Ask the experts

[John_B]

Thanks. Weighing whether it's worth the hassle of swapping currently functioning posts.

FWIW I'm a hack bike mechanic so if you've got a bit more practice/luck than me maybe itll work out?

[Dee Hubbs]

Interested in that rim question as well... also DT Swiss has the worst nomenclature for their rim models. Do the numbers mean anything?

Back when they were 26" wheels. The EX511 weighed 511 grams. 30 grams heavier than the 481. But that has all changed since 26" no longer exists.

[bennymac]

Back when they were 26" wheels. The EX511 weighed 511 grams. 30 grams heavier than the 481. But that has all changed since 26" no longer exists.

Gotcha thanks - that makes sense (but not from a marketing perspective). When I run the world they will be called DT Swiss Enduro 30.

[jm2e]

It’s complicated, but makes a little sense from a retarded perspective. The premise is that DT is an old Roadie parts company, and think about weight way more than they think about width.

FR = Free Ride. Built tough for jumps, fuck the weight. Common nice OEM and bike park demo.
EX = Downhill Rims. Tough as fuck, but not stupid heavy like FR Rims. Search Aaron Gwin World Cup Flat Tire.
XM = Enduro Rims. Llight rims for tough guys. Great front wheel option. Good back wheel with inserts. Or that douche who keeps talking about how he rides with grace and finesse and never dents his rims.
XR = Cross Country. Don’t be stupid.

The number is vaguely the weight of the smallest size in that line. So the EX471 is the weight of a 26” rim, but the EX 511 is the weight of a 27.5” rim. And because it’s DT Swiss, you have to look up the width of each one. It’s annoying.

Edit to add: DT Rims have three hidden advantages:
1. The listed weight is actually overstated because they include nipples & washers in the number.
2. They come with nipples/washers. Free is good.
3. Squorx nipples are dope. Light because they’re alloy, but stronger than regular alloy because of their funky shape.


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[Andeh]

One of the neighbors put in a professionally built pumptrack on his second lot, and will open it to locals once he gets the waivers worked out. The county is going to build a pumptrack at the park in town, sometime within the next year. So I'm looking to get a pumptrack bike. I'm looking forward to this because I'm OK at general riding but suck at jumping. My main bike (long travel 29er) does not work well at all for that stuff. There's fuckall for DJ bikes nearby. Please school me on what makes a good DJ bike, and how to choose a size for them. My budget is about $1500. It looks like YT and Transition make well spec'd steel models in that range with Pike DJ forks. It looks like it would be essentially impossible to build one up from scratch for less than that.

I'm assuming I want the ETT to be roughly similar to what I'm used to (so if I ride a medium MTB, I'll probably be on a "short" DJ). I assume steel is better than alu, for the same reasons it's better for hardtails (durability, less harsh). I assume weight doesn't matter. Do hubs/wheels matter much, or not at all since you're running tubes & 50 PSI?

[toast2266]

One of the neighbors put in a professionally built pumptrack on his second lot, and will open it to locals once he gets the waivers worked out. The county is going to build a pumptrack at the park in town, sometime within the next year. So I'm looking to get a pumptrack bike. I'm looking forward to this because I'm OK at general riding but suck at jumping. My main bike (long travel 29er) does not work well at all for that stuff. There's fuckall for DJ bikes nearby. Please school me on what makes a good DJ bike, and how to choose a size for them. My budget is about $1500. It looks like YT and Transition make well spec'd steel models in that range with Pike DJ forks. It looks like it would be essentially impossible to build one up from scratch for less than that.

I'm assuming I want the ETT to be roughly similar to what I'm used to (so if I ride a medium MTB, I'll probably be on a "short" DJ). I assume steel is better than alu, for the same reasons it's better for hardtails (durability, less harsh). I assume weight doesn't matter. Do hubs/wheels matter much, or not at all since you're running tubes & 50 PSI?

