Ask the experts

[ski whore]

I'm sure there's a thread about tires but wondering if anyone can throw out some options. Have about 10 rides on a Stumpy Evo that I built up w race face carbon wheels, and no matter the setting I put it in I can't seem to get over how poor it climbs compared to my Evil Offering in very similar geometry settings. I find myself standing through places I would normally sit and spin through on the Evil. Have been running the same tires on both, DHR II rear, DHF front. Had the same wheelset on the Evil so identical comparison.

What tire combo have you run that rolls fast, and also offers great grip both cornering and braking? Thanks!

[ski whore]

I'm sure there's a thread about tires but wondering if anyone can throw out some options. Have about 10 rides on a Stumpy Evo that I built up w race face carbon wheels, and no matter the setting I put it in I can't seem to get over how poor it climbs compared to my Evil Offering in very similar geometry settings. I find myself standing through places I would normally sit and spin through on the Evil. Have been running the same tires on both, DHR II rear, DHF front. Had the same wheelset on the Evil so identical comparison.

What tire combo have you run that rolls fast, and also offers great grip both cornering and braking? Thanks!

[zion zig zag]

I'm sure there's a thread about tires but wondering if anyone can throw out some options. Have about 10 rides on a Stumpy Evo that I built up w race face carbon wheels, and no matter the setting I put it in I can't seem to get over how poor it climbs compared to my Evil Offering in very similar geometry settings. I find myself standing through places I would normally sit and spin through on the Evil. Have been running the same tires on both, DHR II rear, DHF front. Had the same wheelset on the Evil so identical comparison.

What tire combo have you run that rolls fast, and also offers great grip both cornering and braking? Thanks!

What are you experiencing exactly? What leads you tho think it’s the tires? Are you spinning out? I recently started riding a Stump Evo and one of the first things I noticed was how easy it was to sit and spin through techy climbs, seems to have great climbing traction and manners.

[ski whore]

Only thing I could gather was that the DELTA platform w Evil is superior. Just feels significantly sluggish compared to the offering


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[zion zig zag]

Only thing I could gather was that the DELTA platform w Evil is superior. Just feels significantly sluggish compared to the offering


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Yeah, sluggish I can see, it’s not an XC climber for sure. I thought you were having traction issues.

[D(C)]

Those tires seem appropriate for the bike. What casing and compound?

[skaredshtles]

<snip>
What tire combo have you run that rolls fast, and also offers great grip both cornering and braking?

This doesn't exist.

Hope that helps.

[XtrPickels]

"Good climber" and "Bad Climber" are pretty subjective. Bikes with high anti-squat values feel "quick" because you can actually lift yourself up with each pedal stroke - this feels like you're launching forward each time but isn't actually because you're fighting bodyweight. Additionally these tend to be stiffer under power which results in less grip in technical climbing.

I'd say the Evil fits in this category, whereas the Stumpy Evo has lower anti-squat as is typical for Specialized bikes.
https://linkagedesign.blogspot.com/2...g-29-2019.html

With that said, I was previously running MaxxGrip Assegei and DC Aggressor and that felt slow on my Evo.
I've switched to T9 Eliminators on the front and T7 Purgatory's on the rear and this feels much faster with minimal loss in traction.

[toast2266]

I'm sure there's a thread about tires but wondering if anyone can throw out some options. Have about 10 rides on a Stumpy Evo that I built up w race face carbon wheels, and no matter the setting I put it in I can't seem to get over how poor it climbs compared to my Evil Offering in very similar geometry settings. I find myself standing through places I would normally sit and spin through on the Evil. Have been running the same tires on both, DHR II rear, DHF front. Had the same wheelset on the Evil so identical comparison.

What tire combo have you run that rolls fast, and also offers great grip both cornering and braking? Thanks!

That doesn't sound like a tire problem. Maybe a suspension setup problem. Or maybe just getting used to a bike that has a bit more travel (albeit mostly in the front) and different kinematics.

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[Huskier]

My X2 is making "squish sqwuarsh" sounds and generally riding like shit (blowing through travel despite adequate pressure and 2 spacers), but it has not yet exploded. How do I get Fox to warranty based on funny sounds? Do I loop in the bike mfg? My LBS?

Second question: I do not want to run another X2, or any Fox for that matter. The hell do I do with the replacement X2 they try to give me? Aren't they sort of infamous for shiftiness at this point?

