Saddle?
I havenāt had mine that long but have heard a ticking sound but I assumed it related to what I had in the SWAT box.
You said you removed the SWAT storage - did you take everything out and then ride and still hear it?
If itās somewhat random (not tied to pedal stroke), Iād also look at the headset. Iāve found it pretty common for new bikes to get a little headset slop as the bearings sort themselves out. Even if itās not the issue, itās worth checking/adjusting the the headset after ~10 hours of riding on new bearings. In my opinion, itās also worth putting a torque wrench on the bottom bracket and just go around the entire bike and check torque on everything (particularly on a new bike once itās been ridden a bit).
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I think I remember a lot of posts in the epic 8 thread on MTBR about an annoying click. Itās a long thread but might be worth digging through.
It looks Iāve found the possible issue:
Brake hose in the frame. I have to try this out.
Itās not from pedalling. Yesterday Iāve heard it when I just leaned the bike against the wall.
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the break hose should be routed trough the intended channel. It doesnāt sit loose in the downtube if installed corretly. Iād also check if you havenāt gotten something stuck in the rear triangle behind the BB thatās rubbing/scratching against your frame.
Check the shock bolts too. Clean/regrease/torque.
Both times Iāve had any noise it was coming from that area.
Itās the brake hose inside the frame. Same issue as mentioned in the post from MTBR forum. Iāve put there a piece of foam and it fixed the issue.
Iāve recently got a green light from el jefa to pick up a new bike or upgrade my EE7 to FA and transmission.
If I go with the EE8 Pro, it comes with FA and x01 transmission. My questions is whatās the deal with that power meter crank? Seems pretty cheap compared to the XX version and doesnāt have the spider style PM that Iām used to. Anyone have experience with the new EE8 pro and/or the x01 components?
Cheers 
Itās a single sided spindle-based power meter. Iāve never used one, but the reviews Iāve seen are that it works well if you arenāt picky about your power being super accurate (certainly good enough to provide the basic data FA needs to do itās job). I went with the Epic 8 expert last year and upgraded to the XXSL quarq with the spindle-based power (had to swap cranks even if I had gone s-works to get the right crank length). At that time, the Pro didnāt have FA, so it was an easy choice to go with the expert and just upgrade the damper and shock to FA. Iām guessing the math is much closer now and the pro might be the best path (especially if you value the nicer group set). I think I saw someone post a while back getting the Epic evo frame on sale and it seemed like the best/cheapest path to get a nice Epic 8 FA build. Epic Evo and Epic 8 frames are identical (staring in 24), just a flip chip to change the travel a little. And I personally prefer the understated colors/logos on the Evo version. Maybe worth checking out frame prices and building from scratch.
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The new Giant Anthem looks interesting
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My Epic build is effectively a Pro build. I have no complaints whatsoever. XX is virtually the same weight besides the crank which gives up 150g or so. Crank PM seems accurate enough for me.
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exact same frame and travel other than fork on complete builds. the only difference is that low / high flip chip (geo not travel), Epic comes set default in high mode and Evo in low mode.
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The pivot point being that far forward on the top tube is interesting, will be curious to hear what the rationale is for that. Other than that, it looks like every other modern XC bike. Not a criticism of Giant, not their fault that all designs have converged as single pivot flex stay built around 120 travel.
I snapped a XTR pedal yesterday. Looking at some look track carbon TI. Anyone have them?
Good pedals
Lighter and larger body pedal area than xtr
Hey everyone! I just wanted to hop on here and share that I finally got to ride my new wireless XTR setup this weekendāand wow, itās everything I hoped for and more.
One thing that really stood out to me is the adjustability of the controller. There are so many options that I found myself constantly tweaking and experimenting with it. Itās almost overwhelming at first, but I know Iāll dial it in soon enough.
I also have to highlight the third buttonāI didnāt think Iād use it much, but it turns out to be a much-needed feature. Iāve been switching my Garmin screen way more than I expected, and now I can do it without even taking my hand off the bar. Super convenient and a small detail that makes a big difference on the trail.
I did end up picking up about 80g over my previous Mech. Eagle GX shifter and derailleur setup (with a Garbaruk cassette), but honestly, the performance gain makes it totally worth it. The XTR shifts incredibly fast and precisely, even under load, which is exactly what I needed. Itās a huge upgrade and feels super responsive on the trail.
I had been considering Transmission, but after multiple rides on my local trails, it just didnāt feel right for me. The XTR, on the other hand, feels like a perfect match.
If anyone has specific questions about the setup or performance, feel free to askāhappy to help! Overall, Iām really stoked with my decision to go with XTR.
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Iām glad to hear this. This is the defining difference between Transmission and XTR for me. Iāve spent about 7 hours on Transmission on demo bikes and the controller pod is a no-go for me. It hurts my hand. Does the XTR controller feel more like mechanical shifters in terms of position?
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Its shape and feel is very similar to a mechanical shifter. That solid, pronounced click when you press the button is super satisfyingāand more importantly, really functional.
Iāve got mine set to unlimited shift, and the shifts happen so fast that without that tactile feedback, you could easily end up two or three gears off before you even realize it. That click gives me instant confirmation that something happened, which is huge when youāre in the zone.
Shimano really nailed it here!
Edit: I have my setup to utilize āvery fastā shifting
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Awesome review! I hadnāt considered how handy that third button could be, and now I want it so bad. I really hate swiping my garmin screen during a race or hard effort, and with gloves you can have āmisfiresā that are very frustrating.
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