The Shiny New All-Purpose MTB Thread

It sounds like your chain may have slipped behind the inside cog of your cassette. If it does get down there and it doesn't jam, the chain just slips, and you can't change gear. Just pull it out. Taking the rear wheel off be a means of doing this.

I have spoken to bike shops and they both seemed a litle nonplussed. All three rings appear to be bent in the same place -- which seems to imply to me that the BB/Axle is bent ot me but they seem to think this is unlikely.

One shop said you need a new crankset. Second shop said you might just be able to change the rings but you probebly need a new crankset and we'd have to take it to bits to tell. The guy in the first shop also said that he has had the entry level RaceFace chainset and he had kept bending his and eventually just replaced it anyway.

So I am thinking of buying a new one and getting the substantially beefier 5-bolt RaceFace Turbine (described as "All Mountain").

I then just need a crank extractor and I can do this myself and it will be dead easy right?

Matthew

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Originally posted by Matthew Robinson:
I then just need a crank extractor and I can do this myself and it will be dead easy right?

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If you're not changing the BB then the only special tool you'll need is a crank extractor suitable for ISIS cranks. Replacing a chainset only takes a few minutes, but you might need to tweak the front mech indexing afterwards.

I've replaced a handful of chainsets in my time, but whenever I've done it myself and subsequently had problems, the shop has always used my installation as an excuse. I got sick of hearing 'you should have replaced the bb at the same time; you should have used x on the threads; you should have used crank bolts first, then allen bolts; <insert other excuse why cranks died early>. I subsequently decided to let the LBS deal with chainset/bb issues leaving me free to entirely blame them whem I bust them.

Given my mechanical ineptitude I think I tend more towards Mekon's view. However, leaving it to my LBS is likely to mean quite a wait as they are very busy, whearas if I order the stuff from Chain Reaction and do it myself I can be sorted by the weekend (assuming I don't break something).

One more question: Do I need a Compact Drive chainset or a "Standard"? How do I tell what I have currently got or does it not matter if on eis changin the whole lot?

Matthew

Bike Shop #3 and the cute Aussie chick says I can probably just bend it back with a big screwdriver. Shall have a go this evening.

She also thinks cheap RaceFace are made of cheese and sell on brand name alone.

Matthew

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... says I can probably just bend it back with a big screwdriver

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I took it back to Shop #1 -- my LBS where I bought the thing -- but this time got to speak to a mechanic rather than a harrassed junior assistant during morning rush hour.

The big ring is warped slightly but the actual problem was a slightly loose crank bolt. Once tightened up it's all working again as the warp -- presumably caused by the pedalling forces with a loose crank bolt -- is well with the tolerance of the front mech. Not perfect but I have a full range of gears again.

So a big up to Mosquito Bikes who are ace.

Matthew

[This message was edited by Matthew Robinson on Wed 16 June 2004 at 19:39.]

While I was there I was looking at a Rocky Mountain Blizzard frame they had hanging up.

It's 4.3lb of skinny 853 tubed steel gorgeousness:



Matthew

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Originally posted by Matthew Robinson:
While I was there I was looking at a Rocky Mountain Blizzard frame they had hanging up.

It's 4.3lb of skinny 853 tubed steel gorgeousness:

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I've had a look at one of those in the shop at Glentress and it was rather nice.

Just as an aside, have you guys encountered Zinn and The Art of MTB maintenance It certainly got me up to speed servicing and repairing my bike. I believe he has written a road-bike version too.

Bruce

Riding around the smarter parts of North London has it's own particular natural hazards and in Hampstead it turns out to be 60 year-old giffers in large Mercedes.

And this afternoon one drove into me at a T junction and totalled my back wheel. Despite having just driven into the back of a stationary cyclist he tried to claim that it was my fault for "getting in the way". I may have shouted. I definitely swore.

My wheel was totally taco-ed and it took me a good half an hour of jumping up and down on the thing to get it just about straight enough to limp home. The impact also knocked me forward and off the pedals and I now have a set of DMR terror-pin calf gouges which hurt like buggery.

This is of course conclusive proof that a) motorists are idiots and b) London needs more speed bumps and Gatsos as clearly this man is far too dangerous to ever be allowed to exceed 5mph.

Matthew
Pissed Off

He is paying for your new back wheel then? If you have his details, you might want to get a friendly bike shop to check your frame alignment, etc.

Pins in the calf are a bitch. If you didn't kick his lights in, well done.

Matthew,
I know two wrongs don't make a right,but just to balance up things a bit, here in Brighton at one of the cross roads I've just had a young cyclist ride down my nearside and then cut straight across the front of my car to turn right into a side road just after the traffic lights turned to green how the hell he didn't end up under the car I'll never know, but it just proves that there are all kinds of idiots on the roads both in and out of cars.
A still shaking
oldie

He gave me his name and address and I shall be sending him a bill.

Matthew

Matthew

You got injured - file a report at the local cop-shop. Why not ?

Having just rejoined the two-wheeled pedalling brigade, I am astonished at the "standard" of driving these days. No gender, age or style of vehicle is apparent - most of them are blind to cyclists.

Here's to a speedy recovery !

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Originally posted by Matthew Robinson:
He gave me his name and address and I shall be sending him a bill.

Matthew

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Yeah, those XTR wheelsets aren't cheap. Still, maybe he will learn from his expensive mistake.

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Originally posted by long-time-dead:
Matthew

You got injured - file a report at the local cop-shop. Why not ?

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If you can possibly claim it's an injury accident then 100% you want the police to turn up as it'll make sure that he pays for the damage.

Too many people take the drivers word that he'll pay up only for them not to do so once they've had time to think about it.

