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SylentK

Turbo Monkey
Feb 25, 2004
2,642
1,093
coloRADo
The only point of AI is to cut jobs for remote service employees, creatives, and office workers while enriching the c-suite and high end investor class. It produces garbage search results, garbage content (boosters refer to it as "art" which it clearly cannot create), and misinformation primarily. In spite of the high data center costs and negative externalities for the environment and society, the assumption is that decimating workforces will result in more income for the .1%.

On twitter I'm currently getting ads for "AI-enabled dumb bells". It would be funny as hell if not mostly depressing and embarrassing.
Well said.

And yeah, if you can't see behind the jackassery, then you're the jackass. I may have just crossed the line there. But this is RM. :)

Bike content: I'm teaching the local kids how to corner. It's called mountain bike mondays :)
 

Jm_

sled dog's bollocks
Jan 14, 2002
20,147
10,694
AK
older 11 speed SRAM mechs manage 46t fine
Its hit and miss in my experience, two different bikes and same setup and one just never worked out while the other was and still is stellar. Has to be some sort of distance/position from the dropout difference IMO bike to bike.
 

Gary

my pronouns are hag/gis
Aug 27, 2002
8,515
6,425
UK
Its hit and miss in my experience, two different bikes and same setup and one just never worked out while the other was and still is stellar. Has to be some sort of distance/position from the dropout difference IMO bike to bike.
Yeah, a bike's chain growth and chain length affects set up massively. If you look at the arc a SRAM guide pulley moves in as the cage rotates forwards it kinda starts to make more sense as to what chain length will work best and why. IMO you should also completely ignore those plastic SRAM set up tools when setting B tension and instead set it to the optimum distance for each bike.
 

Gary

my pronouns are hag/gis
Aug 27, 2002
8,515
6,425
UK
What cassettes did you use, and what derailleurs? I did X1 RD with both Shimano XT 11-46 and Sunrace 11-46 cassettes and they performed pretty well.
GX mech Shimano HG cassette
The Shimano was maybe a tad more prone to drop a chain when backpedaling in the biggest cogs.
You think? I've always seen this as more of a chainline/angle and latteral chain stiffness issue than down to which particular brand the cassette it is. Chain angle being fairly extreme when in the largest sprocket on ALL wide ratio cassettes even with *perfect chainline. And it's the chainring that's the cause.

* Shimano and SRAM don't even agree with each other on recommended chainline distances
 

Gary

my pronouns are hag/gis
Aug 27, 2002
8,515
6,425
UK
I really don't rate Sunrace cassettes... But it has nothing to do with pedalling backwards :dirol:
 

slimshady

¡Mira, una ardilla!
You think? I've always seen this as more of a chainline/angle and latteral chain stiffness issue than down to which particular brand the cassette it is.
In my experience, the Shimano 11sp XT 11-46 has stupid jumps between the largest cogs (that "rhythm" BS from Shimano). I think what you mentioned about optimum distance between the pulley and the cassette has something to do with backpedaling issues. If you set the B-tension to shift optimally from half the cassette down, the chain can't properly track the largest cogs.

Sunrace cassettes might not have tye smooth shifts of Shimano ones, but they are infinitely better spaced between cogs.

But anyway, 11sp GX and up mechs work pretty well with 46t cog cassettes as you mentioned.
 

Gary

my pronouns are hag/gis
Aug 27, 2002
8,515
6,425
UK
That jump from 37t to 46t on that XT cassette you mention actually makes a lot of sense on an Ebike but IMO way less so on a normaI bike. ie. Ratio wise it's pretty much the same as a 10spd Deore 11-36 but with a 46t bail out gear. Deore 11-36 is my choice for my Emtb as it keeps sprocket sizes closer together at 2t jumps from the 11t right up until the 21t so makes it a little better for keeping an even cadence when pedalling at higher speeds. Plus it also reduces drivetrain wear by reducing shifting stress on the teeth as well as giving a gearing spread you'll be more likely to use evenly rather than overusing and wearing the same certain few sprockets.

