[MarinCRO]

It's much better with a zero stack cup. More agile, stable and better at climbing.
I haven't used the press to remove the cup. It's relatively simple to do with a piece of wood and a hammer to push out the old one and just use some quality grease to install the new one.
Force required to install the cup is much lower than to remove so you don't have to "press" in with anything, maybe give it a light knock with a block of wood to make sure it's flush.
When removing the old one just go around the inner rim of the old lower cup with a piece of wood white tapping it out with a hammer and soon it will loosen enough so you can pull it out by hand.

My 29er came setup the same way. I had the zero stack cup installed and prefer the climbing and steering with it. The shop mechanic told me to make sure to use a high end bearing press for this or you risk damaging your carbon frame.

 

[noose]

It's much better with a zero stack cup. More agile, stable and better at climbing.
I haven't used the press to remove the cup. It's relatively simple to do with a piece of wood and a hammer to push out the old one and just use some quality grease to install the new one.
Force required to install the cup is much lower than to remove so you don't have to "press" in with anything, maybe give it a light knock with a block of wood to make sure it's flush.
When removing the old one just go around the inner rim of the old lower cup with a piece of wood white tapping it out with a hammer and soon it will loosen enough so you can pull it out by hand.

Okay good to know but I heard the mech give it a good strike with the removal tool so maybe tightness of fit varies a bit. I did need to go by the shop for other stuff and he did it for free but I'm moving so I'll try it myself first next time as you suggest. Having both cup sizes is nice for those that like to tinker with setup and eventually run two wheel sizes like myself.

 

[svinyard]

I originally posted this in another thread but seeing as this is the thread for all things Switchblade, I thought I should include it here too FYI.

Here are the Pantone colour codes for the Gloss Blue:

thanks man! What does the process look like to use this touchup paint? Is there a certain kind of paint you get every time that works? Any clear coat I need to put on too? Thankfully my father-in-law runs a body shop with insane paint room for custom car work.

 

[Just J]

I originally posted this in another thread but seeing as this is the thread for all things Switchblade, I thought I should include it here too FYI.

Here are the Pantone colour codes for the Gloss Blue:

thanks man! What does the process look like to use this touchup paint? Is there a certain kind of paint you get every time that works? Any clear coat I need to put on too? Thankfully my father-in-law runs a body shop with insane paint room for custom car work.

No problem!

I ordered Brushing Synthetic 90% Gloss and generally I use a fine artist brush to apply to chips, scratches etc. You can also use a cocktail stick to get into small areas, same when I use touch up paint on cars for stone chips etc. You can actually buy touch up kits, I'll try and find one and post...

 

[Just J]

Here you go, just put the paint in the top and away you go for a nice neat solution...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/i/1924463188...&merchantid=6995734&poi=&googleloc=9046802&device=c&campaignid=207297426&crdt=0

 

[eman555]

I originally posted this in another thread but seeing as this is the thread for all things Switchblade, I thought I should include it here too FYI.

Here are the Pantone colour codes for the Gloss Blue:

Are you gonna paint your house to match? ;-)

 

[eman555]

My 29er came setup the same way. I had the zero stack cup installed and prefer the climbing and steering with it. The shop mechanic told me to make sure to use a high end bearing press for this or you risk damaging your carbon frame.

Does the handling without the cup feel a little quicker?

 

[Just J]

I originally posted this in another thread but seeing as this is the thread for all things Switchblade, I thought I should include it here too FYI.

Here are the Pantone colour codes for the Gloss Blue:

Are you gonna paint your house to match? ;-)

Ha ha maybe! Minimum order I could get.

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[noose]

Does the handling without the cup feel a little quicker?

Slightly quicker with the zero stack but the biggest difference is less front wander on the climbs.

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[eman555]

Slightly quicker with the zero stack but the biggest difference is less front wander on the climbs.

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I'll have to give it a try.

 

[svinyard]

What's the best option for Carbon 29" wheels for Switchblade that won't break the bank? I'm looking at picking up a used SB from a new buddy of mine. I want the rotational weight savings to make it easier to pedal and get going. Bike has an X2 shock and Push AC3 coil in the fork, both of which are nice...but I'd like to recover some of that and just make the climbs smoother. I'm not a greater rider (yet hopefully) so extra stiffness isn't a huge deal at this point (I think).

I've never tried to build my own wheels tho it seems like there is a bunch of "art" to it and I worry about messing important/expensive stuff up...im pretty damn handy tho.

Any advice? If I'm off base here let me know. Cheers

 

[noose]

What's the best option for Carbon 29" wheels for Switchblade that won't break the bank? I'm looking at picking up a used SB from a new buddy of mine. I want the rotational weight savings to make it easier to pedal and get going. Bike has an X2 shock and Push AC3 coil in the fork, both of which are nice...but I'd like to recover some of that and just make the climbs smoother. I'm not a greater rider (yet hopefully) so extra stiffness isn't a huge deal at this point (I think).

