[Street trial Brakes]

I can comment on the T4 V4s, would not recommended them for trials. Power and modulation is good, but lever feel a bit mushy, and they had issues with fluid not being able to flow back quick enough too, so the lever would pump up if you pumped it in quick succession.

More annoyingly they started leaking pretty quickly past the calliper piston seals. Were repaired by Hope twice, to no avail, after which I eventually got a refund. Back on Shigura's, which are trouble free, if a touch grabby.

[Hope Trial Zone brake issues]

No springs on the pads, the calliper pistons are magnetic. The top of the disc rubbing on the calliper itself sounds very trialsy, as in quality control, what's that? I'd just add a thin washer beneath both calliper tabs.

Calliper pistons don't retract too far on the Hope brakes, so they're pretty sensitive to disc wobble. If you can push the pistons/pads in a bit more and they stay there, they shouldn't be overfilled. If they don't stay out, just remove the lever top cap and again push the pistons back.

Before you do all that though, clean them up a bit first. Clearance to disc is dictated by the piston seals (bite point adjuster has nothing to do with it, as it only moves the position of the lever piston relative to the timing port), but it all must be clean to function optimally. If you then squeeze the lever a few times (with the disc between the pads obviously), the pistons will set themselves to their natural position.

[Bought wrong crankset for my inspired bike]

Dude, you're getting things mixed up. You have a crank (the thing with the big axle and arms where you attach the chainring and pedals to) and a bottom bracket (the cups with bearings that go into the frame).

Shimano cranks use a 24 mm axle, DUB a 28.99 mm one, so the bottom brackets are different. So just replace the Shimano bottom bracket on your bike with the DUB bottom bracket that came with the crank (at least the one in your link came with a bottom bracket) and you're good to go.

[Rear hydraulic disc brakes feeling soft. Am I being too sensitive?]

Perhaps be (even more) picky with the bleed? I find it unnoticeable on my bike when the bleed is perfect (and I'm pretty anal-retentive myself about these things). With Hope T3V4, MT5s, Shigura, Hayes, no issues at all, at least not lever feel related

To get the last bits of air out, I sometimes hang my brakes vertically overnight with the lever clamped down. Hit it with a screwdriver handle once in awhile to dislodge bubbles so they can all move towards the lever, next day slowly release the lever, do a fluid top up and all good.

[Specialized P Trials]

Healthy dose of stackers for a one off custom frame... 😆

[Jitsie stem tolerances, pretty bad?]

Cheers guys, appreciated. Do fear I need something loooong, running 175 mm / 35 deg now, and something with a removable faceplate too, as I've glued on my grips with rubber cement 😁 Perhaps one of those Clean Pro stems, 164 mm and 28 degrees might work, effectively 8 mm longer, 22 mm lower. If that 28 mm of steerer tube I have sticking out is long enough of course, so I've asked them to confirm. For now I'll keep the beer canned Jitsie on.

[Jitsie stem tolerances, pretty bad?]

Well damn, that's all pretty crap haha.

I also heard back from Jitsie: and yes, as feared, they went ahead and did some measuring, and all their stems are dimensioned wrongly. They will be contacting their supplier. Pretty stupid that a customer needs to discover this, a recall should be in order I reckon (unless they only sold one stem haha). Major suckage. They wanted to offer me a voucher, I've asked for my money back, since I only bought it last month. We'll see, at least I could get a tyre then for their voucher haha.

So, who still makes a stem that accepts a fork cut at a roughly 35 degree angle? Rear part of my fork only extends from the headset by 29 mm or so, which basically rules everything out I've seen so far  Anyone has an old stem lying around? Echo or something like that?

[Jitsie stem tolerances, pretty bad?]

Yeah good call. For now, I've added a beer can shim to both the handlebar and the steerer clamp. Pretty rediculous but much more solid. And an easy fit too, goes to show how much oversized the clamps are. Hopefully no damage done yet, as I've been riding it overstressed with too much movement on the clamps for a few weeks.

I'll post back when (and if) I hear from Jitsie, bought it from them directly so I do expect some support.

[Jitsie stem tolerances, pretty bad?]

So I've got their expensive sloped Race stem om my mod bike, and the headset constantly looses tension. Stem is moving upward, even though I tightened it properly (tighter than prescribed, as it could still move it around when done up like that). It can tighten it so much that it seems like both sides of where the gap is (where the bolts sit) are touching. Some markings on the stem from the topcap too, from when it's been forcefully moved up. Measured the diameters, steerer tube is good at 28.58 mm. However, stem clamp is a whopping 28.95 mm diameter. My Hope stem for comparison is 28.65 mm. 

