[Konish]

Any of you guys ever have a build a bike that was just plagued with trouble?:skep:

I've been upgrading my Prophet since about mid to late summer last year (funny saying that), and since I stripped it down for the new parts, it's been one thing after another even during the build. I swear everytime I ride the thing more than 3 blocks from home, something else goes wrong.

There has been a ton of small stuff but these are some of the more memorable highlights:

So far I've been having CONSTANT problems with my Strokers. It all started with terrible braking performance with the stock pads. I tried EBS pads, bending the pins on all the pad retaining pins (EBS pads SUCK...the retaining clip isn't strong enough to keep them in place, thus causing the bent pins. Numerous bleeds with that god-awful bleed fitting etc, etc. Saint's on the way now..but what a hassle these have been for me.

The day after I received my new wheels and tires and setting them up ghetto tubeless I snakebit the sidewalls on 2 brand new tires pretty badly hitting a sharp-edged concrete lip well hidden by some tall grass (I have to say, at least they held some pressure afterwards...so success there). Had to remove all the stans goo, fix the snakebit areas with a patch (which sucked because of the area), and re-ghetto the tire. No kidding, 3 inches on either side of the lip and it would have been a smooth, edge-free transition

Shortly after, I came off a really small lip and my front wheel develped a loud clicking. I was concerned enough with the noise which required me to remove all the stans crap, my ghetto rim-strip *and* the rim tape in order to fix it. Turns out it was some kind of weight or mandrel placed at the point where the rim is welded together breaking loose from the dimpled stake that was keeping it in place.

The weirdest thing was the soles on a pair of Raichle boots I had literally disintegrate while I was riding the bike...by the time I got home it was like wearing a pair of house slippers.

Seriously, this thing has been down for one thing or another since the "upgrade" which caused me to not ride it much waiting for parts/time to fix/replace/bleed.

I sure hope the new year changes this thing's mood!:thumbsup:

 

[Cayenne_Pepa]

No such thing as a bad luck bike. Your problems are due to simply making some bad choices:

1) Hayes Strokers - The ONLY nice thing about these expensive hydros is the smooth lever action. Good thing you corrected it with Shimano Saint.

2) Ghetto Tubeless - This was your worst execution, of new wheels/tires. Trying to scrimp on doing tubeless by the cheap way, made it appear worse by your riding conditions. Are you riding your Prophet Urban Freeride?

3) Riding on pinned wheelset. Your rims are cheaply made, if the seams are not welded shut. Let this be another lesson on wheels. Make the investment in a pair of Mavic XM819s and never worry about stupid pins ever coming loose again.

4) What are you doing using plastic ski boots riding on flats? Are you a downhiller riding a AM-specific Prophet? Since your true riding style is not mentioned, again your execution needs to be re-observed. A clyde needs STOUT, expensive bike parts, period. Your cutting of corners is obviously what made this bike "bad luck." Not to harp on you- you just need to realize a big rider needs the MOST durable parts, whenever the wheels leave the ground. If this is really your passion- you need to re-think your spending habits.

Like I said before- there is no such thing as a bad luck. Enjoying something to the fullest is the direct result of diligent research, trial and error, and demanding uncompromising quality, at ANY cost. This is my little recipe for "good luck!" Happy 2009, brother!!!!

 

[Konish]

Oh, boy. The post was meant to be...oh, I don't know, a little humorous, but since you came off like such an ass, I felt your reply deserves a little seriousness. Oddly enough, the bike ran flawlessly for the better part of a year with the super cheap crap that came stock.

1. Yes, addressed
2. Actually the ghetto tubeless has been the the thing that has worked out best consistently through the build. Appear worse by by my riding conditions..wtf? Please read any thread on successful ghetto tubeless implementation in conditions far more challenging that what I put them through.
3. My wheels are Mavic 721s (freeride and downhill rim). I *did* a ton of research and called the people who built my wheels. Although I only do tech XC/ smallish AM, I bought the wheelset based on my weight. Not sure if these are considered cheaply made, but they came reccomended.
4. Why do think my boots were plastic ski boots? I think your entire response assumes a ton, none more apparent than this ridiculous statement. I think if you knew what my execution was, you'd probably say I had too much bike, so I'm pretty sure that parts are robust enough.

Cutting corners...sheesh...
Prophet frame
Hone 2 ring crank w/ external BB
Thomson stem and seatpost
Easton DH carbon bar
RS coil Revelation U-turn poploc
Mavic 721 hand-built wheels w/ XT hubs
SRAM X-9 drive train with SRAM 970 cassette and SRAM hollow pin chain

If you consider that cuttting corners than you have more "passion" than I do. I certainly wasn't going to spend the extra $$$ on XTR or X-0 parts that bring nothing to the table other than lightness...which as you suggested may not be of any value to me.

Somehow I get the feeling that you're a pretty young guy...with all this "fuel the passion at all costs" foolishness. As far as suggesting someone re-think their spending habits, you probably need to check yourself. Not sure if you were serious in your profile, but pizza guys are probably some of the last folks I would take financial advice from.

While I do very well for myself, I have a wife, 2 kids and a cat. I put just over half my pay into savings and investments every month and as of right now, I can write a check for a house in Dallas when I retire from the Navy in 5 years and still have a slug sitting in the bank. That's *my* receipe for "good luck".

Happy 2009

 

[FatCorey]

Cheap corner-cutter! Shame on you!

 

[Konish]

Cheap corner-cutter! Shame on you!

:thumbsup:

 

[scottzg]

Yeah, i had a bike like that... a marin nail trail with a cracked dropout. I never realized the dropout was damaged, but it would always mis-shift under full power. I adjusted it every day, it'd shift in the stand, change the cables, change the housing, change the cassette/chain/chainrings, add a rollamagig, nothing would make that bike shift correctly. I tolerated it for months, and my confidence as a mechanic was... damaged. Then one day the dropout broke off while i was jra. Oh.