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Nominate and explain its shortcomings and anything that it actually does as expected.
Top of my list is Muc Off Tubeless Tyre Sealant - is too thick so doesn't spread around the tyres very well so you end up using more than you would if it were Stan's for example.
It does sort of fix punctures.
When it doesn't fix punctures and you fit a tube instead you get pink glue everywhere which is an absolute sod to remove from your wheels, cassette, rotors, hubs, spokes, etc.
Just revolting stuff.
What have you bought and regretted?
This was what I spent my morning doing.
Happy Christmas
EXA SpeedUp dropper post came with a bike I bought in Sept. I've just fitted the 3rd replacement. 1st one would work only occasionally, 2nd one wouldn't stay up, 3rd wouldn't drop. Am I optimistic about no.4? No but hoping to be proved wrong in my opinion
Louise
Canyon VCLS seatpost for gravel bike.
Felt ok on road but just couldn’t get it to stop slipping on rough stuff.
Now buried in the garage somewhere.
Carbon mudguards. Nice idea, awful fittings, much inferior to decent sks at a quarter the price. And they rattled.
Lezyne 1500i ... USB port looked suspiciously weak when I got it, lasted a month before falling off! No support holding it on, just a surface mount PCB component with 2 tiny solder tabs. Awaiting warranty replacement then will do some DIY improvement.
Juice Lubes dry lube - only lasted 5-10miles even in peak of the dry summer and then the chain would start squeaking. It was so thin it was like water.
A subscription to STW.
The "gritty" type of carbon paste.
It's scratches components and works no better than the non grit paste I now use.
I'd extend that to all tubeless sealant. It just doesn't seal anything, I'm beginning to wonder what to point of it is. I even spent a third of a hundred pounds on the Stans Race stuff. I've ended up going to a DH casing rear tire which weighs an absolute ton.
I think the only product I've bought in 5 years I genuinely regretted buying was Uberbike semi-metalic pads this summer but even then I'd bought them in error thinking it was what Uber were calling their Sintered compound.
I tend to ignore fashionable/trend though and stick with stuff I already know works well for me.
What are you puncturing on and why @munrobiker?
Sealant IME is great for thorn punctures, sealing pourous non-tubeless tyres and sealing the bead to the rim. it's not a miracle cure for clumsy riding, ripping proper holes in tyres or running too low pressures and burping, pinching tyre carcus' or ripping single ply tyres at the bead. Nothing ever will be.
Peatys foaming cleaning stuff,overpriced pish
One used cafe latex this year in the tyres. Great to far.👍
Had trouble with stans just going solid in the tyre.....
Birzman Maha push and twist floor pump. No matter how I've tried to make it work, I can't. Replaced the head for another make.
Geex- on my full suspension bike I've had a mix of slashes on rocks and pinches, despite having a Huck Norris. Often the holes are tiny and they just won't seal. But on my hard tail with very flimsy 800g 3 inch tyres I never puncture, despite riding the same trails (Peak District, Lake District, Inners and Glentress off piste). I'm betting think the DT rims I have on the full susser are "sharp", it didn't start happening til I got them.
A subscription to STW.
😂
Any time I hear of someone fitting a huck norris I tend to think to myself you're not running enough pressure in the first place. But yeah some rims are definitely worse for pinching sidewalls than others.
Revelation forks. Even with the compression wound all the way off they spiked horribly on repeated hits, almost to the point they felt like rigid forks. It strikes me as quite suspicious that Rockshox have been pushing 'upgraded' Debonair springs and Charger dampers, almost as though they realise they mucked it up in the first place (if you're interested, I've had to upgrade mine and it makes a hell of a difference).
Endura waterproof shorts probably ok if you ride a couple of times a month but for a ride all weathers type of rider and often they are just so over priced for what they are. Returned and offered a refund which I took and bough some Gore we will see how these fair!
Peatys sealant. Failed to seal most holes and impossible to get off my shorts and backpack. Looks like someone has thrown up over me from behind.... Peatys were very helpful but I should have just moved on.
Bontrager XR3 team tlr tyre. The perfect combination of **** all grip and high rolling resistance. Woo hoo.
Gunz
Member
Revelation forks. Even with the compression wound all the way off they spiked horribly on repeated hits
Do you mean Rebound mate?
WTB Vigilante and Trail Boss tyres, fancied a change from DHF/DHR, heard good things, lasted about a month before I went back to Minions
Gunz
Member
Revelation forks. Even with the compression wound all the way off they spiked horribly on repeated hits
Do you mean Rebound mate?
