[two-one]

After 8 years on my loyal Reign, it is time to get one of those big front wheels.

Secondhand bike with original tires and drivetrain for around €2500. Can't have seen more than 10 days of riding. Front brake pads were still 80%, rear 50%.

Normally i would choose to ride SRAM and Rockshox, but you cannot be open minded without trying something different every now and then, so I'm now running some Fox VVC suspension and XT drivetrain.

I can already tell that the headset is going to become a headache. Its full IS52, but without the internal cables. It just feels plasticky. The fork wil probably need some burnishing too. It feels smooth when loaded in the direction of the headangle, but sticky every other way. Maybe fox just forgot the lube.

 

[FlipSide]

I now have a couple of rides done on the Optic and it plain rips. I love that bike!

It is exactly what I wanted from it. It offers much more room for error than my hardtail and is a super capable bike despite the short travel. It also climbs super well and there is no need for a lockout on the shock. I am also very happy I went for a 150mm fork on it. I know some people on YouTube reported 150mm was too much for the Optic. :lol: No way! 150mm feels perfect for me.

I only have one complaint: There are only 2 chainguide tabs, meaning I can fit a top guide (which I did), but no bashguard. That sucks.

Also, I suspect there is something very wrong with the Norco Ride Aligned setup guidelines. The suggested pressure for the shock is 214psi, which is severely undersprung for my weight (like close to 40% SAG). I went to 245psi on the last ride, which was good, but I will try 250psi on the next.

I will keep on riding it like that for a while, then will put on the Cascade link. It will be interesting to feel the differences. We'll see how it goes, but I can't stop thinking about trying a coil shock on it. Maybe next year...

I tried the Cascade link for the first time yesterday. I'd say it is quite a worthy upgrade, despite having been ass-raped by the DHL custom brokerage fees upon reception. (Seriously, the price Cascade sells these things is already expensive enough, the least they could do for their customer is to use USPS for international orders and remove the shady custom brokerage overcharge that filthy crooks like DHL/UPS/etc. are adding to the bill.)

Back to the Cascade link: I was expecting a more subtle difference in performance, but I have been blown away. The increased progression is extremely noticeable and it completely changes the feel of the bike, for the better. The bike feels plusher and remains way more composed when it gets rough. In particular, I had a quite a messy landing off a respectable size drop (especially for a short-travel trailbike). I was expecting to get completely out-of-shape and possibly crash on landing, but the bike took it surprisingly well and just kept on going like nothing happened. I guess that's what is meant by "bottomless feeling"...? Maybe the climbing performances suffer a tiny bit, but that's quite an acceptable compromise considering how much it improved the bike overall. It turned a great and capable trailbike into an even better one.

 

[bullcrew]

Swapping the charger 3 in for a 3.1 to see if it's any better...
Dropped oil weight from 7wt cst 30 to a 5wt cst19, burnished bushings to .14 made a MASSIVE. Improvement..but upward and onward...

I'll get the 2 stacks rockshox offers and play with them..

 

[Andeh]

I'm curious to see what you think of the 3.1. I had the shop order one of those upgrade kits to try myself, but wasn't planning on changing the shim stack since I'm near the middle in 3.

 

[Inclag]

Swapping the charger 3 in for a 3.1 to see if it's any better...
Dropped oil weight from 7wt cst 30 to a 5wt cst19, burnished bushings to .14 made a MASSIVE. Improvement..but upward and onward...

I'll get the 2 stacks rockshox offers and play with them..View attachment 214381View attachment 214382

Isn't 3.1 More damping than 3? Why go 3.1 and then lower viscosity

 

[bullcrew]

Isn't 3.1 More damping than 3? Why go 3.1 and then lower viscosity

I didn't, that's how I dialed the 3...I swapped to 3.1 to see if it has better range and not just wide open on all..

 

[Andeh]

Isn't 3.1 More damping than 3? Why go 3.1 and then lower viscosity

3.1 is more overall range. Can go lower on LSC, higher on HSC. I forget where I saw it, but there was a force graph at release where it basically opened up the wedge of full closed vs. full open. When I asked SRAM about it, they said: "You are correct that the middle setting will be lower than Charger 3. The upper and lower ranges of the compression are also expanded, so with each click to either + or -, you will find more or less damping comparatively. "

 

[Jm_]

It's .1 more. So you know it's good. For sure they know what they are doing this time...

