Anyone have anything they'd like to rant about?

[HotSchmoo]

Ok RE: tires
I'm of the opinion that chunky tires are overkill for 90% of people 90% of the time.
For a typical say 140ish front travel / 120-140ish rear bike in most conditions, most people aren't really riding all that hard. Faster tires would work better in most situations. For you know, actual normal "Trail bike" situations.
I'm not talking about actual XC tires.

Kinda think especially chunky tires appeal most to super expert hardcores or just rank beginners. Cuz they roll really slow and feel forgiving maybe, i dunno.
A grippyish front tire tread pattern witha fast rolling rubber compound. Combined with a faster rolling rear that's halfway between a grippier xc semislick and a very grippy enduro type tire.
I'd love to hear why I'm wrong.

Again, not talking about real XC or conversely actual "enduro" shredding.

[Mustonen]

Like skiing fat skis, I prefer to prioritize the down and maximize what I want to be riding. Is it overkill for me? Sure.

That said, tire width isn’t a clean 1-1 for ski width. I’m on 2.5 front and back and should probably lose at least 1/2” on the back if not the front.

[toast2266]

Like skiing fat skis, I prefer to prioritize the down and maximize what I want to be riding. Is it overkill for me? Sure.

This, more or less.

Fast rolling tires will help on climbs, but climbs aren't the part of the ride that I enjoy, and fast tires aren't going to change that. Fast tires will, however, make the descents less fun. So now I've managed to make the whole ride unfun instead of only half of it.

That isn't overkill. That's just choosing the right tool for the job I'm doing. If I was trying to do a different job, then yes, I would choose a different tool.

Edit: I should add that I do actually run faster tires on my trail bike. But that just means maxxterra compound instead of maxxgrip.

[Gunder]

Dub crank bolts.
Overall, the Dub stuff has been great, BBs seem to be holding up…but goddamn, the shit we’ve done to break the bolts open for crank extraction is insane. Used an old Park frame alignment tool FFS-2 on the NDS crankarm and a handlebar on the wrench last week. Smelled like bumper cars when it broke free.
It had only been re-installed about a week prior with grease on threads and splines.
I’ve experimented with grease under the self-extraction cap ( which also seems to unthread and fall off lots of cranks- finally got a resupply, but we’re telling folks to keep an eye on the trail for ground scores) but I can’t really tell if that makes a difference. My hunch is that there might be some binding between the bolt and cap.
Anybody got any other tricks?


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First use anti seize not grease. There is a difference. Second always install with a torque wrench. I’ve always had no issue being able to remove with a hex socket and my 18” Snapon ratchet ( my go to for crank and pedal removal) finally if all also fails use an impact wrench, not an impact driver. There is a massive difference between the two.


There is no reason to ever remove the cap, except to lock tight it on when it’s new as by design it acts as a crank puller when left in and you just unthread the crank bolt.

[jm2e]

I love that this conversation started with “overall, the Dub stuff has been great”
Sounds fucking horrible to me. Actually, sounds a lot like the Lezyne pump discussions!


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[frorider]

I’ve had no issues with dub. Ti anti seize paste of course.

https://www.betamtb.com/gear/compone...ottom-bracket/

[jamal]

outside online: please pay us to read this sram ad.

The funny thing is that bb92 dub bottom bracket still uses 30mm ID bearings.

[bagtagley]

When will trail organizations realize that all this flow trail they're building requires way more maintenance than traditional trail? If you build a trail that relies on berms and smoothness to carry speed, then you have to maintain that shit. Otherwise, it all crumbles and gets carried away, and what you're left with is a flat, technical trail with (even more) baffling shitty lines and constant pedaling to carry momentum.

[toast2266]

When will trail organizations realize that all this flow trail they're building requires way more maintenance than traditional trail? If you build a trail that relies on berms and smoothness to carry speed, then you have to maintain that shit. Otherwise, it all crumbles and gets carried away, and what you're left with is a flat, technical trail with (even more) baffling shitty lines and constant pedaling to carry momentum.

You're not wrong.

The one pseudo flow trail we have in our little network takes, by far, the most work to maintain. But in fairness, it's what people like to ride. That trail gets more traffic than every other trail in the network combined.

