TЯΞB

Save up and buy the Chameleon You know you want to Sometimes you have to go with your heart and not your head. If you think about what you spend on tyres, chainsets, brake pads and all that, and take the total price of the final build into account, the price difference is actually not that substantial. Don't buy something you'll regret later. It took me three bikes to realise that. My 5c. Treb.

Hey Hog, as you know I'm not a small child , and I recently made an important discovery: When I replaced my hardtail frame I wanted to go to oversize bars (just because it seemed a good idea), and ended up scoring a Ritchey Pro Bar for 240 bucks and a "Scud" 100mm stem from my brother-in-law for free - bless his cotton socks. First ride and I was blown away - super stiff, much more than on my Full Suss. On closer inspection I discovered that both my new bar and stem were lovingly crafted from 2014 ally. This stuff, much like 7000 series aluminium alloys, has significantly higher mechanical properties (higher ultimate yield strength, lower elongation values) than the 6000 series, which are used in most "entry level" and "middle of the road" bicycle components. Some top of the range 6000 series T6 tempered alloys come close, but generally speaking the 7000 series and 2014 alloys are the ****. Off I went to wring the Yeti's neck and lo and behold, the "inherited" Specialized (6000 series) Stem on it visibly flexed this way and that. EA70 bars held firm. Have ordered a 100mm Thomson Elite X4 Stem (7000 series), the Spesh is going in the bin. Chrz, Treb

You can't convert a std. QR hub to 20mm TA, but there are quite a few 20mm TA hubs that will take adaptors to work with a std. QR. Look for Hope Pro II or NC17 "It's Pete II" hubs. Both great options if you are building your wheelset now and are thinking of upgrading your fork to 20mm TA later. 15mm adaptors are also available I believe. Chrz, Treb

Thanks for the replies guys. John, I totally agree with what you're saying, but I also think that the suspension design in the 575 is such that the "dogbone" exponentially reduces shock stroke the deeper you go into the travel, directly counteracting the non-linear nature of an air spring. I love the plush feel of the 575 with the air shock, it's just that it's a bit too soft for me and ProPedal 1 is too hard. Btw, from Yeti's website' FAQ's: Can I put a coil shock on my 575?<?: prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /> Answer: No. The 575 can only fit air shocks. The Fox DHX air is an option for the 575 and is a nice mix between traditional air shock and a coil shock. I have sent a lengthy email to Yeti, will post here if they respond. I am thinking 2010 RP23 right now (has the Boost Valve), or perhaps a 2009 which is said to have much improved mid-stroke compression damping and a wider rebound range. Will probable flog off my '08 model here on the hub soon. MWKid, also agree, the Fox "Float" system also counteracts the nonlinear air spring. AFAIK most modern air shocks only ramp up right at the end of the stroke. I spoke to Russel, he was really helpful and can revalve to firm / firm if I want. I'm just not convinced that this will produce the desired result and will wait to hear from Yeti first. Before spending any money on tuning however, I would rather just get a 2010 RP23. Will keep you guys posted. Chrz, Treb

Just found this thread: http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=495782 Seems it's definitely a Fox '08 RP23 problem, it just rockets through the mid stroke The only remedy seems to be to have it PUSHed, $150 + shipping Please tell me there's someone local!

Hi All, I got an '08 RP23 "medium compression tune" and "medium rebound tune" with my '08 Yeti 575. I have been blissfully riding it at 300psi (the maximum allowed pressure to carry all of my 115kg's) and using the "firm (3)" Propedal setting on the climps. Rebound is set at 2 clicks below max (out of 10). This weekend I started experimenting a bit with my fork pressures ('09 Revelation) and found that by increasing the pressure in the fork from 150 to 190 psi the front end feel improved drastically (much more precise steering). The rear then felt positively wallowy by comparison, so I tried riding it with Propedal on 1 (softest setting) permanently. What a difference! Feels like a different bike, really planted. Compromised a bit on the small bump performance, but that's a small price to pay. What bothers me a bit more is that I have now effectively given up the Propedal feature when standing in the pedals, on PP 1 the bike still bobs quite a bit. Now for the question: Can my shock be modified to firm / hard compression & rebound. I think this would be far more appropriate given my weight and I should (in theory) still be able to use PP 3. In the US there are companies like PUSH and TFTuned that will do this, is there a local company like that? The Fox dealers themselves? Alternatively I thought about going for a DHX Air. Would it be a reasonable request to ask the dealer that sold the bike to me to exchange the shock considering they knew I was no lightweight? I was not aware of the "tuning options" until now. Any help or suggestions are welcome. Chrz, Treb P

Finally got around to taking a pic of the inside of the tyre. I didn't pull the inner layer away from the outer layer any more than is shown here. There were quite a few smaller spot near the middle of the tread around most of the tyre too

Out of stock, but looks like they were still making them up until 2006: http://www.bikes2udirect.com/B0883.html Raleigh Chopper owner's club: http://www.rcoc.co.uk/ You gotta love the wheelie bars .... Choppers Extreme: http://www.rnlawrence.btinternet.co.uk/

