Ask the experts

[volklpowdermaniac]

A very sad looking Shimano piston. They're not supposed to be variable thickness...

This, was taking dive into dragging feeling and inconsistent bite and found that cracked beauty, luckily have an old 8020 I was able to harvest one from.

[Duffman]

What's the downside of narrower bars on an modern geometry 40mm stem bike? Playing around with my Ripley AF which came with the Ibis Carbon HiFi bars at 800mm, which fits me fine at 6'1 with a 42 chest suit size , but is a touch wide for some of the narrower singletrack around here. I took the endcap spacers totally out which makes it a 750mm bar (which I thought was too narrow for me) and liked the way the bike rode better in addition to more trail clearance. Think I'll cut the spacers down and put them back to try like a 770-780mm bar size next.

Obviously this is all preference, but considering most trail bikes come wider these days, what is the theoretical negative of a short 750mm bar?

[SchralphMacchio]

There is a non scientific geometric relationship between bar width, stack, reach, and stem length. Put it another way, when your hands are farther apart they work better closer to your chest, as you shrink that width the stem length may want to increase or the rise may want to adjust to locate your chest and head in a similar place. If it’s small changes like you are talking about I think you will compensate.

[SchralphMacchio]

If you use double end-clamp lock on grips you can play with moving the grips inboard without cutting (through you want to cap the ends so that you don’t impale yourself in a crash) and also play with a 10-15mm longer stem at the narrower setup. I use Diety Painkiller bolt on bar caps on my loaner bike, with ODI lock on grips, this way I can move the grips around to accommodate different sized riders without cutting the bar. I also have a few stems for the loaner bike.

[toast2266]

A healthy percentage of the enduro pro guys are running narrow-ish bars. 740-760. I think the stronger you are and the better bike handling skills you have, the more you're able to run something a bit narrower than what might be considered "optimal" for your wingspan/ stem length/ stack height/ frame reach.

[Johnny Utah]

Experimenting with a frankendrivetrain right before a road trip to an impoverished ex-logging town with one bike shop, in a place where tree branches and also entire trees will just randomly fall across the trail and get sucked into your derailleur sounds like a BRILLIANT idea!!!!!
[emoji12]

That’s the exact type of encouragement I’m looking for, Schralph! Old derailleur was smoked, so (fingers crossed) this actually might be my most reliable option for surviving Smokeridge


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[jackstraw]

A healthy percentage of the enduro pro guys are running narrow-ish bars. 740-760. I think the stronger you are and the better bike handling skills you have, the more you're able to run something a bit narrower than what might be considered "optimal" for your wingspan/ stem length/ stack height/ frame reach.

Interesting.

There is so much "talk" and we all just kind of go with it. Leverage always made sense but there is a point of hindrance. We have learned to turn our bars between the trees, meaning come into it at an angle and turn in-between them for the fastest and cleanest line. Thats easily said if you know the trail(s) otherwise it's a bit of a shitshow

[Andeh]

If you use double end-clamp lock on grips you can play with moving the grips inboard without cutting (through you want to cap the ends so that you don’t impale yourself in a crash) and also play with a 10-15mm longer stem at the narrower setup. I use Diety Painkiller bolt on bar caps on my loaner bike, with ODI lock on grips, this way I can move the grips around to accommodate different sized riders without cutting the bar. I also have a few stems for the loaner bike.

Yeah, I went through this exercise a while ago except I used Ergon grips with the end plugs, and cut the little lip off the grip itself so I could slide it inward. I moved them in 10mm at a time until I found that I liked 760mm, and 750 felt a little bit too far.

The only real downside to running narrower bars like that is when you hop on rental or loaner bikes with uncut 800 bars, it feels fucking terrible.

