Ask the experts

[rideit]

Well, it was more of a collage, actually.

[Roxtar]

No grease on headset race. No split races. Don't overthink. All of that shit will cause issues later. They are made to be smashed on. Smash it on. You can always put an old stem on top of it if you want to protect the surface, and smash the stem with a conduit or PVC pipe.

I love the Park Tool headset race setter. It's one of my favorite tools that I own. When else do you get to use a hammer on a bike? And the sound changing from hollow to solid once it sets? So good.

You know you wanna smash it. So smash it.

What he said.
All other answers are waaaaayy overthinking.

[nickwm21]

Recommendations on a Schrader attachment for compressor?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[toast2266]

Recommendations on a Schrader attachment for compressor?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I just use a cheap one from a hardware store. Has worked fine for many years.

[meter-man]

Kind of a tough question to answer unless you have ridden a shit ton of different bikes:

I am on a 2017 Knolly Warden Carbon 155mm rear/160 up front. Built up full enduro race sled style. Push coil, Quadiem brakes, 741/742 wheels with hefty tires + cush core, etc. 35 pounds. It's a fun bike but you REALLY need to get it up to like 25 mph before it comes alive.

Friend wants to sell me a 2020 sb130. C1 build. Very light use. No brainer price.

Ideally I want something that is still fun that I can also go do 40 maybe even 50 mile day rides with. 7000' climbing days. Is the sb130 (this one currently weighs 30.5 pounds and if anything it will get heavier when I upgrade a couple parts) as "do it all" as everyone says or is it to meant like you can do a 7 mile dentist out and back or a 15 mile loop. I feel like most kooks who are into big long rides are doing them on true XC bikes.

Does that make any sense? If I really want to ride that long of rides or be competitive (stava nerd) on uphills do I need to hold out for like a sb115 or silimar?

I know I am overthinking this. I just don't want to spend a bunch of money on a bike that has too much overlap with my current bike. 5 pounds and 25mm of rear travel is quite a gap though.

Has anyone ridden both of these bikes?

WRG, I haven't ridden any of these bikes, but I've been toying with a similar set of questions. I have a Transition Patrol (170/160 travel, etc.), but would love another MTB to complement it. I think a 100-120 travel bike is the better complement. SB115, Transition Spur, Revel Ranger, etc. You can still get fun geometry, just with 40mm less travel, which really ain't much, and lose 10 pounds on the bike. The Spur has 120 travel, 66* HTA, and only weighs 25/26 pounds!

If you want just one bike, or you are thinking about selling your Knolly before it loses too much resale value, I'd go with the SB130. And get a light air shock (DPX2) for pedal days (50 milers), and swap in a coil shock for park/shuttle/enduro days.

Before you buy the SB130 though, you should do a demo ride and try it out. My buddy loves his, and he is a super strong rider. He was surprised he liked the 130 as much as does.

imho...

ETA: lol, just realized I missed a bunch of replies and earlier comments, which basically said everything I did ha! Oops.

[CovertM]

I think I am gonna keep the Knolly for now.

Revel Ranger 29? Anyone been on one? I know basically nothing about this brand.

Was contemplating waiting for one to be available, live locally, but couldn't pass up a deal on the Rascal. Saw a couple Rangers in the shop and they were supposed to have some demos ready soon. Looks like a pretty sweet rig. The Rascal has been phenomenal so far and does everything I want it to do. Climbs great and descents are still super fun and playful. My build is sitting right under 30#, would imagine the Ranger to be a bit lighter with a similar build.

[jackstraw]

No grease on headset race.

You know you wanna smash it. So smash it.

Why no grease?

Ready to smash!

[El Chupacabra]

I've always used grease when installing the crown race. No drawbacks that I'm aware of.

Q for the experts: I have Shimano SLX 7000 brakes, and I currently have a SLX i spec 11-speed shifter. I want to swap the shifter for a non- i spec, so I need to get a shim to take up the space in the brake clamp. Will this XTR brake clamp fit?
https://www.worldwidecyclery.com/pro...p-band-adaptor

[Roxtar]

I've always used grease when installing the crown race. No drawbacks that I'm aware of.

Q for the experts: I have Shimano SLX 7000 brakes, and I currently have a SLX i spec 11-speed shifter. I want to swap the shifter for a non- i spec, so I need to get a shim to take up the space in the brake clamp. Will this XTR brake clamp fit?
https://www.worldwidecyclery.com/pro...p-band-adaptor

Yup. Same part number for 7000 and 9000 series

[toast2266]

Why no grease?

Ready to smash!

