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I am trying Slickoleum. It’s half the price of Slick Honey, maybe because it doesn’t say bike on the label? Is this a problem or is grease just grease? Sounds great so far on my hub.
<p style=”text-align: right;”>Great topic! My suggestions:</p>
Second everyone on the creaks! I’ve been fighting a creak in my drivetrain somewhere for 2 years. Same with my seat. I can do full on fork rebuilds but cannot conquer these damn creaks! Have basically given up.Also oils and greases too. For oils, when do I really need to use the manufacturers brand oil? Or what are options for using more commonly available oils instead of the crazy over priced bike brand oil. For grease; what grease for different areas? Or is there one type that can handle most areas? I basically use 2 types in different areas based on my judgement (light and heavy). No clue if I am using them correctly. Might be good to hit on areas you can use either oil or grease (like hubs) and what is the difference.
I’m sure I’ll think of more.
This all depends on what you want out of the experience. If you want the best value and fast process, buying a complete bike is probably the best.
If you want a unique bike and have patience, money, and time, go for the full build. I’ve built a couple of bikes and it is extremely fun and rewarding. Each step will take research but no step is insanely complicated that a motivated person can’t figure out. It’s all on the internet.
But keep in mind, full build is EXPENSIVE. The first time you will likely overlook many little parts that are required to make the bike work. Also, many parts require specific tools to install adding to the cost. Tools are a big cost.
If you are in the sport for the long term and want something new go for it. But if you just want to ride, go buy a bike.
Oh and add own a titanium bike to my list. Moots YBB if I can ever afford one (drooling everywhere).
Great forum topic!
I’ve been riding a long time and can’t wait for the future. The sport just keeps getting more fun. Here are some plans immediate and long term.
- Improve my jumps and drops
- Get more into winter riding (just bought some fatty studded tires I can’t wait to try).
- Get my kids into riding and take them to see some races.
- Travel out of state and ride, maybe PNW.
- Buy a long travel bike and start bombing bike parks before I get too old.
- Convince my HOA to build a bike park! (They have a skate park so why not?)
- Keep myself fit, not injured and having fun so I can ride into retirement age. I’m a ways off from this but love to see the older generation logging huge miles. When my kids are grown I fully plan on spending an insane amount of hours pedaling until my body falls apart.
So much to do.
Trek 830 somewhere in the 94-96 year range. Fully rigid of course. I dragged that thing through so much mud.
My friends dad used to round a bunch of kids up every weekend and take us riding in a beat up pick up. We all had helmets but probably not seat belts. 25 years later and I’m still obsessed. I’ll forever be thankful for those rides.
ESI extra chunky.
I tore up my hands on stock Santa Cruz grips and made the switch to the ESI grips. Suuuuuuper comfy and pure awesomeness. I never put too much stock in clamp ons. Nice to install but I’m not changing that often. Find the best ones for you regardless of how they install.
Tire pressure is a given. I also check wheel thru axles and brakes at a minimum. If you are still using quick release skewers instead of thru axles, it’s even more important to check. Also hydraulic brake pressure, especially if removing a wheel in transit to the trail or have been off the bike for a while. Unfortunately (or fortunately), I check these two after some very scary close calls. You do NOT want a wheel coming off or heading into a decent with no brakes.
I made the switch from riding 2.1s to plus size tires 2 years ago and it has been a great switch. The stability provided by wide rims and tires has made a huge impact on my confidence and ride quality.
I started out on WTB ranger 3.0s. It’s a fairly low profile tire, light and it rolled well even for a 3.0. Unfortunately the tread wore very fast and I agree 3.0 is wider than needed.
Next I went for the Maxxis Rekon 2.8. I think it’s a good tweaner, knobs aren’t crazy but have some bite. I bought the silk shield version which I think is overkill. The things are bomb proof but add about 100 gs and I never blow sidewalls either. I’m interested in going back to a lower profile knob like the Ikon but worry how it will hold up in super loose conditions like front range Colorado. Going to try normal Rekon+ first.
