Big Bike Thread
- Thread starter Breamy
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I managed to survive 4 runs of the Ft William DH track yesterday. It was incredible!
Might hire a DH bike next time but the Mega handled it very well
No issues encountered, and no crashes!
Might hire a DH bike next time but the Mega handled it very well
No issues encountered, and no crashes!
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I'm afraid not! We took the GoPro but never used it...our mate broke his Nukeproof Scalp (chainguide) and took off with the van and most of our gear to try and hunt down a spare in Ft William...the cameras went with him.
It's as rough as expected, and the River and road gaps were closed, but we hit everything else.
The motorway section and the drop to the finish are super fast. I didn't even have to put much effort into the jumps to get some serious height.
GoPro next time for sure, possibly the weekend after the World Cup
It's as rough as expected, and the River and road gaps were closed, but we hit everything else.
The motorway section and the drop to the finish are super fast. I didn't even have to put much effort into the jumps to get some serious height.
GoPro next time for sure, possibly the weekend after the World Cup
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Yes, the first time you go down it is scary. Line choice and speed are key.
Hesitation is what causes problems.
After the first run it was much better! Your Morewood would be right at home there
One of our group crashed hard at the Wall (steep drop to the finish) He broke his collar bone, had a concussion and a collapsed lung.
We THINK he went down that section to slowly, but no one saw what happened. He never even knew where he was when the ambulance arrived
Hesitation is what causes problems.
After the first run it was much better! Your Morewood would be right at home there
One of our group crashed hard at the Wall (steep drop to the finish) He broke his collar bone, had a concussion and a collapsed lung.
We THINK he went down that section to slowly, but no one saw what happened. He never even knew where he was when the ambulance arrived
I was... It was my first time at Glentress so I went down with a group of other people... Some were slow some were fast.. I think I did ok considering I had no idea where I was going or what I was getting into..
http://app.strava.com/activities/57735740
Bought myself a 2011 Specialized Sirrus on eBay tonight. £56 all in all, picking it up on Saturday.
Cheap as it needs a few bits to get it road worthy which are:
New set of wheels
Gear Cassette
New Chain
Apparently Halfords quoted £150 to repair it originally, the guy reckoned it's roughly £90 in parts and the rest in labour.
Well I'm happy getting my hands dirty and have tools to give it a crack so I think its worth a punt. I'll get it checked over once I'm done but all in all once it's been serviced and I've bought the parts I'm expecting a £150-£200 layout so I'm not complaining
Plus its just had new brake pads and brand new decent road tyres. I'm happy!
Cheap as it needs a few bits to get it road worthy which are:
New set of wheels
Gear Cassette
New Chain
Apparently Halfords quoted £150 to repair it originally, the guy reckoned it's roughly £90 in parts and the rest in labour.
Well I'm happy getting my hands dirty and have tools to give it a crack so I think its worth a punt. I'll get it checked over once I'm done but all in all once it's been serviced and I've bought the parts I'm expecting a £150-£200 layout so I'm not complaining
Plus its just had new brake pads and brand new decent road tyres. I'm happy!
Gav - Seems a good run for your first time, enjoy it?
Phate - £150 seems cheap if wheels are included in that, none of those parts are hard to fit but you'll need a cassette tool, chain whip and chain link remover to do it.
Anyone heading up to Fort William this weekend?
Phate - £150 seems cheap if wheels are included in that, none of those parts are hard to fit but you'll need a cassette tool, chain whip and chain link remover to do it.
Anyone heading up to Fort William this weekend?
Can anyone do me a big favour?
I'm off riding in Wales with some friends Friday till Monday. Two of us are hiring bikes and need a bike rack so we can pick them up without having to do a lot of back-and-forth with one of the other guys cars.
So does anyone in the SW London or Guildford area have a bike rack that will fit either a Polo or a Fiesta that they would be willing to loan me. Pickup tomorrow or Wednesday evening, drop back Monday or Tuesday?
I would be super grateful.