I think the idea is that press fits are supposed to be tight and not move. Grease is for making things move more easily. You won't see factories adding grease to press fits like crown/steerer junctions or crown/stanchion junctions.

That said, I don't think it really matters (although I'm in the no grease camp).

[rideit]

Grease also prevents binding and different types of corrosion.

[Meconium]

rubbing alcohol is a good alternative if you don't like grease

[toast2266]

Grease also prevents binding and different types of corrosion.

But you want a press fit to bind, right? And if corrosion in a press fit is the concern, there are other substances that are better suited to the situation (i.e. loctite).

[El Chupacabra]

Yup. Same part number for 7000 and 9000 series

Thanks!

[Dee Hubbs]

But you want a press fit to bind, right? And if corrosion in a press fit is the concern, there are other substances that are better suited to the situation (i.e. loctite).

The press fit crown is built to the tolerances needed. Any grease will be pushed out of the way when pressed into its final position. The grease will aid in getting it close and straight towards the final position.
I don’t see any negatives on adding some grease.

[toast2266]

The press fit crown is built to the tolerances needed. Any grease will be pushed out of the way when pressed into its final position. The grease will aid in getting it close and straight towards the final position.
I don’t see any negatives on adding some grease.

I'm skeptical, but I'm guessing we'll both keep doing it the way we've been doing it without issue.

[Roxtar]

The press fit crown is built to the tolerances needed. Any grease will be pushed out of the way when pressed into its final position. The grease will aid in getting it close and straight towards the final position.
I don’t see any negatives on adding some grease.

Agree to disagree.
The point of a press fit is to make it not slip. The point of grease is to make it slippery.
These are polar opposites.

If the grease gets pushed out of the way and has no effect, why use it?
If it doesn't get pushed out and has an effect, that's a negative.
The tight tolerances and using the right tool are what will keep it straight.

[rideit]

So, FWIW, I have probably pressed on over 1000 races (or a lot more?) since 1988, and it is probably evenly split between greased and ungreased. And in that time, I have never really experienced a problem one way or the other...just a point of reference.
“Pick a method and be a dick about it”, perhaps?

[Roxtar]

So, FWIW, I have probably pressed on over 1000 races (or a lot more?) since 1988, and it is probably evenly split between greased and ungreased. And in that time, I have never really experienced a problem one way or the other...just a point of reference.
“Pick a method and be a dick about it”, perhaps?

Perhaps

[jackstraw]

So, FWIW, I have probably pressed on over 1000 races (or a lot more?) since 1988, and it is probably evenly split between greased and ungreased. And in that time, I have never really experienced a problem one way or the other...just a point of reference.
“Pick a method and be a dick about it”, perhaps?

I'm going to grease only one half of the steerer tube and that will be the new norm.

[Boissal]

Now that we've extensively debated proper installation of the crown race, what's the expert consensus on removal?
Grease half the steerer tube before dipping the fork in liquid nitrogen while heating the crown race with a plasma torch and whack the whole thing with a PVC stick?
Or something complicated like using a flat blade screwdriver and mallet and gently hitting the underside of the crown so it slides off?? Ideally the fork and crown would come out of this operation unharmed and looking brand new...

[rideit]

Icetoolz crown race remover.

[HAB]

Now that we've extensively debated proper installation of the crown race, what's the expert consensus on removal?
Grease half the steerer tube before dipping the fork in liquid nitrogen while heating the crown race with a plasma torch and whack the whole thing with a PVC stick?
Or something complicated like using a flat blade screwdriver and mallet and gently hitting the underside of the crown so it slides off?? Ideally the fork and crown would come out of this operation unharmed and looking brand new...

Screwdriver and a mallet works fine if you don't ham fist it too badly.

[EWG]

Screwdriver and a mallet works fine if you don't ham fist it too badly.

Yes. This. Only use a hammer.

On greasing crown races: probably doesn’t matter either way, but the two pieces of metal are essentially the same size, so the only way they fit together is for one or both to deform. No grease necessary for that at all. I guess my grease superstition is that something will set in its deformed size and grease will allow it to move.

Extremely unlikely, granted. But why grease? Totally unnecessary. No one has ever not been able to install a crown race, tried again with grease, and then had it work.

[Muggydude]

I’d use grease... certainly not going to make your race magically come up. I also use an old headset bearing, and hammer it bit by bit down rotating around the steerer tube (long piece of wood on the bearing, hit the end of the piece of wood with hammer, rotate wood, repeat).

To remove, start by wedging in a razor blade between fork and race. Tap it in with a hammer. Rotate and repeat. Gives enough space to get a flat head in there to pry it up (again, only a little bit at a time, rotating around).


Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums