Bike part disappointment....

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by mtbMike, Oct 3, 2018.


As a former Amazon Associate I continue to get screwed trying to stay qualified as an Amazon Affiliate. So I quit!


Want to donate to imtbtrails?

  1. mtbMike

    mtbMike iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    PRESCOTT!!!
    Name:
    Mike
    Current Bike:
    Ibis HD5, Ripley & Mojo 4
    Who else has decided to try something new or different because it’s so popular with other riders and then had it be a product than didn’t impress you at all? What was it?

    My #1 has to be ESI foam grips of any size. Aside from full blown weight weenie builds, I do get it. #2 for me is Bontrager tires with the exception being the SE5 which I really liked so I decided to try the XR3 and XR2 on the 29er....couldn’t get them off my bike fast enough
     
  2. mtnbikej

    mtnbikej J-Zilla

    Location:
    Orange
    Name:
    J
    Current Bike:
    SC Chameleon SS, SC Hightower
  3. Redman

    Redman iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    Henderson, Nv
    Name:
    Kevin
    Current Bike:
    SC OG Hightower 29'r
    LOL! I had some of those foam grips in my cart yesterday. Replaced them w/ the trusty old Oury's I've been running forever. Couldn't justify paying over $20 for foam grips.

    For me the item that I wasn't impressed w/ was a Maxxis Minion DHF front tire. Tried it because of all the hype. No thanks, I went back to a Highroller II.
     
  4. mike

    mike iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Western US
    Name:
    Mike O
    Current Bike:
    HT, FS
    2.6 XR4, sweet tire. And I'm a Maxxis devote. :cool:

    Oury lock-ons if you like to dump it, clip trees, etc. :bang::geek:
     
    Luis, Faust29, DangerDirtyD and 5 others like this.
  5. mtbMike

    mtbMike iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    PRESCOTT!!!
    Name:
    Mike
    Current Bike:
    Ibis HD5, Ripley & Mojo 4
    I have Oury's on all my bikes and previously on all my dirt bikes before that.
     
  6. mike

    mike iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Western US
    Name:
    Mike O
    Current Bike:
    HT, FS
    Right on. Best bar plug in the biz, eh?

    See my old lady threading that slot in my avatar? That right side wall is a good test impact for a grip/plug. Ask how I know how an Oury can shrug it off :cry:
     
  7. SnakeCharmer

    SnakeCharmer iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Front Range, San Gabes
    Name:
    Mike, aka "Ssnake"
    Current Bike:
    YT Izzo
    Rekon 29x2.6, BLAHHH. :gag:
     
    Faust29, Cyclotourist and UPSed like this.
  8. UPSed

    UPSed iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Simi Valley
    Name:
    Ed
    Current Bike:
    Niner Jet 9 RDO
    I actually like it for the front and will put it back on when the 2.4 wears out. Just not a great choice for long fast-paced rides.
     
  9. SnakeCharmer

    SnakeCharmer iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Front Range, San Gabes
    Name:
    Mike, aka "Ssnake"
    Current Bike:
    YT Izzo
    Yes, in front is it nice. Awful in the back. Keep your 2.4, It's better for the rear.
     
  10. evdog

    evdog iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    San diego
    Name:
    Evan S
    Many parts. Can't say I tried these because they were popular with other riders. Mostly they ended up on bikes I bought or I got a good deal, and then realized they suck. A few off the top of my head.

    Fox forks. Every year people rave about how good the new models are, fixed last year's issue blah blah blah. Then a few months later everyone seems to be complaining about some other issue with them.
    Kenda nevegals (not so popular anymore, but back in the day everyone seemed to love them)
    pretty much every model of Avid/Sram brakes
     
    Faust29, herzalot, Danmtchl and 2 others like this.
  11. SnakeCharmer

    SnakeCharmer iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Front Range, San Gabes
    Name:
    Mike, aka "Ssnake"
    Current Bike:
    YT Izzo
    What forks do you prefer?
     
    Danmtchl likes this.
  12. SnakeCharmer

    SnakeCharmer iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Front Range, San Gabes
    Name:
    Mike, aka "Ssnake"
    Current Bike:
    YT Izzo
    What grips do you prefer and what was your issue with the ESI grips?
     
    Danmtchl likes this.
  13. Stkx66

    Stkx66 iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    Southern California
    Name:
    Steve
    Current Bike:
    Santa Cruz Hightower 27+/ 29r
    My 29 x 2.6 Rekon showed up today...:cautious: Rekon 29 x 2.4 on its way.:unsure: What now? Is there a most popular voted tire chart around here?:rolleyes:
     
  14. LLPoolJ

    LLPoolJ iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    Moreno Valley
    Name:
    James Johnson
    Current Bike:
    Specy Epic, Stumpu and Enduro
    To manly for his petite hands. :whistling:
     
    Sidewalk, Faust29, doublewide and 3 others like this.
  15. mtbMike

    mtbMike iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    PRESCOTT!!!
    Name:
    Mike
    Current Bike:
    Ibis HD5, Ripley & Mojo 4
    I
    I like Ourys...soft, thick and sticky. The ESI grips just didn’t impress me in any way vs the Oury’s.

