[Jacques12345]

Hey! I'm thinking of getting a heckler large all black with the spx db kit but i'm gonna be switching out a few things. I'm gonna use it mostly for trail ridding and aggresive xc with some downhill, uphill and 2-3 ft jumps. Here is a list of what I want to get it with, does anyone have any suggestions on anything I should switch from here?

Fork: Fox talas rlc
Shock: Fox rp3
Brakes: Hayes hfx 9 or mag 6"
Crankset: Xt
Rear derailleur: Xt
Front derailleur: Xt
Cassette: Xt
Chain: Xt
Shifters: Xt
Seatpost: Thompson
Stem: Thompson
Handlebars: Easton ea70
Headset: Chris king
Rims: Mavic xm819 disc ust tubeless
Tires: Not shure yet, most likely some 2.3's, any suggestions?
Spokes: Dt
Hubs: Maybe dt but not shure, any suggestions?

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Jack

 

[cdub]

i know you wrote TALAS but i would strongly advise you to opt for the vanilla. all around smoother and will take more abuse. just swap out the springs. i rode both of these forks on two hecklers and the vanilla blew it away in my opinion.

 

[dpdsurf]

Looks like a good under 30lb build. The only thing I'd change is the rear deraileur to a Sram X-9 with X-7 or 9 trigger shifters. I put an XO on my Heckler and it greatly reduced the chain slap on the chain stay plus the thing is set it once and forget about it. The thumb operated trigger shifters are easier to operate and stay out of the way compared to Shimano's as well. You can't go wrong with the XT in the front or for the rest of your drive train.

I also agree with the vanilla but if weight is a greater concern the Talas is probably one of the best air sprung forks.

Tires: Nokian NBX 2.3 are nice but do ware a little quick. The Hutchinson Octopus is nice but a somewhat of a lower than average profile. I just put a WTB Wierwolf 2.5 on the back with some Stans. It's width is like a 2.3 but it has the high profile of a 2.5. It only weighs a little over 700 grams which isn't bad. Be sure to get Stans regardless if you get a tubless specific tire or not. It cures the slow leaks that some brands tend to have.

 

[mtnbikej]

Hey! I'm thinking of getting a heckler large all black with the spx db kit but i'm gonna be switching out a few things. I'm gonna use it mostly for trail ridding and aggresive xc with some downhill, uphill and 2-3 ft jumps. Here is a list of what I want to get it with, does anyone have any suggestions on anything I should switch from here?

Fork: Fox talas rlc
Shock: Fox rp3
Brakes: Hayes hfx 9 or mag 6"
Crankset: Xt
Rear derailleur: Xt
Front derailleur: Xt
Cassette: Xt
Chain: Xt
Shifters: Xt
Seatpost: Thompson
Stem: Thompson
Handlebars: Easton ea70
Headset: Chris king
Rims: Mavic xm819 disc ust tubeless
Tires: Not shure yet, most likely some 2.3's, any suggestions?
Spokes: Dt
Hubs: Maybe dt but not shure, any suggestions?

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Jack

If you plan on getting the kit form SC, you will not be able to run Hayes discs with the XT Int. shifters.

mtnbikej

 

[mtnbikej]

The only thing I'd change is the rear deraileur to a Sram X-9 with X-7 or 9 trigger shifters.

I agree. I am now a huge fan of the SRAM trigger shifters and derailluers. I run the X-9's on mine and my wife's bikes. LBS seems to be selling more of these than the newer Integrated SHimano shifters.

mtnbikej

 

[crankpuller]

get rid of the integrated shifters

My GF has XT integrated shifters on her klein - she is always complaining about them.
New technology doesn't mean better technology - definately get trigger shifters.
Other than that you have an excellent XC build !

 

[Jacques12345]

Hey! The xt shifters I mentioned up there aren't the integrated, their the regular xt shifters pods, I know you can't use integrated unless you use the xt hydraulic brakes. I will be checking out the sram ones also, if I get it I will get xo in the back and xo grip shifters upfront or x9 triggers. Do you guys think this build can handle aggressive xc and some 1-3 foot jumps? I know the frame and most components can for shure and i;ve heard good things of the fox rp3 and talas but whats the main differences between the talas and vanilla?

 

[dpdsurf]

Hey! The xt shifters I mentioned up there aren't the integrated, their the regular xt shifters pods, I know you can't use integrated unless you use the xt hydraulic brakes. I will be checking out the sram ones also, if I get it I will get xo in the back and xo grip shifters upfront or x9 triggers. Do you guys think this build can handle aggressive xc and some 1-3 foot jumps? I know the frame and most components can for shure and i;ve heard good things of the fox rp3 and talas but whats the main differences between the talas and vanilla?

Yes, this build should handle that sort of riding just fine. Providing you are under 220lbs.

The Vanilla is sprung using coil springs and the Talas is air sprung using air pressure and valves. Coil will always feel the best but has a weight penalty. Well worth it IMO. But I have a more agressive build in general with a Z1FR1 and 5th coil on my Heckler.