I'm off riding in Wales with some friends Friday till Monday. Two of us are hiring bikes and need a bike rack so we can pick them up without having to do a lot of back-and-forth with one of the other guys cars.
So does anyone in the SW London or Guildford area have a bike rack that will fit either a Polo or a Fiesta that they would be willing to loan me. Pickup tomorrow or Wednesday evening, drop back Monday or Tuesday?
I would be super grateful.
The bike itself was £56, it is complete but the wheels are buckled and the chain is bent along with the cassette being damaged.
I'll have a look, I'm sure I can do it
Worse comes to worse I get all the bits do what I can then drop it off to be finished off!
EDIT: I've just re-read and realised how you meant it, you meant for the repair! I getcha!
I'm picking up the bike on Saturday morning, will be bringing it home and assessing the situation.
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Yeah..loved it. Already trying to plan another visit. Next time I will be with less people so the breks will be significantly shorter..
Help, I've got itchy feet for a new bike but don't know what route to take.
Current bike: 2011 Stumpjumper FSR
Issues with current bike: I've done a few upgrades but I'm starting to feel the geo/frame isn't ideal - QR forks, non-tapered head tube, troublesome Elixir brakes.
Riding: mainly trail centers with trips to Wales, have done Snowdon Rangers too. Like to play on the small DH runs at Stile Cop also.
My thoughts are to remove the upgrades I've added (Reverb, Hope hoops, wider bars, shorter stem) and sell my standard bike as a whole. Then I quite fancy building my own up from a frame, adding the bits I already have and sourcing a few bits here and there.
Ideally I want something a bit burlier but that can still be pedaled all day. Transition Bandit looks really nice, the new Nukeproof Mega TR too - both a similar price. Yeti 575 looks lovely but maybe too expensive. I've just seen a new Blur LT frame discounted too.
Anyone experience of the above? Anything I've missed?
If I went off the shelf instead then an Evo version of the Stumpy looks ideal and gets great reviews, but then I don't really want another Spesh. Riding buddies have got Orange Five, Lapierre Zesty and a Canyon Nerve AM so I'd rather neither of them lot. Norco Sight gets great reviews but it doesn't really excite me.
The Bandit seems top of my list at the minute.
Current bike: 2011 Stumpjumper FSR
Issues with current bike: I've done a few upgrades but I'm starting to feel the geo/frame isn't ideal - QR forks, non-tapered head tube, troublesome Elixir brakes.
Riding: mainly trail centers with trips to Wales, have done Snowdon Rangers too. Like to play on the small DH runs at Stile Cop also.
My thoughts are to remove the upgrades I've added (Reverb, Hope hoops, wider bars, shorter stem) and sell my standard bike as a whole. Then I quite fancy building my own up from a frame, adding the bits I already have and sourcing a few bits here and there.
Ideally I want something a bit burlier but that can still be pedaled all day. Transition Bandit looks really nice, the new Nukeproof Mega TR too - both a similar price. Yeti 575 looks lovely but maybe too expensive. I've just seen a new Blur LT frame discounted too.
Anyone experience of the above? Anything I've missed?
If I went off the shelf instead then an Evo version of the Stumpy looks ideal and gets great reviews, but then I don't really want another Spesh. Riding buddies have got Orange Five, Lapierre Zesty and a Canyon Nerve AM so I'd rather neither of them lot. Norco Sight gets great reviews but it doesn't really excite me.
The Bandit seems top of my list at the minute.
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Soldato
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You are absolutely spoilt for choice in that category BaJ, you're pretty much guaranteed to get a good bike if you build it up with appropriate components and at the end of the day it comes down to small differences in how they ride and aesthetics.
I would consider the Yeti ASR 5 alloy too, it's shorter travel than the 575 with less forgiving suspension performance, but the geometry is really fun (same as my bike actually) with a low BB, short chainstays and a slackish headangle. You can pick up a frame for about the same as a Bandit/Mega these days.
I would recommend trying to split your bike and sell it off in parts, you might be lucky and get someone who wants the frame/forks etc but you won't get as much money for them.
