Do you have an MTB-Tech-related question for Doddy or Anna? Use the hashtag #AskGMBNTech with your comment for a chance to be featured on the channel! 👇
Thanks for the shout out once again Doddy - and I know Andy Kyffin well, as I used to live next to his shop! Very interested in a video which could look at this along with those gains you could get from a more efficient drive train - might be a bit nerdy for some, but there is definitely an audience for it!
Thanks so much for the support, Tim! Nice one! We're stoked you enjoyed the video. We think it's an interesting topic and something we'd definitely like to look into! Thank you for the suggestion!
Interesting one... I would think the difference to silent or a correctly lubed trad hub would be so minimal as to be unmeasureable in effect... Any real world measureable friction would mean unacceptable wear on the pawls/teeth etc.
In relation to chainwear, I find that the 12x system to rather hard on chains. If the chain gets to the .75 wear mark, the cassette is already damaged and the alloy chain ring nearly always is. I actually think the steel chain rings are better as they slow down the overall wear on the system. Just my two cents!
I'm running a Shimano XT 1x12 setup and after 6700+kms I am on my fourth chain. Cassette still in great condition as is the front chain ring. Mostly dry riding on a mix of gravel, and natural forest trails plus the odd sandy trail. It gets a thorough clean every week. Been using Rock n Roll Gold lube.
1:17 I actually noticed this with my air fork. I have a budget air fork i use only during the winter that i don't care about. i used it last winter then packed it up for the summer, I installed it this winter and noticed that it was extremely stiff with almost no travel, it took a ton of pressure to get any kind of compression out of it. I actually had to let out 15psi from it in order to get it back to feeling good. I am 100% certain that last winter I had set it to 100psi and it was perfect but now 100psi was too much so once I lowered it to 85psi it feels great.
For data on how long a drivetrain lasts with different lubricants and conditions the best source of information I have found is the independent testing done by Zero Friction Cycling in Australia.
The chain to cassette ratio question is a very old one... the best advice takes in to account the price of the cassette. at one end is the $25 7-speed freewheel.... in that case just change the chain and cassette together.... and the other end of the spectrum would be a $250 cassette... try to get 2-3 chains per cassette in it's lifespan. It's a target though... damage can occur and you could break a tooth off the cassette on your first ride.
Pressure will reduce by about 10% for every 28°C temp change. You learn this quickly in cold environments (e.g. Canada in winter). We learn this quickly if storing bikes and setting pressures indoors and then riding when is below freezing.
Mountain hiking and climbing pants are a great substitute for biking pants!! I have the same problem I’m 6’3 and size 32 waist. So I could only find larges that would be close in length and found almost identical stuff in hiking and climbing gear but a wider range of sizes.
I thought the same thing when I fitted inserts to my full squish. As you say Doddy, I would get myself carefully back to base riding on the inserts and either fit a tube or call it a day depending on how long I'd been out. I've had them fitted for 18 months and it's not happened yet so... 🤞🏼
@@gmbntech I have thought about this, but never happen. Also thought if it ever happened, I could use like a 650C or 700C road tube in with the insert....
I run a 11x1 Shamono drive train on my emtb and I use a chain masure tool and when the chain gets stretched I change it. Changed it once in a 2k miles and still on the original cassette. I live in a dry, dusty clement so dry chain lube every few rides and cleaning it up every few months keeps it going strong.
I carry a couple of (bread) loaf bags to put stuff in, they have the advantage of having no holes (unlike bigger bags) so stuff can’t leak out, you can even tie the end over.
I've the issue of a tyre that would stay up. I did put a tube in the tyre. I had the Vittoria insert in the tyre. I wasn't able to ride home as the tyre had damage so the tube exploded and I needed a lift. I needed to put the insert in to a black bin liner. That kept the sealant off the inside of the car. If you can get it small enough you may get it into a large shopping bag. I was riding my 29er hardtail so the shopping bag wouldn't have worked. Plus it can put up a bit of a fight when your trying to get it small enough for the bag.
I'd like to know about the silent hub thing too. I can imagine that not turning mechanical energy into noise energy would be good for efficiency. I would be happy to get a silent hub too.
While it's technically true that sound is a form of energy, the actual amount of energy is negligible. And conversely, a well-adjusted brake is nearly silent but you can still burn yourself by touching a rotor right after coming to a stop.