Personally I'd have kicked the living shit out of him and paid for a replacement wheel myself.

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Originally posted by Steve G:
Personally I'd have kicked the living shit out of him

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Or at least ripped the Benz ornament off the hood and fed it to 'em!

My wheel has been rebuilt but now the disk caliper doesn't quite line up with the rotor. Hopefully something just needs adjusting (although not sure why since the wheel was built on the same hub without removing the rotor) rather than some scary frame bending type nonsense. Anyway it's back in the LBS to be fixed and checked for alignment.

At the same time the LBS have been on to RaceFace about why my crank bolts keep coming loose despite being done up to the correct torque. There is much confusion about this but everyone agrees it shouldn't be happening and there is probably something bent or mishapen. So the whole BB and crankset are being sent to RaceFace and will either be fixed or else replaced under warranty.

So basically no bike for a week or so. I hope it rains this weekend.

Matthew

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Originally posted by Matthew Robinson:
My wheel has been rebuilt but now the disk caliper doesn't quite line up with the rotor.

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The caliper probably just needs the shims adjusted to get it to align properly.

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So basically no bike for a week or so.

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All the justification needed for a 2nd bike!

Steve

I'm pretty much set on the Prince Albert, and am thinking about what forks to throw on it. Have you got an opinion of where the sweetspot is in the Fox and Marzocchi ranges? I've heard that of the Vanillas, the 125R is the one to get, as the LC features aren't worth the extra. Would you bother spending the extra for TALAS, and if so, would you get the RLC? As for Marz, is the Z1FRSL the one to get, or one of the lower ones? Where do the Shiver range fit in? I'm still dead happy with the XVerts I have, so Manitou does have a draw for me, but they don't seem to get much mention. How do the Sherman range compare, and which model is the one to go for? With any of them, would you bother with a 20mm axle?

"The caliper probably just needs the shims adjusted to get it to align properly"

Hopefully something like that although, since the hub, rotor and caliper have not been changed and I was very careful not to press the level with the wheel off, I'm a little confused as to why.

You can sort of see the pistons poking out by a mm or two out on one side of the caliper which I think they shouldn't do and, hopefully, means they just need tweaking.

"All the justification needed for a 2nd bike!"

I am seriously considering buying one of these:



Matthew

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Originally posted by Mekon:
Steve

I'm pretty much set on the Prince Albert, and am thinking about what forks to throw on it. Have you got an opinion of where the sweetspot is in the Fox and Marzocchi ranges? I've heard that of the Vanillas, the 125R is the one to get, as the LC features aren't worth the extra. Would you bother spending the extra for TALAS, and if so, would you get the RLC?

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As I've got Vanilla R's on the Cotic and Float 100RLC's on the Epic I'm reasonably well placed to answer this.

On the RLC issue - I never use the lockout, compression adjustment or "blow-off" threshold adjustment on my RLC's so in future I'd definitely just go for the R's. I don't do much road work on my MTB's and don't climb out of the saddle much though. If you did then RL's might be an option.

On Talas - I've never tried a set of these (although one of the chaps in my group has them on his Blur) but I think the travel adjustment could be a useful feature on very steep climbs as my Cotic with the longer forks can tend to lift the front wheel in these situations (more so that the Epic does anyway). This is only on very steep climbs though. Whether the travel adjustment is worth the extra cost is another matter though and, for a bike that is designed for 125mm forks, I'd tend to say not - especially as the coil-sprung Vanillas are more plush than the air-sprung Floats & Talas.

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As for Marz, is the Z1FRSL the one to get, or one of the lower ones?

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Marzocchis I've personally consider in the price range below the cheapest Fox forks (£339 list for Vanilla R's, but I suspect Dialled bikes can do you an OEM deal if supplied with the frame) but not above - especially as I paid £200 for my Vanillas and £280 for the Floats, both used but in good condition. I've heard people rave about the Z1FR's for this sort of bike but I haven't personally tried them. The only Zocchi's I've used are MX Comps ETA's and they're great value, especially as used '03 ones can be had for under £100.

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Where do the Shiver range fit in?

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Not sure, but I think they're pretty heavy.

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I'm still dead happy with the XVerts I have, so Manitou does have a draw for me, but they don't seem to get much mention. How do the Sherman range compare, and which model is the one to go for?

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I've had a fewsets of Manitou forks - Xverts (older ones) which I thought were pretty poor (threw them in the bin eventually), Mars Elites which are very light (sub-3lb) but a bit flexy and Skareb Comps which are pretty good for a race fork (coil sprung, plush but not too heavy - 3.5lbs). The Shermans look pretty good but they're heavy fairly (5lbs+) and not all that cheap. For the sort of use you were talking about wouldn't the Minutes be a better option? The folks on STW that have them seem to like them and £299 for the Minute 1 (4lbs, 100-130mm travel adjust, stable platform valve damping) looks good value.

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With any of them, would you bother with a 20mm axle?

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Not for the stuff you were talking about, unless you're planning to move onto to some pretty big jumps.

For the Prince Albert I'd have said 120mm MX Comp ETA's at the cheap end (£210), Vanilla R's or Minute 1's at the £300 or so price point, and maybe Talas RLs if you were feeling flush.

Regards
Steve

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Originally posted by Matthew Robinson:
Hopefully something like that although, since the hub, rotor and caliper have not been changed and I was very careful not to press the level with the wheel off, I'm a little confused as to why.

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Probably something to do with the way the wheel has been dished.

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I am seriously considering buying one of these:

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Can I have a shot? I pass a BMX track on my way to work and I'd love to try it with the proper bike.