# Your best and worst product you tried for this past season?



## stygz1 (Nov 21, 2011)

What was your best and/or worst product you tried this year? What about the upcoming season, what are you going to try or buy?



Best: I was really happy with shimano XT + rear derailer and moving to 2x10. 

Worst: I was not really satisfied with Ergon grips....I found I prefer regular type or grips.


2014 season: I am going to give Scwalbe nobby nics a try and trying a short stem 50-60mm (80mm currently). I will may upgrade my shifters to XT. Also Ice tec brake pads (finned type)


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## InWyo (Sep 10, 2013)

BEST:
SRAM XX1

Worst:
Kenda Small Block eights (have since tried other fast tires like Conti Race Kings and Maxxis Icons, and the SB8s just don't roll any faster, but grip is compromised quite a bit.)


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## AndrwSwitch (Nov 8, 2007)

Best: Kona Hei Hei DL. Bought one. 

Worst: Dropper seat post. Forget the brand. I was excited about the idea, but in practice I found it took too much force to drop and messed with my flow. Luckily, EBay has provided me with another of my all time favorite skinny little ass hatchet, and it's pretty easy to get behind the saddle.

Upcoming season: no big plans. Some new tires for the Hei Hei, some cheap road wheels to replace the worn-out ones on my road bike, maybe new handlebars and shifters for my other road bike, or I might sell it when I take the nicer one off the trainer. In that case, maybe a new road bike, with disc brakes.


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## firebike7 (Aug 21, 2008)

Best: BMC TE01 Team Elite hardtail. Got rid of my worst item this year to get it. Couldn't be happier.

Worst: Unfortunately, the Niner Air 9 carbon.


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## TiGeo (Jul 31, 2008)

Best: ESI Racer's Edge grips. S-Works carbon crank. Wolf Tooth Drop-Stop chainring. Awesome Strap Race 3.

Worst: Nothing really.

This year I am going to try to lose the last bit to get my bike under 22 pounds...pedals and saddle are on the hit list. Looking at the Specy Phenom Pro and going to XT pedals.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk


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## Legbacon (Jan 20, 2004)

Best this year was the On-On Chunky Monkey tire. 800gm, 2.4" of wet weather traction.

Worst has to be the Superstar sintered brake pads for my XT's. Worked quite well but howled so bad I took em out because of the embarrassment.

I see a 10-15mm rise 760mm bar in my future. I ride 760mm now but my fork is from another bike so I don't have a lot of spacers to play with. I have a flat bar and a 25mm rise. Carbon???


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## sasquatch rides a SS (Dec 27, 2010)

Best: Surly Krampus custom build (hands-down my favorite bike/purchase ever)
Worst: Shimano brake rotors (paired with BB7's they were horrible, Avid rotors fixed all my issues)


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## MTBeing (Jan 11, 2012)

Best: 2014 Trek Stache 6, Crank Bros Candy pedals. Shimano XT Shadow Plus R/D.

Worst: The horrific stock (Shimano M395) brakes that came on the Stache. Downright dangerous brakes.
The CST Ouster 29, 2.25". Worst limp-ass tire I've ever ridden. 
2013 Fox CTD Evo fork and shock. 
Shimano SLX shifter-fell apart after 1 ride.

Sent from my mountain bike while crashing


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## dirtrider76 (Sep 19, 2012)

Best - My Banshee Rune, XX carbon cranks with a woolftooth direct mount.


Worst - Schwalbe Fat Albert, falling apart in 100 miles.


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## 006_007 (Jan 12, 2004)

Best - X01 11 speed rear / wolftooth narrow/wide front combo. Was shocked how much better this is then the X0 that it replaced.

Worst - nothing really - maybe the nobby nic that I have shredded the sidewalls on the rear or the hans dampf torn knobs off the front?


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## Zoo1424 (Jul 20, 2010)

Best - Salsa Beargrease. This thing is way too much fun. Honorable mention to Jett Ride shorts & Specialized Deflect gloves.
Worst - Dakine Sentinel gloves. Ripped after one ride. Sent them back for repair. Repaired gloves ripped out again after two miles on the road, on my way to the trailhead. 

sent from my Galaxy Note 3


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## Alias530 (Apr 1, 2013)

Best: Shimano XT M785 brakes

Worst: Avid Elixir brakes


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## Jayem (Jul 16, 2005)

I was sitting here thinking about how I didn't use anything new, but I bought two new bikes and a bunch of parts, lol.

Ok, best: XX1 cranks. Lovely. 

Worst: Elixir 1 brakes.


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## Gumbi4Prez (Jan 2, 2014)

Best: nice steel HT frame.

Worst: Nobby Nic Performance series DT compound. Not bad in muddy, slow conditions. The side knobs are to soft and fold causing to much squirm for me in most conditions.

Edit: As a HT rider. It appears you have to run 26+ psi to minimize folding and squirm. Negates running tubeless, high volume tires. Granted these tires are not tubeless ready, but still. They also wear fast. Predicting 400-500 miles tread life. Looking forward to putting the Maxxis dry season tires back on. That is, if winter ever ends.


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## MegaMustang (Sep 12, 2009)

Best: WTB Rocket V Pro saddle for my HT hybrid MTB (Cannondale BadBoy Ultra), upgrading to XT pedals, Continental X-King tires for my FS XC/trail MTB (Cannondale RZ120). 

Worst: Avid Elixir 1 metallic brake pads (squaaaaaaaaaaawk!), Schwalbe Rapid Ron tires (came on the RZ120).


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## Slow Danger (Oct 9, 2009)

Best: On-one Chunky Monkey tire.

Worst: Tektro brake levers with my bb7's (levers were all my LBS had in stock).


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## nate. (Oct 10, 2010)

Best was switching to a XT shifter, rear derailleur, and cassette, a 50mm stem, and elixir 9 brakes. Haven't had a worst. In wrestling with the idea of crank bros egg beaters over spd's but can't really justify it.


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## Gumbi4Prez (Jan 2, 2014)

nate. said:


> Best was switching to a XT shifter, rear derailleur, and cassette, a 50mm stem, and elixir 9 brakes. Haven't had a worst. In wrestling with the idea of crank bros egg beaters over spd's but can't really justify it.


Go with Time pedals, much better. Otherwise the egg beaters will make your worst list.


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## bloodyknee (Jul 29, 2008)

Best: Switching to a Garmin

Worst: Tektro Canteliver brakes on my singlespeed.


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## Sevenrats (Jan 2, 2014)

The best- Stans No tubes tubeless conversion

The worst- Stans No tubes tubeless conversion

What a pain in the ass. No flats for a year!


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## Sevenrats (Jan 2, 2014)

More seriously,

The best: The combination of Spank Spike pedals and 5-10 Freerider shoes.


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## Mr. Doom (Sep 23, 2005)

Another Chunky Monkey fan here, finally went tubeless with Stans rims too. 

Right now Nokian Extreme studded tires make me smile (third year with them), best investment for a 365 day bike commuter in Montana, on the SS with fenders . 

WORST iPhone 5, given as a gift and I can't wait to go back to a droid.


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## ltspd1 (Nov 25, 2007)

Best: Stans Crest Wheelset, Shimano XT M785 brakes, & ESI Chunkys

Worst: Ergon grips...just didn't work for me.


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## TenSpeed (Feb 14, 2012)

Best: Coaster brake wheel for my commuter, Serfas Thunderbolt taillight, Specialized Armadillo tires

Worst: BMX style flat pedals


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## ElwoodT (Mar 13, 2011)

best: 28 tooth bling ring for my 29er, and N/W 30 tooth for my 26er. made 1x gearing work for me on the climbs. 
worst: they stopped making the fr3


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## floydlippencott (Sep 4, 2010)

Worst: Somekind of WTB saddle. Way too much padding and shaped wrong for me.

Best: Shimano XT pedals, they just keep working.


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## bikeuphill9 (Apr 23, 2006)

Best: Sram X9 Type 2 and Race Face N/W. No dropped chains or shifting worries. Worst: Look S-Track pedals. I was hoping these would feel like my good old Time Attacks, but in the end all they did was weigh less and force me to pedal without being clipped in half the time.


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## WR304 (Jul 9, 2004)

Best: Endura Windchill Thermolite headband

http://www.endurasport.com/product-detail.asp?ProductID=147

For autumn/ winter days, where it's too warm for a skullcap but still cool, I've been wearing this Endura Windchill headband under my helmet. It keeps cold crosswinds out of my ears whilst riding up in the hills, stops sweat from running down into my eyes and easily packs away into a spare pocket when not needed. I've found it very useful so far this winter.

