Official mountain biking thread

[Loco-Deer-Slayer]

I've been racing DH on and off for about 5 years.

My first year was the same year Aaron Gwin started racing and he was doing the same events I was (Mountain States Cup). He was still racing Cat 1 and absolutely destroying people, back when he rode for Yeti. Gwin, Graves, Blinky, Boice, and Schusler were all the top dogs. Yeti had a dream team.

Damn I miss those days.

 

[cydwhit]

Nice man that looks a nice bike. Go 1x when you can it's been the best upgrade I made in a long time. Those reigns are fun I nearly got one of the new ones myself.

You coming up to whistler at all this summer. We should ride bikes

Oh yeah, 1x ASAP.

I really want to make to Whistler but I'm moving 6.5 hours in the wrong direction.... I might try to make it up in the early fall though, really want to ride up there after years of watching edits.

 

[Loco-Deer-Slayer]

Blast from the past[video]http://www.vitalmtb.com/videos/member/Yeti-Cycles-2009-Snowmass-MSC,366/sspomer,2[/video]

 

[californiagrown]

Yeah that will be a sweet park bike. I have not got a park pass this year but I'm really wantin to get some dh in soon

I have a 2011 stumpy fsr, 140mm front/back. Hover I'm a fairly big dude -200lbs and break spokes on 20% of my xc rides here in the Seattle area(albeit fairly rowdy xc).

If I take a day at the whistler bike park, do you think I could get away with using my bike, or would it be worth it to rent a dh bike for $100+ a day?

I've never been on another bike, so have no idea what a big bike would feel like.

Thoughts?

 

[tomPietrowski]

I have a 2011 stumpy fsr, 140mm front/back. Hover I'm a fairly big dude -200lbs and break spokes on 20% of my xc rides here in the Seattle area(albeit fairly rowdy xc).

If I take a day at the whistler bike park, do you think I could get away with using my bike, or would it be worth it to rent a dh bike for $100+ a day?

I've never been on another bike, so have no idea what a big bike would feel like.

Thoughts?

Personally I would say it's worth renting simply because you will have way more fun on a dh bike. You can certainly ride the park on a smaller bike but it will hold you back so if your only here for a short visit make the most of it an get a nice bike. The demo centre ha some amazing bikes but they will be a bit more pricey and the giants are great a a standard rental.

 

[kung_powpow]

I have a 2011 stumpy fsr, 140mm front/back. Hover I'm a fairly big dude -200lbs and break spokes on 20% of my xc rides here in the Seattle area(albeit fairly rowdy xc).

If I take a day at the whistler bike park, do you think I could get away with using my bike, or would it be worth it to rent a dh bike for $100+ a day?

I've never been on another bike, so have no idea what a big bike would feel like.

Thoughts?

Downhill bike rental for sure, 140mm isn't really enough for Whistler and the head tube angle is super steep. It's do-able but is sketch and won't be as much fun

 

[Tinga]

New question I guess, I have an 2008 Scott Ransom 40 bike. Before I got it last summer it really hadn't seen much use so it is still in good condition. Now I kind of want to start upgrading parts on it but I'm not sure if its worth to put a bunch of money into a bike this old

a couple things to consider when upgrading an older bike.

First off it will be cheap to upgrade because all those old standards are falling out of favor. you can get some cheap 26" wheel sets and tires. so upgrading will be cheap.

Another thing to consider is how long you want to have the bike. because those components wont be made much longer (open to speculation) if you break something minor you may not be able to replace it and be stuck with a lot of parts you can't switch over to a new frame.

 

[Park_Mho]

Went to Mountain Creek Bike Park yesterday, and it was raining quite a bit, but that only added to the fun.

 

[Goku]

Just picked up a Devinci Spartan

She Bang.

 

[byubound]

Just picked up a Devinci Spartan

She Bang.

Excellent choice. Such fun bikes. Is it stock or did you build it up?

 

[Goku]

Excellent choice. Such fun bikes. Is it stock or did you build it up?

RC Carbon build.