Tires are the toughest part of the bike to pick but have a huge impact. You are always balancing grip, weight, and durability. Luckily we have endless options to choose from these days.
Thanks Jeff! Found this video on the link you sent. May try some shaving cream (or cat crap) on my current glasses before buying new.
In 2018, I decided to buy a new bike to celebrate my 25th anniversary of riding MTB. After an exhaustive search I decided to go with the Santa Cruz Chameleon. Buying a hardtail was a tribute to my beginnings as a rider in the 90s but the LLS geo, plus tires and dropper brought me into a modern setup. It was a perfect match.
I have never been an aggressive rider but this bike has surprisingly pushed my limits. At 37 years old, I’m now learning how to drop and jump in ways I have never attempted. And on a hardtail! This is also the first time where I have become obsessed with color matching. Green and purple is pure sexy! Purple grips, pedals, cable housing, seat post clamp, and rotor. After getting into it I decided to start throwing some gold into the mix because why the heck not! Currently waiting on carbon wheels to arrive (with gold nipples).
This obsession has definitely gone over the top, but hey, what better way to celebrate 25 years of pure joy.
Agree with others on wheels. If going drive train, I’m also looking at the e thirteen 11 speed 9-46. Gear range rivals eagle and there is a definite weight savings over 12 speed cassettes.
You will get varying opinions on clipless. I just switched to platforms after 20 years on clipless and don’t plan on switching back. There is some efficiency loss but comfort and confidence are worth it for me. I would think drive train would go farther for you than clipless.
But in the end, just keep throwing yourself at the mountains. I ride the front range and trust me, normal riders are wiped out after these crazy long rocky climbs. It can take a long duration of riding to feel somewhat fresh at the top. Problem with Colorado is we have a bunch of biking super freaks that make us mortals feel like we are doing something wrong. Dude, you just rode up a mountain! Keep at it and don’t give up.
So many options in this price range. Demoing is always a good idea. But of you are willing to buy without demo, check out buy direct companies, like YT. You can usually get more bike for your money. YT Jeffsy may be a good fit. Dropper should be very attainable. Don’t get a bike without.
Thanks Jeff! Forgot about this article.
Also, I haven’t tried 29 yet. Should probably demo a 29er bike before making a decision. Unfortunately these Reynolds wheels don’t have boost spacing or else they would be great.
Love the Chameleon. As the name implies the bike is designed to be set up in many different ways. You can do damn near anything with it. 27+, 29, single speed set up, you can run 1x or a front derailleur. Get some skinny 29s for gravel days and 27.5+ for chunky terrain.
I am of course hugely biased bc I’ve owned multiple Chameleons.
Totally agree on mechanical breaks! It’s wonderful to be able to tune with a pair of plyers and a hex. I’m still running Avid bb7s and they haven’t been updated in ages. I wish there was more product choice for mechanical.
I am interested in the wireless shifting though. Hopefully with time the price drops to a more reasonable level.
Bottom brackets just got me too. Bought a new road frame that takes PF30 and had to buy an adapter to fit my old threaded BB. Made a press tool from thread rod and washers from home depot 🙂
Funny you bring this up. I’m riding a 27.5+ hardtail and looking to upgrade the stock wheels. I don’t have any carbon components but have been considering going with carbon rims. I’ve been starting to see more people that share your opinion.
Check with a bike shop if installing dropper and are not adept at bike maintenance. You would need internal cable routing for most droppers and your bike may not take it.
Checkout Race face Chester pedals. Highly rated and very affordable. Also agree that if you can afford shoes, go for it. Singletracks just did an article on shoes.</p>
A dropper post changes the riding experience. I was not sold at first, but will never ride without one again. See Race Face affect for an entry level option. Keep in mind you would need to also get the lever, cable and housing. Not a cheap upgrade.
Going to tubeless tires is also a good one to consider. Tires make a huge impact.
Or just ride until you break something.
