J-McKech

I got a birthday coming up and I told my girlfriend to get me a bashguard. Which would ya'll recommend? I was looking at the e13 ones, they look pretty awesome. Will it work with the XT crankset?

Also, Mael was talking about bashguards that bolt on where you bolt on a waterbottle and it protects the downtop. Anyone know where I can find this? I'm just curious to see what it looks like. Thanks guys

Maelstrom 

e13...period. It will work...nothing better ever...anywhere...nope..not a chance.


I can't find that downtube bashguard anymore. It was pretty basic and I bet easy to make. It was a rectangle of lexan cut wide enough to protect the downtube and two hole drilled at the water bottle cage screws. Put a spacer between the gaurd and frame (room for the cables) and get longer screws and screw it in (be sure to countersink the screw heads)...

Something like that anyways. I forget how the guy said he molded it under the bb.

J-McKech

Even better than the blackspire ring god?

scrublover

from what i hear, yes....... ahem. mine is showing up, with some new tires tomorrow via the brown santa.

though i've used the blackspire in the past, as well as the salsa bashring. no problems with either. but i needed a new one for a the new full squish ride, so thought i'd try the e-13. the up to 36 tooth one.
then i can put the salsa back on my hardtail.

i don't think you can go wrong with either of them. and i think both run about the same price and weight wise.

Maelstrom 

I can't say how much better my e13 bashring is. It fits my riding style much better than a standard aluminum one. The way is slides over logs, the strength, the look. Imo there isn't anything comparible.

Dirtbike

im going to get the black spire i think. it looks best, and i probably wont come near breaking it

Maelstrom 

I have a blackspire as well. Not too shabby.

FrankH

Blackspire Super God with 36/24. Sturdy, looks and works great. I wouldn't worry about breaking it 'cos the rest of the bike (probably including self) shall be trashed.

J-McKech

I was just a little leary about picking the e13 since its made of lexan which is only a harder kind of plastic. I heard that if you over tighten the screws it will crack. I'm still a little undecided.

Dannihilator

Won't see many of these around. Custom bash ring made out of diamond plate steel.

Maelstrom 

Whoever says that doesn't know how to tighten bolts. And to be honest. Lexan is related to plastic butsignifigantly different. Its about as bomb proof as it gets.

J-McKech

Well you know I trust your opinion and if you say its bomb-proof for North Shore then it will serve me well for the central texas hill country.

arboc!

Did you get that from that guy on ridemonkey

scrublover

https://www.ridemonkey.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=109088 more than likely due to overtightening.

i just bolted mine on this morning..... no problems so long as you aren't overtightening.

i actually may ditch it and just get another salsa bash, to match the one on my hardtail.

the e-13 is nice, but it's waaaaaaay beefier/heavier than i thought. considering i've never broken/bent my salsa or blackspire (even nailing them hard on rocks and concrete structures), i'll just stick with them.

Dannihilator

Yes. And scrublover I know that thread too well, since I created it.

Dannihilator

It's also the reason why I won't let anyone but me work on my bike, had no time when it was installed so I had someone install the guide and that bash and that happened.

scrublover

man, after throwing mine on the bike this afternoon in a few minutes with no problems, i can't see how you'd overtighten it!

i've got mine cranked on good; it'd take some pretty good torque to crack that sucka!

IMO, anyone who cracks one of those at the bolt holes while installing has to be a purely hamfisted mechanic.

it's uber-beefy; like i say, my alu ones have taken some sever beatings, this one lookes even beefier. more bashring than i need, even smacking on concrete stuff and rocks fairly consistantly.

J-McKech

Pretty easy to install? I can install a stem, handlebar, cyclocomputer, change a tire and clean the bike.

scrublover

super easy. if you can do that stuff, you can do this. you *might* have to move your front mech upwards on the seat tube a smidgen; i did. then just undo the cable, and retighten it. good to go.

the e-13 is so thick, it takes longer chainring bolts - comes with them, and some washers to put under the heads of the outer part of the bolts, to help prevent cracking if you overtighten......

i suspect some of the breakages of this particular bash ring are from people *not* using those washers.

DjRider04

I think it depends. Id use an MRP for racing, and a Evil for FR just for a little weight savings

yonderboy

My stock trials ride has had an old Tooth Fairy on it for a few years. I don't do BB hops on it that often, but the aluminum bashguards will last a long time, too. Anymore, it's more about style than function.