If you watch any cassette drop a chain down from the largest sprocket to the smaller sprockets from backpedalling you'll see the chain always derail from the top not the bottom. Much in the way it sometimes would on the underside of a triple chainset when back pedalled while cross chained. So long as your derailleur's guide pulley remains in line with the largest sprocket. Your mech shouldn't really be much of a contributing factor in the chain derailment other than the amount tension it's producing on the chain.Although having said that a sticky clutch and any amount of play in the knuckle at the mounting bolt can be quite detrimental to shifting performance as well as retention while being pedalled backwards. SRAM mechs also pull over to take up the play when that connection is worn but pedalling in reverse can cause them to lose that tension. Spent tons of workshop time over the years (since the introduction of 12spd) figuring out various reasons for punters back pedalling issues. A lot of the time the eventual conclusion is "you're just going to have to stop pedalling backwards in your lowest gear mate"

I should probably have said earlier. All my experience with all 11-46 and larger cassettes is from fitting them to other peoples bikes and test riding them. The largest cassette sprocket I've personally ever run is a 42t. as I prefer pretty much everything about closer ratio cassettes and don't mind having to stand up while climbing or when it gets down to walking pace and lower speeds I've no issue admitting defeat and pushing. I do enjoy the challenge of a difficult/technical climb but once I've cleaned it I'll happily push up it forever more. I have zero interest in ever going 12speed as I've always seen it as a massive downgrade in prefomance with a ridiculous leap in running costs. The back pedalling ghost shift phenomenon of 12 speed simply isn't an issue on smaller range 10 or 11 speed cassettes even when drivetrains are worn to fuck. Not all progress means better performance. Far from it.
It's absolute lunacy that any Emtb comes fitted with an expensive massive range 12speed cassette. Even the 10grand Emtb crowd flinch when you tell them the replacement cost of their fancy cassette after next to fuck all Mileage.
 
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Gary

my pronouns are hag/gis
Aug 27, 2002
8,515
6,425
UK
Personal preference but any cassette with that 3 tooth jump between 15 and 18t is right where I don't want the bigger jump. With a 36t chainring its right where I'll be when pedalling back to speed out of a lot if the tighter slower corners we have on many local descents. 15, 17, 19 just gives me the perfect choice
My experience is that their shifting performance right around the 15 to 18 to 21 also suffers. Especially noticeable on Sunrace. Coincidence? :happy: Sunrace's HG sprockets also don't seem anywhere near as durable as Shimano's. Shimano >SRAM>Sunrace on that front IMO
Never been a fan of HG cassettes with annoying directional position specific plastic cassette spacers. But that's not something many other folk would ever gripe at.
 

Gary

my pronouns are hag/gis
Aug 27, 2002
8,515
6,425
UK
In my experience, SRAM has the most durable cassettes
Yeah. I'd agree with you in their XD 11 and 12spd variants. Definitely not in 10spd and lower HG. Difficult to comment on the 11 and 12spd NX/SX HG patern cassettes
 

Lelandjt

adorbs
Apr 4, 2008
2,639
998
Breckenridge, CO/Lahaina,HI
I was watching a Hambini video because it had the Qvist hub in it, I read in the comments that he sells a 300GBP bottom bracket.
What the shit?! It's a BB with NTN bearings, how can it cost that much?
He designs, makes, and sells them himself. If you had his qualifications, how much would you want to earn/hr? How much time is spent on one BB? Comparing prices between mass manufactured parts from Asia and bespoke parts from an area with a much higher cost of living is pointless. As soon as frame makers get their tolerances right and BB makers stop cutting corners people won't be willing to spend that for his BBs and I bet he'll happily stop making them.
 

Gary

my pronouns are hag/gis
Aug 27, 2002
8,515
6,425
UK
Half of Hambini's content used to be him sorting out frames with poorly aligned/machined bb shells so they could even take one of his ultra precise BBs. The irony is most of them belonged to Jerrys who'd have been absolutely fine just replacing cheap BBs themselves once a year and and any gainz from the smoother running BB will be meaningless.
It's no different to super expensive suspension components in mtb really
 

HardtailHack

used an iron once
Jan 20, 2009
7,743
7,090
He designs, makes, and sells them himself. If you had his qualifications, how much would you want to earn/hr? How much time is spent on one BB? Comparing prices between mass manufactured parts from Asia and bespoke parts from an area with a much higher cost of living is pointless. As soon as frame makers get their tolerances right and BB makers stop cutting corners people won't be willing to spend that for his BBs and I bet he'll happily stop making them.
Yeah, in the video he says that the QVIST hub is really expensive at 420 Euro and later goes on to say that he has 300 Pound BB's.
It's 60 Pounds more for a hub made in Germany over one of his BB's, how much would a Hambini hub cost if he made one?

