Entry Level Carbon Bike Or High-End Aluminium Bike? | Ask GMBN Tech
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- Опубліковано 14 жов 2024
- Welcome back to another episode of Ask GMBN Tech, where we try to answer all your complex, scary, niche, and technical questions about mountain bikes and MTB-related tech!
⏱️ Timestamps ⏱️
00:23 - How To Properly Pump Up Öhlins Suspension
02:03 - Should I Buy An Entry Level Carbon Bike Or A High-Level Aluminium Bike?
04:24 - I’m Too Fit For My eBike, Should I Ride Ride My Hardtail?
05:59 - How Bad Is The Sun For Carbon & Aluminium?
08:13 - Can I Keep The Same Range After Converting 3x Down To 1x Drivetrain?
11:06 - Are There Any Downsides To Putting Oil In A Fork That Isn’t Designed To Have It In?
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I appreciate that Anna encourages people to not waste money on trendy upgrades. I recently converted an old XC hardtail from 2X10 to 3X9 to get a 48 tooth chainring so I can run at faster speeds around town. I enjoy it a lot more than my 1X12 XO1 setup.
Sorry if someone else has already covered this, but your tyres, forks and shock will NOT explode in 50 degree heat. The ideal gas law says PV=nRT, which P is pressure and T is temperature in degrees Kelvin. V, n and R are constants. If you fill you air chambers with air at 20 degrees C (293.15 K) and then expose them to 50 degrees C for a long period (323.15 K) then the temperature increase is only 10%, which means that the pressure will also only increase by 10%. I accept that combined UV and heat may cause degradation of tyre rubber and breakdown of tubeless fluid which would cause a leak/loss by another mechanism though.
Umm, I'm a welder, aluminum is repairable as is steel and titanium. Carbon repair is a big maybe you will never know until it fails..
I'd go with an aluminium bike all day long. Price/value to me is just not there with a carbon bike unless you're a highly advanced rider imo.
Agree with you. Some love the rigidity of a carbon frame some the small compliance in Alu frame. For me is more the back thought of a side hit on a frame, or some damage to it, unlike the Alu one where you go full blast no worries 🙂
For me it’s „easy“:
MTB = Aluminum
Roadbike = Carbon
If you're a good enough rider that bike companies are giving you bikes to use, then you might notice some benefit to a carbon bike. For everyone else, metal won't even slightly hold you back and will be way less environmentally damaging thanks to metal being recyclable. By buying metal frames you'll be playing the only part you can as a consumer in reducing, just by a tiny amount, how much the bike industry has shit all over its environmental credentials by not continuing to endorse their carbon addiction.
If it’s aluminium mtb : gooddd
If it’s carbon mtb : booo, bbbooooooooo
ALWAYS go for better components. You'll spend way more buying after market components upgrades for your beginner carbon bike than you would if you saved up and buy a higher spec carbon bike.
Unless you're just getting into the sport, never try to save money now, pay later. It'll be more expensive. If you can consider buying a carbon bike, then money shouldn't be an issue.
That fork question was great. We had one guy who thought 'tubeless' worked by adding more Stan's fluid whenever his tire pressure dropped. Watching him pedal once they hit about half full was hilarious, as well as his concerns that he'd need to be working more on his fitness level.😂
Some kind soul took mercy on him and ruined our fun of watching him bail on stuff he'd bragged about clearing 'before he went tubeless'....😏
Wow! We've not heard that before 😅 That must have been an expensive tyre-full!
Ali with nice parts all day . Basic everything , decent front tire , decent fork , decent brakes
Recyclability of a damaged frame is really the last concern I have when I buy a bike. Im interested in what's best for ME as the guy forking out a truck full of money for it.
Exactly 👏
yeah i'm not worried about recycling crap when these companies will throw away unsold product for tax purposes and so they don't flood the market with cheap new bikes.
But but but but..... aren't se supposed to be coddling the earth making sure it doesn't get an owie?
Right after it belches out another volcano, rips another continent in half with an earthquake, floods another coast with a tsunami, rips another forest apart with a tornado, and burns down another 100,000 acres of land with a wildfire. Best not toss a piece of carbon onto it.
I spent $3400 on a new carbon Canyon Spectral 29. Carbon frame, XT everything but the chain, Fox 36 and Float X Perf. Elite. Direct to consumer is the way to go.
Nice bike I have the AL6 125 and it’s great for me
@@topchoice1621 great choice. Canyon have really done a fantastic job across their lineup.
You can repair aluminium frames... Weld broken joints or pieces over holes.
From a carbon bike rider!
If it's 6061 you need a heat treatment afterwards, these frames (most of my frames are 6061) are also heat treated in the production.
With 7005 you can just store the frame for 3 months and it hardens itself.