[Duffman]

I didn't mind the 800mm bars off the bat position wise other than tight trail clearance, but as this is my first new bike in forever I had no frame of reference. I figured I would hate the spacers out going all the way down to 750mm, but the bike felt great. My grips are one piece lizard skins so can't try the slide the grips in trick. Think I will cut the spacers to like 770 and try that out now

[Eluder]

I’ve settled at 770 with 40 or 50mm stems.

[SchralphMacchio]

I’ve settled at 770 with 40 or 50mm stems.

It’s pretty eerie how similar you and I are in size, please keep giving me first right of refusal on all the gear you are parting with [emoji23]

770 also my ideal but I have everything from 740 to 800 on my bikes.

That said I’m running a 60mm stem on my Bronson because it’s a Gen 1 frame but 35mm on my Guerilla Gravity.

[dcpnz]

Old Magura Marta SL leaking from somewhere around the lever/master cylinder so working on likelihood theres no rebuild/replacement pathway looking to replace with an inexpensive modern brake to keep this old bike running.

What do I need here?



Is this just a “flat mount” standard?
If I use a shimano flat mount caliper do I also need to unravel the appropriate shimano flat mount adapters or can I reuse the magura adapter?
Are there flat mount to post mount adapters and would that be a better option in that I could go with more readily available and cheaper PM caliper options?

[toast2266]

Old Magura Marta SL leaking from somewhere around the lever/master cylinder so working on likelihood theres no rebuild/replacement pathway looking to replace with an inexpensive modern brake to keep this old bike running.

What do I need here?



If I use a shimano flat mount caliper do I also need to unravel the appropriate shimano flat mount adapters or can I reuse the magura adapter?
Are there flat mount to post mount adapters and would that be a better option in that I could go with more readily available and cheaper PM caliper options?

You have what looks to be an I.S. mount. So you'll need to get an adapter for whatever brake you get. Post mount is most common, so in that case you'd need an IS to post adapter. And you'd need the appropriate size adapter for your rotor size. So for example IS -> post for 160mm rotor.

[SchralphMacchio]

Isn’t the IS standard rotor size 160? With that existing IS to IS adapter, I would guess that is a 180 mm rotor?

[dcpnz]

You have what looks to be an I.S. mount. So you'll need to get an adapter for whatever brake you get. Post mount is most common, so in that case you'd need an IS to post adapter. And you'd need the appropriate size adapter for your rotor size. So for example IS -> post for 160mm rotor.

Thank you!
Very easy to find, readily available and inexpensive now I know what to search for….

[Johnny Utah]

I might experiment with the highly polarizing sramano axs setup — gx axs derailleur/shifter with XT cassette/chain. Looks like the only possible quirk for setup is the b-gap adjustment, as the sram tool won’t play nicely with the xt cassette. Saw a video where they recommended measuring 40mm from tooth to jockey under sag. Does this sound right? Am I gonna die? (Note: I’m terrible with drivetrain adjustments, which is partially why I’m axs curious in the first place).
Attachment 468595


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This seems to have worked… definitely shifting better than my smoked XT derailleur, on and off the stand. Now it just needs to survive a long weekend at smokeridge…

Edit: hardest part was actually pulling my old cable housing from the Ripmo frame. And by hard, I mean seemingly impossible and I failed miserably. Ultimately decided to snip it at the ports and tidy things up, leaving just enough tail end to try again later. Very dumb. And now itd seem that I’m definitely committed to wireless for the time being 🤦


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[Eluder]

It’s pretty eerie how similar you and I are in size, please keep giving me first right of refusal on all the gear you are parting with [emoji23]

770 also my ideal but I have everything from 740 to 800 on my bikes.

That said I’m running a 60mm stem on my Bronson because it’s a Gen 1 frame but 35mm on my Guerilla Gravity.

Deal!

Isn’t the IS standard rotor size 160? With that existing IS to IS adapter, I would guess that is a 180 mm rotor?

IS is actually 140mm standard rear.

dcpnz: Also buy a new rotor when you get brakes, that thing is worn funny.

