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https://markets.businessinsider.com/commodities/aluminum-price
https://www.sram.com/en/service/models/ec-gx-axs-a1
https://www.sram.com/en/sram/models/ec-gx-axs-a1
I haven't seen anything from Norco last Thursday, so I expected it to be today.
I was a bit WTF too, it's been all over the gram for months.
Edit, guy above hit the NOS button better, too soon junior!
https://ep1.pinkbike.org/p5pb19562719/p5pb19562719.jpg
Rizleybear what are you aiming at?
I'll start with the
1.) rim-wheel-tragedy:
I'm all for ust systems, but since it became more or less standard in trail and enduro bikes, there has been no further development. I don't get that sealed rim beds aren't standard by now. Every time I have to change a tire I'm getting angry about that. I am aware of Mavic, but there are also other ideas floating around, and also Mavic have their own unique Spoke-system. That brings me to spokes. Straight pull spokes in combination with low profile rims make a lot of sense, but they have ever been a pain in the ass to tighten since they are perfectly symmetrical at the base. Also I've had the misfortune of tearing a straighpullspoke in one of the biggest bike resorts in Europe (Saalbach-Hinterglemm-Leogang) and couldn't find a spare one since every bike shop hates them apparently.
Please way in in my misery, I'll take good advice or but also company.
Regarding rims and tubeless:
Mavic just solved the sealing problem by not drilling through the rim in the early days of tubeless, but that doesn't mean you couldn't have a UST bead interface and have a taped rim bed. As for UST and all, what is the issue that you have with current state of tubeless? I mean it works OK for me, there is some leakage, but even UST won't solve that I think. And inserts did a lot to prevent pinch flats on tubeless too.
To me a tubeless tyre and a standard rim with an insert in the rear is mostly problem free.
As for straight pull spokes, a) bend it into a banana shape while tightening it to prevent it rotating (while building a wheel, once taught it doesn't rotate in the hub based on my experience), b) buy Unior spoke pliers (would work for J bends too, as they wind up as well, especially if you have to tighten it and then untighten it again): https://uniortools.com/eng/product/1753-2B-straight-pull-spoke-pliers
But yeah, lacing a J-bend wheelset is much easier. Plus, straight pull spokes don't come in a 32 hole variant (Superstar was working on it, but dunno how well that went). I would really like to try an Industry 9 aluminium wheelset though, the thick spokes don't seem completely illogical to me, they should give a lot of stiffness (plus the fact they are screwed into the hub).
But yeah, straight pull spoke stock is a PITA, I broke one on my XM1501s about 5 years ago, called all around Slovenia and only got an option of a Sapim spoke, pinched off at the correct length with the thread then cut in. So I ordered spares from Germany (online), got them in like 3 days and ever since I've kept a stock of a few and have been taking them on trips with me. But I do the same for J bends as well (well, the stock keeping part, as I've built a J-bend rear wheel last summer and there haven't been any trips since).