Grime TIME
Your questions answered
Radical refresh
Q I have an old-ish Boardman hardtail that I love to ride trail centres and local singletrack on. It’s time I gave it some muchneeded love and a few upgrades. My mates all rave about dropper posts, but are there any 27.2mm models available that are worth the cash? I’m also thinking about plumping up my tyres. They’re currently 2.1in wide. How wide can I go?
Jamie Bromwell, via email
A A dropper seatpost is one of the most beneficial upgrades you can get. It’ll boost your trail flow and help you avoid those dodgy saddleup-the-backside moments when the going gets rowdy. While most are sized for larger seat tubes, a few brands do offer skinnier 27.2mm-diameter versions, including KS. Their LEV 272 isn’t cheap, at £350 for the externally-routed post you’ll likely need. It only has 100mm of travel too. Still, we’ve generally had good experiences with KS posts. Alternatively, if you’re on a tight budget, the Brand-X Ascend II post from Chain Reaction Cycles comes in a 105mm-travel, 27.2mm version for just £140 (and can often be found discounted) and has a large under-bar remote lever that’s lovely to use. It’s not as light as the KS post, but at half the price, it’s worth considering.
As for going bigger with your tyres, it’s a good idea in theory, but check how wide your wheels are first. Many older Boardman hardtails had 19mm (internal) rims. If that’s the case, you could probably stretch to running 2.3in tyres, but we wouldn’t go any wider. Make sure that the tyre isn’t too pinched-in at the bead when seated on the rim.
Also, think about what tyres will best suit your riding, in terms of casing thickness (light but flimsy single-ply construction or super-tough dual-ply), compound (harder rubber rolls fast but struggles on wet rocks or roots, softer rubber wears quicker, rolls more slowly but offers more traction) and tread pattern (deep, wide-spaced blocks are great in mud, while shallower, lowerprofile treads roll fast but offer less grip). And don’t forget to get tubeless-ready tyres if you want to ditch the inner tubes.
One too many?
Q I’ve been looking at the latest drivetrains and have decided I’d like to run a single chainring up front. Problem is, I don’t know how many gears I need. Will 11 be enough or should I go for 12? Sally Newbold, via email
A Gear choice comes down to a number of things, including fitness and budget. A 12-speed
cassette will give you a greater gear range than the 11-speed equivalent but will cost a fair bit more. For example, SRAM’s Eagle cassettes give you an easier 50t largest gear for climbing – a real plus on long, tiring rides – as well as a harder 10t smallest sprocket for when speeds pick up. All but the cheapest option (NX Eagle, which uses an 11t rather than 10t cog) require an XD Driver freehub though, which adds to the cost and may throw up hub compatibility issues. Their cheaper 12-speed cassettes are quite heavy too. Shimano only offer one 12-speed option (XTR M9100), which has an even wider 10-51t range but again requires a dedicated freehub (Micro Spline).
Alternatively, both SRAM and Shimano (along with the likes of SunRace and e*thirteen) offer a choice of 11-speed cassettes, which are cheaper and lighter. In SRAM’s case, these provide a 10-42t range but require an XD Driver (except for NX, which is 11-42t and doesn’t). Shimano make 11-42t and 11-46t options, both of which fit on a standard splined freehub body. Be careful when selecting your chainring size too (32t is a good starting point for most riders) and be sure to get one with narrow/wide teeth profiling for better chain retention.
Protect my precious
Q I’ve just bought a new frame and want to keep it scratch free. Any idea how to do this? Mark Scullion, via email
A Your best bet is to contact Invisiframe, who sell pre-cut protection kits for loads of bikes. Simply order the right one for your frame and follow the fitting instructions. Alternatively, they can point you in the direction of your closest professional fitter.