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Foes Mixer Trail, I am building one right now

What Budget price cranks should I run


  • Total voters
    9
Jan 8, 2007
75
5
Ladera Ranch
Been a long long time since I built a new bike up. I choose the Foes Mixer trail for a myriad of reasons, but mostly because I was curious to see how it runs and also because I wanted a USA made Aluminum frame. I need a "do it all bike" For 15-30 mile trail loops, some Socal technical stuff, and occasional DH oriented trips.
Spec:
Foes Mixer Trail, black, large
DVO diamond fork
DVO Topaz shock
hope pro4 front hub
hope pro4 rear hub
Race Face Arc 30 29" rim
Race Face Arc 30 27.5" rim
DT COMP spokes
DT ProLoc Brass Nipples
11 speed cassette, TBD
Sram 11 speed chain
Box one shifter
Box one rear derailleur
175mm cranks, TBD
68mm threaded Bottom bracket, TBD
Front ring, 32t, TBD
Cromag Ranger V2 stem
Spank Spike bars
Oury Lock on grips
Shifter cable set
Race Face seat post
Chromag Lynx DT saddle
Magura MT trail brake set
E13 Tires
WTB blue valve stems
Cane Creek 40 HEADSET






 

Sandwich

Pig my fish!
Staff member
May 23, 2002
21,031
5,919
borcester rhymes
SLX are some of the best cranks you can run. 7k series aluminum, hollow, and shimano's interface is simply the best. I think XT sheds just a little bit of weight, but I ran SLX on a DH bike with success.

I now have RF Turbine cinch, and the cinch interface creaks, the cranks occasionally come loose, and I don't notice any additional stiffness. I would have rather stuck with shimano, but I wanted the cleanliness of the cinch interface. Now I wish I could mess with spacing via chainring bolts.
 

Toshi

Harbinger of Doom
Oct 23, 2001
38,029
7,549
I'm with Sandwich: creaky RF Cinch cranks on one bike, creak-free Shimano cranks on the other. Go Shimano.
 

Sandwich

Pig my fish!
Staff member
May 23, 2002
21,031
5,919
borcester rhymes
you _cannot_ beat the RFs for pure vanity. I may have purchased mine because the yellow crank boots match my hubs. Maybe.

I do like the concept of cinch. It's less stuff on the bike and it lets you key an oval ring, if you want one, to your pedal stroke. I've never bothered, but it's a neat idea. I was forced into press fit with the new bike, but I really can't see much reason to stray from shimano unless you WANT to.

I also have raceface chester cranks on my DH bike, and guess what they do? Come loose and creak. Don't really have the money to spend on a shimano setup though!
 

StiHacka

Compensating for something
Jan 4, 2013
21,560
12,504
In hell. Welcome!
I like RF cinch, they have been mostly trouble free for me, less trouble than Shimano but moar trouble than SRAM GXP that are IMHO the best of the bunch. But, my BB is threaded, therefore I can adjust chainline with spacers.
 

boostindoubles

Nacho Libre
Mar 16, 2004
7,838
6,145
Yakistan
I have a cinch crank and bought it only for the spider less ability.

If I did it again, I'd definitely just keep with the Shimano interface. It is just so damn easy and stiff and creak free. SLX is all you need but the m780 xt stuff is great too.
 

IH8Rice

I'm Mr. Negative! I Fail!
Aug 2, 2008
24,524
494
Im over here now
ive had a few cinch RF cranks and all have worked perfectly but you cant beat the SLX price. any particular reason youre using Box components? like the idea of the Mixer. been dying to get another Foes soon
 
Jan 8, 2007
75
5
Ladera Ranch
ive had a few cinch RF cranks and all have worked perfectly but you cant beat the SLX price. any particular reason youre using Box components? like the idea of the Mixer. been dying to get another Foes soon
Why BOX? I trust them, they did it right. Fit and finish is GREAT. So excited to run it hard. I have spoken with Toby Henderson (of BOX) several times over the years about Bike components in detail, and if anyone could pull this off (a great sram crushing deraileur/shifter) it's him. I am totally on board.
 

Jm_

sled dog's bollocks
Jan 14, 2002
18,850
9,556
AK
I like the newer foes bikes, the kinematics are actually decent since Brent decided linkages COULD vary the rate of shocks and that the CV/T was not the pinnacle of shock technology. Some downright meaty stuff that I wouldn't mind riding. The mixer is a great concept IMO. Very flat AS curve like DW Delta (Evil).
 
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4130biker

PM me about Tantrum Cycles!
May 24, 2007
3,882
447
I've always loved the way foes does the rear triangle and dropouts. Looks really fun to do a ground up build!
 
Jan 8, 2007
75
5
Ladera Ranch
I like the newer foes bikes, the kinematics are actually decent since Brent decided linkages COULD vary the rate of shocks and that the CV/T was not the pinnacle of shock technology. Some downright meaty stuff that I wouldn't mind riding. The mixer is a great concept IMO. Very flat AS curve like DW Delta (Evil).
Echoing some of my reasons i chose this model.
I was having a hard time picking between an Evil Wreckoning, SC Hightower and the foes.

In the end I thought the Evil might a little bit to much bike or to DH oriented for my needs. And with SC, people love their hightowers and Bronson's to death, but there is something about VPP I have never liked. The new Bronson I test was rather epic and gobbled up small and medium terrain like nothing I ever rode. I call it "bronsoning".

But..... there is the point where you are 70% into the travel and have successive harsh edge hits where it just gets rough and stiff.

Plus I like single pivot bikes, like a ton. One because I am fat and can identify every minor linkage flex. Two because they are fun and predictable to ride and less maitanance.

Plus..... I am sort of a patriot and wanted my money to flow into a USA made organization.

First foes, wish me luck. No demo was a huge risk to me considering I spent all year demoing and renting IBIS, SC, specialized, Ellsworth, others.
 

slimshady

¡Mira, una ardilla!
... Ellsworth...
I might had found the faulty link in your reasoning chain...


Now speaking seriously, I think the SLXs are hard to beat when talking about budget options. The BB is a joke (Shimano doesn't think the bearings need inner seals), but replacing it with a proper one such as the Race Face offerings once they get jammed is still better than dealing with more extraneous options.
 
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