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I use the Thule T2 Pro XT and I love it.
Fits a huge range of bikes, kids to adults, road bikes to fat bikes…
It’s very stable and has NO contact with the frame.
Been using it for several seasons and have taken long trips with it, New York to Miami, with no issues. The only thing I can complain about, the built in bike locks are only good for a mild deterrent, not true security.
That can easily be fixed by getting a good bike lock and securing it to the frame. I only do that if my bike could be unattended for some time, so rarely.
Tubeless tape is part of it.
it helps to make the rim air tight because of the spoke holes. However the rim bead is also really important. If the rim does not have a proper bead it will most likely not hold the tire properly. You could have anything from minor “burps” where the tire slips off the bead momentarily, all the way to full blown blow outs of the tire.
So, you need to find out if that rim is designed to run tubeless tires. If it is, get the proper sized tubeless rim tape, tape up the rim. Then get tubeless ready tires, sealant and tubeless valves.
Tubeless, when done correctly, is a far better set up than tubes.
That foam ring should be soaked in suspension fluid, so that’s good.
As Sam said, it sounds like air is leaking into areas it’s not supposed to be, forcing the seal to pop out.
If you don’t know your way around suspension, bring it in for service.
I think another issue with that build is they did not use thru-axles, at least on the rear.
so on top of new fork, groupset to go 1×12 you’ll be adding wheelset and new dropouts. Basically a whole new bike.
at that point, you’re better off building up from the beginning with what you want, or buying a better spec on the bike that needs less upgrading. The new SLX comes with 1×12 already and wheels that you don’t need to be in a rush to replace. SLX 12 speed really does not leave a lot that required upgrading. It’s a really good groupset.
I’m going to suggest a large, Salsa Timberjack SLX.
bit more $$, but vastly superior groupset, brakes and fork. The Timberjack is also a great platform to grow with if you decide you want to upgrade, super versatile bike.
I just ordered some Industry Nine Hydra Enduro S 29ers for my Timberjack.
They also come with the 101 hub options, if the Hydra hub option is more than you wanted to spend.
11 speed SLX would be another option.
Shifter, cassette, and derailleur is about $140 on Jenson right now.
The RaceFace Aeffect is a good budget crankset that is also really versatile.
I’m a big fan of the Salsa Timberjack as anything from a beginner bike, all the way to a loaded up trail machine.
I don’t agree with starting with a full suspension bike. You don’t learn to properly ride a lot of trails and can miss out on a lot of valuable skills. Same reason I suggest starting out on flat pedals. You may spend the rest of your mountain biking days on both, and that would be awesome, but starting on a full suspension bike is a mistake.
I personally don’t like plus tires for the long term, but beginners might like them for comfort and confidence. If you want higher performance, plus tires just don’t deliver. Versatile bikes like the Timberjack allow you to run a ton of wheel and tire options, have great geometry and respond to upgrades very nicely. Once you put your time in on a hardtail, then move on to a full suspension bike if you choose.
but they absolutely cost more to do right, take more attention and maintenance. Once you have a solid foundation on how to ride a hardtail, a full suspension will allow you to naturally progress. Suspension should be a tool, not a crutch.
You can put a non-boost fork on a boost frame.
A boost frame will have 12×148 rear spacing. The front spacing is dictated by the fork you put on. So you can keep your Pike.
you would need a boost adapter kit to keep your current rear wheel.
If you can accept that it’s not steel or carbon, the Salsa Timberjack fits everything else you want.
The Alternator drop outs can take basically every standard (except the pure evil that is “super boost”). They can adjust chain stay length…
beyond that, maybe a Santa Cruz Carbon Chameleon. I think they have non boost dropouts.
I think it’s nice that they give the option. Options are always nice to help make a bike more versatile and fit a broader range of riders with a single frame.
however, the two guys I ride with who have flip chips on their Santa Cruz frames have never touched them.
I think for a lot of riders they will be a “set it and forget it” part of the bike once you figure out what position works best for you and your local trails.
With Canyon, I would look at something like the Neuron CF 8.0
$3,200 for the current model.
The Spectral is A LOT of bike, unless you plan on sending big jumps with it regularly and hitting gnarly stuff at high speed, I would think it’s probably too much bike.
I would not get too wrapped up in a bike NEEDING to fit 2.6” tires…
Modern full suspension trail bikes have such good suspension and to me, the benefits of plus tires do not outweigh a lot of their drawbacks. Especially on a full suspension trail rig.