No, they just didn't seem to compress sufficiently quickly on repeated hits. It might have been them packing down but to be honest I was generally hanging on for dear life at the time so couldn't look down (I did try almost every combination of rebound and compression setting).
Sad to say peatys tire sealant was total bobbins, apart from looking quite nice it didn’t seal up a 29er tyre with even double the volume recommended for a new set up.
Gutted
Even more gutted to read above as I’ve got a litre bottle of muc off sealant to replace the peatys.
The only thing I can remember getting shot of this year was the specialized butcher 2.6.
Just didn't seem to have anywhere near the same grip as a minion, Mary or hr2 - had to keep catching the front as it washed out in dust or slid on roots.
Another for peatys, a bike I bought came with it in and it dried up in both wheels within 2 weeks! Was loosing pressure and found a big dried ball at the bottom of both tyres, never been stored next to a radiator or anything like that.
GX eagle until they updated the jockey wheels to stop the chain coming off them! Write off two mechs in 3 months until the change.
Does Peaty actual hawk anything decent? I’ve noticed him sticking his name on a few things, but I don’t recall any of them being more than average at best.
Cotic Soul Mk5 - good bike just not the right bike for me. What I really needed was/is a carbon short travel FS.
Stand by for me to lose a load of money - Soon to be seen up for sale on here and Pink Bike (Stealth ad).
Sportful super total comfort bib shorts. Which, despite the name, have been the most uncomfortable shorts I have ever owned.A very expensive mistake.
Agree about the Peatys Sealant, so thick and viscous that it doesn't evenly coat the tire, complete garbage that just relies on the name for sales. I did eventually manage to get mines to seal by mixing a bit of Stans in, which says it all really.
Does Peaty actual hawk anything decent? I’ve noticed him sticking his name on a few things, but I don’t recall any of them being more than average at best.
Does seem to be his MO....
Sealant has been universally panned.
There are those weird rubber caps for valves (my mate had them, and they fell off and disappeared first ride).
He helped promote that wooden balance bike on Kickstarter where they ripped off hundreds of backers.
Not a good track record!
One used cafe latex this year in the tyres. Great to far.👍
+1 I’ve got a bit of man love for this stuff, occasionally comes up cheaper than the others and does seem to be pretty good and not too messy.
Got a wide arse. Scrimped and didn't buy a specialised 155mm saddle. Got a narrower one that was on offer. Now have a wide sore arse.
5l if Hutchinson sealant. Seals holes well enough but dries up in about 3 weeks so works out more expensive than stans.
Don't own one but the Specialized Wu dropper post must be the worst idea ever . Take a dropper post which isn't the easiest thing to make and complicate it by making the saddle tilt at the same time for no advantage that I can see .
dudeofdoom
Subscriber
One used cafe latex this year in the tyres. Great to far.👍+1 I’ve got a bit of man love for this stuff, occasionally comes up cheaper than the others and does seem to be pretty good and not too messy.
Yep, got mine at a good price, much cheaper than Stans when I bought it.👍
Totally unnecessary but they even have an App to tell you how much you need for a given tyre size. I kind of like that as it shows a bit of thought has gone into the product.
a gravel bike. yes i jumped on the marketing bandwaggon and fell for the spiel.
no faster than my rigid mtb, not as comfy or versatile as my tourer.
now sold
Seal skins waterproof socks. They just fill up with water so your feet are swimming. Better off with normal socks where they can at least let water out so it not a footbath!
This Lifeline branded combined pump/co2 valve from wiggle. Thank God I tested it before taking it out on the trails. Leaks co2 from a joint on the connector and is just basically unusable.
Praise Jesus. We could all have lost a good man to that gas leak
Yeah,I possibly should have pointed out that at most it would have left me with having to inflate a tyre with the world's smallest pump if the co2 inflator failed.... rather than making it sound like it would have lead to an instant labotomy or such. Lol
+1 for any sealant other than Stans being pish.
I don't buy anything without *obsessive* internet research first. Hence I've nothing useful to contribute to this thread. 🙂
I bought some "Cookie Dough" flavoured protein bars. They tasted like raw cookie dough, which is much less tasty than I remembers. I tried toasting them hoping they would taste like cookies, but they just tasted like burnt cookie dough. Very effective at curing hunger pangs though.
A new Fox remote for my Fox Transfer dropper post. Smashed the original so just automatically replaced like-for-like and it fell apart after a few rides. Got a PNW one in the way to replace it, which is what I would have done anyway if I wasn't so tired and on autopilot when I ordered it!
