Let The Modding Begin!

[Doomanic]

After much deliberation I finally decided to try some shorter cranks. Merlin sorted me out with a set of KTM branded 152s which landed on my desk today.

I’ve also been thinking about swapping out the bulky Intuvia head unit for a while. Thanks to a very generous forumite I have a shiny, near mint Purion display for remarkably few monies.
This is now surplus to requirements;

To be replaced by this;

Much better.

It’s not as flash as the Shimano, or as well hidden, but it’s a big improvement over the brick.

 

[Al Boneta]

After much deliberation I finally decided to try some shorter cranks. Merlin sorted me out with a set of KTM branded 152s which landed on my desk today.
View attachment 3440

I’ve also been thinking about swapping out the bulky Intuvia head unit for a while. Thanks to a very generous forumite I have a shiny, near mint Purion display for remarkably few monies.
This is now surplus to requirements;
View attachment 3441
To be replaced by this;
View attachment 3451
Much better.

It’s not as flash as the Shimano, or as well hidden, but it’s a big improvement over the brick.

That came out looking nice and tidy.
It’s funny As I read this I have a Trek in the work stand

 

[Mabman]

This is my road bike display, a CAIII, shown after a leisurely 41 mile tour, but I have a similar setup for the stock display on my eMTB but on the other side of the stem. Goal was to completely remove the display and mount from the bar. Works a treat.

 

[Stumpy]

After much deliberation I finally decided to try some shorter cranks. Merlin sorted me out with a set of KTM branded 152s which landed on my desk today.
View attachment 3440

You have carpet on your desk? -

 

[Doomanic]

Carpet everywhere man, except where it matters...

 

[Doomanic]

Well, that was a partial success...

The Purion is definitely less obtrusive but I found I kept having to swap modes all the time just to check I was in the right mode as the bike seemed to be responding oddly to pedal input, sometimes feeling like it was switched off and I got left for dead on every Boost climb. I eventually worked out how to permanently display Mode but then you can't have Range or Trip or Odo showing. No Power Meter was disconcerting too as I couldn't see what was going on with motor output but both problems were actually caused by the short cranks...

How's that, I hear you say?
Apparently, there is new firmware required to run the short cranks. The 2019 bikes come with it but mine will have to wait until it goes in for a service or the motor fails. Whichever is sooner...

The short cranks felt fine to ride on. I had to raise the seat an inch to compensate which I was a bit concerned about as I had "sized up" to get the reach I wanted, but I didn't have any issues on the descents.

I had also flipped the Mino Link on the rear suspension to slacken the head angle and drop the BB but was concentrating on the power issues so didn't really notice any difference.

 

[Doomanic]

More modding;

Thanks to another generous forumite, I got my sticky mitts on a Nukeproof 35mm stem to try as a replacement for the 70mm stem originally fitted.

So, fitting a stem, how hard can that be?

Thanks to the KnockBlock headset harder (and more expensive) than you'd think...
I had to buy a KnockBlock Locking Ring Spacer. It looks a bit like a seat post clamp, has two relief sections in it to locate it and costs 18 quid. 18 bloody quid! I ordered one from my local Trek dealer who, to their credit, got it in 24 hours. The rest of the swap went simply enough, although the front clamp on the stem obscures all the alignment marks on the bars which was a bit of a faff.

So, how does it ride? Being more upright made me more comfortable right away and it was easier to huck over obstacles and drop-offs but it did feel more nervous initially and I did clout the bars with my knees a few times on hairpin turns. I'd mostly got used to the quicker steering by the end of the ride and a few more miles will sort that out completely.

 

[Doomanic]

I forgot the obligatory picture...

 

[Doomanic]

Apparently, there is new firmware required to run the short cranks.

As I had to to Two Wheel Cycles to get my rear wheel replaced under warranty I popped into Raceco Cycles to have a nose around. I asked them about the update and they offered to do it on the spot. For free. Awesome.

Just need to refit the short cranks now, before blatting round a very soggy FoD tomorrow.

 

[Gary]

I forgot the obligatory picture...

View attachment 5353

Why didn't you buy the Nukeproof bars as well?

Colourblindness I presume?

 

[Doomanic]

I didn't buy the stem...

The bars are Vibrocore. I suffer from arthritis and get hand cramps and numb hands and the bars go a long way to stopping that. My choices were red and cheap or black and expensive. As an honorary Yorkshireman, I went with cheap.

 

[Doomanic]

Just need to refit the short cranks now, before blatting round a very soggy FoD tomorrow.

I didn't make to the soggy FoD so I had to make do with near perfect conditions this weekend.

