Ask the experts

[riff]

I bet the experts have been asked this already, but I’ve got a older karate monkey with a 1-1/8” steer tube, and I’d like to throw a bouncy fork on there, what’s my best bet?


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[rideit]

Getting lucky on ebay, unfortunately.

[jackstraw]

Help! Tell me what's wrong. Fox Performance 36 fork. Makes a sound like its losing air during the rebound motion. Sounds like pumping a bike pump not hooked up to a tire. Quick short burst. Hard to hear for sure, but it may be coming from one stanchion only.

[grinch]

I havent bought one yet but im looking at the leat dbx 4.0. Proframes tend to crack ez where its thin because of huge vents. I cant imagine tld stage or 100% trajecta are much different. The leatt is a touch heavier and a bit hotter but its dh certified and has proper padding and not a glorified xc helmet with a chin bar like the others. I'll compromise a bit on heat for that durability
I'd like to try on one of those sweet's. Surprised i dont see more of those. They look quality

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[toast2266]

I'd like to try on one of those sweet's. Surprised i dont see more of those. They look quality

It's tougher to find in North America, but I've been psyched on every piece of SP gear I've had. Great knee pads, and I like their shorts a lot. I have a rain jacket from them that's pretty awesome too.

Only have a couple rides in the helmet so far (and only in half shell mode), but so far I like it a lot.

[mall walker]

I bet the experts have been asked this already, but I’ve got a older karate monkey with a 1-1/8” steer tube, and I’d like to throw a bouncy fork on there, what’s my best bet?


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by no means an expert but I just did a similar search. Suntour makes a few things up to 120mm travel, as does Manitou, in the $250-350 range. Fox has something but it’s like $650. that seems to be about it for new...

[grinch]

It's tougher to find in North America, but I've been psyched on every piece of SP gear I've had. Great knee pads, and I like their shorts a lot. I have a rain jacket from them that's pretty awesome too.

Only have a couple rides in the helmet so far (and only in half shell mode), but so far I like it a lot.

Thats good to know. I kept checking them out online last year. Bought a "sweet" ski helmet this past winter because i needed a new ski lid but partially because i was curious on fit/quality etc and still having that enduro lid on my mind. All their outdoor gear looks great. Happy with my ski lid and good price up here from "mt equipment co op". Wish theyd stock that enduro lid. I'd try it. Could always send it back to mec if i didnt like it but im gathering it'd be a keeper. Looks choice

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[riff]

by no means an expert but I just did a similar search. Suntour makes a few things up to 120mm travel, as does Manitou, in the $250-350 range. Fox has something but it’s like $650. that seems to be about it for new...

Damn, might roll rigid after all...thanks mall walker and others!


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[Roxtar]

Here's a Q for the experts: how do people ride Ardents as front tires, and not wash out / eat shit constantly?

Obviously they are more skilled than I am, because I couldn't make the Ardent work for me even as a rear tire...

Only noobs ride ardents and they don't go fast enough to wash out.

[jamal]

Rockshox still makes some straight steerer forks. The 30 I know of, not sure about anything else. But you can get a 30 with an air spring and a somewhat functional damper which I'd rather have than some 10 year old judy that can't be serviced.

[bagtagley]

The advantage to the Ardent, over something like a Nevegal, is that it makes it very clear very early that it's not going to grip in a corner. No trickery or false sense of security, it's very open about the fact that it sucks at cornering. Kind of admirable if you think about it.

[NW_SKIER]

Like an ugly chick, who knows she's ugly

[slowroastin]

I rode 2.4 Ardents on 20 mm inner width rims for a few years before I knew any better. I basically washed out on every root and had to take corners slow.


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[Dee Hubbs]

I have a brand new Ardent in the garage.
I going to wait until I sell one of my bikes with “New tires”.

[evasive_MT]

It's tougher to find in North America, but I've been psyched on every piece of SP gear I've had. Great knee pads, and I like their shorts a lot. I have a rain jacket from them that's pretty awesome too.

Only have a couple rides in the helmet so far (and only in half shell mode), but so far I like it a lot.

I have 2 pairs of their Hunter short, and I can’t imagine buying anything else.