On the subject of Peaty's stuff I've got the chain lube and it's been fine but seeing as it's supposedly rebranded Wickene and Soderstrom No3 buy with blue dye in the waxy bit it should be good! Tried the sealant, crap. Got a pair of the Deedars and they're still on the valves but crap for the money (mine came free with a chainring from Uberbike). Why does a pro seemingly put their name to stuff without trying it?
Money, he gets paid to let companies use his name.
Definitely as mentioned above, an stw sub. Don't really read the mag just got the sub to support the website, but since all the improvements it's now crap
On the subject of Peaty’s stuff I’ve got the chain lube and it’s been fine but seeing as it’s supposedly rebranded Wickene and Soderstrom No3 but with blue dye in the waxy bit it should be good!
Really? I'm a fan of wickens no3 and had wondered why it was becoming harder to get hold of. On the other hand I'm not a fan of Peary's having attempted to use their awful sealant.
Seems like a strange rebranding.
Birzman Maha push and twist floor pump. No matter how I’ve tried to make it work, I can’t. Replaced the head for another make.
I have one of those - worked well for a bit, but then the thread on the head seemed to wear down meaning it wouldn't engage on a presta valve, I managed to fix it by screwing a brass presta adapter into the Schrader thread - actually works better now as the head spins so you can screw it onto the valve far more securely than you originally could.
Also had one of those lifeline co2 heads which simply did not work - as soon as you screwed the cartridge in it would just empty in one huge burst
I seem to have bad luck with Leyzene’s fancier pumps, whether workshop or pack. I find the push on heads on the track pumps really do not work properly, and the gauges inaccurate. Instead of the push on head, the screw on head of course works, but it doesn’tspin Freely enough from the hose so things get very tricky.
I had a really nice Leyzene mini track pump thing for the pack, with the fold out foot. It worked great the first 4 times it was used, then the seals seemed to go on every part of the pump/hose at the same time making it useless (and out of warranty).
Expensive, tarty and ultimately a bit bollocks. Due to these experiences I tend to avoid the brand.
On the sealant thing, Stans does work, but I have also found Schwalbe Doc Blue stuff very good, and every 500ml bottle comes with a handy wee bottle and valve core remover.
Ass saver, lost it on the first ride waste of money so I made one out of duck tape, a plastic milk bottle and zip ties which has been quite effective but most of all still attached to the bike.
So many complaints about tyre sealant... I make my own never once had a puncture in the 3 years I've been using it and just recently used it to seal a slow puncture in my car. It's cheap as well probably around £6 to £7 quid for 2.5 litres.
How do we obtain your recipe please?
Another vote for peatys sealant, utterly useless at sealing even the smallest of holes but it is good at staining your clothes and making a mess of your bike.
Really? I’m a fan of wickens no3 and had wondered why it was becoming harder to get hold of.
It was on their advertising blurb when it first launched that Wickens had helped them develop it so I asked at their stand at the Malverns Classic and one of the lads let it slip it's the same stuff. Only got a bottle as like you I couldn't get any No3 to replace my nearly empty one. Seems nearly as good so far but it's only been in use for 3 rides so early days.
Hope 35W rims - made of cheese, added Cushcore to mitigate, knackered two new tyres getting them on and off this combination biggest waste of money so far in 30 years of Mtbing!
Superstar headset. Cups went in and the bearing wouldn't fit, tolerances are far to tight. Contacted them and they said the frame needed reaming, bought a nukeproof headset and it worked fine.
Contacted them and they said the frame needed reaming, bought a nukeproof headset and it worked fine.
Never criticise superstars, or even question them online! They are always right and their products are superior to everyone else’s! Probably the single most narcissistic business I have ever seen and outwardly critical of everyone else via their social media.
They are always right and their products are superior to everyone else’s! Probably the single most narcissistic business I have ever seen and outwardly critical of everyone else via their social media.
Brings to mind a computer company named after a fruit.
"On the sealant thing, Stans does work, but I have also found Schwalbe Doc Blue stuff very good, and every 500ml bottle comes with a handy wee bottle and valve core remover."
What if I told you Doc Blue is just Stans. They don't hide it.
Running shoes. Took up trail running about a month ago, currently sofa-bound with two badly swollen ankles...
Easy one for me - Lidl’s mobiwasher thing. Not only did it leak its entire contents over the floor of my car, but I can spit water 10x more powerfully than the useless object dribbles out of it’s nozzle.
I’m usually careful with my purchases, so this is probably biggest waste of money in the last 10 years, not just 2018.
”Easy one for me – Lidl’s mobiwasher thing. Not only did it leak its entire contents over the floor of my car, but I can spit water 10x more powerfully than the useless object dribbles out of it’s nozzle.
