twk profile

I can echo that -- Bonty Rimstrip + WTB Tough casing = a day of swearing getting the damn thing on and then seated evenly after the initial seal

To be honest, I think the dropper was the single best decision in that build -- it makes switching from XC riding to anything more... fun ;) way nicer -- and it's one of those saddle-lever actuated things so no remote to maintain. The QR is built into the frame and less than amazing though.

I keep getting surprised by how versatile the frame is -- who thought ~10 year old XC bikes handle amazing for some trials-y jibbing around, loaded touring, and -- gasp -- XC riding.

Heh... my Walt clone is a 26", 71° HA, short wheelbase bike with 60mm moto risers and a BMX stem and 2.2" tyres. It's got a modded dropper to fit a particularly pesky sized but lovely riding Reynolds 853 seattube, but I still suck at riding the thing. I'll post it when I get some proper shots of it. Seems like we need a rigid bike thread ;)

Am I doing this right?

I can only second that sentiment -- my moxie rides way better with longer chainstays. Putting the wheel further behind me translates to more balanced feel given the long reach, and less jarring impacts coming through from the rear.

In my experience riding my Moxie at short (~425 and less short ~435), less short delivers a more balanced and somehow equally flickable ride at 470mm reach. Longer chainstays all the way!

To add another voice to the choir:

I've been running a 10spd saint shifter, deore m6000 mech, race face aeffect cranks with a steel ring and a CSMX3 with great results, acceptable price and who knows how many miles now. Seeing buddies constantly have issues with repurposed coke cans stamped into derailleur-shaped objects on 4k$+ bikes really bugs me.

So if Deore RD-M6000 is officially compatible with an 11-42, and can fit an 11-46 sunrace cassette just fine on a full suspension bike... I have to wonder whether we'll get 11-50 10spd cassettes from sunrace now...

In my experience, the Bird Aeris AM9 isn't too hard on the kickback either, even with 54 engagement points. But it stiffens up under pedaling, so flat bumpy corners are best approached with a lot of entry speed and minimal pedaling. Not sure how transferable those observations are to a different (albeit similarly behaving) rear end.

I second that it climbs amazingly -- I run a coil shock with no platform on it and I don't think it's holding me back.

Yeah, but they intermix all the threads of discussion if applied to comments...

Compromise: Change one thing at a time to make analysis easier.

I echo the observation regarding flat levers; pumping some awkward dips became much more natural once I made the adjustment.

To solidify the Year of the Moxie even further, here's a pic of a neat little hometrail lean, first outing on the new and improved flat pedal setup:

And a front on peek for the full lego effect.

I just love how the rear half of the bike looks reasonably-boring / styled to rather mellow tastes, which contrasts beautifully with the funky explosion of color in the front.

Seconding the single tanwall, an underrated visual trick IMHO.

Posted by: fartymarty

The Moxie looks like a great bike.  Good geo and singlespeedable.  How do they ride?

I found it a bit jarring with short chainstays and a 29er wheel, also the relatively tight tyre clearance around a knobby 2.35 meant some rub in corners, the frame flexes noticably (which I like, though I am only 70kg light sans kit). With long stays it is pretty smooth, though I have little to compare it to. With a 27.5x2.8, especially with an insert, all chainstay settings feel damped enough to my liking.

I haven't posted in a while, but after seeing Treemer's Moxie again, I thought I'd post mine again(?) ;-)

Excuse the rather ragged picture quality, but there's a story in here relevant to the somewhat sad Stooge Mk5 in the background. Until recently I had settled on riding the Moxie as a long travel, long wheelbase 29er bruiser everywhere I'd be afraid to take the Stooge. Until I discovered I cracked the frame at the drive side dropout (likely because those loosened a bit too often due to my negligence). So while I am figuring out a repair (Andy @ Stooge has been exceptionally helpful), The Moxie got a full makeover -- I shortened the travel on the Formula Selva from 160 to 120mm, and adjusted the gearing to a more humane 32:20 on a 29x2.35 LG1 S/S rear tyre, and moved over the full mudhugger setup. Honestly, the bike performed the best it ever did since then -- I much prefer the firmer short travel fork setup, and it really rewards being pushed around agressively out on the trail.