[bagtagley]

But in fairness, it's what people like to ride. That trail gets more traffic than every other trail in the network combined.

Very fair, and I'm not opposed to building trail that appeals to the majority of users (and doesn't mess with existing, long-standing trails). I also don't mind flow trail that actually has good flow. The problem around here is that a lot of what's getting built isn't very good, and it continues to get worse because the focus is on building more, rather than working on what we've already got.

[toast2266]

^^^ for sure. Legitimately good flow trail that rides well, drains well, and holds up to heavy traffic is actually pretty hard to build. As much as anything, it comes down to the terrain. So many places try to force a flow trail into terrain that just isn't that conducive to it.

[Andeh]

Our main local trail gnome really loves flow trails but the amount of time he spends trying to maintain them (considering it only rains here like a half dozen times a year) is absolutely silly. And when they start to get dry and crumbly I'd rather just ride something raw. Yesterday I came in hot to a berm but then laid the bike over because a big soft patch had developed right in the apex / best line of a previously hard berm.

[chicken feathers]

Not sure if I told this story here before.
A few years ago I wrecked and ditched my bike downhill into some rocks. The chainring took the hit and folded like a taco. Since it was fucked it seemed like the only thing to do was hammer it back into a ridable shape with a rock. I find a nice rock to lay the chainring on, like an anvil, and another rock for a hammer.
While I'm in the middle of hammering two riders show up on the trail. They don't say hi, or ask if I'm good, or even seem to realize that I'm hammering on my bike w/ rocks. One asks if I have any chain lube he can use. I shook my head no and they rode off without saying anything else. It was one of those interactions where you ask wtf is wrong with some people.
And I was able to hammer it back into shape enough to keep the chain from dropping and continue the ride.

[Boissal]

Not sure if I told this story here before.
A few years ago I wrecked and ditched my bike downhill into some rocks. The chainring took the hit and folded like a taco. Since it was fucked it seemed like the only thing to do was hammer it back into a ridable shape with a rock. I find a nice rock to lay the chainring on, like an anvil, and another rock for a hammer.
While I'm in the middle of hammering two riders show up on the trail. They don't say hi, or ask if I'm good, or even seem to realize that I'm hammering on my bike w/ rocks. One asks if I have any chain lube he can use. I shook my head no and they rode off without saying anything else. It was one of those interactions where you ask wtf is wrong with some people.
And I was able to hammer it back into shape enough to keep the chain from dropping and continue the ride.

Outstanding.
What could possible go through someone's head to lead them to ask a guy bashing on his bike with a rock if he has chain lube. Who fucking carries chain lube anyway outside of really long dusty rides out in the boonies?

[VTskibum]

Very fair, and I'm not opposed to building trail that appeals to the majority of users (and doesn't mess with existing, long-standing trails). I also don't mind flow trail that actually has good flow. The problem around here is that a lot of what's getting built isn't very good, and it continues to get worse because the focus is on building more, rather than working on what we've already got.

That flow trail we rode last June together wasn’t too bad and seemed pretty new. Guessing they’ve expanded on that? Plenty of other natural trail in your area still thankfully! Definitely agree on the quality over quantity POV though!

As I sit here injured this summer (in part) bc of a high speed poorly constructed trail, the high speed flow certainly can have some consequence vs more old school/natural trails. Broad generalization of course. Do enjoy flow and bank/natural in equal parts myself.


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[Bunion 2020]

Who fucking carries chain lube anyway outside of really long dusty rides out in the boonies?

I have a 1 oz bottle that fits in my pack and that I keep filled out of a bulk bottle of lube. Ya never even know you have it until you need it.

[HotSchmoo]

When will trail organizations realize that all this flow trail they're building requires way more maintenance than traditional trail? If you build a trail that relies on berms and smoothness to carry speed, then you have to maintain that shit. Otherwise, it all crumbles and gets carried away, and what you're left with is a flat, technical trail with (even more) baffling shitty lines and constant pedaling to carry momentum.