[radam]

Shimano brake experts. I have an SLX M675 brake. A while back, on a day when I was bored and looking for completely unnecessary bike maintenance projects, I decided to attempt to clean/lube the caliper pistons because I noticed one was extending more smoothly than the other. Well, I managed to pop out one of the pistons. Got everything back together, but the brake has been rubbish every since. For a while, it would be tolerable so long as long the bike was ridden frequently. Then the bike sat over the winter (and through the spring even). Braking power now is comparable to, or maybe even less than, the amount of deceleration you get from going from pavement to grass. Lever feel was okay, but decided to do a bleed anyways. That didn't help. Swapped pads. That didn't really help. Cleaned pads and rotors, that didn't really help. Swapped to another set of pads, that was slightly better. Took said set of sintered pads, baked 'em under a heat gun to maybe get contaminants out... that made them tolerable, though a bit noisy. But then bike sat a few days and they're back to nearly useless.

Do I:
- Try some other kind of troubleshooting with what I have (a variety of sintered and resins pads and some spare rotors and bleed supplies)
- Order a new caliper and hope that there isn't anything weird in the lever that would be causing this
- Just get a whole new brake

[grskier]

Help! Tell me what's wrong. Fox Performance 36 fork. Makes a sound like its losing air during the rebound motion. Sounds like pumping a bike pump not hooked up to a tire. Quick short burst. Hard to hear for sure, but it may be coming from one stanchion only.

They make noise. Notice a decline in performance?

[HAB]

Shimano brake experts. I have an SLX M675 brake. A while back, on a day when I was bored and looking for completely unnecessary bike maintenance projects, I decided to attempt to clean/lube the caliper pistons because I noticed one was extending more smoothly than the other. Well, I managed to pop out one of the pistons. Got everything back together, but the brake has been rubbish every since. For a while, it would be tolerable so long as long the bike was ridden frequently. Then the bike sat over the winter (and through the spring even). Braking power now is comparable to, or maybe even less than, the amount of deceleration you get from going from pavement to grass. Lever feel was okay, but decided to do a bleed anyways. That didn't help. Swapped pads. That didn't really help. Cleaned pads and rotors, that didn't really help. Swapped to another set of pads, that was slightly better. Took said set of sintered pads, baked 'em under a heat gun to maybe get contaminants out... that made them tolerable, though a bit noisy. But then bike sat a few days and they're back to nearly useless.

Do I:
- Try some other kind of troubleshooting with what I have (a variety of sintered and resins pads and some spare rotors and bleed supplies)
- Order a new caliper and hope that there isn't anything weird in the lever that would be causing this
- Just get a whole new brake

Sounds like you buggered the caliper seal and it's leaking fluid onto the pads.

[Dantheman]

Sounds like you buggered the caliper seal and it's leaking fluid onto the pads.

x2

New caliper at minimum

[cmor]

I want to lower the gearing on my cross bike. Currently at 46/36t with a 11-26t 10spd cassette. Looking to go to a 11-36t cassette. It's a 2013 with Sram Re, that derailleur only takes 28t. Was looking at picking up a Sram GX 10spd derailleur with medium cage and to accommodate the new cassette. Can I shift a 2020 GX derailleur with Sram Red from 2013?

[Toddball]

Shimano brake experts. I have an SLX M675 brake. A while back, on a day when I was bored and looking for completely unnecessary bike maintenance projects, I decided to attempt to clean/lube the caliper pistons because I noticed one was extending more smoothly than the other. Well, I managed to pop out one of the pistons. Got everything back together, but the brake has been rubbish every since. For a while, it would be tolerable so long as long the bike was ridden frequently. Then the bike sat over the winter (and through the spring even). Braking power now is comparable to, or maybe even less than, the amount of deceleration you get from going from pavement to grass. Lever feel was okay, but decided to do a bleed anyways. That didn't help. Swapped pads. That didn't really help. Cleaned pads and rotors, that didn't really help. Swapped to another set of pads, that was slightly better. Took said set of sintered pads, baked 'em under a heat gun to maybe get contaminants out... that made them tolerable, though a bit noisy. But then bike sat a few days and they're back to nearly useless.

