Update Day 7 on the 2018 Chisel Expert 1x
This Chisel Expert is FAST!!!
... and SOOOOO much fun. : )
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I've owned it for a week ... and riden it daily.
That was one of my goals. To get back in shape. This is helping.
Here are a few more observations.
SRAM. I have always had Shimano drivetrains and brakes. So I was concern about SRAM. I've heard mixed reviews.
After riding for a week, the SRAM drivetrain is excellent. Smooth shifting up and down. You work your thumb slightly differently, but got used to it fast. Love the 1x. Always did most of my riding in the first chainring in the past (old 3x) so the concept made sense to me (climbing was low gears and downhill was too fast to care). After riding 1x, it works. Low is deep enough for steep steep climbs and high is very fast.
That said, I ride up and down mountains. Not a lot of flat land where I live in Colorado. But if I was in Florida or the Great Plains, I might get a bigger chainring.
The SRAM brakes are working wonderfully. Slowing me down and fast stops even on steep descents. I like the modulation. Zero squeal. Very happy.
29 vs 26 inch wheels. All my bikes were 26 inch wheels before this week. So I thought 29 would be strange. However, I got used to them quickly. By the end of the first week, I like 29 a lot. Very very fast on downhill. Great roll over on flat. Good climbers once you get rolling.
I was conerned that 29 could not corner as well, especially in tight switchbacks. However, after riding the tightest steepest switchbacks (most with obstacles) both up and down, the 29s on this Chisel corners as well as the 26s on my old Epic FS.
Lower Back Pain. 25 years ago a drunk driver hit my car head on. Totalled my car. I survived with minor injuries, but chronic back pain. I've seen a chiropractor every week since to keep it straight.
So I was concerned about riding a hardtail and the jarring on my lower back. Always thought the answer was a softtail full suspension bike.
I was wrong. The hardtail is excellent for my lower back. Because you have to stand and use your legs and core on fast flats and descents, my back has gotten stronger (been riding a hardtail for the last 6 months). I might have occassional tenderness after riding the hardtail, but I was having pain on the softtail.
I think you get a similar transmission of bump vibration through the softtail and hardtail. I know that sounds weird, but that is my experience after evaluation both for a long time. Softtails don't make bumps go away. So I think it is easier to just assume it will be there when you are on a hardtail.
You kind of learn to rise off the seat in anticipation of a bump while climbing. And the direct power you get from a hardtail is incredible. I forgot how 1:1 the ratio is with a hardtail. Pedal down = wheel connects = move forward.
If you have back pain, I recommend getting a waterbottle holder and saddle bag to carry your tools instead of a camelback. It's easier on your lower back.
One more thought. LBS will not let you "test ride" a hardtail on the trails. Only the expensive carbon "softtails". I realize they do this to sell more expensive bikes. And I think it is so riders don't realize how excellent today's alloy hardtails ride.
Jumps. This bike loves to jump. Just took it off a 2 foot drop on sharp downhill grade. It landed so soft. I kept thinking "this is just like my Epic FS." After maybe a hundred jumps (small 1-2 foot) this week, the Chisel rocks.
Size. I am between sizes. I am 6'2" and 200 lbs. So the LBS says I should be on a XL. But I have a long torso and short legs with a 32 inch inseam and was concerned about standover height (don't want to get racked). So I rode both XL and L during testing and rode a lot. I took out 2 demo bikes on the trail (L Stumpjumper and XL Epic FS). And I test rode bikes at the LBS 5+ times around their "parking lot" and the nearby lake and hills. I looked for LBS near dirt. Went to one LBS that was super close to a singletrack trailhead and was able to test the Chisel on true trail. I was hooked.
My size conclusion was that I could definitely ride the XL. It felt big, but manageable. Liked it on the climbs. However I really noticed the difference on downhill jumps. I felt like I was reaching far forward and it was harder to pull up with my arms when jumping on the XL. Although it's only about 1 inch difference, the L just felt better. Easier to throw around. So I went with the L. After riding all sorts of terrain, L was definitely the right move for me.
I recommend you ride a lot of different models and sizes of bikes to see which one fits you and your style best. Especially if you can get on dirt or a real trail (bikes ride different on concrete and dirt).
The bottomline is I am LOVING this 2018 Chisel Expert 1x. I call it my little red rocket ... because it flies.