Third question: Vivid vs SuperDeluxe. Is the weight penalty juice worth the squeeze? 150mil bike that spends a lot of time on chunky roots.

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[D(C)]

Question for the experts - have any of you done a home service on a Rockshox Charger 3 damper? I bought the $75 kit to convert it to Charger 3.1 and am contemplating whether to do the service myself or send it in.

In terms of comfort with the job, I've done as far as bleeding a Charger 2.1 damper, but have never done a full tear-down. Looking at the service manual, there are a few steps and parts, but no proprietary tools. For those who have taken apart a Charger 3, do you recommend I give it go? Is there anything that's easy to mess up (other than dropping a small part on the floor and having it disappear)? How many beers job is it?

[Andeh]

My X2 is making "squish sqwuarsh" sounds and generally riding like shit (blowing through travel despite adequate pressure and 2 spacers), but it has not yet exploded. How do I get Fox to warranty based on funny sounds? Do I loop in the bike mfg? My LBS?

Second question: I do not want to run another X2, or any Fox for that matter. The hell do I do with the replacement X2 they try to give me? Aren't they sort of infamous for shiftiness at this point?

Third question: Vivid vs SuperDeluxe. Is the weight penalty juice worth the squeeze? 150mil bike that spends a lot of time on chunky roots.

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My brother bought a used bike with an X2 that shit itself pretty quickly. Filled out a service request from Fox since shock was out of warranty, mailed it in to them and paid the $170 for service. Got a brand new 2024 one sent back. Anecdotally, I've heard the changes in the latest version do fix the self destructive nature of the X2.

I've got SDUs and Vivids for both my pedal and ebikes. If you're on roots a lot, I'd say the Vivid is worth it. In deep travel they feel pretty similar, but the Touchdown tech on the Vivid damper is really special for small bump. Basically it's position sensitive damping, where the first 15% (?) of shock stroke have the damping full open. SDU is a nice poppy shock that I'd favor for flow trails or trying to weight weenie (it's 200g less for same size).

[Andeh]

Question for the experts - have any of you done a home service on a Rockshox Charger 3 damper? I bought the $75 kit to convert it to Charger 3.1 and am contemplating whether to do the service myself or send it in.

In terms of comfort with the job, I've done as far as bleeding a Charger 2.1 damper, but have never done a full tear-down. Looking at the service manual, there are a few steps and parts, but no proprietary tools. For those who have taken apart a Charger 3, do you recommend I give it go? Is there anything that's easy to mess up (other than dropping a small part on the floor and having it disappear)? How many beers job is it?

I just got that kit and was going to do it in the next few days. I'll try to remember to say how it goes. I've never worked on a shock damper, but I did damper surgery on a pair of Super Deluxes a few months ago and it wasn't difficult, so this looks comparatively easy as long as I have the instructions in front of me and take my time.

[Spencer123]

I have warrantied two x2s in the past 6 months with that exact description, no further damage or oil leaking externally needed. They just sent me a brand new 2024 version. Not sure where you are located, but a previous thread made it sound like the west coast Reno service center was a lot more laid back about it than the east coast one.

[bagtagley]

They are dumping old stocks since Mara Pro V2 got released a few days ago.

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Been on sale for a while, so I was beginning to wonder. Mezzer has too, like a year. Guessing they’ve got an upgraded Mezzer coming out as well but they’re taking their time. So much so that they have 44mm in stock again, which is making it nearly impossible not to order one.

[ski whore]

That doesn't sound like a tire problem. Maybe a suspension setup problem. Or maybe just getting used to a bike that has a bit more travel (albeit mostly in the front) and different kinematics.

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I had my offering setup with 160mm fork as well so…


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[jm2e]

Tubeless tires on "non tubeless ready" wheels issue. Ever notice how some brands of tires are tighter than others? Like same wheels and one brand of tire you fight to get on the rim and another brand you can easily pop on by hand with little to no effort?

I've been running Maxxis Rambler 40 or 42mm tires on these older carbon XC rims for several years now. They only stay on the rims if at 50 pounds or more at least for the first while until the sealant like "glues" the beads in. I had a spoke break recently so had to pull everything apart and start the process over again. I didn't have time to immediately go ride 20 miles so the tire deflates quickly and then the beads unseat and you start all over again. Need a real compressor to get them to seat, throw valve core in as fast as possible, hand inflate to 60psi, frantically start on a ride, still lose PSI but at least the beads stay.

https://www.feedthehabit.com/easton-...eelset-review/

Should I stop fucking around and just get actual tubeless gravel wheels?

