Ask the experts

[carlh]

I have a hub spacer on the rear of my hardtail, works fine, is annoying to install the wheel but it doesn't come out very often and only adds like 15 seconds.

Any suggestions on lube to fix a creaking seat? I have tried a chain lube and some lock dry lube but both only last like one ride.

[esseff]

Creaking seat is most likely the clamp (as in it needs to be tightened). Only other options is (a) seat post or (b) cracked seat rail.

I have a hub spacer on the rear of my hardtail, works fine, is annoying to install the wheel but it doesn't come out very often and only adds like 15 seconds.

Any suggestions on lube to fix a creaking seat? I have tried a chain lube and some lock dry lube but both only last like one ride.

[Roxtar]

Starting to accumulate bits for a Spring bike build, grabbing Shimano 12sp stuff here and there. Any reason to not use a Shimano cassette?

Saw some chatter a while back in this thread about the Garbaruk stuff, I'm going for a new wheelset so getting microspline is not an issue.

My default move is typically an XT cassette

No.
The chain/cassette interface is pretty much the defining issue with the great Shimano 12sp performance.
I'd strongly recommend not swapping anything into those areas. Stick with Shimano.

[ticketchecker]

No.
The chain/cassette interface is pretty much the defining issue with the great Shimano 12sp performance.
I'd strongly recommend not swapping anything into those areas. Stick with Shimano.

That's what I figured, tight tolerance with 12sp. Now I just need to make up my mind on the frame so I get one by June!

[El Chupacabra]

Creaking seat is most likely the clamp (as in it needs to be tightened). Only other options is (a) seat post or (b) cracked seat rail.

I've also seen a seat creak where the rail goes into the seat. Could try removing seat, running some lube down the rail into where it goes into the seat base.

More common was the seat clamp on the seatpost - either between the clamp and rails (clean the rails, grease lightly if that doesn't do it), or between the seatpost head and the movable parts on the seatpost clamp (clean and light grease also).

[ticketchecker]

Been running a boost adapter for a couple years, can confirm what El Chup and HAB said, can be a PITA if you're taking the wheel off much.

The other thing that may or may not have happened to me is you could be driving 2.5 hours to a ride, get 1.5 hours of the way there and realize you left the fucking spacers at home. Three more hours of driving is the only solution for that problem, YMMV

Oh and if you get them and have a choice of colors, get a color that doesn't blend into the ground when you drop it.

[XXX-er]

Any suggestions on lube to fix a creaking seat? I have tried a chain lube and some lock dry lube but both only last like one ride.

Even if its not a carbon bike try some carbon paste

Me and another dentist bought a couple of YETI 5.5's and the seat post creaked which is a piss off when you just spent 6K

I tried chainlube both wax & petro, teflon pipe thread tape, everything I could think of and it still creaked

The carbon paste stopped the creak 100%

I started using it on every thing I wanted to grip and not squeak even aluminium

[carlh]

The creak is between the rails and shell of the saddle itself, clamp is tight. It happens to my fat ass on MTB seats as the rail fit gets sloppy with use until I replace the seat. Maybe I can mix plastic safe grease with some solvent to flow in and fix longer.

[radam]

[QUOTE=ticketchecker;6192273

Oh and if you get them and have a choice of colors, get a color that doesn't blend into the ground when you drop it.[/QUOTE]

That's a solid tip


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[El Chupacabra]

The creak is between the rails and shell of the saddle itself, clamp is tight. It happens to my fat ass on MTB seats as the rail fit gets sloppy with use until I replace the seat. Maybe I can mix plastic safe grease with some solvent to flow in and fix longer.

I think I fixed this creak before using Sno Seal and a heat gun, thinning it out to run down the rail and into the seat.

[jm2e]

If it’s the rail/ saddle interface, if dripped chain lube in there.
But really you need a new saddle. And this time you need one from a brand with a good warranty bought from a shop that’ll back you up.


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[Andeh]

Yeah, WTB will replace any saddle that starts creaking (or breaks) directly, no need to go through shop or retailer.

[carlh]

I will try the snow seal trick, chain lube isn't lasting.
I know I need a new saddle, this is the stock anvl on my sentinel which actually fits my ass really well so I might just find another take off for cheap. I haven't gotten along with any WTBs I have ridden.

[XXX-er]

so you know its the seat as opposed to the rest of the bike its bolted to

repalce the fucking seat

[mall walker]

I think it has been asked, but any tips on getting a fucking tight tire over a wheel? Vittoria Mezcal 29s. I just broke a tire lever trying to get them seated.