Going to put an MRP chain guide/bash guard on though

 

[byubound]

Gonna ride tiger tomorrow if anyone wants to join.

 

[Slush]

I want to go build trails but it has been downpour the whole week. Weather plz

 

[GANDALF]

I want to go build trails but it has been downpour the whole week. Weather plz

Send rain to the PNW its gettin dusssssssty

 

[*TURBONERD*]

http://m.pinkbike.com/buysell/1786964/

Thoughts? Gonna try to give it a test ride this week.

 

[GANDALF]

http://m.pinkbike.com/buysell/1786964/

Thoughts? Gonna try to give it a test ride this week.

Never go full enduro

 

[GANDALF]

Never go full enduro

Jk that's a dope bike 7/10 would ride

 

[jellomellow]

http://m.pinkbike.com/buysell/1786964/

Thoughts? Gonna try to give it a test ride this week.

do it

 

[*TURBONERD*]

Never go full enduro

Doug I'm an XC nerd at heart. I like going up stuff, ask Yergz. Full DH is dumb for me.

Anyway, assuming this rides well, the components seem fairly standard for these days, so the only immediate change would be to go tubeless (if it isn't already), and I can slowly upgrade as seems necessary, or eventually get a carbon frame as they become cheaper. God is be hyped if this rides well.

 

[cydwhit]

Ok, so I finally got my bike from BHam to Bozeman (thanks Zach!) and got a parking lot ride in late last night. I bought it kind of sight unseen, I knew I wanted it and that it was a decent deal but didn't have a full component speck. Turns out through bunch of mutual friends I have a connection at the shop that worked on it. Dude I bought it from was a major bike gaper (I knew that already by stalking his FB) so it's been barely ridden but pimped out. He also had a frame failure so it's a very recently brand new warrantied frame.

Parts I didn't know it had but am stoked on:

-Canfield Crampon Pedals (gonna kill my shins)

-Full raceface Atlas cockkpit

-XT cranks

-Almost new KS Lev dropper post

but, because he was a gaper there are some weird issues, rear quick release was loose, wheel almost fell out on first bunny-hop and the front brakes were barely tightened, they wiggled around everywhere. So I'm tightening everything before its inaugural ride tonight, now I just need to get a shock pump and get the suspension dialed. Stoked!

 

[LC.]

http://m.pinkbike.com/buysell/1786964/

Thoughts? Gonna try to give it a test ride this week.

Do it. I really wanted a Process 153 frame but couldn't find one cheap and found my Bronson frame cheap. A friend has one and I really like it, long and low. Throw a Works -1 or -1.5 headset on it maybe, but ride it first.

 

[GANDALF]

Doug I'm an XC nerd at heart. I like going up stuff, ask Yergz. Full DH is dumb for me.

Anyway, assuming this rides well, the components seem fairly standard for these days, so the only immediate change would be to go tubeless (if it isn't already), and I can slowly upgrade as seems necessary, or eventually get a carbon frame as they become cheaper. God is be hyped if this rides well.

I'm just messin with Ya. I have an enduro bike and have no need for a full DH since I have to pedal my sorry ass up the mountain

 

[MacMahoooon]

http://m.pinkbike.com/buysell/1786964/

Thoughts? Gonna try to give it a test ride this week.

I LOVE my 153, takes everything I can throw at it. Climbs much better than a bike it's size should, and then descends like a dream. Do it!!

 

[loopie]

http://m.pinkbike.com/buysell/1786964/

Thoughts? Gonna try to give it a test ride this week.

Do it man! Only negative I have heard was the rear derailleur hanger on the Process is pretty weak.

I just bought the deluxe version of that bike, but broke my collar bone on a rental at a bike park no less than 24 hours before it arrived in the mail.

Fucking killing me. Want....to.....ride....

 

[*TURBONERD*]

You've all got me stoked to test this on Thursday. I hope it fits.

