Raleigh XXIX Updation
August 16th, 2006 by Tim GrahlAbout 10 days ago I wrecked the XXIX a bit and bent up the disc for my front wheel’s brakes. I switched bikes for a week or so since I didn’t really have time to do any repairs, but Sunday I finally got back into the basement to see if I could pound the disc straight.
Well looky-there, I had an extra 29er wheel in my basement that had the exact same 160mm Avid Disc so I switched them out and continued my riding on the Raleigh.
If you read our sister site, Blue Collar Mountain Biking, you’ll know I’m training for the singlespeed class for a local race and I am planning on riding the Raleigh XXIX for the race. And now that I am actually thrashing around on the bike some I’ve gotten to do a bit of better testing. Here’s some stuff that I’m noticing as I ride harder and faster…
First off, the bike is still the best fitting bike I’ve ever ridden. It’s the medium size frame and I am 5′11” and fluctuate my weight around 190 pounds. Usually after an hour of hard riding on a rigid bike my back is killing me, but not on the Raleigh. While I still have a bit of stiffness once I stop, the pain is not there during the ride.
A problem I’m running into is things don’t seem to be staying tight enough on the bike. I have to take the front wheel off to cart the bike around, however I am well adept at putting the quick-release wheel back on the bike. But even after putting on the wheel with what seems like sufficient tightening, about 20 minutes into the ride I will hear the front wheel start rattling a bit so I stop and, sure enough, the front wheel has come loose a bit. This has only been happening since I have been doing faster descents on rocky, rooty terrain. Also along this same lines, the seat seems to be slipping a bit on me. I’ve noticed that I have to raise the seat at the end of the ride. I probably lose about a half inch after a 60 to 90 minute ride.
The bike does to a great job over the rough terrain though. The frame is definitely built well and does a good job absorbing a lot of the shock.
The Raleigh XXIX still has my thumbs up, but I gotta figure out the deal with the front wheel loosening on me.
Here’s a couple pics from my ride…
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I have the same issue with my Redline. Although not rattling around its more of a “the wheel moved and now my disc is rubbing on the pad(s)” . I am thinking the dropouts might have a larger gap causing the wheel to cock from either applying the brake or just hitting obstacles not square to the wheel.
I’ve had some problems with the skewers holding tight with my 29′ers. I had to ditch some DT swiss skerwers for Shimano. I think the torque of the larger wheel loosens them up….not sure. I’d try different skewers.
Try running your QR on the other side because sometimes the heat from you disc brake can affect the nylon in the QR causing it to loosen up.
I always run my front skewer reverse on disc brakes. Lennard Zinn did a tech report on this on Velonews.com some time back. The forces from the disc brake loosen the skewer when mounted with the lever on the left. I’ve not had any problems since I started reversing mine 2 years ago. Give it a shot.
Weird… I’ve never heard of that before. I’ll try that out. Thanks for the tips!
I’d like to read that tech report.
-M
Yeah, I haven’t heard anything about running skewers on the driveside on disc brake bikes either, altough I am aware that alot of folks do that. I know that not all QR’s are created equal. Some of them just plain suck. It wouldn’t surprise me if the XXIX comes with a cheapo QR lever.
Try a steel Shimano lever and I bet the problem will go bye-bye. I use a titanium Curve skewer on my monkey from back in the day. Everyone says “No titanium skewers with disc brakes!”, but they do not come loose, not ever! The Inbred 29″er is running steel Salsa levers, which I highly recommend and do not ever work loose.
I know that you realize how a QR works Tim, but some times I have to open and close a lever several times before I’m satisfied that I have it tight enough. Sometimes the aluminum and nylon interface on the cam is so dry that the friction created makes it seem that the lever is tight, when in fact it is not. Also, check the interface between your dropout and the QR face. If one or the other is perfectly smooth, the QR may not be getting a good bite on the dropout and that can make for a loosening skewer. Old 6/4 Ti drop outs were so hard that they had this problem.
Anyway, there are some ideas for you to check on. Hope you get that problem cleared up! Could be dangerous!
Yes sir, I too believe that your skewer may need to be upgraded. Some compression of the plastic bushing is likely. As a professional bicycle mechanic since 1974, I was horrified the first time i saw one of these things, even though, as i hate to admit, they usually work well enough.
The strongest skewers I own are Campagnolo NR from the early 1980’s.
Having a strong skewer fastened very tightly also compresses the length of your front hub axle, thus effectively tightening your bearing adjustment, depending on the hub design. For standard cup and cone hubs, I lock in the smallest amount of detectable sideplay in the bearing adjustment, which compensates for the compression from the skewer.
You can confirm this phenomenon by using a bare hub with no spokes or rim, clamping it into place on your fork, and feeling how much bearing resistance is introduced by the compression of the skewer.
