Official mountain biking thread
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SteezOnSkis12
Member
13530332:mike759 said:
Depends on the budget
SteezOnSkis12
Member
13530359:mike759 said:
A lot of stuff, just need a budget.
SteezOnSkis12
Member
13530365:mike759 said:
Well if I were you, I would replace the stem and handlebars with something flatter and wider along with a water bottle cage in case you get thirsty on the mountain.
ThaLorax
Active member
13530377:SteezOnSkis12 said:
You can't tell what handlebars hes using, let alone the rise. Plus, risers vs flat is personal preference and riding style based, which he hasnt stated. For example, I prefer medium riser bars and medium length handlebars. Especially for wooded trail riding.
Keep your stock handlebar for now until you can ride a few bikes with flat and riser bars so you know which you like bettter preferentially. A camelback is a better investment than a bottlecage (I've never used a bottle cage in my 15+ years of riding). You can't carry water, a jacket, food and a spare tube in a bottle cage.
Affordable upgrades id recommend:
-Shorter stem
-New tires. Check out the Maxxis Ardent, or the WTB Weirwolf for good all purpose tires.
-Maybe consider converting to tubeless. You'll be able to run a lower tire pressue, making your ride smoother and giving you better traction (all important things for a hardtail) with less frequent flats.
-hydraulic brakes when you can afford it. The Shimano XT is affordable and reliable
Other than that, just ride what ya got until you feel like you're progressing to the point that you're out riding it. Theres no better way to get the basics of mtn biking skills dialed than to start learning the skills on a hardtail like yours. The best setup for a beginner is the one their having fun on and able to progress on.
ThaLorax
Active member
Forgot to mention, looks like you're running a pretty cheap derailleur too, but it's hard to tell from the picture. If you start having shifting issues, consider upgrading that too. Id get some flat pedals with pins too.
Of course, with the budget you mentioned, replace things as they wear/break rather than all at once (unless you can afford to).
Personally, id do the shorter 50mm stem and new pedals to start. That should hit your budget quota alone, and you'll have much better control over the bike.
Of course, with the budget you mentioned, replace things as they wear/break rather than all at once (unless you can afford to).
Personally, id do the shorter 50mm stem and new pedals to start. That should hit your budget quota alone, and you'll have much better control over the bike.
ThaLorax
Active member
13530629:byubound said:
Definitely not the best wet condition tire, but a tire that excels at everything doesn't exist yet. The only problem I've had with mine is the sidewalls were less durable than expected. I ripped an inch hole on mine, patched it, and have had it running tubes now the past month.
WTB is from my hometown, so I'm kind of biased to their product lines though. I'm sure I've busted one of their sidewalls at some point though too. Rocks happen.
byubound
Active member
13530649:ThaLorax said:
I have certainly ridden tires that are better over a wider range of conditions than ardents. High rollers were great to me. For a faster rolling, more hardpack tire like an ardent I liked small blocks. Schwalbe rons and ralphs are excellent, if a little fast wearing.
californiagrown
Active member
Went out to the shuttle day at dry hill in Port Angeles on Sunday with some folks. Apparently every cat 1 and pro racer did too. Holy hell were folks ripping.
Gnarly but not too gnarly, steep but not too steep, and fast as you had the balls for. What a great collection of trails. Super fun day. Another huge ego check haha, but definitely progressed a lot too. Missed the ferry back and just got hammered in Port Townsend for 3 hours while waiting. Good times for sure.
Gnarly but not too gnarly, steep but not too steep, and fast as you had the balls for. What a great collection of trails. Super fun day. Another huge ego check haha, but definitely progressed a lot too. Missed the ferry back and just got hammered in Port Townsend for 3 hours while waiting. Good times for sure.
onenerdykid
Active member
13532162:GANDALF said:
They bill it as an "intermediate" tread pattern, but for me it rolls waaaay too slowly. So hard to wrong with a Minion DHF for anything but pure slop.
californiagrown
Active member
13532162:GANDALF said:
Minion or high roller IMO. You're riding in a desert so anything that is good on wet roots/rocks and mud is useless out there.
division.bell
Active member
13531266:californiagrown said:
I wanted to be there so bad as I missed last year as well. Glad to hear it was awesome. I really want head out there to poke around that trail network, but having a shuttle is a whole lot more appealing. Maybe next year.