 

[NinetyFour]

Trek is releasing some new bikes today, likely all XC and road oriented though. On the XC side it's very likely that we'll see a Superfly with their IsoSpeed decoupler which is just a rubber insert that joins the seatstays and top tube with the seat tube to add some extra compliancy. People have been bitching like mad that it's a recycled idea from the days of old but for fucks sakes engineering, design, and materials have progressed so much since then. Trek is not the only one jumping at this right now either as BMC has been testing out some shit to. Personally I welcome it as it should equate to very good pedalling efficiency, minus harsh hardtail ride quality.

There might be a full suspension bike as well but I doubt anything "revolutionary" (really though none of this will be super crazy, just a further step towards better bikes). The road bike will likely be an aero or endurance bike but no one here probably cares.

We'll find out in about 2 hours for sure though:
http://www.trekbikes.com/ca/en/events/bear_witness/

 

[.MASSHOLE.]

Trek is releasing some new bikes today, likely all XC and road oriented though. On the XC side it's very likely that we'll see a Superfly with their IsoSpeed decoupler which is just a rubber insert that joins the seatstays and top tube with the seat tube to add some extra compliancy. People have been bitching like mad that it's a recycled idea from the days of old but for fucks sakes engineering, design, and materials have progressed so much since then. Trek is not the only one jumping at this right now either as BMC has been testing out some shit to. Personally I welcome it as it should equate to very good pedalling efficiency, minus harsh hardtail ride quality.

There might be a full suspension bike as well but I doubt anything "revolutionary" (really though none of this will be super crazy, just a further step towards better bikes). The road bike will likely be an aero or endurance bike but no one here probably cares.

We'll find out in about 2 hours for sure though:
http://www.trekbikes.com/ca/en/events/bear_witness/

The Trek road bike has already been seen at a few UCI events

 

[NinetyFour]

The Trek road bike has already been seen at a few UCI events

Yeah they've all been spotted somewhere. It looks like the road bike is a clean sheet design to replace the Domane. Then on the XC side there is indeed a hardtail with the IsoSpeed decoupler being dubbed the Procaliber, along with a full suspension bike called the Top Fuel. I'm quite certain these will totally phase out the Superfly lineup.

 

[FuckAllOfYou]

Yeah they've all been spotted somewhere. It looks like the road bike is a clean sheet design to replace the Domane. Then on the XC side there is indeed a hardtail with the IsoSpeed decoupler being dubbed the Procaliber, along with a full suspension bike called the Top Fuel. I'm quite certain these will totally phase out the Superfly lineup.

yeah. the top fuel's been around before, and I'm pretty sure the superfly's totally gone, along with the suspension design it had. I think it'll be parallel to the seat tube, whatever that orientation's called.

the road bike is the new Madone, and I think they'll still have the Domane though. Looks like this new Madone is trying to be the Specialized Venge. I understand that, Trek didn't really have a Venge-esque roadie.

I work at a Trek dealer and it's all they've been chatting about. I'm a specialized dude myself haha.

 

[saskskier]

Well... I just ordered some Shimano m530 pedals and am going to give the whole clipless thing a shot. I'm not doing anything crazy and mostly just trail riding. Also, they were $30. Just need to find some shoes. Worst case scenario, I don't like it and sell them.

 

[LC.]

Well... I just ordered some Shimano m530 pedals and am going to give the whole clipless thing a shot. I'm not doing anything crazy and mostly just trail riding. Also, they were $30. Just need to find some shoes. Worst case scenario, I don't like it and sell them.

I switched to SPDs at the end of last summer (XT Trails, thanks division.bell, glad I went for those). For my first ride ride this spring I tried my flats again and they felt terrible. Straight back to the SPDs. I have no idea why any confident rider would choose to use flats, they just feel better and work better. Unclipping becomes very natural very quickly, don't worry about it.

 

[NinetyFour]

yeah. the top fuel's been around before, and I'm pretty sure the superfly's totally gone, along with the suspension design it had. I think it'll be parallel to the seat tube, whatever that orientation's called.

the road bike is the new Madone, and I think they'll still have the Domane though. Looks like this new Madone is trying to be the Specialized Venge. I understand that, Trek didn't really have a Venge-esque roadie.