[sfotex]

This seems to have worked… definitely shifting better than my smoked XT derailleur, on and off the stand. Now it just needs to survive a long weekend at smokeridge…

Edit: hardest part was actually pulling my old cable housing from the Ripmo frame. And by hard, I mean seemingly impossible and I failed miserably. Ultimately decided to snip it at the ports and tidy things up, leaving just enough tail end to try again later. Very dumb. And now itd seem that I’m definitely committed to wireless for the time being ��


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12 speed Shimano chain on a Sram X-sync 2 front ring is a bit noisy, but it sounds like you had XT gears to start with?. My son has a Cannondale FSI with their special short chainstay/6mm offset so I can't use a Woftooth, Absolute Black ,etc. ring. I called Absolute Black and the owner suggested using a KMC chain if all else fails.

[volklpowdermaniac]

Some follow ups to the rotor ?s and glove search
First off the fast house blasters kick ass. The clarino palm is le tits. Perfect medium weight with padded knuckles.

https://www.fasthouse.com/products/s...UaAgupEALw_wcB

Coming from a guy who’s ridden 75% gloveless for last few years. And on nice sale.

Found a RT66 and a Hayes d rotor locally.
The Shimano is by eye, not true out of box, not hugely off but easy to see.
The Hayes is damn near true if it’s out of true it’s almost not perceptible.

We will see how they hold up

[Roxtar]

Found a RT66 and a Hayes d rotor locally.
The Shimano is by eye, not true out of box, not hugely off but easy to see.
The Hayes is damn near true if it’s out of true it’s almost not perceptible.

We will see how they hold up

You're saying they are out of true enough to see by eye in the box?!
Unless you have Steve Austin's bionic eye that would indicate a huge amount of waviness. Far more than could ever work in the actual brake. I doubt I could see even a 1/8" gradual wave without it being mounted on the wheel and spinning.
If it is that bad, someone at the shop dropped it.

[volklpowdermaniac]

You're saying they are out of true enough to see by eye in the box?!
Unless you have Steve Austin's bionic eye that would indicate a huge amount of waviness. Far more than could ever work in the actual brake. I doubt I could see even a 1/8" gradual wave without it being mounted on the wheel and spinning.
If it is that bad, someone at the shop dropped it.

Oh yeah I meant I put it on the bike, and spun it, maybe I should have clarified d’o$
But Yeah I mean I don’t know what it is but I pulled it directly off shelf onto bike and when you look down the barrel of the brake with the rotors out and give it a spin you can see it moving off center quite easily, not touch the walls of caliper obviously, but not hard to see either

[Duffman]

What's the best way to shorten Shimano brake hoses on new cheap mt201 brakes without a full bleed. Picked up a set for the groms 24in to replace some mech discs but as expected the hoses are long

[teledad]

What's the best way to shorten Shimano brake hoses on new cheap mt201 brakes without a full bleed. Picked up a set for the groms 24in to replace some mech discs but as expected the hoses are long

I've had good luck just disconnecting the cable at the lever, cutting the cable and installing with a new olive & barb, then doing a lever bleed with the funnel.

[El Chupacabra]

What's the best way to shorten Shimano brake hoses on new cheap mt201 brakes without a full bleed. Picked up a set for the groms 24in to replace some mech discs but as expected the hoses are long

You can remove the wheel, squeeze the lever and force the pistons out a bit (not too far),then cut the hose at the lever end. Reassemble lever end (barb, olive), push pistons back into caliper. Reinstall wheel, align brakes.

This seems to avoid any bleed maybe 75% of the time. If needed, a quick reservoir bleed will take care of it.

If this sounds risky, don't do it.

[MCS5280]

Trying to get my body position on my trail hardtail closer to my full suspension bike. It looks like a 40mm rise bar will do it (out of room for more stem spacers). Any recommendations for a compliant 31.8 bar with 40mm rise? Relatively light rider (155 lb) so don't need anything too beefy.