Any Mountain Bikers on Here?
- Thread starter jbmccul
- Start date
hikenbike
New member
It's my do-it-all, disguised as a CX race bike.
What do you ride? Been reading about the Trek Crossrip line. Might have to go ride one at my LBS tomorrow.
MONTYMTB
New member
hikenbike
New member
My LBS had this leftover from 2013. Rode very nice but I guess the canti brakes are outdated compared to recent models with discs which keeps it on their floor. I'm almost 50 so I'm not doing anything so hardcore that canti brakes wouldn't be fine and I can probably get it for $1100/1200. Good deal?
http://www.bikepedia.com/QuickBike/BikeSpecs.aspx?year=2013&brand=Specialized&model=Crux+Elite
http://www.bikepedia.com/QuickBike/BikeSpecs.aspx?year=2013&brand=Specialized&model=Crux+Elite
hikenbike
New member
ridefast
New member
Without getting too deep into this one...
Pres fit BB have a tendency to creak and make noise as the tolerances in the frame are extremely tight and have to perfectly match the BB. I wouldn't worry too much (spez knows what they are doing) but just know if you ever take the PF bb out of the frame to service (just as one would if you rode your bike through water) you might have some creaking. Shops do sell a paste that will prevent creaking. Best of all any frame with PF can have threads cut by a qualified bike tech in the near future.
I fully understand a headset pressed into a frame but a BB PF was a bad idea due to all the torque the BB handles. Any bike mechanic will never recommend taking a headset out of a frame more than twice. Most service their BB's at least once a year.
Industry launches new, larger threaded T47 bottom bracket standard ? say goodbye to PressFit!
PBE15: More on the new T47 BB from White Industries, Enduro, and Paragon Machine Works
Pres fit BB have a tendency to creak and make noise as the tolerances in the frame are extremely tight and have to perfectly match the BB. I wouldn't worry too much (spez knows what they are doing) but just know if you ever take the PF bb out of the frame to service (just as one would if you rode your bike through water) you might have some creaking. Shops do sell a paste that will prevent creaking. Best of all any frame with PF can have threads cut by a qualified bike tech in the near future.
I fully understand a headset pressed into a frame but a BB PF was a bad idea due to all the torque the BB handles. Any bike mechanic will never recommend taking a headset out of a frame more than twice. Most service their BB's at least once a year.
Industry launches new, larger threaded T47 bottom bracket standard ? say goodbye to PressFit!
PBE15: More on the new T47 BB from White Industries, Enduro, and Paragon Machine Works
hikenbike
New member
Thanks. Very interesting. Appreciated.
After further research, I see this Fuji with a fine setup superior to the '13 Specialized I pointed out earlier.
http://www.performancebike.com/bikes/Product_10052_10551_1186363_-1_400318__400318
Seems like a very nice setup with good disc brakes at a very reasonable price.
I'll expand on this tomorrow, but keep in mind:
Good cantis outperform shitty mechanical discs.
The Crux Elite is a killer frame. The build leaves a bit to be desired for some, but for most, it's great. That frame is one of the best frames you can get. In time, or immediately, upgrade to Avid Shorty Ultimates in the narrow stance and your brakes will have more power than any mechanical disc.
I've had most, I've ridden it all. That Crux Elite would be my pick every day over the Fuji.
I also don't think press fit bottom brackets are a problem. I think the mechanics that work on them are.
Disclaimer - I'm a Spec dealer, and do contract mechanic work for them.
Disclaimer 2: my wife rides that Elite frame, and I ride one for 3yrs before getting my Gaulzetti.
Good cantis outperform shitty mechanical discs.
The Crux Elite is a killer frame. The build leaves a bit to be desired for some, but for most, it's great. That frame is one of the best frames you can get. In time, or immediately, upgrade to Avid Shorty Ultimates in the narrow stance and your brakes will have more power than any mechanical disc.
I've had most, I've ridden it all. That Crux Elite would be my pick every day over the Fuji.
I also don't think press fit bottom brackets are a problem. I think the mechanics that work on them are.
Disclaimer - I'm a Spec dealer, and do contract mechanic work for them.
Disclaimer 2: my wife rides that Elite frame, and I ride one for 3yrs before getting my Gaulzetti.
ridefast
New member
Yes, id also take the spez over the fuji any day. (If those were the only choices)
I am interested to here what you think of PF BB on a service standpoint. My argument is a PF can't be serviced on the same intervals as a threaded bb. Lets face it EVERY BB has to be serviced.
Sure, spez Trek Giant ect know what they are doing but once tolerences on a PF BB shell have been ever do slightly messed up how can this be fixed?
