[phycoref]

Hey guys, I picked up a 2007 Ironhorse Yakuza Kumicho at the beginning of this past season and was finally getting around to changing some parts on it. I was just looking for some advice on some parts. First off I'll say im about 6'2 and about 210 pounds (with water weight). I ride at a hill that has a lift but its a bit of a trek to get to most of the runs. I was thinking about a smaller chain ring to make those hikes across easier (was thinking of maybe a 32T ring). The main thing that I was looking to change was my bars as I am a big guy with very wide shoulders so i was thinking that wider bars might be nice. I have 710mm right now but was looking at either the Race Face Atlas FR or the Chromag OSX mostly but am very open to suggestions, as i don't really have any shops around that carry them to try them. I just changed out the fork from a Super T to a set of 888 RC2x's and its a night and day difference (pretty hard to set up though, and i just have stock springs in I believe so I'm thinking I might need to find stiffer springs) and I have a Roco RC WC waiting to go out to Avy. The specs for my bike are bellow.

2007 Ironhorse Yakuza Kumicho (19" large)
Fork: Marzocchi Bomber 888 RC2X (2006)
Shock: FOX VAN R 8.75"X 2.75" being replaced with Marzocchi ROCO RC WC that I'm sending to Avy for tuning)
Handlebar: FUNN 318 Fat Boy Slim (710mm wide, 30mm rise, 31.8mm clamp)
Stem: Marzocchi direct mount
Headset: FSA Orbit Z 1.5R
BB: Race Face X-Type (83mm)
Crank: Race Face Ride DH (170mm)
Chain Ring: Race Face 36T Alloy
Pedals: Crank Brothers 5050X
Chain Shimano HG-73
Saddle: SDG Bel Air ST I-Beam
Seat Post: SDG 6061 I-Beam (30mm)
Chain guide: E-Thirteen LG1
Rear Derailleur: Shimano Saint, Short Cage (Axle Mount)
Shifter: Shimano Deore
Cassette: SRAM PG-950 (11/32T, 9 Speed)
Brakes: Hayes HFX 9 HD (203mm rotors)
Brake Lever: Straitline Lever
FR Hub: Alloy DH Disk (20mm, 36H)(No-name hub)
RH Hub: Sun Ringle Demon Hub (150mm x 12mm, 36H)
Rim: WTB Speed Disk Pro DH
Tires: Intense 909 FRO Compound, Dual Ply (2.5")

I'm not too worried about weight as I am a big guy. As for brakes I put straitline levers on the hayes 9's as the levers have a nicer feel. Would say goodridge or similar levers help them much? Or different types of Pads? I am open to suggestions on anything. Sorry for the long post, but any help is appreciated.

Thanks
Matt

 

[jonKranked]

in regards to bars, pay attention to sweep (back and up) as well. bar width can be changed, sweep angles can't. also, with bars, go wider than you think you may want, then trim down till you hit the sweet spot.

in regards to brakes, hayes 9's are functional and reliable, but are pretty dated and are far from the best options. look around, there are many good deals to be had if you feel brakes are a problem. it's not so much feel that's improved, but overall performance (power and modulation).

in regards to chainring, 36t to 32t is a noticeable change. your cassette already has a pretty good range. not sure if you're aware, but e.13 now makes chainrings in odd sizes (33t, 35t,).

what exactly about your ride do you not like? might help us give you better direction as to what to upgrade.

 

[chup29]

i have really wide shoulders too - a good shop friend of mine told me the magic formula for wide bars was to measure your shoulders and multiply by 1.6, i run 31.5 inch wide bars or 800mm and the magic formula said i needed 32 - i use the gravity light 800mm bar - its awesome, good sweep, low rise, tough... Some people use the kore torsion bar thats also 800mm wide but the sweep is a little extreme for me... Id go gravity light bar, you can always trim it down, but why would you want to? and its tough and has a very neutral sweep

 

[phycoref]

Well I am a big guy so I was planning on keeping them nice and wide, but i wouldn't want any smaller then the 760mm that the OSX is, but don't have much experience, these 710 mm are the widest I have ridden. And I was thinking of maybe trying less rise as I have long arms.

The 9's are working right now, and I was thinking that with a good bleed that they will run even better. But I definatly know that they aren't the best brake out there. I just feel that even when squeezing as hard as I can with 1 finger they don't lock up.

