Making the juggernaut more trail worthy/chain drops?

[Tim Skafidas]

I bought the juggernaut Hd. Have the wren fork, Thudbuster shock, tedurado brakes, 4.0 tires. I’m getting bounced around a bunch on the technical trails and have had chain drops - sometimes getting stuck in between the chain ring and motor. Gets jammed so bad I need to take the chain ring off to get the chain back on. But In general how do I get the most out of this hard tail on the rocky trails of Colorado. Been experimenting with trying to lower the tire pressure. I put a 34 chain ring in the front. Think I could use a better seat I think (any suggestions)? Maybe a wider range in rear cassette. Put lower bars on too. Middle stiffness in polymers currently in the Thudbuster. Would going tubeless help? Any way to improve that? Open to try anything to get it a bit better on moderate trails? Thanks

 

[MisterM]

I bought the juggernaut Hd. Have the wren fork, Thudbuster shock, tedurado brakes, 4.0 tires. I’m getting bounced around a bunch on the technical trails and have had chain drops - sometimes getting stuck in between the chain ring and motor. Gets jammed so bad I need to take the chain ring off to get the chain back on. But In general how do I get the most out of this hard tail on the rocky trails of Colorado. Been experimenting with trying to lower the tire pressure. I put a 34 chain ring in the front. Think I could use a better seat I think (any suggestions)? Maybe a wider range in rear cassette. Put lower bars on too. Middle stiffness in polymers currently in the Thudbuster. Would going tubeless help? Any way to improve that? Open to try anything to get it a bit better on moderate trails? Thanks

Hard to think how to "soften" a hardtail more than you've already done. Tubeless will help a little - can ride with lower pressure without worry about pinch flats. I installed Vitoria AirLiner in my rear tire as it seems to me to be the best tire insert on the market as it takes up so much airspace inside the tire.

Honestly, I think you're chasing your tail - little you can do to dramatically change the feel/handling of a hardtail on rough terrain.

For dropped chains, there's a few options: https://www.cxmagazine.com/dropped-chain-cyclocross-upgrades-single-chainring-chain-guard

 

[Tim Skafidas]

This really helped! I lowered the tire pressure and upped the pre load in the Thudbuster and it made a world of difference. Now I just need to figure out the gearing/ chain or belt situation. Thanks

 

[dadoftwinsfml]

Regarding the chain situation, I went through a similar problem on my ultra FS. I tried a couple off the shelf chain guards, none of which really helped or fit properly because they're not made for e-bikes. In the end I took it to the shop and asked them to find and put on a bash guard that fit perfectly around the chain ring. I am happy to report that this works perfectly even though it's only on on the outside edge. I've taken some big drops in the smallest gear (lowest chain tension) -- the same drops that cause my chain to fall off before, and the chain stays right where it's supposed to be.

 

[Mike Sloan]

What was the brand/model bashguard?