Simple answer on threaded bb shells. Face and chase.
Pf is short lived.
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Metal PF shells -
Consider BB30 in an alloy frame, like this Crux, or any number of other Specialized frames...or Cannondale, etc. The last part of the frame building process is the facing and reaming of the BB shell. Assuming the tools are good and the manner in which the facing and reaming is done is consistent, the shell should be just about perfectly round. What screws up the shell is pressing of the bearings and forcing them in all "kattywompus". If a bearing is being pressed and it's not aligned properly, the shell becomes deformed. For the most part it can be taken up with green Loctite (I forget the number...). New bikes would ideally have the BB bearings pulled, cleaned, shell cleaned, then reinstalled with a coating of green Loctite. Beaings installed one at a time, with the press anchored against the opposite face (assuming the face of the shell is actually straight).
Eventually, the shell will finally just wear out to the point that it's just done. I've seen this less than a handful of times on frames that had the crap ridden and raced out of them (ie, bearings being worn out more often than most folk).
PF30 shells are a little different. The whole point of PF30 was that the bearings would be pressed into plastic cups, that would then be pressed into the frame. This cut the cost of manufacturing, post-process machining, and allowed for slight variances in the shell, as the plastic cup could deform. And again, assuming pressed with proper tools that kept the bearings aligned, that would be no problem. Issues from this come when people start reusing plastic cups. Plastic isn't elastic. One shot and it's done. Pull a plastic cup then reinsert and it's not going to match up and voids will be created. Pull the generic "slap some grease on it" and nothing is actually being fixed, just masked. Problem is made worse, in my opinion, by companies like King, Wheels, etc that use metal cups. That solves nothing unless installed with a proper adhesive that fills gaps and and is permanent. But then that puts us back into a situation like BB30 shells...eventually the allow will give out.
Some companies are coming out with BBs that fit BB30 and PF30 shells, but are threaded together, allowing for the use of 24mm spindles. I really do not see the benefit of this. At all. I'll save that for another time.
Threaded BBs are pretty well a standard that won't be topped. But the new T47...it's not going to solve anything. And, to be honest, I've seen a lot more failed BB shells due to alloy debonding from carbon than I have due to alloy deforming. It needs a simple change to make it better, and that would be pushing the bearings out to 86mm for the 30mm spindles. That would be a winner.
TL,DR?
Everything needs to be serviced, yes. Nothing will be as easy and consistent as an english/ italian threaded frame. However, proper prep and installation of a pressfit system should yield similar results. GXP and HTII have the benefit of bigger bearings. Octalink and square taper have the benefit of bigger bearings and being very well hidden from elements.
For what it's worth, I always put a coat of Phil (waterproof) grease on the outside of my bearings to help with contamination issues. All of my bikes are PF30 or BB30. I don't really care to ride anything else. I don't do much shop work these days, so all the wrenching on my own bikes is done in my garage. And the last thing I want to be jacking around with in my garage is a BB.
We added a 9th bike to our fleet
Congrats. Hope your kid likes the Strider better than mine. She has a Berg Buddy pedal car and can crank up the hills in our neighborhood like a beast, but on her Strider, she doesn't seem to get the concept of running and gliding. It is just an awkward walk for her. She is 3, BTW.
Anyway, in preparation for the Race Deck flooring that is due this week and my Cannondale Slate that is due next week, I decided that the bikes in the 3rd bay needed to not just be leaned against the wall. We moved into the new house about 8 months ago but I'm just now getting around to cleaning up my bay. You can see the kiddo's strider below my Scalpel.
Attachments
Another mountain biker checking in. Currently live in CT (read: technical roots and rocks, little elevation change), but have ridden and raced all over the world. I have also been in the bike industry since I was fourteen (I'm in my 40's now) and am currently employed as a sales rep for a bike company.
Glad to see that there are so many mountain bikers here. I guess it makes sense, 4Runners and MTBs are both great ways to get away from it all...
Glad to see that there are so many mountain bikers here. I guess it makes sense, 4Runners and MTBs are both great ways to get away from it all...
kyle_uran
New member
I have a Gary Fisher Wahoo with Avid brakes, stock components, Chris King head set and a 100mm upgrade air fork from 80mm. Also use Shimano clips with some random road bike shoes.
If i rode more, i'd like to get a 29er hard tail or a 26" f/s, but i don't, so it's a mute point.
If i rode more, i'd like to get a 29er hard tail or a 26" f/s, but i don't, so it's a mute point.
g0shj0sh10
New member
4runners and mtbs make the world go round
g0shj0sh10
New member
Heres a pic of my runner loaded up.