But i was just finding that peddling was a bit rough on the bike right now, and that I am mostly just using the upper gears on my cassette. So i thought by changing out for a smaller chain ring i would get more use of the lower gears. Maybe I should look more for a 34T then?

But peddling was the one main thing, and I feel i will really benefit from having the wider bars as I am a big guy, but I changed my fork as the Super T had no feel, and some with the rear. But I am fairly new to DH so I'm not even 100% sure what all to exactly look for.

 

[DhDork]

Contact points!! Bars, seat, grips, pedals, and tires. Do you like them now?? If not, find something that works for you. Make riding a lot more enjoyable if your hands don't fatigue, reduce arm pump, can stay on the pedals, and can track the line you want to hit.

Outside of what you are already looking for, I would then upgrade the upsprung parts. Places that if you lose weight it will improve the suspension suppleness and ride quality as well as helping in other ways. Wheels (make pedaling a lot easier), Cassette, derailleur and chain (shifting improvement), and brakes (you can never stop too fast).

Things like cranks, stem, seatpost, bar ends, and shifters I consider bling parts. Changing your parts for the same thing but 42.637grams lighter and now shiny chrome doesn't make your bike ride any different. New shifter will dramatically change your shifting, but isn't going to change the ride quality of the bike all that much. Stem can and will change the ride, but only if you change the length and rise. Seatpost, well it holds your seat. New cranks can save a lot of weight, up to a pound in some cases, but isn't all that needed to change if you just want to ride a great riding bike.

 

[phycoref]

Bars i would defiantly like to change, grips I put on a pair of ODI Rouges and they seems to be solid. Seat and peddles seems descent, and I was going to try a different set of tires once these ones were dead.

The derailleur seems solid, however i was thinking of putting a Saint shifter on (the older one same style as the derailleur), mostly because the HUD getting in the way when trying to adjust the levers. But I was thinking a bit about brakes, a bit more power would be nice and confidence inspiring. But for chain and cassette, what would you suggest? Do they change that much? What effect does changing the wheels have on peddling?

Im not crazy concerned about weight, I would rather just have a nice, reliable ride.

 

[DhDork]

mostly because the HUD getting in the way when trying to adjust the levers. But I was thinking a bit about brakes, a bit more power would be nice and confidence inspiring. But for chain and cassette, what would you suggest? Do they change that much? What effect does changing the wheels have on peddling?

Im not crazy concerned about weight, I would rather just have a nice, reliable ride.

HUD???

The effect on weight on the parts I listed as Unsprung weight allows your suspension to be more active. This allows your wheels to be more planted under the right suspension settings and this increases traction.

For a new chain and cassette, it all depends on preference. I prefer Sram, but others prefer ShimaNO. If you want full 11-32t gearing, you can go with an SLX or XT level cassette and chain. They'll both shift great, be lighter, and won't break the bank. Plus, change your chain with your cassette or vise-versa. They tend to break into each other and won't ever shift 100% otherwise.

Because of rotating mass, wheels have about 3x the affect in weight on the bike than a normal part does. So, if you drop 1 pound in the wheels (which isn't hard to do), this equates to about 3lbs lost, say in your frame. Makes the bike easier to accelerate, climb, turn, brake, etc.

Think of it this way. You could have a 40lbs bike with light bars, shifters, cranks, etc and it ride great. But, you if had that same bike at 40lbs, with lighter unsprung weight parts (wheels, chain, cassette, derailleur, brakes) and heavier parts that are listed above, the bike is going to have a world of change as far as the ride goes.

Now, if you want reliable parts, always remember this: You get what you pay for. If you go out and buy a cheap set of brakes, you will pay for it later down the line.

 

[Sghost]

HUD is the gear indicator. Im not sure if its removable on deore, it is on the higher end stuff.

Tires. If you have the super DH tubes in there, ditch those too.

Those 9's suck. They really do, you just wont know how bad until you get a new set. I would replace them and save them for a lighter duty bike or w/e.

 

[phycoref]

The HUD i am referring to is the display for the shifter, so it has to move with the brakes.

As for my wheel set is it considered to be a very heavy wheel set?

And im actually looking into a set of Avid Codes (found a really good deal!).