Fuck yeah. Completely agree. I dont mind a good fast flow but really prefer to keep that style to about 25% of my riding.
Alot of people these days want to just ride flow trail cuz that's all they've ever ridden. They dont have the skills to ride narrow natural trail, even easy ones.
I find flow trails problematic also due to the fact that a more advanced flow trail just become jump lines.

[rideit]

Outstanding.
What could possible go through someone's head to lead them to ask a guy bashing on his bike with a rock if he has chain lube. Who fucking carries chain lube anyway outside of really long dusty rides out in the boonies?

I am sure they just saw him working and thought, “Oh, hey, look, a bike mechanic. I bet he has lube.”
Perfectly normal.

[jm2e]

Not sure if I told this story here before.
A few years ago I wrecked and ditched my bike downhill into some rocks. The chainring took the hit and folded like a taco. Since it was fucked it seemed like the only thing to do was hammer it back into a ridable shape with a rock. I find a nice rock to lay the chainring on, like an anvil, and another rock for a hammer.
While I'm in the middle of hammering two riders show up on the trail. They don't say hi, or ask if I'm good, or even seem to realize that I'm hammering on my bike w/ rocks. One asks if I have any chain lube he can use. I shook my head no and they rode off without saying anything else. It was one of those interactions where you ask wtf is wrong with some people.
And I was able to hammer it back into shape enough to keep the chain from dropping and continue the ride.

Only thing I can that would make this a good story is finding a post on another forum saying
“Buddy and I are riding along and we come up to this dude absolutely whaling on his bike with a rock. No idea what’s going on, but when he looks up he’s shooting daggers with his eyes. Neither of us has a multi tool because we don’t use packs anymore. So instead of explaining we can’t help, and instead of offering help that we can’t provide, I ask the guy if he’s got any lube! Fucking rode out of there before he could attack us and laughed our way back to the car”

But more likely, they’re just inconsiderate pricks.


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[rideit]

I had a new one today. After a decent climb, I started the DH, and my rear brake was squealing like CRAZY. And lost a lot of power, so much so that I basically rode the (chill) dh with only the front brake. Rotor fairly new, pads about 60% worn. Upon disassembly, I discovered that a piece of electrical tape had jammed itself between my pads and rotors, and turned into black, tarry goo.
Good excuse to put on a newer rotor and pads, but I am going to try to clean off the goo. Just tried Alcohol, gonna try maybe some comet, and finish with acetone. That oughtta do it.

[plugboots]

Indeed. Sunglass storage should be a mandatory feature, like straps.

I can confirm that Evdog rides without glasses, even on dry, fast trails where I would be deathly afraid of something getting in my eye.

I'm firmly in the sunglasses camp, even while skiing. Only when it's really dumping or like 5 deg F will I wear goggles, but I don't ride lifts.

My rant is about "photochromic" lenses that won't work at all when the temp is below 40F. I'm looking at you, Julbo. When we ski into the evening and the glasses stay at full dark, we are not impressed.

Sorry for the delay. I just started using them in the beginning of winter and used them all winter skate skiing, and I liked them so much, I bought the green lens aerospace goggles. I then got a pair of the same aerolites for my wife, and she likes them better than any of the gazillion glasses I’ve gotten her over the years that she basically grabs by the lens and ruins. Well she likes the costa green mirrors for fly fishing, but that’s a different animal.
All are 1-3 reactiv. I use clear revent? brand lenses in my old Oakley frames for night fat biking, but one time for kicks I used my Julbos and they worked great. I prolly will not get Oakleys or Smiths or anything else until, (again, except Costas for fly fishing), I find a cooler technology.

[jm2e]

rideit, how the heck does electrical tape get in there?


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[simple]

I put a new shift cable on the wife's bike. Told her it's new and left it at that.

She texts me at 7am saying it will not shift. Sends me this photo. Any guesses why I'm super pissed?

How do three women who ride bikes constantly and for many years not know how to fix anything on a bicycle? It's a cable not a computer mainframe. It probably slipped as soon as she tried to ham fist shift it like she always does

What are they waiting for? AAA to show up?

[Bunion 2020]

if You=AAA then, yes.

[simple]

if You=AAA then, yes.

Another husband was called an a spare bike was dispatched. Ridiculous