Great work, as always. Two questions I'd love to get your take on:
I own several sets of Hope Evo cranks, but I cannot for the life of me find a crank boot that fits. I tried All Mountain Style, and these are just a bit too large. They are made from a rigid plastic that moves around a bit, and the rubbing is wearing off the anodization. I just bought a bunch of RaceFace Era cranks, and these are MUCH too large. Frustratingly, there is a UK 3D printing company that makes boots, but even before tariffs, they didn't ship to the US. I would love some crank boots that fit, and preferably with color options.
I recently bought three OneUp V3 droppers, and unfortunately their torque spec is only 4 nm. I'm a pretty big rider, and on two of my bikes, these droppers slide down into the frame like crazy. It's not too bad on my aluminum frame, but on my carbon e-bike frame, it's incessant. Even applying carbon assembly paste to the dropper (which has marked it up nicely, of course) and torquing to 6 nm (the frame's max torque spec) hasn't solved the problem. I didn't have this problem with the previous Bontrager dropper, and I don't have the problem on my carbon trail frame, which has a proprietary seat clamp that is larger and has a more effective clamp for its (the frame's) max torque spec of 5 nm.
I'm at my wit's end with this latter, any suggestions would be much appreciated.
Funny you should mention the challenges of finding a good boot for those Hope cranks because I've been having a similar issue (but with Rotor ones). I've been contemplating the idea of using some sort of truck bedliner product for a DIY solution, so maybe I should finally take the plunge (maybe on a scrap crankarm first, though).
As for the slipping seatpost, what frames are you having issues with? And what collars are on them? Have you already confirmed that the seatpost collar bolts are greased, both on the threads and under the heads?
The two frames are a Trek Rail and a Santa Cruz Chameleon 7. They both have the same Hope seatpost clamps. The Chameleon is down at the shop right now (putting on a Rival 12 speed road cassette of all things) but on the Rail, it doesn't look like the bolt is greased. I can do that myself; is there anything else I should do afterward?
No issues on my previous gen Norco Optic, as mentioned.
A Rival 12-speed road cassette, eh? I'm intrigued :)
A few more questions for you:
Have you physically measured the ODs of the seatposts and the IDs of the Santa Cruz and Trek seat tubes? I'm curious how close they are, and if one is significantly off from what it should be.
Are the slots in the collar aligned with the slots on the frame, or offset 180°?
What torque wrench are you using, and have you ever had it calibrated? How do you store it?
Have a super cool setup on the Chameleon. I come from gravel, essentially, so I'm really not a huge fan of half-squish bikes. Love full sus. The Chameleon came with an absolutely awful Rhythm fork, and I swapped that out for a rigid Trek 1120 fork. I originally ran it with i40 rims, 29x3 in the front and 29x2.5 in the rear, but this was way too draggy. I switched to a 160mm Lyrik fork that was originally on the Rail, which was fun but still not my thing.
Now I run it with a Flexx enduro bar, XT brakes with 203mm Hope rotors and Sinter brake pads, SRAM X01 drivetrain (plus now the aforementioned Rival cassette), 155mm Hope cranks, DMR Vault pedals, Hope 30t oval chainring, Bontrager Elite carbon wheels, Cush Core, Vittoria Peyote 29x2.4, and the aforementioned 180mm dropper. Flies across any surface, orbits on jumps.
The reason for the Rival cassette was that I wore down the first three cogs like crazy on a GX cassette, which I used more than any other, due to the small chainring. Biggest problem with the frame is chainring clearance (I bought the 30t when it was still planned to be a skinny-fat). I run a 44t chainring on my gravel bike, with a 10-52. With the 30 chainring and 36 big cog of the Rival, the lowest gear ratio is still higher than the gravel bike. Still pretty slow at the other end of the cassette, but some things you can only do so much for.
