Ask the experts

[Thaleia]

Can anyone compare this amount of force in terms of general household / shop examples? Like, pickle jar lid tight? (yes I know this isn't the best way to do it lol)

[Dee Hubbs]

Can anyone compare this amount of force in terms of general household / shop examples? Like, pickle jar lid tight? (yes I know this isn't the best way to do it lol)

Use a L-style Allen key with the long way in the bolt, and the short way in your hand. You wont be able to produce more 6-8Nm with the Allen key held that way.

[sfotex]

Quick, someone talk me out of this:
Eddy Merckx Gravel Bike
https://classifieds.ksl.com/listing/74715141

Other then the max tire size it seems like a primo dentist bike..

[sfotex]

Ok, I have to go the Vegas for work on March 10/11th. I'm in the Salt Lake Area. My plan is to drive down to Hurricane/St. George Saturday and ride a few days head to Vegas, then ride Wens-Saturday somewhere.
It looks like there's some good riding in Bootleg Canyon, kill a day there? Sedona/Prescott? Head back to Saint George? Phoenix?

[climberevan]

Quick, someone talk me out of this:
Eddy Merckx Gravel Bike
https://classifieds.ksl.com/listing/74715141

Other then the max tire size it seems like a primo dentist bike..

It looks like a decent "all road" bike. 40mm clearance is not enough to give it "gravel bike" status, IMO. GRX Di2 is fantastic. GRX carbon wheels are pretty nice, too. If you don't need real gravel tire clearance, it's a super deal.

Ok, I have to go the Vegas for work on March 10/11th. I'm in the Salt Lake Area. My plan is to drive down to Hurricane/St. George Saturday and ride a few days head to Vegas, then ride Wens-Saturday somewhere.
It looks like there's some good riding in Bootleg Canyon, kill a day there? Sedona/Prescott? Head back to Saint George? Phoenix?

Bootleg is super fun tech/jank and well worth a day. I did a ~50mi ride there which covered pretty much all of the trails, and it remains a fun memory. The other trails around Vegas can be pretty decent too, especially if you just have a few hours to ride, but Bootleg is the prize.

Sedona is, well, Sedona. It will be crowded, but the trails are fun. Prescott trails are pretty fun too, and you can have a very different experience depending on whether you ride the mellow forest stuff (W of town) or the crazy rock stuff (NE).

[Thaleia]

Use a L-style Allen key with the long way in the bolt, and the short way in your hand. You wont be able to produce more 6-8Nm with the Allen key held that way.

Hey that's brilliant! Thank you so much.

[evdog]

Ok, I have to go the Vegas for work on March 10/11th. I'm in the Salt Lake Area. My plan is to drive down to Hurricane/St. George Saturday and ride a few days head to Vegas, then ride Wens-Saturday somewhere.
It looks like there's some good riding in Bootleg Canyon, kill a day there? Sedona/Prescott? Head back to Saint George? Phoenix?

Check out Kingman and new stuff RA has been building. Not far south of Henderson.

Sedona is cool but a bit father to drive. Just make sure any trip there doesn't overlap with the Sedona MTB festival unless you want to share the trails with a couple thousand Jongs. The week before and after the festival will probably be busier too as some people hang out for a full week.

Preskitt might have snow on the upper trails. Dells would be worth stopping in for if you like tech. I've seen comments of trails opening up already in Flag though, so maybe Prescott is more good to go than normal.

If you do head south to AZ you could loop around via Page. The Rimview loop there is an easy pedal (<2hrs) but scenic and pretty fun. Then stop in Kanab at Tilted Mesa if it's not snowy/muddy.


Lots of good stuff in Vegas besides Bootleg if you decide to stick around that area. Cowboy trails would be closest in terms of techy character. Other stuff like Cottonwood, Blue Diamond, Bears Best etc is more xc.

An option for the drive home would be to go through Caliente and maybe Ely.

[sfotex]

Check out Kingman and new stuff RA has been building. Not far south of Henderson.