How's the E29 holding up for you? Ridden Predator on it yet?
californiagrown
Active member
13532892:division.bell said:
Its probly only a 20 minute pedal to the top FYI. Its a pretty ideal trail network for a "enduro" bike.
Ive been off the bike due to mono for about 6 weeks prior to this past weekend. did one lap at tokul west on saturday and deemed myself fit enough to ride dry hill the next day. I had a small idea what i was getting myself into, but my coworker invited me so i bummed a ride with him and ended up linking up with his buddies who all race cat 1 or pro haha. All great dudes, all got to the bottom probly 30-60 seconds before me haha. But they were stoked i was stoked.
The E29 has really opened some doors for me terrain wise. I am still super careful with my line choice and dont neccessarily utilize the aggressive nature of the bike and suspension all that well yet, but it sure as fuck gets me out of situations where im going too fast and miss a line down something steep and tech. I can generally just find a skipping line and plow through which is awesome ahah. I will probably do a OTG-predator lap next weekend(when its not a torrential downpour haha) with my coworker and a buddy or two.
The bike absolutley kills it. I mean, i was able to ride legit DH fairly well, and i actually was quicker through some tight sections than waaaaay better riders on DH sleds. The bike handles me blasting through brake bumps, 50-50 casing 20 ft doubles, and i can roll any drop under 3 ft basically. It has really, really opened up a whole nother level of terrain and trail to me... and it is still a bike that will be fun on mellow single track. And this is all with a straight set it and forget it suspension setup haha. I would like to actually go to tokul and just lap outhouse while tinkering with the suspension. But it is fairly heavy. cant tell while riding it though.
Aftermarket stuff that i have on::
-780mm bars
-Reverb stealth
-OneUp 42tooth chainring
-Minion 2.5" tires
Connor_Sullivan
Member
Going to be getting new Grips and Petals. Have to bring it down to a shop to get my free hub disassembled and cleaned out. all in all I like it so far
cydwhit
Active member
13532162:GANDALF said:
13532189:onenerdykid said:
Yeah, it's gonna take a lot to get me to switch away from DHFs, so solid, so predictable.
On another note, I finally went 1x. Race face 30T with Shimano XT 10 speed, really like the gear range, climbs just fine for me, and so much better than 2x. Unfortunately broke my chain and torqued my rear derailleur at the same time so now I'm losing the chain off my smallest cog all the time. Think I'll limp through the last few weeks till ski season and get a new cassette, chain and maybe derailleur when spring hits.
division.bell
Active member
13532903:californiagrown said:
I really want to get some time on one of those at some point as they sound exceptionally capable for our area.
I was able to borrow an X01 spec'd Nomad for a while and took it on local singletrack as well as a good test at Tiger and ultimately determined it wasn't what I was looking for. The E29 was the next thing on my list until I was able to get out on the new Bronson V2 CC X01. I'm fucking sold after the first ride (23 mile shake down ride this afternoon) and will be getting it out to Tiger in the next day or so for the real test. It will be my next bike for certain as it's everything I've been looking for in a 650b trail bike, sucks they are backordered for 6+ weeks at this point though.
division.bell
Active member
13533966:JuliusJ said:
I've got a 16 Stumpy too. It's a 29er and a damn fun and capable bike but it's in a different realm than the new Bronson.
For one, the Fox CTD factory shock on my Sworks stumpy is a piece of shit. I've never been a fan of Fox in general but this shock is disappointment in a new low. I plan to get a Rock Shox Monarch Plus when they become available but it still won't compare to the ridiculous new Bronson.
I know someone going from a 16 650b Carbon stump to a new Bronson already too. The lackluster rear shock being the reason.
My distaste for Fox however was surprised by how awesome that Float X factory evol is on that Bronson. It's the best product I've used by Fox period. Can't wait to get back out on that Bronson already.
ThaLorax
Active member
13533984:division.bell said:
Ive been contemolating the Bronson as my next steed too. Does the Bronson have shorter chainstay/playful geometry like the old Blur or did they make it more low and long enduro? The Turner DHX and Rocky Mountain Altitude look sweet too.
