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Great thread, Greg! When the trails are too wet I usually drive a short distance from home to trails that are all rock, making them perfect for rainy rides. Alternatively, I go dig on our local trails, or go for a road ride if the ground is frozen.
Hi Drew88Z,
It looks like you have a 7 or 8-speed road derailleur (meaning, it works with either 7 or 8 cogs in the cassette). Any 7/8 speed Shimano road derailleur should work as a replacement.
Alternatively, you could mount up a Shimano MTM derailleur, like the Acera M360. https://www.amazon.com/Shimano-Acera-Mountain-Bike-Derailleur/dp/B07CRTCPXT
The main difference between the two is that the cable tension on a road derailleur is adjusted on the derailleur body, and with the MTB version it’s adjusted at the shift lever. To run a shifter designed for use with a road shifter with an MTB derailleur you would need to install an in-line cable tension adjuster — or an mtb shift lever. This is an in-line cable tension adjuster: https://www.amazon.com/Jagwire-cable-adjuster-Mini-In-Line/dp/B0029LF1GQ
I used Amazon links because I live in the EU and figured you wouldn’t want a bunch of info in Italian, nor to wait for my VPN.
Please ping for clarification, or to let everyone know how the swap went.
Cheers!
-Gerow
Hi Guidoc,
Are you able to pul the worn pads out and check the part number on the back? It should be printed on the smooth rear-facing metal surface.
Here is a helpful video that explains how to swap the pads. https://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help/disc-brake-pad-removal-installation
Shimano makes XT calipers with two and four piston configurations for more or less braking power, and they use different size pads.
Hope that helps.
Thanks for sharing, and let’s keep the ideas flowing! Please share this query with anyone who might want to add their unique perspectives and/or ideas.
@enduroexpert78 I hope a lot of people are currently reading White Fragility. Particularly white people. It’s a powerful work, to say the least.For folks who have not yet read Dr DiAngelo’s book, here is an intriguing podcast with the author.
Hey MaxwellD, Alvin Mullen is right on track. Adding compression is likely the place to start, given that you have maxed out volume spacers and psi — if you’re using all of the travel. Generally, the low-speed compression will firm up the shock as it reacts to your body movements on the bike while shifting weight, braking, etc, while high-speed regulates how the shock reacts to larger or harder impacts coming from the ground. The Float X2 is a great shock, and it should be possible to dial it in so it feels right. I would start by adding 2-3 clicks of low-speed compression until it feels as firm as you want it to.
If compression can’t solve the problem you may need a firmer tune. You can send the shock to a certified Fox dealer, let them know the situation, and they will adjust it accordingly. https://www.ridefox.com/content.php?c=foxfactorytune
I hope that helps. Please let us know what ends up working best!
I too only buy bikes with external BSA bottom brackets, as I like a quiet bike that I can work on with my own tools. PF tools are expensive and cumbersome.
If you do buy a bike with a PFBB you can typically swap the pressed bearings for a PF system that threads together in the center. Wheels Manufacturing and several other BB manufacturers make them.
The threaded PF typically takes care of the creaking noises that PFBB’s are known for. Some brands, Specialized for example, glue the BB bearings in place to keep them quiet.
I have a few different pairs of DH style riding pants that I wear any time it is muddy, or the temps are below 10°C. I like how they keep my legs and kneepads clean, keep my calves warm, don’t require constant adjustment like leg warmers, and they allow me to slide all of the mud off at once when the ride is over. Additionally, I dig the extra layer of cut protection they provide.
Thanks for these, y’all! The interview is next week, so if anyone has questions they would like to add please get them to me soon.
Thanks for all of your thoughtful and personal replies, folks. This sort of sharing can be equally difficult and helpful. Your responses are greatly appreciated.
If it is okay with y’all I would like to use some of your quotes, anonymously of course, for a series of articles on mountain biking and the mind. The focus will be on the positive benefits of riding and spending time in nature, as well as some tactics to overcome cognitive blocks we all form around crashes or ego explosion. I will interview psychological professionals and mountain bike riders of all stripes to share the narrative of better brains through trails.
If you would not like your quote to be in an article, please let me know and I will omit it. Conversely, if you have an interesting story and want to be interviewed, let’s chat. Feel free to contact me directly if you prefer.
On MTB withdrawal: My solution required a mountain of privilege and my own rootless character. I lived in Portland, Oregon, for 15 years, where the only singletrack is a minimum 1+hr drive away, and if it isn’t July or August, it is raining. I drove to trails 2-3 times a week, save the snowy month, deeply depressed in the cold and soaked gray. I asked this question you are asking of my friends often. They mostly had similar sentiments and rode indoor trainers or road bikes 6 months out of the year.
Fully fed up with it, I made a loose two-year plan to save cash and move someplace where I can enjoy riding year round. I slowly convinced all the people around me that this was a good idea. Now I ride singletrack from my doorstep six days a week, and I feel fortunate that my family made sacrifices to give me this massive mental and physical health gift.
Great question, Oldandrolling!
This typically happens when I can’t stay on someone’s wheel (ie. keep up). My ego takes control of my thoughts and makes a mess of them, leaving me unable to focus/ride. I continue riding and try to turn my focus toward something else, leaving the frustration to fizzle. Whenever possible, I turn it into a skills ride, popping off rocks and working in cornering speed.
Similar to the kayaker’s slogan SKleen shared above, a shit day on the bike is better than any day on the couch.
The sound of drifting tires and varied grip is one of my favorites. Natural forest song is lovely as well. I also want to hear if someone is ahead of or behind me, so I skip earbuds while riding trails.
On road, gravel, and any other ride I find boring, I almost always wear earbuds. Sometimes I listen to podcasts, or for interval workouts, techno or metal can feel pretty good.
The only car I would need to hear, rather than see, will come from behind me. Since I don’t look back at cars that are coming to see if they are going to hit me, I am no safer with or without earbuds.
Speakers on trails are frustrating for sure, but I try to use them as motivation to ride faster away from that person.
Always look fiercely ahead.
If you can swing an international college experience, Florence Italy is ringed with amazing singletrack in every direction. If you like to race enduro or XC there is an event in Italy 2-3 time a week from March-November. There are two large universities here: University of Florence, and the European University Institute, as well as many schools of art and design.