 

[HardtailHack]

Finally have a rear wheel worth owning, I didn't bother with a truing stand which was lucky as the Norco has an asymmetric rear end.
Made the valve hole one spoke off to make it the same as the front one, and I have mismatched hub colors, coz it annoys people, and trying CX-Sprint spokes for the first time.

If you use bing image search to look at "nipple washers" or "16mm nipples" you're gonna have a good time.

EDIT- Good comma splice action in this post. Feckin tired and not smart.

 

[canadmos]

Didn't you buy a bike stand?

 

[HardtailHack]

Didn't you buy a bike stand?

Yeah, I also bought a dual suspension bike but I enjoy making simple things difficult, it's the hipster way.

 

[slimshady]

Yeah, I also bought a dual suspension bike but I enjoy making simple things difficult, it's the hipster way.

Can't be called a hipster unless you made a time lapse video of the wheel build.

 

[HardtailHack]

Can't be called a hipster unless you made a time lapse video of the wheel build.

Well, I just ordered some more fabric and stuff to make a top tube bag and a saddle bag, maybe I could do a time lapse of me swearing at my phone's camera app and later launching a sewing machine through a window.....?

I almost lost my shit after I dropped two nipple washers in to the rim, took a solid ten mins to get the last one out.

 

[bullcrew]

It's .1 more. So you know it's good. For sure they know what they are doing this time...

My wife is .2 and she is a hell of an upgrade, just saying...

She's taken my bad choices for 26 years, that's better reliability than Toyota

 

[Gary]

I’d be curious to know too. I have an old WTB Devo with ti rails that I got used for 20$ like15 years ago and I’d like to refurbish it with a new cover.

Ended up ordering a piece of 300x200mm adhesive repair leather from AliXpress (£0.70 delivered WTF? ) and using my daughters old arts n craft hot glue gun for the edges... Not the prettiest job... But it owed me nothing. Who knows if it'll hold up to the UK's finest riding conditions.

 

[sethimus]

that saddle looks like you could sing the very high notes

 

[Jm_]

Looks as good as any OEM job.

 

[dump]

This design is wack. The small bolts that are set from the factory and are allens with a pin (who has that!). They backed out after 2 seasons, and a crash shortly afterwards ended it. Would have been tempted to swap given the price of these chainrings atm, but my past self bought a spare at the time, so

Unsure the design is worth the extra tools and headache. Remove user-serviceable 4/5 allen bolds to replace with 8 non-user-servicable, and a special tool, and only 3 people make this new design.

 

[boostindoubles]

Chasin and facin

 

[boostindoubles]

This design is wack. The small bolts that are set from the factory and are allens with a pin (who has that!). They backed out after 2 seasons, and a crash shortly afterwards ended it. Would have been tempted to swap given the price of these chainrings atm, but my past self bought a spare at the time, so

Unsure the design is worth the extra tools and headache. Remove user-serviceable 4/5 allen bolds to replace with 8 non-user-servicable, and a special tool, and only 3 people make this new design.

View attachment 214541View attachment 214542

Throw that in the trash and go spiderless!

 

[dump]

Throw that in the trash and go spiderless!

That is what I thought I was doing… it is shimano xt spiderless!

 

[Gary]

that saddle looks like you could sing the very high notes

Perineum of steel mate.
But seriously with the lighter (140g) SLRs comfort comes from the flexible shell rather than padding. Wider moar padded saddles can give me sores riding daily so I've always gone back to an SLR.

 

[Gary]

The small bolts that are set from the factory and are allens with a pin (who has that!).

You need Security bits, or the old trick of removing the security pin from the bolts.

But yeah. seen a few of those fail in exactly the same way yours has as well as a few bolts coming loose and the chainring bending.
Direct mount is fucking idiotic. There was fuck all wrong with a 104 4 bolt spider.
Yeah. You can't fit a 28 tooth chainring. But fuck those guys anyway. it's quicker walking.

 

[rideit]

I am running 28t chainrings on two different D.M. XTR cranks.

 

[Gary]

Oh... Ps.

XT chainrings have the same stupid hidden 8 bolt faux spider design There's a Deore DM chainring that's a solid design (same DM standard)
I'd just stop fucking about and buy SAINTS #cranks4LYF
They probably work out cheaper in the long run if you run AliXpress NW chainrings

 

[Gary]

I am running 28t chainrings on two different D.M. XTR cranks.