Worst: Park Tools TL-1 tyre levers

http://www.parktool.com/product/tire-lever-set-tl-1

I was quite disappointed with these. They're quite thick and the lever end that goes between the tyre and rim to remove the tyre is wide without much of a point, making it difficult to hook underneath and actually get the tyre off. The thin cheap generic tyre levers that I had before worked far better, due to their narrow lever ends that easily hook under the tyre. The Park Tools tyre levers are consigned to staying at home instead of carrying them as part of my riding toolkit.


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## aerius (Nov 20, 2010)

Best: Shimano Saint and Zee brakes. Incredible stopping power, very good modulation & control, and the dimpled levers are perfectly shaped & placed. 

Worst: Fox CTD forks, all of them. CTD is crap, pure utter crap. The only setting that works as advertised is climb, and that's about as useful as tits on a bull since I'm not a road rider and have no use for a lockout or platform on my fork.


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## LowLow (Sep 18, 2007)

Best: 2013 Shimano XTR Brakes
Worst: 2013 Fox Float CTD fork (though it's much better after I got it Pushed)


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## FastBanana (Aug 29, 2013)

Best: Titus FTM - bike feels like it was made for me, it just feels right

Worst: X9 Double crank and front derailleur. Shifted like garbage compared to old 3x setups and shimano doubles.

Honorable mention to Truckerco brake pads. Transformed by XT brakes into eyeball-popper-outers.


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## Alias530 (Apr 1, 2013)

You guys saying 2013 CTD forks were terrible, can you explain further?

I got into mountain biking in 2013 and the bike I had all of my rides on had a Fox CTD fork on it. Besides not being plush enough, which I chalked up to me taking a 100mm fork on AM trails and needing a lot of air in it to not bottom out, it was fine with me.

Besides the bike I just got to replace it and only have one ride on so far and a bike I rented once (also had a CTD fork on it), I don't really have anything to compare it to. That said, it could have been better but I certainly wouldn't say it's terrible. Curious to hear more...


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## mr_chrome (Jan 17, 2005)

Best: I-9 Torch 29er wheelset, 2x Shimano XT crankset

Worst: CF seatposts; my Ti frame destroyed the first one (cheaper post) by cutting it in two; the second (very nice Easton) slips......


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## WR304 (Jul 9, 2004)

mr_chrome said:


> Worst: CF seatposts; my Ti frame destroyed the first one (cheaper post) by cutting it in two; the second (very nice Easton) slips......


KCNC do a two stage SC13 seatclamp that should help with a slipping carbon seatpost. One clamp goes around the frame as normal and the other part clamps around the seatpost itself to keep it in place.

http://clee-cycles.co.uk/esite/P3103/product

.


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## 8iking VIIking (Dec 20, 2012)

Flucod said:


> Best - Cannondale Scalpel, 2014 Reynolds Carbon Wheels, Swiss Stop Disc Brake Pads
> 
> Worst - 27.5 Bike that I hate beyond words (Did not list the name because it had more to do with the actual wheel size) and XX1


Did you buy the swiss stops to get rid of the dreaded avid squeal?


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## tuffguy (Feb 13, 2010)

Best of my current season: 2014 Reverb dropper post. It changed how I ride and helped my improve all of my skills on any given day of riding.

Worst of my current season: Saris Bones 2 bike rack. It's the biggest pain in the butt to use for a full suspension bike*, and due to it's shape, I can't even fit two bikes on it.
*It'll work great for bikes with straight top tubes..


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## stygz1 (Nov 21, 2011)

I thought I would see more people listing dropper posts. 

A lot of people listing tires as a good buy. Are many of you replacing tires once a season or...?


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## mtnbikej (Sep 6, 2001)

Best: Narrow/Wide chainrings and 1x10 X.0 No dropped chains in the 6 months I have had it.

Worst: Schwalbe Nobby Nic29 x 2.25 Tried it up front and out back and just couldn't get past fold over feeling of the shoulder knobs.


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## AndrwSwitch (Nov 8, 2007)

stygz1 said:


> A lot of people listing tires as a good buy. Are many of you replacing tires once a season or...?


I had a period of going through too many, trying to find the one that would turn me into Danny MacAskill, I guess.

However, mountain bikes have a tendency lately to ship with crappy tires. On cheap mountain bikes, it's somewhere where manufacturers cut corners. On XC and sometimes trail bikes, they ship with something with way too low a knob, probably so they test-ride faster on asphalt. So I wasn't even really disappointed when I didn't like the tires on my New Hotness. I'd anticipated wanting to swap them. I waited a few hundred miles and until this part of the year to do it on team form, which is why it's a this-year purchase.


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## ElwoodT (Mar 13, 2011)

stygz1 said:


> I thought I would see more people listing dropper posts.
> 
> A lot of people listing tires as a good buy. Are many of you replacing tires once a season or...?


Back when I only had 1 bike, I'd get 1 season out of a good durable tire, much less with a thin soft tire. I once replaced a worn out ardent with 600 miles on it. With 3 bikes, I can get more than a season. Of course how much and where you ride will be determinating factors.


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## BrokenBones (Feb 4, 2005)

Best: Oakley factory lite gloves – pleasant surprise (not an Oakley fan).

Worst: Stan’s Arch EX rim. Rebuilt a much-abused original Arch wheel before last season, “upgrading” to the Arch EX. Mounted up a brand-new WTB Wolverine, and aired it up in my basement shop. It was holding air, so I took the wheel upstairs to the bathtub to rinse off the dribbles of sealant . BLAM!!! The tire blew off the rim with me leaning over it. Ears ringing, Stan’s and water everywhere, dog shaking in the corner. Figured I hadn’t seated the bead properly, so back downstairs for another try. This time it blew off the rim before I could even put the air hose back on its hook. Mounted up a different WTB tire with the same result. Switched to a Conti tire and it held. Until I was several miles from my car on the trail. JRA, and BLAM!!! Now I’m walking/carrying my bike to the trailhead. Got home and mounted up a Schwalbe Ra Ra and it stayed put. Finally. Left the Ra Ra on all last season, but now it’s pretty bald. I see another re-build in my future…


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## Varaxis (Mar 16, 2010)

My best: Shimano XTR Trail brakes. Runner up: Deity Compound platform pedals

My worst: Caffelatex sealant. Runner up: One Ind Mission Shorts

Regarding tires, I'd expect 500 miles out of High Rollers and DHF in the rear. Anything 60A or softer seems to get eaten up by my 26". Hard to not skid on them and the little bit of pavement between me and the trail probably wears it more than dirt. My 29er seems to be pretty friendly to Ikons, 500 miles and still shows some sharpness.

I have lots of mixed impressions of a lot of stuff I've tried, but the above have worked far beyond my expectations or far below my expectations. The new formula for Stan's sealant lasts only 1/3 as long as their older formula(s) did, that or my Schwalbe tires accelerate the dry out time.

Been there done that with Ergon grips (esp the ones with plastic clamps throttling on the bars), slipping posts/bars/stems, and other named worsts including many of the tires. I guess I'm a little quicker to get ahead in the game compared to others.


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## Thatshowiroll (Jan 30, 2009)

WR304 said:


> Best: Endura Windchill Thermolite headband
> 
> Endura - Products
> 
> ...


True that on the Park levers. They just snap in half. Not worthy of the PT name.


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## Thatshowiroll (Jan 30, 2009)

Best: Going from Cat eye to Garmin.

Worst: Awesome Strap. Some folks love it, but I thought it was too much of a PITA.


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## AZ (Apr 14, 2009)

Worst: Inner tubes

Best: No inner tubes


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## 411898 (Nov 5, 2008)

AZ said:


> Worst: Inner tubes
> 
> Best: No inner tubes


You switched to tubeless in 2013?


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## SNS (Nov 21, 2013)

Best: My 1x10 conversion with Zee shifter and short cage rear.
Worst: XT 10 speed chain for the conversion, which couldn't be linked back together with my existing chain tool and required the purchase of a new chain tool.


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## AZ (Apr 14, 2009)

Hawg said:


> You switched to tubeless in 2013?


Yep, it worked great on my road bike. I have pretty much settled on equipment, don't change too much stuff these days.


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## aerius (Nov 20, 2010)

Alias530 said:


> You guys saying 2013 CTD forks were terrible, can you explain further?
> 
> I got into mountain biking in 2013 and the bike I had all of my rides on had a Fox CTD fork on it. Besides not being plush enough, which I chalked up to me taking a 100mm fork on AM trails and needing a lot of air in it to not bottom out, it was fine with me.


It's still not plush, dives through its travel, and bottoms out hard even when ridden by a 150 lbs rider on trails which aren't all that hard. If I put enough air in it so that it doesn't bottom, it won't soak up much and just ping-pongs off all the rocks & roots, the tire just bounces around and there's no traction to be found. And this is at a cruising along pace that's nowhere close to 100% of my abilities, and I'm not a great rider by any means since I regularly get schooled by my riding buddies.