If you were looking to buy a party hardtail, sure, plus tires could be a consideration. But with a full suspension trail bike, it’s not worth the weight, vague steering, and un-dampened rebound. If you ever end up jumping the bike, I HATE jumping with plus tires, if you put enough air in them that they don’t feel like your landing on a marshmallow, they ride like crap and are super bouncy.
Narrower tires can also sniff out traction better in loose conditions. Instead of floating on top of loose soil, they can dig in and hook up.
Two very different frames…
Geometry wise they are going to ride very different. I would say the Cascade Peak will be a more versatile “trail bike” while the Signal Peak is more of a modern XC machine, lite trail bike.
besides drivetrain, the suspension on the Cascade Peak is WAY nicer than the Signal . I would take the Fox Performance Elite and aluminum frame all day. Suspension makes a HUGE difference and is very expensive to upgrade.
Have you looked at Canyon bikes? They also make some great stuff at very good prices.
A lot of this depends heavily on what someone considers “gravel”.
It is a WIDE category at this point. If you’re truly going to be taking this bike on paved roads and actual gravel roads, then a ridged gravel specific drop bar bike with a max of 32mm tires would be my choice.
If you want to hit some more gnarly stuff, XC hardtail starts to come into its own then!
I personally love my combo of bikes:
– Niner Jet 9 RDO full squish
– Salsa Timberjack HT with 27.5+
– Niner RLT 9 RDO gravel/road
a drop bar road/gravel bike can be very versatile. With a wheel swap they can handle a lot of different terrain and my Ultegra 2x set up on my RLT gives me a nice wide range of gearing (with the RX clutched rear mech).
Ultimatly it boils down to the right tool for the job. Like today, I took my daughter out on a ride on a gravel path that I would usually ride my RLT on. But it’s un-seasonably warm this weekend (65* instead of 20*), I know the path is going to be VERY soft, so I brought the Timberjack with the plus tires.so the gravel bike I want to ride is based off the gravel I’m going to ride…
Five Ten Freerider Pro for me.
Combined with OneUp Aluminum flat pedals, I’m in love.
Very supportive pedaling platform, almost clipped in feeling with all the benefits of a flat pedal.
I only run my clip less pedals and Shimano XC90 combo on my gravel bike (Niner RLT 9 RDO).
And yes, Gravel bikes are awesome!
What happened to your Raptor 14?
if something broke they will warranty it.
if for whatever reason it’s gone, look for the Raptor packs to go on sale. Osprey runs sales and introduces new colors all the time.
I didn’t pay anywhere near full retail for either of my Raptor packs (10 and 14).
For $60, you’re not going to find what you’re looking for. Unless you stumble on some massive sale…
even then, you’re hard pressed to do better than an Osprey pack.
The Osprey Raptor line is one of the best packs for the $$. High quality construction, great functionality, and a lifetime warranty (even on the bladder). I had to have the bladder clip warrantied on one of my Raptor packs and it was quick and easy.
Sorry, I strongly disagree about putting a 2.4” tire on an i19 rim.
The 2.4” and above Maxxis tires are considered “Wide Trail” tires from Maxxis. They very clearly tell you that they are designed around a 30-35mm internal rim width.
While it may technically work, you’re not going to get anything close to true performance from that tire.
the air volume is going to be all wrong and tire shape will be all wrong.
For reference, my Niner RLT 9 RDO gravel bike has i19 rims with 32mm tires (about 1.25”) and I’m looking to bump that to something else in the i21 range because I think the rims are too narrow.
I run a Maxxis Minion DHF 2.5” up front and a Maxxis Rekon 2.4” out back on my Niner Jet 9 RDO and I love them. However, my I9 Enduro 305 wheels have a internal measurement of 30.5mm.
I have had 2.4” Maxxis Ardents mounted to Stans Arch MK3 wheels before and I hated it. Steering was vague and tire profile was simply too round. Felt like I was riding around on mush unless I ran pressures much higher than I wanted to. The Stans Flow MK3 wheels would have been better. The Enduro 305’s are perfect for the tire sizes I want to run.
I think the Maxxis Rekon comes in a 2.25
Its a very versatile tire that rolls fast but still hooks up nicely for many trail conditions.
I’ve been very happy with my Tasco gloves.
comfortable and well made.