    Funny the 2.6 Rekon got brought up. That seems to be the most talked about 29er front tire at the moment. I was talking to @pperrelle on tonight’s ride about trying one and he had a couple in his garage that he took off his Ripley. He wasn’t a fan either
     
  16. Runs with Scissors

    Runs with Scissors iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    West Anaheim
    Name:
    Mark Whitaker
    Current Bike:
    Giant XTC with pedals
    I like my 2.4 Ardent on the front. Did not care for the Ardent Race 2.25 on the back.
     
  17. rossage

    rossage iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    East Sacramento
    Name:
    Ross Lawson
    Current Bike:
    Highball
    Major disappointment with Tioga Farmer John tires. Everybody wanted the tire Tomac was using but most people didn't have near enough talent to handle those beastsScreenshot_20181003-193309.jpg
    They cornered like a well-shod horse on slickrock. Slide out with immediate and devastating effects on you skin, bones and ego.
    Fůck those tires and their Cousin
     
  18. SnakeCharmer

    SnakeCharmer iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Front Range, San Gabes
    Name:
    Mike, aka "Ssnake"
    Current Bike:
    YT Izzo
    Well, try it of course. What isn't right for some isn't wrong for everyone.
     
  19. Redman

    Redman iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    Henderson, Nv
    Name:
    Kevin
    Current Bike:
    SC OG Hightower 29'r
    I agree 110% on the Oury’s. I have tried several different grips. To me, none of them are close to Oury’s. I don’t understand how some like the thin grips w/ virtually no dampening. :confused:
     
  20. herzalot

    herzalot iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Laguna Beach
    Name:
    Chris
    Current Bike:
    2020 Revel Rail,Yeti SB 130 LR
    I agree with you on all 3 counts. When I got my 2018 Fox 36, all of the reviews raved about it. It was the choice in most head to head shootouts with the Pike or even Lyric. Supple initial travel, great midstroke support, yada yada. Well, not really. It's good, and better than prior versions I've tried and owned, but it isn't particularly subtle in the initial stroke, and even with 40% less air than recommended, I still don't use nearly all its travel when I should. 1 token in. I will take that token out for next ride. It's about equal to my DVO Diamond, and is not as good as my Marzocchi 350 (RIP).

    Nevegals were crap, but they were the go-to tire for most people. I found Maxxis in 2007 and haven't looked back - except a detour to the Bontrager XR4 Team Issue, which were entirely adequate - even good.

    Avid/Sram brakes. :thumbsdown: 'nuff said.

    I also agree with the ESI foam grips. I didn't like how they felt while riding, they were extremely difficult to take off, and got chewed up pretty easily.

    I was an early adopter of XTR Trail Brakes and XTR clutch rear derailleur. Both excellent.

    I resisted a lot of trends. Late to the dropper post and 1x11. Dropper post matters. 1x11 doesn't.
     
  21. scan

    scan iMTB Rockstah

    Name:
    fran allas
    Current Bike:
    Scott Spark
    Wait! you're not 1x12 yet!?!?:Roflmao:Roflmao I agree, doesn't matter.
     
  22. evdog

    evdog iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    San diego
    Name:
    Evan S
    I've ridden Rock Shox for many years, with the exception of a couple Fox forks that came on bikes I bought. One Float wasn't bad but the other Fox's were terrible. Rock shox has always been good to me. Boxxers on DH bikes and Pikes mostly (early coil then the newer air) and Revelations on trail bikes. DVO Diamond on my Mojo3 has been awesome. Marzocchi Z1 on my 2000 Cove Gspot is still my favorite fork ever, though its performance would probably seem subpar head to head with today's forks. Back then it was amazing. I was always amused how virtually everyone on the "other site" was so obsessed with Fox Forks. Of course when the Floop garners more posts than other trails maybe I should have lowered expectations.

    Ardent is right up there with Nevegal for worst front tire I've ever tried. Maybe I was doing something wrong but I found that tire couldn't hold traction on rocky terrain. Minion DHF has never let me down.

    Thicker grips make my hands cramp. I can't use anything but ODI Ruffians or grips of similar dimension. Never had a problem with dampening.

    Same here, and still do resist over-hyped trends. Only went 27.5 because it got too hard to find replacement fork with 1 1/8 straight steerer / 150mm travel and 15 or 20mm axle. I could probably list more whole product categories that every one else hypes but I think are overrated, than I could specific parts.

    Early adopter of 1x, dropper post and something else which escapes me at the moment.
     