I work at a Trek dealer and it's all they've been chatting about. I'm a specialized dude myself haha.

Yeah you can see all of the bikes at that link now. The shock is parallel to the seat tube, definitely better for keeping weight centered and low.

And aha yeah it's the Madone, whoops. Fucking Trek and their anagrams. Definley the competitor to the Venge, Scott's new foil, etc...

I think one of the things I'm most curious about with the new Procaliber is how the 11mm of compliancy will fatigue a carbon frame over time. Really that isn't a huge amount of movement but it's still more movement than what would be normal on a carbon bike.

 

[Skaliwagify]

If any of you are looking for rain, the Midwest stole it all. Seriously haven't been able to ride in weeks because it is raining multiple times a week here. All the trails are closed. Biking is the only thing that gives me a rush near what skiing does and I need it man.

 

[FuckAllOfYou]

Yeah you can see all of the bikes at that link now. The shock is parallel to the seat tube, definitely better for keeping weight centered and low.

And aha yeah it's the Madone, whoops. Fucking Trek and their anagrams. Definley the competitor to the Venge, Scott's new foil, etc...

I think one of the things I'm most curious about with the new Procaliber is how the 11mm of compliancy will fatigue a carbon frame over time. Really that isn't a huge amount of movement but it's still more movement than what would be normal on a carbon bike.

holy moly... Madone... Emonda... Domane... I never realized... wow.

yeah, I wonder how that "isospeed" will work once it's been ridden as hard as the XC riders go. I had the same thought myself - won't the seat tube get stressed eventually? I'd be really curious to ride one, it'd be fun to see how that 'suspension' feels climbing and descending. Supposedly it's just as stiff. I mean, they basically have it on their road bikes as well.

 

[saskskier]

I switched to SPDs at the end of last summer (XT Trails, thanks division.bell, glad I went for those). For my first ride ride this spring I tried my flats again and they felt terrible. Straight back to the SPDs. I have no idea why any confident rider would choose to use flats, they just feel better and work better. Unclipping becomes very natural very quickly, don't worry about it.

Awesome man. I'm pretty excited to give it a shot. Any recommendations for shoes? I imagine it's going to be like any footwear and whatever fits will work best, but anything I should be watching out for?

 

[GANDALF]

Been busting my gopro out recently. Once I get enough stuff that is worth sharing, I'll post here. Just don't ask me where everything is

 

[mike759]

I GOT A NEW BIKE

 

[.MASSHOLE.]

You all need to watch this

 

[*TURBONERD*]

Do it man although that does sound like a crazy distance if it's in the mountains.

Out of interest anyone else competing? Any slope riders or racers?

im racing the enduro World Series this summer durin crankworx. It's my first enduro (I used to race dh) and it's certainly a little daunting.

I race XC on the collegiate circuit (ECCC).

I just finished up my test ride on the Kona Process 153 and I'm so fucking sold. I wasn't certain it would be worth it until the second-to-last trail of the day, and then things clicked. Holy fuck it was fun. I won't be buying it with the High Rollers I tested it on though... Any way, any recommendations for a trail/enduro pedal? I'm on Shimano M520s right now for XC.

I'm so fucking excited to try this out at Sandy Ridge. Anybody want to do some afternoon riding with me there on a Saturday this summer?

 

[LC.]

Awesome man. I'm pretty excited to give it a shot. Any recommendations for shoes? I imagine it's going to be like any footwear and whatever fits will work best, but anything I should be watching out for?

I went for Teva Pivots (discontinued for a while now so they were cheap).

Admittedly a lot of the reason was down to styling (between a skate shoe and an athletic shoe) - I really don't like the XC look or most Five Tens. I can wear these to the pub after riding and not look ridiculous.