 

[Jacques12345]

You have a nice heckler also. I am 6" and weight 200 pounds. I might consider getting the vanilla now instead. I looked at the 2 and the vanilla is cheaper, less maintenance, stronger, no travel to fiddle around with all the time, the only thing is the extra quarter of a pound it gains What tires do you guys recomend for my build on a heckler?

 

[cdub]

to be honest, at your weight i highly doubt you will feel the quarter pound difference. but i guess its up to you. I have tried three different tires for my heckler and have found the red 2.1 panracers to be the best for all around riding and durability.

 

[Dave99]

Hey Jack,

I have my '03 Heckler set up with some similar items to your spec. The XM819 wheelset is good and tough for my 145 lbs. It's very rocky and rooty here and I ride pretty hard. Lots of wheelie drops into rock gardens and I bomb and hop through rocky decents. Anyway, the old Mavic X317 didn't last more than a season before they dented into oblivion but these XM819s have been holding up just great so far last season and since the beginning of this season. Plus I used a good wheel-builder.

I haven't found any satisfactory all-mountain UST tires. For some reason, the existing USTs are all very narrow. I rode both the Panaracer FireXC Pro 2.1" clincher tire against a FireXC UST 2.1". The UST tire seems 3/4 the volume as the clincher version even though they're the supposedly the same size. At least the FireXC UST grips well on the rocky climbs . . . but it doesn't feel burly enough for freeride. I also rode the WTB Weirwolf in clincher and UST. The 2.1 UST was puny compared to the 2.5 clincher tire . . . and again it wasn't proportional to size. So far, I'm happier with the FireXC UST but I think tire volume will make a big difference in your wheel's service life in harsh conditions. I'd be happier pushing the envelope with a meatier tire.

If you want low rolling resistance and grip, then you're definitely on the right track with the UST. Just be prepared to find a lot of bony-ass UST tires on the market! Another alternative would be to consider a Stan's no-tube kit with conventional clincher tires and just get what you want. I may try that later this season.

One last thing - that XT rear derailleur / triple chainring combo sucks on the Heckler. The single-pivot suspension design drops chains like mad due to the chainlength reduction over rear wheel excursion. I used to drop my chain upwards of 4 - 5 times a ride on an aggressive 8 mile trail. Keep in mind I accomodate a 34T low cog and 22T-32T up front. If you ride rocky DH-type chutes and bumpy trails then consider either a dual-chainring crankset with a short chain, an SRAM rear derailleur on a triple like the other guy suggested, or a decent chainguide like the E-13 DRS. I heard there's even a triple version of the E-13. I ride dual chainring / bashguard and keep my chain short and it's alright though not nearly as bombproof as my single-chainring / Envy chainguide combo on my Big Hit. So far, I haven't missed the Heckler's big ring on the trails and it saved me a load of headaches.

Good luck.

Dave.

 

[Jacques12345]

Hey! I'm definitly gonna try the panaracer fires, maybe I can find em in 2.3. If I were to get sram x.o rear rerailleur and x.o twister shifters or x.9 trigger shifters and then the 3 chanrings, that would be fine right??

Thanks!

Jack

 

[Dave99]

Hey! I'm definitly gonna try the panaracer fires, maybe I can find em in 2.3. If I were to get sram x.o rear rerailleur and x.o twister shifters or x.9 trigger shifters and then the 3 chanrings, that would be fine right??

Thanks!

Jack

I dunno . . . the Panaracer FireXC UST aren't a bad place to start but I can't get over how skinny they look. I've only ridden them three times this year and it hasn't been through really muddy steep decents . . . just rocky uphill and downhill stuff with naturally good traction. I'm not convinced they're the best tire yet. So far they've been OK but I haven't logged enough hours on the trails in different conditions to give them a seal of approval.

And the SRAM rear derailleur stuff . . . well I just got my Big Hit and the derailleur's been great so far. But again . . . not enough hours. I read a lot of horror stories about sudden and abrupt rear derailleur body failure. Too many to be a simple coincidence. Again, I have a hard time making a recommendation. Even though the Shimano XT rear derailleur doesn't index as well or provide enough chain tension, it's pretty tough stuff. I beat the living crap outta my rear derailleur for nearly three seasons and it's still going despite having bent the beefy Heckler derailleur hanger more times than I can count on one hand. And my other XT rear derailleur has lasted over 6 seasons on my hardtail including a trip to Australia and a lot of abuse on the trails riding clipless pedals and falling all over the place. I'd have to say the Shimano XT rear derailleur is pretty stellar for reliability. The new plastic shifter bodies are ass on the other hand but whatever.

If it was me knowing what little I know now, I'd go with the a dual chainring set-up and a short chain. It doesn't rob any efficiency from your drivetrain, provides more bottom bracket clearance over rocks (sorely needed for the Heckler), lightens one of your rotating members, and really helps eliminate chain drop. I can't remember the last time I needed a big chainring on the trail except when screaming down a groomed straight decent trying to make my friend's bike computer hit 60 km/h.

Dave.

 

[bighitboy]

depends on what you want to do. Hecklers are very capable bikes, I would love a Fox 36