Tips Archive:

Hot Tip of the Month- June 2007: “The feelings in the drive train on the NXT”

The NXT is by far the most finicky bike I’ve ever dealt with. Sometimes it comes out of the box feeling really great; other times not so great. This is a hard bike to dial if it comes out feeling less than optimal. Often times; even with a perfect adjustment on the chain & alignment right on the money, the bike can feel like there is conflict in the drive train. My experience has shown me that the better the feeling when new, more adjusting is necessary as the bike gets broken in. The NXT seems to have a longer period of use without adjustment when it’s a bit on the tight side. Also, the NXT seems a little noisier than the Pro and Elite; I would say this may be because of the larger aluminum tubing in the frame; the noise seems to resonate a bit more. The rule of thumb when adjusting the NXT is patience. Without the benefit of a bottom frame beam to align a sight the flywheel; this bike needs adjustment based more on “feel” than anything else. Be patient. There is a ton of info in the newest volume from StudioCycles. Volume 5 of “The Ultimate Tech Manual Series” New Bike Set up and Assembly will save you a lot of headaches. It all starts when the bike is brand new. Happy Trails and thank you to all who attended my sessions at WSSC in Miami.