2015 called and asked for their question back.
Seriously, just stick tubes in there. It’s a gravel bike.


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[XXX-er]

Tubeless tires on "non tubeless ready" wheels issue. Ever notice how some brands of tires are tighter than others? Like same wheels and one brand of tire you fight to get on the rim and another brand you can easily pop on by hand with little to no effort?

I've been running Maxxis Rambler 40 or 42mm tires on these older carbon XC rims for several years now. They only stay on the rims if at 50 pounds or more at least for the first while until the sealant like "glues" the beads in. I had a spoke break recently so had to pull everything apart and start the process over again. I didn't have time to immediately go ride 20 miles so the tire deflates quickly and then the beads unseat and you start all over again. Need a real compressor to get them to seat, throw valve core in as fast as possible, hand inflate to 60psi, frantically start on a ride, still lose PSI but at least the beads stay.

https://www.feedthehabit.com/easton-...eelset-review/

Should I stop fucking around and just get actual tubeless gravel wheels?

If you got a known working combo ok but otherwise its a crapshoot and a huge waste of time & money IME

[Tailwind]

Tubeless works great on gravel bikes… maybe more important than mountain bikes (maybe not when remember getting 2 flats per ride on 26” wheels with tubes) but to the actual question….

Rim and tire spec matters. There are big variations in tires. You could choose some tires that have a tight fit and call it a day. The hacked version is to add .5-1 more wraps of rim tape. This won’t help them hold pressure initially though.

2015 called and asked for their question back.
Seriously, just stick tubes in there. It’s a gravel bike.


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[Andeh]

I just got that kit and was going to do it in the next few days. I'll try to remember to say how it goes. I've never worked on a shock damper, but I did damper surgery on a pair of Super Deluxes a few months ago and it wasn't difficult, so this looks comparatively easy as long as I have the instructions in front of me and take my time.

I did it last night. It took about 3 hours but I did get interrupted in the middle to cook/eat dinner. I didn't think any of it was especially technically challenging, but I do recommend having the instructions printed out to follow along. There was one point at which I started to reassemble part of the compression damper backwards, but caught it quickly and only had to backtrack a couple steps. So, it wasn't hard but it was time consuming. If I like the 3.1 and decide to put it on my other bike's fork, I may just get the complete assembly to save time, since it's just drop-in.

[D(C)]

I did it last night. It took about 3 hours but I did get interrupted in the middle to cook/eat dinner. I didn't think any of it was especially technically challenging, but I do recommend having the instructions printed out to follow along. There was one point at which I started to reassemble part of the compression damper backwards, but caught it quickly and only had to backtrack a couple steps. So, it wasn't hard but it was time consuming. If I like the 3.1 and decide to put it on my other bike's fork, I may just get the complete assembly to save time, since it's just drop-in.

Thanks for the update. Sounds like it’s worth a shot, though making sure I have adequate time blocked off.

[Whiteroom_Guardian]

So I just went back to the trusty gorilla tape method with two layers. Actual rim tape too thin. Shakeout ride this AM and I think she is good to go again.

Tubeless at 50psi+ on a steel gravel bike is a dream honestly. I used to run tubes on this same bike for like 1 day and it was WAY harsher.

[rideit]

Do, last time I had to do that, I ran a layer of electrical tape first, then one strip of Gorilla Tape. Made removal easy peasy, zero residue. Lasted on my wife’s wheel for over a year.
I also just got this for cheap.

[singlesline]

So I just went back to the trusty gorilla tape method with two layers. Actual rim tape too thin. Shakeout ride this AM and I think she is good to go again.

Tubeless at 50psi+ on a steel gravel bike is a dream honestly. I used to run tubes on this same bike for like 1 day and it was WAY harsher.

50+ seems high for tires that size, no?

I only go that high if I'm not actually riding gravel...pavement or smooth super hardpack.

[Whiteroom_Guardian]

These tires are rated up to 60psi. All the gravel here is accessed by pavement anyway. To just ride gravel you gotta drive out somewhere and then park. I'm on gravel after a mile or two of pavement from the house. I have run lower pressures and it just feels too slow to me.