An option for the drive home would be to go through Caliente and maybe Ely.

Thanks! Think I'm going to ride a few days in Vegas and head to Caliente for a day or two. Less driving and cheaper then heading farther South.

[toast2266]

X2 on the above. Bootleg has enough fun trail for 2 days. Maybe 3.

[smmokan]

X2 on the above. Bootleg has enough fun trail for 2 days. Maybe 3.

Bring an extra tire or two with you.

[toast2266]

Bring an extra tire or two with you.

Lol - Yup. Maybe some extra skin too. Don't crash there.

[evdog]

Thanks! Think I'm going to ride a few days in Vegas and head to Caliente for a day or two. Less driving and cheaper then heading farther South.

Cool. Now that I recommended it, I'd check with locals first and make sure there isn't snow there especially with current storms moving through.

Barnes canyon is probably the best bet. Kershaw Ryan SP is ok as well but might fill just a couple hours. Ella Mtn is a really nice point to point shuttle but only the lower half would be rideable, if that even.

[Roxtar]

Quick, someone talk me out of this:
Eddy Merckx Gravel Bike
https://classifieds.ksl.com/listing/74715141

Other then the max tire size it seems like a primo dentist bike..

Gravel riding is stupid.
Does that help?

[jackstraw]

Gravel riding is stupid.
Does that help?

I really dig my gravel bike.

[t.odd]

I really dig my gravel bike.

HA, I'm about to get one of these too, but in green.

[beaterdit]

I have a pair of unused industry nine trail S wheels I’d sell for cheap if you wanted something a bit nicer. XD driver. Take offs.

Might get extra resale… but depends on the bike and buyer.

Since it sounds like El Chupe’s all set, I’d be interested in those wheels if you want to move them. I’ll drop you a DM.

[El Chupacabra]

^^^ Have at it - I picked up the cheap Crank Bros wheels. They're in nice shape, spin smooth and true. Not very high engagement on the rear hub.

[Abies]

It’s raining and I’m bored, which means idly making spreadsheets and thinking about a new build. As my preferences change I’ve realized that while I like tinkering, I hate when I HAVE to work on stuff. So for people that have worked on a lot of stuff, if you were building a new full suspension trail/enduro rig what components would you pick if reliability was the number one concern? I’d define that as some combo of durability, long service intervals, and easy to work on. My thoughts so far:

- Probably coil front and rear although I don’t find most air suspension too hard to deal with.
- a frame with well sealed bearings placed in replaceable links.
- DT 350 hubs and probably the same for rims, unless going carbon.
- Mechanical SRAM drivetrains have held up well for me so I’d probably stick with that. Maybe a steel chainring.

Not sure what I’d do for brakes, dropper, and finishing kit.


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[Andeh]

You're definitely onto something with the frame & bearing detail. On every 4-bar bike I've owned without good shielding, they die quickly, like once a season. Well shielded bearings in links (like Santa Cruz) last years.

The one advantage people don't think about in the carbon vs. alu rim debate is that carbon stays true longer.

Service interval for mineral oil brakes is supposedly longer than DOT. So of the common ones, that leaves you with Shimano, TRP, & Magura. I'd pass on Shimano (wandering bite point) and Magura (keeping 4 independent pads from rubbing is a PITA), which leaves TRP. I haven't used them, but they get good reviews.

I've had good experiences using BikeYoke droppers before I went wireless, and the Wolf Tooth one is supposedly based on their design but even more geared towards reliability and ease of service.

I'm a big fan of Chris King bottom brackets and headsets. I live in a humid location, and CC 40s / FSA bearings die in months. CC 110s last about a year. CK just lasts forever for me.

[toast2266]

It’s raining and I’m bored, which means idly making spreadsheets and thinking about a new build. As my preferences change I’ve realized that while I like tinkering, I hate when I HAVE to work on stuff. So for people that have worked on a lot of stuff, if you were building a new full suspension trail/enduro rig what components would you pick if reliability was the number one concern? I’d define that as some combo of durability, long service intervals, and easy to work on. My thoughts so far:

- Probably coil front and rear although I don’t find most air suspension too hard to deal with.
- a frame with well sealed bearings placed in replaceable links.
- DT 350 hubs and probably the same for rims, unless going carbon.
- Mechanical SRAM drivetrains have held up well for me so I’d probably stick with that. Maybe a steel chainring.

