[madamfunk]

I tend to lean my bike to the absolute edge of grip and do a lot of counter directional steering and movement where I'm flexing the bike from one edge of a corner to the next.

Lately in the middle of pushing the bike through turns I've noticed a sort of loose/flexible sensation in the bike that sometimes feels as if the rear thru axle was loose. This is a 2019 Ripmo w/ 1800mi of riding. The Ibis Carbon 942 rear wheel was rebuilt by Industry Nine under warranty about a year ago, they replaced the original Torch hub with a Hydra. The rear tire is a Dissector and the front is a DHF, both in great condition.

What I've tried:

- The spokes feel evenly tensioned and when I pluck them there are probably only one or two 2x cross pairs that sound a half tone off.

- The pivot hardware is all tight and I just reinstalled the rear shock and yoke after rebuilding the DPX2 (everything with loctite or grease and proper torque per manual)

- I replaced all the bushings and upper link about a year ago and the rear moves through travel smoothly with no shock installed.

What I may try this weekend:
- I will try my spare wheelset that is a cheap OEM e13 wheelset with Assegai front and back. I'm wondering if this started when I put the Dissector on, my memory may be wrong in that I think I felt this when riding a DHR as well.

Any other ideas?

Thanks!

 

[bikedrd]

Sounds like you're on it. I'd check for cracks. My last new "flexy" was a cracked frame.

 

[EJ_92606]

Check that I9 hub for play. I've heard of broken axles and bearings need replacing on an annual basis.

 

[madamfunk]

Sounds like you're on it. I'd check for cracks. My last new "flexy" was a cracked frame.

Where did you happen to find your crack?

 

[madamfunk]

Check that I9 hub for play. I've heard of broken axles and bearings need replacing on an annual basis.

I didn't think of this, any advice on where to pull/push check outside of trying to wiggle the wheel in the frame?

 

[EJ_92606]

I didn't think of this, any advice on where to pull/push check outside of trying to wiggle the wheel in the frame?

yes, wiggle wheel in frame. Also remove wheel and feel cassette for play, make sure end caps are in place. Could also remove freehub and take a look inside, looking for marks on the freehub indicating that it might be contacting the drive ring and feel bearings, and see if axle has any play.

 

[bikedrd]

Where did you happen to find your crack?

Older bike. Not my Ripmo. At a pivot though.

 

[CrozCountry]

Looks like you are on the right track.
I would check the spoke tension, check that it is the right tightness with a calibrated meter. If all the spokes are the same tension, but that tension is too low, it's no good. So checking evenness is not enough for an old wheel.

It can also be a secondary effect, like suspension damping getting too soft, causing oscillations that can be mistaken for other movements.

One good test for a flexy rear end is disc hitting the pads on tight turns (like on a parking lot). If you are not hearing that, it's good news for the rear triangle. Give it a shot. Go to a flat asphalt parking lot and try to lean the bike as hard as you can, listening to noises from the disc.

 

[Crossmaxx]

Check the frame around the lower link, I've seen a delamination failure where the bushing goes into the frame.