Ask the experts

[Boissal]

I've done the file and nail polish method because I was worried polishing epoxy would be too hard and i'd end up polishing off half the stanchion.
It looked beautiful but the nail polish eventually got rubbed off (logically). If I had to do it again I'd just make sure there are no sharp edges on the stanchion and call it good. Not sure there's much benefit in filling the scratch with anything, can't imagine it will make your fork suck that much more dust...

[Thaleia]

First would be to confirm the derailleur is installed correctly - should clear the big ring by 3mm, and the cage should be parallel with the chainrings (or trailing end of the cage a touch inboard).

If that’s good, next would be to try backing out the low limit screw to allow the derailleur to move further inboard when shifting to the small ring. Also check to make sure that the cable goes slack when in the small ring - cable tension would keep the derailleur from moving fully inboard.

Also, is the cable lubed and moving freely?

Everything looks good and as you described. Cable seems to move freely.

Of course on the stand it shifts properly as is, so for now I've backed out the low a bit more and will test it on tomorrow's ride.

Thank you for the guidance.

[mildbill.]

I've done the file and nail polish method because I was worried polishing epoxy would be too hard and i'd end up polishing off half the stanchion.

I have a bottle of bright orange nail polish - have had to do 2 or 3 fixes. I like the orange becasue it is easeir to track and see as it wears if you need to replace.

I do not use a file, but rather cut small squares out of a sheet of 1500 - 2000 - 2500 grit sandpaper. Takes a while but it removes the nail polish but not the stanchion coating. I use the 1500 for the prouder bits of the nail polish and go finer from there.

[Boissal]

Experts, thoughts on Bitex hubs, specifically the BX212?

I've had it with the Hydra on my big bike. It has the worst drag of any hub I've ever tried, the bearings go to shite in under a season, the buzz has lot its appeal by now, and the fast engagement is not something I care for (honestly don't find my DT350s to be lacking in that department).
I'm having a new wheel built and the DT350 option is more than $200 pricier than the Bitex one. Same number of POE, very similar weights. The reviews seem quite positive but I'd be curious to hear from anyone one here having tried those hubs.
Another option that is cheaper than DT by $100 (but more expensive than Bitex by $100 as well) would be the new Hope Pro 5. Faster engagement, blingy, apparently lowest drag ever, but I'm reading that bearings can go fast.

I don't care for bling at all, I like the 350 cause they work, require 0 maintenance, I never even have to think about them which is exactly what I want from my hubs. Bling is for brakes and suspension IMO, the rest doesn't matter.

[climberevan]

I used to be a big fan of Bitex, but after blowing up a freehub in New Zealand and being utterly unable to find a replacement and having to buy a whole new wheel to finish the trip (they are not imported there at all), I'm on Team DTS from now on.

If ultimate reliability is less important than cost and weight, Bitex is probably the best of the cheaper options.

[Andeh]

I don't care for bling at all, I like the 350 cause they work, require 0 maintenance, I never even have to think about them which is exactly what I want from my hubs. Bling is for brakes and suspension IMO, the rest doesn't matter.

This is why I'm back on 350s. Good parts are the ones you never ever have to think about.

[SJG]

350s heavy AF though, but they are reliable!

[LeeLau]

I probably have another 3 random levers. So if he needs 6 …….


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And Andeh

I have three dropper levers of the older variety where the cable clamps at the post. Eg older KS, 9point8. I definitely don't need 3 of these.

I do need one ( possibly 2) dropper lever where the cable clamps at the lever. Anyone want to trade?

[Andeh]

When I looked in my parts box, I found only 2 levers. Banana got the 1 that clamped at the lever.

[Andeh]

350s heavy AF though, but they are reliable!

for 32h (from Fanatik's website)
King: 184g + 342g
Hope Pro 5: 188g + 312g
1/1: 165g + 295g
Hydras: 155g + 295g
350: 165g + 271g
240 EXP: 144g + 255g
OneUp: 142g + 220g

I wouldn't call that heavy AF. And ~$350 less than the 240s - that's a pretty bad $/g upgrade, even coming from a guy who puts Ti bolts on his bikes.

[beaterdit]

350s heavy AF though, but they are reliable!

*laughs in total silence*

Try an Onyx Classic. They weigh about a King and a half, ha. Worth it though, to IMO. Also dead reliable and low maintenance.

[smmokan]

for 32h (from Fanatik's website)
King: 184g + 342g
Hope Pro 5: 188g + 312g
1/1: 165g + 295g
Hydras: 155g + 295g
350: 165g + 271g
240 EXP: 144g + 255g
OneUp: 142g + 220g

I wouldn't call that heavy AF. And ~$350 less than the 240s - that's a pretty bad $/g upgrade, even coming from a guy who puts Ti bolts on his bikes.

Anyone have time on the OneUp hubs yet?

[volklpowdermaniac]

i've got some slight play in my cranks, subtle but there, feel it in the pedals, can repeat it by holding all the other systems fixed and just sort of moving the cranks

XT 8100, ck BB thread fit 24, stumpy bsa shell

i checked the preload and the fastening bolts on crank itself and everything is ship shape there, not the pedals either , isolated those as well and they seem to be fine...
is it almost certainly play in the BB? or perhaps something intrinsic within the cranks (they're probably 200 rides old?)

bought an el cheapo shimano bb to throw in while i service the CK, well see if that alleviates things,

nerd question:
in reviewing the overhaul process, i reviewed the proper install alignment of the spacers etc. It's interesting- in almost all other threaded bb, hope shimano, others, it calls for a cup spacer between the cup and frame 2.5 drive side, pretty standard.