Making the best out of an unlucky situation sometimes reveals gems hidden in plain sight.

**Posted by: velocipedestrian

**The SA is too slack as it sits now (forgot to measure), and there's no room for a proper size 29 tyre, so headset and fork are the options for geo changes.

On my V2 I can fit a 2.4 on a 29mm ID rim in the long chainstay setting (which I prefer with big wheels anyway) -- are you on the shorter chainstay first gen?

Posted by: Vikb

Proof I am not lying. This new fender is too long even for my bizarre tastes!

I'm more concerned by the lack of chain tension on that oddly complicated bicycle of yours ;-)

Posted by: geraldooka

You'll likely need a 1/8 chain if using a half-link. Most narrow-wide chainrings will not fit a 3/32 half-link.

That is a good catch! most (all?) 1/8" chains clear most (all?) N/W chainrings, even narrow links on wide teeth. But with adequate tension, and no sprung tensioner I find dedicated singlespeed chainrings with even tooth profiles to be cheaper and just as reliable, which again opens up the possibilities for narrower chains.

On the topic of singlespeed tensioning solutions:

I recommend running a single half link in a compatible chain instead of a half link chain (KMC Z1 and HL1 work well together, I tested the 1/8" versions, but I bet the 3/32" variants would work too). Way cheaper and you have half-links for life, plus any durability concerns people regularly voice about half link chains no longer apply to you :)

For magic gear ratios, there's this here gem of early 2000s webdesign: https://eehouse.org/fixin/fixmeup

I can also second that a BB mounted chain roller works nicely as a fixed position tensioner (I used a Blackspire Stinger, clamped by the BB, with no issues).
Similar fixed wheel tensioners exist to be mounted instead of a derailleur (DMR make one if I remember correctly).

Good sprung tensioners are available from SB-One (mounts on the derailleur hanger, clears only a 17t, but is indeed a nifty piece of kit), and I think I saw someone use a pinion tensioner meant to be mounted on the Gearbox hacked to some ISCG tabs. I've heard mixed things about the Rohloff and Alfine tensioners. When I last tried to source a Yess tensioner I couldn't find one over here in europe, sadly.

Finally, there's eccentric BB conversions for BSA frames at least (I can only think of the Trickstuff Exzentriker), but that's expensive, doesn't give much tensioner range, and restricts you to run 24mm cranks (though I personally don't see an issue in that).

As a curiosity, I'll also add that Ghost Rings are a thing: http://rollinginboston.bostonbiker.org/2012/04/08/installing-a-ghostring-on-a-single-speed-or-internally-geared-bicycle/
Not sure I'd want that on an MTB though.

The M6000 GS has a clutch (servicable as usual with shimano), but sourcing I can't help you with given I am a few thousand miles and an ocean over ;)

Posted by: tashi

I run a race face 30t on a XTR triple, sun race 46t 10 speed cassette, KMC chain, 10 speed XTw/ RadR cage and 10 speed XTR shifter. Works beaut. 

Dunno if a RadR cage is still available, but stock 10 speed shimano (probably) won’t go to a 46 tooth cog.  Apparently 11 speed Shimano derailleurs will and mesh with 10 speed well.

The aforementioned M6000 Deore 10spd Derailleur does indeed work with no mods on an 11-46, provided it is the model with the GS cage (no idea about the SGS variant). Shifted very nicely on the aforementioned SunRace cassette with a KMC 10spd chain and Saint shifter (or any nicer Shimano 10spd or compatible~ish offering). No issues with chain growth on a 150mm four-bar either. That said, I'd also first try to get the non-clutch derailleur to work on a wider-range cassette.