Post your all mountain bike

[johnny]

Picked up a Trek Remedy 9 2013 recently. It's stock so there's no real point in posting a real pic of it, that's is a google image below.

I've been riding it on Bruce Ridge and Black mountain about 8 times now, some short, sharp blats and a good 2 hour hit out on the weekend.

I've been on a single speed for the last 7 years, some of it on a Cannondale Chase, a very tight and agile little ride on the trails. So a switch to a longer, geared dualy has been quite a shift but I think over the last 2 rides I really started to gel with it all and I'm really happy. I like being able to set the rear to climb, which isn't completely locked out but enough to make sure the effort goes to the wheel when climbing. It also has a dropper post which is fantastic as well. The Shadow-plus derailleur has been pretty sloppy though. The gear changes aren't always prompt and it's been skipping around the mid range gears quite a bit. I'm hoping my initial service will sort that out. The bloody rim tape had missed some of the eyelets as well and I couldn't work out why I was slow-flatting my rear tyres 20 mins in to each ride until I checked the rim. Other than that, it's going really well.

Having trouble adjusting to riding with wide bars as well, especially in tight tails with lots of close trees such as Bruce Ridge - might cut them down by maybe 10mm. Will also drop off the granny and 42 tooth rings as well as the front derailleur as the 32 - 11/34 set up is all I use. Haven't dropped a chain yet either so I might get away without a guide. Will probably go tubless for the first time in my riding life too, see how we go. Also wouldn't mind some Pike/34s but I haven't been too worried about these noodley 32s as yet.


All in all, this bike, brand new for $3500 has been a pretty dang good purchase and I'm a happy chappy.

 

[Rendog]

Ah that's it, Ron. I thought that tyre was shit, it lasted one ride for me. I loved the Nic on the front of mine, but only once I'd got the pressures low enough (~24psi). At higher pressures it felt skatey.
The thing that held me back from the Dampf was the width and weight. I didn't need a 2.35 (and they're a big 2.35) and didn't really want to carry the extra weight for what was mostly heavy XC stuff. Horses for courses though.

I think the lowest pressure I've got to so far is around 32, I'm a big guy and at 24 it would start to feel flat. Yeah, I've heard the Dampf 2.35 is equivalent to a Maxxis 2.5. I guess you'd call what I do as light DH, pure Enduro really. More downhill's than uphills. I'll just have to test a few and find what works best.

 

[Rendog]

The Shadow-plus derailleur has been pretty sloppy though. The gear changes aren't always prompt and it's been skipping around the mid range gears quite a bit. I'm hoping my initial service will sort that out.

I'm having the exact same issues, with a 3 day old bike (they had a demo of the 514, which sold not long before I got mine, so I assume the one I bought, didn't really get ridden a lot). It's driving me insane, the gears I use to climb (4-5) just skip...

 

[johnny]

YEah, will be a bit frustrated if this is something that can't be resolved. Might have to consider a switch to SRAM if that turns out to be the case.

 

[outtacontrol]

YEah, will be a bit frustrated if this is something that can't be resolved. .

It won't be. The other million people that are happy with them would suggest it's a cable tension issue. I would also stick to the Fox forks. Don't think you would have much luck selling those green forks

 

[johnny]

Sucks if that's the case, never had probs like this with SRAM.

And yeah, they killed the aesthetics of this bike on the design table. Whoever thought this colour scheme was a good idea needs a fish-slap. I'll ride these forks until they get old or get too uncomfortable for my riding but so far they've been ok.

 

[scblack]

Will probably go tubless for the first time in my riding life too, see how we go.

Do it! It really is good, very worthwhile.

I have both my bikes now with tubeless, and I was VERY sceptical about tubeless. Never really saw the point, my tubed bikes went fine. I will have to post my AM bike in here some time, I now have an Intense SlopeStyle2. It has Mavic CrossMax SX rims with Maxxis Minion Exo 2.5 tyres, running tubeless. The difference for off-road riding is HUGE. First off they are much lighter than tubes. Can run lower pressures, and they feel much more confident for cornering. Overall feel is much better tubeless too - you can feel much more of the terrain I think.

I've also gone tubeless on my roadie. I have Campagnolo two-way fit Shamal rims, so designed for tubeless and fitted Hutchinson Fusion 3 tubeless tyres plus Stans sealant. Fitted three weeks ago - all running well.

Tubeless has won me over!



The only possible difficulty is inflating/seating the bead - need a compressor I think. I'm in the process of getting one now.

 

[vtwiz]

I'm having the exact same issues, with a 3 day old bike (they had a demo of the 514, which sold not long before I got mine, so I assume the one I bought, didn't really get ridden a lot). It's driving me insane, the gears I use to climb (4-5) just skip...

Shadow+ has been super slick and reliable for me. No skipping or missed shifts in the (almost) two years I have had the bike. Original cables too. Could it be a cable routing/suspension design issue?

EDIT: I did have an issue with the internal clutch spring breaking on my XT derailleur. Didn't effect the shifting though, just meant the clutch wouldn't engage. Was a cheap part from Shimano to fix.