I’m usually careful with my purchases, so this is probably biggest waste of money in the last 10 years, not just 2018.”
Why didn't you just take it back?
I have a Leyzene pump that I cannot use since every time you blow a tyre up and try to remove the inflation tube, it simply unwinds the valve core. Doesn't matter how tight the valve has been put in either. Also another vote for Trail boss tyres, the only tyre that has seriously tried to kill me! 🙂
Oh and special mention to an Elite bottle cage that snapped as I tried to put a loaded bottle in it for the very first time. That was £12 well spent! NOT
I have a Leyzene pump that I cannot use since every time you blow a tyre up and try to remove the inflation tube, it simply unwinds the valve core.
I found adding a blob a grease to the thread on the pump helps.
I've never got that Lezyne thing, it's not happened to me on various generations and models of the pump - but the first time I lent one to a mate on a ride, he unscrewed the core. My problem with them is there is one make of valve, can't remember which but probably on Vittoria tubulars, which has a smaller shoulder meaning the head doesn't seal properly.
What i’m Mostly getting from this is that Stans is very good...
Mudguards that are too wide but fine for large tyres and stupid sized eyelet holes.
Decided to move somewhere hot instead of this faffing.
Never criticise superstars, or even question them online! They are always right and their products are superior to everyone else’s! Probably the single most narcissistic business I have ever seen and outwardly critical of everyone else via their social media.
This rings true after a bizarrely passive aggressive exchange with them about a wheel.
Still use them for chainrings and pedals though.
Feelmax Kuuva 5 boots from Finland. First pair had splits in the leather in the left boot. Finally got them to do something about it and they sent another boot. Put it on for the first time and one if the eyelets snapped off. 3 boots, a month old, never been worn and I can't get a response from the company in Finland.
Leyzene mini track pump thing for the pack, with the fold out foot. It worked great the first 4 times it was used, then the seals seemed to go on every part of the pump/hose at the same time making it useless (and out of warranty).
Expensive, tarty and ultimately a bit bollocks. Due to these experiences I tend to avoid the brand.
On the sealant thing, Stans does work, but I have also found Schwalbe Doc Blue stuff very good, and every 500ml bottle comes with a handy wee bottle and valve core remover.
Make sure your removable valve is tight before fitting the pump and then do not over tighten the hose. Have got the same pump and had it for years. Has been used countless times (used for transalp guiding several years) and never had a problem.
Doc Blue is Stans.
Oh, and to the cut unhappy with RS damping try a Fox 🦊 fork. Much better when the going gets tough, imo.... However not as responsive on the bimbly stuff.
My 2018 disappointment was Maxxis tyres. Had two tyres bulge on me. One rear DHR when jumping off a curb and a front HR2 after a dodgy landing.... Both week old tyres.
Was sorely tempted to try CST tyres (the same factory where Maxxis are made), but mates rates meant I went for Maxxis again.
^ Maxxis is just a brand name for Cheng Shin Rubber / CST. I remember them from BITD making the likes of 'Marin' tyres IIRC. I guess they figured out that no self respecting MTB 'bro' would ever buy a Cheng Shin tyre so rebranded 😉
I was really pleased with my Endura MTR II baggy shorts, right up their "Powerful Protection" was actually needed because it rained.
They are always right and their products are superior to everyone else’s! Probably the single most narcissistic business I have ever seen and outwardly critical of everyone else via their social media.
Brings to mind a computer company named after a fruit.
And the leader of the free world...
Love this thread...
Stans Race is the best sealant.
Leyzene pump is great but there is a knack.
Hope have never made a good rim.... but they do make great headsets etc so why would anyone go to Superstar... it's like taking up smoking now that we know what it does.
Rock Shox Revs, sounds a lot like they were not equalised during adding air, mate had the same issue, 10 minutes setting up properly made a world of difference though as mentioned, Fox if a hard charger.
Endura 500 sprayproof buggies, 10 muddy rides and dead... annoying.
DMR Twins for me... did ok but I was expecting more with their track record.
Just finishing a HT build, fingers crossed I'll have nothing to add.
Why didn’t you just take it back?
Day after I bought it went to Wales for a week (when it leaked in the car).. and lost the receipt. But, yeah, I should've.
A tea pot from an M&S clearance shop, yep if teapots make it that far there is a serious design flaw.
^ Maxxis is just a brand name for Cheng Shin Rubber / CST. I remember them from BITD making the likes of ‘Marin’ tyres IIRC. I guess they figured out that no self respecting MTB ‘bro’ would ever buy a Cheng Shin tyre so rebranded 😉
Exactly.... 90% the same as Maxxis at 30% of the price.