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Jm_

Jm_

sled dog's bollocks
Jan 14, 2002
18,995
9,652
AK
Hopefully the shimano action is lighter/crisper, because while it could do that double-upshift thing on my 11spd, it took so much damn force and shifting was NOT a pleasure. It really wore the F out of my thumbs. I much prefer the lighter crisp action of the SRAM 11 XO. More like a short precision trigger where I could even use my thumb-joint and not even take my hands off the bar. It seems like shimano went overboard trying to make their shifts positive and clunky.

I don't need crazy wide range...but lots of people are convinced they do. I got 11 on 4 bikes and I'll only "upgrade" when the lizards force it.
 
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ZHendo

ZHendo

Turbo Monkey
Oct 29, 2006
1,661
147
PNW
Update: SLX derailleur installed, and it works perfectly with the GX Eagle shifter and cassette. Like, better than the old GX Eagle derailleur ever did. New cable and housing probably helped this, but the shifting action actually feels slightly lighter despite the Shimano derailleur having a visibly more substantial spring. On top of that, the derailleur is lower profile so less likely to get whacked while riding like the GX Eagle often did, looks nice in their weird silver/blue color, and is HALF THE PRICE of the GX Eagle derailleur.

I have an older Onyx hub that they don't make a microspline driver for, so I'm stuck riding XD-compatible cassettes for the next while. I won't get to try the magical new Shimano cassette as a result, but even the derailleur is an upgrade, and I'm so stoked that SRAM and Shimano stuff is more cross-compatible these days.
 
Fool

Fool

The Thing cannot be described
Sep 10, 2001
2,780
1,493
Brooklyn
6thElement said:
Agreed, but on all "new" sized bikes I now seem to fall right between the L and XL's. Any purchase will definitely require demo rides. But on the L's the ETT seems really short compared to anything I've previously owned.
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Interested in this one too. Aaron Chase is apparently demo'ing Commencal's out here in rox country. I'ma get me on one for a test.
 
6thElement

6thElement

Schrodinger's Immigrant
Jul 29, 2008
15,964
13,218
Fool said:
Interested in this one too. Aaron Chase is apparently demo'ing Commencal's out here in rox country. I'ma get me on one for a test.
Click to expand...
Top tube on the L is 30mm shorter than my ancient 7 year old trail bike, I think that would bug me too much for flatter sections. So I think I'd be looking at the XL, do I need a CDL for something that long?
 
djjohnr

djjohnr

Turbo Monkey
Apr 21, 2002
3,017
1,719
Northern California
6thElement said:
Agreed, but on all "new" sized bikes I now seem to fall right between the L and XL's at 6'2". Any purchase will definitely require demo rides. But on the L's the ETT seems really short compared to anything I've previously owned.
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Just wait a season and reach/stack will have grown enough to put you square on larges again. The medium size of this thing has the same reach and wheelbase of my large 2019 Clash.
 
Fool

Fool

The Thing cannot be described
Sep 10, 2001
2,780
1,493
Brooklyn
6thElement said:
Top tube on the L is 30mm shorter than my ancient 7 year old trail bike, I think that would bug me too much for flatter sections. So I think I'd be looking at the XL, do I need a CDL for something that long?
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I do think you have to schedule well in advance when planning a turn, and block out a significant amount of time to negotiate it. Antonio said he's had to change his riding style to suit his new Orbea Occam. Not necessarily in a bad way, but it required some adjustment to timing coming off his wee 27.5er.
 
6thElement

6thElement

Schrodinger's Immigrant
Jul 29, 2008
15,964
13,218
djjohnr said:
Just wait a season and reach/stack will have grown enough to put you square on larges again. The medium size of this thing has the same reach and wheelbase of my large 2019 Clash.
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The 455mm reach on my current XL bike is between the S and M in this new Commie TR.

The only "new" bike I've sat on recently was @Full Trucker 's SB150 when it was shiny new last year and the shorter ETT on his L versus my current XL bike felt weird in the parking lot. But I've yet to see how they feel going up our steep climbs and fun descents.
 
R

Rhubarb

Monkey
Jan 11, 2009
463
238
The short Reach on the Meta and Clash have kept me from considering one of these frames, even though I really like the bikes and company. Figured the bikes would grow at some point and just needed to wait. Roll on 29 June.
 
R

Rhubarb

Monkey
Jan 11, 2009
463
238
ZHendo said:
Update: SLX derailleur installed, and it works perfectly with the GX Eagle shifter and cassette. Like, better than the old GX Eagle derailleur ever did. New cable and housing probably helped this, but the shifting action actually feels slightly lighter despite the Shimano derailleur having a visibly more substantial spring. On top of that, the derailleur is lower profile so less likely to get whacked while riding like the GX Eagle often did, looks nice in their weird silver/blue color, and is HALF THE PRICE of the GX Eagle derailleur.