Aluminum with either GX/SLX and top tier suspension/brakes, should be under $5k (maybe even under $4k right now) versus a carbon frame with lesser drivetrain, suspension and brakes for the same amount of money, maybe even more…unless you’re a dentist, this is kind of a no-brainer.
Just bought a giant trance X1 with pretty much the spec you've mentioned (minus the suspension being top tier) for 1999€, there are some great deals right now
My dentist (wife) says aluminum is a no brainer.
High-End Aluminium if money is in question for sure
Before i upgraded my 26 trek 820 mtb to a specialized fuse. I switched from 3x7 to 1x9 and it was soooo much better and lighter! I only used the 2 of the 3 in the front and found that i had much more coverage. I also found that the shifting was much better since i used shimano newer spec which was economical for 9 speed. I enjoyed that bike much!
Went for the alloy Merida one sixty but the carbon frame did look nice, the alloy frame is rated higher and came with a lot of good components .
Merida is almost 50% owner of Specialized and I have a 2000 Specialized Expedition Sport ( aluminum frame )
Suntour specify TEFLON grease for their seals.... Anna saying 'non-teflon' grease is 100% incorrect.
Weldtite do a teflon grease, as do Halfords. Both suitable for Suntour oil-free forks
Thanks for answering my question! Yes, going to 1x is something I just wanna experiment with, and I also want to decrease weight on my bike, so to me it seems like a two birds with one stone situation. I'm currently running an 11-36 tooth (9 speed) cassette in the rear, and I actually need more teeth because the climbing performance of the bike isn't really where I want it to be. So basically I do want to get a bigger cassette in thr rear. The question crefjef had is one I'd been wondering as well because I put about 5ml of oil in my forks internals via the lower rods during my lower leg service, and the fork hasn't had any signs of damage yet, and always feels silky smooth afterwards . If crefjef is reading this, my XCR-32's did have a bit of oil on the rebound/lock out side, and of course during my first lower leg service, it all came out. I replace that oil during every service, so you might want to do that to your fork, provided it has those same features. I'm also planning on giving it o-rings for the lower legs, because the XCR-32's don't have oil o-rings inside of them. Plus, oil as a liquid volume spacer? Great idea!
The XCR32 (non air) is not designed to have oil in the lowers. I have tried it, but is not working at all. That fork can't be made silky smooth for more than a few days. The main problem are the oil seals that work as a dust seal, but allow water to find its way into the fork legs, and then some dirt passes through. The next problem are the leg bushes that are designed with big tolerances.
For the 1x conversation you should consider the chain line. If you are on 9x135 axle, the chain line is almost impossible to be perfect. I am using that kind of a setup for xc riding.
@@georgim2741 MIine is the air sprung version.
A 2x front with that same cassette is like having a 11-51 tooth cassette 1x. Thats if the low gear up front is a 22.
In your case, go with an 11 speed. You may not need to change your hub if the old one is an HG freehub.
Let me sum this up, Get a Specialized Enduro. The Comp and the Expert level are on sale now. I just got one and if you don't know, the carbon frame is the same for all levels of the bike. So, your getting the same frame as the S-Works minus some carbon parts that are aluninum in the lower levels. Its the only bike you will ever need. OBTW, for those that said that the Enduro dosen't climb efficiently, you need to check your climbing skills. It sounds like they were just spending too much time on the downs. The enduro lives up to its name. All bikes including this Canyon are benith it. Moving on.....
Definintely highend aluminium frame and parts package that follows that same route. That does not mean the absolute lightest, but a frame/wheels that are lively and well made.
Carbon is just not a frame material for me. I need the ability to have a crash and not worry that it's going to cost me 3K
Better suspension and drivetrain would have ways more impact in ride quality than changing frame material
Thanks for bringing up recyclability of aluminium! Carbon really is the less environmentally friendly material.
on the car travel, you need to consider that the car is moving fast, so the wind cool down everything, the biggest problem looks like the UV rays anyway.
When i was searching for info on my aion, i found out the suntour actually only use grease in their forks. Oil is not needed
I recently rode with someone with an entry level carbon hardtail XC Bike (a Cube reaction) and it wasn't that much lighter than my own Trek Roscoe 7 hardtail Trailbike. Maybe half up to a full kg at the most. With thinner tires and a lighter fork, so the frame probably doesn't way that much less. Not sure about compliance but since the Cube Reaction seems to be pretty overbuild I don't think it'll ride much softer than my Roscoe frame either.
Cube's alluminium frames are very beefy and rigid,much overbuilt indeed. Also the reaction is not their entry level xc bike.
@@almabatekert_villanykorte3387 No, I'm comparing Cubes entry level CARBON Reaction to my aluminum Roscoe 7. And Cubes Carbon Reaction seems very overbuild.