As for the derailleur once the one i have now breaks/ needs to be replaced ill look into something lighter.

How often should the chain be replaced? Any easy ways to check for wear?

 

[norbar]

888 is a fairly high fork. Low rise or even flat is the way to go with them.
5050x without long pins are not the best pedals, Id try to get kona wah wahs.
All the rest I agree with DhDork. I'm not too fond of intense tires too but some people seem to like it.

 

[captainspauldin]

Not to spam this thread, but if you're looking for a pretty smoking deal on NEW brakes, check this out:
http://www.calgarycycleonline.com/product.php?productid=17701&cat=909&page=1

$200 for a set of Elixir CRs..

 

[DhDork]

The HUD i am referring to is the display for the shifter, so it has to move with the brakes.

You can take that off. And then replace it with a piece of duct tape to insure that dirt doesn't get in there.

As for my wheel set is it considered to be a very heavy wheel set?

That is quite a hefty wheelset. You can build up a fairly light, and still really strong, wheelset for around $450. Hope hubs, Dt Comp spokes, and your choice of rim (recommend Mavic 721, DT Swiss 550 or 600)

And im actually looking into a set of Avid Codes (found a really good deal!).

As for the derailleur once the one i have now breaks/ needs to be replaced ill look into something lighter.

From my experience, Code's are good brakes. You can find the new Code R's for about $300msrp, their going to be lighter, feature top removing pads, and have worked out all the kinks that the olds ones had.

How often should the chain be replaced? Any easy ways to check for wear?

Chain can be checked for wear by to ways. 12 links pin to pin should be 12" or go to your shop and they have a tool that will check it in seconds. As far as cassette, it kinda takes a trained eye to spot a worn cassette. Flat spots will develop in the between the teeth, teeth will become sharp and sometimes almost create a shark-fin like profile. There is a tool to check this too, but I haven't used one in years. Like I said though, you replace your chain, replace your cassette too, or vise-versa.

 

[Sandwich]

I'd say with the shock tune you'll be well on your way. That should really open that bike up, especially with the fresh fork.

The brakes wouldn't be a bad idea to replace. 9s aren't bad, but they aren't that good either, and getting a fresh set of Saints infinitely improved my confidence and that translates to riding the brakes less and hitting later braking points....ie faster times.

Get some huge bars...I loved my Kore Torsions at 800mm but I should probably cut them down.

If you do a lot of climbing, I'd recommend shifting to a smaller chainring and then get a narrower spread cassette, maybe a 12-26 or 11-28. As you get faster, you'll find that the gear ratio matters a lot more. I find that I'm using only one part of my 11-30 cassette with a 36t chainring, so I'm going 34t and then a narrower cluster. That will allow me to pedal comfortably within that same range.

You can, of course, upgrade the wheels, but I find that brakes and suspension are the most important things on a DH bike, followed by wheels, then shifting. They can get expensive fast, and since you regularly beat on them, they wear out much sooner than a fork or shock, or even brakes outside of pads. If you're racing, and competitive, a good set of wheels will really help you, but I think my priorities would be elsewhere.

As far as chain wear, you probably will never wear out a DH chain...you just don't pedal that much that often. I say replace it with your cassette and keep it properly lubed. You'll probably be on a completely different bike by the time the chain is sufficiently worn.

 

[phycoref]

First off I want to say thanks guys!

Well i found a deal for a set and a spare of Codes for $150, with a set of dangerboy levers. So I am thinking of picking them up since they are such a great deal!

So you would recommend the kore 800mm's? Would the Flats run well on this set up? What about the Deity Black Labels?

For the chain ring, I was thinking a very similar thing as I am mostly just using the high gears (biggest ones) rather then the middle of the spectrum as there is a 2 km trek across the top of the "hill" to get to most of the tracks.

As for the tires, and wheel set I figured that I would change them as they need to be changed, and as for the chain and cassette, once i get home on the weekend ill look for those wear indications.

 

[phycoref]

Well scratch the codes. Can anybody suggest me some good brakes for DH at a good price point? How are the Shimano XT, XTR, SLX brakes for this type of use? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

I realize that the brakes im coming off of (hayes 9's w/ straitline levers) aren't overly strong brakes, but I think if I am going to pick up a new set of brakes I want to get something that will be solid for a while, but I am also looking for that pretty good price point.

