Trunnion

We Are One Composites. Lifetime crash replacement warranty. The finish on the rim is as it comes out of the mould. No clear 2K coat like the other rims you mentioned. I run them on my Trail and XC bike and they are fantastic. Bead lock is very secure against burping. Well worth the hassle of importing. https://www.weareonecomposites.com/shop/rim-only-519#attr=1513,1521,1528

My bike with Ultegra that I got towards the end of last year started bubbling under the paint on the caliper from oxidation in the same place as yours after 6 months. I noticed the same on the DI2 derailleur in one spot after only 3 months. Very poor metal prepping and coating.I replaced both after an accident so I have another 5 months to go before the new ones show the same.....

Thanks, makes sense.

Really nice looking finish on that frame. About that huge cutout in the headtube, do you guys know what is being done to prevent ingress of water and dirt to the headset bearings?

Yes! That gold set is the previous monoblock caliper version.

Yes there does seem to be a difference of hose lengths. I went and checked and the Shimano is front 1000mm, rear 1700mm. Sram is front 950mm and rear 2000mm. I also checked and zoomed in on the original picture and the Shimano brakes do have the pads in. You could say the front Shimano and Sram brakes are close enough with Shimano only having a 50mm longer hose length. The difference is then approx 61g x 2 = 122g for a set. That is a really large amount for top end brakes. My complaint about the Sram being 2 piece wasn't strength related but rather they are cheaping out by making their manufacturing cheaper and selling a mid range weight brake set for top end prices. Their previous design was much lighter. Interestingly enough not only have my pads in the Cura 4 been really great wear wise but there is also hardly any wear in my discs. I have been running this set for 7 months now, about 3700km of riding. Ja some people are mineral oil obsessed. I don't really mind either way, the fluid would not be the deciding factor for me.

I run Cura 4 on my trail bike and love them. The only minor complaint is the pad clearance that is a bit tight and can touch the disc from time to time. On the up side I am still on the original pads, these things just seem to last forever. I would have gone through 4 sets Shimano pads by now. I have also been debating between the different top end brakes for a lightweight Highball hardtail I am building up and had a look at R1, XTR M9100 and LEVEL ULTIMATES. I am liking my Cura 4's so much that I have been tempted to go the R1 route, but reports of tight pad clearance worry me. The new Level Ultimates are pigs in the weight department, they weigh as much as my Cura 4's! Their new calipers are screwed together 2 piece instead of the previous monoblock. The sceptic in me says it was to make manufacturing easier and cheaper, they will probably claim easier bleeding... So I am leaning towards XTR...

Your theory is sound but funny enough in my case it was not the big sprockets that it was slipping on. It was the sprockets in the middle of the range as I probably spend the most time in them. Certainly agree even the GX cassette seems to be of higher quality than the HG50 Shimano I was using, which is why I was surprised it was slipping.

For sure I agree with you. I was just so used to my Shimano 10 speed where I would run the chain way worse than that and the new chain would still work on the old cassette. By comparison my worn GX cassette still looks good. I will probably spring for the X01 cassette next time. This time I got caught by surprise so was out of the budget.

My Eagle GX setup lasted around 1500km before I had to change the whole lot. Chain had worn to the point that 0.75 could slip in easily, front chain ring was making a big noise with the new chain, and the chain was slipping on two cassette cogs if I put big power down. I was religious about chain cleaning and lubrication. Now I am running with two XX1 chains and intend to add a 3rd into the rotation. Hopefully I will get 10 000km form this setup. The XX1 chain does seem to be wearing slower than the GX chain. I am amazed at the life some of you guys are getting from your chains!

I was reading about some Brain 2.0 issues yesterday and then came across your post now. Perhaps you have come across this discussion, but if not- https://forums.mtbr.com/specialized/2018-specialized-epic-brain-2-0-issue-shock-woes-1089327.html