Anyone have experience with SRAM Eagle Transmission on any Specialized e-bike?

OK, I picture you researching cars, dishwashers, washing machines, light bulbs, tweezers, band-aids, potting soil, sponges, ball-point pens, shoelaces, ... well, you get the idea. Seems like a tough (or anyhow slow) way to go through the world.
 
OK, I picture you researching cars, dishwashers, washing machines, light bulbs, tweezers, band-aids, potting soil, sponges, ball-point pens, shoelaces, ... well, you get the idea. Seems like a tough (or anyhow slow) way to go through the world.
Well, I have never researched potting soil.

The research amount and detail does increase with the cost / risk of the item. And, yes, it is very time consuming. Right now I am also researching new frying pans as I am a bit frustrated with cast iron and carbon steel. So I am trying to find something that maintains some of the non-stick and searing capability. I have stainless I love, but they are very food specific. Right now, vermicular.us is the leader. But this time of year I mostly grill. So I am waiting for fall/winter to come around to try one.

You should have seen the operation for picking out a meat smoker. Kamado Joe for the win, and I love that thing. Weber for a gas grill. Or cameras ( photography hobby ) On the flip side, like vacuums, I just read a few trustworthy reliability sites and buy one. Takes about 10 minutes.

I am highly susceptible to the itch from wool. I have been slowly going through wool and then later synthetic activewear options for biking and lifting in the last 8 months. I have found exactly two companies that produce exceptional wool products for me. And a few runners up that just aren’t quite right (but the wool itself is pretty good). I then tried synthetic because wool is never truly comfortable for me. I now have a nice selection of items that work well across a wide range of environments and activities. I am still short on long base layer bottoms. But if you want to know anything about the materials and uses of various activewear, feel free to ask about them. ;)

A bike is a personal thing. Part of the reason it is getting this single minded focus is 1) it’s very expensive. 2) it is more subjective than most purchases. 3) I have already been burned by lack of complete information.

I also generally like this process. At the moment, it has caused me to discover actual mountain bike riding. I have been looking at the local trail options that will now be well within my capabilities. I can’t wait to take a ride up to the top of a local mountain. Will be super fun!

Anyway, back to bikes! I need to determine who is right about fit. ANd whether I should be sizing down.
 
If you enjoy it, I'm all for it. One question, though. I take it you live in Vermont. What's up with that?;)

As for fit, it's so individual that maybe nobody is right. I'm sure you've found that a ton of web sites repeat basically the same info, and that manufacturers' charts (this inseam = that frame size) are not to be fully trusted. There's also the whole subject of stem length. I've had a 10mm change make a quite noticeable difference. I'd suggest you visit a pro fitter, but maybe that requires a trip to Boston.
 
One question, though. I take it you live in Vermont. What's up with that?;)
After extensive research and careful consideration, I determined that Vermont is the best state in the Union. :)

I have been professionally fit. I think they did a phenomenal job getting my saddle in a comfortable and powerful position. They didn’t do great on my hands. Part of that was limitation of adjustment on the bike. We basically raised the bar and shortened the reach as much as possible. This is why I am thinking I may realistically be a small. There is only so much shortening you can do to a stem before you significantly effect the feel of the bike.

My fitter charges $300 just to evaluate a bike for fit. And $600 for another fitting. I may jump on that, but, I have struggled with the fitters lack of ability to get out of their own biases around biking. I keep saying this, but I am not a biker. Comfort and experience are *so much more important* than a “proper” fit for performance reasons. So, honestly, the reason I went to them in the first place was never solved directly by them. I simply ended up getting a bike with a much shorter effective reach that was already more relaxed.

I simply have no idea how/if that translates to a bike like the fuel exe.
 
After extensive research and careful consideration, I determined that Vermont is the best state in the Union. :)

I have been professionally fit. I think they did a phenomenal job getting my saddle in a comfortable and powerful position. They didn’t do great on my hands. Part of that was limitation of adjustment on the bike. We basically raised the bar and shortened the reach as much as possible. This is why I am thinking I may realistically be a small. There is only so much shortening you can do to a stem before you significantly effect the feel of the bike.

My fitter charges $300 just to evaluate a bike for fit. And $600 for another fitting. I may jump on that, but, I have struggled with the fitters lack of ability to get out of their own biases around biking. I keep saying this, but I am not a biker. Comfort and experience are *so much more important* than a “proper” fit for performance reasons. So, honestly, the reason I went to them in the first place was never solved directly by them. I simply ended up getting a bike with a much shorter effective reach that was already more relaxed.

I simply have no idea how/if that translates to a bike like the fuel exe.
For bicycle ergonomics & proper fit I found this series of articles very informative. I just checked google translate, and it seems it does not muck them up too badly. I found the part about working angles, and in particular about the knee working angle and also about proper upper arm-to-spine angle and resulting shoulder/neck positioning eye opening.
bicycle ergonomics:
part I Grundlagen der Fahrradergonomie – Teil 1 | Fahrradzukunft 34
part II Grundlagen der Fahrradergonomie – Teil 2 | Fahrradzukunft 35
part III Grundlagen der Fahrradergonomie – Teil 3 | Fahrradzukunft 36
 
For bicycle ergonomics & proper fit I found this series of articles very informative. I just checked google translate, and it seems it does not muck them up too badly. I found the part about working angles, and in particular about the knee working angle and also about proper upper arm-to-spine angle and resulting shoulder/neck positioning eye opening.
bicycle ergonomics:
part I Grundlagen der Fahrradergonomie – Teil 1 | Fahrradzukunft 34
part II Grundlagen der Fahrradergonomie – Teil 2 | Fahrradzukunft 35
part III Grundlagen der Fahrradergonomie – Teil 3 | Fahrradzukunft 36

Reading through them. Some interesting stuff is in there.
 
There were errors on bikeinsights for both bikes. So I contributed my own version of both bikes. This is as “correct” as I can make it:


The above is a comparison of my medium Sirrus X to a Small Fuel EXE. To me, this seems like the right match. After different stem lengths are accounted for, effective reach should be quite close. If anything the X 4 should be just slightly longer due to the slacker seat tube When at the same saddle height.

Anyway, I still haven’t seen an argument that says the small is too small For me. Except seat post length issues.
 
I took a Fluid VLT SZ2 for a couple rides today. It definitely alleviates *some* of the hand numbness. But it is not gone. On the medium exe (which I road again after the fluid) when riding a trail downhill my hands get to the point where I almost can’t hang on anymore. Weight on the front is definitely worse on the larger bike. The VLT isn’t comfortable, but it isn’t sheer terror as I feel like my hands are going to stop working.

On the road, I think the vibration is primarily the knobby tires. There are a number of ways to address that. All of which I am doing anyway. Less knobby tires, lower pressure, compliant handlebar and fancy suspension grips.

Based purely on comfort, I would have taken the fluid over the exe.

Onward and upward!
 
Back