What have you done to your bike today?

Had the new coil out today in the armpit weather and it was awesome.
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Swapped my 26” wheel set to 27.5s and didn’t realize I forgot to swap out tires on the 27.5’s until I was at the trail. It was an absolute slogfest with DH casing Assegai’s going uphill and on flat.
Great armpit weather workout.
Trail casing Dhrs going on tonight.
 
I'd been getting disconcerting creaking from my stem. I pulled it, threw a light coat of grease on it, and put it back. It came back 3 days later. I decided to ditch the "death stem"**, and get a regular quill.

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Period-correct stem, only a few grams heavier than the 3TTT. I put on some temporary bar tape, since I wanted to ride tomorrow, and my replacement tape (stay tuned) won't be here until Wednesday.

**Fun question to weed out the engineers from the rest: what's wrong here?**
 
**Fun question to weed out the engineers from the rest: what's wrong here?**

The OD of the 3TTT stem is too small for the ID of the steerer tube? And by too small I mean like a thousadth from use and removal and installation.

A regular quill design puts the stem shaft to one side while the wedge is on the other:
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Side question: why have a negative rise stem if you are going to have it out of the steerer tube a couple of inches? I'm sure that extra leverage has an effect on the creaks.
 
The OD of the 3TTT stem is too small for the ID of the steerer tube? And by too small I mean like a thousadth from use and removal and installation.

A regular quill design puts the stem shaft to one side while the wedge is on the other:
View attachment 241379

Side question: why have a negative rise stem if you are going to have it out of the steerer tube a couple of inches? I'm sure that extra leverage has an effect on the creaks.

Pic is from installation, it's going down, just like the 3T.

Expansion slots on the stem are not radiused at the top. Cracks from the stem flexing and being installed/removed propagate from the sharp corners.

The design works 'okay' enough to hold under normal bumpy conditions, but is definitely looser than a modern shop would let out the door.
 
**Fun question to weed out the engineers from the rest: what's wrong here?**
Here's your problem, in the red square...
PXL_20240625_011903613.jpg

Pic is from installation, it's going down, just like the 3T.

Expansion slots on the stem are not radiused at the top. Cracks from the stem flexing and being installed/removed propagate from the sharp corners.

The design works 'okay' enough to hold under normal bumpy conditions, but is definitely looser than a modern shop would let out the door.
Which is because...
PXL_20240625_011903613.jpg
 
Pic is from installation, it's going down, just like the 3T.

Expansion slots on the stem are not radiused at the top. Cracks from the stem flexing and being installed/removed propagate from the sharp corners.

The design works 'okay' enough to hold under normal bumpy conditions, but is definitely looser than a modern shop would let out the door.

That was the first thing I noticed as it's the same for the top of seat tubes where the clamp is but I didn't see the crack (thought it was grease smear).

The 3T has to feel pretty loose - there is only forceful contact on that one inch section of wedge!
 
I actually followed your lead and ordered a DHX2 for my Fugitive.
I really like the dh x2 shock but you can’t use them on bikes with shock yokes. The shaft on the dhx has double the shaft diameter. They even had the stock on the 2024 Kenevo comp.
 
I really like the dh x2 shock but you can’t use them on bikes with shock yokes. The shaft on the dhx has double the shaft diameter. They even had the stock on the 2024 Kenevo comp.
Seems they may have "fixed" the DHX2 with the 2024 revisions. If you have an older one they apparently upgrade for free when sending into Fox for service. Still makes me concerned on my yoke based bike.

Here's your problem, in the red square...
View attachment 241384

Which is because...
View attachment 241385
I was going to make the exact same joke but figured you'd argue with me...
 
Seems they may have "fixed" the DHX2 with the 2024 revisions. If you have an older one they apparently upgrade for free when sending into Fox for service. Still makes me concerned on my yoke based bike.
The p/n on the website where I purchased it is for a 2024 model, arrives in 2 days so we'll see. I don't have a joke of a bike so I'm ok regardless....😉
I was going to make the exact same joke but figured you'd argue with me...
I knew you would due to your famous appreciation for everything Italian...🙂
 
Thanks @Karate Monkey for the inspiration to take this old guy from the ceiling hooks. Loved this bike when I first saw it in Dave's basement in Somerville. Anyone here remember Dave? He was some way connected to Ten Speed Drive Imports and also worked with Steve of The Bike Stand in Scotch Plains. Anyway, couldn't afford a $1000 bike in HS so rode my $250 Peugeot from Pro Tour in Cranford for a few years. Nothing special but was one of my first purchases after getting married and moving to Edison from Fanwood. It's a SL Competition, a mid tier Ciocc with a mishmash of 80s parts. Shelved the tubular wheels and will probably swap back a period correct wheelset from the current Heliums. Also will change to a shorter 1R stem as the back ain't like it was in my 20s.
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My WTB Vigilante was getting a little long in the tooth and the rubber just wasn’t gripping like it used too.

I wanted to try a slightly less aggressive tire even though the Vigilante is great.

Personally at times I feel it’s a little overkill in Alpine, Blauvelt, Graham Hills, and Sterling…

And worst case I can always go back to the Vigilante. Let’s see you this 40 buck experiment goes!
 

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Back at the shop, so this afternoon I swapped tires to the 38s and cleaned the sealant off everything in prep for another adventure. I got 1 flat the first day, a torn sidewall that required a boot and tube. Then the 4th day I got a tear in the morning that just needed a Dart, it never lost air or sealant. Then at the end of the day right outside the hotel I got a 2nd flat but was out of Darts and Co2 so I just left it flat.

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And then…

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