Hi Lee!

I’m hoping you could help explain gear ratios and maybe shed some light on which gear ratios are unnecessary. Here’s the situation:

I have a customer that is using the Sram Red compact double (50-34). In the back she is using the new Sram Apex long cage rear derailleur. She is also using a Sram PG1070 10speed casettte in a 11-32. She is interested in switching out the 11-32 cassette to a 12-36. For some reason, I’m thinking that running a gear combination of 34 small ring to a 36 in the back doesn’t make sense. I think what that means is that she would essentially “spin out” OR her gearing in that given combination is too low. Her rebuttal was that her other bike was a road triple with a 22-32-52. However, she was running a 11-28 10sp to go with the triple. I’m wondering this:

Does she just not want to exert any effort climbing or is it useless to run a gear combination of 34-36?

Hopefully these questions make sense.

Congrats on the new book!

Daniel

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Tomorrow I’m coaching a young DH pinner at Keystone. Since I no longer have a downhill bike, I have to make sure the Enduro suspension is dialed. So off to Hall Ranch I went for a mix of turny turns and rocky rocks.

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Our friend Rhys in Queensland switched from a medium Enduro to a large Epic. He’s loving the climbs but fearing the descents.

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Last Friday I was rolling through Golden on the way back from a meeting in Littleton. My clients and I are working on a 60-page partnership proposal: the kind that determines how I pay my mortgage. It’s a fun and relaxing process. So so fun and relaxing that I was crawling out of my skin needing a ride.

I always see riders parked on the side of Highway 6, and I wonder what they’re up to. Turns out they’re riding a sweet trail.

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Hi, I have a Specialized Enduro SL Pro from 2007. I am thinking of replacing the wheels, but can’t find what the hub spacing is. Also, I heard something about Specialized off setting the drop outs. Did they do this with the Enduro as well?
Thanks
Joseph

Plus: An obscure punk rock reference.

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Hey Lee,

I just bought a 2010 Specialized Enduro Expert. I’ve been looking into a few different options to drop a little weight. I’d like to get it under 30 lbs. Right now it weighs about 32. One of the options I was considering was swapping the Lyrik 160mm fork for a Revelation 150mm or a Fox Talas 32 150mm, which would instantly drop a pound off the bike. This bike is designed around a 160mm fork, so I was wondering what changes I could expect if I did swap the fork out, positives and negatives.

Thanks for your help!

-Ian

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Hey Lee,

I may be selling my full suspension bike this year and I am considering going back to riding a hardtail. I’m pretty interested in the P.1 All Mountain after seeing it on the Specialized website. Have you gotten a chance to ride it yet? If so I would like to know how it compares to the other P.1 as a one-bike quiver.

By the way, Welcome To Pump Track Nation rocks! I start construction on my pump track my next day off!

Mahalo,

Keoni

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Hi Lee: I’ve been feeling too stretched out and too far forward on my bike. I want to get a shorter stem but I have a Cannondale and they’re pretty expensive, so I want to get the right one. I have a 120mm stem now. Not sure if this is a daft question, but can you recommend what length I should go down to? I was thinking either 80 or 90mm. I guess it probably won’t make that much difference which… Thanks for any advice. Simon

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Hi Lee,
I have a couple of questions about titanium springs for your rear shock. How much weight savings do they provide over a steel spring? and do they feel “plusher?” also, If i have a 500 lb steel spring and i wanted to get a ti spring, would i need to get a 500 lb ti spring? or do ti springs require a heavier or lighter “lb”. than steel?

Thanks, Matt

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Hey Lee,

Congratulations on the twins, hope the family is doing well.

Lennard Zinn of VeloNews has written several recent articles addressing brake chatter on cross bikes. It sounds like 1-1/2-inch tapered forks help tremendously and several companies are moving in that direction (including Specialized on MTB and Road bikes).

I am wondering how the Carbon Tricross does with fork shudder when braking hard and is Specialized going to move to a tapered fork on the Tricross as they have done on the top of the line MTB and Road bikes?

Cheers and Happy Holidays!

Jafar

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