300 Pounds for a BB is insane when you can buy a 20 Pound version that can still have off the shelf NTN bearings slapped in to it if you so choose, yeah the bearings will be smaller but you can buy a set of Saint cranks with the change.
I haven't looked because I can't handle all the rambling, does he have any results to show that there is a reduction in friction under load?
As a luddite it seems odd to make something so perfect and still have a Delrin sleeve between the spindle and inner race.
My last cranks ran the spindle straight on to the inner race and my armchair engineer brain decided that that was a good way to do it, the BB outlasted the cranks.
EDIT- Should say that they were a 25mm spindle, not one of the big boi spindles that run in the same fashion.
 
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Jm_

sled dog's bollocks
Jan 14, 2002
20,147
10,694
AK
Well, hes actually making ROUND bbs and his tolerances are much tighter. So you can get an oval one for much cheaper. Watts shit like that adds up over road miles…not so much for shorter mountain rides.
 
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canadmos

Cake Tease
May 29, 2011
21,976
21,498
Canaderp
Yeah, in the video he says that the QVIST hub is really expensive at 420 Euro and later goes on to say that he has 300 Pound BB's.
It's 60 Pounds more for a hub made in Germany over one of his BB's, how much would a Hambini hub cost if he made one?

300 Pounds for a BB is insane when you can buy a 20 Pound version that can still have off the shelf NTN bearings slapped in to it if you so choose, yeah the bearings will be smaller but you can buy a set of Saint cranks with the change.
I haven't looked because I can't handle all the rambling, does he have any results to show that there is a reduction in friction under load?
As a luddite it seems odd to make something so perfect and still have a Delrin sleeve between the spindle and inner race.
My last cranks ran the spindle straight on to the inner race and my armchair engineer brain decided that that was a good way to do it, the BB outlasted the cranks.
EDIT- Should say that they were a 25mm spindle, not one of the big boi spindles that run in the same fashion.
Isn't the delrin end caps so that he can use an off the shelf bearing? Otherwise he'd be stuck either sourcing custom made ones or udder shit Enduro bearings.

I wish I could buy higher quality bearings here in Canada. They seem like vaporware in the sizes we need for bikes, or I have to go into some shop in Toronto - some of which you need a business account to shop at.

I'd never personally pay that much for a BB, but at least his is made correctly, with good bearings. You could also buy a canecreek hellbender bottom bracket for $150 and it'd still come with enduro bearings in it.
 

HAB

Chelsea from Seattle
Apr 28, 2007
11,592
2,028
Seattle
It isn't that I am fast, it just isn't all that uncommon to see someone fully decked out in a high end road bike pedalling along at 10 MPH.
Yeah I regularly pass those dorks riding my bar bike (single speed with "I'm drunk and don't want to pedal hard" gear, so I spin it out pretty fast) in jeans on the Burke.
 

Gary

my pronouns are hag/gis
Aug 27, 2002
8,515
6,425
UK
Lifetime warranty rims from companies that die off in a few years.
Lifetime warranty on rims is a dumb AF gamble from both sides.
Unless of course teh crabon rims in question cost the company an absolutely tiny fraction of the retail price to consumer.
 

Andeh

Customer Title
Mar 3, 2020
1,192
1,160
Lifetime warranty on rims is a dumb AF gamble from both sides.
Unless of course teh crabon rims in question cost the company an absolutely tiny fraction of the retail price to consumer.
It's less about the actual cost vs retail price per rim, and more about the cost to the company to replace x%. If they generally overbuild their rims, and know they only get 1 warranty claim per 1,000 units sold, it's not a huge increase in the company's cost. And on top of that, it's good marketing.

It's not specific to the bike industry also. In my line of work (construction), if you bid projects so that there were zero defects, you'd never get any work. Instead if you track historical repair costs/frequency, and just bake repair costs into the price, you'll be fine, and the price doesn't go up that much.
 

Gary

my pronouns are hag/gis
Aug 27, 2002
8,515
6,425
UK
Oh. You're talking about useless manufacturing defects lifetime warranty. That's a different thing entirely. And is already covered for the first 2yrs by standard consumer rights. And let's face it. 2yrs is around how long many folk keep a high end mountain bike for anyway before jumping to the next new new bestest thing.
 
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6thElement

Schrodinger's Immigrant
Jul 29, 2008
17,228
14,700
Oh. You're talking about useless manufacturing defects lifetime warranty. That's a different thing entirely. And is already covered for the first 2yrs by standard consumer rights. And let's face it. 2yrs is around how long many folk keep a high end mountain bike for anyway before jumping to the next new new bestest thing.
You're forgetting some places have freedumb and don't have warranty included for that long by default.