The tape will be already installed on the rims. You will also get a pair of valves with your bike. All you need is sealant and a track-pump or air compressor. You can as well ask your LBS to help you with conversion.
I expected CrudXL to at least provide good protection of the fork legs and seals which it doesn't. It protects my face and upper torso from dirt spray though. My photo shows unprotected areas very well )
I ordered several saddles from Bike24 and did a "protected" test ride with each. I covered the saddle with commuting-style seat cover (really thin so I can still feel the saddle profile) and covered the rails with electric tape to avoid scratches. I kept the one I liked the most and returned the...
Ok. This is how my bike looks after a muddy ride. I definitely need to extend the width and length of the rear mudguard and swap the front mudguard for Mudhugger long + lower tube showel-style fender as the current setup does a poor job of protecting me and the bike components from dirt spray.
I found below options to be really comfy. Settled for Selle SMP Drakon as I preferred its form better but any of these would be a good option to choose from:
Selle Italia Diva Gel Flow L3 Women's Saddle - black (no mistake here, this exact saddle fits males perfectly and is used by many folks...
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It doesn't flex as badly as the DT fork on Rob's vid, and they do run 140 mm of travel (I believe there was 160 version as well). Did you actually try one or wobbled/flexed one with your own hand? It's crazy stiff (c'mon, it has square edges) and almost has no stiction under load (needle...
For ultimate stiffness I presume Lefty is the top choice. They do have a kit that allows mounting to non-cannondale frames, one of the guys from my local community did the lefty upgrade and says it's a huge difference to any other fork in terms of stiffness and non-stiction on the big bumps and...
Full suspension is great, I was just thinking that if after some rides he is still in doubt if he wants to dive deeper into MTB - doing a season of XC rides would help him make his mind. With a cheaper bike he would still get the WOW-factor of an eMTB without breaking a bank, and hardtail is...
I've been using SRAM PC1110 for a few years on my fatbike - I rode it all year long and it stood well to all the challenges of grit, clay, grayish snow melting reagent sludge with minimal wear (I swapped my last chain after a year of riding and it still had slightly less than 0,75 wear. Bought 2...
Try renting a full suspension bike and hit some easy trails (coached - if possible), do this a couple of times just to see if this is something you would enjoy. If still uncertain at this moment I'd look for a cheap hardtail eMTB and do some XC riding with no harsh sections to explore deeper...
I don't ride out looking for mud piles either. But there is no way to know what the trail is like before you ride it, and I mostly don't plan for exact route in advance, I chose the direction and see where the trails and fields will lead me )
And one big accidental splash is usually enough to...
I must say that I am not completely satisfied with the fender setup. Front guard allows a lot of drit to fly towards your boots, battery and cranks, it also allows some dirt to fly on fork seals. It stops all the spray to your face and torso though, so it's more tailored to protect the rider...
For winter riding it's most important not to block the blood flow. When choosing glove size always try them on with you (or some other bike), sit on it, grab the bars, put your weight on your hands - your finger tips should not push hard against the fabric, it's ok if glove fingers are a bit...