I'm super short, so I gravitate towards the playful geometry over "enduro" setups. I went from riding an original Giant Trance to a hard tail DJ/AM bike (Trance was stolen) to a Turner 5 Spot. Love the 5 spot, but really miss being able to manual like I could on the hard tail and Trance with shorter chainstays.
cydwhit
Active member
13534138:ThaLorax said:
Here's a review of the Bronson:http://blistergearreview.com/gear-reviews/2016-santa-cruz-bronson
I rode it, fun bike but didn't really stand out to me that much
californiagrown
Active member
13534265:JuliusJ said:
Special-ed has a fun little extra piece that doesn't allow for a lot of shocks on the market. It's not as simple as eye to eye. And similar travel unfortunately.
If I can swing a really good deal over winter I might upgrade my shock as well, but I think a second pair of bomber bike park wheels might be the first thing on my list.
division.bell
Active member
13534138:ThaLorax said:
Bronson's chainstays are just over 17" which by a lot of people's standards is a pretty short chainstay. Yes, there are shorter, but most of the industry is still rocking longer chainstays. The V2 Bronson in my opinion definitely blends the gap perfectly between a short and nimble trail bike with the long, low and slack "endurbro" bikes that everyone is scrambling to manufacture. Getting the front wheel up for manuals or wheelies is pretty easy from my one day's experience thus far.
For whatever it's worth, Santa Cruz's new V2 5010 has even shorter chainstays than the new Bronson, but with 20mm less travel and a 1 degree steeper head tube angle. If you don't need a slack 150mm trail bike, the 130mm V2 5010 could be a perfect bike for your needs.
13534265:JuliusJ said:
My intentions were always to put a Monarch Plus on the new Stumpy, I wasn't considering any other options so I don't really know or care about whatever else is out there that could be purchased immediately. Unfortunately the Monarchs haven't yet become available for the 2016 models yet. Last I checked the ETA was still the beginning of December. I'll likely have a new Bronson around the same time I finally get the new Monarch for my Stumpy.
13534464:californiagrown said:
What shock would you even go with on that, Ohlins I hope?
cydwhit
Active member
13534710:division.bell said:
This, I rode both at Interbike as was a huge fan of the 5010 over the Bronson. It's still plenty capable (my first run was on one of the gnarlier trails I've ridden and the thing was great) but feels less like overkill on more average trails.
JuliusJ
Active member
There was a Trek demo in SLC that I just went to and put some miles down, hot damn is the Remedy fun! 140mm on a Fox 36 is something I actually can entirely get behind.
Rode a Fuel EX which was fun and capable, but yeah I am looking for a little bit more in a bike, but it was a snappy thing that whipped uphill. Also rode a Slash, pretty rad too. I bonked by the time I actually got to any DH on it, but felt pretty nimble, almost more than my Enduro.
I know the 5010 would be fun, but there would be days I am positive I'd be wishing for more travel.
Rode a Fuel EX which was fun and capable, but yeah I am looking for a little bit more in a bike, but it was a snappy thing that whipped uphill. Also rode a Slash, pretty rad too. I bonked by the time I actually got to any DH on it, but felt pretty nimble, almost more than my Enduro.
I know the 5010 would be fun, but there would be days I am positive I'd be wishing for more travel.
division.bell
Active member
13535449:ThaLorax said:
The V2 5010 is definitely right up your alley.
Knolly makes some really fun and poppy trail bikes. Their new 27.5 Endorphin is 130mm travel down from 140mm on the 26" version I have. They also have the 150mm Warden with 27.5 wheels.
ThaLorax
Active member
13535652:division.bell said:
Ya, my friend has a Knolly and it rips. I don't think their size smalls are small enough for me though. I need a really low standover height on a bike since I'm only 5'2". That's why I'm on the 5 Spot right now. It's got an insanely steep top tube so I can keep my manhood intact.
NinetyFour
Active member
Pretty fucking bummed. Was going to go for a Halloween night ride in the local forest tonight but of course the heavens opened up duuuummped rain... I guess we could have pretty cool swamp monster costumes if we went out though...
