Stupid modern bike

[Splatter Paint]

My modern steed keeps breaking! :x

It is a 4-bar Kona covered in lovely modern XT kit and yet the BB lasted just 18 months, the headset bearings - FSA Orbit MX managed a whole 6 months before seizing and now 18 months after purchase I have wear in the suspension pivots :shock:

My fat arse has bent a titanium post and a Ritchey WCS alloy one so I've gone carbon now....if this one goes it'll be terminal! The brake pads are £20 a pair and tyres are £35 each... A SRAM PC 991 Cross-Step chain lasted all of 600 miles before snapping so I'm Mr XTR chain now.

The thing is I take care of my bikes! My mates take the p**s because I always turn up with a shining, well oiled machine. What gives? My old Kona gives me no trouble at all! Wobbly bottom bracket? Just take in a bit of slack my son.... same bearings for the last 20 years.

They really, really don't make them like they used to.

 

[ekiborter]

If you had problems with the sram chain....... :shock:


the future of the XTR is bleak.
;]

 

[Splatter Paint]

Hmm funny thing that, I've been using SRAM for ages, in fact I hadn't bought a Shimano chain since my father bought me a Raleigh Summit in 1993. BUT I had 2 991 Cross-Steps fail in less than 1000 miles, the side plates along the whole chain began to move apart.

I think SRAM must have a bad batch because a lot of folk seem to have problems in the last 18 months but no hastles previously. I used to use the hollow pin / side plate chains (89?) which were great but the last 2 SRAMs have been awful.

The XTR chain is utterly perfect and the shifting is brilliant. I will be buying another!

 

[Kona Paul]

Not too sure you can blame Kona for a Shimano BB and FSA headset...

 

[perry]

generic parts . your eyes arnt wowed by them so they spec crappy bits without you noticing

 

[Splatter Paint]

Kona Paul, I built the bike myself from the frame-up so no blame lies with them (Kona) on the components. The wobbly piviots after such a short space of time is annoying though.

I forgot to add to the first post that the Fox rear shock broke after 6 months when the outer sleeve cracked. Those nice folk at Mojo fixed it free of charge and did a complete overhaul at the same time, which was excellent!

SP

 

[CAS]

My modern steed keeps breaking! :x

.

My brother seems to have the same sort of problems with his modern bike -a Rocky Mountain that cost four grand. He's bent the cassette already, replaced pedals and a few more bits and he only had it a few weeks ago.

He lives in Switzerland and I'm visiting him there with my C16R before going on to OWMTBC in Holland - so it will be interesting to see what happens when we take the two bikes out together!

 

[barry2017]

That's the problem with the modern, sealed unit approach of bike parts. Cartridge BBs are the worst example IMO. I've never managed to get one that could cope with being submerged more than once. A proper BB will sieze up, but you can rebuild it and it will be good as new. Come on, Mr Shimano, tell me how that's progress?

 

[hamster]

And outboard BB systems seem to have pitifully short lives. Amongst my road pals who have got them they don't seem to last more than 2500 miles, which is pathetic....3 BB's in a season :shock: ?

Good thing I'm on 1996 Campag...

 

[Russell]

I was running ISIS BBs on my modern bike until very recently when I got fed up getting about 500 miles out of them before they became rough or just failed totally. I've 'upgraded' to a HollowtechII system now so we'll see how that lasts.

On the flipside, I rode a 1991 bike yesterday on an offroad loop and most of the way round I was bemoaning the lack of decent braking, pitiful suspension afforded by the Mag20 forks and serious lack of grip put down by the 18yr old tyres... Although mechanically, it was perfect