    Old&InTheWay, Danmtchl, Luis and 9 others like this.
  23. Faust29

    Faust29 Moderator

    Location:
    irgendwo
    Name:
    B. Bunny
    Current Bike:
    I gots some bikes.
    That's funny... Every time I try something other than the ESIs, I keep going back. It might be because I'm standing so much and pulling up on the bars... Everything else feels too stiff.

    The Rekon 2.2 for the rear. That didn't even last one ride, and had two punctures through the center of the tread on Main Divide. It didn't even make it to the trail without issue. Piece of garbage that is only offered in one compound. The 2.4 version is worlds better... Dual compound on the rear and alphabet soup version on the front. Awesome combination... I'll pass on the 2.6 after seeing @UPSed drag one around on Rwanda. :thumbsup:
     
  24. mtbMike

    mtbMike iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    PRESCOTT!!!
    Name:
    Mike
    Current Bike:
    Ibis HD5, Ripley & Mojo 4
    There’s actually a guy on MTBR, used to spend a lot of time in the Utah forum, who fancies himself as a “mentor for Intermediates”. He’s even done videos targeting intermediate riders who travel to Utah trails. Anyway, one of his pieces of advice is to only use Fox because they are so much better that RS. He bragged that he hasn’t crashed since switching to Fox:cautious: I have both RS and Fox stuff and would be hard pressed to tell much of a difference. I can tell you I like my 2017 Fox 34 Performance Elite much better than the new and improved 2018 Fox 36 RC2. :eek: Never ran a Marzochi as I was riding Manitou back then :D

    I guess I must be one of the lucky ones with the Ardent 2.4 up front. That's all I run on the front of my 29er. I think it hooks up great on our SoCal stuff.
     
  25. Stkx66

    Stkx66 iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    Southern California
    Name:
    Steve
    Current Bike:
    Santa Cruz Hightower 27+/ 29r
    I run these now on all my bikes. I’m to new to be of much value in this thread but there is much to learn from your experiences.

    DA4E8049-4A61-4C60-922E-00F18CF2744B.jpeg
     
    Danmtchl, herzalot, Luis and 6 others like this.
  26. Sidewalk

    Sidewalk iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    The road is where I call home
    Name:
    Josh
    Current Bike:
    N+1
    I use ODI's version of ESI grips, the Vapor F1. I am supported by ODI, but still would use them for my XC bike.

    I've only used an MRP, Lefty, good demo on a SID, and my Yari forks. I like the MRP, great support from the company too. If I was buying a new fork for my Enduro, I would buy a coiled MRP. I love the Lefty. Seriously, LOVE the Lefty. But haven't had to deal with Cannondale yet and their lack of support, especially for older models. The SID was good. I remember almost nothing about it, which is why it is good. And the Yari is a budget fork, so it lacks in some ways, but I understand that and accept it, and it does the job pretty well. My only real complaint is sensitivity (budget air fork), and when doing more DH stuff it's fore/aft stiffness. But, can't compare a budget enduro fork with a DH fork.

    Love 1x. Early convert, won't go back.

    I don't see so much of a difference between tires as most other people seem to, like for like that is. A Racing Ralph feels like an Ardent Race to me. A Hans Dampf feels like a Butcher to me. BUT, I will say that running an aggressive tire when racing XC is under rated. Sometimes it is worth the weight when you get to carry speed while everyone else is braking.

    I like 29" when trail riding, but prefer smaller wheels when going DH. E29 works great sometimes, disappoints in others. Oh well.
     
    Old&InTheWay, Danmtchl, Luis and 5 others like this.
  27. Torrent77

    Torrent77 Well-Known Member

    Name:
    Dave
    I love ESI grips, but they are a bitch to get on a carbon bar. They are the only grips that I liked riding without gloves and the extra chunky versions had enough padding to quiet arm soreness. The only grip is that its hard to install and once it frays at the end the rip moves up with every ride. I believe they are the only grips that really can replace OEM grips for a twist shifter.
     
    Danmtchl and Cyclotourist like this.
  28. mtnbikej

    mtnbikej J-Zilla

    Location:
    Orange
    Name:
    J
    Current Bike:
    SC Chameleon SS, SC Hightower

    Spray some rubbing alcohol on the inside of the grip and slide them on....only takes a few seconds. Make sure the bar is clean.
     
  29. Sidewalk

    Sidewalk iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    The road is where I call home
    Name:
    Josh
    Current Bike:
    N+1
    Yep, I do the same thing. Be liberal with the alcohol, more is more! Then be fast about it, as the alcohol evaporates quickly.
     
  30. Cyclotourist

    Cyclotourist iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Redlands
    Name:
    David
    Current Bike:
    Don't fence me in!
    It's also happens to be national vodka day!
     
Loading...


As a former Amazon Associate I continue to get screwed trying to stay qualified as an Amazon Affiliate. So I quit!


Want to donate to imtbtrails?