Fox completely botched the damper settings on their forks. It actually reminds me of riding the old Rock Shox Mag 21 (anyone remember those?), but it's possibly even worse since it only has 3 settings. At least with the Mag 21 you could spin the dial till you found something that kinda/mostly works, Fox doesn't even give you that option; you get C, T, or D. But at least it's not a wet noodle and has more than 63mm of travel.


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## VTSession (Aug 18, 2005)

Best? narrow wide chain ring, Reverb dropper post, Nukeproof Electron pedals, 

Worst? Tubeless tires/wheels - there's nothing worse than splitting open a tire on a sharp rock and spewing Stan's all over the on trail four separate rides . Never again.


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## Jayem (Jul 16, 2005)

VTSession said:


> Best? narrow wide chain ring, Reverb dropper post, Nukeproof Electron pedals,
> 
> Worst? Tubeless tires/wheels - there's nothing worse than splitting open a tire on a sharp rock and spewing Stan's all over the on trail four separate rides . Never again.


Except that you would have split the tire open and required a new tube on those 4 same rides. Sounds like you aren't using a tire with a thick enough casing for where you ride, not the fault of tubeless.


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## VTSession (Aug 18, 2005)

Jayem said:


> Except that you would have split the tire open and required a new tube on those 4 same rides. Sounds like you aren't using a tire with a thick enough casing for where you ride, not the fault of tubeless.


That's what I though at first. I tried a different tire after the first blow out and had the same result, both were UST tires on tubeless rims. Tubeless works for some but not for me.

To be honest, I personally don't feel the need to go tubeless. I haven't had a flat since I went back to using tubes. I just check by tire pressure before every ride. I also went to a 29er this year which means lower tire pressure and no flats.


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## Jayem (Jul 16, 2005)

Tubeless does not cause tires to split. That would be rocks.


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## 411898 (Nov 5, 2008)

BrokenBones said:


> Best: Oakley factory lite gloves - pleasant surprise (not an Oakley fan).
> 
> Worst: Stan's Arch EX rim. Rebuilt a much-abused original Arch wheel before last season, "upgrading" to the Arch EX. Mounted up a brand-new WTB Wolverine, and aired it up in my basement shop. It was holding air, so I took the wheel upstairs to the bathtub to rinse off the dribbles of sealant . BLAM!!! The tire blew off the rim with me leaning over it. Ears ringing, Stan's and water everywhere, dog shaking in the corner. Figured I hadn't seated the bead properly, so back downstairs for another try. This time it blew off the rim before I could even put the air hose back on its hook. Mounted up a different WTB tire with the same result. Switched to a Conti tire and it held. Until I was several miles from my car on the trail. JRA, and BLAM!!! Now I'm walking/carrying my bike to the trailhead. Got home and mounted up a Schwalbe Ra Ra and it stayed put. Finally. Left the Ra Ra on all last season, but now it's pretty bald. I see another re-build in my future&#8230;


I've got a set of ZTR Crests and ZTR Arch EXs. Both have been bullet proof with Specialized tires where sealing is concerned.


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## Mr.Quint (Mar 22, 2012)

Best? That's easy.


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## jkidd_39 (Sep 13, 2012)

Best: dropper Seat. Totally changes the way I ride and flow

Worst: $160 indoor trainer. Unless I have a 40T cog I couldn't get a workout to save my life.


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## Alias530 (Apr 1, 2013)

jkidd_39 said:


> Best: dropper Seat. Totally changes the way I ride and flow
> 
> Worst: $160 indoor trainer. Unless I have a 40T cog I couldn't get a workout to save my life.


I bought a Kurt Kinetic trainer ($300ish) and have used it a half dozen times and only with my road bike. I have a 50/39 front with 11-28 rear on it and have 30 front with 11-36 rear on my MTB so I could see how it wouldn't be a workout as I usually use the 14, 15, or 16 tooth rear and 50T front with the road bike.


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## LowLow (Sep 18, 2007)

Alias530 said:


> You guys saying 2013 CTD forks were terrible, can you explain further?
> 
> I got into mountain biking in 2013 and the bike I had all of my rides on had a Fox CTD fork on it. Besides not being plush enough, which I chalked up to me taking a 100mm fork on AM trails and needing a lot of air in it to not bottom out, it was fine with me.
> 
> Besides the bike I just got to replace it and only have one ride on so far and a bike I rented once (also had a CTD fork on it), I don't really have anything to compare it to. That said, it could have been better but I certainly wouldn't say it's terrible. Curious to hear more...


For me, the biggest issue was the lack of mid-travel support on the fork and also the fork just seemed too linear, especially in the descend mode. It was very easy to bottom out the fork and I often felt like I was going to get pitched over the bike on even moderately steep descents and the like if I was in the descend mode. I could put it on trail mode, which helped the wallowy/linear feel, but then it felt too harsh unless it was on smoother trails. I ended up getting it tuned and it was much better. I heard the forks got better in 2014, but I was pretty disappointed with mine until it was tuned. I had a 140mm fork, so I'm not sure how 100mm travel would feel.


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## stygz1 (Nov 21, 2011)

aerius said:


> It's still not plush, dives through its travel, and bottoms out hard even when ridden by a 150 lbs rider on trails which aren't all that hard. If I put enough air in it so that it doesn't bottom, it won't soak up much and just ping-pongs off all the rocks & roots, the tire just bounces around and there's no traction to be found. And this is at a cruising along pace that's nowhere close to 100% of my abilities, and I'm not a great rider by any means since I regularly get schooled by my riding buddies.
> 
> Fox completely botched the damper settings on their forks. It actually reminds me of riding the old Rock Shox Mag 21 (anyone remember those?), but it's possibly even worse since it only has 3 settings. At least with the Mag 21 you could spin the dial till you found something that kinda/mostly works, Fox doesn't even give you that option; you get C, T, or D. But at least it's not a wet noodle and has more than 63mm of travel.


What do you have the fork set at? I have mine set at 75psi w/ 8 clicks out. It is set for me with a full camelback 173 lbs. To be honest I am not sure if my fork is 2013 or 2014 model. I don't get any harsh bottoming but can get some top out feeling depending on how much weight is in my pack. I usually deal with it but could move my rebound setting slower a click or so to fix it.


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## AndrwSwitch (Nov 8, 2007)

jkidd_39 said:


> Best: dropper Seat. Totally changes the way I ride and flow
> 
> Worst: $160 indoor trainer. Unless I have a 40T cog I couldn't get a workout to save my life.


Cycle Ops mag trainer here. Forget which one, but it has five resistance levels. That sucker is loud! And worse as it spins faster. I put it on max resistance, and ride it in a relatively low gear. On road bike, though, so a 34 and 46t chainring.


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## aerius (Nov 20, 2010)

stygz1 said:


> What do you have the fork set at? I have mine set at 75psi w/ 8 clicks out. It is set for me with a full camelback 173 lbs. To be honest I am not sure if my fork is 2013 or 2014 model. I don't get any harsh bottoming but can get some top out feeling depending on how much weight is in my pack. I usually deal with it but could move my rebound setting slower a click or so to fix it.


The fork was on my friend's bike which I had on loan while he was on vacation, 2013 model with 100mm travel. If I wanted the fork to move on small to medium bumps I had it set at 70-75psi, but at that pressure it bottomed out far too much whenever the bike was pointed downhill or ridden at speed. To keep it from bottoming all the time I had to take it to 95-100psi, but at that point it was next to useless on small to medium bumps. I can't remember where I set the rebound, though I recall it was closer to closed than open and that half the clicks on the open side did nothing.

I rode several other Fox forks on demo bikes and from swapping bikes with others while on the trails. I don't really find the 2014 models to be any better even with the 3 position trail adjust. They still dive too much and I still can't get a half decent balance of plushness and bottoming resistance.


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## MTBeing (Jan 11, 2012)

tuffguy said:


> Best of my current season: 2014 Reverb dropper post. It changed how I ride and helped my improve all of my skills on any given day of riding.
> 
> Worst of my current season: Saris Bones 2 bike rack. It's the biggest pain in the butt to use for a full suspension bike*, and due to it's shape, I can't even fit two bikes on it.
> *It'll work great for bikes with straight top tubes..


I feel you. I recently purchased a new f/s bike not even thinking about my Saris rack. Doh! Anyway, this is how I have to mount it:


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## AZ (Apr 14, 2009)

AndrwSwitch said:


> Cycle Ops mag trainer here. Forget which one, but it has five resistance levels. That sucker is loud! And worse as it spins faster. I put it on max resistance, and ride it in a relatively low gear. On road bike, though, so a 34 and 46t chainring.


