DrForester
Kills Photobucket
Little of everything. I'm in Denver so we have good dirt and road trails in town, but I also want to be able to take it up to the mountains and do more rough trails.
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Bicycle age
- Thread starter elrechazado
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Little of everything. I'm in Denver so we have good dirt and road trails in town, but I also want to be able to take it up to the mountains and do more rough trails.
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The only thing thats really lackluster is the coil fork, but thats something you can upgrade later and Suntour even has a trade-in program that I've heard good things about. I bet that bike will take a beating. My first MTB was a Scott Aspect, similar to that bike with lesser quality parts and I beat the shit out of that thing for a year. All those frames in that price range are going to be built like tanks.
Denver has awesome trails I bet, it'd be a good bike to learn. Depending on how much you like MTBing, you may grow out of it fast like I did, but I paid $500 and sold it for $300 on a Facebook group. I don't regret going with a bike like that, it taught me a lot of stuff that would probably have killed me on my current bike. I also learned how to fix and upgrade parts as they broke and the difference in feel on higher quality stuff. I'm willing to bet the price difference on that bike is because it comes with SRAM X5, and I can tell you my shifting set was fucking terrible and one of the biggest reasons I started looking to upgrade, so its nice that it comes with that.
Denver has awesome trails I bet, it'd be a good bike to learn. Depending on how much you like MTBing, you may grow out of it fast like I did, but I paid $500 and sold it for $300 on a Facebook group. I don't regret going with a bike like that, it taught me a lot of stuff that would probably have killed me on my current bike. I also learned how to fix and upgrade parts as they broke and the difference in feel on higher quality stuff. I'm willing to bet the price difference on that bike is because it comes with SRAM X5, and I can tell you my shifting set was fucking terrible and one of the biggest reasons I started looking to upgrade, so its nice that it comes with that.
DrForester
Kills Photobucket
I'm probably going to go with that 6000. Above all, it felt good to be on. And it's good to know I can learn about upgrading parts as I go, or as things break.
Haven't sat on a bike the last 18 years, but my gym is organizing a bike tour around Sicily next April, and I really want to go. They're going to cycle between 50-100 km a day for a week, mostly along good roads. Anyone here done anything like that? Can I train for it by using stationary bikes in the gym, or should I just buy a bike and train on roads?
for road biking, what's the best way to protect your arms and legs from the sun? I don't like sun screen because it will just come off with sweating. something like an Arm Warmer? but that's for cold weather right? what about for the legs?
for mnt biking, how do you guys deal with your hands/wrists from all the shock and vibration? my hands/wrists start to hurt half way through. I have gloves but they're not padded, they're just batting gloves.
I'm gonna need to get elbow and knee pads too....already fell a couple of times.
for mnt biking, how do you guys deal with your hands/wrists from all the shock and vibration? my hands/wrists start to hurt half way through. I have gloves but they're not padded, they're just batting gloves.
I'm gonna need to get elbow and knee pads too....already fell a couple of times.
Psychotext
Member
Grip less. Seriously.
I almost never have hand / wrist ache but my nephew (who grips the bike like a vice) complains about it all the time. That aside, get some proper mountain biking gloves with gel in the palm.
Where the hell do you live? Crete?
I usually just wear a longsleeve tshirt or bikeshirt and shorts when i go for long rides on my roadbike. There's a lot of bikewear to choose from, i mean, if you wanna dress up in all lycra - go for it.
what you mean grip less? don't grip the handle bar? I'm still new at this...
I did fall going down a bumpy hill because i wasn't gripping that hard and lost control of my handle bar.
Padded gloves are amazing, definitely get a good pair.
just wear some sun sleeves. you can get em at your local bike shop and they work very well
Bike chain started slipping on my way to work today when I stood up for more strength up a hill. I nearly crashed and sacked myself when the pedals slipped and after that I had to push really slowly and gently or it would slip again. It felt like the chain was popping off but by the time I looked down it would be on the correct gears.
Any idea if this is a quick adjustment? I have some tools here with me, but otherwise I guess I'm walking home
Any idea if this is a quick adjustment? I have some tools here with me, but otherwise I guess I'm walking home
Psychotext
Member
A lot of people ride with their hands fear clamped on the handlebars, but that's really not the best way to do it. Ideally you stay as loose as possible and let the bike move around under your body (whilst still holding on enough to move with it it).