On CK it says to use SPINDLE spacers, 2.5 drive side, between cup and spindle

whats up with this? could you just install the CK like a standard using one of those standard 2.5 mm cup spacers? is there some load advantage to using spindle spacers? are the cup thread lengths not accepting of a cup spacer?
Hope, but same as shimano
https://www.hopetech.com/_repository...B-EN_FR_DE.pdf

CK
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/29...f?v=1632176325

[NuMexJoe]

Do floating rotors decrease brake noise? Shimano Zee calipers, fwiw. I put a new-to-me wheelset on the Smash and since my old rotors were at 1.5mm (yikes!), I ordered some no-name stainless rotors from AMZ that had good reviews, and got a set of MTX Gold for the front despite shop guy at Absolute warning me they'd be noisy, since I'd heard they were the sh!t. Got them bedded in properly, and now when they get a bit of heat into them, the front howls. Seems like a floating rotor would change the vibration frequency and thus the noise, but I thought I'd ask here first. I'd sure like to keep the MTX Gold pads, as the power is as advertised, but damn they are loud!

[toast2266]

Do floating rotors decrease brake noise? Shimano Zee calipers, fwiw. I put a new-to-me wheelset on the Smash and since my old rotors were at 1.5mm (yikes!), I ordered some no-name stainless rotors from AMZ that had good reviews, and got a set of MTX Gold for the front despite shop guy at Absolute warning me they'd be noisy, since I'd heard they were the sh!t. Got them bedded in properly, and now when they get a bit of heat into them, the front howls. Seems like a floating rotor would change the vibration frequency and thus the noise, but I thought I'd ask here first. I'd sure like to keep the MTX Gold pads, as the power is as advertised, but damn they are loud!

I'm at about 50% success rate on MTX golds being super loud. Thicker rotors seem to be quieter. Currently having good luck with galfers and hayes rotors. I had bad luck with magura rotors. None of them were floating.

Sent from my SM-S901U using Tapatalk

[SJG]

I run Red's bc they are quiet, though not as much "whoa" as the gold.

[Andeh]

Do floating rotors decrease brake noise? Shimano Zee calipers, fwiw. I put a new-to-me wheelset on the Smash and since my old rotors were at 1.5mm (yikes!), I ordered some no-name stainless rotors from AMZ that had good reviews, and got a set of MTX Gold for the front despite shop guy at Absolute warning me they'd be noisy, since I'd heard they were the sh!t. Got them bedded in properly, and now when they get a bit of heat into them, the front howls. Seems like a floating rotor would change the vibration frequency and thus the noise, but I thought I'd ask here first. I'd sure like to keep the MTX Gold pads, as the power is as advertised, but damn they are loud!

I rode with a guy (~230 lbs) on a full power ebike a week ago, who had Hope floating rotors. I have no idea if they're noisy while descending, but I could hear them pinging from several feet away as they cooled down in between sections of trail when we stopped.

[singlesline]

My new MTX golds also became loud AF by the end of their first day. Earlier bike I put them on they were not loud at all.

MTX does say you might need to prep the rotors if coming from metallic pads and I definitely did not do that...

https://support.mtxbraking.com/hc/en...my-used-rotors

[jm2e]

Can confirm MTX Gold squeal like Pulp Fiction Pig. Especially paired with Magura rotors. Fuck. That. Shit.
Good luck recently with Galfer Pads and with either Galfer Rotors (1.8s for trail bike) or Sram HS2 (2.0 for the DH rig).

Edit to add: Pretty stoked for my mini-discovery. Realized the keychain spoke gauge that comes with the Park TM-1 tension meter is perfect for measuring rotor thickness. Quick interwebz hunt shows its unobtainium for whatever reason....

[Toddball]

What is this bolt I found while recycling the box my Transition Sentinel frame came in? Looks like a T25 with a hole drilled axially through, forgot to check the size though. I did take the frame to a shop to have them press in a headset so it might have fallen in there.

[North]

Another "what rain jacket are you wearing?"

Thanks for the responses to this. Neoshell has been my go-to for ski touring for years. I'll give it a try for summer activities. Looks like there are a few super sales on the PI and Spesh options.

[GBB]

I’m installing Magura MT-5s on my new trail bike—pics coming once it’s built. The levers and calipers look to be identical. Does it matter which one I mount as the rear?

[Dee Hubbs]

I’m installing Magura MT-5s on my new trail bike—pics coming once it’s built. The levers and calipers look to be identical. Does it matter which one I mount as the rear?

They can go either way. The part numbers are the same for front/rear/left/right. They come with long lines on both, so you can mount them what ever way you want.

[Roxtar]

They can go either way. The part numbers are the same for front/rear/left/right. They come with long lines on both, so you can mount them what ever way you want.

A feature I wish every brake had.

[Dromond]

I have a weird chain noise problem and am wondering if anyone else has experienced this or knows if there is any way to fix it.

I have the Stans wheels that came stock on my bike - 2020 Fezzarri Delano Peak. Over time a weird problem has developed where I get bad chain noise in any gear above 5th when riding rough terrain and hitting something hard, but none below. My chain is short/tight, my clutch is tight and I have serviced it recently. I have a chain noise damper thing on the chain stay and can’t even see if/where the chain would be hitting anything. I even just re greased the freehub and replaced the freehub bearings. I’m fairly certainly this is pedal kickback chain slap where hard hits are engaging the freehub. It’s the “durasync” freehub without a lot of engagement points. I can tell the noise is the same noise that happens if I quickly stomp on the pedals so that the hub engages abruptly. Has anyone else experienced something like this? I can be riding a tech downhill, getting this noise, then shift down one gear and it is pretty much silent.