Article Video: Teewing Flux 180mm, high-pivot, Avinox EMTB first look and ride

[Mart-e]

This is the big one I noticed. So quiet. The other big one is the squish when landing jumps, rather than a bang. It's like landing on a pillow. It gives you confidence to go a little quicker, and then I don't end up casing any jumps. Especially the smaller gap jumps, which I'm now finding the confidence to just send them.

I still won't do bigger gap jumps. Maybe later if I had someone to tow me in. But at my age. I'm thinking they are just not worth it.

Just a quick add, I would like to thank everyone sharing in from there own unique Flux beginning's, l suppose the Flux collective journey, partaking in creative builds ride' n reviews.

From what you have mentioned Astro, your feedback sounds pleasantly welcome, pillow landings ill take it yes, 60 in a few months, sharing in that space, knowing the drying joints bones and eye ball rattles.... then it all arrives again, that 20yo mind ever ready, cant wait to send it back out on the trail.

Located a helper to the vpn process, of course having km- m to giddy up makes damn good sense peace to mind, as many trail locations have jumps with landers to clear!

Nicely backed up growing in Flux confidence taking on these jumps, smooth as she goes, as you are loving the journey, taking it each step of the way, knowing the time to be the wisdom keeper to call it and knowing there will always be another brand new day.

 

[TheKaiser]

Least i'm not alone but sorry you joined the club!
Did you manage to get the chain back over the idler without pulling the chain apart? Did it fall outboard like mine did ?

In addition to your questions, I was curious did you and @Lantz have similar riding conditions that caused the derailment? For example, were you coasting on a rough choppy downhill (which is when I've generally lost chains on other bikes), and found your chain was off only after you started pedaling again? Or were you actively pedaling when it came off? Also, were you in the smaller or larger end of the cassette at the time?

 

[B Rabbit]

Got to the bottom of a rough-ish (but not super rough) section, looked down and there she was. It was jammed in pretty tight so there must of been a a bit of a peddle stroke in there, but its a pretty DH section so def no full crank revolutions.
Not sure what gear it was in, probably middle ish, i'll get a photo next time if it happens.
Still wondering if chain length is an issue, or having a 34t chainring and not a 36-38, but i doubt that would effect things too much. I've only done fire road blasting the last few weeks so havent had a chance to derail it again lol.

 

[Astro66]

Still wondering if chain length is an issue, or having a 34t chainring and not a 36-38,

I changed mine to 34T, and I'm not having the issue. I really wanted the 34T, more for ground clearance.

I have probably ridden the most technical downhills I have ever tried, since getting the Flux, and not experiencing this. Can I ask if you guys are running the fat, then thin tooth chainwheels ? Because my chainwheel is, and it holds my chain really well, reducing any chain movement in that area.

I'm also running the SRAM T-Type chain with the factory chain length, then setup the derailleur using the SRAM T-Type Installation guide.

 

[Lantz]

I changed mine to 34T, and I'm not having the issue. I really wanted the 34T, more for ground clearance.

I have probably ridden the most technical downhills I have ever tried, since getting the Flux, and not experiencing this. Can I ask if you guys are running the fat, then thin tooth chainwheels ? Because my chainwheel is, and it holds my chain really well, reducing any chain movement in that area.

I'm also running the SRAM T-Type chain with the factory chain length, then setup the derailleur using the SRAM T-Type Installation guide.

The chain is not jumping off the main sprocket. It's the small one above the crank that is the problem.

 

[TheKaiser]

Got to the bottom of a rough-ish (but not super rough) section, looked down and there she was. It was jammed in pretty tight so there must of been a a bit of a peddle stroke in there, but its a pretty DH section so def no full crank revolutions.
Not sure what gear it was in, probably middle ish, i'll get a photo next time if it happens.
Still wondering if chain length is an issue, or having a 34t chainring and not a 36-38, but i doubt that would effect things too much. I've only done fire road blasting the last few weeks so havent had a chance to derail it again lol.

Yeah, tough to say. If I end up with a Flux, I was thinking of trying to rig up a little chain guide similar to what Norco uses on their Range CX, which many people speculated was the bike that heavily "inspired" the Flux. It would have been nice if Teewing had let that inspiration continue right through to the guide, rather than stopping with just the frame itself! Here is a close-up pic of what Norco is doing, and you can see how the whole top side of the pulley is completely shrouded, so if they've designed the internal dimensions properly, there should be nearly no leeway allowing the chain to misbehave.

 

[B Rabbit]

That was my suggestion the chain ring might be involved, just that not many people are running 34t and not many people are dropping chains…but I don’t have any experience with HP bikes. I know Trek had some issues with the Slash when it first came out, not sure what was the solution in the end.

 

[B Rabbit]

Yeah, tough to say. If I end up with a Flux, I was thinking of trying to rig up a little chain guide similar to what Norco uses on their Range CX, which many people speculated was the bike that heavily "inspired" the Flux. It would have been nice if Teewing had let that inspiration continue right through to the guide, rather than stopping with just the frame itself! Here is a close-up pic of what Norco is doing, and you can see how the whole top side of the pulley is completely shrouded, so if they've designed the internal dimensions properly, there should be nearly no leeway allowing the chain to misbehave.
View attachment 188171

I inquired with my local shop on getting one of those covers, I reckon it’ll fit with a bit of dremel action. But they are out of stock till end of the year. But if someone who has access to one wants to try I’d be interested!

 

[Astro66]

The chain is not jumping off the main sprocket. It's the small one above the crank that is the problem.

Yes. But if the chain is being held tight by the chainring, I'm guessing it would be harder for it to jump off the idler.

 

[TheKaiser]

I inquired with my local shop on getting one of those covers, I reckon it’ll fit with a bit of dremel action. But they are out of stock till end of the year. But if someone who has access to one wants to try I’d be interested!

Wow, that's great you were already thinking of adding a guide, and I hope you are able to get your hands on one! In your other post, you mentioned the issues with the Slash dropping chains. Some of the drops on the Slash were related to backpedaling, and the acute angle between the lower pulley and the derailleur when shifted to the largest cog. On the Slash+ that was less of a concern since the chain doesn't run backwards when backpedaling on the ebike. Those bikes also dropped the chain off the upper pulley, despite using a little guide, and Trek issued an updated pulley with longer teeth that was supposed to help. Since they use a 19t upper pulley, they are unable to use a narrow-wide profile on the teeth, but I'm sure the longer teeth were a lot better as the original ones were almost comically small. I believe the original one is on the right of this pic, and the updated one is on the left:

Norco doesn't use a narrow-wide profile, unless they've had a running update that I'm unaware of, but despite that I could find no mentions of dropped chains. Since their pulley is 18t there is nothing stopping them from going narrow-wide, which the aftermarket North Shore Billet pulleys have done, so I can only imagine Norco is already pretty confident in the guide's security.

All your Flux's are coming equipped with narrow-wide pulley teeth, correct?

 

[Astro66]

All your Flux's are coming equipped with narrow-wide pulley teeth, correct?

That's a good point. Yes my full factory built Flux has a narrow-wide idler. I'm wondering if the frame only version also runs the narrow wide idler ?

 

[B Rabbit]

Frame only is narrow wide.