2nd the CycleOps mag.


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## FastBanana (Aug 29, 2013)

MTBeing said:


> I feel you. I recently purchased a new f/s bike not even thinking about my Saris rack. Doh! Anyway, this is how I have to mount it:


Thats hilarious


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## AKamp (Jan 26, 2004)

Best. Shimano brakes for the Potts

Worst. Blowing a couple grand building up a pivot 429 that I never ride


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## pointerDixie214 (Feb 10, 2009)

Best - X-Fusion Trace 140mm fork

Worst - Fox F34 Float 140mm fork



Thankfully the first one is the one that's still on the bike. That gives me 1 good fork out of the 4 I have owned by Fox. Never again.


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## BigTex91 (Oct 28, 2010)

Best: Ergon SR3 saddle (on the road bike, but their MTB saddles will start appearing on the mountain bikes very soon).

Worst: Schwalbe Nobby Nic. Mediocre traction and atrocious life. Replaced it with a Hutchinson and am happy so far.


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## JeffcoHo (Sep 2, 2010)

Best: XX1, Ghetto tubeless w/ Glitter, 785mm Atlas bars, POC knee pads

Worst: POW shocker gloves, Mountain King tires, Elixir Fade Master brakes.

2014: Going to try a Knolly Warden 27.5 with Cane Creek DB air and a pike. An Osprey Talon 8 fanny pack for Enduro rides. A really light weight full face helmet.


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## Psychomike55 (May 27, 2012)

Best: Intense Carbine 29 with Cane Creek DB Air CS - Amazing bike and the most fun I've had riding yet!

Worst - The Sweat GUTR headband. When I was head down pushing on the road bike I looked up and all the sweat ran straight into my ears. Needless to say it was the first and last time I wore it. Uggghhhhh! Freaks me out just thinking about it!


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## deepwat3r (Aug 20, 2013)

Best: Santa Cruz Solo carbon, ESI Racer's Edge foam grips, Wolftooth 30t ring

Worst: KS Lev Integra


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## LB412 (Nov 28, 2012)

Best: Kuat NV, Kuat Vagabond X, Hutchinson Cougar 2.25 (thanks LBC for convincing me to try), Hans D 2.35 (front only), Crank Brothers Kronolog (second gen, no hate mail please), Troy Lee Jerseys, HT Flats, Crank clipless. Dinotte XML-3 and Light in Motion Taz 1200.

Worst: Crank Brothers gen 1 Kronolog, Nobby Nic, cheap shock pumps from big box retailers, angry pack of coyotes w/pups, no rain.


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## Pho'dUp (Feb 6, 2004)

Best: Lezyne bike pump, Salsa Motobar, Enduro baggy knickers, Clif bars Coconut chocolate chip and sierra trail mix.

Worst: Alloy nipples, 135F front hub spacing for fatbikes, CTD fork, magicshine batteries


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## Ben_Im (Mar 3, 2012)

Best: White Industries trials freewheels, XT brakes, XX1 crankset, Easton EC90 Bar ends

Worst: Crankbrothers Egg Beater 1 pedals. Broke a pedal after a single XC ride. No rock strikes, no jumps, just smooth single track. Never again will I ever consider buying that garbage.


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## LB412 (Nov 28, 2012)

Ben_Im said:


> Best: White Industries trials freewheels, XT brakes, XX1 crankset, Easton EC90 Bar ends
> 
> Worst: Crankbrothers Egg Beater 1 pedals. Broke a pedal after a single XC ride. No rock strikes, no jumps, just smooth single track. Never again will I ever consider buying that garbage.


I've ridden their pedals for years without any issue. Same for many friends.


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## B-Finny (Dec 16, 2013)

Best: Spank Spike pedals, Hope Tech M4 brakes, Chris King hubs on my custom built Santa Cruz Bronson, Hope match maker, EVOC freeride pack, FiveTen Freerider shoes.

Worst: Getting my Carbon Bronson before the current one stolen off my rack on my car


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## NordieBoy (Sep 26, 2004)

BigTex91 said:


> Best: Ergon SR3 saddle (on the road bike, but their MTB saddles will start appearing on the mountain bikes very soon).
> 
> Worst: Schwalbe Nobby Nic. Mediocre traction and atrocious life. Replaced it with a Hutchinson and am happy so far.


A Hutchy what?


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## NordieBoy (Sep 26, 2004)

Best: Santa Cruz Blur XC alloy frame, Specialized Stumpjumper Comp HT alloy frame, Zee 1x10 gearing, Command Post Blacklight, Garmin Foretrex, Crankbrothers Mallets, Egg Beaters, Candy 2's, 750 wide bars, Raceface NW sprockets.

Worst: 680 wide bars, non-wireless speedos...


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## Taylor Livingston (Feb 5, 2014)

Best: hope pro2 evo hubs

Worst: nothing bad for this past season but the season prior I had avid elixir brakes. Worst brakes ever. Serious garbage product. Replaced those with shimanos.


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## NZPeterG (Mar 31, 2008)

Best: Shimano XT M785 brakes and Sram XO1 :thumbsup:

Worst: Avid Elixir brakes!! Any Elixir Brakes :nono:


Pete :madman:


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## DCstreet (Jan 14, 2009)

Best: Reverb stealth dropper post, RS Pike 454 (Classic buttery smooth), maxxis high roller wire bead 2.35, worn out Odi lock-on grips, OEM ringle abbah hubs, hitch receiver for my sedan, hitch platform bike carrier


Worst: ghetto tubeless conversion using slime, duct tape/BMX tube, and high roller wire bead.... Sheeeeeeesh!
Ashima rotors (piece of crap, warps on descents)




Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## justwan naride (Oct 13, 2008)

Best: New cockpit,consisting of Funn Full On 750/15mm bar, Truvativ Stylo 60mm stem (inverted) and Odi Ruffian grips. Lowered my hand position by 30mm and made a world of difference in traction and control.

Worst: Avid juicy original brake pads. Used to have some sintered aftermarkets that performed and remained silent,the originals squeal like pigs at the very idea of moisture.


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## Locool (Feb 25, 2006)

Best:1x9 to 1x10 conversion. Would 2 teeth make that much of a difference? 34 cog to 36 made a difference and, yes, it was worth it to me to add just 2 teeth in the rear. And the BBG Bashwich for a chain-guide; absolutely no chain drops since I changed over,:thumbsup: which leads me to the....

Worst: The MRP chain-guide.:madmax: Chain would rub, jam up in the taco in the chunk, and tangle itself up with the spider. Time-consuming and frustrating trail-side repairs, fingers wedged between chain and ring, contorted look, Ouch!:madman: Luckily, the damn thing split in two, and ended the experiment. And then the Crank Bros. Eggbeaters.:nono: After years and years with Time Atac Alium pedals I thought I'd try the Eggbeaters to save some weight, 100 or so grams. First or second ride, in the Rocky Mountain chunk, over the same trails I've ridden hundreds of times, the spindle bent so much that the cage would not spin around, and the cage itself snapped, rendering them pretty much useless. I then went to Time Atac XS, to save that precious 75 grams or so, and have had no problems after a year on them. Go figure.


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## bigkat273 (Jan 16, 2008)

Best: Trek Stache

Worst: RS Turnkey damper


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## Alias530 (Apr 1, 2013)

Wow, so much nobby nic hate! Never used them but was going to try them next. Guess not!


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## cyclingmagnet (Sep 10, 2011)

Best: Kappius hubs 240 pts of engagement, super smooth and Rotor Cranks w/Qrings. And XTR brakes

Worst: Schwalbe Racing Ralph 2.2 Evo. Sealant leaked for 2 days out of the side walls. worst tires ever. major screw up for their brand.


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## OldZaskar (Oct 18, 2007)

Best: SRAM XX shifters and derailleurs

Worst: Avid brakes. Swapped them for XT


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## AndrwSwitch (Nov 8, 2007)

Alias530 said:


> Wow, so much nobby nic hate! Never used them but was going to try them next. Guess not!


I used a 2.1" Nobby Nic on the back of my bike for a lot of 2010. Actually quite liked it.

Like the RaRa okay, but haven't tried to set up anything tubeless yet. Frankly, I'm tired of screwing with this stuff, so I'll probably get my shop to take care of it. Just need to figure out what to change about what I carry for flat repair in the field, if anything.


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## velocodger (Feb 5, 2014)

I had the same issues....I put on Paul Duplex levers and moved the pivot pin to get V brake pull. The BOMB!