Always aim for a better frame, its much easier to upgrade the rest after than the frame.
He put the oil in the lowers, not the air spring, so won't affect ramp up at all!!!!
Me personally would go mid level ally and with the difference upgrade parts your not happy with when they die
During a recent video, Blake mentioned that a benefit of a rear coil shock is that it won’t heat up over a long distance like an air shock would. Why don’t we have the same discussion about an air suspension fork? #askgmbn
High spec aluminum over base model carbon any day, all day for me. Having said that, I just bought a base model aluminum FS bike and if I spend the money to upgrade the suspension to the highest spec Fox offers, I'll still have spent less than a base model carbon bike. So...maybe base model aluminum is actually where it's at? I did get the bike 40% off MSRP though, lol.
#ASKGMBNTECH Hey, thanks for answering these questions it is really good hearing what other people are thinking about and getting your advice. I have a set of Marzocchi Bomber Z2's which I think have an open bath of oil. I currently store my bike level on the ground but I want to start mounting my bike up against the wall and I am worried the oil bath will flow up to the top of the tubes. I couldnt find anything in the manual about this and when I looked into it, people were just talking about not mounting the bike with the front wheel at the bottom or it will mess with your break oil. Any help here would be appreciated :)
dont think the carbon vs al was awnsered very well but if it was me i would rather a top sepc al biker over a budget carb
#AskGMBNTech I have a Canyon Pathlite 6, which has a front suspension fork. I ride it mostly on road, in a very hilly and rainy place, but I have it locked so it doesn't travel when I am on the road. Should I perform the service of the fork like any regular fork for a MTB or can I wait a bit longer if I have it locked a good amount of the time?
#AskGMBNTech I've seen questions recently about storing a bike in cold weather long term. Are there any additional tips for people who ride their bike through the winter? I ride almost everyday, but my region is often well below freezing for several days or weeks at a time. Are there any additional maintenance considerations for cold weather MTB operation? Thanks!
#askGMBNtech Hi Anna! Love the show! Although Shimano recommends using the clutch on their transmissions, many mechanics in my area have mentioned having it off, because it stresses too much the components and this is noted by having the shifting tougher than with the clutch off. I've heard this from many mechanics and even some race mechanics. Thoughts?
Like the new camera angle 👍
Thanks! 📹
#AskGMBNTech RapidRise rear derailleurs, i loved my XTR one back in the day but they seemed to come and go very quickly. What problems were they trying to solve and are those problems still around now or have they been overcome by other technology that we have now?
At Last you mentioned the fact that carbon is barely recyclable. Only the aerospace industry manages to recycle about 10% of their products. There could come a day when far more is possible, but for now I will stick to Aluminium.
Carbon is recyclable but depends on version if with resin not much unless into like tyre levers I think but yes if carbon and nylon blend
#AskGMBNTech On my 2002 Marzocchi Shiver SC forks (I liked these and found them very plush but they are not well liked from what i've seen) i had a little lever on the top of one of the fork legs which would work a bit like a lockout lever, the fork would compress down but it wouldn't extend again, this lowered the front end and would steepen the head and seat tube angle to aid climbing, has this kind of thing ever existed elsewhere and do any current forks have this kind of thing?
Canyon has the Shapeshifter for doing a similar thing but it does this by jacking up the back end rather than dropping the front end.
#ASKGMBNTECH Hi, Anna! Huge fan of the channel since the Pandemic, espcially during the old days of you and Doddy. Quick question here, and I hope it will be released next week: Is it possible to reduce the travel of a RockShox Pike or Yari? I'm currently using a Rocky Mountain Fusion with a 100mm travel Suntour XCT fork.
#askgmbntech I only had one fox 34 token lying around, can I still use it in my 36 forks? The 34&36 tokens still click together though.
as far as the carbon vs aluminum is concerned real depend on the bike and the carbon for that matter
Unless you're building your own bike, this really isn't even a choice. If you want a lower spec affordable bike, you get an aluminum frame, and if you spend more money, the only options are carbon frames
Suntour service every 52 hours, damn that's specific.
without watching the whole thing - ALU FTW and I think Alloy/Steel will be the future of all enduro/HD oriented bikes.
XC/Trail can benefit the most with Carbon.. just 3x the frame price+ is not justified for no actual gravity benefits and worse, risk of damage.
aluminum alloy is easily repaired, whereas carbon fiber is rarely, if ever, repairable.