Just measured the outer diameter on the Rail, it's 37.57, measuring right under the lip of the clamp. The nominal size of the clamp/seatpost is 36.4. The seat tube has three slots, and the one in the rear is well-aligned with the bolt of the seat clamp. Have not measured any other diameters myself.
Most torque work I do is with a Topeak NTX+ multitool torque wrench, which has a delightful little barrel with markings on it, super easy to use. I use this out in the field when I'm adjusting the post mid-ride, which I do need to do. I've also used a more sophisticated mini Topeak Torq Rocket mini wrench (I used to EDC this, but the benefits were small compared to the NTX+). Lastly, I have a Park Tool TW 5.2 that I use at home when I'm feeling finicky or I need more than 6 nm.
I encourage you to follow through with the Posedla evaluation and review, where you’ll learn that Posedla also collects much other important information such as age, height, weight, type of cycling, typical position, etc. and combines it with your customized 3D butt model to create what I have found to be a superbly comfortable saddle. It will be interesting to read your expert review.
I really struggle to understand how they could possibly make a saddle that is ideal for someone without a measurement that takes the exact riding position into account…
The Cadex tires are interesting. I have hookless rims but I normally just ride dirt/gravel at lower pressures. In December I’m doing a relay event on a NASCAR track and I’m looking for road tires. I was just going to get Conti S TRs in 32mm but maybe I’ll look for more testing/data on these new tires.
Yeah, they are. Cadex certainly hasn't been at the forefront of tire technology in terms of rolling speed previously, but I like that these are purpose-built for hookless (all of Cadex's own wheels are hookless) and that they're continuing to push. On a more general note, if you've never ridden cotton tires before, they're pretty dreamy.
I saw that fork at the Traka. One of the GCN guys was racing the 560 on it (thank you, Canyon $$). This was also my first time racing with a suspension fork on my gravel bike (Rudy 40mm). I am a fan of both. For the first time, my hands feel ok after a 20+ hour race. 50-year-old me thanks myself. I honestly never locked it out. At first, it feels like your headset is loose, but once you get used to it, it just feels good. The new Canyon fork looks much cleaner than the Rockshox or Fox ones. I am surprised to hear it has 2.25 clearance... it did not look like it had that much when I saw it.
Well, in retrospect, I guess just because someone ran that big of a tire in that fork during a race doesn't mean the fork is *officially* approved to do so ;)
Those pics were included in a big dump of Traka photos from Canyon, though, so I can't imagine they would be ok with one of their sponsored riders showcasing an upcoming product in a manner it wasn't designed for.
I disagree with the "if you need a suspension fork on a gravel bike then you should ride a mountain bike sentiment". I have found that I really like the Rudy on my gravel bike and prefer it to a MTB in the place that I ride it. For a number of reasons- 1) Most of my rides are a mix of gravel singletrack and pavement. The gravel bike is WAY faster on the pavement than my MTB, 2) my gravel bike, even with the suspension fork, is about 10 pounds lighter than my MTB (160mm fork and 140mm shock), 3) the jarring is way less with the Rudy fork on both bad pavement and rocky singletrack. I feel much better after a ride. On wilder rides the MTB would be better. However, on rides where I am just a bit under-biked, the gravel bike is more fun.
A bit of apples to oranges except that the wilder MTB trails around here are better with a lot more than 100mm travel. So, my MTB and gravel bike are a lot different. And I can't see buying a short travel MTB to use where I can already ride my gravel bike when it wouldn't do well on a lot of trails around here. I certainly wouldn't want three bikes where two would do.
Great work, as always. Two questions I'd love to get your take on:
I own several sets of Hope Evo cranks, but I cannot for the life of me find a crank boot that fits. I tried All Mountain Style, and these are just a bit too large. They are made from a rigid plastic that moves around a bit, and the rubbing is wearing off the anodization. I just bought a bunch of RaceFace Era cranks, and these are MUCH too large. Frustratingly, there is a UK 3D printing company that makes boots, but even before tariffs, they didn't ship to the US. I would love some crank boots that fit, and preferably with color options.
