roadie trying mountainbiking

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papercorn2000

papercorn2000

Senior Member
Whoa! I've got narrower rims on my car!

Good tyres are a must. I was using 2.3" Conti Gravitys (really, really tight) but I have switched to Fire XC pros.

I came to MTBing from XC racing and for years I insisted on a long stem, short travel fork and as skinny tyres as I could get pumped up their max. Fast but a bitch to control at Glentress etc.

Although I still ride a hardtail, now have a long travel fork, short stem and proper hydraulic brakes. The only hangover I have from racing is that I still use a double as opposed to a triple chainring.

Riding is sooo much easier!
 
GilesM

GilesM

Legendary Member
Location
East Lothian
papercorn2000 said:
Although I still ride a hardtail, now have a long travel fork, short stem and proper hydraulic brakes. The only hangover I have from racing is that I still use a double as opposed to a triple chainring.
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A good hardtail with Long travel fork is a really good comprimise for alot of trails, but try a good full sus, it just makes the ride perfect. I am just about to go back to a double chainset, but this will be a 22/36 and Bash, I never use the big ring, and as the Orange five has a low bottom bracket there are not too many of the 44 teeth left anyway.
 
Mr Pig

Mr Pig

New Member
Location
North Lanarkshire
papercorn2000 said:
now have a long travel fork, short stem and proper hydraulic brakes.
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I fitted a very short stem recently and have hydraulic brakes. 100mm fork on a steel hardtail and time and time again on Saturday I found myself thinking 'This bike is bang on'. The Short stem was the last thing I was missing, really gives you confidence in the rough.
 
GrumpyGregry

GrumpyGregry

Here for rides.
+1 on the conti montain kings ( 2.2 black chilli protection version)

safe tyre pressure especially on the rear on a hardtail is hugely affected by your rding style, especially the way you descend. so many mtb'ers, inc myself on too many occassions, descend in a series of barely controlled/avoided crashes with far too much weight over the rear wheel... whereas the really fast folk are in complete control all the time and are constantly unweighting the back end. Amongst those I have ridden with the former get way more pinch flats and general wear and tear than the 'floaters' who ride over obstacles rather than through them....
 
GilesM

GilesM

Legendary Member
Location
East Lothian
GregCollins said:
+1 on the conti montain kings ( 2.2 black chilli protection version)
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The Black Chilli ones do seem very good, 2.4 non protected version, at about 35 to 40 psi, works very well.


GregCollins said:
safe tyre pressure especially on the rear on a hardtail is hugely affected by your rding style, especially the way you descend. so many mtb'ers, inc myself on too many occassions, descend in a series of barely controlled/avoided crashes with far too much weight over the rear wheel... whereas the really fast folk are in complete control all the time and are constantly unweighting the back end. Amongst those I have ridden with the former get way more pinch flats and general wear and tear than the 'floaters' who ride over obstacles rather than through them....
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Riding like that is very hardwork on a hardtail though, and quite tough on a full sus, but very satisfying when you get through a downhill section and you feel as though it all went well, and I think you could have a point about the pinch punctures.
 
Mr Pig

Mr Pig

New Member
Location
North Lanarkshire
GregCollins said:
the really fast folk are in complete control all the time and are constantly unweighting the back end.
Click to expand...

There were times on Saturday when I had my chin on the saddle and slowing the back wheel with my nuts! I don't want to be fast, I just want to avoid being thrown so far into the scenery that it would take Mountain Rescue to find me! And if I do fall off I'd rather come off the back of the bike than fly over the bars.

I don't do much of that kind of stuff though so I'm no expert. Staying in one piece is far more important to me than being fast.
 
dellzeqq

dellzeqq

pre-talced and mighty
Location
SW2
Nosherduke. I'm impressed. Damned impressed. My attempts to transfer at off-roading have been comedy turns. And as for BMX skateparks.........
 
GrumpyGregry

GrumpyGregry

Here for rides.
Mr Pig said:
There were times on Saturday when I had my chin on the saddle and slowing the back wheel with my nuts! I don't want to be fast, I just want to avoid being thrown so far into the scenery that it would take Mountain Rescue to find me! And if I do fall off I'd rather come off the back of the bike than fly over the bars.

I don't do much of that kind of stuff though so I'm no expert. Staying in one piece is far more important to me than being fast.
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that's the main reason for fitting a rear guard... so there's a nice bit of plastic 'tween crown jewels and the tyre.

I ditto the staying in one piece is more important than fast, having failed to stay in one piece on several occasions, though excess stupidity was usually the cause rather than excess speed, but staying in one piece and being fast(er) are compatible activities. Momentum is your friend.
 
J

Jonathan M

New Member
Location
Merseyside
lukesdad said:
2 points to pick up on really; firstly long stems are only used for xc racing(example on my bike in photo gallery under 1999 bike porn).Secondly its a misconception in the wet that lower pressures give you more grip a higher pressure tyre with hard sus. will cut through the mud to find grip a lower pressure will float on top( to illustrate this imagine trying to push a cricket ball through 2" of mud then try doing ti with a inflated baloon , a bit exagerated I know but you get the idea.
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So will skiniier tyres, as by the nature of a smaller air chamber they need a higher pressure to prevent pinch punctures.

Lower pressure isn't about grip for me, it is about control, as someone (Bonj??) says it is a further element that reduces a routes "harshness".

I find I can't run skinier tyres, I'm a big guy, not particularly "heavy" in my riding but physically heavy, if you understand. Skinny tyres (1.9s as an example) for me either puncture too easily or I run them at a higher pressure which means they are skittish, and that means less control.


Just reminded me of something that happened a few years ago. As I've said, I'm a big guy, so am not the worlds fastest rider. I was at Rivington with a few mates, near the upper barn, and we were just going to get going up to the Pike and then down - we'd already done a bigger loop around the reservoirs, so this was our final fling. Anyway, heading up to one of the gates some guy on a "posh" bike, think Klein or some such, passes us, and gets through the gate just as we get there. Doesn't hold it open, lets it swing shut in my face. Me & the half dozen mates just look at each other think "WTF???", but then crack on riding up to the tower. Klein guy though has pissed me off. Thoroughly. So I get to the front of about three of us, and just start riding as fast as poss - Chris behind me is constantly saying "go-on Jon, get him, ride faster", that kind fo stuff, just really winding me up more!

Anyway as we pass him going through one of the gardens that are across the slopes of Rivi he looses traction to his rear tyre, and I kid you not, looks across at us and says something like "my tyre pressures are too high". PMSL, serves you right for not having f@cking manners mate!
 
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