27.5+ full sus bikes like the Sherpa are all the rage right now. Not so much for its larger cousin the 29+. Seems like there's only support for hardtail except from a few niche manufacturers (Lenz, etc.). 27.5+ has the advantage of fitting a much wider variety of frames, so I think manufacturers will be much more apt to mass produce for the smaller wheel size, bringing costs down and availability up. I'm considering a summer wheelset for the Muk, but am torn between the 27.5+ for reasons above, and 29+ for the better rollover and use for bikepacking. I would not personally go belt drove or Rohloff until I was reeeeeealy sure that a derailleur system was not for me. That's a big $$ gamble for an uncertain payoff.
27+ bike
- Thread starter Stumpalump
- Start date
sixstringsteve
Explorer
x2. Well said.
Stumpalump
Expedition Leader
Well that lasted a week. I blew the chain, front derailure is missing part of the cage and is bent 90 degrees. If I can get the twisted chain out of the rear deralier and wheel I'll see how mangled they are but its not looking good. I carried it out. One more time...what is it about the Rolhoff IH and a belt drive I don't want? Oh yea... I'd break that too. LOL. I broke that big honking piece of chromoly steel that goes thru the bottom bracket and holds the cranks on on my last bike. They said they never break either. No crash because I got a slight warning noise before all hell broke loose.
Christophe Noel
Expedition Leader
I'm pretty sure I know what happened here. What gear were you in when this happened. We're you climbing?
Stumpalump
Expedition Leader
Yes I was climbing. Just came down a big hill on a maintained dirt rd in the highest gear. I dropped probably half or more of the gears on the rear and hammered down hard. I did hit a a little speed bump sized mound right befor it happened and I was wondering if the side of the chain cought the front derailur cage peeling a chain side plate. Rear wheel and derailur looked OK after I got it in untangled.
Christophe Noel
Expedition Leader
I'd bet $100 here's what happened as it's so common you can't believe it. My guess is, as you were dumping gears your chain arrived at the biggest cog, and because either your limit screw was not adjusted properly, or more likely because your der hanger was slightly mal-aligned, your chain dropped into the wheel, which can cause all kinds of hell, including to front derailleurs, chainrings, etc.
This is not a problem with derailleurs and chains, this is likely an issue of a poorly adjusted drivetrain and/or...user error. All shifting mechanisms, even electric and internal hub, require a certain level of mechanical sympathy. Applying strong force to the system during a shift, is asking for trouble, or at the very least, premature wear and damage.
By the way, if you have even the tiniest amount of cosmetic damage (scratches) to your derailleur, chances are, your hanger is bent and these types of mishaps are all but guaranteed. Think of your rear derailleur as your third testicle. Protect it at all costs. You wouldn't want your third nut to get damaged ever...would you?
This is not a problem with derailleurs and chains, this is likely an issue of a poorly adjusted drivetrain and/or...user error. All shifting mechanisms, even electric and internal hub, require a certain level of mechanical sympathy. Applying strong force to the system during a shift, is asking for trouble, or at the very least, premature wear and damage.
By the way, if you have even the tiniest amount of cosmetic damage (scratches) to your derailleur, chances are, your hanger is bent and these types of mishaps are all but guaranteed. Think of your rear derailleur as your third testicle. Protect it at all costs. You wouldn't want your third nut to get damaged ever...would you?
Stumpalump
Expedition Leader
I don't get to use the two I have as much as I'd like but I get the point. The plastic shield that protects the spokes from the chain was shattered so your right. I was cranking on the shifter like mad before I jumped off the good road and onto the climb.
sixstringsteve
Explorer
I'm sure you already know this, but it's always best to ease up on the drive train pressure when you're shifting. Dumping a ton of gears at once, coupled with a lot of hi-torque pedaling is a bad combination. It's tough, but learn to look ahead enough to make those gear changes well enough in advance that you're not frantically dumping gears all at once. I can dump all my gears at once, but in order to do so, I have to let up my hard pedaling and just spin through it till the shift is complete. I've been riding for 18 years, and I've never broken a derailleur or had it get all mashed up like that before.
Christophe Noel
Expedition Leader
Stump, at this point it might be a useless exercise, but grab the lower pulley of your derailleur and give it a little side to side wiggle. Even derailleurs that have not been impacted, will over time get a little wobbly as the pins enlarge their holes in the case aluminum parts. If a derailleur develops a lot of side to side slop, it will not only compromise shifting, it can increase the chances of a "cog dump" or over shift into the wheel. With the trauma it endured now, it surely has a ton of slop in it.
Drivetrains, and bikes in general, can take a tremendous amount of abuse and hard use, but only when delivered in a very specific way. Impacts to the derailleur, shifting under load, bending forces applied to the cable housings and ferrules, these are all things a drivetrain cannot endure without damage.
Some people are simply harder on bikes than others and much of it has to do with simply understanding how a bike works...and breaks. In over 150K miles of riding, I think I've busted four spokes, maybe a chain or two, and aside from a flat here and there, haven't had a substantial mechanical on the trail.
With regard to shifting performance and traditional derailleurs and chains, if well cared for and given only basic love and care (few minutes here and there), there is no reason the shifting performance of even a cheap system can't almost rival that of electronic systems.
Drivetrains, and bikes in general, can take a tremendous amount of abuse and hard use, but only when delivered in a very specific way. Impacts to the derailleur, shifting under load, bending forces applied to the cable housings and ferrules, these are all things a drivetrain cannot endure without damage.
Some people are simply harder on bikes than others and much of it has to do with simply understanding how a bike works...and breaks. In over 150K miles of riding, I think I've busted four spokes, maybe a chain or two, and aside from a flat here and there, haven't had a substantial mechanical on the trail.
With regard to shifting performance and traditional derailleurs and chains, if well cared for and given only basic love and care (few minutes here and there), there is no reason the shifting performance of even a cheap system can't almost rival that of electronic systems.
rfseabc
Observer
Synchronicity
Any others have experience with belt drives and Rohlhof or Pinion hubs, the opinions seem divided and biased... http://blog.gatescarbondrive.com/?p=9941... on some levels, reminds me of the White Queens response to Alice, in " Through the Looking Glass ", " Its a poor sort of memory that only works backwards " seriously looking for my next ride, enjoy and respect your knowledgable responses.
Thanks
Any others have experience with belt drives and Rohlhof or Pinion hubs, the opinions seem divided and biased... http://blog.gatescarbondrive.com/?p=9941... on some levels, reminds me of the White Queens response to Alice, in " Through the Looking Glass ", " Its a poor sort of memory that only works backwards " seriously looking for my next ride, enjoy and respect your knowledgable responses.
Thanks
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Stumpalump
Expedition Leader
Tires again
I'm busting the sidewalls of the new Bontrager tires.
Can anybody recommend a 26" tube tire that can take a beating thru the rocky wash crossings.
I'm busting the sidewalls of the new Bontrager tires.
Can anybody recommend a 26" tube tire that can take a beating thru the rocky wash crossings.
My wife and I just bought new Specialized Stumpjumper FSR Expert 6Fattie bikes. 27.5+ wheels (3" tires), 1x11 gearing, button on the handlebar to drop seat post, in-frame storage with multi-tool. Life will never be the same. It shifts smooth as butter. My buddy just ordered a Santa Cruz Tallboy 27.5+ with the SRAM Eagle 1x12 derailleur. Should be brilliant. The 1x11 or 12 shifting systems really eliminate most of the shifting horror stories experienced with bikes that need front derailleurs.
MudderNutter
Adventurer
I smell new bike fever