The fact that you attributed your fall to not holding on tight enough indicates to me that you're now going to be doing full on death grip.
http://www.bike198.com/keeping-your-grip-loose-on-the-handlebar-mountain-biking-tips/
Sounds like you just need to change the tension via the barrel adjuster for the dérailleur. On most bikes you'll find it at the gear shifter but some have it on the rear dérailleur too.
If it's not that then it's likely chain wear which means a replacement (and if it's been left too long, a new cassette too).
Not just in grip, your entire body should be as loose as possible. I heard someone say before that a good cyclist doesn't ride his bike, he drives it. You don't need to be hanging on, the bike will follow you, even a downhill bike is incredibly light compared to your body.
Tightening up is actually a good way to crash, it causes you to overreact in trying to correct things that don't really need correction. If you are going down a rough path and you start tightening up your arms to control direction it will become very difficult to hold on to the bars. I'm not a MTB'r, but I regularly ride rough dirt and gravel roads on a road bike (I also stayed at a Holiday Inn once).
Tightening up is actually a good way to crash, it causes you to overreact in trying to correct things that don't really need correction. If you are going down a rough path and you start tightening up your arms to control direction it will become very difficult to hold on to the bars. I'm not a MTB'r, but I regularly ride rough dirt and gravel roads on a road bike (I also stayed at a Holiday Inn once).
Seattle to Portland beaten! Groin was a little sore during the ride but I feel fine now. Might just be the way it's gonna be from now on, sucks but at least I know I can tough it out on most rides. Flat ride, Tail wind most of the way, went easy w/ a friend the first day then busted ass on the second as I had a niece's bday pt to go to on Sunday near the finish. I'm only half joking when I say the toughest part of the ride was finding a cell signal to play Puzzle and Dragons in the overnight stop @ middle of nowhere.
It was a little disappointing to see so many people ride dangerously (pass 2 abreast, pass when there's an oncoming vehicle, etc), but that's to be expected I suppose when there's 10,000 participants.
It was a little disappointing to see so many people ride dangerously (pass 2 abreast, pass when there's an oncoming vehicle, etc), but that's to be expected I suppose when there's 10,000 participants.
Christoff Yurievich
Member
Nice. I wanted to do that this year but I didn't realize how popular it is so I missed out on registration. Next year, though.
How was riding in the heat? And what about the food at the end? The century I did earlier had a catered lunch/dinner thing and the website made it sound like a feast but it was more like a cafeteria fare.
How was riding in the heat? And what about the food at the end? The century I did earlier had a catered lunch/dinner thing and the website made it sound like a feast but it was more like a cafeteria fare.
Quote
Member
What Psychotext said, i'm still learning to do it myself so I know how unnatural it sounds. The best place to practice doing it and seeing its effectiveness is on straights between features, especially ones that have a bumpiness feel to them, let go of the grip and just let the bike bob like it wants, you should immediately feel what he means. I still don't do it naturally and have to tell myself do it and always notice how much energy it saves and how good it ends up working when I remind myself to do it.
And like they have stated, your body is most important. Here is one of the best videos that explains why.
With that said, the old rule is to put money into your contact points, so gloves, shoes, pedals, grips and saddle. In the beginning (last year) I was told to get these, and I thought the guy was crazy, but man since then I've seen everyone swear by them, even though they look so goofy. Apparently their saddles are also quite incredible. Those grips are my next purchase. I've been using ESI chunkies, minimalist and they worked okay, but they don't last long, I lose my endcaps immediately and any contact with a tree or ground rips them up.
Christoff Yurievich
Member
My .02: My elbows hurt like hell for the first few weeks of riding this spring. I attributed it to it being a new bike, and my first road bike at that, but then I did some research/asked at the LBC and found out that it was because I was white-knuckling the thing. I loosened up and within a week my elbows didn't hurt anymore. It also made me more confident and I'm a faster rider now because I can 'feel' the bike better.
