Mountain Biking

[Superpatsy]

Can anyone recommend a good helmet for £100 or under? The strap on the back of mine appears to be gubbed which means the helmet wobbles about on my head! Mostly do trail riding (reds/blacks) so a full-face may be a bit overkill!

Cheers!

 

[Hedge]

Can anyone recommend a good helmet for £100 or under? The strap on the back of mine appears to be gubbed which means the helmet wobbles about on my head! Mostly do trail riding (reds/blacks) so a full-face may be a bit overkill!

Cheers!

Maybe a Poc tectal? http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/..._dm|pcrid|254141219463|pkw||pmt||prd|515820UK

Just got a dropper post fitted to my bike. Looking forward to taking it for a spin on Friday. Was the only think letting the bike down really. (boardman mtr 8.9)

 

[Begbie]

Can anyone recommend a good helmet for £100 or under? The strap on the back of mine appears to be gubbed which means the helmet wobbles about on my head! Mostly do trail riding (reds/blacks) so a full-face may be a bit overkill!

Cheers!

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/giro-montaro-mips-helmet-2017/rp-prod143029

Can only recommend my own, feels great, light airy (I cycle in 35c+, without too much issue), the only issue is the dial on the back is a little small which can be frustrating but barely.

Few friends have the cheaper one, and it's just as good from a quick look.

 

[gettothechopper]

+1 on the montaro

I have one and it makes even my kryten reject head look cool AF

 

[Hedge]

Just been on a ride around local area with my newly fitted the dropper post.

Plan to change decals on the forks and get upgrade the wheelset.

Really happy with the bike. 170mm dropper is great for someone my height.

 

[Begbie]

Such a nice looking bike, and at such a great price!

 

[Hedge]

Such a nice looking bike, and at such a great price!

I managed to it for £1261 WITH a 170mm rockshox reverb dropper post. Which is quite insane really. They even fitted the post for me and helitaped all the rub areas I highlighted.

Lots of snobbery around Boardman bikes but when the price is right they are excellent.

I had been looking at spending 2k+ but nothing really justified me paying double what I had managed to achieve.

I don't think they ever intended me to get the bike as cheap as I did. A number of discounts managed to stack and topcashback paid out at £65 yesterday too.

 

[randal]

Just finished refreshing my '02 Rockhopper with new wheelset, forks, disc brake conversion, chainset refresh and a few other bits. In the process of getting it all tuned up, but I can't for the life of me get the headset tight. Always a bit of play when applying the front brake and rocking it. Bolt is tight, new star nut in the forks etc. Can only assume the new forks (Rock Shox XC28s) were slightly taller than the Manitou Six's they replace? More spacers, or something else I can try?

TIA!

 

[Begbie]

Just finished refreshing my '02 Rockhopper with new wheelset, forks, disc brake conversion, chainset refresh and a few other bits. In the process of getting it all tuned up, but I can't for the life of me get the headset tight. Always a bit of play when applying the front brake and rocking it. Bolt is tight, new star nut in the forks etc. Can only assume the new forks (Rock Shox XC28s) were slightly taller than the Manitou Six's they replace? More spacers, or something else I can try?

TIA!

Spacers or cut the steerer tube down.

The spacers should (IIRC) be about 2.5mm above the steerer.

 

[randal]

I think I've got a 5mm spacer on there from the original setup (Ritchie headset and those awful Manitou forks). From memory I think the stem was sitting about 2-3mm higher than the top of the fork tube top.

Regarding the forks: http://wemakeitsafer.com/MANITOU-Si...-bicycle-suspension-fork-Recall-945989-786310

and from here: http://www.mtbr.com/product/older-categories-bikes/2003-front-shocks/manitou/six.html

First off I weigh 135lb. and the fork is way too soft. Second I hit a two foot jump 2 hours ago, landed blew out the plastic adjuster knob which stripped all of the threads and sent me sliding head first into a very large Pine tree.

