I was wondering something...I am very interested, as I'm in the market for a new hardtail, but I absolutely will not consider it unless it has a threaded englsih bottom bracket.
Well, I don't (nor would I) own a ROS9, but please take peoples requests for a threaded bb to heart. It seems that folks that want to run a bike like this singlespeed w/ebb are in the minority, and it doen't make sense to sacrifice reliability to cater to those few when they have other options. I like the look of those dropouts, but if you must make it ss compatible, consider sliders or, better yet, paragon rockers. And please, offer an xl size. I'd have already bought a VerHauen or fireline evo if they were offered in tall guy size. Thanks!I was wondering something...
If Niner switched to PF30 on the ROS 9 to stop the creaking, I'm wondering what the results were?
Are there any ROS9 owners that can chime in and let us know if their BB is creaking after the break-in and re-adjust? (I might re-post this in the Niner forum too)
This would be great info!
David
Top tubes need to be longer in order to keep the same cockpit length. If you shorten the stem and top tube, you end up with a shorter bike. If you shorten the stem but lengthen the TT, you end up with a bike that fits the same but steers differently. It's that difference that I think is also better.Mostly agree.
On the head tube comment, my point is that people often blame chainstays when 29'ers feel hard to manual/wheelie, but raising the handlebars 20mm, or shortening the top tube, can feel like taking 20mm off the chainstays.
Same with top tube length. Lots of people have been happily running 50mm stems with "normal" top tube lengths since forever. Since when do top tubes need to be 1-2" longer so people can run 35-50mm stems? At some point it's just too long.
Something I find very curious, is that so many people blamed long chainstays and wheelbases for 29'ers having slow or dead feeling handling.... yet the bike industry is doing a lot of things to 27.5" bikes to slow down the handling, like longer top tubes, 17"+ chainstays, longer wheelbases.
In the end it's personal preference based on riding style and terrain...I think this ZenFab thing looks great.
Exactly, it was a half-a$$ effort, especially with the FS bikes. It takes more engineering and design costs to overcome this (see Spec Enduro and BMC Trailfox), so most just stretched the chainstays.Anyways...I think people blame 29ers for slow handling because people started building 18" stayed bikes to fit the tires which made them sluggish, then steepened the HA which made them nervous and twitchy.
+1.Well, I don't (nor would I) own a ROS9, but please take peoples requests for a threaded bb to heart.
I can respect your opinion on that, but I hope my vote counts as much as yours. I have owned a 1st gen sir9 since they came out. It's been a good bike, but I'm ready to replace it for a number of reasons. Before that, I owned a gunnar with a split-shell ebb. They work, but I mostly leave my bike setup as 2x9 because I have extended climbs on long rides. So essentially, the ebb on the niner is a hunk of dead weight most of the time, and it creaks relentlessly. I understand that much of the industry has moved on but I'm stubborn and I'm not going to budge. It's not that a pf30 wouldn't be tolerable, but I buy bikes infrequently, and a high end frame represents a significant chunk of my expendable income, and I'm not going to spend it this time around on something that is a compromise only to harbor some level of regret for the next ten years. Is my hard earned $1000 going to make or break any of these companies? Of course not, but if manufacturers won't listen to myself and others feedback then they're not getting a dime from me. I'll just keep saving and get on Walt's waitlist if nobody comes out with the bike I want by then. It seems that there are two sides to the PF argument among consumers- those adamantly opposed to it, and those that just don't care. It doesn't seem that many people would write off a new frame because it is threaded, but there are certainly those (myself included) that will write off a frame for being pressfit, so it baffles me when I see companies spec PF on bikes like these.I'm a very lucky guy, I've ridden the Ros9, the Sir9, and the new uber hot Specialized S-Works Enduro...a lot!
First of all the new EBB on the Niner's is bomber; never had a single issue after installation, zero-nada-zilch. Now the original EBB is a different creaking story altogether but the new is silent. I truly understand the concern of paying top shelf dollar for a hot new bike and 3 weeks in and it gets an annoying sound that you simply cannot stop long term; yes you could adjust the old EBB, grease it, tape it, etc. but before long it'd be back WEARING YOU OUT!!!
As far as the PF30 BB on the Enduro, yes some sizeable coin was thrown at it with a Chris King ceramic bearing model but its been nothing but as expected...maintenance free. With a bottom bracket area that massive the PF30 makes some sense to me.
In the end I too like the simplicity of the threaded BB but I now truly believe every manufacturer has their parts so dialed that while annoying that there's another new "standard" in the end it doesn't matter much; you build it, you ride it, you go home with a smile and never think about how the BB isn't your cup of tea.
I haven't noticed a lack of options for a 6" travel 650b FS with sub 17" stays. RM Altitude, Norco Range, Pivot Mach 6 off the top of my head. I'm sure there are others.Top tubes need to be longer in order to keep the same cockpit length. If you shorten the stem and top tube, you end up with a shorter bike. If you shorten the stem but lengthen the TT, you end up with a bike that fits the same but steers differently. It's that difference that I think is also better.
Chainstay length is integral to bike handling, but it's not the only thing. I would rather have shorter CS and longer TT, but an XC rider may want longer stays and a shorter front center in order to feel more balanced between the wheels. The longer wheelbase/longer reach/longer TT thing is because people like the way those bikes feel. You see it on DH bikes, and it's spilling over into aggressive 26" FS and 29" HT bikes, and now it's getting elsewhere. The longer wheelbase can be a burden, but it's usually not a big deal, up until a point, as long as the stays are short and tucked up under. At some point bikes do get ungainly, that's true, but I really feel that you have to have to be messing with really slack head angles to get there. Most out-of-the-saddle moves are way better with shorter stems and longer from centers.
To be honest with you, I don't think the bike industry knows what they're doing with 650b wheels. As a rider who dropped 29" wheels because I couldn't get an FS bike with appropriately short chainstays, I went to 650b because I could. Now the industry is going 650b full force, but they forgot why...many manufacturers are doing it just because bigger wheels...negating the geometry benefits that come from having smaller-than-29" wheels as they do so. Honestly...it's not impossible to get 17.2" chainstays on an FS 29er, but manufacturers gave up and jumped on board 650b, where they're still failing to see that you could have even shorter, happy medium 17" stays and 6" of travel with a little bit of effort.
Anyways...I think people blame 29ers for slow handling because people started building 18" stayed bikes to fit the tires which made them sluggish, then steepened the HA which made them nervous and twitchy. I think that turned a lot of riders off, and then went looking at 650b before the industry caught up to themselves and realized how to make 29" wheels ride better.
anyways...I'll stop ranting, but I'm all in favor of a balanced bike vs. super short and hyper aggressive. Especially if this toes the line between burly all mountain and XC race. A nice trail oriented, balanced ride would be sick.
Looks real good to me. Would be an ideal hardtail for me. I might be alone in this, but BB30's not an issue for me. Finding the cash might be however.
:thumbsup:Looks real good to me. Would be an ideal hardtail for me. I might be alone in this, but BB30's not an issue for me. Finding the cash might be however.
what do you mean? that's what 90% of MTBR is!RE: Chainstay length. Who can say without actually riding the bike?