 

[mitchy_]

I'm having the exact same issues, with a 3 day old bike (they had a demo of the 514, which sold not long before I got mine, so I assume the one I bought, didn't really get ridden a lot). It's driving me insane, the gears I use to climb (4-5) just skip...

inner cables wont even have stretched properly on 3 day old bike.

 

[Rendog]

inner cables wont even have stretched properly on 3 day old bike.

Well I'll see how it goes, but it wasn't something I was expecting on such a brand new bike, maybe I should have by the sounds of things.

 

[oriion]

Well I'll see how it goes, but it wasn't something I was expecting on such a brand new bike, maybe I should have by the sounds of things.

Imagine it as your 1000K service on your brand new car - things have to settle into place, and then have necessary adjustments made.

 

[johnny]

My ride today was pretty horrible at the start of the climbs due to delayed shifts in the middle gears. I try to shift down and it delays about a pedal stroke or two and then clunks down horribly and sometimes over shifts by a gear and then corrects. Sincerely hope it's something that can be worked out because it really is a deal breaker for the Shadow+ for me.

 

[PhillipJ]

Have you tried winding out the barrel adjuster a bit? Go a quarter turn, ride a bit, go another quarter if it's still skipping. A bit of stretch from new cables is to be expected but you should be able to sort it out pretty easily.

 

[Ackland]

Unless you've already twisted your der hanger somehow....

 

[johnny]

Would be very surpirsed if the hanger has twisted but I will check that.

I'm just about to head off for a few weeks and on my return I get my post-purchase service so I'll bug them about it then. For now, I'll just whinge over the internet.

 

[oriion]

Loosen the hex nut that holds the cable in place (chain on the bottom gearing) then pull said loosened cable to a firm fit whilst tighening the hex nut back up.

Do this for the next few weeks in between rides and the cable should be stretched enough.

 

[Ackland]

That's what the barrel adjuster on the shifter is for.....

 

[vtwiz]

Sincerely hope it's something that can be worked out because it really is a deal breaker for the Shadow+ for me.

It's not a Shadow+ thing. Probably poor setup from the shop. It's surprising how many bikes leave the shop incorrectly set up.

 

[Bodin]

YEah, will be a bit frustrated if this is something that can't be resolved. Might have to consider a switch to SRAM if that turns out to be the case.

Nah, don't do that. Stick with Shimano. Sounds to me like there might possibly be something wrong with the internal cabling.

I have your bike's little brother (2013 Trek Fuel 9). Front shifting from the shop was appalling and rear wasn't great, took me a couple of rides and tweaks to get it sorted out, but I now have zero missed shifts. If you're in to tuning your own gears, remember to flick the rear derailleur to the un-clutched mode when you're tuning. Then remember to put the clutch back on before you go riding.

I love the Fuel. Taking it to Root-a-rower in a few weeks for a 5-day blast in MTB heaven and I reckon it's the perfect bike. Well, it's perfect now that I've gone to a Reverb Stealth. The external cable was shitting me and luckily a rotorburner happened to have a near-new Stealth up for sale for $300 on the night I finally cracked the shits with how ugly the external cable happens to be. Now looking uber-sweet.

As for tubeless, I haven't ridden tubes since mid-way through 2004, when myself and my best mate went through 5 tubes in about an hour at the start of what was supposed to be an epic ride and proceeded directly to a bike shop for new tubeless wheels and tyres thereafter. Have never looked back. I have the exact same tyres and rims as you do and the Bontrager rim strips are cheap, fit perfectly and with those tyres and a small amount of Stan's, simply do not lose air. Pity you didn't just get them fitted at the shop before you took delivery of the bike like I did. Make sure you do when you go back for a service. Set and forget.

Other than Stealth and tubeless, the only other thing I've changed from stock is going to i-Spec mounts for the clamps. Trek, if you're going to spec a complete group on a bike, then FFS do it properly! I know there's an argument to say not everyone wants i-Spec, but I have a major preference for less bar clutter, especially with a dropper post. No-brainer in my opinion. Sram's system where the 1 clamp handles brake, shifter & dropper is the only Sram thing I envy. Everything else is inferior to Shimano IMO.

Other than that, enjoy your Remedy. My local is the You Yangs and it's pretty much supposed to be paradise for 29ers, so I've been riding hardtails with wagon wheels for most of the last 4-5 years. Now I'm on a bouncy 130mm 26er and I'm getting Strava PRs on climbs, flats and descents. Faster all 'round, despite being very unfit right now. Not a debate about wheel size, just a comment on a very well-sorted suspension design and geometry. Trek have done very well with these bikes.

(I know my bike's more of a "Trail" bike than an "All Mountain" bike, but it's my ONE BIKE and therefore my AM bike by default, so forgive me for posting it in this thread...)

 

[funkymonkey]

The only possible difficulty is inflating/seating the bead - need a compressor I think. I'm in the process of getting one now.

what happens when you flat on a trail? Or is that the point - you don't flat...

Got a flat today at end of roller coaster at ourimbah. Cursing that I had to hike back to the car to get new tube and pump. Have been thinking of tubeless, but I just don't trust it enough yet...