Hi J, When I started my MTB career on a flexy full suss I figured that with my weight I would have to go to very high pressures (3.5 bar front and rear). I've learned the errors of my ways the hard way (by stopping myself very elegantly with my face). I have been riding Kenda's Nevegal 2.1 UST tyres at 2.0 bar in the front and 2.5 bar at the rear (anything less at the rear made things a bit squishy at my 115kg's). The difference is night and day, that horrible feeling that your front end is getting away from you during cornering is gone! Having a stiff frame, fork and wheelbuild and dialling in the right amount of SAG and Rebound also goes a long way of course. I've had no issues with puntures or valves leaking or anything like that, but the Nevegals delaminated with Stan's / Joe's and I have just fitted a Conti Mountain King 2.4 UST (which incidentally is the same size and weight as a 2.1 Nevegal UST) using Specialized's gunk. Chrz, Treb

Oops, just saw that rims are not available from CRC outside the EU, so you'll have to get them locally (about R700 each or so if I recall correctly). Might be a better bet anyway because shipping rims is always a bit of a risk ....

I'm 115kg (down from 142kg ) and ordered NC-17 "Pete II" hubs from CRC: http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=23390 http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=23391 I chose these because: The front hub fits a 20mm axle and comes with 9mm QR adaptors, so you can upgrade later (NC-17 also make 15mm QR adaptors I believe). The rear hub comes with a 10mm solid QR axle and a 10mm sleeve if you prefer using a standard QR. The rear hub has 6 pawls. The rear hub has a CroMo freehub body. They take 32 spokes. They are lighter than XT Hubs. They are loaded with sealed cartridge bearings, which are replaceable if ever the need arises. Zey ar mait in Deutschland jawohl!!! These often get used in Tandems because of the above (higher torque on the freehub, higher weight on the bearings) Price: Front: R545.77 Rear: R1,255.27 These are 3x laced to Mavic EX721 rims using DT Champion 2mm non-butted spokes. You could go for double-butted spokes which will give you a more forgiving wheel, but it won't be as stiff (which was most important to me). Make sure you use brass nipples. http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=3442 http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=12628 Mavics are R534.75 each if you go for the purdy black ones. Spokes are R163.62 per wheel if you order black ones. Make sure you order the right length or just get them locally from your friendly wheelbuilder (who will charge R11 per spoke or thereabouts). Total price = R3197.78 + VAT + PO Fee < R3,700.00 (shipping is free if your order > R3,175.00). Add the Wheelbuild of about R200.00 each and the total cost is R4,100.00 for a set of bombproof wheels that don't weigh a ton (and look the dog's bollocks). Nice thing about the EX721's is that they have a really robust cross-section and are unlikely to flatspot. They are 28mm wide so they're great for a nice fat tyre like a 2.4 Mountain King UST (minimum 2.1 tyre for these rims). Don't forget you'll need 6-bolt rotors, centrelock won't work. I would recommend a 20mm Maxle Lite anytime of day, they really offer a solid ride (look at the 2009 Rock Shox Reba or Revelations Forks). The only criticism I have so far is the design of the 10mm skewer (I snapped mine by overtightening) and would recommend a DT Swiss 10mm Thru Bolt. http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=21670 Hope this helps. Chrz, Treb TЯΞB2009-05-05 13:57:51

Hahaha' date=' looks like it, doesn?t it. Hmmmm, where?s that damn dog? I have no freakin clue, but this developed after the last ride, so I guess it was hanging by a thread ?.

Imagine my surprise when I tried to roll my bike out this morning and my rear wheel locks up .... and I find this ----> The tyre was still fully inflated, with no damage to the rim or spokes. It's the UST 2.1 version that my LBS fitted using either Stan's or Joe's, not sure which. I've since seen the disclaimer about using sealants in Kendas, and have read about Kendas letting go in other posts here. I was wondering if anyone else had experienced something similar, or if the "blisters" mentioned are generally smaller. Someone mentioned in one post that he thought that the sealant works it's way through a puncture hole and between layers, sealing the outer layer and the pressure then forcing layers apart causing delamination. This makes a lot of sense to me, and I wonder if it's not just a symptom of using sealant (with any make of tyre). Or do other manufacturers just have a stronger bond between layers? I'm pondering what to do next, my faith in the Kendas is a bit rattled ....

Hi, I recently upgraded my Full Suss to XT and now have LX 9 spd Dual control Levers & Brakes available to put on my Hardtail, which is an 8 spd Alivio with Hayes MX2 mechanical brakes that are poo. I thought I would get away with just putting on a new 9 spd chain and cluster, but my LBS told me that I will probably have shifting issues on the chainring, since the 9 spd chain is narrower and might get stuck between the blades. I would have to replace the whole crank and chainwheels. The other concern is that I pull my lightie in a trailer, and not being light myself (115kg) I think that the 8 spd chain may be a better option by virtue of it being wider. Is there any way of changing the indexing on the Dual control shifters from 9spd to 8spd (front and rear)? At the moment I posted an ad to swap my Dual Control Levers for plain brake levers, so that I would stick with the Alivio Shifters and LX Calipers. Any advice would be welcome. Chrz, Treb TЯΞB2009-04-20 08:01:27

I did a setup with Peter at Fritz Pienaar in Paulshof and am very happy with the result. He does the full Specialised Body Geometry setup.