rwalters profile

Beautiful bikes guys!! Amazing work!

Yeah, I tend to agree with this. You lose some of that snappy feeling out of corners that you can get with some bikes. The Range is happiest when you pick a line, set a big, consistent arc, and follow it through the entire corner. If you're the type that likes to slam into corners and square them off, HP bikes might not be for you.....

Not sure how this is like any of those bikes you listed(?) Do you mean those bikes had chain tensioners with a floating pulley that captured the chain from above? Because that's a lot different from a pulley (or sliding surface) that is actually loaded with drive chain tension (like the Corsair). If the Corsair "idler" was just a sliding surface, it would have been awful to actually pedal with. Take it from someone who has designed and fabricated a few different idler systems in his day ;)

But I digress, would you like me to edit my Range article to include some love for the Corsair, Andrew? It seems I've made a big mistake not mentioning it!

Upon further inspection, I think that calling this thing a "pedal" bike is optimistic at best. I didn't realize that the idler was floating laterally on a shaft(?). My god, this combined with a front derailleur AND lower chainguide pulley (or the HammerSchmidt for that matter), would be a disaster. And that's before throwing dirt, mud and wear/tear into the system. Seems the comments back this up.

I think I'd rather pedal around on a BB7!

Yeah, we like to comment on how heavy bikes are these days - but don't forget that bikes are way bigger (and more complicated) than they used to be. If you were to somehow replicate that Corsair frame with modern geometry, 29er wheels, dropper post, etc. - you'd have a 50lb bike.

BTW, this isn't a comment on whether or not modern geometry is better, it's just pointing out that the Range is physically much bigger than the Corsair.

For anyone interested in knowing a bit more about the development process of the new Range:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHt1TCFvMV4

While I never owned one, I think the GT LTS was a pretty successful platform. I guess GT learned what not to do with the RTS, lol. Although I do think the LTS was prone to cracking around the shock mounts under heavy duty riding.

My first "real" mountain bike was a GT RTS. It was fucking awful by today's standards (it was pretty bad for its day too). I wonder if the people waxing poetic about old bikes would still feel the same if they actually rode one back-to-back with a modern bike? We love to complain about them, but my god - we are spoiled with choice, aren't we? Whether you're after a lightweight trail whippet, or a 38lb crusher - horses for courses! Bikes are pretty darn good these days!

Good on you for digging up the Corsair, Andrew. I do vaguely recall this company, but don't remember the high pivot model. My own jury is still out on whether high-pivots make sense on pedally bikes. We'll see how the Range affects my opinion.

I found the same things aboard the Spectral. Its aggressive angles and sporty suspension really rewarded you on fast trails where the suspension could just skip across the top of bumps. But it was not ideal for slow speed jank where you were more likely to get hung up.

I have definitely experienced the same thing. Modern bikes are not as playful as the older stuff. But the new school geometry has definitely opened up speeds and natural line choices that were straight up impossible before. So for me, it’s not about making the existing stuff easier - it’s been about unlocking new terrain. When people say the new bikes are making mountain biking too easy, they’re just not riding the right terrain. As most people on this forum well know - there is plenty of stuff out there to challenge every skill level on any bike.

As long as you give the crown / headtube area a good wipe down after a dusty / muddy ride, you shouldn't have any real trouble with wear. This might not be the case if you drive or shuttle on bumpy, dusty roads. If in doubt, just get some 3M frame saver on the contact points.

In the era of small bikes are cool, I decided to go bigger. I wanted a DH bike that I could pedal around on, and I think this bike comes pretty darn close. It's not light, it's not the best climber, but I can beat the absolute piss out of it, and it doesn't fall apart. 

Notables:

-Zeb Ultimate

-Float X2 Factory

-Nobl TR37s

-OneUp everything

-Codes, 220mm rotors

-Assegai, DHR2, Tannus Tubeless Armour

-11 spd. drivetrain

Posted by: Gdreej

I wonder if there's a reasonant frequency related to bigger rotors, more material to vibrate - seriously! My Old 200/200 Codes screamed when wet, but it's also likely you're heavy on the brakes, late, as you should be - instead of brake dragger Dreej here.

Ha, I've actually found that the best way to quiet them down is to very slightly drag them - even when you don't need them. You're in good company Dreej - apparently that's now Minnaar brakes as well.

