Jere_h

Didn't see a massive issue in that particular video, but it came a bit more apparent from the other videos on your channel. There definitely is some "hammering" effect or last minute kicking, if you know what I mean. And you seem like a fairly strong guy so that might be it + bad luck with the parts. Probably try learning to jump more with the body and less with the pedal kick. If you watch pro competition riders they barely lift the front foot when they gap (some small pedal kicks or preloading for drops are different thing). For gaps, they have already preloaded their cranks a bit before the actual preload for the jump which happens with the body. And their ankles/calves do a lot of job, almost equally on both legs. Much easier said than done, I know.. 😃 A good way to practice would be taking off from a ledge or something. So you kind of have to keep the pedals fairly level, or the rear wheel rotates too much and slips off before you get any power down for the gap. As an extreme example, rail gaps or stuff like that don't really allow much wheel rotation.

Mind posting a clip of you or at least your cranks when doing a gap? Must be a "bitch crank" issue. If it's not, then I don't think it can be an user error in any other way. If you preload a big amount suddenly and kick very aggressively without letting the hub engage first. Sharp impact with momentum is likely the reason, not power. We see hugely powerful riders using these hubs without constant issues, but they are smooth as. In fact I've been struggling with similar issue for years, since I originally learnt gapping with way too much preload/kicking with the front foot instead of shooting forwards with my body and trying to be more equal with my feet. It's really hard to get rid of that unwanted muscle memory and I still occasionally struggle with that. Often when I try to put all my power on something, the front foot unconsciously lifts way too high. But my hubs have been doing relatively well though, if not counting those faulty products that everyone else is having problems with too.

I went from numerous freewheels to a freehub in order to get rid of skipping issues. Modern freewheels are crap, but so are freehubs, it seems. Currently have i9 Hydra and it skips too.. My Hope Pro4 bought in 2017 never skipped even once but unfortunately I sold that...

Just something to consider, street forks with an additional lower cup + integrated headset frame would mean an extra tall front end, slacker head angle and higher bb. In a typical comp geo that might start to feel a bit funny, depends on the bike and your geo preferences of course. Smaller fork offset adds to the height too although very minimal. Also longer axle to crown measurement (including added lower cup height) = more stress for the head tube junction in gaps to front or hooks. Probably something the frame was not designed for. But luckily Damon's not going to put that much stress on the bike, right? 😃

I've always got that vibe from Jack that his insane skills are partly driven by that desperate need to win forever which is sad. Well I was not completely wrong then, now when it starts to literally show. Must be very common issue in sports at the highest level, although there are guys like Toni Bou who just dominate year after year but still seems positive and humble. However I partly understand Jack's frustration too, as some judging decisions against him have been just plain dumb. But a grown man with a plenty of victories should be able to handle this a bit differently. Yeah will be interesting to see how long the Weightmans stay with Crewkerz or if Jack actually quit like he said. 🙂

Yeah basically only a bunch of old ish farts reading Trials forum anyway so whatever. Let's say it's mainly just the Jack thing. Imagine finally reaching such a crazy life goals and not being appreciated by your main sponsor, because the other team rider needs to always win.

As far as I've seen from the latest videos, he was wearing a Hope jacket in the rain. So yeah he's technically using their products. 😄 I'm not going to spoil the stuff on his Patreon, but that move to Clean seems really wise when you know the reasons.

I've stripped multiple things with pipe opener, such as Trialtech rims and a front hub. Clear coated with acrylic after that. It's really easy, but your object is quite large so avoid breathing the vapors too much. It's really nasty smelling stuff and starts to burn in your lungs pretty quickly. Probably not very healthy, recommend doing it outdoors. No need to submerge, a large paint brush works well for spreading the chemical over the surface and rubbing the color away. Very easy to control it that way so it won't eat the alloy too much. You typically need to repeat the "painting" process few times until all the color is gone.