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## velocodger (Feb 5, 2014)

Slow Danger said:


> Best: On-one Chunky Monkey tire.
> 
> Worst: Tektro brake levers with my bb7's (levers were all my LBS had in stock).


I had the same issues with the Tektro crosstop levers with BB-7s. I put Paul Duplex levers on & moved the pivot pin for V brakes. Problem solved!


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## Schril (Oct 28, 2010)

Best: Specialized Purgatory and Ground Control Grid UST tires.

Worst: Hands down Avid brakes period.


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## justwan naride (Oct 13, 2008)

*Απ: Your best and worst product you tried for this past season?*



Worst: Hands down Avid brakes period.[/QUOTE said:


> I actually have no issues with my juicy 3's, apart from the squealing thing. I understand they are known to be temperamental at best,but realistically they work just fine for me. Are elixirs that worse than their predecessors?


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## rollinrob (Feb 22, 2004)

Best Ibis Ripley

Worst WTB Bronson tires


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## FastBanana (Aug 29, 2013)

justwan naride said:


> I actually have no issues with my juicy 3's, apart from the squealing thing. I understand they are known to be temperamental at best,but realistically they work just fine for me. Are elixirs that worse than their predecessors?


The Juicies ain't bad, its the sliders that are turds. The XO trails are supposed to be better though

Sent from my EVO using Tapatalk


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## Pelly_NH (Feb 15, 2005)

rollinrob said:


> Best Ibis Ripley
> 
> Worst WTB Bronson tires


Gorgeous bike!

On my end:

Best: SRAM XX1, Maxxis Ikon EXO

Worst: Geax AKA (mounting on Arch EX was nearly impossible)


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## k2rider1964 (Apr 29, 2010)

Best: XX1 by far, I'll never bother with anything else

Worst: Nothing that warrants a mention


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## kustomz (Jan 6, 2004)

Best: Shimano M785 Disc brakes. Light, powerful, quiet, adjustable and responsive.

Worst: Craft Siberian gloves. The model name is deceiving along with the marketing term, "VENTAIR X wind," which implies they would vent moisture and block wind. These are probably the worst winter gloves I have ever tried and they have no noticeable wind blocking abilities over a standard spring and fall glove. To this the manufacturer simply replied, sorry you feel that way.


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## hankscorpio (Jun 20, 2012)

rollinrob said:


> Worst WTB Bronson tires


Nice, I thought I was the only one who didn't like these tires.


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## croatiansensation (Feb 21, 2005)

*Best: *

'13 Niner Rip 9 Alloy

Shimano SLX and XT brakes - finally have "one finger" brakes

Schwalbe Hans Dampf SnakeSkin with TrailStar compound as a front tire

Tubeless - Amazing what it does for traction

*Worst: *

Avid Elixir 1 brakes - front was okay, but could never get good lever feel and throw in the back.

Schwalbe Racing Ralph performance compound - impossible to keep setup as tubeless, side lugs had chunks tearing out within two rides, absolutely terrifying as a front tire, and the sidewalls are super delicate.

SRAM Matchmaker system - horrible for someone with big hands. Couldn't get the shifters far enough away from the grips, and with the brakes at the right angle the shifters would be at the wrong one.


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## kubikeman (Jun 4, 2010)

Best: Going 1x with a Wolf Tooth ring and XT Shadow+

Worst: Tioga Psycho Genius Tires 2.35

You'd have to be Psycho to run these things in the wet. In the dry they're not bad, but when it gets a little mushy out, all hope is lost. The A.I. knobs pack up and all you're left with for traction is your hopes and dreams. For the record I'm not talking about deep mud here, I literally mean damp conditions where some slop is to be expected. This is something I believe a decent all round tire should be able to handle.


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## matadorCE (Jun 26, 2013)

Best: Shimano XT brakes, WTB Vigo saddle

Worst: Slime Self-Healing Tubes - did anything but seal themselves. Easton EA70 seatpost -- creaked almost from day one and hasn't stopped.

Worst of the Worst: SR Suntour coil fork -- came stock on my GT hardtail, a waste of metal and paint IMO


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## Endoman68 (Jul 26, 2012)

Best: Trek Stache 7 with Crank Bros Candy 2 pedals. The bike is fast, nimble, shorter stems. I went from 90mm to 80mm what a difference. I believe I could go down to 70mm. Clipping in for the first time in 2013 why didn't I do it sooner after all the years cycling. Carbon handle bars.

Worst: I was nervous about buying a 29er so I got a good discount on a Raleigh Talus Comp. Not knocking Raleigh. Just a little on the heavy side. Thinking about making it a fixed gear. Ergon grips, even though the size of the grips are small just to big. Unless your riding for leisure, IMHO.


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## MTBeing (Jan 11, 2012)

bigkat273 said:


> Best: Trek Stache
> 
> Worst: RS Turnkey damper


No kidding. I was afraid of breaking the turnkey damper b/c it flexed so badly when you turned it. Even had my lbs look at it when I first got the Stache thinking it was broken.


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## See you in the mud (Apr 18, 2013)

Best: 800mm wide carbon DH handlebars by Enve (god like handling and control). 50mm stem. Magura brakes and brake pads. Garmin. Bionic C Guide V.02. The new Kenda Nevegal’s (Nevegal Pro, tubeless set up). The infallible Sportworks hitch mount bike rack (heavy and bulletproof, but they don't make them like this anymore). OSMO Nutrition - Active Hydration (expensive as ****, but I don't bonk anymore). Time Atac pedals (6 years running and zero problems). Chris King hubs (6 years running) and Chris King bb (hello 5 year warranty!).

Worst: WTB tires (went through four last summer, not durable, weak sidewalls, not a man's tire) - such a frickin waste of money & precious time. The Joplin dropper post by Crank Brothers.

After reading the bad press on the Schwalbe Nic tires I witnessed a blowout while riding with a bro and was shocked to see how flimsy the sidewall was (literally paper thin). Holy fawk I'm glad I didn't buy that tire!!


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## vack (Jan 2, 2003)

The past year, the best have been:
Shimano XT M785 brakes, Ergon Grip (For me they solved all my hand issues), Race Face Narrow Wide.

The worst have been:
Fox's CTD Shocks, front and rear. (The reason I canned my Trek Superfly 100), 29er Tires in general, Really upset with the lack of durability in these tires over what I enjoyed in the past with 26" tires. This past year alone I've purchased 4 tires in one season. Two Ardents, an Ignitor and now I have a Weirwolf on there.


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## PrincipalRider (Jun 24, 2005)

Best - Specialized Crave SL - I love this single speed. 22 pounds! Relatively inexpensive, carbon fork, Shimano hydraulic disc brakes! Everything just works on it because it is a rigid single speed. Maintenance? What does that mean? 

Worst - Avid Elixir 9 Brakes. I still have a turkey attached to my front fork. I feel like when Elixirs came out, they were better than the Juicys, and they have slowly progressed to being just as bad. SRAM needs to get on that. I don't understand how everything else SRAM that I own works pretty damn well and these are crap. 

Things that are just okay - Fox CTD shock seems to be doing fine for me on my Niner Jet 9 Carbon. No complaints.


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## Alias530 (Apr 1, 2013)

vack said:


> The past year, the best have been:
> Shimano XT M785 brakes, Ergon Grip (For me they solved all my hand issues), Race Face Narrow Wide.
> 
> The worst have been:
> Fox's CTD Shocks, front and rear. (The reason I canned my Trek Superfly 100), 29er Tires in general, Really upset with the lack of durability in these tires over what I enjoyed in the past with 26" tires. This past year alone I've purchased 4 tires in one season. Two Ardents, an Ignitor and now I have a Weirwolf on there.


All things equal, 29er tires should last longer. Less full rotations for distance traveled.


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## vack (Jan 2, 2003)

Alias530 said:


> All things equal, 29er tires should last longer. Less full rotations for distance traveled.


One would think, and people where I live swear by Schawble Tires, and they go through them like socks....I don't use them because of that. It might be our terrain here, but 29er tires come here to die. Still in my opinion for how much they cost these days, I should get at least a season out of a tire....but I'm lucky to get a 1/2 season out of one, and I have two MTB's so I split time between them, and I still go through tires much too fast for my liking.


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## Alias530 (Apr 1, 2013)

vack said:


> One would think, and people where I live swear by Schawble Tires, and they go through them like socks....I don't use them because of that. It might be our terrain here, but 29er tires come here to die. Still in my opinion for how much they cost these days, I should get at least a season out of a tire....but I'm lucky to get a 1/2 season out of one, and I have two MTB's so I split time between them, and I still go through tires much too fast for my liking.


Yes, I hear Schwalbe's go to **** pretty quickly. Just a softer compound I guess.