No.Quarter
Active member
I put a cyclocross tire on the front of my fixed gear road bike and have been ripping around the mellow singletracks in the neighborhood parks of Bozeman in the middle of the night to get my fix.
I want a mountain bike again really bad.
I want a mountain bike again really bad.
Hey guys I'm bumping this thread because I'm looking to buy a bike for next summer. It will be my first DH bike. I don't want an entry level bike that I will need to upgrade all the part after a summer of biking but I don't want to pay 8000$ heither. Right now I have an offer for a GIANT glory advance 1 2015 for 4000$. I should buy it or no? Can I have something better for the same price?
californiagrown
Active member
13536605:frank9190 said:
how big/old are you?
where do you ride?
what other bikes have you ridden?
How good of a rider are you?
californiagrown
Active member
13536640:frank9190 said:
I would highly suggest you not get a top spec'ed bike right out of the gate. I would highly reccomend buying a bike in November and especially december.
Why do you feel you need such a nice bike?
californiagrown
Active member
13536677:frank9190 said:
Id really look into getting a used DH bike off pinkbike or ebay. You can get a much better deal, and you really dont need a nice new bike.
Are you getting a season pass to the bromont bike park? Are you planning to strictly shuttle or ride at bike parks? or do you also want to be able to ride around local single track as well?
Leafman
Active member
Been riding a little bit here and there
Tokul at night
Sun Top
Tiger Summit looking at Mt. Rainier
Further down Tiger
Cle Elum Goodness
Earl Peak Saddle
Stand Up Creek Basin
Very narrow off camber equestrian trail below the saddle, Bean Creek Trail
Stand Up Creek Trail
Just below Navajo Pass, snow on Earl Peak
Little Argonaut, Colchuck and Argonaut on the far left
Lunch time
Got a new bike, just waiting on a longer brake line and it will be done
Planning on connecting Paris Creek to Esmeralda Basin with a few bonus ridges this week. Should be fun.
Happy riding as always
Tokul at night
Sun Top
Tiger Summit looking at Mt. Rainier
Further down Tiger
Cle Elum Goodness
Earl Peak Saddle
Stand Up Creek Basin
Very narrow off camber equestrian trail below the saddle, Bean Creek Trail
Stand Up Creek Trail
Just below Navajo Pass, snow on Earl Peak
Little Argonaut, Colchuck and Argonaut on the far left
Lunch time
Got a new bike, just waiting on a longer brake line and it will be done
Planning on connecting Paris Creek to Esmeralda Basin with a few bonus ridges this week. Should be fun.
Happy riding as always
onenerdykid
Active member
13536705:frank9190 said:
I'm sure you can find something used in the Montreal/northern VT areas through Pinkbike. Bromont is such a gnarly and fun place to ride. If you get good there, you will be well prepared for most anything in the world. Have fun!
DayMan
Active member
I have no experience with bike maintenance and just bought a used mountain bike from a local shop and have already run into some issues.
-The back brake is ridiculously loud when I put any pressure on it
-A lot of the times when I change gears, it will take a long time for the shift to actually take place (this happens especially when I'm going uphill, but also randomly on flats)
-Chain clicks when I'm going up hills
I get 6 months of free maintenance from the shop I bought it from so I plan on taking it back, but I'd like to learn to fix basic issues like these on my own.
-The back brake is ridiculously loud when I put any pressure on it
-A lot of the times when I change gears, it will take a long time for the shift to actually take place (this happens especially when I'm going uphill, but also randomly on flats)
-Chain clicks when I'm going up hills
I get 6 months of free maintenance from the shop I bought it from so I plan on taking it back, but I'd like to learn to fix basic issues like these on my own.
californiagrown
Active member
13539242:RedPanda said:
If you don't have a buddy who knows his stuff, the best way to learn (and the way I did) was YouTube, and asking if I could watch while a shop tech wrenched on my bike. I'd just sit on a stool and have the tech explain how he was installing my chain, adjusting my derailure, installing my brake pads, etc. Have them show you basic maintenance once and you can handle all that stuff at home with the multitool you should be carrying on rides anyways.