HDR in the wild

Nate Arnold getting his rocks off

 

So this is probably an idiot question, but for those folks out there running the XX1 kit, curious on what BB you went with. I assume that the HDR has a standard 68mm threaded BB, but does that relate to a GXP or BB30? I'm guessing the former.

I'm reading that SRAM's GXP BB's are pretty much **** though, would you guys recommend something else? I'm planning to go with 34T ring up front when I do my build, but am still learning about SRAM (used to ride all XTR).

 

Gxp is what you need, I've run my XX1-crank with gxp bearings for 1,5 years without trouble. But they are easy to change if you would have worse luck than me with them.

 

Thanks Eld. Have the GXP BB's gotten better since 2012 or so? I seem to read so many bad things about them on MTBR, PB, ST forums, general website product reviews, etc.

I've been debating going the ceramic CK route for $175 incl. injector tool and bottom bracket socket attachment. Seems like a solid value.

 

I can't say really, I had oldschool solid axle bb before I went with the XX1-cranks. But you do get a lot of gxp-bearings for $175

 

But you do get a lot of gxp-bearings for $175

With the SRAM or the CK?

 

Actually, here in Europe SRAM gxp-bearings is about $30. So you would get 5-6 of them for the price of one king. But if you've got the cash, it's always nice with high quality stuff like CK. And I to have read some very unflattering reviews for SRAM gxp.

 

And now back to our regularly scheduled program...

After a LONG wait (featuring business catastrophe, a pile of college tuition, and two Mojo SL's ridden into the ground) I finally got the bike I've been pining for! Big thanks to Salespunk for the hookup, and to Ibis for building such beautiful and capable machines.

 

And now back to our regularly scheduled program...

Holy crap, congrats, what a lovely bike! How big is the Goma in the rear and how much rear clearance do you have there? Your Derbys make those tires look extremely yummy.

 

What a beauty!

 

IMHO, GXP pissess all over Shimano's Hollowtech 2. People do not understand how it works, use it incorrectly and then post crappy nonsense on forums, etc. I have had the cheap Team GXP BB on my Mojo HD w/ a spiderless SRAM crank and a MRP ring for thousands of miles and I have had zero issues with it - no creaking, no drag, no wobble or loosening. It just works if you remember to pop the seals and regrease the bearings every other month (Phil Wood's bearing grease FTW).

 

I can't see well either, but those look like hope brakes to me.

Edit: maybe not, I really can't tell.


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I can't see well either, but those look like hope brakes to me.

Edit: maybe not, I really can't tell.

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I recognize those black circles on the sides of the calipers, both the race and trail XTR versions have those. I've been trying to figure out how well the XTR brakes work rotors other than ice-tech, and what sizes are compatible.

 

Wow, the Gomas look huge. Is it the wide rims making it look that size? nice set up!

 

Nice bike Bacon! Congrats

 

Sweet bike. That blue is classy.

Here's a shot from my ride today.

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Can anyone lead me to a good close out deal on a cobra blue HDR 650b frame? Online or in so cal?

 

 

Sweet!

 

I rerouted my LEV cable. Saw this somewhere on Mtbr, probably in this thread, but anyways it's way to go IMO. Housing should be black, but the one I bought was a brake cable and didn't fit the LEV cable end so it's blue for now. Makes it easier to see how it's routed. Once i swap it to black it should be really unobtrusive. It keeps the top tube clean and the cables just flow better up front, tough to describe but it works better. Only downside I see is that it's tougher to raise the post in order to clamp it in a stand. Now I have to disconnect the dropper cable to get enough post to put the bike in the workstand.

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Recent HDR Thoughts

Made some recent updates to my beloved HDR650b and wanted to share some thoughts, none of which is particularly new info, but perhaps useful to some.

I've been riding Ibis for a while and continue to love the bikes and the company. Went to the HDR mostly out of curiosity around 650b and liking the option of going back to 26" if I wanted. This bike has exceeded the fun factor of my HD, which was already my all-time favorite bike. While I have a 29'er hardtail, I really use my FS bikes for everything. In my mind Ibis makes Mountain Bikes, meaning you use them all over the mountains. :thumbsup:

Previously I'd been running PUSH'd Fox 34, Float CTD shock and the stock Ibis wheels(more on those later). Part of what I like about working with PUSH is having someone on the phone who knows your kit and if you need servicing it's just done, vs sending back to a big company that may not give a rats ass. I've been having PUSH tweak my Fox kits for 3-4 bikes now and they've always been able to get things to damn near perfect for me. And they did again, but I was feeling a few things were not quite dialed:

1) Rear was getting a bit "overworked" in the chunder chunk. Prior to this HDR I was on an HD 26" which I'd also had PUSH'd and it definitely seemed to handle some of the particularly nasty sections with a bit more grace. I didn't think it was just a matter of travel, but *quality* of travel.

2) Front end "point & shoot" stiffness. I had a Float 36 on my HD and I miss that level of burliness. The 34 gets 75% of the way there, but in the real chop it has moments where it's definitely out of it's element.

