Author: mtbnomad

Talc on tubes

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A long time ago, in a land of my youth, everyone learned to repair punctures in fragile tubes. Tyre levers and cutlery handles were used to pull off a bead and the ritual of partially inflating a tyre and immersing it in the sink to find the telltale bubbles were familiar to all. However the march of technology has taken us to tubeless self sealing tyres and the affair with changing tubes has cooled.

However I still use tubes, albeit gunk filled, and can feel the difference when the tyre and tube stick together so I periodically invest in a large plastic bottle of talcum powder and use liberally over the tube before fitting. It is important that the tyre well is clean and dry and a small amount is squirted inside the tyre but when fitted the tube and tyre distort independently and it feels softer or more compliant.I have ridden without talcum on my tyres but found that the gunk spreads further after a puncture and the bead can end up stuck to the rim.Instead apply a foot’s worth of talcum and feel the difference. Obviously when forced to change a tube at the farmyard gate the smell of the occupants will be completely masked by the perfume, your riding buddies will stay to help and you will immediately find the thorn.The last bit is not guaranteed.

pedals

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When it comes to pedals are you an Old Git? That is an Old Guy in Toe clips. 

 If you are new to the mountain biking fold, you will find that most entry-level bikes are fitted with flat pedals and only some of the higher end bikes being supplied with clipless models. Although for the older rider flat pedals hark back to the rubber rotating memories of youthful Raleighs modern units can have unforgiving metal edges that punish the common slips and mistakes that everyone makes while trying to convert from tarmac to off road.

Unless the jump scene draws you immediately cross-country trails can include a lot of uphill riding and although the length up may be the same as the length down, the time spent on the ups far exceeds the downs. It is possible to remain with flat pedals however, if you are riding with others who are clipped in it seems that there is an advantage on long or steep hills and, on technical climbs, there is an  always an extra pedal stroke available just when it is most needed.The main difficulty in being clipped in is being clipped in. Even with loose settings and  soft practice ground in the garden there will be episodes where being attached to the bike  will have you grasping at trees, lunging at gates and landing sideways in “frozen panic” mode. The popularity of budget pedals reflects the choice of many to change straight to a budget version of a racers lightweight pedal however this could be a poor choice for many. I found the good design of the budget shimano offering was spoiled by its deserved reputation for a tight fit and an unwillingness to release easily. A one sided pedal, such as the FPD offering, allows starting on a large flat side and then rotating it to the clipped side.  This gives the rider of a choice depending upon the conditions faced, i.e. clipped for a hill and a flat for a technical section. Although it could be a solution in itself it is also a transit stage to a double clipped model after a reasonable level of competence had been achieved. An outer cage can help more in difficult conditions than either flat or mini clipped pedals because the weight penalty is a small price for instant pedalling action. Mud clearance is poor on many pedals and this problem leads to a more expensive solution irrespective of the pedal type. Higher margins for the manufacturers open the door to improved design and rarer materials like stainless steel, carbon fibre and magnesium.  Crank Bros. and others have successfully moved away from the conventional  design to a rotating system that offers great mud clearance in a variety of flat and open options. As others follow suit it is worthwhile to check all the options to find the best solution for yourself.For the cautious the ideal route should allow small changes without jeopardizing hard won gains. If moving from flat to one sided to caged, allow time to make small adjustments. Any one could be the ideal solution for some and unless you are very concerned with weight a larger platform makes life easier especially on the dark or in poor conditions . As for lifetimes pedals need servicing and rebuilt with spares or replacement every year at least but this depends upon usage. Prices range from a few pounds to hundreds for something in gold plate but that comes with the guarantee that on the trail you will be almost unique.

East Peak

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Bought April 2003 after reading extensively about a range of bikes within the $1k to $2k range Test rides on a range of demonstration models clearly showed a wide variance in the strengths and weaknesses of different manufacturers and even different ranges.Some mainstream models, e.g. Fisher, seemed poor value and surprisingly models within any range could vary enormously, e.g. Trek, where the promising Fuel was disappointing but the Liquid felt considerably better. Test rides on several paper possibilities proved disappointing especially strong contenders from Cannondale and Specialized. The Epic was originally publicised as a full suspension bike but rode like a hardtail and the Enduro which should have been a strong contender was eliminated in part due to a poor set-up on a trial bike.Eventually the VPP emerged as the future although the actual success of different suspensions seemed to ally more closely with the geometry of the frame and less than expected with the difference of the fundamental mechanics of the system.Of the Marin range each one seemed to have more detrimental points than beneficial ones as if the differences had been forced in order to extend the range to reach particular price points rather than to offer clearly different levels of performance.The East Peak was bought because the Mount Vision seemed expensive and I was advised away from the Skareb fork. The brakes were upgraded to Shimano discs but apart from that the bike started as standard. Moving up from a Hardrock the bike seemed an improvement in every department but a better bike makes a better rider and a better rider finds the limitations. The worst one of these was the somewhat flexible Pilot fork which was only suitable for a lighter weight rider and limited the bikes rough ground abilities severely compared to the Fox replacement.In fact it had to be returned early on for re-building. Other characteristics included a less than rigid rear end which provided sketchy handling on downhill sections and a rapid ramp up over large bumps which can catch the unwary.The strength of the bike is as a long distance cross country cruiser and not as a single track or play bike but it can be encouraged towards anything as several thousand miles from SDW to Wales can testify. It is not recommended as a ride straight out of the ski cabine at Deux Alps.

The main downside of the bike was the maintenance factor. The astonishingly cheap headset survived one brief clean and grease before complete submission. However the main problem area has been the Quad links. Although the mud clearance is good both links act as collectors and this kills the bearings. The bearings were changed continuously either in pairs or in full sets of eight. Some lasted a few months others as little as a few weeks. The original two piece links were upgraded to one piece links and this has been a partial success. The problem is due to several factors. The sideways flex of the frame causes a grinding effect , the quality of the actual bearings and the poor seal of the bearings.

American bikes suffered from warranty repairs and the bearings were supposedly upgraded to Japanese units. This may be a solution for US conditions but sometimes the seals and grease do not last one bad mud ride. Changing to a fully waterproof grease has been the key to keeping the mud, chalk and clay to the outside but the one piece links, although improving the rigidity , reduce access to cleaning and re-greasing two of the bearings.

Jon Whyte has stated that the external mounting of the links was an area he revisited before designing the new E5. All of the current models now have an improved rear trail arm increasing rigidity but that might not be a complete solution. Early on some of the through bolts snapped and this seemed to be a known problem suggesting a quality problem with the bolts. Bushes and washers have also all being changed and although that should be expected with high mileage the overall aftertaste is one of mediocre quality.

Other kit lasted well with the best component being the Shimano Deore brakes which have been 100% reliable with no leaks, few squeaks and with excellent dry and wet stopping power although less than a more expensive system, e.g. Hope M4.

With trail bikes all moving towards six inch travel a fairly heavy four inch would seem to be edging towards the end of its lifetime.

Buy it again? Perhaps. Keep it as long? No. Buy it now? I would rather have a Nomad.