Wasn't hot through the ride at all, so no problem w/ that. Lived where it got to 100deg dry heat in the summer prior so the PNW "heat waves" don't bother me for riding -- just drink more water. There was free food in the form of cookies, some sandwiches and wraps, etc throughout the ride -- went to McMenamins w/ some friends at the end, there was Darigold w/ their choco milk on display, otherwise the food was paid fare at the end. In general I don't expect much out of food on these rides, another reason I'd rather do a rando ride (much cheaper, fewer but more experienced riders, more camaraderie).
Psychotext
Member
I like the idea, steer with your palms rather than gripping hard.
Psychotext
Member
Was just going through some of my recent mountain biking pics and found this one.
I really like it.
I really like it.
Psychotext
Member
So where are you based in the UK Mascot?
Opus Angelorum
Member
itsatrap.jpg
Lol. "Bicycle". Never thought to search for that word.
Anyway, BicycleGAF, I'm glad I found you (with Psychotext's help). Just wish it was before I started another thread on the subject. Anyway, here's my bike (sorry - bicycle) and a brief bio.
My own history with mountain biking goes back to 1990 when popularity in the UK was growing exponentially. I borrowed bikes for a while but the first one I owned was a GT Richter 8.0 hardtail with lovely gold Rock Shox, then on a summer biking holiday to US ski resorts I bought a Cannondale SE1000 (which I think was Cannondale's first rear-suspension bike, complete with Girvin flex stem). I mixed and matched between Cannondales and GTs for several years before buying a Trek Y-11 carbon monocoque FS to do more hardcore downhill stuff. Ruptured ligaments in my ankle (non-biking related) put me out of action for several years so I sold the Y-11 and, when fit, bought my current ride in the picture above - a Trek 6500 hardtail.
I'm fairly lucky in that the village I live in is surrounded by open countryside peppered with woods and forests full of excellent hilly trails. The jewel in the crown is a massive disused quarry surrounded by wooded trails just a twenty-minute ride away (shown in the photo above). It's absolutely perfect for my type of riding with fast flowing downhill sections, gnarly technical sections, loads of jumps and some lung-bursting climbs.
Anyway, BicycleGAF, I'm glad I found you (with Psychotext's help). Just wish it was before I started another thread on the subject. Anyway, here's my bike (sorry - bicycle
) and a brief bio.
My own history with mountain biking goes back to 1990 when popularity in the UK was growing exponentially. I borrowed bikes for a while but the first one I owned was a GT Richter 8.0 hardtail with lovely gold Rock Shox, then on a summer biking holiday to US ski resorts I bought a Cannondale SE1000 (which I think was Cannondale's first rear-suspension bike, complete with Girvin flex stem). I mixed and matched between Cannondales and GTs for several years before buying a Trek Y-11 carbon monocoque FS to do more hardcore downhill stuff. Ruptured ligaments in my ankle (non-biking related) put me out of action for several years so I sold the Y-11 and, when fit, bought my current ride in the picture above - a Trek 6500 hardtail.
I'm fairly lucky in that the village I live in is surrounded by open countryside peppered with woods and forests full of excellent hilly trails. The jewel in the crown is a massive disused quarry surrounded by wooded trails just a twenty-minute ride away (shown in the photo above). It's absolutely perfect for my type of riding with fast flowing downhill sections, gnarly technical sections, loads of jumps and some lung-bursting climbs.
Psychotext
Member
/licks lips
The West Country.
Psychotext
Member
Fairly nearby then (South Wales here). I hit up the Forest of Dean and Bristol from time to time.
Leigh Woods, no doubt? I used to tag along with the Mud Dock team over there 15-odd years ago. Fantastic terrain. I've not ridden FoD for a few years. Last time I went it was too busy, too many dawdlers.
I'm guessing Cwmcarn is your second home?
Psychotext
Member
I don't do the trail centre (FoD) unless it's on a week day - the place is ridiculous. There's loads of good riding around the forest anyway.
As for my personal faves, it would have to be Derwen and the trails at Coed y Brenin. I used to do Afan a lot but went off it for some reasons. Really looking forward to Bike Park Wales though, should be epic.
I've never really done Cwmcarn as it always seemed a bit downhill focussed rather than the XC I prefer.