I recently bought three OneUp V3 droppers, and unfortunately their torque spec is only 4 nm. I'm a pretty big rider, and on two of my bikes, these droppers slide down into the frame like crazy. It's not too bad on my aluminum frame, but on my carbon e-bike frame, it's incessant. Even applying carbon assembly paste to the dropper (which has marked it up nicely, of course) and torquing to 6 nm (the frame's max torque spec) hasn't solved the problem. I didn't have this problem with the previous Bontrager dropper, and I don't have the problem on my carbon trail frame, which has a proprietary seat clamp that is larger and has a more effective clamp for its (the frame's) max torque spec of 5 nm.
I'm at my wit's end with this latter, any suggestions would be much appreciated.
Funny you should mention the challenges of finding a good boot for those Hope cranks because I've been having a similar issue (but with Rotor ones). I've been contemplating the idea of using some sort of truck bedliner product for a DIY solution, so maybe I should finally take the plunge (maybe on a scrap crankarm first, though).
As for the slipping seatpost, what frames are you having issues with? And what collars are on them? Have you already confirmed that the seatpost collar bolts are greased, both on the threads and under the heads?
The two frames are a Trek Rail and a Santa Cruz Chameleon 7. They both have the same Hope seatpost clamps. The Chameleon is down at the shop right now (putting on a Rival 12 speed road cassette of all things) but on the Rail, it doesn't look like the bolt is greased. I can do that myself; is there anything else I should do afterward?
No issues on my previous gen Norco Optic, as mentioned.
https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/bikes/mountain-bikes/electric-mountain-bikes/rail/rail-9-9-xtr/p/1043896/
A Rival 12-speed road cassette, eh? I'm intrigued :)
A few more questions for you:
Have you physically measured the ODs of the seatposts and the IDs of the Santa Cruz and Trek seat tubes? I'm curious how close they are, and if one is significantly off from what it should be.
Are the slots in the collar aligned with the slots on the frame, or offset 180°?
What torque wrench are you using, and have you ever had it calibrated? How do you store it?
Have a super cool setup on the Chameleon. I come from gravel, essentially, so I'm really not a huge fan of half-squish bikes. Love full sus. The Chameleon came with an absolutely awful Rhythm fork, and I swapped that out for a rigid Trek 1120 fork. I originally ran it with i40 rims, 29x3 in the front and 29x2.5 in the rear, but this was way too draggy. I switched to a 160mm Lyrik fork that was originally on the Rail, which was fun but still not my thing.
Now I run it with a Flexx enduro bar, XT brakes with 203mm Hope rotors and Sinter brake pads, SRAM X01 drivetrain (plus now the aforementioned Rival cassette), 155mm Hope cranks, DMR Vault pedals, Hope 30t oval chainring, Bontrager Elite carbon wheels, Cush Core, Vittoria Peyote 29x2.4, and the aforementioned 180mm dropper. Flies across any surface, orbits on jumps.
The reason for the Rival cassette was that I wore down the first three cogs like crazy on a GX cassette, which I used more than any other, due to the small chainring. Biggest problem with the frame is chainring clearance (I bought the 30t when it was still planned to be a skinny-fat). I run a 44t chainring on my gravel bike, with a 10-52. With the 30 chainring and 36 big cog of the Rival, the lowest gear ratio is still higher than the gravel bike. Still pretty slow at the other end of the cassette, but some things you can only do so much for.
Just measured the outer diameter on the Rail, it's 37.57, measuring right under the lip of the clamp. The nominal size of the clamp/seatpost is 36.4. The seat tube has three slots, and the one in the rear is well-aligned with the bolt of the seat clamp. Have not measured any other diameters myself.