The sole is stiff compared to skate shoes but flexes in front of the cleat so they walk really nicely which is important for a lot of my ascents. Actually they're comfier and lighter than my Salomon hiking shoes, and I use them with elastic laces so they're really quick to take on and off (for kneepad changes) with the nice velcro strap - I would always look for either lace/strap or full strap shoes in the future for this reason. Fit is good on my skinny heel, locked in with the velcro. They're soft compared to my race friends' XC style shoes which I've never tried but they say they like the extra stiffness when riding and that's worth sacrificing some walking comfort for.

I bought them blind because they were cheap and they worked out well. Try stuff on if you can. I'd look at Five Ten Maltese Falcon Race next if I couldn't get replacements, but again that's really just down to the styling and the lace/velcro combination!

What I would say is that the cleat seems to be recessed further into the sole on some shoes compared to others, and likewise some pedals have the cleat interface sitting higher above the pedal cage than others. The Tevas were apparently designed around Crank Bros Mallet pedals for a perfect interface with some contact on the pedal cage when riding. For me the shoe sole doesn't touch the sides of my XT pedal cages. It's not a big deal for me at all now, but when I tried a friend's Shimano DX pedals there is a lot of contact with the pedal cage when clipped in which feels a bit more solid and gives a little resistance to the float which I like. The DX are a lot heavier and I'm used to the XTs now so I would stick with them if buying again. The only way you could test a shoe & pedal combination before buying would be to find someone who already has the shoes - I doubt that any shop would let you set up cleats in a new shoe before buying as the cleats score the plate when you attach them. Maybe worth asking your shop guys though. Too much contact with the cage can be easily fixed with shims under the cleat. The contact feels nice to me on my friend's pedals but like I said I'm used to the no-contact feeling now, and cageless pedals obviously don't have any contact at all and those work fine. Stick with a caged model regardless; it makes clipping in easier and you can ride unclipped OK when you need to.

 

[ShredAZ]

All these downhill sleds...earn your turns!

On-One Scandal 29'er frame.

Reba RLT 120mm.

Tubeless Blackflag Setup.

Zee/Raceface 1x10 setup (32t).

11x36 XT cassette.

Juicy 3 brakes. Not a big fan...

 

[FuckAllOfYou]

All these downhill sleds...earn your turns!

On-One Scandal 29'er frame.

Reba RLT 120mm.

Tubeless Blackflag Setup.

Zee/Raceface 1x10 setup (32t).

11x36 XT cassette.

Juicy 3 brakes. Not a big fan...

sweet setup, but I'm just curious - when the seat is tilted back like that... doesn't it hurt your back? I can just feel my lower back being sad

 

[NinetyFour]

sweet setup, but I'm just curious - when the seat is tilted back like that... doesn't it hurt your back? I can just feel my lower back being sad

+1 to that. My ass would be destroyed trying to nose that saddle for steep climbs to. Since you're riding an epic though you should probably just do the pro thing and set yours up like Jaroslav's:

Aha wtf. I ride with .75 degree nose down on my Bontrager whatever-the-fuck-trek-slapped-on saddle, any more than that I feel like I'm sliding forward to often. Aside from the sheer power Jaro is always pushing into the pedals, I have no idea how he rides that.

 

[ShredAZ]

sweet setup, but I'm just curious - when the seat is tilted back like that... doesn't it hurt your back? I can just feel my lower back being sad

It could be the angle of the shot. It's really not titled back like it appears!

Regardless though, ever since I switched to a HT, I'm probably in my saddle only 15% of the time. Big different between FS and HT comfort wise. Stand up game is getting stronger now that I don't have to worry about pedal bob

 

[onenerdykid]

All these downhill sleds...earn your turns!

If you can ride up the trails that I ride down, then I will bow down to your levitation skills

looks like a fun rig by the way!

 

[onenerdykid]

+1 to that. My ass would be destroyed trying to nose that saddle for steep climbs to. Since you're riding an epic though you should probably just do the pro thing and set yours up like Jaroslav's:

Aha wtf. I ride with .75 degree nose down on my Bontrager whatever-the-fuck-trek-slapped-on saddle, any more than that I feel like I'm sliding forward to often. Aside from the sheer power Jaro is always pushing into the pedals, I have no idea how he rides that.

