After another Carpe Diem moment, I finally ordered the parts needed to re-build my long due 041.
Unpacking the box. Always an exciting moment
Extremely quick delivery from r2-bike.com, and it had the better prices.
The huge Eagle cassette.
No, I definitely could not take the high-bling gold one.
The wait is over dear 041!!
This is the replacement frame I received from Peter, few months ago, after mine cracked due to a defect.
Pressing the BB92 was easy.
Finally the rear wheel I built few months ago will be used.
I love the design of a straight line between the headtube and the rear wheel
One worry I had was... does a 38T fit ? Well... yes
The bike finished. Not yet ridden.
No time sinks this time( usually headset mismatch, bad internal routing, rear brake bleeding after cut, brake caliper hard to align, hard to bead tires on the rims).
Here again is my proven receipt, if you have a hard to bead tire( almost guaranteed when putting a thinner tire on a larger rim ):
- Take the tire out of the box.
- Put a tube in the tire( without wheel ) and inflate it to the max it can.
- Then abandon it there a couple of hours, while you build the bike.
- Put the tire on the rim.
- Remove the core of the valve. Pump it, until it pops twice.
No need of soapy water or any other sorcery. - With a seringue put the sealant through the valve.
- Put the core back, and inflate.
- Rotate the wheel in all directions to send the sealant in any existing hole.
The internal routing of the 041 is very easy.
And I didn't have to bleed the rear brake after cutting it( experience is coming
)
8.1Kg finished as pictured.
It will go below the psychological barrier of 8kg with summer tires and Time Atac pedals
I'm a big fan of the Hope X2 brakes.
They are great to stop me. Very light.
But very expensive.
I took off the Lauf fork from the 062.
The front wheel was already in use on the 062 too.
Big change to my usual setup. I moved from a 660mm to a 700mm bar(not sure I will stay that large).
And 80mm stem from 90mm.
I'm do not like the SRAM grips you get with the Gripshift, but they are ok for now.
And I'm sooo happy to have a Gripshift again. The bar is so neat.
This one, is much better than what I remember of the XX1.
Or maybe it is the whole shifting that is better on Eagle.
I screwed the cable to the derailleur.
And shifted perfectly directly, not any fiddling needed.
Another striking property is the silence of the transmission when riding.
I was used to the grinding on higher sprockets. Here nothing.
And no chain drop issue when back pedalling on the bigger sprocket either.
Compared to my singing rear Hope's hub, the DT240 is adding quietness too.
I'll need a bell now. With Hope's hub, just stop pedalling and the walkers jumps out of the path in fear
The engagement angle is much much bigger on the DT240, that is a disappointment.
When free wheeling then pedalling again, there is a big gap before it takes on.
With Hope hubs it is immediate.
Here is the bike after the first ride.
I should have taken the picture before cleaning, with the mud!
Although on paper it has the same gears ratio as before, I felt the 38T to be a bit harder on steep climbs.
Either my quads will learn, or I will go down to 36T when my transmission dies.
One thing sure is now on the flat, this is flying!
Another thing that surprised me is how I didn't miss my beloved oval ring.
Quite the contrary, I had the impression of a fuller pedalling. Except may be the steep climbs, that seem harder(I worked to improve my pedalling these last months).
So... I guess this oval/round debate is definitely personal, if not just mood
The new master link is much more visible.
When lubing the chain, it is easier to spot you did a full revolution already.
r2-bike, had only the gold version of the derailleur in stock with Gripshift.
I would have preferred the black. But anyway I love it !
To avoid the stupid bend of the shifter entering the right of the frame.
I tried something else this time. Using the front derailleur holes.
And zipping
the hose to the right seatstay.
So not fully internal routing, but the line is much shorter.
And no hard bends at all, usually found: out of the shifter, entering the frame, under the BB, out of the chainstay.
I hope this will result in better long term shifting.
I had to drill the little aluminium caps to run full housing.
I took a strange route for the front brake, to avoid a strong bend too to the left of the fork( from an MTB2223's advice on another bike ).
I'm impressed how the bike manufacturer ignore that in Europe we have the front brake on the left( make some forks with the damn caliper on the right!! ).
And that with a 1x11 shifter( on the right ) it is better to enter the frame on the left ( This is international, Peter ? )
For the ride... I did say it many times and it stay.
This frame/bike is the best of the ones I tried( 256, 062 and even the new FSi I recently tried ).
Obviously for what I like: XC, out-sprinting friends and arriving first on the climbs
Very stiff under load. It doesn't move at all.
And extremely precise to ride.
Did I say I'm very happy?
Now, I will rebuild my 062 as my second bike.
Maintain the hubs. Put my old wheels, and the Lefty.
And ride with it when it is really wet and the mud gets deeper.
This season is exceptionally dry compared to last year, hope it will stay this way.
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and switched to a 32T, where I could rev up the engine properly. 
).