Not sure what I’d do for brakes, dropper, and finishing kit.


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Personally I'd go coil rear, air front. I like the ease of adjustability of air in the front, and I'm not entirely sold on the coil options. And generally speaking, air forks aren't particularly maintenance intensive. But coil rear rides nice and is simple.

If you can deal with the reduced gear range, sram 11 speed is a good bit more bomber than the 12 speed stuff. But if you're going 12 speed, go X01. It's noticeably more robust than gx.

I find good quality carbon rims make for a wheel that's more bomber than aluminum. They don't dent, and they rarely go out of true. As long as you don't go crazy light, they'll last a long time.

1up dropper. That's an easy one.

If you want brakes that work the longest between bleeds, go code rsc's. They're not the most powerful, and they don't have the best lever feel, but they're pretty bomber. Mavens have more power but unclear if they have the same bomberness.

[Tailwind]

I'll echo toast on the air spring up front. The Air Spring never really needs to be serviced... dampers on the other hand need some care.

If you really wanted a fork that wouldn't need repairs maintenance or etc, getting a simpler damper could make sense. There is a significant ride quality difference but I do notice more degradation and issues with Grip2 Dampers over just the "Grip" damper. Years ago I ran a Rockshox Yari... which just seemed to work with zero complaints.

XT Link Glide would be on my radar for a setup that you don't need to work on. The Shimano 12 speed stuff is really really flimsy on the other hand... both SLX and XT RD's seems to wear out about as often as tires.

My brakes vote would be older Shimano XT's (8000 series) if you could find a new pair. Not the nicest but dead easy to work on and don't need much.

Also - seconded on the DT 350's. It's an easy choice.

[Abies]

Ok so with these crowdsourced data points, I’m thinking:

- Santa Cruz frame or something else not yet suggested.
- King headset and bottom bracket (although I don’t have issues with cane creek stuff personally)
- 11 speed X01 but with aluminum cranks, or link glide.
- Coil shock, maybe that Marzocchi one as it seems very simple.
- Z1 fork (GRIP damper, burly chassis)
- DT 350s, carbon rims or at least a carbon rear rim.
- 8020, code, or TRP brakes

not sure if it’s reassuring or not that I have half of this stuff already.


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[beaterdit]

Agree with Toast on all that, haha, I always agree with Toast.

Air front, coil rear here, XO 12 speed, 1UP V.1&2 posts, Code RSCs.

The new 1Up V.3 post looks sweet and it's not much more than the V.2, which have been great for me.

Code RSCs, they just work. As mentioned, not the most powerful but still plenty, and just bomber. I bleed once/year just because but I never feel the performance degrade.

Latest gen carbon rims are pretty bomber. Stay true and maintain uniform spoke tension. I'm on WAO Unions but the new Convergence looks awesome and they're on sale right now.

Agree with Andeh on headsets, Cane Creek 40s don't last for me either. The Utah dust I guess. I've had better luck with the 110 bearings but Chris King is the end-all-be-all for sure.

For a frame IDK. Seems like you can't go wrong with Santa Cruz. We're digging our Canfields, haven't had to do bearings yet but I've got a year on each frome. They are located in the links.

[jackstraw]

I just broke my sram level ult brake lever housing. I was thinking about replacing them with XT because I cannot stand sram brakes. These came on my Blur stock. All my other bikes have XT, so I guess I'm just used to that engagement.

Now I'm searching for the adapter to mount XT to AXS. Wolf Tooth sounds not ideal, idk. Has anyone done this?

[Whiteroom_Guardian]

Wahoo adhesive flat top tube mounts?

Looks like 76 Projects is out of stock. Who else?

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