As for my personal faves, it would have to be Derwen and the trails at Coed y Brenin. I used to do Afan a lot but went off it for some reasons. Really looking forward to Bike Park Wales though, should be epic.
I've never really done Cwmcarn as it always seemed a bit downhill focussed rather than the XC I prefer.
Yeah, I'm more into XC than downhill now.
Bike Park Wales should be incredible. Is it still planned for an August opening? Cannot wait.
On another subject, what bike stand/storage solutions do people use? I've got a Home Mechanic wall-mounted clamp (~£25 delivered from Amazon or eBay) and it's fantastic, one of the most useful things I've ever bought. It comes with two wall plates so I've got one in the garage for storage/winter working and one on the side of the house for cleaning/hosing down after muddy rides (or just any working on the bike in the sunshine). The arm and clamp simply lift off (it's a clever vee-shaped wedge design) so swapping between wall plates only takes seconds. It's rock-solid and fantastic for all-round maintenance work, trimming wheels, indexing gears, cleaning/lubing the transmission etc and keeps the bike up on the wall and out of the way when it's not being used. Zero chance of the bike getting knocked and falling over, too. The jaws are PU and shouldn't mark the frame at all, but I applied some helicopter tape in the area just to be sure, especially on the underside of the frame where the rear brake/gear cables are (although these fit into the vee of the jaws so aren't clamped against the frame). They do floor and bench-mounted versions, too.
Some piccies:
Psychotext
Member
Yeah, it's still due for August. I might go up there in the opening week (screw the opening weekend!) to see how it rides.
That jaw looks pretty useful. I don't think I'd use it as a workstand, but I think it'll do nicely for putting in my garage (I have a dual arm solution at the mo which isn't great). I think I'd rather a quick release than a screw in though, if just for ease of use.
That jaw looks pretty useful. I don't think I'd use it as a workstand, but I think it'll do nicely for putting in my garage (I have a dual arm solution at the mo which isn't great). I think I'd rather a quick release than a screw in though, if just for ease of use.
Yeah, a quick-release cam clamp would be better (or even a coarser thread on the screw) but it's no big deal to release or tighten it, it's only a few turns of the knob. The jaws can be adjusted 360 degrees as well so clamping on to the seat post is another option. I was looking at floor stands before buying this but even the having to set it up every time I wanted to use it - which is after every ride - seemed like a fag. So glad I spotted this one.
Just curious - why do you think you wouldn't use it as a workstand?
dapperbandit
Banned
Was looking for somewhere to post this so I guess I'll post it here.
I have a hybrid bike (basically a road bike with gears and no suspension.)
I cycle to work most days, not sure how far it is but it takes me about 25-30 minutes.
The fucker keeps changing gears without me touching the bit on the handlebars that you twist to change them.
I'm just cycling on flat road, hear a THUNK and my foot shoots down as the resistance of the pedals changes.
Not sure what to do about it because it's not a very expensive bike but I'd rather not have to spend loads of money getting it fixed. At the same time, i'm not that interested in dying horribly right now.
I have a hybrid bike (basically a road bike with gears and no suspension.)
I cycle to work most days, not sure how far it is but it takes me about 25-30 minutes.
The fucker keeps changing gears without me touching the bit on the handlebars that you twist to change them.
I'm just cycling on flat road, hear a THUNK and my foot shoots down as the resistance of the pedals changes.
Not sure what to do about it because it's not a very expensive bike but I'd rather not have to spend loads of money getting it fixed. At the same time, i'm not that interested in dying horribly right now.
Nice, I ride to work often myself. Broke my derailer yesterday after having to many cross country trips in the car. Sucks. Anyways, the beast should be be back so and I got my backup specialized bike. I still hate using it as I prefer a heavier bike to to train my legs.
Hard to tell what is wrong with your bike, but it might be something as simple as a worn out chain that just needs to be changed.
Psychotext
Member
Lack of height adjustability. Same goes for not being able to twist it around.
I use a Park Tools PCS-10.
Popping in and out of two gears is probably just a derailleur cable adjustment. On a stand (or upside down), put it in the problem gear. Use the barrel adjuster to get the rear derailleur cog better centered on the cassette cog. Once you think you have it, run through all the gears and verify that another gear isn't having issues. The front derailleur position does matter, so check all the gear positions. Keep the changes small, if you have to turn the adjuster a bunch of turns, you are probably going to get into trouble.