I'll say "Hi" if I ever find myself walking past you

 

[Jm_]

Shimano has fallen so far. Just outright bad engineering there. Either do bolt-on or spline...not fucking both.

 

[rideit]

I'll say "Hi" if I ever find myself walking past you

And I’ll say hi as you are replacing your worn out cassette.

 

[boostindoubles]

That is what I thought I was doing… it is shimano xt spiderless!

Garbaruk makes some sweet DM shimano chainrings that are a single piece! Blackapire did also but, RIP Blackspire.

 

[Gary]

Are you saying you think you think your 28t chainring gives you greater cassette life?
What sort of fuckery is this?

 

[Carraig042]

Unsure the design is worth the extra tools and headache. Remove user-serviceable 4/5 allen bolds to replace with 8 non-user-servicable, and a special tool, and only 3 people make this new design.

Mine came loose, but in a shorter time period. Took me forever to find the creak!

Wolftooth, Works Components, Burgtec, Funn, and AB to name a few that make Shimano chainrings. Also Amazon brand Djc Components makes them.

 

[rideit]

Are you saying you think you think your 28t chainring gives you greater cassette life?
What sort of fuckery is this?

Because I have the option of spending way more time farther down the cassette when it’s steep. Just because one has the 51 or 52 certainly doesn’t mean you have to be in it all the time.
“Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it”.
It sure is nice 5 hours in on a 6+ hour sufferfest with a 34 pound bike!

 

[sethimus]

thats what the motor is for

 

[Gary]

Because I have the option of spending way more time farther down the cassette when it’s steep. Just because one has the 51 or 52 certainly doesn’t mean you have to be in it all the time.
“Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it”.
It sure is nice 5 hours in on a 6+ hour sufferfest with a 34 pound bike!

Except the first sprockets to wear significantly and cause chain slip under load on pretty much all cassettes are the smallest tooth count sprockets.
Which by using a 28t. You'll invariably use MOAR.

Well done if you do but hardly anyone regularly rides their mtb for 6 hours. Being out for 6 hours is rarely ever anywhere close to actually riding it for 6 hrs.

 

[Flo33]

Perineum of steel mate.
But seriously with the lighter (140g) SLRs comfort comes from the flexible shell rather than padding. Wider moar padded saddles can give me sores riding daily so I've always gone back to an SLR.

Best saddle ever made. Got a Ti one and two kit carbonios.

 

[Gary]

Best saddle ever made. Got a Ti one and two kit carbonios.

I think I've got 9 or 10 of them now, mainly the lighter Ti/Carbon versions (a couple the of oldest ones aren't in use and still need re-covered)
Month or so ago I bought 3 new ones at an incredible price (2x Carbon/Mang for £10 each and another Ti for £20) from

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Their prices have gone up and stock decresed but probably still a few bargains around if you know exactly which versions you like.
I also run a couple of Flights that are just as comfortable but not as light.... but with flights it's a minefield finding the correct one

 

[dump]

Mine came loose, but in a shorter time period. Took me forever to find the creak!

Yes! The creak was annoying! It’s what first tipped me off, and before I could do anything about it, I’d lost some bolts.

 

[rideit]

thats what the motor is for

E-bike runs 34/50, plenty good.
locally we are almost never in the highest two or three gears, it’s either too steep up, or too steep down. Definitely the same in Peru.
granted, the bike I ride most for rolling terrain has a 30.

 

[canadmos]

This design is wack. The small bolts that are set from the factory and are allens with a pin (who has that!). They backed out after 2 seasons, and a crash shortly afterwards ended it. Would have been tempted to swap given the price of these chainrings atm, but my past self bought a spare at the time, so

Unsure the design is worth the extra tools and headache. Remove user-serviceable 4/5 allen bolds to replace with 8 non-user-servicable, and a special tool, and only 3 people make this new design.

View attachment 214541View attachment 214542

I would try warranty that. Those aren't supposed to be user serviceable. Translation; it should never come apart.

 

[6thElement]

Well done if you do but hardly anyone regularly rides their mtb for 6 hours. Being out for 6 hours is rarely ever anywhere close to actually riding it for 6 hrs.