Most torque work I do is with a Topeak NTX+ multitool torque wrench, which has a delightful little barrel with markings on it, super easy to use. I use this out in the field when I'm adjusting the post mid-ride, which I do need to do. I've also used a more sophisticated mini Topeak Torq Rocket mini wrench (I used to EDC this, but the benefits were small compared to the NTX+). Lastly, I have a Park Tool TW 5.2 that I use at home when I'm feeling finicky or I need more than 6 nm.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PFYY94X?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_3
https://www.amazon.com/Topeak-Torq-Rocket-MiniX-Black/dp/B0CPJSWG99/ref=asc_df_B0CPJSWG99?mcid=dd07a6fc3035326a9ff669585b9d0b04&hvocijid=5032495531491026014-B0CPJSWG99-&hvexpln=73&tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=721245378154&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=5032495531491026014&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9191265&hvtargid=pla-2281435177898&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0029LKYOU?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_4
Thanks.
I encourage you to follow through with the Posedla evaluation and review, where you’ll learn that Posedla also collects much other important information such as age, height, weight, type of cycling, typical position, etc. and combines it with your customized 3D butt model to create what I have found to be a superbly comfortable saddle. It will be interesting to read your expert review.
I really struggle to understand how they could possibly make a saddle that is ideal for someone without a measurement that takes the exact riding position into account…
Ok, that's the nudge I needed. Time to go sit my butt down on a block of foam...
The Cadex tires are interesting. I have hookless rims but I normally just ride dirt/gravel at lower pressures. In December I’m doing a relay event on a NASCAR track and I’m looking for road tires. I was just going to get Conti S TRs in 32mm but maybe I’ll look for more testing/data on these new tires.
Yeah, they are. Cadex certainly hasn't been at the forefront of tire technology in terms of rolling speed previously, but I like that these are purpose-built for hookless (all of Cadex's own wheels are hookless) and that they're continuing to push. On a more general note, if you've never ridden cotton tires before, they're pretty dreamy.
I saw that fork at the Traka. One of the GCN guys was racing the 560 on it (thank you, Canyon $$). This was also my first time racing with a suspension fork on my gravel bike (Rudy 40mm). I am a fan of both. For the first time, my hands feel ok after a 20+ hour race. 50-year-old me thanks myself. I honestly never locked it out. At first, it feels like your headset is loose, but once you get used to it, it just feels good. The new Canyon fork looks much cleaner than the Rockshox or Fox ones. I am surprised to hear it has 2.25 clearance... it did not look like it had that much when I saw it.
Well, in retrospect, I guess just because someone ran that big of a tire in that fork during a race doesn't mean the fork is *officially* approved to do so ;)
Those pics were included in a big dump of Traka photos from Canyon, though, so I can't imagine they would be ok with one of their sponsored riders showcasing an upcoming product in a manner it wasn't designed for.
I disagree with the "if you need a suspension fork on a gravel bike then you should ride a mountain bike sentiment". I have found that I really like the Rudy on my gravel bike and prefer it to a MTB in the place that I ride it. For a number of reasons- 1) Most of my rides are a mix of gravel singletrack and pavement. The gravel bike is WAY faster on the pavement than my MTB, 2) my gravel bike, even with the suspension fork, is about 10 pounds lighter than my MTB (160mm fork and 140mm shock), 3) the jarring is way less with the Rudy fork on both bad pavement and rocky singletrack. I feel much better after a ride. On wilder rides the MTB would be better. However, on rides where I am just a bit under-biked, the gravel bike is more fun.
Isn't that an apples and oranges comparison? Wouldn't a better comparison be something like a Trek Supercaliber with 100mm?
A bit of apples to oranges except that the wilder MTB trails around here are better with a lot more than 100mm travel. So, my MTB and gravel bike are a lot different. And I can't see buying a short travel MTB to use where I can already ride my gravel bike when it wouldn't do well on a lot of trails around here. I certainly wouldn't want three bikes where two would do.
No need to justify your position to me as that's where I'm at as well.
I've NEVER done that before... ;)
"Hey, Chris, where'd you get all of these scratches inside the chainstays?"
¯\_(ツ)_/¯