 

[cmoney]

I would jump on the Calgary cycle deal for the Elixir cr's they are a great brake and plenty powerful,I rode Elixir r's on my dh bike last season and they were great,no problems at all and good power.
I recently picked up some 2011 Code r's they have more power than the Elixir and great modulation.They were about $300 but the Elixirs are $200 on the Calgary website.

 

[IH8Rice]

got Elixr CR/Code combo for sale coughcough

 

[phycoref]

The Elixrs are no longer available on the Calgary site. How are the Magura Gustav's and the Hope M4's?

 

[DhDork]

got Elixr CR/Code combo for sale coughcough

Go with this.

Gustav's- Tons of Power. That's about it.
M4's- Gorgeous pieces of machinery, but can have problems, and pricey.

 

[Sandwich]

eh, I'd probably avoid both. I had nothing but trouble with Hopes, but they've improved much since then. Parts and spares may be hard to come by unless you have a nearby distributor.

Maguras are much more powerful and reliable, but mine had a very on/off feel and not much modulation. Magura has or is discontinuing them, so parts may rapidly become hard to find. Plus, they use a custom caliper mount that costs upwards of $100 an end.

You can get elixir R's here for cheap, http://www.pricepoint.com/detail/18319-115_AVDER9-3-Parts-158-Brakes/Disc/Avid-Elixir-R-Disc-Brake-2010.htm

Here's some XTs http://www.pricepoint.com/detail/19265-115_SHIX79-3-Parts-158-Brakes/Disc/Shimano-XT-M765-Pre-Bled-Brake-System.htm I was under the impression that these XTs are very similar to the last generation Saint disk brakes, but somebody else has to confirm.

Otherwise, I would hunt and find a set of used disk brakes. You can get wild deals from folks who just want the latest and greatest or get crazy deals and pass them along. I bought a fork from this guy: http://www.ridemonkey.com/classifieds/cat-7/ad-16859/ and that's a pretty good deal on brakes, although they're 185 instead of 203. FWIW, you can get alligator 8" rotors and front and rear adapters for ~40 bucks total through pricepoint.

My one recommendation is to not cheap out on brakes...you can buy midrange wheels or suspension and get away with it, but brakes are pretty important, and being stranded with a leaky lever will end your day. A busted rebound knob will not.

 

[phycoref]

So which brakes would you recommend then? I have no problems buying used. Was looking to spend in the $200 range (used), but if a really good deal comes up I would be willing to spend the extra. As I am sure at this point anything is better then my Hayes 9's.

And you were recommending the Kore bars right?

 

[joelsman]

codes
saint
best brakes that are common.

replace your front tire often and put the old one on the rear to save money.

I personally like wide ratio cassettes so I can pedal up and still go fast down, 11-34 for me. I use a 33t front ring, may switch to a 34.

 

[phycoref]

I was about going for a 33T ring.

I'm starting to look more into that Elixir CR / Code combo, seems like it might be a pretty solid set up!

So the other main thing is mostly Bars. Looking into the Deity Black Label bars, good price point, nice and wide with a nice low rise. Anybody have experience with them?

 

[Sandwich]

So which brakes would you recommend then? I have no problems buying used. Was looking to spend in the $200 range (used), but if a really good deal comes up I would be willing to spend the extra. As I am sure at this point anything is better then my Hayes 9's.

And you were recommending the Kore bars right?

I can't comment on Avid brakes much because I don't have any time besides a few runs on them. I felt codes and thought they were great, but heard a lot of problems with reliability, something I didn't want to face. Supposedly the new ones are better, and even the old ones are hit or miss at worst.

I ride Saints and love them for days...but one side will set you back 2 hundo.

I would suggest you wait and find a set of Codes or Saints for sale used...they'll probably come in near your price point. Set them up yourself but have a local bike shop bleed them. Buy new pads and rotors unless they come new, and you'll have a great set of brakes.

I bought new because I could afford it, but after a few runs, they're just as scuffed up and dirty as a used set.


I do like my Kore bars. I have two years on my set and a replacing them just for peace of mind. My buddy will run them and I'll pick up raceface atlas bars, only because they come in derple.