I've never tried to build my own wheels tho it seems like there is a bunch of "art" to it and I worry about messing important/expensive stuff up...im pretty damn handy tho.

Any advice? If I'm off base here let me know. Cheers

I'm thinking of having a good wheel builder change out the alloy rims to carbon ones on my stock alloy 29" wheels. (Nexties maybe). This way I keep the DT hubs and centerlock rotors that I like.

 

[majorjake]

Deleted.

 

[g.law]

I've decided to try a new bike for the new season so I am parting out my large Switchblade. I'm selling Switchblade specific parts, frame, rear wheel, and spindle. If anyone is interested before I post stuff to Pinkbike please contact me. I would prefer a local sale if you are reasonably close to the Lake Tahoe area.

 

[majorjake]

I've decided to try a new bike for the new season so I am parting out my large Switchblade. I'm selling Switchblade specific parts, frame, rear wheel, and spindle. If anyone is interested before I post stuff to Pinkbike please contact me. I would prefer a local sale if you are reasonably close to the Lake Tahoe area.

27.5 or 29?

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[g.law]

I've got both 29 and 27.5+ wheelsets. The 27.5+ wheels are the Reynolds carbons that I bought with the bike. The 29ers are Nox wheels I had built. I'm keeping the front wheel and selling only the rear wheel. It's a Nox Teocalli with i9 hub color matched to the frame.

 

[g.law]

What's the best option for Carbon 29" wheels for Switchblade that won't break the bank? I'm looking at picking up a used SB from a new buddy of mine. I want the rotational weight savings to make it easier to pedal and get going. Bike has an X2 shock and Push AC3 coil in the fork, both of which are nice...but I'd like to recover some of that and just make the climbs smoother. I'm not a greater rider (yet hopefully) so extra stiffness isn't a huge deal at this point (I think).

I've never tried to build my own wheels tho it seems like there is a bunch of "art" to it and I worry about messing important/expensive stuff up...im pretty damn handy tho.

Any advice? If I'm off base here let me know. Cheers

I had Nox build a set of 29er wheels for me. Built a 26mm internal rear and 29mm internal front, both with i9 hubs and blade spokes. Light, stiff, color matched to the frame. I've since decided to move to a new bike so I'm parting out the Switchblade. I'm keeping front Nox wheel but since the rear wheel is specific to the Switchblade I'm selling it. If you might be interested contact me.

 

[MarinCRO]

Keep the alu and don't waste money on carbon rims.
Weight saving is non existent for the same level of strength and durability. They're stiffer and offer harsher ride
If you're looking for cheaper and more durable wheels, DT alu rims are great.

Tires make far greater difference. Get proper tires that are good for your terrain and style of riding. There is little point in dragging slow Minions around if you're not riding in wet and slippery.

What's the best option for Carbon 29" wheels for Switchblade that won't break the bank? I'm looking at picking up a used SB from a new buddy of mine. I want the rotational weight savings to make it easier to pedal and get going. Bike has an X2 shock and Push AC3 coil in the fork, both of which are nice...but I'd like to recover some of that and just make the climbs smoother. I'm not a greater rider (yet hopefully) so extra stiffness isn't a huge deal at this point (I think).

I've never tried to build my own wheels tho it seems like there is a bunch of "art" to it and I worry about messing important/expensive stuff up...im pretty damn handy tho.

Any advice? If I'm off base here let me know. Cheers

 

[Buffalo Soldier]

What's the best option for Carbon 29" wheels for Switchblade that won't break the bank? I'm looking at picking up a used SB from a new buddy of mine. I want the rotational weight savings to make it easier to pedal and get going. Bike has an X2 shock and Push AC3 coil in the fork, both of which are nice...but I'd like to recover some of that and just make the climbs smoother. I'm not a greater rider (yet hopefully) so extra stiffness isn't a huge deal at this point (I think).

I've never tried to build my own wheels tho it seems like there is a bunch of "art" to it and I worry about messing important/expensive stuff up...im pretty damn handy tho.

Any advice? If I'm off base here let me know. Cheers

If you're not a hard charger (yet) and not a Clyde I would say keep the alloy rims. To get max weight savings with carbon, using aerolites or cx rays helps much but is expensive. To answer your question, I like Light Bicycle but others have good reviews. As a Clyde, I do like carbon for the extra stiffness. Alloy 29er rear wheels, even when built by nationally known builders have always detensioned on me.

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[svinyard]

What do you guys think about the X2 shock on a blade? Can you tune it to still be spritely on the trails? I like how DWLink squirts your bike forward on pedal strokes and want the switchblade to do the same (if possible) on more regular trails where big decents aren't the focus. Obviously when the more downhill days are there, I'd be adjusting it for more squish... Or maybe wouldn't have to?