And yes, tire cost is pretty damn absurd. Tires for my first car that were way bigger and way stronger (presumably, since it holds up a CAR lol) cost less than what 29er tubeless tires cost these days... and I'm only 28, not even that long ago!


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## FastBanana (Aug 29, 2013)

My truck tires at 350 a piece. Ill gladly pay 60 for a bike tire.

Best: Trail King Tires. Endless traction, beefy sidewalls. 

Worst: American classic wheelset. Specifically the rims. They are older, but they do not setup tubeless well at all. Had multiple blowouts in very bad situations. 

Sent from my EVO using Tapatalk


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## NordieBoy (Sep 26, 2004)

Alias530 said:


> Yes, I hear Schwalbe's go to **** pretty quickly. Just a softer compound I guess.
> 
> And yes, tire cost is pretty damn absurd. Tires for my first car that were way bigger and way stronger (presumably, since it holds up a CAR lol) cost less than what 29er tubeless tires cost these days... and I'm only 28, not even that long ago!


I was getting 2,500km out of my rear motorbike tyres and they were about $280us each. Annoying when you do about 25,000km per year.


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## Alias530 (Apr 1, 2013)

FastBanana said:


> My truck tires at 350 a piece. Ill gladly pay 60 for a bike tire.





NordieBoy said:


> I was getting 2,500km out of my rear motorbike tyres and they were about $280us each. Annoying when you do about 25,000km per year.


My first car was a Honda with 15"x6" wheels... tires were $40 and lasted 30k+ miles. The bike tires I use cost 50% more, are 1/3-1/2 as wide and last 1/100th as long. $50-$60 is nothing to me for something I enjoy so much, but the comparison that they last 300-500 miles (at least the rears) is obnoxious compared to how cheap my car tires used to cost and how long they would last.


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## MartinS (Jan 31, 2004)

Best gear in the last year;

Banshee Prime, solid and smooth
Gore bike wear Alp-X 2.0 windstopper jacket, awesome jacket that expanded my ride season and made cold wet and windy days fun
Yakima Holdup 2 hitch rack, way better than the old version that I used to have, much more solid, so far more rust proof, and the beer bottle opener lasts longer than 1 use.
Continental Trail Kings, durable and grippy in a wide variety of conditions.
And along with everyone else, shimano xt/xtr trail brakes.

Worst of the year;

To be honest I am more than a bit surprised by this, but I have to go with Hope EVO hubs. They arrived with rough feeling bearings that stayed that way, I cracked 2 freehub bodies this summer and I got off easy compared to 2 of my friends that also bought them. One had the internal freehub bearings disintegrate 2 months after buying them resulting in a long trip back home, and my other buddy broke an axle, had the bearings disintegrate and cracked 2 freehub bodies. Warranty was great though and it must be said we are all Clydes, but I had a set of old Bulbs last for 5 years no issues and until this year was a big fan.
Oh, and the Raceface alloy chainring bolts that came with my otherwise awesome Turbine cranks, seemed to be made of soft easily broken cheese...


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## evasive (Feb 18, 2005)

MartinS said:


> To be honest I am more than a bit surprised by this, but I have to go with Hope EVO hubs. They arrived with rough feeling bearings that stayed that way, I cracked 2 freehub bodies this summer and I got off easy compared to 2 of my friends that also bought them. One had the internal freehub bearings disintegrate 2 months after buying them resulting in a long trip back home, and my other buddy broke an axle, had the bearings disintegrate and cracked 2 freehub bodies. Warranty was great though and it must be said we are all Clydes, but I had a set of old Bulbs last for 5 years no issues and until this year was a big fan.


Sorry about your and your friends' experiences, but I'm glad to find I'm not the only one. You pretty much described my run.


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## Devastazione (Dec 16, 2009)

BEST : XTR trail brakes. You have no idea what a good set of brakes is until you test Shimano ones. Still using Avids ? Shame on you..

WORST : My Specialized Stumpjumper FSR Elite 29. Quite possibily the worst bike I've ever had ( and still have it as a beater bike). Even after some top cash upgrades the bike still is stupidly heavy and totally unefficient uphill and on flats.


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## stygz1 (Nov 21, 2011)

Devastazione said:


> BEST : XTR trail brakes. You have no idea what a good set of brakes is until you test Shimano ones. Still using Avids ? Shame on you..
> 
> WORST : My Specialized Stumpjumper FSR Elite 29. Quite possibily the worst bike I've ever had ( and still have it as a beater bike). Even after some top cash upgrades the bike still is stupidly heavy and totally unefficient uphill and on flats.


Interesting on the FSR. I have heard people complain about the brain shock but not the whole bike. I was looking at that bike before I got the Fuel 29er


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## stygz1 (Nov 21, 2011)

So it seems the complaint about nobby Nics is the quick wearing (soft rubber) and squirmy feeling on hard pack because of the soft side knobs. 

People have been liking the performance version of the Nobby nics because of that reason. Worth looking into


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## TwoNin9r (Jan 26, 2011)

Best: shimano xt brake/shifter combo I got from a friend (to replace my terrible elixir 7s). Wow... Just wow. Love the ability to double up-shift and the breaks are just creamy. One product you can really instantly tell is quality on first use. 

Worst: hmm... Bought a tioga d-spyder (the supposed mtb/bmx one) and it was just like sitting on solid plastic. I use the spyder twin tail normally and it's a bit cushy, but the website says it's more for road use. I went ahead and put it back on and now I'm happy. 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I537 using Tapatalk


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## matto6 (Dec 28, 2013)

SNS said:


> Worst: XT 10 speed chain for the conversion, which couldn't be linked back together with my existing chain tool and required the purchase of a new chain tool.


What kind of chain tool does an XT chain require? My 8 year old park tool won't do the trick?


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## AndrwSwitch (Nov 8, 2007)

Alias530 said:


> My first car was a Honda with 15"x6" wheels... tires were $40 and lasted 30k+ miles. The bike tires I use cost 50% more, are 1/3-1/2 as wide and last 1/100th as long. $50-$60 is nothing to me for something I enjoy so much, but the comparison that they last 300-500 miles (at least the rears) is obnoxious compared to how cheap my car tires used to cost and how long they would last.


Do you really only get 300-500 miles out of your rear tire? What are you doing to it??

The Racing Ralph on the back of my Hardrock is at 527, according to Strava. It's got visible wear but plenty of tread depth left. Sees some road use too, so it's not like I'm always brilliant about keeping my MTB tires on dirt.

425 miles on the Ikons I pulled off my new bike recently; they're worn enough that I can tell the front from the rear, but only just.

So I think both tires could hit 1000 miles if some other circumstance doesn't come up first. Probably more.


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## Schril (Oct 28, 2010)

matto6 said:


> What kind of chain tool does an XT chain require? My 8 year old park tool won't do the trick?


First, did you have the proper type pin for a Shimano 10 spd chain? Chain tools are generally sized per the chain size, at least that's how they are marketed. This may be more of an issue with a multi-tool than a standard chain tool. Park makes a shop tool CT-4.3 or a multi-tool IB-3 that should work fine.


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## Gumbi4Prez (Jan 2, 2014)

stygz1 said:


> So it seems the complaint about nobby Nics is the quick wearing (soft rubber) and squirmy feeling on hard pack because of the soft side knobs.
> 
> People have been liking the performance version of the Nobby nics because of that reason. Worth looking into


Just pulled my NN performance series off yesterday and replaced with some Ignitors I had laying around. Running the performance NN tubeless. I found you had to run a minimum of 26 psi, as the sidewall, as well as, their website states. 28 psi on the rear helped with squirm/ folding slightly. As a HT rider, running that high of a pressure on the rear takes away why I'm running tubeless.

On slow speed, muddy, wet condition on roots and rocks. They aren't to bad if you keep the bike upright. On hard pack, loose over hard, dry roots and rocks the squirm to much for my me. Just haven't been able to trust them at higher speeds. We don't have loony conditions here. I suspect with a decent pressure they would be decent.

They wear very fast. Avoiding pavement as much as possible. I suspect about 400 to 500 miles before*they are toast.

On a positive note. They do mount and seal up tubeless very easily, for a none tubeless tire. The volume is nice.

I'll probably keep one NN for a front during muddy conditions. Give the other to a riding buddy to try. Everyone seems to sh!t themselves over Schwalbe. Ever time I go out. Someone ask me about them. As if they are the Holley grail of tires. The NN was the only thread pattern I liked. Don't see myself purchasing anything from them again anytime soon.