A great example of trying so hard to design something different, at the expense of good looks. Duncan Shaw's custom Marin is another example, but slightly less awkward than this. Pretty sure that thing would sell a lot more if it just simply looked like Inspired or anything conventional. Their brand name would sell already, no need to re invent a wheel. Very questionable move from a small bike brand in these miserable times. Santa Cruz made it well for Danny, something new but good looking at the same time. But obviously they have the reputation of always being super stylish and conservative whatever they do. Again Canyon slightly failed in my opinion, obviously tried to avoid copying Santa Cruz. Crewkerz Guilty is just like a Jealousy in a street form, quite nice and recognizable. Why that offset in the seat/top tube junction Clean, why..... 🤦‍♂️

Just saw an IG post of I think from a Chinese rider, there were like 5 different 26" Maestros in that photo parked together. So yeah probably very popular bike, just not distributed here. Xoxbikes seemed to disappear completely after Damon Watson snapped the dropout of his sponsored bike. Also Kevin and sadly Lykketrial bikes and components seems to be vanished from the earth.

Trialtech Carthy, the newest one.

Switched to Coust pads and they feel much softer/more elastic to touch, it's a very different material. I knew they were good on hs33 when I had those, just never tried them on a rear V-brake. Locking power increased massively compared to the old black TNNs, bite significantly better too but still a bit "unreliable" at times, but that might be due to some flex in the system as I still don't own a booster for V. They are loud and very high pitched, but a booster might help with that too. But now it's definitely a good brake again and I can trust the hold even in sloped surfaces. Might give a go for a pair of Heatsinks if I can find them anywhere in the future. Also I washed the rim with IPA (not the beer) but that didn't make much if any difference.

As said in my original post, the setup is 100% dialed and not to blame. I know these brakes inside out, have designed and built my own adapters and ridden them many years now. Rim brake contamination I have a hard time believing, but I guess that can be a real thing? With disc brakes I get it, the surfaces are very smooth and critical there. But with grinded trials rims I find it weird that any significant contamination would be left after grinding, and the pads will pretty effectively "sand" themselves after some hard braking. At least the surface looks like it now. But yeah I'm going to wash the braking surface with a brake cleaner just to see if it helps. Just ordered some Jitsie and Coust pads to see if those would help too. I'm keeping my bikes inside mostly but at some point they have been on a sunny balcony so it's totally possible that the pads have seen too much UV radiation in their life. Still not 100% buying this theory but will see when the new pads arrive. Another one would be, that the pads character has just changed because they are a bit thinner now than brand new. Less material, less squish would mean stiffer pad = less initial bite. At least this could be one of many reasons.

I'm currently struggling with my V-brake setup. I'm using a pair of approx. 3 year old TNN black pads with CNC v-brake packings and those were absolutely mental when they were new. Silent, tacky, locking up effortlessly. They were better than Cousts in my opinion that I loved too. The up to rears on a steep rock surface that I didn't quite make, I was still able to stick to the rock with ease and not sliding backwards. I was blown away how well the V-brake works compared to HS33 at that time. Currently I can't get the brake to stick anymore, until squeezing very hard, but then it's also hard to release quickly when needed. There's barely any initial bite and it takes way too many cm for the rear wheel to stop completely when rolling to a ledge before drop, so I can't trust the brake in these situations. Just did a fresh grind and it helped only marginally, and I remember the grind quality never being an issue when the pads were new. It just worked no matter how bad the grind was. I've completely replaced my entire V-brake system and there's no issues, no loose that would affect etc. It's just not gripping anymore like it used to. Could it be, that the solvents of the pad material have been slowly escaped, so that the rubber has hardened a bit and lost it's elasticity over time? The pads are barely halfway from new, they don't seem to wear much although I ride a lot.. But the time and temperature changes must have something to do with it. I sometimes ride in a freezing temperatures too before the season is officially over. Have you guys noticed this being an issue with old pads? With tires it is very noticeable, when you swap to a new rubber it's so smooth and tacky compared to the old one that has seen some UV rays etc. Also what pads would you recommend for cold weather, meaning I'd like something softer to compensate when they turn wooden in almost freezing temps. Jitsie blue? I also prefer a subtle grind so the brake is not too grabby when it's time to release it quickly. Probably going to give another go for a new set of Cousts because those I remember being very good even with a worn grind. But is there something now that is even better?

Yeah considering all the randomness and loose tolerances in HS33 (pads wiggle a bit, a bit sticky pistons sometimes etc.), it might feel like they're too close and sometimes grabbing when you don't want to. Rim brake is generally not very precise, it's better to be used with a large lever throw like on-off. This is one of the reasons I like Vees, they just feel more precise and I like to run my levers close to bars to minimize arm pump. With a good V setup there is 0 play in any direction so it's quite well predictable too when it touches the rim.