After experiencing your repeatedly loosening front wheel, it would not be a bad idea anyway to check that you front hub cones (bearing adjustment) are locked in place on the axle.
It would also be wise to confirm that your fork dropouts are aligned and parallel with each other.
’safe traveling,
stephen guerdon smith, New Orleans, Louisiana (NOLA)
Adam’s Bicycle World, NOLA, 1995-present
French Quarter Bicycles, 1993-1995
The Bikesmith, NOLA, 1979-1991
Robert’s Bicycles, NY 1975-1978
I just got my Raleigh XXIX and have not had any problems so far. I checked the front wheel a couple of times after reading your entry and it stayed tight the entire 1 1/2 hour ride. Also no slipping of the seatpost. I am also 5′ 11″ and the medium fits me very well also. Lastly, while I understand the purists veiw of single speeding, a Thudbuster seat post on this bike makes it absolutely pain free. Sounds like there is some great advice out there. Good luck!
I had two pretty hard rides over the weekend and had no more trouble with the quick release coming loose on the front wheel.
I did flip the QR to have the lever on the right side but I also paid special attention to making sure it was seated properly. I don’t think anything changed on that end but who knows. My gut says it had something to do with the lever being on the disc side as I’ve been putting on wheels and locking them down for several years now with no problems.
On saturday I still had some trouble with my seat slipping a bit throughout the ride so Sunday I really cranked on it and the seat stayed put, so maybe I wasn’t keep it tight enough.
So looks like my problems are solved on the XXIX… good thing cause it’s only three weeks until race day!
what is standover / effective TT on the medium?
I’m 5-9ish, 32″ inseam.
very interested in the XXIX
I don’t know but you might find that info at your nearest Raleigh dealer or in the eCatalog found at
http://www.raleighusa.com/catalogs.asp
Test ride it first before you buy if at all humanly possible.
safe traveling
dseckel I am 5′9″ @30″ inseam about 174lbs. and ride the XXIX (see photo in contest mark makes dust on Kahuku in Volcanoes National Park in Hawaii…. ditto on test ride but medium has been working for me….also anybody know if XXIX can accept a reba 80 mm shock….I realize it isn’t suspension corrected and have read some earlier comments by guitar ted et al but would it really goof up the handling if I went with a front shock?? I have been following your race prep tim and your misery at trying to make the fast down hills on the XXIX on blue collar etc. I am enjoying my ride so far with rigid but have been wondering about guitar ted’s comments with possible reba with sag on earlier rep and designer interview and if it is desirable or a mess to try to put a front shock on? anybody done it yet?
mark: Raleigh says it’s engineered to ride just fine as long as you use the suspension sag settings recommended by Rock Shox with a Reba set at 80mm of travel. Typically I find that alot of guys don’t like their front shocks that active, so you may think that “messes up the handling” right there. You may end up liking it.
My advice is that you will be just fine as long as you have a Reba with the pop-loc, so you can minimize the bob on out of the saddle climbs, which as a single speeder you will be doing alot of. Also, consider that you will be really horsing on those handle bars up some steeper climbs. It is a single speed after all. So that has to figure into the equation. What I’m really saying is that you have to compromise a smooth stroke to go single speed up steeps. That’s going to be reflected in bob on your fork, unless you have lock out. If you have alot of climbing, say 40% or more on your favorite trails, then perhaps staying rigid would make more sense. It’d be better on the climbs and lighter. Sacrifice a bit of comfort on the DH. Plus, there is more than a few new fatties for 29″ers coming our way that might just cushion the blows enough to keep you on a rigid fork. Look at Panaracer, WTB, and Geax, to name a few.
Plus a rigid fork has zero maintenance. So that might be a factor to you as well. There’s more to it than just geometry!
Good luck!
thanks Ted for the speedy reply…actually I am surprised that it has been as forgiving as it is….I have done a bit of speedy downhill already and I can already tell the difference between a rigid steel 29er and my old 26 rigid klein aluminum….I experienced the XXIX as more forgiving… jury is still out on leaving it as is and enjoying it’s strengths and perhaps taking another gander at the geared XXIX or perhaps a sir 9 or carver 96…for more technical rides .right now my riding areas are more in the middling double track and single track with loose lava rocks and boulders all around but I might start more technical stuff in the future and would be looking more at front shock and even possibly full suss options….also I am running the stock 2.3 weirwolfs right now and like you said that has to add some cush….perhaps even fatter down the road? I am not a racer but I like to keep my vertebra where they belong…ha-ha so I wouldn’t mind going even slower and cushier if the fatter tires fit my 700c speed disc rims and didn’t rub on the frame….also I have been thinking of compromising my upper end speed with going a little climbier with my back sprocket so might end up going to something more than the 20T I have on it ….thanks again mark
Hi- Does anyone know anything about the Marzocchi forks that Jenson has for sale and will they work with the Raleigh XXIX? They have both a 75mm and 100mm for sale. I read the earlier post about the Reba 80mm fork and wonder if the either of these Marzocchi forks would work. Thanks for the help, Jeff.
