View attachment 154836Finally got a chance to try the mixed wheel / reverse mullet on the new 429. Even though it added weight, I far prefer the 27.5 x 2.8 on the rear. I have it paired with a 29x 2.35 on the front.
the bike got a little slacker so I’m running it in the higher/ steeper hta/sta setting.
After riding a vesper hub for two years, the dt feels super slow Engagement and noisy. I may be building the matching Zipp moto30/ onyx hub sooner than expected.
the smallish 27.7 x 2.8 rocket Ron adds traction, and makes the bike a ton more fun to ride. The overall height is super similar, but different enough to change the ride feel.
word on the street is that this mixed wheel combo Will be common place for 2022/23 model year. With That in mind I figured I’d get ahead of it and try it a bunch before we see them on the sales floor.
I also just switched to 170mm cranks on this build. This was sparked by the hrs spent on the 170mm setting on the kickr bike all winter. I didn’t notice the shorter cranks at all.
Before you make fun of my saddle, know that I suffered a severe case of prostatitis a decade ago or so. The SMP is the only saddle I’ve been able to find that causes me absolutely zero prostate pressure. Anyone who has had prostatitis knows that it’s a horrible thing. The crazy thing about the saddle is that although it looks like it it’s pointed downhill my brain tells me that it is set at level.
I’ll add here that I just came off the old 429 which was a fabulous bike. The new one is the typical longer steeper/slacker setup. I have mine set up with a pike 140 mm and 120 mm DPX2 on the rear. In the Steeper position with fast tires this could be a pretty good cross country race bike actually. Especially for 24 hour races. This thing has a remarkably low center of gravity and I’m feeling like I’ll never go over the handlebars.
I happen to think of this 120 travel rear/140 front is likely the ideal bike setup for much of New Jersey. I’m also building a 160 travel bike for chairlift/super tech spots.