First ride - 2017 S-Works Epic

[Odinson]

I would say no, stick with what you have until it wears out. 3x9 has heaps of overlap and overlap is where I find my happy place. Did a second ride yesterday which felt much better, but still got the feeling that I had too much or too little gear pedaling most of the time.

 

Did the same route and again, only went up to the 32x36 cog, so I have ordered the 36T chainring which should give better range. Out of stock at present, though, so I will have to wait for it to arrive.

 

Of course, if you have some loot available and like having new stuff, there is no reason not to upgrade - but will it make you faster or better? I doubt it. It's not a 'must have' by any means.

Sounds like you would've been better served by an XTR 2x11 with a 36/26 chain set and an 11-40 cassette.

[NelAndre]

Love your writing style Intern. This particular bit was so good:

"Coming off the Transmitter is Jeff's Downhill and it is a proper downhill for dudes with long travel bikes and short life expectations."

 

I recently went from a Merida Big Nine 5000 HT (only had hardtails all my life) to a Santa Cruz Tallboy with all the bells and whistles and after a month I still had buyers remorse.....

 

Now 6 month later I am starting to connect and gel with my Santie and really loving her.....changes comes very slow for me too.

 

The positive about being grumpy, as you put it, might be simply that you know what you want

[EmptyB]

It's on order, should arrive today or tomorrow....really looking forward to that. I reckon it will transform the handling - I was much better on downhill and singletrack yesterday on second ride, but still didn't like the trigger at all and found a lot of my attention focused on that rather than the trail.

 

Totally agree, I'm a grip shift advocate through and through....the simplicity of it!!

[Jurgens Smit]

I would say no, stick with what you have until it wears out. 3x9 has heaps of overlap and overlap is where I find my happy place. Did a second ride yesterday which felt much better, but still got the feeling that I had too much or too little gear pedaling most of the time.

 

Did the same route and again, only went up to the 32x36 cog, so I have ordered the 36T chainring which should give better range. Out of stock at present, though, so I will have to wait for it to arrive.

 

Of course, if you have some loot available and like having new stuff, there is no reason not to upgrade - but will it make you faster or better? I doubt it. It's not a 'must have' by any means.

 

My niece is in germany for 2months and I want to change a few things with my drivetrain, I've already taken off the double in the front and gone 1x10 with an oval 32 up front. Now I'm just browsing around for one of the upgrade kits.

 

I'm just trying to comprehend where in the hell you would need a 50t or anything bigger than a 42t. I've never found a climb so tough that I couldn't grind it out with my 11-36cassette.

[Hairy]

My niece is in germany for 2months and I want to change a few things with my drivetrain, I've already taken off the double in the front and gone 1x10 with an oval 32 up front. Now I'm just browsing around for one of the upgrade kits.

 

I'm just trying to comprehend where in the hell you would need a 50t or anything bigger than a 42t. I've never found a climb so tough that I couldn't grind it out with my 11-36cassette.

I think the big sell is that now you can run a 34 or 36t up front and gain more top end speed, yet still climb the mountain when you are broken from sprinting on the flats

[stefmeister]

I think the big sell is that now you can run a 34 or 36t up front and gain more top end speed, yet still climb the mountain when you are broken from sprinting on the flats

It makes sense for all those s-works epics on the tar roads, and the occasional dirt road.

[intern]

Love your writing style Intern. This particular bit was so good:

"Coming off the Transmitter is Jeff's Downhill and it is a proper downhill for dudes with long travel bikes and short life expectations."

 

I recently went from a Merida Big Nine 5000 HT (only had hardtails all my life) to a Santa Cruz Tallboy with all the bells and whistles and after a month I still had buyers remorse.....

 

Now 6 month later I am starting to connect and gel with my Santie and really loving her.....changes comes very slow for me too.

 

The positive about being grumpy, as you put it, might be simply that you know what you want

Thanks for the feedback Lighthouse, much appreciated - I am a writer by profession, but I don't usually write about anything interesting...

[intern]

My niece is in germany for 2months and I want to change a few things with my drivetrain, I've already taken off the double in the front and gone 1x10 with an oval 32 up front. Now I'm just browsing around for one of the upgrade kits.

 

I'm just trying to comprehend where in the hell you would need a 50t or anything bigger than a 42t. I've never found a climb so tough that I couldn't grind it out with my 11-36cassette.

 

That, essentially, is the answer to your own question. A 12 speed will add a massive 'blade' on one end of the back and a very small one on the other. You don't NEED it, in other words.