##askgmbntech
I upgrade parts when they break. I ride pretty hard and often. I've found some of the cheaper parts I've put on to be more reliable and harder wearing than the expensive stuff the bike came with. For example, cassets and chains. How can i tell when my casset is worn too much before it causes a crash when the chain slips 😅
Also is xt or srandard deor cranks stronger? They seem to be the only option for my e bike... broke an xt one last week
#gmbntech
Question if you were to invest in purchase in frames for future build what would you suggest either full suspension & Hardtail
Carbon Fiber and aluminum, steel frames
Thank you awesome content first time asking a question
It's #, not @
#askgmbntech I’ve recently bought a SRAM reverb AXS dropper post and it is great. I was wondering why Fox doesn’t offer a wireless dropper post?
SRAM and rockshox are like same wireless but seems fox is more Shimano direction where use a main battery for all (based on me looking at auto adjust suspension and groupset)
Can you guys say something about the quality of the canyon ? I read so many hate comments.
My friend has 3 different Canyons road and mtb and he loves them.
Those are mostly 14 yr olds who got another brand for their bday from daddy so everything else must be shit.
A high-end aluminum bike all day baby!
#AskGMBNTech
I have an intresting question. What happens if you fill inner tubes with seelant? Will it protect from punctures?
Yes, of course. You can try. But nobody does that due to the weight.
Why can't aluminium be patched and welded to repair any cracks.
It can
#askgmbntech
I ride about 2600km per year. Even kms per week roughly.
How often should i be servicing hubs and headset?
That's quite easy,just service it when it starts making noise or when you're sure something got inside there.
Taking it apart all the time is not gonna be great for the bearings
Aluminum if not steel, titanium if money is there. Carbon is way to fragile, no longevity , looks nice in sales ads...
#askgmbntech I am changing my brakes from sram guide T to Magura mt5 should I choose the pro set with 4 piston front and rear or the version with 4 piston front and 2 piston rear?
Well, i upgraded my gf's fs bike which had 2 pot in front and rear with an MT5 with 4pot in the front. 2 in the rear. I guess if your doing alot of gravity riding then maybe front and rear, but if its trail / all mountain riding then 4 in the front 2 rear.
Alloy for sure. You'll notice cheap suspension, gears and brakes much more than a slightly lighter frame. You'll never upgrade the components later when you realise how expensive it is to buy them part by part.
Hi guys. Not a tech question. Where has Doddy gone?
High end alloy obviously, more of your money goes into the components rather than the frame material.
Aluminum high spec for sure.
My gravel bike is carbon, my mtb is alloy.
Carbon can be recycled.... Not as readily as metal, but it's possible
Lmao😂
I wouldn't run carbon anything on my bike, metal all day long.
Why show the Voodoo when its not even available...Even says 'NA' on the screenshot you showed...Come on..!
Oh, zapp...
First time cathing one freshh episode...
Keep up the great job!
Why not high end parts with titanium frames?!
An awesome option, but a little less commonly available!
#AskGMBNThech , I am 1,95m tall and I can barly find bikes that fit may preferences and ar also size xl , is there any ploblem If I ride an L size bike ? I want to buy a second-hand bike
Have a look at Banshee bikes. They make excellent bikes and are not so long in terms of reach.
@@krneki111 Thank you for the answer but I forgot to say I am looking into buying a second hand bike
@@radumario9751 I tend to buy second hand bikes as you get to save a lot of money and I am sure there are a couple of banshee bikes on the second hand market place also :)
@@krneki111 not in Romania , the market is dominated by Canyon and Trek
@@radumario9751 yeah, I can imagine that.
Steel and Hardtail or aluminum and hardtail
Who in his right minds would go for the carbon with low end parts?
Some one who want that frame but, doesn't have money for the high end parts right off. There are many different factors involved
U upgrade parts as they wear
#askgmbntech Are there alternatives to Shimano freehub grease?
I decided to build my own High-End Carbon, full suspension bike with the most high-end components for $3000 less than ANY retail bike shop pricing. Yeah, build, don't buy.
That's incredible! Did you use the current sales to keep the price down? What bike did you build? 🤙
Metal all the way🤟
🤘🤘
What's going on with the camera work???
Definitely High spec alu
Alloy bike with my own custom parts all day. Carbon sucks🗑️
#AL
Carbon is trash 🗑️
No plastic on a bike😂
neither, I'd rather not waste my money on overpriced crap
First
To try carbon fiber chain?
To realize gravel bikes are just hardtails?
To land on Mars?
First WHAT??? 🎉🎉🎉
Aluminum with deore. Does the job perfectly.
Aluminum with XT does it better;)
#AskGmbnTech I have an old ~ 07 Marzocchi DJ4 fork that I'm sure is in for a service, I can't find any info on it. Should I pursue trying to get some more life out of it ( as it's feels rubbish ) or should I upgrade and if so can you recommend a straight steerer fork I could start searching for.