I decided to go with the I9 because as per forum feedback I've seen, that seemed to be the only high engagement solution for trials that doesn't skip. Well, yes it skips too.. But it's very minor and happens most likely only when I'm turning, so when there is going to be some flex. I've never experienced any skipping when preloading a gap, that usually happened with the 135 freewheels (and ruined the move). So far, it's incredible and the light weight makes it feel almost like a front freewheel setup, or not significantly far away from that. Some say double spring mod would get rid of skipping but add some drag. I might try that at some point if the issue gets worse. With the Clean 135 freewheel I already did the mod and it added hell a lot of drag/noise but nothing improved...

The Trialtech Carthys are unfortunately discontinued and when I realized that I decided to order the last one I could find, just for a spare. Those are so good that the old one I've ridden 4-5 years now is still perfect... With natural riding only (and avoiding sharp rocks), I might never need to buy more rims than these.. From weight weenie perspective though, the Hashtagg is tempting but I really appreciate lateral stiffness too, so.... I think no single wall can match the double wall design. When it comes to grind, I'm super lazy. I do a very light grind using a Bosch mini angle grinder (can't grind at home so need a battery powered tool) with diamond cutting disc, once or twice in a year and ride until it starts to feel "wooden" and slippery. With V-brakes that is mostly a non issue, with the TNN black pads it seems to work well even with a worn grind and I kinda like the idea of not generally using too much brakes. That's something I've been trying to learn actually, to rely more on the balance and chain tension (watch Charlie Rolls). What I don't like about a very harsh and effective grind, is the difficulty to release the brakes quickly. It feels like it always grabs a little bit too much. I've generally managed to do the biggest gaps when the grind is starting to loose its sharpness.

I've had the Formulas now in my mtb for a while and will probably keep them there, because they are actually really good for that. These are just very smooth and easy to modulate, contrary to most of the reviews that say the Cura 2 is a bit on-off?! They feel completely different to Maguras, which tend to be very bitey. I don't think the Cura works well for trials with the stock pads because of that slippery smooth initial bite or better say lack of it. I bought a set of Trickstuff pads that are supposed to be more powerful, will see how they feel. Someone, maybe AliC in another thread complained about sluggish lever feel. Some say the levers feel heavy. To me they feel very light, maybe a bit slower/not as snappy as others but not much. The pad knock is horrible, just tons of loose and it doesn't seem to go away after bedding in. This is possibly the deal breaker for me but it doesn't bother in MTB so... The MT5 is still my favourite brake for trials, why change something that works. It bites and holds like animal and there is zero pad knock. The feel is just perfect now when I've used them again, and the only issue is those master cylinder leaks at some point. Shigura might be a real thing to consider.

Actually I was quite interested to try Shigura with XTR race, but checked prices for a set of levers only and laughed.. Currently I could get a complete set of Cura 2 with two magura rotors for the price of XTR levers. Giving the Formulas a go, will report back how they feel in a comp trials setup after I've got the thing built some day. Cura 2-pot because of weight and reliability. Read some feedback about the 4-pots having typical 4-pot issues.

No because with Shimano levers comes the wandering bite point. Also hate the snappy feel of those "servo wave" levers, it's not very natural feeling and I don't see its purpose other than trying to achieve something that isn't needed. Just makes modulation more difficult. The bite point feels good when it's there but other than that I don't like Shimanos. Cable disc brakes? Not for me. 😃Besides the hideous looks/style thing, doesn't matter how good they might be, I don't think (personally) that they can beat the precision of modern hydraulics. I've already seen it with V-brakes, there's a lot of flex and inaccuracy in the system even with the most high end cables and stuff. I haven't touched a mechanical disc brake since I was a kid, but I can imagine how their "personality" is.