So, Clown Cranks, what do I think? Dunno really. I didn't really suffer from pedal strikes before and I still don't. I had one at a section I definitely wouldn't have been pedalling at on the long cranks so I now know I still can't pedal in that section. They helped with high cadence though, so should have a positive effect on battery life.

Pic to follow, I'm off to work.

 

[Gary]

I like 165s best for cadence and knee issues (roadbike only) . But can still spin like a boss on 170s

do you smoke @Doomanic ?

also how close do you run your brake lever bite point to the bar?

 

[Doomanic]

I don’t smoke, gave up 25 years ago. Why?

Bite point is variable depending on pad wear and if I can be arsed to adjust it.

 

[Gary]

I gave up fags around 25 years ago too. I had arthritic fingers at 23... stopping smoking fags pretty much cured it. Get the odd pain but nothing like in my early 20s.

moving bite point closer to the bar allows you to use the stronger finger mucles, relieves the pain and reduces arm pump. Your grips don't look great for it either but who knows. I like mine ragged too,

 

[Doomanic]

I gave up fags around 25 years ago too. I had arthritic fingers at 23... stopping smoking fags pretty much cured it. Get the odd pain but nothing like in my early 20s.

moving bite point closer to the bar allows you to use the stronger finger mucles, relieves the pain and reduces arm pump. Your grips don't look great for it either but who knows. I like mine ragged too,

The Arthritis is a recent (2 or 3 years) affliction.

The bite point information is useful, thanks. Once I get some brakes with decent adjustments I’ll pay more attention to it.
The grips are surprisingly good, easily the best I’ve tried but expensive and short lived. I’m back on the OE grips and the difference is immense.

 

[Gary]

I'm really fussy about grips and prefer properly worn in almost destroyed looking grips to new ones. as the diameter and tread wears to your hand. But as I ride gloveless my prefs are fairly irrelivant for most. also. what works best for dirt jumping or all round riding isn't the same as what works best for all day alpine descending so if you suffer from hand pain, your all round riding needs will be different to mine.

 

[Doomanic]

Time for an update...

New brakes time;

Deore 4-pots to replace the Deore 2-pots fitted as standard.

I want more power for less effort (eBiker... ) and the rear calliper has a sticky piston. Again. So I decided to splash some cash.

 

[Doomanic]

And done in under an hour.
From this;

To this;

And this;

 

[thewildblue]

Get some uber race matrix pads in those MT520s, they transform the brakes. Loads more power and alot less noise. Dirt cheap also. £29.99 for 4 sets !

 

[Doomanic]

It’s new (warranty replacement) fork day!

Still Yari forks but now with a Debonair spring and 160mm of travel. Initial tests reveal they are far more supple than the old forks and I’ll be setting them up properly with the Shockwiz over the next few weeks.

 

[Doomanic]

Since the forks I’ve had a new set of wheels under warranty. The rear axle sheared and the cassette fell off...

Trek couldn’t supply a rear that would match my existing front so changed both. Sweet.

Today though, this happened...

No crashes today, just a very bumpy gravel track where I hit 46mph according to Strava. As I pedalled off after we regrouped it felt like the pedal axle was bent. I looked down and saw the crack. Err, bugger.

Much running about has resulted in a shiny new pair of Sram EX1 cranks being fitted. Thanks to Richard at Raceco for being the only place within an hours drive to actually carry spares.

 

[Dirtnvert]

Ive gotz the worn out wrists too. Diggin my new 220 rotors if youre still looking for more. Reasonable price for a bunch o powah. Next i want to try some of those esi grips. I need the thin ones(racers edge? I think theyre czlled). I hear theyre not super durable but i figure worth it to try a set. Maybe a luftkappe in my yari too

 

[Doomanic]

Today was supposed a post about coil shocks but instead is a pre-curser to a discussion about Trek's lifetime frame warranty...

That's the lower shock mount and within the red circles are cracks...

 

[Gary]

Oopsy...

Can't be many original components left for you to break now.

 

[Zimmerframe]

Oopsy...

Can't be many original components left for you to break now.

He knows it's not a rental ?

It's a shame the forum doesn't have a democratic system built in where you can right click and "suggest user name change, 10 votes required" .. "Doomanic the Destroyer" ...

 

[Doomanic]

Oopsy...

Can't be many original components left for you to break now.

Off the top of my head; headset, rear shock, break levers (not calipers) and shifter...

 

[Gary]

The one thing I'd have to change on a TREK is that knock block headset

 

[Zimmerframe]

break levers

You can see what your subconscious has planned there . They're not even the normal "brake levers" - you're already revealed you plans with "break levers"

 

[Doomanic]

One of them is a bit bent, happened on the second or third ride, and a new lever is over £20 so I haven't bothered replacing it.