I would consider the Yeti ASR 5 alloy too, it's shorter travel than the 575 with less forgiving suspension performance, but the geometry is really fun (same as my bike actually) with a low BB, short chainstays and a slackish headangle. You can pick up a frame for about the same as a Bandit/Mega these days.
I would recommend trying to split your bike and sell it off in parts, you might be lucky and get someone who wants the frame/forks etc but you won't get as much money for them.
I have decided to upgrade my handle bars as I want to try a shorter stem as I keep getting pain in my shoulders and neck on longer rides. (mines a 25.4mm bar, so want to upgrade both to the 31.8 so I have more choice in future)
I was looking at the Superstar Vector 700-25 @ £35 and the Zenith AM Stem @ £26.99. It's used for XC so don't need anything too heavy duty, mainly concerned about weight and these seem to be pretty light.
Are these a good choice for the money? Or anything better for around the same price I should look at?
Thanks
I was looking at the Superstar Vector 700-25 @ £35 and the Zenith AM Stem @ £26.99. It's used for XC so don't need anything too heavy duty, mainly concerned about weight and these seem to be pretty light.
Are these a good choice for the money? Or anything better for around the same price I should look at?
Thanks
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My bike came back with a new rear end after braking it. Was hoping to just get a new frame that i could sell to get something else.
Interesting reading about sizing.
I have a real problem climbing (sat down) on my bike it wants to wheelie all the time to the point were i have to stand up all the time or have my chest touching my stem.
I have tried the following, new seatpost (old one was offset), move saddle forward, shorter stem, higher pressure in my shock as one friend thought my sag might be a bit much. I think i have come to the conclusion my bike is just to big for me.
With these trek's they all go on about virtual sizing. I have the 18.5" and im 5'9" the top tube affective length is 24" on this model. I think its a bit big and my weight is just to far to the back.
This is really annoying me and becoming a real problem as im trying to push harder on some climbs.
Other than buy a new frame which will have to get wife approval is there anything else i can do?
Interesting reading about sizing.
I have a real problem climbing (sat down) on my bike it wants to wheelie all the time to the point were i have to stand up all the time or have my chest touching my stem.
I have tried the following, new seatpost (old one was offset), move saddle forward, shorter stem, higher pressure in my shock as one friend thought my sag might be a bit much. I think i have come to the conclusion my bike is just to big for me.
With these trek's they all go on about virtual sizing. I have the 18.5" and im 5'9" the top tube affective length is 24" on this model. I think its a bit big and my weight is just to far to the back.
This is really annoying me and becoming a real problem as im trying to push harder on some climbs.
Other than buy a new frame which will have to get wife approval is there anything else i can do?
A shorter stem will move your weight further back. You need to try a longer stem if you want to move weight forward.
How steep is it before the front wheel comes up? There will be a point where no amount of changes to your bike can defy the laws of physics and the front wheel will want to lift.
Are you riding on flat pedals? Would you consider clipless? A good pedaling technique with clipless pedals to give a constant torque can help to keep the front down compared to the surging torque of only pushing down on flat pedals.
How steep is it before the front wheel comes up? There will be a point where no amount of changes to your bike can defy the laws of physics and the front wheel will want to lift.
Are you riding on flat pedals? Would you consider clipless? A good pedaling technique with clipless pedals to give a constant torque can help to keep the front down compared to the surging torque of only pushing down on flat pedals.
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Interesting. A long stem will make me far too far forward and My lower back is already starting to hurt when climbing. My stem is 100mm currently.
I use flats yes, im not a fan of clipless pedals mainly because i have this fear of falling and not being able to put my feet down. I don't mind falling off as has happened plenty of times i just have this thing about those pedals.
Not sure why probably because im a bit strange.
I use flats yes, im not a fan of clipless pedals mainly because i have this fear of falling and not being able to put my feet down. I don't mind falling off as has happened plenty of times i just have this thing about those pedals.
Not sure why probably because im a bit strange.
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