UFO profile

So what I'm reading is that SX and NX may no longer be viable OE options? Darn

I got our turning 7 in January girl a 20" Early rider this Spring, rigid with the 3 spd IGH and belt drive. It was a nice step up from the 16" Belter. When she first got on the 20, she appreciated the light weight (even compared to the 20" aluminum Liv I had bought previously), and also really liked the easy climbing gear. 

On longer flat rides this Summer though she did have problems finding a good gear to keep pace with her friends but not too high to tire herself out.

What's the point to all this... we have her seat set fairly high on the 20 and recently I tried her on an old hardtail with 24" wheels that I've been piecing together over the last 18 months, 28x42 is low enough for what we ride and she has more taller gear options too now. She rides it comfortably, but getting on and ejections are a bit sketchy. Next Spring will be primetime and graduating yet again to a real bike now  -- I'm so excited!

I think the 420 has the cheaper looking non servo long lever, resin pads, and im guessing the same caliper as the 520. The 520 shares the same short hook style servo wave lever as the higher end brakes, and came with metallic pads (at least last year they did)

I've always found the big gains in Shimano 4 piston brakes isnt a huge increase in power -- we know the 2 pots have a reputation for an on/off feel -- but better control in how to use that power IMO. 

My first experience with Zee's I was a bit disappointed because the interweb had played up their huge power. But once things got steep and more finesse was necessary, this is where they showed their worth to me.

I've been happily riding M520 (non-series Deore equivalent) 4 pot calipers since they came out, mated to some old M985 XTR levers and don't desire for more power or control.

I'm so glad you got the chance to try a real hardtail Cam. 

I gave FS a semi honest try, but back to the hardtail I go for what, where, and how I like to ride.

Let me know when you work up the desire to drop TOTW on a hardtail ;)

I couldn't get along with the 11sp SLX shifter. Yes the shifts were lighter than 11sp XT/XTR, but the shift feel felt imprecise, cheap, and plasticy -- worse than a 9sp Deore shifter IMO. Sounds like that has been corrected with 12sp. 

So I guess the question is what/if there are any real world performance gaps between 12sp Deore and SLX as the feature set is seemingly identical

SLX does seem like it has been given the squeeze.  Traditionally,  SLX has been the proper entry level offroad group,  whereas Deore served to be a top end recreational group that could transition casual riders into more regular offroad riding. 

I guess Shimano could have called the Deore 12sp group here SLX and eliminated the current actual SLX, and keep there Deore branding for 'lesser' 11sp and 10sp groups. 

But I do still see a place for current SLX as it stands. XTR is the race group, XT is the high end group for mortals, SLX is the solid mid end,  and Deore remains entry level, all at 12sp.

The 4100 11-46 cassette is a non starter for me as it offers nothing over the Sunrace 11-46 10sp options. It has the same goofy 37-46 jump as the 11sp XT and SLX cassettes. 

If Shimano had brought HG+ down to the 11sp and 10sp groups, that would certainly warrant a try from me despite that goofy jump.  Conversely, if Shimano used the first 10 cogs of the 11sp 11-51 cassette (11-13-15-18-21-24-28-33-39-45), I would also consider consider sacrificing 1t on there low end to see if the shifting would be smoother than the Sunrace option. I've found the HG500 11-42 cassette a slightly smoother operator than the Sunrace equivalent, but the Sunrace is perfectly serviceable.

I totally agree the TB is in a notch 'up' from the Spur; the TB geometry and weight are just a tick short of the Hightower, so it's basically a HT that pedals more efficiently IMO but with less big hit ability.

These are the linkage plates that Wade's dreams brought though!!

Posted by: XXX_er

ok, how did you get the white lightning off the chain ? I posted hot water up above but before thinning Squirt down with water what I actualy did was heat-gun the chain to get the  wax in and so thats probably how to get excess wax off

Really testing the memory here.... but I'm pretty sure I just wiped it down with a cloth repeatedly. And again. And again.

With my wet/light lubes that I use now it just kind of wears off and wipes off easy. And reapplies easy too

Posted by: XXX_er

yeah according the the white lightning site its liquid wax, what didnt you like about wax ?

The old white lightning didnt last any longer than regular wet lube, it gunked up and attracted dirt more than regular wet lube, basically had zero redeeming qualities. This was in the mid 90s though, maybe this newer gen stuff is better. 

I'm a die hard triflow guy, even if it doesnt last long, I love the way it smells so more frequent applications are a win all arounda

Posted by: XXX_er

Squirt is basicly wax in water that you drip on as you would any petro chainlube, when the water evaps the wax is left on/in the chain.

This stuff reminds me of white lightning back in the day, that I did not have fond memories of.

The finish is nice, keeps a low profile until you check it out up close. My frame is also matte dark green which is basically murdered out from any more than 5 feet away

Apparently Shimano and SRAM 11 speed stuff is interchangeable unofficially. For future reference

I find the problem with oil slick it sticks out like a sore thumb, and doesnt fit well with most anything else.

I'm quite fond of this newer 'oil rub' finish though, bought a new stem just  because of it 

2020 was a weird year for me, and I rode less last year than many years previous, especially odd since I felt my riding had progressed considerably in 2017 and 2018. And I had no hardtail in 2020.

My issues started in late 2019 with a couple of injuries that kept me off the bike for a while. Seizing that time off, I decided to try the whole smaller FS trail bike thing. The early days of Covid hit, and working on the front lines, I knew I didn't want to injure myself again, but more importantly did not want to further increase the workload on my team with our patients that needed care. All's that to say I probably didn't give the FS bike a fair shake.

With the additional precautions, extra time, and also having the kiddos around more, priorities shifted. So I felt it prudent to simplify my quiver.

So here's to putting 2020 in the rear view, and having a hardtail again for 2021 (and it was not easy to find something suitable in these covid times). NS Eccentric Evo 29 aluminum with a DVO Diamond set at 140mm, mullet wheels with 27.5x2.8 out back, 10 speed Shimano Sunrace 11-46 drivetrain (though I'm trying to source out the Microshift Advent X drivetrain), old XTR levers paired to 4 pot Deore front caliper and XT rear

Posted by: mammal

Whether bleeding the whole system or just doing the lever, it takes a LONG TIME to make sure all the air is out of the lever. 

This.

When refilling the front system top down and then bottom up, and I'm so sure that all the air has bubbled up into the funnel, on more than one occasion I've still had the brake lever go spongy overnight after hanging the bike on the wall front wheel up

Urban assault reminds me of the early NSMB Friday nighturban era

I run an absolute black 28t oval. It mounts on the granny tabs, and the ring is also offset a few mm towards the middle of the spider but obviously not as far as the regular 104 bcd ring. I find this does provide a better real world chain line for our riding/climbing conditions. And this way you can keep the 104 tabs for your bashguard as well.