danielshiels profile

Will do, as soon as the sun comes out in the UK I'll be changing it over, along with the jockey wheels in the derailleur. I'll document anything interesting and send it over

I'm using the same xtr 11sp shifter and xt derailleur that originally came on a bike I bought in 2018 that had the 11-46 xt cassette. I genuinely can't tell the difference in shifting between the two set ups, its not been a compromise at all.

I'd like to try it, next step is a Shimano 12 speed chain and a suitable chainring, apparently the deore cassette benefits from the same profile of tooth as the new 12 speed stuff higher up and the improvement in shifting associated with it

I feel like for those of us with Shimano 11 speed set ups on an hg Freehub the best min-max/budget course of action is to keep everything we've already got and just throw on the deore 11 speed cassettes. All steel but lighter than these, absolutely fine shifting and still the 51 tooth bail out gear. The only adjustment I needed to make was a 2.3mm Freehub spacer because the cassette didn't tighten down with a 1.85 and the b limit screw for the dinner plate. On my second cassette now and got really good wear from the first so I'm sticking.

Sure it's a fit thing with pads, I've tried a few through the years that have been reviewed well with no success but settled on ion kpact and they're really comfortable, have been great when I've been ejected and are really well made. Used for the last 3 years and wash as new. If they fit you well I'd highly recommend them

Also my bike weighs well over 35lb so the bit extra in the cassette is neither here nor there 🤣

I'm running the same deore cassette with my old 11 speed xt derailleur and although it needs to be relatively clean and lubed all the time it works really well if you can stay on top of it. The next step will be a 12 speed Shimano chain and appropriate chainring to utilise the new shifting improvements built into the cassette

I commute on my Nicolai so keep the chain pretty clean.

1 chain off bike

2 totally degrease and dry all drivetrain and chain

3 really dry the chain

4 lay the chain out and pop muc-off hydrodynamic lube onto each roller (great all weather lube, super quiet, clean and long lasting).

5 flip chain and leave for half an hour then wipe it and put it back on

Had really great results all year round

Push ons , grip glue and wire. I'll need that grizzly in the article to twist them off

Funny how the grass is always greener, I ride 4 or 5 times a year up there and would still sell a kidney to ride in bc. These are the best trails we have in the UK, particularly the off piste ones in glentress and golfie. The scene is amazing there as evidenced by icycles in Innerleithen lending me a shock when mine blew on Fri and meeting me in a cafe on sun to get it back to save my weekend with no demand for a deposit etc, just wanting to get me out on the trails they're all rightly proud of. You couldn't want a better place to ride or better trails

I've got a76 degree seat tube but a low stack so to mitigate the weight on my hands went for a 50 mm rise bar which has really helped. When I'm mostly on flatter or rolling terrain I'll move the saddle back on its rails and flatten it out somewhat as well

I've not tried the assegai yet but if you are going dd and maxx grip (always) I can recommend the shorty up front in wt width. The weight is much the same and the softer compound means it doesn't act like a spike at all on harder ground and grips like no other tyre I've ever run literally everywhere else. Doesn't roll fast or last long but you can't have everything.

Effeto mariposa also make them and they're great

I had stans arch mk3 and broke a rim so now have arch mk3 rear and flow mk3 front, been no trouble after fitting huck norris in the rear. 1year of mixed riding and highly recommended