So I went in for a DB Inline and RS Pike. Both kits have been out a while now (long while for the Pike) and things seem well proven for both. Some are calling these a real perfect match for bikes of this sort and I have to say that after a little bit of play time on them, I think this is a pretty fantastic setup. I'm still riding them with basically just sag set so I can get a feel for what the vanilla defaults feel like, though I did add full air spacers to the Inline.

Both the Inline and the Pike do an incredible job of using their travel incredibly effectively. I can bottom the Inline but it feels like it handles itself equally well with the big hits and the repeated chunky stuff, where the Float would start to get jammed up. The Float was fine on larger hits, but would lose some grace on nasty rock gardens at speed. The Inline seems fine with those bits.

The Pike is really about getting to 36 levels of stiffness with 34 weight and incredibly smooth travel. I've only had a handful of rides on the Pike, but the front end stiffness is just appreciably better. I know some riders are pushing the Pike into borderline DH situations so it seems this thing can take abuse.

Wheels. I ditched the stock Ibis Stans wheels, which were fine, and had a set built with the Light Bicycle 650b wide rims and CK hubs, as soon as CK released their XD driver. Of course, this was literally the week Ibis announced their wheels, which I likely would have opted for had I known they were coming! As nice as the Ibis wheels are, I'm happy with the CK+LB combo and they've been holding up well.

More importantly, the wide rim revolution is REAL. Being able to run 18lbs front/rear is amazing. I've literally cleaned with ease some tech climbing sections that used to be 50/50 at best and it's definitely about being able to find traction due to the big volume and lower pressure combo. Wide rims are the shiznoink.

Anyway, the HDR just gets better. It was fantastic before, but the changes definitely plussed it out and the fun factor is higher then ever. I know everyone on the list is frothing over the New Ibis Thing That We Don't Know What The Fark It Will Be, but I'm having too much fun on my HDR to worry about it right now! Happy Riding!:thumbsup:

 

Thanks for the insight on the DB inline and Pike. I've been debating both as well, but since I want to stay married, I'm probably going to only change the shock or fork on my HDTR 650 (both are currently stock fox 34/float). If you had to pick one, which would you go for, the Inline or the Pike? (or the wheels?)

 

If you had to pick one, which would you go for, the Inline or the Pike? (or the wheels?)

...wow, that's a tough call.

I really wasn't *hating* anything on my existing setup, more just a feeling that it could be better. Honestly, the Pike is already feeling like it's going to be the biggest improvement, even though I've had it on the least amount of time. I've spent so much time on bigger forks (36 Floats and Marzo 66's) that I'm really used to having a fork that is unflappable in all situations. Going fast into nasty stuff demands a confidence inspiring front end.

The 34 is NOT a bad fork by any stretch (2014! Never rode the 2013 which was funked up AFAIK), and I have to say that the PUSH work made it pretty great, but the Pike really is an incredible combo of robust+lightweight+great feel in wide range of terrain. The hyperbole is real, RS really did a good job with this thing.

 

bike's looking good Benja. I'd be careful experimenting with low tire pressures and those rims. I've had good luck with the LB rims but never run less than 30 psi in the rear, usually 33-34. I got 18 months out of my rear rim before having to replace it, but I wouldn't expect it to survive very long if your pressure is low enough that you are getting regular rim strikes from bottoming out the tire. I wouldn't expect ANY carbon rim to last if subjected to regular rock strikes, but the LBs in particular have proven vulnerable to them if you read the various threads.

 

Thanks for the feedback. Are you running your pike at 150 or did you reduce it to 140?

 

Are you running your pike at 150 or did you reduce it to 140?

Running it at 150, stock out of the box (Solo Air), and my 34 was at 150 too, bumped up by PUSH.

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Yes, I'm curious as well. Fork at 150 or 140? Thanks!

 

Awesome build Benja.
I keep looking at those DB Inlines and thinking... Hmmm...
But I need to settle down...

Love your comments about wide rims and low pressure...LOL Totally agree.
But I can't do 18 rear either, at 170 lbs suited up.

 

I can and I am 175 nekkid. I do 20PSI max, 17-18 for max. traction when needed, I went as low as 5PSI once when I had a slow air leak and was too lazy to air up on trail. Below 10, the tire became squirmy but it never burped and the Derby rim survived the ordeal without an issue, too. I have over a year of riding on my Derby rims and besides a few surface scratches from rock strikes, they are as strong as new.

 

I can and I am 175 nekkid. I do 20PSI max, 17-18 for max. traction when needed

What StiHacka said. I should edit my post; 18psi is my lowest regularly run PSI. 20 is typical, 25-30 feels like too much. 18 does not feel squirmy on dirt.

I'm 170-175 with full kit on.

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On the DB Inline, were you able to reuse the mounting hardware/reducers from the Fox?

 

I was, but had to push out the stock CC bushings.

I was using Fox compatible bushings from PUSH, which I was happy to keep, in part because they're red & black and match the Pike up front. ?

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