Unless you're spending a lot of time on a dirt jumper and starting to look at doing legit tricks, just get whatever is affordable. I would argue that sizing doesn't really matter as long as you're in the realm of "normal." Regardless of short vs. long, they feel small and weird coming from a trail bike. Steel vs. aluminum doesn't matter either; they're both going to be burly, and minor differences in harshness aren't really noticeable on a pump track. Better wheels will obviously hold up better to casing jumps, but it's not something I would worry about too much.

The only things I would pay attention to are:
1) Short chainstays are fun. Pretty much any bike intended to be a dirt jumper will have fairly short stays. But a "regular" bike that's been converted to a dirt jumper might not be all that short in the back end.
2) Some cheap dirt jumpers come with super low end forks, which tend to top out. A fork on a dirt jumper that tops out with a "clunk" is super annoying.
3) In case there was any debate, you want a single speed.

[Andeh]

Thanks. My buddy has an ancient Kona that he converted to a DJ, and it doesn't feel nearly as good as another guy's Norco Rampage I rode (the Kona has higher TT, and longer overall), so I was definitely going to buy something designed for it. Plus DJ parts are kinda hard to source, so building up would cost some awful sum.

Good to know about the forks, which reinforces wanting something with a decent fork. I was kind of figuring that the only parts that really mattered long term were the frame and fork. I already figured out that SS and rear brake only are the way to go. I don't imagine DJ bikes change much over the years, so I'm sure it will be a perfectly fine bike for my boy when he's older too.

[Dantheman]

I already figured out that SS and rear brake only are the way to go.

You aren't doing bar spins, run a front brake. The "cool" kids with rear-only, full face, no gloves, and also not doing bar spins might laugh at you, but do it. When you inevitably find yourself panic-braking you'll be happy to have it. With just a rear brake and DJ tires stopping distance is way longer than you're used to.

[toast2266]

Agreed re: front brake. Just leave the cable / hose long sho when you crash / chuck the bike mid air and the bars spin around, they can do a full spin without ripping out of the lever.

[SchralphMacchio]

Has anyone here ever used a 4x6 or 4x8 open box trailer to haul MTB’s? I’m talking about something with a sturdy 24” tall wood or steel gate, sidewalls etc.

Other than managing balance / tongue weight and making sure it everything is properly strapped and secured ... is there any reason I couldn’t use a tailgate pad over the front or back of the box trailer for mountain bikes? I figure, the thickness of the trailer gate’s top will be a lot narrower than a truck gate, so I could zip tie some pipe insulation foam onto the rail and then secure the tailgate pad over that.

The idea is that I’d also have other camping gear in the trailer box opposite the bikes - cooler, water, gear boxes, etc. Even with our hitch bike rack and roof cargo box I’ve been having problems loading up the car safely for the kid in back seat and dog in cargo area, so I figured a 4’ wide open box trailer is the way to go ...

Oh yeah, this would be for 1-4 hour highway drives with only the last 10 miles max on dirt/gravel roads.

[HAB]

Trailer suspension sucks, and is usually designed for a bunch of weight. I bet it's way too bouncy for a tailgate pad to work well without strapping the bikes down a bit more.

Edit: I also bet you'd need to raise the "tailgate" a bit to not drag the front wheels on the ground.

[El Chupacabra]

It should work. Couple things to keep in mind:

- How far off the ground will the overhanging wheels be
- Many trailers have minimal suspension, usually no shocks. Everything will bounce around. Tie shit down.
- Watch the speed rating on the trailer wheels. Small wheels (8 to 12") may have low ratings, like 45 mph. If you burn up a hub and have the wheel fall off, you're gonna have a bad day.
- Watch the load rating on the axle. Probably want something in the range of a 1500# axle or higher. This will probably not have any brakes so keep that in mind with whatever you're towing with.

I'd look at getting a flat trailer with wood stake pockets, and build wood framed walls high enough for your needs. Something with 14 - 15" wheels.