At my old shop, I was a bike fitter in the summer and was trained at Morgan Hill by the Specialized doctors/fitters there. (if anyone works in a Specialized shop, I highly highly recommend going to SBU)

I really enjoyed bike fitting because it was a great summer time analog to boot fitting. One of the things about XC saddle positioning is that it should relate and correspond to how much drop exists between the seat height and handle bar position. A flat seat with lots of drop will put a lot pressure on the blood flow down there and can lead to numbness. Angling the seat downward relative to the amount of drop allows your sit bones to sit on the seat properly and you shouldn't feel like you are sliding off the seat.

 

[~Gotama~]

heyo I crashed my bike the other day and now my rear derailleur is fucked as fucked gets. On the four biggest rings it jumps around like crazy, shifting up, shifting down, grinding, etc. These are the gears I only use on steep climbs, so its pretty annoying. Now I've never tried to tune my derailleurs before, so should I just start screwing with it until it gets better, or take it to a shop and pay someone who knows what their doing?

Also, is there anything that I should look in terms of damage? obviously if there was a crack or some teeth missing I would notice, but I might not in terms of a bent part or pinched cable, just because I'm not very familiar with whats going on back there.

 

[ShredAZ]

heyo I crashed my bike the other day and now my rear derailleur is fucked as fucked gets. On the four biggest rings it jumps around like crazy, shifting up, shifting down, grinding, etc. These are the gears I only use on steep climbs, so its pretty annoying. Now I've never tried to tune my derailleurs before, so should I just start screwing with it until it gets better, or take it to a shop and pay someone who knows what their doing?

Also, is there anything that I should look in terms of damage? obviously if there was a crack or some teeth missing I would notice, but I might not in terms of a bent part or pinched cable, just because I'm not very familiar with whats going on back there.

I'd be willing to bet it isn't your dérailleur that's effed. Check if your hanger is bent at all.

Those are usually the first to go after a hard crash.

And if that's the case, you can attempt to bend it straight or buy a new one from your LBS for a couple of bucks.

 

[NinetyFour]

heyo I crashed my bike the other day and now my rear derailleur is fucked as fucked gets. On the four biggest rings it jumps around like crazy, shifting up, shifting down, grinding, etc. These are the gears I only use on steep climbs, so its pretty annoying. Now I've never tried to tune my derailleurs before, so should I just start screwing with it until it gets better, or take it to a shop and pay someone who knows what their doing?

Also, is there anything that I should look in terms of damage? obviously if there was a crack or some teeth missing I would notice, but I might not in terms of a bent part or pinched cable, just because I'm not very familiar with whats going on back there.

Here's how to index gears:

It's unlikely you need to adjust the H or L screws, you really never need to adjust them unless your rear derailleur is taking the chain beyond the largest or smallest gears, or if it wont quite go all the way onto them.

B-Tension can be checked by shifting into the largest rear gear (lowest gear) and if there is still enough space between the upper jockey wheel and the largest gear so that they don't clash and grind then that should be okay.

Cable tension will usually effect the shifting of all your gears, but you could try to adjust the barrel nut either way to see if it smooths any thing out.

Really though it's likely that your rear derailleur hanger is bent. Stand from behind the bike and look at the cassette, and two jockey wheels on the derailleur, they should all be in line with each other.

The derailleur hanger can also be bent forward and back though which would have a similar effect to the b-tension being out, which will definitely make for bad shifts towards the larger gears on the cassette.

 

[tomPietrowski]

All these downhill sleds...earn your turns!

how about something that can go up and down.

View attachment 775044

intense tracer 2 frame with 160mm travel

Fox factory series 34 160mm

mainly sram x9 with the one up 42t extender ring and a 30t narrow wide up front. I need to get some type of chain guide as the rough trails here mean i still lose the chain quite often.

Easton haven wheels setup tubeless, minion on the front and im getting a high roller for the rear.

Super fun bike, climbs well but you can get rowdy on the way back down, perfect whistler bike