Also, the handlebar interface creaks like mad (also done up tighter than prescribed, otherwise I could just turn the handlebar in the clamp when pulling hard and you could actually feel it wiggle too).

Contacted Jitsie, as it seems like it's way out of tolerance. But I assume these things come from a mold, so basically, will they all be crap and should I be looking for a different brand of stem? Anyone on here with a properly functioning Race stem of theirs? Unfortunately, I need something sloped, as the fork is cut at an angle and extremely short at that.

[Riding both a street trials and 20" bike]

Thanks @Rebelistic! How do you feel about the difference in drag? When I hop onto the 26" after a few sessions on the 20", it rides so incredibly light that it's almost scary.

I do feel I'm getting used to the 20" a bit more now. Still, timing is super different from the 26", plus I can't pedal up for shit anymore, after having exclusively bunny hopped everything for years. But I think it's good to try different moves on both bikes, focusing on pedal ups and more static hoppy stuff on the 20", rolling and speedy stuff on the 26". A bit less frustrating that way, as I'm not comparing the two directly (except for gaps to back, where I can't seem to generate the power I need on the 20", but slowly milimetering my way forward there too).

Actually had some fun last time out

[Chains]

16 minutes ago, AdamR28 said:

how good you are at destroying stuff 😁

Huh, I just experience the occasional breakage  

Alright, dull grey Z1EHX it is. Maybe I should just order a 50 meter roll haha.

[Chains]

13 minutes ago, La Bourde said:

Hi,

 

 

Good to hear you did not get bad injured.

Did you notice some scuffs on the chain?

Months ago my chain broke regularly and I then understood it was related to some hits on the chain (I had no bash at that time).

I just swapped my chain and bought two Z1HEX.

I run one of my cleep 26 for many months no, but I don't ride it currently as much (somehow it is refreshing to ride 20" )

I also tried a Izumi 410 chain, used in track racing and black on my street trial.

No problem with it neither.

I noticed there are now a  KMC e101 and z101.

 

Thanks! Thankfully it happened on landing a rolling bunny hop, not even touching the brakes! Must have been almost broken, and I've been very lucky, as the move I did before that was a drop gap off a meter high wall.

No scuffs on the chain that I can see, have always been riding with a bash guard too. I did destroy my rear cog last week (AbsoluteBlack aluminium, broke off some teeth, and cracked in many places, not really trials proof) but I can't image that can have anything to do with it. Just a bad luck week. 

I see the E101 has those cutouts, not trusting that  Maybe I just best get some z1ehx's, theoretically slightly stronger than the K1, plus this is the first time I broke one ever in the 5 years I've been using them (and I should've replaced it earlier). Too bad you can only get the EPT ones now, I like the shiny silver more  

38 minutes ago, Szymon said:

Mine has the same amount of time and I also ride twice a week.🙄

I'd put a new one on!

[Chains]

Bit more than a year. Ride around 2x a week.

[Chains]

Broke my KMC Z1EHX last week with a loud bang, luckily without much damage to myself. Good reminder to change my chain more often. Found some KMC K1 chains (the regular, not the SL) on sale, thinking I'd stock up for future replacements. Are they any worse than the Z1EHX you reckon? Tensile strength not much difference, only missing the 'stretch proof treatment', that worth anything?

Worthless thread without pics (red paint is where I joined it back together, I tend to keep an eye on that, but then it breaks somewhere else of course ) 

 

[Riding both a street trials and 20" bike]

I feel application the same, but bike very different makes it more difficult  Yesterday again on the 20", major frustration, went from bad to worse of course, little fun. Maybe I just don't gel with tiny wheels, my friend's 26" comp bike feels a lot more natural to me.

On the other hand, for now, always good to have a spare bike, as I broke the rear cog on the street bike (expensive aluminium cog, no good, back to steel).

[New Retro Spare Parts Build Haro Sloride 24]

Purple, instant like.

[Riding both a street trials and 20" bike]

Thanks for the input guys! I never had this feeling when switching between my regular MTBs (trail hardtail 29er, 27.5 DH and enduro) and my street trials bike, even when I was still riding a 24". I guess a street trials and MTB are more similar than a street trials and 20" comp bike. Funny thing, as I was convinced before I got it everything would be easier on such a low, small and tiny wheeled bike. I'd just throw it wherever I wanted. Not the case haha.

But you've definitely convinced me to just keep on trying on the 20". I'll just be sure to switch regularly, keep it fresh and force my mind and body to learn and adapt more quickly.