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## sasquatch rides a SS (Dec 27, 2010)

Alias530 said:


> My first car was a Honda with 15"x6" wheels... tires were $40 and lasted 30k+ miles. The bike tires I use cost 50% more, are 1/3-1/2 as wide and last 1/100th as long. $50-$60 is nothing to me for something I enjoy so much, but the comparison that they last 300-500 miles (at least the rears) is obnoxious compared to how cheap my car tires used to cost and how long they would last.


You can't really compare the wear of car tires to the wear of mountain bike tires. :skep: Car tires indicate wear by tread depth. Mountain bike tires indicate wear by how rounded the knobs are before tread depth. A car tire is considered worn when there is 3/32" or less of tread, a car tire sees mostly, if not entirely paved roads. Mountain bike tires are considered worn and begin losing traction and washing out once the treads are rounded off and lose their edge. Mountain bike tires see roots, rocks, dirt, gravel, you name it, and they're run over those obstacles at low pressures compared to car tires. You're comparing apples to oranges here, there's too many variables to successfully compare car tires to mountain bike tires. Try comparing the wear of mountain bike tires to dirt bike tires (if you're familiar with the sport). Or car tires to road tires. While still not great comparisons, they're much better than trying to justify your response by comparing mountain bike tires to car tires.


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## dwt (Jul 19, 2009)

Best: all the components I bought converting my Jamis 650b to 1X10, special props to SRAM type II mech & Wolf tooth chainring (with chain retention teeth design). 

Worst: Tall Boy carbon complete bike. After being a 650b early adopter, and already owning a one in the form of 28lb trail bike tweaked lovingly to my taste, I was in the market last March for a lighter carbon XC bike. Local,Santa Cruz dealer heavily pushed me in the direction of 29'er. Didn't even demo it. Found out too late that while the bike was svelte and well specced, 29" and me just weren't that into each other. 

Coulda had a Solo (5010)


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## MitchD (Jun 16, 2010)

Best: hope matchmakers letting me use shimano shifters with avid brakes
worst: I keep waiting for problems with my avid code brakes after 3 years and not getting any


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## Haint (Jan 25, 2012)

Air. I ran 10 lbs too much on purpose for my first serious race in a long time, still finished just off the podium. Best product - it's a tie. It's the same Air - only - slightly less.


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## iheartbicycles (Mar 14, 2008)

Best: Hope V4 brakes

Worst: Avid Elixr brakes


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## GuruAtma (May 17, 2004)

Best: 1Up USA bike hitch rack. Super easy to use, set up, and store. When not in use, it stays nicely out of the way.

Worst: Formula R1 brakes. Howls like a banshee.


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## Tiago Taipina (Nov 14, 2013)

Best: Zee rear deraileur, and Saint pedals

Worst: Funn BOB seatpost


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## akaktm (Sep 15, 2008)

Best: 
1UP USA Hitch Rack. Sturdy, American-made, super quick, reliable and downright cool
Shimano brakes--almost the entire lineup
Ibis Ripley (finally)
Hans Dampf 29er 
KS LEV dropper
DVO Emerald forks

Worst:
Avid brakes (specifically almost all Elixir models)
Schwalbe Racing Ralph and Rocket Ron (wear out way too fast even for racing)
Rockshox Reverb (who wants to bleed a seatpost--often--I'm sure it's improved significantly since I had one, but i got tired of the early model)
Fox Doss Dropper (clunky lever, cable that moves with seat--see LEV)
Crank Brothers Kronolog

Honorable Mention:
KMC chains that still have a functional speed link
ODI SDG grips - just right


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## Internal14 (Jan 21, 2004)

Best: Dropper Post

Worst: Dropper Post!


When will one last longer than 4 months?! I've gone back to 10yr old technology in my Gravity Dropper to be able to use a dropper post. Reverbs and KS LEV's al fail, without fail.

Can't see myself riding without one, ever, but it sucks having to have spare(s). At least Reverbs are serviceable now in the shop.


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## Racerbill (Nov 30, 2012)

The best was my giant contact switch dropper post.
Worst racing Ralph tires or crank Brothers eggbeater pedals


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## wookie (Jan 24, 2007)

MartinS said:


> Best gear in the last year;
> 
> Banshee Prime, solid and smooth
> Gore bike wear Alp-X 2.0 windstopper jacket, awesome jacket that expanded my ride season and made cold wet and windy days fun
> ...


I had bearing issues from the get go also.


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## tomfs (Feb 6, 2014)

Best Jimmy Fallon taken over the tonight show haven't watched for thrity years.
Worst non welded rims tacoed two.


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## JasonL (Nov 18, 2011)

Best - XT M785 brakes and 1X10 set up

Worst - Stan's Crest rims ( I'm 155 geared up and soaking wet. I only ride XC not drops and barley got 400 miles out of the rear Rim. In fast corners there is noticeable flex in the front Rim.)


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## mountainbyte (Oct 17, 2005)

Sun Ringle 650b Charger Pros - on my BLTc. Cheap, Strong, Light, Fast.


Worst: Blackburn Multitool /co2 infliator.... Didn't work even though it was brand new and left me with 4 empty c02s in the middle of nowhere. Blackburn sent me a bike pump and said they were getting out of the C02 business. Great Idea. Poor execution.


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## FastBanana (Aug 29, 2013)

mountainbyte said:


> Sun Ringle 650b Charger Pros - on my BLTc. Cheap, Strong, Light, Fast.
> 
> Worst: Blackburn Multitool /co2 infliator.... Didn't work even though it was brand new and left me with 4 empty c02s in the middle of nowhere. Blackburn sent me a bike pump and said they were getting out of the C02 business. Great Idea. Poor execution.


I had the same thing happen with a Serfas inflator. Lesson learned, test your equipment.

Sent from my LG-LS995 using Tapatalk


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## edmpt (Feb 20, 2014)

Best - It's a three way tie. Cane Creek DB Air Cs, Rockshox RCT3 Pike, and Enve AM wheels. The biggest difference maker was the DB air though. Completely changes the bike (Ibis Mojo HD). Descends like a small travel freeride bike but still climbs like a champ. With the original shock, it felt more like a trail bike descending. 

Worst - Formula Rx Brakes. Inconsistent when hot and cold. Lack of power when at speed. If they got too hot the lever engagement would change as well.


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## dwyooaj (Dec 14, 2006)

best: Tie between: believe it or not rockshox domain 160 mm u-turn fork, with custom slightly lighter weight oil. So buttery and smooth, reliable and durable. no bushing slop or stanchin wear after 5 years of lots of use on 5 difefernt bikes. sad to see it go on the Sc butcher I just sold. Otehr contender is my new rocky mountain altitude.

worst: elixirs.


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## bdundee (Feb 4, 2008)

Best-X01, Next Sl crankset, and Hope Tech3 x2 brakes. Oh and the best of all, Nox I9 wheelset!!

Worst- 42t hack doesn't matter the brand, cogs are fine system as a whole sucks poo.


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## mizzaboom (Jun 2, 2010)

Best: my Trance x1; dropping the big ring and putting on a Race Face bash guard; Bontrager XR4 tire (front). 

Worst: the crappy, constantly leaking, mouthpiece on my Nishiki hydropack (i like everything else about it); the 2.1 front Nevegal that came stock on the Trance (i like it as a rear tire).

This year: looking into a shorter stem from Loaded (AmXC 70mm); new bars from Loaded (AmX); Fox Dirtpaw gloves (already ordered);finally buying some proper padded MTB shorts.


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## Guest (Feb 20, 2014)

Worst last season were the plastic brake levers (several brands) I snapped off. Why can't someone make a plastic covered carbon-fiber or Fiberglass lever.
Best last season, might be the new camelbak no-valve water bottle.
This season, looking forward to the new (2013) Fargo is my rear wheel ever arrives.


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## fahza29er (Jun 26, 2012)

Best Hope brakes, X9 shifters and derailleurs, Hope hubs, Serfas lights
worst Elixirs and WTB i29 rims, good wheels if you like taco salad


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## FastBanana (Aug 29, 2013)

fahza29er said:


> Best Hope brakes, X9 shifters and derailleurs, Hope hubs, Serfas lights
> worst Elixirs and WTB i29 rims, good wheels if you like taco salad


What was wrong woth the i29 rims? Was it a failure due to a poor build?

Sent from my LG-LS995 using Tapatalk


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## fahza29er (Jun 26, 2012)

MTBeing said:


> I feel you. I recently purchased a new f/s bike not even thinking about my Saris rack. Doh! Anyway, this is how I have to mount it:


Both Saris and Thule make bars to mount bikes like that, I have two myself for my FS bikes.