Pretty common to need adjustment over time as the cables do stretch.
Popping in and out of two gears is probably just a derailleur cable adjustment. On a stand (or upside down), put it in the problem gear. Use the barrel adjuster to get the rear derailleur cog better centered on the cassette cog. Once you think you have it, run through all the gears and verify that another gear isn't having issues. The front derailleur position does matter, so check all the gear positions. Keep the changes small, if you have to turn the adjuster a bunch of turns, you are probably going to get into trouble.
Pretty common to need adjustment over time as the cables do stretch.
Quote
Member
I use a Feedback Pro Elite. The only pic I have available on my phone is this http://instagram.com/p/Yd-OoIpTQs/
The clamp style is awesome and why I went with it, I got the little tray for it too. It was perfect for building my bike.
The clamp style is awesome and why I went with it, I got the little tray for it too. It was perfect for building my bike.
Ah. Yep, it's not as flexible as a free-standing unit but the for my purposes the speed and convenience far outweighs any restrictions. I've not had any problems working on any parts of the bike with it.
On another subject I had a good hard blast on the bike yesterday evening and discovered more awesome local trails, but hit a hidden tree stump at speed and took a tumble right into the middle of a patch of chest-high stinging nettles. I never really feel like I've been on a proper ride unless I come back with several minor cuts or bruises but full-body itchy stings are fucking horrible. Combine that with 28 degree overnight temperatures and it made for quite an uncomfortable night...
Psychotext
Member
Pleasant.
Hearing the click-click-click of my freewheel as I left the house this morning, I knew it was going to be a good day. Decided to take my dinky little P1 on the ride to work, I'd completely forgotten how much fun that bike was. It'd be a nightmare around any kind of trail centre, but out in the urban jungle it's a magnificent weapon.
I really ought to buy a stand. I like the solution that you have, but I think I'd need a freestanding unit too because I like to do most of my maintenance in the house (much to the chagrin of the missus!). I'll grab one before I rebuild the RTS I reckon.
I lean it up against a chair in the living room
I really ought to buy a stand. I like the solution that you have, but I think I'd need a freestanding unit too because I like to do most of my maintenance in the house (much to the chagrin of the missus!). I'll grab one before I rebuild the RTS I reckon.
Psychotext
Member
If you're quick, LIDL still has the £30 ones in store. They're good.
outunderthestars
Banned
For bicycle storage:
Willworx Superstand:
Willworx Superstand:
DrForester
Kills Photobucket
So I think I've settled on the Trek Mamba. Reading reviews online, makes it sound like a good starter bike with a good base that is easily enough to upgrade down the road. Got on one today, and it was comfy.
I was wondering on accessories, namely as bike rack for my car (regular car, so something that goes on the trunk). Also anything I should look for in helmets other than comfort or is that pretty much it?
I was wondering on accessories, namely as bike rack for my car (regular car, so something that goes on the trunk). Also anything I should look for in helmets other than comfort or is that pretty much it?
As are their cycle shorts (for £8). The arse-friendly padding is generous.
Currently munching my standard seven Weetabix prior to a 7:30am blast around the woods - any tips for other good breakfast bike fuel?
Psychotext
Member
I mash them up with a load of milk and add some raspberries, but it is a bit of a struggle towards the end. I needed it all this morning though - my gentle bimble turned into a three-and-a-half hour 30 miler. It was gorgeous out there though - sunny but cool (well, cooler than lately). Here's some really crappy phone photos from the ride (Galaxy Y shitty shots as it's the phone that fits in my saddle pack - I'll take a proper camera one day):
This is at the top of a lengthy ~45 degree technical rocky decent, the type that buys dentists new yachts. Photos of the decent itself didn't come out.
Bottom of the quarry after a high-speed wrap around the lower tier in the background. Gives the forks (and forearms) an excellent stress-test.
A tasty 5-foot drop-off to test the strength of your wheels (and knee joints). Both passed!
Found this area today, some sort of half-finished tree house project deep in the woods. Unfortunately the area is littered with broken beer bottles and disposable barbeques. Fucking kids. Bring back hanging etc.
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