[mtbdirteater]

Hey, this may be a silly question, or questions, but I'm putting a new set of mavis CrossMax XL Disk wheels on one of my bikes tonight, and there are some black plasic parts I wonder if I can do without. On both sides of the front hub and one side of the rear are big black plasitic retaining looking ring clips that snap over the hub and appear to hold the straight-pull spokes from falling out when they are loose (assembly ...or after I taco a rim...) ...wondering if i can take those off, or are you guys leaving them on? Any benefits? I'd have to really twist the crap out of a rim in order to have them come into play to be holding any loose spokes then, so maybe I shold leave them on...

Also, this big black plastic Mavic "chain guard" ring around the freehub is coming off, I see no point in it, like the clear ones you see on some new bikes behind the cassette, the instructions (I know, smack me, I read them before the beer)... like I'm gonna turn my L limit screw on my rear derailure that far anyway, where I will shift my chain off my cassette and onto my spokes looking for gears I don't have. Yeah.

My Mavic DeeMax wheels don't have any of these plastic parts on them, but the hub's shape for holding their straight-pull spokes is slightly different. I seem to know more about DH stuff than XC wheels, CrossMax are new to me.

Thoughts?

I'm putting these on my XC HT with some UST 2.1s, these seem like pretty decent wheels if I don't kill them... so I got the Mavic 2 year MP3 warranty for a few bucks more (8% of new wheels cost). Seemed like a no-brainer.

Cheers,

Dave

Edit: added comment for clarity

 

[Repack]

Originally posted by mtbdirteater
......
Also, this big black plastic Mavic "chain guard" ring around the freehub is coming off, I see no point in it, .....

I am not sure about the other parts, but you should keep the spoke guard. Your spokes are made of aluminum. A knick in one can quickly lead to a complete break. Not a good idea to get rid of it. With steel spokes its fine to yank it, but I wouldn't risk it with aluminum spokes.

 

[mtbdirteater]

Originally posted by Repack
I am not sure about the other parts, but you should keep the spoke guard. Your spokes are made of aluminum. A knick in one can quickly lead to a complete break. Not a good idea to get rid of it. With steel spokes its fine to yank it, but I wouldn't risk it with aluminum spokes.

Good point, I hadn't thought of that, thanks. I got a deal on these, or I'd have laced up something like CKs w/ ss spokes and XM819s.

Edit: And maybe I'll wish I'd done that when I knick all of my spokes on rocks, flying up or otherwise.

Dave

 

[kidwoo]

Originally posted by Repack
I am not sure about the other parts, but you should keep the spoke guard. Your spokes are made of aluminum. A knick in one can quickly lead to a complete break. Not a good idea to get rid of it. With steel spokes its fine to yank it, but I wouldn't risk it with aluminum spokes.

What he said. That's the one part you want to keep on. Losing a chain into your spokes from a bent derailleur hanger will pretty much destroy those wheels.

 

[mtbdirteater]

Hey guys, I'm kind of confused here now though. I just pulled the cassette off and put that plastic ring on (yes, the right way), noting that it's 1 and 1/8" in diameter when the 34 tooth cog on my cassete is about 5 1/4", and it doesn't appear that it would do much unless the chain came down straight on it. I'd still hit the spokes. There is enough room for the chain to fit between it and the spokes if the chain went that way in the event of a broken/bent hanger.

So I'll leave it on there, but it looks like a chain would only tear up the spokes in a more outboard spot then... as it wedged it's way down in between the plastic thing and the spokes, still nothing to stop it from hitting them.

WTF?

Who cares I guess, but just another plastic peice to crack and collect dirt and junk.

 

[mtbdirteater]

... yeah, I just put a few links of chain on there, may not do much, but maybe something. Wheel is still off the bike, didn't have a rear tire I wanted to use in the tire pile or boxes. Will get or order a tire or tires tomorrow.

I also like how the lettering stickers are on opposite sides of the wheels on the front and rear so from either side of the bike, looks like one or the other has lettering on it, the other just black. And I could care less. Just an observation after spending a few hundred dollars more on bike parts. I won't be looking at them when I'm riding on them.

Cheers,

Dave

 

[kidwoo]

I use the little one on my wheels too. What is does is keep the chain from getting horribly wedged between the spokes at the base and spider of the cassette. I'm sure you've experienced this at some point with other wheels. The chain still fits behind the biggest cog, but the plastic keeps it from going too deep behind it and getting caught.

 

[mtbdirteater]

I did a 25 mile trail ride today around green Mountain, up Zorro, the hogback, Red Rocks, rest of GM... that damn little plastic guard got more warped as I rode and was rubbing on my spokes, so I just pulled it off when I got home. It never fit flat on the back of the XT M760 cassette, and it freewheels with the cassette, so I had some trouble finally figuring out where that damn noise was coming from only when coasting. Now i have rub marks on my spokes from that thing that is meant to protect my spokes. Just gotta laugh.

Seriously, if I crash or whatever and bend my hanger so bad that my chain falls inboard of my cassette, I'm not gonna keep trying to crank it like that. And if my derailleur goes through my spokes like a freind's just did on his bike, I'll be replacing some spokes.

This thin little plastic thing is more trouble than it's worth now in my opinion after riding with it. It didn't fit or work right. It's off.

Oh, well.

Dave

Edit: spelled DERAILLEUR