Jffmark: Those forks are reliable, heavy, (compared to a Reba or White Brothers) and have had numerous complaints of flex from heavier/ more aggresive riders. They are a pretty decent buy, and actually, alot of people really like them.
Now as for putting one on a XXIX, I’m not sure about that, now that I actually have seen one. (I got mine just the other day) The front end is noticeably lower than my Inbred 29″er and I can not imagine that by putting even the 80mm travel Marz fork on there that you wouldn’t mess up the front end quickness at least somewhat.
That said, I’ll have to put a tape measure to it and my other two 29″ers and also compare axle to crown measurements for Marz forks before I could say anything with authority.
Right now, my guess is that it wouldn’t be a good idea. Raleigh is coming out with a geared version of this frame very soon. (Intro due at Interbike) and also you might check on Haro Marys in SS or geared garb. All of those bikes are truly suspension corrected for 80mm travel forks and are all very similar. They all use the same rear modular drop out insert.
About how much do these rigid single-speed 29′ers weigh? I would imagine one chromoly bike would be pretty close to the weight of any other, so I am not being brand specific.
Andrew: I weighed the XXIX with stock components and Snafu BMX flat pedals at 27.5lbs. I weighed my Inbred 29″er, with my own custom, but durable spec, at 26lbs even, and that was with clipless pedals, three bottle cages, one water bottle (empty) and a Cat Eye wireless computer installed.
Alot of these “budget” 29″ers are not going to have high end, double butted, lightweight steel frames. The new Redline Flight Monocog being an exception, but that bike is $800.00, so not so “budget” anymore.
I could dump weight in a hurry on the XXIX. Saddle is heavy, Exi Wolfs are heavy, and some of the small parts could be exchanged for lighter ones. Without getting too crazy, I bet I could make this bike a sub 26 pounder in a hurry. With a metculous eye and alot of money, you could go further, but then you’ve got to ask, “Why?”, because you could get a custom frame, and start out with a lighter platform to begin with. Or go to a Fisher Rig frameset with the carbon Bontrager fork and start from there.
Anyway, these CroMo SS bikes are super durable, cheap, and should take a ton of abuse. Just what a single speed mountain bike should be!
Guitar Ted- Thanks very much for the input about the forks. However, I gotta tell you, I did my first race on the XXIX on Saturday in Santa Barbara and I really need to put a fork on this bike! It was really, really rough without the suspension fork and it defintely cost me some time, never mind feeling like my arms were going to blow out during the 3rd lap. I spoke to some people at the race and they really liked the Reba so I might look into that. The rigid is fork is great for “riding” but I need suspension for “racing”. Thanks again for the info. Take care, Jeff.
I put a 22t surley cog on back of my XXIXer and notice a little snappier takeoffs and in saddle climbing is better…again top end speed has been sacrificed….but the snappier lower end was what I was after…just sharing the experience…
Can you put a suspension fork on this bike? I love the whole inexpensive 29er thing but it doesn’t look like the bike is designed for a suspension fork and I really prefer at least a little travel.
Just got my xxix last Friday and love it! The hour-glass seatstays are icing on the cake. I’ve installed a pair of Time Atac pedals (what I’ve been using). Many folks swear by the On-One ‘Mary’ handlebars, so I considering them or a set of less expensive ones from OriGin-8. what else? Who makes the lightest 29′er tire out there?
Ok guys…it’s been about year since all of those posts reagrding putting a short travel sus fork on the XXIX…any new updates with that experiment? Have any of you tried it out? If so, please send the details! I tried to read all of the postings for this bike to see if Raleigh approved of us ladies putting sus forks on this frame and I am not quite sure I saw the ‘go ahead’ from the Raleigh camp…..can anyone confirm that we all should be fine running sus forks on this frame? Sorry just a little paranoid about doing things to frames that may not be designed for sus forks…blah blah blah blah……
I read this on Sheldon Brown: http://sheldonbrown.com/skewers.html
“James Annan has recently created something of a storm in the industry by pointing out a serious safety risk to users of front disc brakes with traditional forks. He has identified a mechanism whereby the forces generated by the disc brake can cause the skewer to loosen up in use!
This failure mode is possible even with the better skewer designs, but it’s more likely with the external-cam type. ”
In addition Brown said this: http://sheldonbrown.com/singlespeed.html
“Disc brakes are increasingly popular for off-road use, and a number of high-end ready-made singlespeed bikes are supplied with front and rear disc brakes. In my opinion, this is not a good thing.
Personally I consider rear disc brakes a very poor choice for a singlespeed. It would preclude you from using a flip-flop hub . Also, as the chain wears and the axle is moved backward to take up the slack, the relationship of the disc to the caliper will change. That can’t be good.”