Reluctantly needing a new bike.

[Kajjal]

Don't bother. He'll present his opinion as fact and try and blind you with science and BS regardless of people telling him otherwise. Just smile and know that he's talking out his backside.

While he does be very condescending and tries to put down other posters all the time with statements of fact which are often unclear or just plain wrong in this case he is right. Having to first completely remove the brake caliper to get the front wheel off is a bit of a long winded way to go about things.

 

[StuAff]

While he does be very condescending and tries to put down other posters all the time with statements of fact which are often unclear or just plain wrong in this case he is right. Having to first completely remove the brake caliper to get the front wheel off is a bit of a long winded way to go about things.

Hardly that much of a faff.....

 

[jefmcg]

But needing a torque tool every time you have a flat seems like a faff.
. But the video is good. Op can watch and decide if it's for him.

 

[StuAff]

But needing a torque tool every time you have a flat seems like a faff.
. But the video is good. Op can watch and decide if it's for him.

Indeed so. But for a tyre change you might not even need to take the wheel off at all.

 

[jefmcg]

Indeed so. But for a tyre change you might not even need to take the wheel off at all.

Oh yeah. doh!

 

[Yellow Saddle]

You said in your earlier post: 'If you have to remove the wheel to get the bike in your car, forget it'. Which does imply that any kind of wheel removal, most definitely including for puncture repair, would be a problem in speed, need for tools, or both. And it clearly isn't. I'm certain our OP is perfectly capable of using a 5mm allen key. And the Lefty Oliver is a through-axle fork, a proprietary design where the axle is forged in place. My Litespeed has a PF30 BB and I've had zero issues with it. But then my LBS did their job properly with decent parts...

Don't put words in my mouth. My comment had nothing to do with puncture repair. It had to do with transporting the bike, either inside a car or on a roofrack that requires the front wheel to come off.

The axle is a cantilever, not a through-axle. The latter is affixed at both ends to a fork blade. Proprietary has nothing to do with it. Find another use for the new words you've just learnt. The axle is forged, so what? It certainly is not forged in place.

My point was to point out the inconvenience of a Lefty under certain circumstances.

 

[outlash]

While he does be very condescending and tries to put down other posters all the time with statements of fact which are often unclear or just plain wrong in this case he is right. Having to first completely remove the brake caliper to get the front wheel off is a bit of a long winded way to go about things.

Whilst he may or may not be right about a lefty fork, I was referring to his claim about BB30's being 'junk'. As you were .

 

[Kajjal]

Hardly that much of a faff.....

That looks easy enough, i was thinking based on xt m785 and r785 brake mountings it would be a pain getting the brakes off and aligned again when putting the wheel back in if the calipers had to be taken off

 

[Kajjal]

Whilst he may or may not be right about a lefty fork, I was referring to his claim about BB30's being 'junk'. As you were .

I know as much about bottom brackets as lefty forks

 

[ianrauk]

Reluctantly need a new bike?

Sorry that does not compute..... does note compute.... does not compute.

 

[139NI]

The Slate is an interesting and quirky bike. But you must be prepared to live with it's quirks. Firsty, the front wheel is not quick release remove. If you have to remove the wheel to get the bike in your car, forget it. Either get a roofrack or get a standard bike. Secondly, the BB is rubbish. BB30 is junk. Thirdly. The Lefty fork requires plenty of maintenance (probably a service every 50 hours of use, check the manual for exact hours), and a service is expensive.

A couple of models back, the proprietary Cannondale stem was virtually a consumable item. each time you wanted to service the fork you had to saw off the expensive stem. I've done plenty of those and eventually I could do it without wincing. It seems as if this model has now gone back to the tried-and-tested clamp-on stem.

Quirky designs don't have the advantage of millions of users testing every single improvement by default and therefore constantly forcing improvement. If a manufacturer goes it alone, like Cannondale does, the user often pays hefty school fees on behalf of the manufacturer.

Thank you, an interesting aspect I have not yet thought of. I was not aware BB30 is inferior to, say, hollowtech ll. I don't always think with my head and get seduced by innovative bikes. I think if the slate was £1k less than what it is I would have no problem, but at £2.7k, there are many worthy contenders.. Cheers

 

[139NI]

Reluctantly need a new bike?

Sorry that does not compute..... does note compute.... does not compute.

Ian ole boy.. You know how faithful,I have been with my military bike. It's just now I want to spend on, not a replacement, but a fast bike to perhaps join a a club with but have it still not just be suited to a road. Hence a cyclocross pedigree.

Have looked at a Litespeed T5 gravel bike...... What do you think? W

 

[ianrauk]

Ian ole boy.. You know how faithful,I have been with my military bike. It's just now I want to spend on, not a replacement, but a fast bike to perhaps join a a club with but have it still not just be suited to a road. Hence a cyclocross pedigree.

Have looked at a Litespeed T5 gravel bike...... What do you think? W

I have been telling you for years to get a new bike... so at last :-)
@StuAff has a Litespeed T5, and having seen it in the flesh... it's lush... bit of dosh though.

 

[139NI]

Decent bike, if the particular design compromises (Lefty fork/650b only setup/no rack or 'guard mounts) aren't a problem for whatever you actually want to do with it. Ted King won the Dirty Kanza 200 on a Slate and has nothing but praise for it. Wheel changes are not a problem with any through axle setup, that's utter twaddle. Mr King somehow changed three flats in that race without issue…as do many thousands of others. All these press-fit BB 'standards' can be problematic, there are more variables than can lead to the dreaded creaking, reduced service life, and so on…but a properly sorted setup is no bother whatsoever.

Rough guess is you're not looking for a CX bike, but a gravel/all-road/adventure/what name can some other marketing dept. come up with bike. Of which there are many, many good ones. Apart from my own Litespeed T5G (now with flat mount brake setup), there's the Tripster ATR, the Grade, the Datum…most of which will be a bit more versatile than the Slate, will take 650b wheels as well as 700s if you wish, and can do duty as fast road bike/off road bike/commuter/all of the above. Think about what you actually want to do with the bike, do your research & you won't go far wrong.

Stu

Strangely, I have considered the Litespeed T5 Gravel, it's £2.7k at Evans reduced in price. I know so little of bikes (other than my own Montague para bike) that I thought a Cyclocross and a gravel bike are the same thing - I note your comment above and I get the take that they are different pedigrees? Help me out here cos I really don't know.

What I intend to use the bike for is to be nimble enough for club rides, tough for going on unmade tracks and commute with as well. I will only buy one bike at a time

 

[139NI]

I have been telling you for years to get a new bike... so at last :-)
@StuAff has a Litespeed T5, and having seen it in the flesh... it's lush... bit of dosh though.

I don't buy a new everytime I get bored. So I am prepared to spend c.£2.5k for one that I will have for the next 10 yrs