 

But you WANT it, doncha ;-).

 

Us bikies, always looking for an excuse to lay down some loot   

[intern]

Another quick update after my 3rd ride on this bike...I am starting to really appreciate it. It is a speed weapon.

Thinking about what V12man said, about 'manhandling' a 29 a bit more, makes a good deal of sense. I watched a few YouTube vids on handlebar width, none of which was particularly good, but a comment in one of them stuck with me. The chap pointed out that with a wider handlebar, your steering is LESS sensitive. That's because you have to move the bar through a wider arc than you would with a narrower one, to get the same effect at the front wheel. Or, consider what your bike feels like when you put your hands on the bars right alongside the stem - twitchy as. Which is pretty much what V12man was saying.

I'm adapting to the whole new package pretty quickly; now I just want to find the time to take a balls out blat on the Mrs' Scalpel to see if I can match the times I've done on the uphills on the S-Works. That will be the true test (for me) of whether or not a brand new bike with bigger wheels is any faster than a 7 year old one with smaller ones. But still, it wouldn't be possible to put any performance difference down to the wheels alone, because as we know, bike tech has moved on a fair bit which makes a direct comparison of the 2 machines difficult (the Cannon has, for example, XT wheels, vs the carbon Rovals, etc).

[Christie]

Lekker bike that! The 36 chainring would improve your gear ratios. There is also this to consider: (just saying....)

 

https://www.bikerumor.com/2016/12/13/ari-corone-introduces-sram-eagle-compatible-round-oval-chainrings-custom-spindles-plus-12-speed-double/

 

I have a pair of Avid brakes on my dual, and they are terrible. I have Hope Race on my other mtb, chalk vs. cheese.

 

The only other possible issue would be the RS Sid Brain. A buddy has an Epic Sworks with one, and cant seem to get is dialed as soft as he needs. I think he has given up - I suggested that he gets a non Brain standard damper+lockout combo and try that.

[intern]

Thanks Christie - there is nowhere to mount a FD on the frame, though, but I am sure the 36 is going to do the business.

 

Agree on Avids, they have never been any good. I had some Hope Race on my previous S-Works, but one of the levers broke in a prang which meant installation of Shimano's excellent XTs.

 

The Levels are definitely better than Avid 'Juicy', but I still reckon the newer XT give a better feel...

[intern]

Oh, and on the SID - I have already got the suspension sorted to my satisfaction, very happy with that

[V12man]

Thanks Christie - there is nowhere to mount a FD on the frame, though, but I am sure the 36 is going to do the business.

 

Agree on Avids, they have never been any good. I had some Hope Race on my previous S-Works, but one of the levers broke in a prang which meant installation of Shimano's excellent XTs.

 

The Levels are definitely better than Avid 'Juicy', but I still reckon the newer XT give a better feel...

Guide RS - best brakes around... my epic has ultimates but the RS is all you need - never used all the adjustments on the ultimates.

 

I run the guide Rs on my Enduro - feels the same. As the ultimates and a lot cheaper - and way better than xt

[SwissVan]

I would say no, stick with what you have until it wears out. 3x9 has heaps of overlap and overlap is where I find my happy place. Did a second ride yesterday which felt much better, but still got the feeling that I had too much or too little gear pedaling most of the time.

 .

As an owner of 2 x 26er's with the most current one being a 2010 MW Zula, this is my biggest worry when that day comes that I buy a new mtb.... losing 2 chain rings. I hate gaps between gear shifts and I can't help notice that evil looking eagle thing has some serious gaps.

 

Then there is the carbon frame..... and big wheels.

Now who is old :-)

[intern]

As an owner of 2 x 26er's with the most current one being a 2010 MW Zula, this is my biggest worry when that day comes that I buy a new mtb.... losing 2 chain rings. I hate gaps between gear shifts and I can't help notice that evil looking eagle thing has some serious gaps.

 

Then there is the carbon frame..... and big wheels.

Now who is old :-)

Welcome to my world. Though the whole package is getting like footrot, it is growing on me and fast!

[intern]

Guide RS - best brakes around... my epic has ultimates but the RS is all you need - never used all the adjustments on the ultimates.

 

I run the guide Rs on my Enduro - feels the same. As the ultimates and a lot cheaper - and way better than xt

Look purposeful, but I will just leave well enough alone - I am unlikely to change the brakes, but if I did, it would be XTR all the way...