[Andeh]

You aren't doing bar spins, run a front brake. The "cool" kids with rear-only, full face, no gloves, and also not doing bar spins might laugh at you, but do it. When you inevitably find yourself panic-braking you'll be happy to have it. With just a rear brake and DJ tires stopping distance is way longer than you're used to.

This is very good to know, and makes sense for what I'll be doing. Why I came here!

[SchralphMacchio]

It should work. Couple things to keep in mind:

- How far off the ground will the overhanging wheels be
- Many trailers have minimal suspension, usually no shocks. Everything will bounce around. Tie shit down.
- Watch the speed rating on the trailer wheels. Small wheels (8 to 12") may have low ratings, like 45 mph. If you burn up a hub and have the wheel fall off, you're gonna have a bad day.
- Watch the load rating on the axle. Probably want something in the range of a 1500# axle or higher. This will probably not have any brakes so keep that in mind with whatever you're towing with.

I'd look at getting a flat trailer with wood stake pockets, and build wood framed walls high enough for your needs. Something with 14 - 15" wheels.

Thanks that's really helpful. I don't have the time or shop capability (or personal capability) to build one up off a store-bought frame or kit, so I'm looking for a pre-built 4 x 6 with minimum 2k rated axles if not 3k, and pre-built box, ideally with steel angle or tubular box frame. It seems like making sure they are highway rated wheels & axles and then getting some bearing buddies put in will be clutch. I've found some decent pre-built 4 x 7 trailers ... I don't really want the extra weight of a 4 x 8.

This could get sketchy - I'll plan to tow without electric brakes, on my 2016 Forester XT. The current gen XT has pretty damn big brakes and decently stiff spring upgrade over the stock Forester. But I'm hoping for a 500 lbs or less trailer and probably keeping payload under 400 lbs including spare tire. I've already got the 2" Class 3 and mount with 2" ball ... but even the tongue limit on this car is only 175 lbs or something like that. Edit: transmission cooler for that CVT is also in my plans ...

I can't believe it isn't easier to buy a pre-built or kit 4 x 6 trailer with high sides - they're all made with low sides for loading ATVs!

[SchralphMacchio]

Also if there isn't enough bike wheel to ground clearance off the gate, I'll just end up going crossbars over the box and roof-mounted trays ... I'm just hoping to avoid that because the bar tower kit and 3 bike trays will set me back almost $1k!

[El Chupacabra]

Thanks that's really helpful. I don't have the time or shop capability (or personal capability) to build one up off a store-bought frame or kit, so I'm looking for a pre-built 4 x 6 with minimum 2k rated axles if not 3k, and pre-built box, ideally with steel angle or tubular box frame. It seems like making sure they are highway rated wheels & axles and then getting some bearing buddies put in will be clutch. I've found some decent pre-built 4 x 7 trailers ... I don't really want the extra weight of a 4 x 8.

This could get sketchy - I'll plan to tow without electric brakes, on my 2016 Forester XT. The current gen XT has pretty damn big brakes and decently stiff spring upgrade over the stock Forester. But I'm hoping for a 500 lbs or less trailer and probably keeping payload under 400 lbs including spare tire. I've already got the 2" Class 3 and mount with 2" ball ... but even the tongue limit on this car is only 175 lbs or something like that. Edit: transmission cooler for that CVT is also in my plans ...

I can't believe it isn't easier to buy a pre-built or kit 4 x 6 trailer with high sides - they're all made with low sides for loading ATVs!

A simple 2x4 wood frame into stake pockets would be pretty easy to build up, and then add thin(nish) plywood sides to make the box. Or, Costco (and probably Home Depot, etc) sells this one, which might work:
https://www.costco.com/dk2-4.5-ft.-x...100341985.html

Re: towing with a Forester -- I personally wouldn't tow with a CVT, but if you keep the trailer light.... maybe OK? Also, if you keep the trailer narrow, hopefully your Forester side mirrors will work to see past the trailer.