Do I:
- Try some other kind of troubleshooting with what I have (a variety of sintered and resins pads and some spare rotors and bleed supplies)
- Order a new caliper and hope that there isn't anything weird in the lever that would be causing this
- Just get a whole new brake

I have had a similar experience with my Shimano Zees over the last two seasons. They work great all season, then the bike sits for a few months over the winter, and when I want to ride again the brakes hardly work. A bleed helps the lever feel, but doesn't help the brake slow you down. After trying many, many things this spring, including sanding rotors and pads, soaking each in brake cleaner, and cooking off contaminants with a torch, the only solution I have found is new pads and rotors. I expect I will be able to finish out the season with great braking performance, only to have the brakes mysteriously suck next spring.

If you have a set of pads and rotors that have never been near this bike, maybe try those. Otherwise my only advice is to get new pads and rotors at a minimum, and probably new calipers.

[Toddball]

Now for my own issues, concerning suspension on my Canfield Riot:

1. My 2018 Fox 36 FIT4 Factory whatever fork has generally not been great since I got it. I can choose between massive fork dive when I touch the brakes or push into a berm, or having all trail chatter transmitted directly to my hands (I have chosen the latter). It has had a tiny amount of bushing play* for a while, but on my ride yesterday I noticed a pretty significant clunking-around when I was climbing up a moderately rough trail, i.e. while loading and unloading the fork with hardly any force. I think this is excessive bushing play*, but I guess it could be something else.

What amount of service is worth doing on this fork? A Grip2 damper is just over $300, whereas pretty decent new or lightly-used forks can be had for around $500. I am having a hard time getting in touch with my very busy bike shop, but I guess a bushing and seal replacement will be around $150 (and a significant wait time).

*i.e. I can hold the damper side fork leg, lock the front brake, and rock the bike back and forth; and I feel some clunking or knocking inside the fork leg.

2. I have a little play in my suspension linkage, which can be felt by holding the seat tube and rocking the bike side-to-side; I can see the rear triangle moving side-to-side relative to the front triangle. The movement is maybe 1mm. I replaced the bearings at the end of last season, all the links and axles seemed fine. Should I care about this?

[bagtagley]

I'm on the fence between MT Trail Sports and Curas and could use a shove.

Formula rotors are normal (1.8mm) thickness, correct? I know I'd need to get the thicker rotors for the Maguras, which drives up the cost a bit and has me leaning Formula.

[nickwm21]

I'm on the fence between MT Trail Sports and Curas and could use a shove.

Formula rotors are normal (1.8mm) thickness, correct? I know I'd need to get the thicker rotors for the Maguras, which drives up the cost a bit and has me leaning Formula.

Im running MT5s with standard rotors... it works.. I’ll get some Magura specific rotors at some point, difference I imagine is just a slightly tighter bite point....


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[toast2266]

Now for my own issues, concerning suspension on my Canfield Riot:

1. My 2018 Fox 36 FIT4 Factory whatever fork has generally not been great since I got it. I can choose between massive fork dive when I touch the brakes or push into a berm, or having all trail chatter transmitted directly to my hands (I have chosen the latter). It has had a tiny amount of bushing play* for a while, but on my ride yesterday I noticed a pretty significant clunking-around when I was climbing up a moderately rough trail, i.e. while loading and unloading the fork with hardly any force. I think this is excessive bushing play*, but I guess it could be something else.

What amount of service is worth doing on this fork? A Grip2 damper is just over $300, whereas pretty decent new or lightly-used forks can be had for around $500. I am having a hard time getting in touch with my very busy bike shop, but I guess a bushing and seal replacement will be around $150 (and a significant wait time).

*i.e. I can hold the damper side fork leg, lock the front brake, and rock the bike back and forth; and I feel some clunking or knocking inside the fork leg.

2. I have a little play in my suspension linkage, which can be felt by holding the seat tube and rocking the bike side-to-side; I can see the rear triangle moving side-to-side relative to the front triangle. The movement is maybe 1mm. I replaced the bearings at the end of last season, all the links and axles seemed fine. Should I care about this?

1) A Grip2 damper is clearly superior to the fit4, but a new damper isn't gonna fix bushing slop. That said, sounds like something is fucky with your damper - the fit4's weren't great, but they weren't as terrible as you're describing. I'd probably start with a rebuild, then if you still don't like it, sell it. Of course, if that rebuild was going to take more than a week or so, that might change things.

2) side to side play in your rear linkage is bad. Not sure what it'd be - a missing washer / spacer somewhere is the most likely culprit. Left unchecked, that play will lead to bigger issues down the road.