Mountain Biking

Yeah mate, 2017 Orange Crush S, will be sticking with the stock travel whilst they are on the Crush, looking at some fox 36 at some point, mate was interested in the Yari's if they could be extended to 160mm.
 
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Got my 32t chainring from superstar. Hopefully its the right one as there was a standard and boost version and finding an answer as to which I needed was a nightmare as theres so much conflicting advice. YT reccomends a 0 offset and people that have taken that advice said the chainring was too close to the frame, but others said it was fine... The one i ordered was a 3mm offset which a guy on Youtube with the same bike used and said everything was working fine.

Now I just need to get the crankarm off but my 13.5 stone doesnt seem to be enough as its not budging. Have to say I think the Shimano system is a lot better than Racefaces as it was a 5 minute job swapping out a Shimano crankset. I think I spent about half an hour trying to remove the crankarm before giving up and ordering an 8mm hex bit for a 1/2" socket that I can use with a massive breaker bar lol. If that still wont budge it then i'll have to submit and take it to my local bike shop, but I hate being beaten and like to do as much as I can myself.
 
Are you just trying to remove the 8mm hex nut? it should only be torqued to 61nm (45ft-lb) according to the manual, which isn't especially high...

A decent size 8mm allen key or 8mm socket with a bit of length should do the trick.
 
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Finally managed it with the right tool. It was way tighter than that, the allen key was just flexing and not moving the bolt at all.

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400g weight saving once the new chainring is deducted

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Job done, all looks to line up well and I think theres enough space between the chainring and the frame. Would it be worth getting some sort of chain device to keep the chain on the ring and is there one anyone can recommend?
 
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That's nearly 1lb of weight saved, nice!

You probably won't need a chain device, the narrow-wide ring will keep the chain on pretty well, unless you're doing some proper gnarly stuff :)
 
Can anyone recommend a saddle? The one that I have on my Giant is a pain in the arse (literally!). Hoping to get something a comfier but don't have a clue where to start! :d
 
a nice new vid from YT explaining their history. A bit inspirational and almost a bit punk rock. well worth 15mins
That was a really interesting watch :). I didn't even know who YT were before I asked about a new bike in this thread. They seems like a really cool company and i'll definitely be recommending them to friends after my awesome experience buying from them.

Also regarding saddles, I have never found one thats actually comfortable. My first bike had a WTB saddle on that wasn't great, which i replaced with a charge spoon, which wasn't much of an improvement for me. On long rides I always end up feeling like i've spent a night in a US jail. The saddle on my new YT bike looks cool, but its not comfy sadly, so I might have to swap it out for the spoon.
 
Have to admit I swapped my YT's Jeffsy's saddle to a Fabric one that's v similar to a Spoon. Not necessarily because the stock one was bad, just 'cos I was used to the Spoon's shape.

Realistically, all saddles will be "noticeable" until your backside is toughened up by some regular riding...

tips tho:
  • make sure to use some padded inner shorts inside your MTB shorts - most shorts come with a removable padded liner that helps with longer rides. If you don't have any then get something like endura hummvee shorts with a liner, and just use that liner with all your shorts ;) Some people will say to also not wear underwear under these inner shorts, as it can cause some chaffing, but personally that's something special for the road bike...
  • Remember with MTB, you're not a road cyclist, and thus your backside shouldn't stay planted on that saddle all the time... Pretty much anytime you're not peddling and certainly when you're going downhill then you really should be stood on your peddles and not be sat on the saddle, otherwise that seat is just going to keep thumping into your backside and making things worse... (thus why dropper posts are nice to get that saddle out of the way when you're not peddling). It's amazing the number of people that try to stay seated when going through a rock garden or off a jump...
  • Make sure it's angled/fitted properly. It should be near horizontal, which (if you're not used to it) could almost feel like the nose of the saddle is too high. Some people don't like the front of the saddle against their bits so tilt it down, which just means they don't get the intended support and slide about the saddle more, which leads to other soreness. Check youtube/website for bike saddle setup guides ;)
 
I got some of the padded shorts, but they felt like i was wearing a nappy :D. Might have to give them another try once i start doing some longer rides.
 
Cant stand padded shorts, I find them uncomfortable, just embrace the grind, eventually you'll have a leather gooch like me.
Finding the right saddle for you is so much more important, unfortunately it really is just a case of trial and error until you find the profile that suits your gooch/cheeks.

Personally i've found over the years a more narrow and less padded saddle like the SDG fly suits me more, more heavily padded saddles start out more comfortable but my theory is that the extra cushion creates more movement over long rides and is a detriment in the long run. took me about 15 years or trying and persevering with all types of saddle profile/padding level.
 
Bump* Which bike from Evans for up to £1000? Want to order soon. I'm 5'10" and do about 25miles a day commute off-road (mostly trail). Quite hilly around here (commute has 800ft of climb).
 
Bump* Which bike from Evans for up to £1000? Want to order soon. I'm 5'10" and do about 25miles a day commute off-road (mostly trail). Quite hilly around here (commute has 800ft of climb).
if you're looking at a longish commute as a priority over something for a trails centre, then I would be looking at a 29er and possibly even 2 x gears.
https://www.evanscycles.com/scott-scale-980-2018-mountain-bike-EV313807
https://www.evanscycles.com/specialized-rockhopper-pro-29-2018-mountain-bike-EV306336
https://www.evanscycles.com/cube-acid-2018-mountain-bike-EV318717
seem to fit the bill
 
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