I've always been a "brake as hard as you can for as short a time as possible" kinda guy - and that's probably not ideal to silence howling brakes.

Posted by: thaaad

I HATE the Sram gurgle/warble so so so much. So much that I'm thinking of selling my Code RSCs despite the brakes feeling and performing great. 

I'm tempted to try a different brand of rotor but I don't really want to drop a hundred bucks on rotors and it not make a difference.

My thoughts exactly. Experimenting gets expensive - especially if it doesn't yield results.

Posted by: craw

My 2020 Code RSCs gurgle a lot at lower speeds, which I find annoying. And the odd shriek if the rotors are still cold and wet but generally that doesn't last long once the rotors warm up. That being said I hate those noises.

I know the exact gurgling noises you're talking about! If I could get away with ONLY those noises, I'd be super happy!

Posted by: Brocklanders

Codes, Magura, Shimano. I have never had a squealing problem with OEM brand name pads. Bought some aftermarket cheapies and they made a hell of a noise, went directly into the garbage.

Wish I could say the same! I've had howling across the whole range of brand combinations. :(

I'm almost surprised I haven't seen more local discussion about this. Maybe I'm hopelessly incompetent when it comes to setting up my brakes, but it seems to be a very common problem on the shore - especially in the colder, wetter months. Riders I know just seem to live with it and expect it to be the norm these days. With bikes getting bigger, heavier and faster (and with bigger wheels), brakes have necessarily gotten more powerful. My new 29er needs all the braking power it can get, so I'm running Code RSC's with 220mm rotors (and yes, I do feel I need the 220mm rotors. I started on 200s, and was surprised to find that I definitely needed more power at the front. Maybe the 220 in the back is a bit overkill). My old 27.5 bike also experienced brake scream when they were cold and wet, but the new bike with bigger rotors is definitely worse. I've done every tip and trick in the book - rotors and pads cleaned with brake cleaner and/or alcohol (I can pretty much rule out any kind of contamination). I have my calipers pretty much lined up dead-centre with the rotors (this seems to be the most common suggestion online to fix howling brakes). All mounting bolts are tight, and loctited. I'm running metallic pads (I've tried both Sram pads and "off-brand" pads). Bike is a 2021 Specialized Enduro with a Zeb Ultimate. Wheels are Nobl TR37s.

I suspected that my howling brake dramas may have been related to the stiff carbon wheels I've been running - but I see buddies on aluminum rims with the exact same problems. And Shimano, Sram, it doesn't seems to matter - they all scream.

After they warm up and dry off, the howling usually goes away. But as you can imagine in the winter months, the brakes don't get a lot of opportunity to dry off.

Anyone have any tips or tricks? Would it make sense to try resin pads over the winter months? How about using 1 metallic and 1 resin pad in each caliper (I've heard of WC guys doing this - seems a bit desperate)? Does anyone have experience with another brake brand that is far better at keeping quiet compared to Sram or Shimano (while still offering the same power)? Curious to hear other riders on the shore with their experiences.

With all the dubious new standards coming out, maybe it's time the bike industry tried coming up with a more robust brake mount interface. My hunch is that while bikes have gotten stiffer, heavier, bigger, etc, and brakes have gotten more powerful - the mount is now the weak point in the system, and hasn't kept up with increasing demands.

Posted by: Pizza-Diavola

I've been on an e.13 9-46 TRS+ / 11s xtr combo for two years now, with no issues other than I just replaced the three al cogs. The x01 I had on my previous bike lasted 4+ years as my main ride. The e.13 is wearing quicker but I was able to keep it going.

Did the spider I sent you work out or did you find another solution?

Yes it did! Thanks again for sending it. I had to do a bit of custom machining on it to make it fit my bash ring, but it works well. I owe you a beer (or two or three!).

Agreed. Any metal-to-metal interface either gets grease - or loctite. I even grease threads on bolts that are not prone to coming loose.

Lots of good tips, thanks! I can't run a 28t front with my current crank/spider setup (only has 104bcd holes, which only goes down to 30t). I think my ideal solution would be the 10-46 SunRace XD - but it seems this cassette isn't available anywhere (discontinued??). If I can't find one of those, I'll wait till spring to grab the ethirteen TRS Plus 11.