Best Or Worst Bike Mods and Riding Accessories

pinkrobe wrote:

Worst: Maxxis Aggressor - sucks for climbing, doesn't stop well, should have gone with a Minion SS, 'cause at least it can corner SRAM Guide -...

Worst:
Maxxis Aggressor - sucks for climbing, doesn't stop well, should have gone with a Minion SS, 'cause at least it can corner
SRAM Guide - not as good as Levels or cantis
Bontrager Blaze helmet with Wavecel - expensive, hot and heavy, just what I want in a halfshell helmet

Best:
Carbon rims on everything - no more flat spots
Vorsprung Luftkappe - amazing
Dropper posts that aren't Reverbs - most rides I use my dropper more often than I shift

Jury's Out:
Intoxicated while riding - set some PRs while hammered, but it seems like a bad idea [although not at the time]

Kelz87 wrote:

Which Guides were you using? I have the RSCs and thought about switching to Magura MT7s. I’ve had pistons stick twice to where it almost had...

Which Guides were you using? I have the RSCs and thought about switching to Magura MT7s. I’ve had pistons stick twice to where it almost had my front wheel locked up but seems okay now. It sounds like it rubs sometimes and then goes away again tho

dolface wrote:

This might warrant a new thread but has anyone tried the Vorsprung Secus yet? I saw the Luftkappe mentioned upthread and I love mine but really...

This might warrant a new thread but has anyone tried the Vorsprung Secus yet? I saw the Luftkappe mentioned upthread and I love mine but really intrigued by the Secus

Upgeraditis is real folks, talk to your doctor about it.

Eoin wrote:

As a Shimano brake evangelist, I must admit my SRAM codes and guide REs that came on my last 2 bikes have been perfectly functional. Top...

As a Shimano brake evangelist, I must admit my SRAM codes and guide REs that came on my last 2 bikes have been perfectly functional.

Top tip: stay 1 number of gears less than the current maximum. I rode 10speed 11-36 cassettes until 2 years ago, now on 11speed 10-42 (removed a 12speed group that came with my bike, it was absolutely trash SRAM nx). Other than tyres, these are the most frequently replaced parts, staying 1 gear behind saves you massive amounts of money, and quite a bit of weight/dollar. Also other than matching shifter + cassette, you can mix and match all other components (i.e. chainring, chain and cassette) with little to no performance impact. Overall bike weight does not matter much, but cassette weight in particular can really help a bike feel more playful.
Furthermore: shorter derailleurs hit less rocks, smaller chainrings also, I had never topped out my 30 tooth chainring on a trail.
There are almost only advantages to riding smaller cassettes if you have the fitness to get up steep hills in tough gears.

TEAMROBOT wrote:

As someone who has zero volume reducers in their 170mm Fox 36 and still can't get full travel, I'm thoroughly curious about the Secus. Steve at...

As someone who has zero volume reducers in their 170mm Fox 36 and still can't get full travel, I'm thoroughly curious about the Secus. Steve at Vorsprung is playing it unusually close to the vest with HOW the Secus works, but it sounds like it opens up the lower leg air space and increases lower leg air volume, thus reducing the buildup in air pressure in your lowers. If that's how it works, that's exactly what I'd like to see with mu current 36. Right now it runs more sag than I'd like and still runs into a wall 2/3's of the way through the travel, with zero reducers. LAME.

Old-schoolNW wrote:

Avalanche damper kit. I've had one in my coil sprung boxxer for a few years now and it's amazing, Whistler bike park washboard is nearly nonexistent...

Avalanche damper kit. I've had one in my coil sprung boxxer for a few years now and it's amazing, Whistler bike park washboard is nearly nonexistent, all I feel is a gentle vibration. I just put one in my Lyrik with the hybrid coil and the FvAT/HSB valve. The difference from the Charger damper and stock spring is unreal, the improved mid stroke support is dramatic. Small bump sensitivity is better than the charger damper but not quite as good as the AVA set up in my boxxer, but I think that's probably due to the HSB, but the trade off is how supportive it feels hitting bigger jumps. Unlike with the stock internals I don't have to crank my LSC up and run too much air anymore to compensate for the lack of support, it just stays high in the travel but still soaks up the chatter.