Amazon.com: Saris Bike Beam Trunk and Hitch Rack Crossbar Adapter for Dual Suspension and Women's Bicycle Frames: Sports & Outdoors


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## fahza29er (Jun 26, 2012)

FastBanana said:


> What was wrong woth the i29 rims? Was it a failure due to a poor build?
> 
> Sent from my LG-LS995 using Tapatalk


Naa build was good I even check the spoke tention with my handy dany Park Tool, just had a small crash and I mean small, front wash out I have done 1000 times before and the wheel folded right up. I landed on my feet thats how minor a crash it was, picked up the bike and the WTF came out and trail repair then started so I could get home. Last one I will ever use.


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## Tim Mailloux (Jun 18, 2007)

Best:
1up USA bike rack.
Custom Hadley / WTB i29 wheelset
Shimano XT brakes

Worst:
Kenda Nevega tires. Was to good of a deal to pass up but really wished I did. Swapped them out after 2 rides.
Specialized MTB gloves. Tried 3 different models and none last more than one month and were too expensive. I know use $10 work gloves from HomeDepot that are just as comfortable and last longer.


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## FastBanana (Aug 29, 2013)

fahza29er said:


> Naa build was good I even check the spoke tention with my handy dany Park Tool, just had a small crash and I mean small, front wash out I have done 1000 times before and the wheel folded right up. I landed on my feet thats how minor a crash it was, picked up the bike and the WTF came out and trail repair then started so I could get home. Last one I will ever use.


Was it the TCS, KOM, or other series? Im assuming it was the cheap one since it was laced to X9s

Sent from my LG-LS995 using Tapatalk


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## Knight511 (Nov 26, 2010)

Best: Time Z Strong pedals (now called ATAC DH4) and adding a Trek Domane 4.0 to the stable to ride while trails are closed

Worst: ODI Lock On grips. Completely killed my hands while riding longer rides very happy to switch back to Ergons.


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## fahza29er (Jun 26, 2012)

FastBanana said:


> Was it the TCS, KOM, or other series? Im assuming it was the cheap one since it was laced to X9s
> 
> Sent from my LG-LS995 using Tapatalk


I don't remember the series but they are on Hope Pro II 's not X9's


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## m77ranger (Jan 12, 2009)

Best: strava

Worst: chumps in my way


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## TechniKal (Mar 18, 2004)

*Best:*

XX1 - expensive, but really nice. Super light, great shifting, silent, plenty of range, simple and durable for me... I can't ever see going back to a multi-chainring setup.

Devinci Atlas Carbon - chainstays/wheelbase shorter than most 26" bikes but with the benefits of 29" wheels. < 24 lbs with pedals, alloy rims and a far from hardcore weight weenie build. Great suspension. Reasonable cost. Lifetime warranty. I like it so much I bought another one for my wife...

*Worst:*

Schwalbe Racing Ralphs : Expensive, down right dangerous on wet limestone and faster wearing than any tire I've ever used before (completely done in ~300 miles). I switched to IKONs and have been much, much happier.

Fox Forks : Finding out that the 30 hour recommended service interval is for real after finding wear on the stanctions of my $700 fork after 3 months/60 hours of good weather riding. My fault for not tearing my fork down once a month for service, though it's kind of crazy the fork needs service about as often as I need to air up my tires. Adding insult to injury, I managed to strip the brake mount after my 13th service in 12 months. I helicoiled it, moved it to a different bike, and bought a cheaper rock shox product after using Fox exclusively (and with no issues with much less maintenance) for the last 12 years.


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## Burnt-Orange (Dec 10, 2008)

Best: schwalbe nobby nic .... best fall tire I ever had on my bike ... wet roots forget about it 

Worst: schwalbe nobby nic ... kevlar bead failed causing goo to go all over my shop and scaring the crap out of me


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## Alias530 (Apr 1, 2013)

Burnt-Orange said:


> Best: schwalbe nobby nic .... best fall tire I ever had on my bike ... wet roots forget about it
> 
> Worst: schwalbe nobby nic ... kevlar bead failed causing goo to go all over my shop and scaring the crap out of me


Specialized Ground Control, try it.


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## MTBeing (Jan 11, 2012)

Alias530 said:


> Specialized Ground Control, try it.


Second this. Tread looks similar to the NN but it handles better, IMO.


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## Alias530 (Apr 1, 2013)

MTBeing said:


> Second this. Tread looks similar to the NN but it handles better, IMO.


Not to mention 2/3 the price and double the life span.


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## Burnt-Orange (Dec 10, 2008)

I will give one a go


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## Tystevens (Nov 2, 2011)

Best: switching over to Garmin 510 from smartphone apps. Runner up prize would be Merino wool base layers for cold weather riding (they are honestly all they are cracked up to be).

Worst: Avid Elixir brakes, for the 2nd year running. I may finally switch them out for XTs this year. They work ok -- I usually manage to stop when I need to -- but so noisy and so much vibration that I don't want to use them, plus the bleeding procedure sucks.


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## S.O.B. (Mar 17, 2008)

Best: Tie between the XT brakes and the Schwalbe Nobby Nics 2.35 EVO, TLR, Snakeskin 2.35 (front and rear). Replaced a 2.4 RaRa Front and 2.25 RaRa rear.

Worst: Classic I-9 wheel set…tired of breaking proprietary spokes, don't care about rep of the wheels when my experience is bad. Kept my Stans Arch EX w/Hopes.

New: Parted out my 18.8 lb Niner One9 and am building up a 29+ Carver Gnarvester. Should be ready by the end of March. Basically a Krampus, but hopefully ~9400g (20.7lbs). Mm-mm.


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## bikeboardorblade (Jun 19, 2011)

Best: Narrow Wide ring plus zee rear der. 5.10s. 780 bar. Reign. Marzocchi 44 RC3 Ti. Lyrik Solo Air DH.

Worst: Junk Fox that came on the Reign. Santa Cruz Blur LT. I seem to be one of the few people that couldn't stand it. Traded it for the Reign.


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## CannondaleF9 (Nov 17, 2012)

Best: Schwalbe Hans Dampf tyres are awesome, I love the XT Shadow plus rear derailleur, and my Cannondale D3 grips.
Worst: Avid Elixir 1 and SRAM X5 (stock components). But my least favourite not stock item was I would say was the Schwalbe Nobby Nic performance tyre, although I didn't hate it.


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## CrozCountry (Mar 18, 2011)

Best or past season:
Shimano Brakes
Edge eyewear
Tallboy C
Shimano drivetrain
XO cranks
Remedy gloves
Giant STP
Geax Saguaro rear. I didn't expect much (came on the bike) but its solid.
KMC chains. Not really this season, they were always great.
1x10 drivetrain

Best of next season:
Hope T-Rex 40T cog


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## JeffH_PA (Nov 11, 2013)

Best: Jim Beam Maple.
Worst: Walmart "Skil" brand palm sander.

Yes, I've used both while riding and/or working on my bike.


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## kustomz (Jan 6, 2004)

Since daylight savings begins this weekend, I am going to proclaim the current season officially over in my book.

Best: Halo Twin Rail 700x38 tires on my gravel rig; supple ride yet very fast rolling.
Worst: Vivitar 787HD 12.1mp action camera; must remove from case to change modes.


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## AndrwSwitch (Nov 8, 2007)

I've been in my 2014 season since November, give or take.


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## Deartist7 (Sep 28, 2014)

Best: CST Cambers 26x2.1 tires. Maybe i didn't even push them hard at all, but i think i did. Got no punctures so far.

Worst: $1 grips. Ripped them off on the second ride. LOL.

New: For 2015 i may as well try off-brand disc brakes. My friend got them and he never had a problem, I already got the fork for them so lets see what fails first >


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## kustomz (Jan 6, 2004)

Best: Race Face narrow wide chain ring combined with SLX Shadow plus.

Worst: Retroshift CX1 mounted to Salsa Cowbell dropbars for gravel.


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## foot hill (Oct 16, 2006)

Best: squirt chain lube.

Worst: sun line carbon bar. Egg shell thin at stem clamp. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## FastBanana (Aug 29, 2013)

Best: Specialized Enduro Expert

Worst: Bar end shifters on commuter


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## Guest (Jan 13, 2015)

Best - Brooks B92 Seats for both bikes
Worst - the other seats I bought and returned


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## Scott5272 (Apr 8, 2014)

Best: 2014 Giant Trance 1, MRP bash/guide, Raceface N/W
Worst: iPhone as action cam

Coming up: Hope Enduro wheel set and a GoPro.


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## sgltrak (Feb 19, 2005)

Best: I had a fun couple of days riding a demo Intense Spider 29. Even won a local XC race on the demo bike having not even thrown a leg over it prior to rolling to the start line.
Worst: Kenda Slant Six tires on the rear of my 29'er didn't hook up the way I like and flatted pretty easily.

It was rare for me to try anything new as I usually just find something that works and use it until it is no longer available.


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