Re: bearing buddies (or similar easy-grease hubs): I have these on my cargo trailer, which I've had since 2011. They seem to work great. My trailer does not have brakes; I've read that these type of bearing easy-grease hubs tend to contaminate brakes by forcing grease past the inner seals. No brakes = doesn't matter what seeps. If you get something with brakes, consider not using these. (You'd also need a brake controller for the tow vehicle.)

Alternatively, and for much more $ than a DIY trailer, Yakima makes a gear hauling trailer:
https://www.yakima.com/activity/trailer

There are also small camping gear hauler trailers, which would be easy to mount roof rack bike racks onto. Search "jumping jack" trailer and surf around.

[John_B]

Iron Eagle makes a 4x6 trailer that might work for you. No idea on what the specs are but the one my dad had a decade ago seemed nice. Plus they are sold in Oregon.
http://eagleirontrailer.com/ironeagl...ilers/voyager/

[SchralphMacchio]

Or, Costco (and probably Home Depot, etc) sells this one, which might work:
https://www.costco.com/dk2-4.5-ft.-x...100341985.html

Yeah I've been eyeing that DK2 Mighty Multi - 451 pounds unloaded, all the features I want and few I don't need. I wouldn't mind 24" walls vs. 14" though, and I also wouldn't mind a 6' bed plus the length of fold down gates. Anyways Home Depot had them on sale all week for $1040 shipped, but have been sold out and out of stock. Good to know Costco has it - they don't price match but if they won't charge to ship (that thing comes on an 8' long pallet) it could still be worth it.

I've looked at the activity trailers from Yakima, Sylvansport, but all of them seem to have practically useless lower deck cargo space. It seems like getting a 4 x 4 or 4 x 6 trailer with high sides and then adding crossbars costs the same total out of pocket but then gives you an option to haul yard waste and other crap (like rotten fencing boards and posts) to the dump.

Iron Eagle makes a 4x6 trailer that might work for you. No idea on what the specs are but the one my dad had a decade ago seemed nice. Plus they are sold in Oregon.
http://eagleirontrailer.com/ironeagl...ilers/voyager/

That Iron Eagle Voyager looks perfect! Thanks for the beta! I haven't seen that brand at any of the local dealers that have websites - but they appear to have a dealer right down the street from my house. Since it's been a pandemic I haven't exactly been cruising stores -just trying to check dealer brands and inventories as listed on websites. I'll give that local dealer a call right now ...

[El Chupacabra]

That Iron Eagle one looks like it could be a great option for your use. Side-swinging and removable door is nice. I wonder if you could mount a raised railing on one of the long (fore-aft) sides, and drape bikes over it like on a tailgate, with the rear wheels down in the bed of the trailer.

[nickwm21]

I saw an awesome setup at a campsite last summer. Open box trailer with lumber rack mounted to it. They had 4 bikes and a large tool box on the trailer, roof top tent on the lumber rack.


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[SchralphMacchio]

The DK2 4.5 x 7.5 would be $1200 shipped from Costco to my house, I’d have to assemble the axles and lighting.

The Iron Eagle 4x6 Voyager would be $1525 shipped to my local dealer, and presumably assembled by them.

I bet both are similar weights. Will decide soon, thanks experts!

[Whiteroom_Guardian]

Anyone have experience with 9-50t spd cassettes with xx1 rear derailleurs?

My e13 9-46t finally wore out and I am toying this the idea of the big dinner plate in the back.

https://www.jensonusa.com/Sunrace-Cs...RoCF9IQAvD_BwE

[rideit]

that Sunrace is an 11/50, just so you know. I have put a few on different bikes recently, both with good reviews.
no advice on the xx1, these were both Shimano xt.

[Whiteroom_Guardian]

that Sunrace is an 11/50, just so you know. I have put a few on different bikes recently, both with good reviews.
no advice on the xx1, these were both Shimano xt.

Ah yeah, meant 11-50. I see that the sunrace says "for shimano only" but seeing some reviews saying people put them on sram drivetrains.

[ready2tumble]

I'm running the 11-forty-something on my townie with NX/GX. Works fine.