Mountain Biking - New FR wheel / Disc Brake Question...

Hi, since I just bought the marz z1 freeride, I'm obviously gunna need to upgrade my front tire/rim/hub/brake.

I don't have a disc brake mount on my old stumpy frame in the rear so I'm going to keep V-brake back there and keep my current rim/tire/hub setup. Also, I don't really want to have to buy a full wheelset atm.

1) I know it'd be better to buy a full wheelset (front/rear), but it's still allright if i just buy the parts (rim/tire/etc...) for the front as long as it's the same size as my rear/current tire, right?

38) I was thinking buy a Shimano XTR front hub if i can find it for the right price, if i can't, XT, any opinions? I want Chris King, but uh i don't wanna pay for it :(

52) Should I bother with a disc only rim or just get a regular rim

87) My bike is gunna get a front disc, Avid Mech i think right now, will that work with my Avid SD 1.9L brake lever? I assume it will since those are v-brake levers anyways. I might just buy a new set of avid levers, but anyways.

Thanks!

Originally posted by DrGonzo
Hi
38) I was thinking buy a Shimano XTR front hub if i can find it for the right price, if i can't, XT, any opinions? I want Chris King, but uh i don't wanna pay for it :(



87) My bike is gunna get a front disc, Avid Mech


The XTR disc hubs will not work with the Avid rotor. Get the XT.

Have you purchased your fork yet???

I highly suggest getting the QR-20 (thru axle) option. If you ride agressively, with a long travel fork, you get a lot of lateral flex. (wheel turns w/o turning the bars or versa vice). I didn't think it made that much of a difference till I rode my buddy's bike through a rock garden and then rode my standard drop-out through the same area. It was completely different.

As far as rims, I've heard that a "Disc Specific" rim is designed for more stresses, but unless you're a DH racer, I don't see how a standard rim is any different. Heck, a lot of manufacturer's put disc ready hubs on their rim brake wheels.

XT's are decent for the money, Chris King hubs are absolutely the best, but cost ooohhhh soooo much.

L8R

If you are looking for king quality look at hadley...much more reasonably priced :)

I already bought the fork and it doesn't have qr20, can i buy that axle and make it work an XT hubset or can i buy a complete qr20 hub? Another question, do i really need a qr20 for XC? I'm also assuming the qr20 hub is disc, as the fork is disc only.

Originally posted by DrGonzo
I already bought the fork and it doesn't have qr20, can i buy that axle and make it work an XT hubset or can i buy a complete qr20 hub? Another question, do i really need a qr20 for XC?

If the fork is not a QR20 you can not use a 20mm axle hub with it.

Originally posted by a2psyklnut

(wheel turns w/o turning the bars or versa vice).

Im having trouble understanding this. You dont turn the handlebar and the wheels turn by themselves???

Originally posted by troie
Im having trouble understanding this. You dont turn the handlebar and the wheels turn by themselves???

Its a high speed turn that requires the bike and fork to be stiff in order to work well. If I get his meaning he is referring to counter steering. Hitting a turn so fast you need to lean the bike towards the turn and turn the handle bars the opposite direction. Sounds dumb right, it works...no brakes needed. Just think 'powerslide' :)

[edit]
On really rough stuff I tend to wipe out hard trying this technique. I find it works best when you are on relatively 'flat' gound and not in the midst of really technical root or rocky section mid turn :)

He is talking about the front wheel deflecting off of obstacles.
If a fork is not stiff laterally it will twist a bit but the bars dont move. I had a 99 SID XC at one time, sometimes on really rough fast downhills I would look down at the front wheel and would be deflecting left and right but my hands and bars would not be moving.

Don't buy Real hubs. They blow monkeyballs

Whats a real hub. I have never even heard of them?

KevinG knows what I'm talking about.

Try this. Stand in front of your bike facing it. Sandwich the tire between your knees. Grab the bars and turn them. There is some "flex" in the fork. The front wheel is fixed, but the bars are turning ever so slightly. This is inherant in the design of most forks. Each stanchtion slides independently of the other. Reinforced brake arches help to minimize this. A 20mm thru axle almost completely reduces this effect. (o.k., not completely, but a heck of a lot more than a standard QR axle).

You notice this in tight technical sections. Rock gardens, Root splatters...etc. Actually you don't notice it untill you do an almost side by side comparison.

L8R

A friend of mine had a '98 Ti Mongoose with Crossmax wheels, SID Fork, Ti Stem and Ti Bars. If you held the wheel with you knees and twisted the bars with your hands, you could turn them almost a quarter turn without the wheel moving. :eek:

"Lighter is NOT always better!"

---Clydesdale Friend of mine!

Originally posted by a2psyklnut
"Lighter is NOT always better!"

---Clydesdale Friend of mine!


How much do you have to weigh to be a clydesdale?

200pnds +
For ryno I think it is 260+

:)

Thats funny since I got the qr20 I don't even think about my fork twisting anymore thats why it didn't come to mind.

Now you guys have me worried that the standard xt hub isn't going to be enough :(