, so they should be. Right? In your case, I've always heard great things about the XR4. Maybe the Butcher is not as grippy even with 0.2 extra inches. With the current "iceskating on limestone marbles and moondust" conditions we currently have, plus the fact it's in your head now, it's not surprising you are not ripping up the corners. I guess the only way to know is to slap the old Bonty on there before it rains again and see how it feels. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xl_cheese Posted November 9, 2020 Share Posted November 9, 2020 Also, the leaning technique doesn't always fit between the trees in the trail. Another tip is if you're mid way through the corner... have faith and let go of your brake. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheX Posted November 9, 2020 Share Posted November 9, 2020 Pro tip for people that spent a lot of time at the track on sportbikes. Do NOT blend techniques. Leaning off of the inside of the bike and dragging knee will NOT WORK on a bicycle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mack_turtle Posted November 9, 2020 Author Share Posted November 9, 2020 12 minutes ago, xl_cheese said: Also, the leaning technique doesn't always fit between the trees in the trail. Another tip is if you're mid way through the corner... have faith and let go of your brake. this is true! I didn't even think of that. will need to try my techniques on trails with trees and trails without. the segment where I noticed it the most are tight, so there's little room for error. too much commitment and you'll hit a branch on the inside corner. too little and you'll high-side or over-shoot it and run into the dagger-like branches on the other side. when I am focusing on this kind of stuff, I just wrap all my fingers around my handlebar and commit to zero braking. I do that for a few turns, over-shoot them off the trail at low speed, and then go back to minimal braking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AntonioGG Posted November 9, 2020 Share Posted November 9, 2020 Bigger tire on a narrow rim is actually slower for me when I try to run lower pressures. This applies to CX/gravel and MTB. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AustinBike Posted November 9, 2020 Share Posted November 9, 2020 My belief is that it is 50% the tire and 50% learning to live with the tire. Over time I can probably ride almost anything, it just requires me to ride it long enough to know how it will react. I am on Ardent 2.4’s now, on my 26” I got used to Nevegal/Small Block 8 combo. On my singlespeed I use Chunky Monkey. The key on all of this is getting into the groove of how it performs. But maybe it’s just the wine talking. Retired day drinking FTW. 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teamsloan Posted November 9, 2020 Share Posted November 9, 2020 Chunky tires never helped me corner any faster. Braking grip, and technical climbing traction...yes. My fastest lap on inner log loop to date was on Barry's Evil Chamois Haggar with gravel tires. It's all about those side knobs and distributing your weight on them effectively. It sounds to me too like your tires are too soft. They need to hold their shape enough to not roll over. Having wider tires on narrower rims will exaggerate this issue. Also, if you're braking entering a corner and not losing traction, it means you could have gone faster without losing traction. Braking is demanding more traction of the tire that could be used for cornering. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chongo Loco Posted November 9, 2020 Share Posted November 9, 2020 I learned the hard way on my first hot lap on 2.8” plus tires, too low is no bueno. Your tire will deform and end up rolling up on the sidewall a bit. It’s like skating on wet hard pack, especially if you hit something while you’re leaned over. Now I start with a bit more pressure and reduce til it starts to skate a bit. My DHF is heavy as hell but you can lean the hell out of them with confidence in moondust or scree. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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