https://www.bikeforums.net/ Mountain biking is one of the fastest growing sports in the world. Check out this forum to discuss the latest tips, tricks, gear and equipment in the world of mountain biking. en Wed, 10 Jun 2026 01:31:16 GMT vBulletin 60 https://www.bikeforums.net/images/misc/rss.jpg https://www.bikeforums.net/ https://www.bikeforums.net/mountain-biking/1321446-cannondale-scalpel-se2-2018-sram-dub-crank-ai.html Tue, 09 Jun 2026 14:23:48 GMT Image: Hi, I want to replace the Eagle crank in my 2018 Scalpel SE2 with Ai rear wheel. Different to today‘s Scalpel SE the bike has only 142mm rear axle. Do I need a dedicated „Ai“ crank? (Hard to get and expensive)? Or does a normal one work ? In the SRAM table Ai with 142mm rear axle...
Hi, I want to replace the Eagle crank in my 2018 Scalpel SE2 with Ai rear wheel.
Different to today‘s Scalpel SE the bike has only 142mm rear axle.

Do I need a dedicated „Ai“ crank? (Hard to get and expensive)?
Or does a normal one work ?

In the SRAM table Ai with 142mm rear axle is not listed.

Thank you

Julian
]]> Mountain Biking jollycycle https://www.bikeforums.net/mountain-biking/1321446-cannondale-scalpel-se2-2018-sram-dub-crank-ai.html https://www.bikeforums.net/mountain-biking/1321410-my-return-biking-project.html Mon, 08 Jun 2026 06:03:59 GMT Hey folks! I've been away from riding for just over a decade due to health issues, but late last year I started getting itchy feet and wanting to ride again, albeit at a vastly reduced level that I used to ride! I'm on disability so my budget was very small and as I can't ride during cold and damp months it seemed the best angle to buy a cheap 2nd hand project that I could fix up over the winter.
After a bit of searching and the usual wild goose chases courtesy of marketplace, I grabbed a 2023 Carrera Sulcata for £80. This thing was in a really sorry state, guy I bought it from said it was bought as a bad choice commuter bike, ridden during a summer and then left in a garden over the winter where all the bearings went rusty. The original owner tried to do some work on it the next year and failed horribly, so it ends up on Marketplace. When i got it, the wheels barely turned freely, the headset bearings were also crusty, it had no pads in the rear brake and the front just howled like a Nazgul and didn't stop anything, the forks were also seized and the gears didn't shift. You would never think this bike was only a couple of years old, more like a decade! My only concern at the time was that it would be my first bike with a 27.5 wheel, but that seems to have worked in my favour as the frame size is a 16" medium, which would've been too small for me on old bike geo, but actually fits me really nicely with the a more modern geo and wheels.
This is how it started life.



Now my original plan was to just strip the bike and replace whatever needed it over the next 6 months or so, maybe some upgrades as well budget allowing. But the more I stared at it, the more I hated the colour, some sort of very cheap grey and orange powdercoat that was pretty scratched on one side where it was leant against a wall or something. Fortunately I do have some airbrush gear that I use to paint models or canvases, unfortunately I live in an apartment block and had to do primer and clearcoat on my balcony although I think i got lucky this time and actually got a reasonably good finish. I didn't want to go crazy on the colours, it's a general runabout bike that I need to lock up outside occasionally and South London isn't the place to leave something that looks too nice outside for too long! So i went with a pearlised silver fading into pearlised black with no decals and also mirror polished the rear caliper mount and dropouts, it's subtle but not tatty, I'm quite pleased with it anyway!

As for parts, I bought an MT200 rear brake to replace the ruined Tektro, the front brake just needed new pads and the rotor a good clean but I'll probably grab another MT200 to match at some point. Also converted to a 1x10 crank and a new BB, some pedals (that I'll be changing again after discovering they have no bearings in them!), a better headstem than the terrifying adjustable one the previous owner put on it, some 50mm riser bars, wheel/headset bearings and a pair of Continental Double Fighter 2.0 tyres to replace the ridiculous oversized truck tyres it had fitted as standard. So far I'm into it by about £250 and have a reasonably half decent runabout bike!
I do want to change some other stuff though, the forks really need to go, they're Suntour coil forks and are insanely heavy as well as really sloppy in every direction, I had coil forks in the 90's that were less terrifying than these things! I also want to change the wheels, they're not terrible, but they are heavy and just very nobrand budget bike quality.