@@mattgies Kind of apples and oranges comparison. Braking is converting the Kinetic Energy of the bike/rider unit into Wave Kinetic Energy (vibrations, sound, etc.) and Thermal Energy.(into the disc/rim/brake pads etc.) Energy loss from freehub noise is from compressing the spring on each pawl for each point of engagement (Spring Potential Energy) + the friction of dragging the pawl over the ratcheting ramp (Thermal Energy). The sound itself is not the actual energy loss, it is the result of turning the Potential Energy of the compressed freehub springs (the actual energy loss) into Kinetic Energy (the springs release and force the pawl to hit the ratcheting body) FWIW, A study on noisy vs silent freehubs found the energy loss to be negligable, on the order of 2-6 watts IIRC. Cheers
I may be wanting to get a new wheelset sometime soon. And I could have been easily swayed into paying more and upgrading to a silent hub. I’d like to know if there are efficiency benefits as well as quiet hubs. With quiet hubs, I always have the option of hockey cards in the spokes like when we were kids :-)
Insert with tube is possible with tannus armour, just a bit heavy and fiddly but the chances of getting a puncture now are really low. Also gives me so much confidence to just charge up a stair and possibly crash but I know my rim can take it lol
I run nukeproof ARD inserts and I rode 5miles on and off road with 0psi and my rim didnt get any damage from it. The only downside was the massive amounts of drag and the tyre squirming in corners.
I am yet to have a flat since installing tire inserts (Rimpact). So not using them to avoid dealing with an insert on the trails is really counterintuitive. It could happen, but chances of a flat are significantly diminished.
I'm abit interested to hear some opinions. In the sort of "Downcountry" shirt travel trail area. What's better when being somewhat weight conscious. Smaller more aggressive, or wider less aggressive. Say DHR/Dissector 2.4s vs Dissector/reckon 2.6s #AskGMBNTech
There is a company called x5cape who do custom fit trousers I have the opposite problem of being short, 5'9 and incredibly stocky however I've managed with xxxl enduro trousers which are just far too long but aren't so bad
#askgmbntech here's my question: I switched to tubeless tyres a few years ago and overall I'm happy because I have never had a puncture since. However, the valves clog up frequently which makes checking tyre pressures frustrating and difficult. I regularly have to deflate my tyres to unclog the valve cores, or replace the cores. I use Joes No Flats sealant. Should I go back to tubes?!
#AskGMBNtech i recently fitted a fox transfer elite dropper post and I've been having some trouble with it, i store my bike with the post in it's lowest position and when i come to first use it on a ride it won't raise without me pulling on it once I've done that it's fine all ride until the next day and it does the same again, any ideas? Tried a few nm"s less torque on the seat clamp but makes no difference
#AskGMBNTech I have recently (last year) got back into MTB and currently have a medium sized Boardman MTR 9.0. I am having trouble adjusting from 26" to 29" wheels and a mullet setup might work better for cornering etc as a short 5' 8" rider. Is changing the rear wheel to 27.5" a bad idea? As guessing will change the geometry and lower the bb? Great show as always, you have helped me loads, many thanks.
#AskGMBNtech Hi Doddy! Working with an extreme budget I was able to purchase an older Diamond Back Recoil and slowly upgrade components to get it running like a legitimate MTB. The only thing holding me back on some of the gnarlier trails is my rear QR setup. I’ve upgraded the front fork to take a thru axle and make the front end a lot more stiff. However my local Black Diamond trails are a bit intimidating as even some blue trails have caused my rear end to come loose. Is there anything I can do to somehow convert my rear QR to a thru axle? Or even just make it stronger so I can have some confidence when riding these trails. Thank you and look forward to your reply.
#askGMBNtech Good evening Doody & Anna, I've purchased a new drivetrain as my old one is worn out, I'm reluctant to install it until the weather hopefully starts to get better. Would running the old drivetrain for a while longer have any affect on anything else?
Another nice one Doddy! #askgmbntech I have a 2022 RS Pike Ultimate 130mm travel. When I bought it and set it up, I used the sag markers on the stanchions (it's on my hardtail so I had it at 30% to soak up harshness). I had my digital calipers in my hand the other day, and I measured the sag from the wiper seal and it was approx 34mm, which is aboug 26% sag, but it was sitting just under the 30% marker on the stanchion. I always cycle the fork before checking, so it's not a negative air chamber issue. I also measured the stanchion length, and it measures 132mm. Not a big deal using calipers to measure sag, since I have no markers on my Fox fork and shock on another bike, but is this a common thing for the sag markers to be way off, or is it just a one off situation? Thanks!!