 

[touch]

Did you loosen the pinch bolts on the stem before tightening the top cap?

 

[randal]

Yep. I've had the forks off twice as well to make sure I've got everything seated correctly.

 

[MassiveJim]

are you sure its the headset that is loose ?
On my new bike the brake pads move inside the calipers slightly, so I can't use the old method of rocking bike back and forward with the brakes on.

Other than that is the steerer tube on your forks sitting below your stem ?(or spacers if you have them on top)
Is the bottom bearing race fully seated on the forks ?
I had mine not quite seated fully once and after riding for a few minutes it got pushed in to place and I had to re-tighten everything.
Is the starnut pushed down far enough ? the starnut bolt might be reaching the end of its thread before it is fully tight.
Are all the bearings in place and seated correctly (you haven't accidently picked up a bearing form another headset ?)

 

[Hedge]

Need a full face solution for a Scotland trip next week. Stuck between Fox Proframe and a Bell Super DH.

The Bell gives me the versatility of being used without the chin strap but the Proframe is about 30-40 quid cheaper.

Leaning towards the Bell because my standard trail helmet is pretty tired so it would give me 2 in 1.

Anyone got any experience of either?

 

[Ske]

I've got a Bell Super 3 - essentially the same helmet but without the jaw plate. I get on really well with it - had it.. 18 months now, still going strong.

 

[MassiveJim]

Tried some bunny hops for the first time ever today, started out barely being able to clear a 10cm/4inch log, then found a perfect location for practice - a few minutes away, deserted on Sundays, perfect. Managed to clear some blocks of wood at 18cm/7inches high, which for me was a big deal

I need to work on the getting the rear wheel up, I know I'm not standing up enough and I'm trying to pull up with my legs too much. Manualling I'm fine with, and getting the front wheel up - OK I can't hold a manual but I can get it up there for long enough Just need more practice, and some more blocks soon!

Cant really tell from the vid as camera is too close but it looks like you are just pulling up on the bike.
With suspension bikes you need to load up the suspension before the hop, I was taught if you are using your strength to lift the bike you are doing it wrong, push down on the suspension first (need to time it right obviously) so that your suspension springs up before said object, then pull up when suspension reaches the top of the travel.

You might already be doing this I don't know, as I said its quite hard to tell from your video

 

[TallPaul_S]

Cant really tell from the vid as camera is too close but it looks like you are just pulling up on the bike.
With suspension bikes you need to load up the suspension before the hop, I was taught if you are using your strength to lift the bike you are doing it wrong, push down on the suspension first (need to time it right obviously) so that your suspension springs up before said object, then pull up when suspension reaches the top of the travel.

You might already be doing this I don't know, as I said its quite hard to tell from your video

Cheers - yeah I know it's hard to tell from that video, I am definitely pre-loading - see here from some earlier attempts that day:

I'm at about 80% fork and shock travel there

Not sure if you're describing the English bunny hop, I can do them - it's the american hop I want to do.

I'm also doing the manual part OK, maybe not as low and far back as I should be. However where I'm failing is standing straight up after the front wheel has come up, I'm still trying to lift too much with my legs.

Compress, arse to the seat then back in one motion = front wheel up
Stand straight up, bring bars to the the thighs/waist
push bars forward at same time as bending the knees bringing the wheel up beneath me.

I know the theory but getting my brain to do it is another thing!!

This video seems excellent, and is it me does the coach remind me of Bubbles from trailer park boys?

 

[Hedge]

What do you have your rebound set to?

 

[TallPaul_S]

Front or rear? Rear I think is a few clicks out from fastest - did the 'ride off a kerb and adjust it so it just bounces slightly at the top of the travel' trick - front is all the way out I think, fully open compression and rebound.

 

[Hedge]

Have you tried many settings while practicing your hops? I was riding a hard tail until last month and my bunny hops were great. Then when I moved to full suspension I seemed to lose all ability.

Ive had a bit of a play with my rebound and it seemed to help a little.