[XXX-er]

metal tire levers ?
https://www.mtbr.com/threads/vittori...eview.1172133/

here ^^ they are saying the Mezcal are easy to mount

i wonder if it has anything to do with your rims ?

I had some tubeless Shwalbe road tires I couldn't get on some 15yr old shimano road rims, I was breaking plastic tire levers, these rims were flat across the inside of the rim where the spoke heads stick up so there was nowhere for the bead to drop into during instal

IME don't try to use tubeless road tires on a rim that is not tubeless specific

[SchralphMacchio]

Triple check that the rest of the tire bead is dropped into the center channel of the rim. Use soapy water on the rim wall and bead where you’re trying to drop it on. Lay the rim down sideways on top of a round garbage bin and try to roll that fucker on the rim with the meat of the palm of your hands.

[toast2266]

Seriously. Metal tire levers. I have some foot long metal levers for moto tires that I use all the time. If you're not a complete ape with them, they don't mar up the rim at all.


But yeah, especially with some of the smaller tire brands, it seems like the bead diameter isn't very precise. One run of tires will be crazy tight, another run of tires will be sloppy loose.

[scrublover]

Question about generic boost adapters/spacers (like those produced by Problem Solvers or available thru ebay from someone with a machine shop, etc). They would be put to use on a Hunt hub, which I believe is a rebranded Novatec.
My understanding is that they more or less work fine, but because they are not replacing the endcaps the way the Wolftooth/MRP kits do, they are a pain in the ass when removing/installing wheels.
Is there any reason using a couple drops of superglue or a wrap of electrical tape to adhere the spacers to the original endcaps wouldn't solve that problem? I can't recall anyone mentioning that. Am I under or overthinking this?

I have one of my fronts set up like that. Used a bit of JBWeld to keep the spacer and endcap together. Don't hamfist the removal or install of the wheel, and it works well. Sanded and smoothed things out - no lumpy epoxy bits. Was rebuilding it with a new rim anyhow.

Caveat: this is on an ooooooooold Hope Bulb 100x20mm front hub. Had to fab up my own spacer to make it work anyhow, as nothing off the shelf would work, and it was going to be useless to me otherwise. Granted it's the ancient spare wheelset with a plus tire setup for throwing on the trailbike now and again - doesn't see a ton of miles. Now I think about it, the rear got similar treatment. An old King 12x135 (already with the 142 conversion on). Two 3mm axle spacers, one each side. Had to fiddle with some cassette spacers to get those to line up nicely so as not to have to adjust shifting when swapping wheels, but wasn't hard.

Otherwise, yeah, what everyone else said.

[ticketchecker]

No.
The chain/cassette interface is pretty much the defining issue with the great Shimano 12sp performance.
I'd strongly recommend not swapping anything into those areas. Stick with Shimano.

Any case to be made on 45t vs 51t?

FWIW, I've got an 11-46 11sp on one of my bikes now and I prefer the shifting on the 11-42 on my other bike.

[Roxtar]

Any case to be made on 45t vs 51t?

FWIW, I've got an 11-46 11sp on one of my bikes now and I prefer the shifting on the 11-42 on my other bike.

51
Shimano 12sp has really nice stepping (28-33-39-45-51) that makes the entire range actually usable, rather than a tight 11 gear range with big "bail-out" 12th gear.
If you have easier terrain, go to a bigger front.

[toast2266]

51
Shimano 12sp has really nice stepping (28-33-39-45-51) that makes the entire range actually usable, rather than a tight 11 gear range with big "bail-out" 12th gear.
If you have easier terrain, go to a bigger front.

X2
...

[Dantheman]

Since we're talking drivetrains--has anyone used Garbaruk cassettes and can comment on how well they shift under load? I'm pretty over how shitty SRAM 11-42 shifts. In different times the obvious answer would be to upgrade to Shimano 12 sp, but given the availability issues, additional cost and need for a different hub driver, a partial solution that only involves a new cassette sounds nice. I'm not sure I want to be a guinea pig for E13's new cassette.

[Whiteroom_Guardian]

FWIW my 11spd e13 shifted 10 times better than my GX Eagle.....this was using the first 51 tooth E13 cassette that apparently many people had issues with. It maybe wore out a little faster than you would like, but it was worth it for good shifting.

.....and yes, the answer is Shimano 12spd now.....always.....but can't get them I guess now? Glad I picked up a barely used XT groupo here in the fall.

Honestly cannot imagine EVER running Sram again now.

[XXX-er]

I like my Shimano but Sram might catch up if shimano fucks up again like when they atempted the 2nd coming of rapidrise, as a result in 2005 half the new bikes had SRAM and it was as good or > Shimano and i liked my X9