New moves are good too, working on gaps to front now, something I've never even tried to do in all the time I've been riding. And yeah, doing a pedal up feels more natural on the 20" than doing a bunny hop, but mainly because it is so f'ing draggy with that front freewheel 😁

[Riding both a street trials and 20" bike]

Wondering if any of you guys ride both a 20" mod and a street trials (26") bike regularly? I've been riding street trials for a decade, and recently got this mod bike to mess around on, thinking it'd be fun and might improve my riding. First impression, I don't much like the way the mod rides. It's draggy as hell and the long stem with the tiny wheel makes for a very sketchy floppy feeling frontend.

After about 5 rides I sort of started to get the hang of it, could manual and bunny hop it a bit, felt less weird. Still, only thing I feel is easier is just standing on your rear wheel and moving around a bit. But trials moves like static gaps, side hops even, I can't get the distance I get on my 26".

Anyway, today I tried my 26" again, and that now felt super weird. Took me an hour to get the feel back somewhat.

So that's why I was wondering, anyone else do this? Do you get used to the change quicker? Does your riding actually improve doing this (on both bikes)? Or am I just wasting my time? 😁

[Freewheel roundness and Spanish BB options]

Sounds quite logical @Swoofty, all those tolerance deviations adding up. Especially with trials parts, we all know they're really precisely machined with proper quality control, ahum  So I guess a whole new axle, cranks and freewheel might bring me nothing.

Have to turn down my OCD and just view this bike for what I bought it for: a beater to try 20" on. Can't really get on with 20" so far anyway haha. 

[Freewheel roundness and Spanish BB options]

Got this Echo Mk6 second hand with Echo splined cranks and front freewheel. The frame has a Spanish BB. When rotating the cranks backwards (chain stationary), the chain tension varies wildly. So was thinking either a knackered freewheel, or a bent BB axle, or both.

As the bike has been run with the freewheel spacer the wrong way around by the previous owner (so the freewheel was completely loose), I mostly suspected the freewheel. Took it apart, cleaned it up, some fresh oil/grease (never want to do that again, took me over an hour to put it back together again with those loose ball bearings and shitty way too loose pawls), and it seemed alright as far as I could tell. At least it runs smoother than it did, but tension still varies. Do freewheels have a tendency to not be round and should I just live with shitty chain tension?

Axle seems alright looking at it from the side without drive side crank, but of course a bit hard to tell.

Edit: found a Trialtech Spanish isis BB, not in stock obviously, but if everything is broken and bent, this might be an option together with some different cranks and freewheel, if Trialtech actually still make it that is.

[Better for high sidehops/bunny hops?]

Well, my pedals are pretty shot, inside bushing sort of gone, so they also have at least 8 degrees of float. Can't say I notice it at all

[Echo TR Lever Change]

16 hours ago, Tidy said:

Hi! I'm that guy! Nice to see the information being used.

Anyway of the two (mineral/dot) the hope was just a monster with jitsie/trialtech pads and sintered rotor.

I played around with alot brakes back in the day and by far the best i have used is the above but with EBC organic pads on organic rotor.

Be warned though absolutely any contamination with organic setup goes from chainstay bending power to nothing without warning ⚠️ 

 

Try decent pads/rotor first before lever change. Improvement is guaranteed.

Love the Frankenbrakes. A shame the Echo calipers are IS mount, bit of a pain to get them aligned with the washers, especially on a frame with a horizontal track style dropout. The other thing that keeps me from experimenting with them is the huge height of those Echo/Hope pads, and the type of rotor they require because of that. Basically only Hope V2 or Trial Zone rotors will work nicely, and they're way too expensive. At least to me they are, I bend rotors for breakfast.

[Echo TR Lever Change]

Asked this a few weeks back. There was a guy who'd used Shimano levers (saint) and Hope Tech3 levers (with Hope Dot compatible seals in the calliper) to good effect. You'll gain a lot of power, as the Echo lever uses a stupidly large MC piston.

I've put on a set of MT5s myself, could get them for just a bit more than a bunch of Shimano levers, so figured that was the best option

[My first 20"...]

Or maybe a Clean X1? At least has a nice and normal 1.5" to 1.125" tapered headtube, and uses a chain tensioner instead of horizontal style dropouts, which is nice. They have a 15% sale going on their site too now.

[Echo splined freewheel help. Now Echo TR disc brake help :P]

12 hours ago, Tidy said:

Yeah done it with m820 lever, and hope tech 3 aswell(hope piston seal fits to make it dot system)

Try trialtech/jitsie trialzone pads first with sintered compatible rotor's,  will make a huge difference without messing around.

That's some proper Frankenbraking, especially with the Hope levers. Makes me regret getting rid of a lot of my brake spare parts that I figured I'd never need anymore (Magura and Hayes levers, lots of adapters)  Good to know it works, might revive them in the future then! (one of the levers is 100% fooked, super crunchy stroke action)