How much Tubeless sealant should I use on a 29 wheel with 2.4 tyre when using an insert. As when I have removed the tyre the sealant seems to have been absorbed into the insert, or the additional surface area has taken up the sealant. #AskGMBNTech
#AskGMBNTech Hello Anna and Doddy from Athens (Greece). I have a Nukeproof Horizon stem on my bike and I want to reverse it so I have a small negative rise. Should the NO GAP between the face plate and the stem be up or down? Maybe not reverse the face plate and keep the no gap up again? Thanks in advance
I want to change the brake line on my SRAM Guide brake. Can i use a Shimano line for that?! Or will the DOT-fluid destroy the line?! Both sides will take an olive and not these rings... Thanks and keep up the great job! #askgmbntech
Hey there, I’m looking forward to buy a rear shock for my 2019 Hightower. Recommend shock length is 200 but new shocks only seem to be 205 or 190. Can I get any on those? #AskGMBNTech
#AskGMBNTech Hi, could You recommend some useful tools that "live in the bike"? Recently I've got myself a granite stash tubeless flat tire repair kit and love the thing, it sits in my cranks so I will never forget to take it. I know about OneUp multitool that sits in the steering tube, but would You recommend other brands / places to hide the tools in the bike? Maybe it would a good idea for whole show episode about how one can carry tools on the bike (for adventure week maybe)?
#AskGMBNTech Hi, I bought a nice 2021 Mondraker Superfoxy bike. It has a standard SuperBoost Plus 157x12mm rear hub, with a 56.5mm chainline. When backpedaling on the two largest chainrings 42T and 50T, the chain fell off ... I replaced the front chainring to 32T oval with a real offset of 2mm (I always ride oval). The original Sram had a 3mm offset, so things got even worse. The chainline was 57.5mm and when backpedaling, you can guess what was going on. I decided to swap the dub bottom bracket spacers from the left 4.5mm to the right side, and right side 9mm to left. Currently the chainline is 53mm and it works great, and when pedaling backwards the chain doesn't fall off either, but it's now closer to the 52mm boost standard than the 56.5mm SuperBoost. Can this 53mm chainline cause problems with SuperBoost Plus hub?
#AskGMBNTech Hi guys, given the same rider, trails and wheels setup, Is it recommended to run the same tire pressure on a Hardtail vs Full Sus? Or should it be less or more, especially the rear.
#AskGMBNTech I have this budget Enduro hardtail with a Cheap Chinese Enduro fork, I've been messing around with its suspension fork for a while but I haven't touched the damper, for some reason the damper travel is slowly decreasing, a few months ago it could still bottom out but now it can only go like 80 to 70mm, it's a 160mm fork, I would buy a better fork but I'm too broke
#ASKGMBNTECH Hey I have a cube aim pro 2022 with a 8 speed cassette. My question is will the stock hub allow me to put on a 9 speed cassette or even a 10 speed. Thanks in advance
If your running a three speed crank, you might find the cage on the front mech is too wide for the narrower 10 speed chain. You could go 1x10 or even 1x11, but I’d recommend a wide/narrow chain wheel, with a little research you can find out whether you’d need to replace the crank.
#askgmbntech I've a 2021 merida one sixty 27.5 wheel all mountain/enduro bike running rock shox yari rc 170mm fork and rock shox deluxe select +. I'm considering converting to a mullet set up using a rock shox domain 170mm 29" fork. Is this something that may work or would be throwing the geometry of the bike completely. Thanks in advance Patrick
Shall I upgrade my rockshox revelation 140mm to the pike ultimate 150mm? Never really felt like the revelation is a bad fork for the riding I do which is mainly trail centres and the shiny new fork is very appealing. Fork feels responsive enough for me but wondering what differences I’ll notice by changing to a premium fork! cheers! #askgmbntech
I'm also tall and skinny (Can probably fit 28-36 but would be happy with 30-36 sized jeans) So if you guys know any skinny series clothing..lemme know.
#AskGMBNTech -most of us are not lucky enough to have multiple bikes, if you had to have a 1 bike for all applications (including occasional road) what bike would you choose?
#AskGMBNTech Odd question , If given the choice of having a bike that is to small or one that is to large, which would be better to work with? Thanks for the content by the way!
The answer is smaller but by only one size, because if you go bigger you won't be able to move the bike how you won't. The only downside for going smaller is that when you're seated you will have worse posture and might start hitting the bars with your knees
I’ve got a entry level hardtail bike and want to upgrade forks and drive chain but been told (by Halfords) that I can’t ps I’m new to all this #askgmbntech
No. This is an ego statement 🙄 Change this to: ride the largest chainring to still be able to climb your local tracks. See if with continuous training you can improve to a higher gear, and if so, at (chainring) replacement time, go fo a bigger one. And yes, keep it all clean.
#AskGMBNTech I'm gonna need Doddy or some retro expert on this. What happened to all those old Japanese bicycle brands like Bridgestone, Panasonic and Kuwahara? They seem to be very well made and are highly desirable among collectors and popular bases for commuter and gravel builds. Are they actually that good or is it just another case of weeaboos overrating Japanese things?
