I'd be into buying an aluminum Mega w/ Mullet set up. Take my money now!
New Whip? New toys for the dependable steed?
- Thread starter mykel
- Start date
Their carbon is plenty tough, tougher than aluminum. Only thing you'd gain with full alloy would be the ability to buff out any scratches.
and the ability to repair it
Ya, you know, sometimes I just yearn for more simpler times of life. Aluminum, external routing, reasonable sizing, reasonable prices. Like my first Mega....
Oh, and the ability to put it in Mach Plaid mode
Yoann was saying in his first GG video that thermoplastics like they (and presumably Revel) use are recyclable.
$3,290 for frame w/ SD Ultimate shock looks pretty damn reasonable compared to others right now. (Yeti wants $4,700!!! for an SB-150 frame, Santa Cruz $3,950 for a Bronson frame.)Ya, you know, sometimes I just yearn for more simpler times of life. Aluminum, external routing, reasonable sizing, reasonable prices. Like my first Mega....
Oh, and the ability to put it in Mach Plaid mode
Repairing carbon is a hell of a lot easier than repairing aluminum, no? (Depending on the catastrophe, of course)
Last edited:
less labor intensive maybe, but a repair to an alloy frame is more likely to work.
also gg uses a thermoplastic carbon process, while the rest of the industry uses thermoset. to the best of my knowledge none of the bike specific carbon repair places are set up to fix thermoplastic.
The failure modes are different. An alloy frame might crack, while a plastic one would lose an entire section on a crash. Crabon likes to explode.
I took the XO (11-sp) off my trail bike to put it on my fatbike. The ergonomics of Shimano work better for me and I like the ability to trigger shift (with my index). I also dig the double up-shift and big sweeping 4-gear down-shifts over the click-click-click-click sequence of SRAM. I even tried positioning the SRAM shifter so I could trigger it with my index (not too hard with big gloves on).
On my trail bike I'm running an 11-sp XTR shifter, an XT derailleur body with Garbaruk cage, pulleys and cassette. I've lost the ability to do a 4 speed downshift sweep with the Garbaruk as it doesn't shift quite as well as the Shimano cassettes (or even SRAM for that matter), but it's getting a little better with time and as things bed-in.
At this point, I'm frankensteining my drivetrain almost out of spite for the two big Ss! I have a KMC chain, Garbaruk chainring, and Race Face cranks. Works for me and meets my needs. That said, I wonder if I'd change my tune if I tried a full XTR 12-speed system... From what I've read, it's smoove as hell! But what I don't know can't hurt me.... right?!
Wha?
My pivot had a crack because it had a flaw, they warrantied and sent me a new frame. It was made of carbon and it didn't explode. I cracked a carbon rim too, my fault for not running enough pressure. It cracked, I rode 7 miles downhill back to the car and it held up fine. That seems to just be conjecture. If you crack an aluminum frame due to cycle stress and a flaw/damage, it may also catastrophically fail when the frame can no longer hold itself together.
Yeah I was just about to say, I've seen snapped frames of both alloy and carbon, and minor cracks in both. Failure modes aren't locked in to material. The only thing that is guaranteed with carbon failures is some dude is gonna see it and say "yeah thats why i don't run carbon"
This agrees with my experience that given the right loading conditions (cyclical fatigue perhaps) both materials fail, but the failure mode of carbon is less catastrophic.
In my experience be it handlebars, cranks, or wheels, carbon has never forced me to pick dirt from my teeth and in general allowed me to ride out the failure. Not so much for alloy failures.
No carbon for me though, longevity and cost replacement moved me back to a carbon free bike.
Proper Ridemonkey Luddite
In my experience be it handlebars, cranks, or wheels, carbon has never forced me to pick dirt from my teeth and in general allowed me to ride out the failure. Not so much for alloy failures.
No carbon for me though, longevity and cost replacement moved me back to a carbon free bike.
Proper Ridemonkey Luddite
My only Carbon failure in 20 years of riding Carbon toys was an LB rim, which I was running with WAAAY too little pressure because I believed the Tannus hyperbole. That rim cracked in ‘21, and again this year, and still holds air just fine.
But I certainly have seen plenty of Carbon failures over the years, but honestly, just as many aluminum failures from people out-riding components and frames that were just too lightweight for how they were being used.
But I certainly have seen plenty of Carbon failures over the years, but honestly, just as many aluminum failures from people out-riding components and frames that were just too lightweight for how they were being used.
Last edited:
20 years ago when someone broke an aluminum bike someone would inevitable pipe up with "steel is real, that is why I don't ride an alloy bike". And 20 years ago there were a lot more broken bikes.
How could one material be considered the best with so many variables.
Design and engineering help a lot more than material.
Design and engineering help a lot more than material.
I don't think it really matters, it just matters what the structure is supporting and what implications it has when it fails. Like if it's head tube the fork collapses under you and you hit the dirt hard with your face and maybe break stuff, vs. breaking a rear dropout or stay while riding and basic stability principles mean you will probably ride out of it and be just fine.
Opposite on the carbons; GG uses a thermoset which does not get soft again if you heat it up. That is why they can powder coat the frames which needs to be baked at 350F or higher.
All other folks use thermoplastics which will get soft again if you heat them up.
But both can be repaired to some extent depending on damage.
Talked to Lance today think I may grab a new Jedi...trying out some shorter cranks this weekend at snow summit...
i figured they would have the terminology correct on their own website, and since they have the patents on their process too.
Last edited:
Interesting, I just assumed it was a thermoset based off the temps you can take it to for powder coating. It must be a very high temp thermoplastic.
The rest of the industry is thermoplastic as well, so repairability is the same.
The rest of the industry is thermoplastic as well, so repairability is the same.
no, most of the industry is still thermoset. that's why it was kind of a big deal when gg released a thermoplastic carbon frame. a few other companies have started doing thermoplastic, but the vast majority of the carbon out there is still thermoset.
Thermoplastic carbon fiber bike frame - Reinforced Plastics
The National Composites Centre (NCC) in the UK has worked with partners to prove that thermoplastic carbon fiber can be used to make an electric mountain bike frame.
www.reinforcedplastics.com
Get to Know Thermoplastic: A Greener and Potentially Cheaper Carbon Fiber Composite
Thermoplastics are reusable, recyclable, and super tough
www.bicycling.com
European Carbon Manufacturer Rein4ced Aims to Replace Workers With Robots - Pinkbike
Rein4ced is building a heavily automated high-end frame manufacturing facility in Belgium, based around a patented thermoplastic process.
Crash-resistant carbon fiber: Why your next frame might just be made of hybrid composites and thermoplastics
One of the typical ironclad rules of structural materials is that as stiffness goes up, ductility goes down. As far as carbon fiber frames are concerned,
cyclingtips.com
Last edited:
Did a couple of rides with One Up grips. Had to take them off, they are super slippery with sweaty palms, which is unavoidable when riding in high humidity.
I ride without gloves 90% of the time, albeit in low humidity. I'm very happy with the PNW Loam grips.
Those are slippery with or without gloves. When humidity gets above 85%, the game changes.
Maybe we need to go full Mengelle and try to create a human/gecko hybrid so people would finally be able to ride gloveless in highly humid climates...
Sorry. I meant the OneUps. The PNWs are much better.
Come to MA. It's 90% swamp and your sweat doesn't evaporate. Every rock is a wet rock. Joy!
Yesterday evening. The humidity in the woods is even higher than that because it's all one large swampland, just like @Sandwich already mentioned.
same here. odi tld's have been my go-to's forever here in no cack. gloves are only for dh or cold.
Even the rocks sweat