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PostPosted: Fri Mar 29, 2013 10:03 pm 
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Instead of upgrades, I did a couple of nice downgrades to my bike today, then took it for a short test loop at Calavera. Things have been wearing out lately, because it's nearly five years old, but I think it's a really good frame and suspension design, and I have starving children, so I nixed a new bike in favor of some new components.

It started life as a top-of-the-line Trance X0, so some changes I've done over the years you could consider downgrades. From time to time I've had dropped chain issues, and then had the mother-of-all chainsuck event at SJT a few weeks ago. A new XT cassette, XTR chain, and granny ring today were straight replacement stuff.

My original brakes were Avid Juicy 7, which back then was comparable to and more popular than XT. But the rear brake has been giving me trouble for a few years. I rebuilt it recently and it worked great at SJT. But the very next weekend it was gone again. So I downgraded to SLX.

The latest Shimano brakes have gotten great reviews, so I was going to go XT. But Blue Sky had great prices on individual SLX lever & caliper sets, and reviews seemed unanimous in saying they were functionally the equal of XT, just a couple of ounces heavier. Selection was limited, so I got rear 2012 and front 2013, and the differences are so minor (finish & logo font) it's barely noticeable that it's not a matched set.

They were easy to install, but you can't swap them moto style like Avids, so I wasnt happy I had to disconnect and swap hoses. First pleasant surprise -- no bleeding needed. Second surprise -- easy to install and adjust (I kept the Avid rotors, although I'd read of minor issues. I put a shim under the front adapter, but otherwise no problem). These came with the finned resin pad, not sintered, so they bedded in immediately and stop great. Third surprise -- Way more powerful and, maybe, better modulation than the Avids. Only unpleasant surprise was when I picked up (just to have on hand) some Shimano brake fluid. It is egregiously overpriced. I was >95% sure some high-quality mineral lubricating oil I already have would work fine, but bought it anyway for peace of mind.

The other downgrade was adding weight with a Blackspire Stinger. Didn't cost much, and reviews were mostly positive, although there were stories of having to grind down crankbolts or dremel out slots. Its a BB mount, and I installed it per directions, with it in place of one spacer, and the remaining spacer next to the frame. Tightened it up, and damn, the crankbolts rubbed! I cogitated a minute, then moved the spacer to the "wrong" side. Works great now, at least in terms of shifting, fit and alignment. Time will tell.
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PostPosted: Sat Mar 30, 2013 5:53 am 
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I wouldn't consider those SLX a downgrade, but rather an upgrade especially from those Avid brakes. I've had 3 different pairs of Avids (Juicy 3, 7 and Elixirs) and they all squeak and need constant bleeding. I switched to the XT brake set on both bikes from Blue Sky as well and kick myself for not changing sooner. I've read the SLX's are identical to the XT's without the price increase. As far as your chain tensioner, that's strange to need that on a geared set up. Maybe the derailleur spring is getting weak if your having chain issues? Keep us posted on the new set up!!

:cheers:


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PostPosted: Sat Mar 30, 2013 6:51 am 
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Dan, If you ride over rocks and stuff, keep an eye on the Blackspire. Because it is BB mount it can, and will, rotate if it takes a hit. On my Reign I had a BB mount chain guide and it would often get pushed up into the chainstay.

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PostPosted: Sat Mar 30, 2013 7:29 am 
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24v wrote:
Dan, If you ride over rocks and stuff, keep an eye on the Blackspire. Because it is BB mount it can, and will, rotate if it takes a hit. On my Reign I had a BB mount chain guide and it would often get pushed up into the chainstay.


Thanks, I will. I read your comments from back then when I researched this. I find myself doing upgrades lately that a lot of people did a few years ago...

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PostPosted: Sat Mar 30, 2013 11:56 am 
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OldDogDan wrote:
Instead of upgrades, I did a couple of nice downgrades to my bike today, then took it for a short test loop at Calavera. Things have been wearing out lately, because it's nearly five years old, but I think it's a really good frame and suspension design, and I have starving children, so I nixed a new bike in favor of some new components.



I'm in the same boat with my 08, except I went from lower level X2 components (race face ride spec) to now having XT/SLX mix. Every time I look at brand new bikes I talk myself out of getting anything because the trance still does everything I want of it so well. The only original parts left on the bike now are the frame, fork, shock and the shifters; everything else was either customized to be more to my liking (stem, bars dropper post, wheels) or wore out and was replaced with better parts (drive train, brakes, susp. bearings). My bike is a complete mix of last years parts, chainlove specials and chain reaction cycles exchange rate deals franken build now :)

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PostPosted: Sat Mar 30, 2013 4:39 pm 
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It was hard to do, but I downgraded from an entry-level Schwinn mountain bike (except the fork -- that was an upgrade compliments of Bolo) and less really was more.

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PostPosted: Sun Mar 31, 2013 2:51 pm 
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KIMO wrote:
Keep us posted on the new set up!! :cheers:


Okay, my opinion after three rides:
- The SLX brakes are still great.
- The Stinger worked fine. It will not make up for poorly adjusted limit screws or cable tension, nor for ill-timed and poorly executed front downshifts. Having done a few of the latter, it did prevent a temporary derailment from becoming a dropped or sucked chain. That's worth it so far.
- After I got the ridiculously overpriced Shimano mineral oil out of it's fancy packaging, I discovered they graciously included a three-cent piece of bleed tubing in the package to make up for the twenty bucks difference between that and the mineral oil I already had. I did a pseudo-scientific comparison. It was hard to control the drop size exactly, but I put some side-by-side drips on a piece of glass, rubbed 'em both between my precisely calibrated fingers, and swished 'em around in their bottles a while. Besides the red dye, the Shimano oil might be the tinest bit lower in viscosity. I think my mineral oil would work just fine, but now I've already opened the Shimano bottle...
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PostPosted: Fri May 20, 2016 8:21 pm 
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OldDogDan wrote:
KIMO wrote:
Keep us posted on the new set up!! :cheers:


Okay, my opinion after three rides:
- The SLX brakes are still great.
- The Stinger worked fine...


Okay, my opinion after three years (because I just stumbled upon my old post while searching for a picture of Canaan's old Schwinn):

- The SLX brakes are still great. I've been through multiple sets of pads, including organic, sintered, finned and not. All worked great. Still haven't had to bleed them.
- The Stinger still works fine. I've been through cables, chains, rings, cassettes, and bottom bracket bearings, but it's still on the original roller & bearing. I have had to do a brass-hammer rotational adjustment a few times after hitting rocks, just as 24V said, but no problems caused by that.

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PostPosted: Fri May 20, 2016 10:30 pm 
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OldDogDan wrote:
Okay, my opinion after three years (because I just stumbled upon my old post while searching for a picture of Canaan's old Schwinn)


And I thought that picture was a crazy coincidence until I kept on reading. Dang, you've got a good memory, Dan.

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