All Things Bikes and Tacos! (...and every vehicle imaginable)

Keep going in circles over Santa Cruz Chameleon, Surly Karate Monkey, Salsa Timber Jack and Kona Honzo. Why is this stuff so hard. Available local right now is the Karate Monkey and Honzo-
The Chameleon is sold out till 2022. So I’d have to find an XL used. Keep finding M and L....

 

I've been trying to burn off the winter pounds so that those climbs aren't quite so painful.

Many years lifting heavy in the past with a few years of more conditioning workouts more recently.
I enjoyed the Dos Remedios workouts in his Cardio Strength Training book. Might be able to find some samples online. Most would require a bit of equipment if you weren't at a gym.
Currently doing workouts in the garage with minimal equipment 2-3 times a week.
4 rounds:
-quad dominant x 12-15
-upper body press x failure
-glute/ham dominant x 12-15
-upper body row x 12-15
rest 2 mins and repeat the round.
Some plank and crunches to follow.

FYI selling a Muscle Driver 9' power rack if anyone was interested in setting up a home gym.

 

I had a Honzo Steel frame that I loved...

 

well this is big news...to upgrade or not to upgrade haha

https://www.pinkbike.com/news/sram-releases-gx-eagle-axs-wireless-electronic-drivetrain.html

 

pretty good price all things considered...

 

Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuudge. Just as my bank account was starting to net gains again.

Honestly, shift and dropper cables don't bother me. If I didn't love my OneUp dropper so much, I might consider it more since it seems the real benefit is the whole monty package.

 

It's not bad compared to what the price is for the XO and XX upgrades. I really want to try AXS out. My question is how hard will it be to get

 

haha seriously though

 

Ghost edit haha

Cables don't bother me either, it is more of a dialing in the drivetrain. It seems that it will always be where it needs to be. At least in my mind I imagine the only thing to worry about is keeping the chain clean and you will always have flawless shifting. When it is off you just use the app to fix it. Maybe I am dreaming a bit though haha

 

In all seriousness, is there a single actual benefit to wireless? Aside from bling
It still needs tuned. And now you've got a battery to worry about.

 

I still don’t like SRAM, and I also have no beef with my OneUp dropper. I'd completely agree that you kinda need to go full Monty to reap the benefits of wireless. But as someone who tends to change frames somewhat frequently, this makes me consider going to the dark side.

Edit
Reality is I'll just hold out until Shimano jumps back in the wireless game. No clue if Di2 or whatever it is works for 1x.

 

One big thing I've always seen brought up in the discussion is the feature of the derailleur being able to 'move out of the way' when it hits a rock or something. versus cable actuated staying put when hit and potentially getting damaged.

 

im not mad at my current gx setup. it takes tons of abuse and still works pretty well. setup did take a bit, but that was a couple years ago and been pretty hands off since. once the b limit is good eveything else kind of falls in place.

id be interested in a wireless/electronic setup for an xc bike, but full plow through rock gardens i dont think so

 

I don't understand that argument. If a derailleur gets hit...it gets hit

 

Di2 does work for 1x. I'm sure it is as good as any other shimano stuff but you still have to route wires and the junction box and all that. Not a huge deal but like you said, if you switch out frames every year it is going to be annoying. I see the main benefit of Di2 being the single shifter 2x drivetrain. For a road or gravel bike that seems like an awesome option.

 

Looking into those now - historically I was under the impression they were XC only but it does appear they have some ergo options that would appeal to me. I love riding gloveless

Do the silicone grips just absorb the sweat?

 

i'm not arguing! lol

if a derailleur gets hit and it's cable actuated. that cable is keeping tension on the derailleur which could damage it further.

the electric wireless one will 'move out of the way' when it gets hit which, in theory, lessens the impact. it will then move back to the right spot automatically.

i'm not advocating. i've never experienced this in person.

 

Oh, gloveless feels great. I think of gloves like condoms. Rather not wear em, but I know that one time I don't it's going to hurt.

Haven't tried it yet due to price. But the benefits I've seen, from riders who ride hard is:
-that the derailleur is MUCH tougher (not really stronger, but moves when hit) and doesn't need replacing when banged against something
-you tune it ONCE and that's it
-no more cable and housing replacements
-no more cable routing nightmares on internal frames without tubes
-programmable shifting

As for the batteries, they're not a big deal. The shifter pod needs replacing about once or twice a year and the derailleur lasts for a long time. Charging takes minutes, and you can even charge on the way to the trailhead if you need to.
I think I'm also waiting for the Shimano version, and hoping they dive right into the XT/SLX level. I absolutely love the shifting on the HG+ drivetrains and don't want to give that up for anything. You can use SRAM with it, but I've read about some slight compatibility issues. Rather do it the right way.
Also assuming availability will be super scarce, as with anything right now. Shit, I can't get my hands on a 12sp Shimano derailleur now.

 

They come in a few sizes so you can choose grip diameter based on hand size. I personally run the extra chunky ones on my enduro and hardtail. I suppose they do just absorb the sweat, though I've never squeezed any sweat out at the end of a long ride. Mostly, I've just noticed that they don't get slippery like more standard grips do when I'm gloveless.