I have an older Onyx hub that they don't make a microspline driver for, so I'm stuck riding XD-compatible cassettes for the next while. I won't get to try the magical new Shimano cassette as a result, but even the derailleur is an upgrade, and I'm so stoked that SRAM and Shimano stuff is more cross-compatible these days.
Click to expand...
This is excellent news. I bought my first full build last year and it came with SRAM parts. First time I have run a SRAM drive chain and I have to agree that the shifter has a nice crisp feel, but the GX derailleur is meh. Seems to have a lot of play in it, and I have a constant ticking sound when I in the 2 most frequently used gears, like it wants to change down a gear. SRAM’s derailleurs are expensive in my opinion, and upgrading to X0 is out of the question. I have never had an issue with XT/SLX/ZEE derailleur. Changing the derailleur/chain/cassette/XD free hub seems unreasonable, so If I can install a Shimano SLX or XT derailleur that would be excellent. Time to install a new chain too, and thinking SRAM would be best, since it’s a SRAM cassette.
 
HardtailHack

HardtailHack

used an iron once
Jan 20, 2009
6,745
5,638
Rhubarb said:
The short Reach on the Meta and Clash have kept me from considering one of these frames, even though I really like the bikes and company. Figured the bikes would grow at some point and just needed to wait. Roll on 29 June.
Click to expand...
It was weird, up until about 2017-18 they were on the roomy end of the spectrum but they seemed to stop or even go backwards, I was hoping they would have been making ~490mm reach L size frames.
 
HAB

HAB

Chelsea from Seattle
Apr 28, 2007
11,580
2,006
Seattle
New Clash apparently coming out next week.

The pricing on those complete builds is crazy.
 
norbar

norbar

KESSLER PROBLEM. Just cause
Jun 7, 2007
11,369
1,605
Warsaw :/
HAB said:
New Clash apparently coming out next week.

The pricing on those complete builds is crazy.
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Is it really? The top builds maybe but compared to other mailorder companies they are on the expensive side.
 
R

Rhubarb

Monkey
Jan 11, 2009
463
238
Commencal are putting a lot of focus on 29”. I find myself checking their range only to lose interest due to lack of 27.5” options.

Doing some reading on the Clash in anticipation for the release of the next rev. and it seems heel rub is a big deal on the current model. Hell there is a clash for sale on PB and the seller has wrapped some inner tube around the seat stay right where heel rub would happen. Seems excessive.
 
HardtailHack

HardtailHack

used an iron once
Jan 20, 2009
6,745
5,638
slimshady said:



Took me a while to figure out how the suspension works. Interesting concept certainly.
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Says he needs a name for it, how 'bout Maelstrom Mk2? Hahahaha!
It's cool, but as with the Maelstrom the main pivot and linkages becomes a structural part of the frame and if you have any misalignment it is brutal on bearings. I don't understand why everything needs to be beefed up to 100 for the linkage, concentric BB has to have a big bearings, fair enough but why not slim everything from there down and pop a couple of self lubing heim joints in and let the Cr-Mo be Cr-Mo?

I'd love to see how much side loading a shock gets on a frame like a Starling Swoop.
 
6thElement

6thElement

Schrodinger's Immigrant
Jul 29, 2008
15,964
13,218
Rhubarb said:
Commencal are putting a lot of focus on 29”. I find myself checking their range only to lose interest due to lack of 27.5” options.

Doing some reading on the Clash in anticipation for the release of the next rev. and it seems heel rub is a big deal on the current model. Hell there is a clash for sale on PB and the seller has wrapped some inner tube around the seat stay right where heel rub would happen. Seems excessive.
Click to expand...
Supposedly they addressed that issue on the new TR and AM.
 
djjohnr

djjohnr

Turbo Monkey
Apr 21, 2002
3,017
1,719
Northern California
Rhubarb said:
Doing some reading on the Clash in anticipation for the release of the next rev. and it seems heel rub is a big deal on the current model. Hell there is a clash for sale on PB and the seller has wrapped some inner tube around the seat stay right where heel rub would happen. Seems excessive.
Click to expand...
Interesting; I've never heard that and haven't had that issue with mine, although I have a wide stance.
 
Sandro

Sandro

Terrified of Cucumbers
Nov 12, 2006
3,224
2,537
The old world
Dude behind the SB One chain tensioner is cooking up a frame. He made a rad single pivot downhiller years ago that I can no longer find any pictures of.



 
HAB

HAB

Chelsea from Seattle
Apr 28, 2007
11,580
2,006
Seattle
I'm thinking about picking up a shorter travel trail bike, and am trying to think of what my options might be.

Ideal criteria:
  • ~64 HTA, 490mm reach, steep STA, chainstays in the 435mm range
  • ~130mm rear travel
  • 27.5" strongly preferred
The Transition Scout is the closest thing I can think of, but I bet I'm forgetting something.
 
canadmos

canadmos

Cake Tease
May 29, 2011
20,496
19,496
Canaderp
HAB said:
I'm thinking about picking up a shorter travel trail bike, and am trying to think of what my options might be.

Ideal criteria:
  • ~64 HTA, 490mm reach, steep STA, chainstays in the 435mm range
  • ~130mm rear travel
  • 27.5" strongly preferred
The Transition Scout is the closest thing I can think of, but I bet I'm forgetting something.
Click to expand...

Forbidden Druid looks nice too, but misses on some of your points.

Same with the Norco Optic..
 
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