Here's how it looks now!



]]> Mountain Biking KuroSan https://www.bikeforums.net/mountain-biking/1321410-my-return-biking-project.html https://www.bikeforums.net/mountain-biking/1321040-stand-over-inseam.html Sun, 24 May 2026 16:49:27 GMT Hey everyone!
so, I know i know the specifics have been awnsered a million times. But im looking for an experience type awnser so if I have a true inseam of 765.6 would a bike with a stand over of 727 be too tall? Should I size down?

For context 29 inch wheels and i am 5'6 im kinda new to it and been riding an old vintage rigid found a bike for a good price within budget but not sure if thats "too tall" or would i like that little extra height for ground clearance or should I get something with a bit smaller frame?

Also idk if this helps but I live in north rural NJ lots of rocky hills with alot of roots, gets pretty gnarly! I love it. ]]> Mountain Biking Kmeyer93 https://www.bikeforums.net/mountain-biking/1321040-stand-over-inseam.html https://www.bikeforums.net/mountain-biking/1320946-mountain-bike-recommendation.html Wed, 20 May 2026 18:38:42 GMT hello all new here hope i am in the right place to post this. i am wanting a bike to get fit, last time i had a bike was over 30 years ago! i wont be going on roads, will only be going off roads so it will be a mountain bike. things i want on it: full suspension light thick tyres ( i think... hello all
new here
hope i am in the right place to post this.
i am wanting a bike to get fit, last time i had a bike was over 30 years ago!
i wont be going on roads, will only be going off roads so it will be a mountain bike.
things i want on it:
full suspension
light
thick tyres ( i think all mountain bikes have thick tyres but not sure)
quite thick frame

any help please

many thanks ]]> Mountain Biking froggy8 https://www.bikeforums.net/mountain-biking/1320946-mountain-bike-recommendation.html https://www.bikeforums.net/mountain-biking/1320932-suspension-calculator-info-website.html Wed, 20 May 2026 00:16:11 GMT Hi! I made a free website that helps people set up/tune/work on suspension. Any feedback would be very appreciated. If you notice any weird outputs or have suggestions, please let me know. If you could use the print-out feature on the site to copy/paste ur setup along with any issues, that would... Hi!
I made a free website that helps people set up/tune/work on suspension. Any feedback would be very appreciated. If you notice any weird outputs or have suggestions, please let me know. If you could use the print-out feature on the site to copy/paste ur setup along with any issues, that would be super helpful.
Thank you!
lookup: Easy Sus | MTB Suspension Calculator ]]> Mountain Biking Redskier1 https://www.bikeforums.net/mountain-biking/1320932-suspension-calculator-info-website.html https://www.bikeforums.net/mountain-biking/1320763-sr-suntour-xct-fork-dust-seal-type.html Wed, 13 May 2026 07:41:33 GMT Hi All,
I've just bought some new dust seals for a set of SR Suntour XCT 28mm forks and they fit on the stanchions fine, but are too big to fit into the holes of the lower.
The seals I bought are advertised as - XCT Front Fork Wiper Dust Seal 28mm-XCT Front Fork Repair8340:

• XCT 28mm stanchion wiper:Compatible with 28mm stanchion fork
• XCT 28mm stanchion wiper:Part# FAA125-40

The seals that I took out have a bottom size diameter of approx 30mm (to fit in the lower) - a very flexible seal
The new seal have a bottom size diameter of approx 34mm (to fit in the lower) - very rigid seal

The lower seems to have a metal collar inserted (see attached pic) and I'm wondering does this come out to allow the new seals to fit?

If not I'm struggling to find the correct seals and would appreciate any advice.

Thanks all
]]> Mountain Biking smaggs260 https://www.bikeforums.net/mountain-biking/1320763-sr-suntour-xct-fork-dust-seal-type.html