Looking for the current best disc brake for trials, with minimal pad knock if there's any. I already have a lot of experience with MT5/4. Those are good when it comes to pads rocking issue, there's not too much of that and even less with the jitsie pads. And they bite well. But I don't know, they just feel spongy and a bit unpredictable at times, lacks that raw consistent bite feel of aluminum master cylinder and starts to leak from the lever pretty soon. I've used my MT trail sport brakes on MTB now for 7 years and they've leaked most of the time but still somehow work, but not very consistently (no wonder). So getting another set of Maguras for my new dual disc trials bike would be an option but it just feels a bit meh.. I'd like a bit of change after all these years. Formula Cura 2 or 4, Anyone tried? I've been really interested in those lately, because they look like a good brakes and aren't that expensive. I bet they work well and feel good but how is the pad knock? The thing I hate most about disc brakes in trials is that banging sound. Shimanos are not an option, they bang a lot and also the bite point issue was too much for me after flipping to my back once. It was brand new set of Zees, they were just crap although felt nice WHEN they worked. Also the pads contaminated every day if not ridden. Hayes dominions, I don't like how the levers look because of those massive Sram style reservoirs. I like my cockpit nice and minimalistic. Also judging from videos they knock pretty bad too. The current Hope brakes, are they worth their price other than the bling aspect? I have a feeling that I'm just going to order the Formulas and see how they perform. Will swap them on the MTB if they suck for trials.

With Magura it's a bit complicated though. There's at least that one 180mm IS/PM design that can't take the stress, it's too thin at certain point. Not sure what it was exactly, but I cracked one pretty quick and some others have as well.

It's all about experience and riding both bikes frequently. Eventually you'll get a muscle memory to both geometries and learn to remember their differences right away, until it's not a problem anymore. I ride full sus 29er and a 26 trials bike, which is a massive difference. But they're like different modes in my brain, programmed to switch on and off depending on which bike I ride. Yes I think you can improve your riding on both bikes together. It's pretty evident that many former comp riders can ride street trials often technically much better than pure street riders. There can be drawbacks too, usually trials riders tend to look very static on an MTB for example. But I think it's mostly about deeply understanding every bike and its purpose. I personally feel like riding different bikes has made me a better rider overall.

No I absolutely hated the HS33 and had to finally do something to get permanently rid of it. Kind of forgot to post here but here we go: I made another pair for the front last summer and now the bike is complete. The result is super stiff and works well. This time put a lot more effort to shape the blocks with a better set of new files. Still very unfinished in my opinion but honestly I don't care that much, they're kind of hiding there behind the brakes anyway. These are now much lighter/smaller too and close to what I originally planned with this material. The WAW fork is definitely a difficult one, there is a lump of carbon in a place where I couldn't make the adapter any slimmer, close to where the brake boss is attached (would have to shorten the thread even more which is not a good idea). I had to use my old HS33 clamps as an adapter for the adapters, just filed them down a bit to keep the thing as low profile as possible (I could still get a few mm off of them but was too eager to get riding at the moment). I was a bit worried but the result is not bad at all, the brakes are not protruding too much from the forks. With some careful CAD design, CNC machining and a pair of deeper sitting V-brake arms than Shimano, it would be possible to make the whole thing a lot sleeker though. But this is enough for me. I made the pads using cheap Shimano v-brake backings shortened. These are a bit spongy though, could work better with a set of TNN v-brake pads for sure. But it's good enough and so far I like it. Time to throw the Maguras out of window.

Yeah although the logic to that long wheelbase and short stems in MTB is geared towards gravity riding/downhill sections which doesn't apply to trials at all. So to get fast in trials we'd proably have to look towards XC bikes which already has kind of happened. I think this new slightly shorter wheelbase of the -24 Jealousy favours very well that modern quick and flowy riding style. Also riders getting stronger and stronger, most of them seems to hit gym as much as riding their bike, so maybe they don't need that added leverage of a long bike anymore. Just thoughts/guesses anyway, it's always a compromise and depends on rider body etc. Personally I've tried long and short trials bikes too and noticed the same thing, if the setup gets too short it will be exhausting or not so precise to keep on the backwheel which affects pretty much all the other moves then. MTB geometry is actually one pretty interesting topic right now. As we know those bikes have been consistently getting longer and slacker to a ridiculous level, but now it seems like they're making sort of an U turn finally. The reach getting shorter, stack higher and chainstays longer (the last one is making me a bit uncomfortable though but I get the idea of better cornering). Commencal actually shortened the reach of the new Meta v5 as much as 20mm compared to previous gen, so the bike rides higher and more relaxed. But yeah we're talking about MTB industry so it might be 50% of what really is necessary to develop a better bike, and 50% of marketing and getting people to constantly update their rig. Bikes are so good already, it's getting impossible to make them any better without sacrificing things.