 

[phycoref]

Which of the Kore bars do you run? And the purple is pretty awesome, i thought about going for those bars, looking at those, and the Deity Black Label bars right now, I like the chromags but I want wider then 760mm.

I have been looking into a set of elixir levers with code calipers and they look like they might be a solid set up, and they are right at my $200 price range.

 

[Sandwich]

I've heard good things about the split/elixir/code setup, but I get sketched out using a non-factory setup. I'd really say that anything by Avid or shimano is going to be reliable, powerful, and easy to find replacements for, and that's what you want the most. You could probably survive on your hayes for a long time, but to compare my current saints to my old Hayes greys is just not fair...


My kore bars are Torsion, race, 20* rise, 800mm wide. I think they're like the 2014 alloy or something like that. I bought them because they came in at like 45 bucks, were wide enough and I could cut them, and the rise and sweep was fair. They feel totally natural and I never ended up cutting them because of that. I think a half inch to an inch off either side would be ideal, but if it works, why mess with it. I'm just at the point now where I feel like it's worth replacing them, and the crappy stem I used with them left some wear marks because it didn't clamp completely, and I'm a scaredy cat.

 

[phycoref]

I just think that if i knew I had a more powerful brake I would ease of the brakes more and let the bike open up without any worries. Just mostly to help with my confidence at this stage. And from what I have heard the split has a lot of power along with a better reliably and modulation, as i have heard some negative things about the code levers. And I guess for $45 those bars would be hard to turn down. I think i want to try a lower rise, just because it seems like my front end is fairly tall and im a bigger guy so I was told that a low rise or a maybe even a flat would benefit me.

 

[IH8Rice]

but I get sketched out using a non-factory setup.

Specialized sold this setup with the Demo's for the past few years.

 

[phycoref]

Well i have a new set of brakes on the way (Elixir CR Levers/ Code Calipers) and I think I am going to go with the Deity Black Label Bars (Nice and wide with a low rise). Do you guys have any suggestions? Is this frame worth hangning onto? Is it worth riding it into the ground?

 

[IH8Rice]

you should be seeing the brakes any day now

 

[norbar]

Unless the you get the bike geek virus from the other monkeys - yes its worth riding to the ground. Maybe get offset cups for it (cc headset is imho too expensive but you can trasfer it between frames) for better geo and you should be able to ride it for quite some time.

 

[jonKranked]

cc headset is imho too expensive but you can trasfer it between frames)

pricey yes, but their quality is really good. and they stand behind their product.

 

[phycoref]

Yeah, defiantly pricey, $250 is a good chunk of change for a headset. I will defiantly think about it though, any other suggestions?

 

[jonKranked]

Yeah, defiantly pricey, $250 is a good chunk of change for a headset. I will defiantly think about it though, any other suggestions?

didn't look at what you need for a hs, FSA pig's are good and cheap.

 

[phycoref]

Is the head set thats on there now descent enough? The frame has a 66* HA as well.

 

[IH8Rice]

Is the head set thats on there now descent enough? The frame has a 66* HA as well.

dont get so caught up with head angles. the 888 will help rake the bike out, but just get out and ride the bike before worrying about a few degrees

 

[phycoref]

Yeah I don't think i will worry about the Angleset right now, as of right now my Forks (w/ stem), Shock, Brakes, and Bars are changing so that should get me off to a good start i think (might still step down to a 34t front ring), and as the season goes once my tires are dead ill try changing them, and I need to check and see what tubes are in there, still running the original tubes! Thanks again for all the help guys!

The only other thing I have been thinking about trying recently was possibly trying clip in peddles (or at least that style) vs the 50/50's i have on right now. I have never ridden clipins so I dont know what to expect though. Any thoughts?

 

[IH8Rice]

I have never ridden clipins so I dont know what to expect though. Any thoughts?

you will fall. at slow, almost stopped speeds particularly.

 

[norbar]

At first. Than it's ok. Though I went from clips to flats for 2010.

btw. I'm a bike nerd. Don't worry about ha. It's fine. If you really feel like slacking it - try to get/someone to make you offset shock hardware

 

[phycoref]

Is it common to use offset shock hardware? And when transfering mounting hardware do you just tap them out with a hammer? I mean the reducers.

And are you hinting that you make offset shock hardware? What kind of an effect would it have on it?