Mountain Bike - Hard tail

The vertical plain mentioned is also described as "floating" oneself or "Riding Light" on the bike. The arms and legs are long travel shock absorbers sorta kinda. As the bike reacted to rocks, bumps, whoops, whatever...your letting it move up and down under you while your arms/legs extend in/out. All the while having a damping affect, like a shock absorber would. This is key. Also letting the bars deflect laterally somewhat is no biggie, say thru some bad arse baby heads, large roots, etc.

 

One good lesson that can be taken to/from motorcycle racing is to let the bike move underneath you, don't fight it.

I have some friends who are fairly talented riders but they still have a death grip on their bike through technical sections. It's totally unnecessary. A light grip is all that is needed, you can let the bike hit the rocks and roots and it will move around under you but it will also sort itself out and keep going. Fighting it with a death grip is like fighting a tank slapper. Not only are you wasting energy but you're also going slower.

Let the bike float. Go fast! KOM!

 

A dropper has been a game changer for me. I have a 150mm KS and ride a hardtail. for most of the XC riding i do, especially climbing or pedaling on the flats, it's fully extended. If the trails get tight & twisty, I may drop it an inch to let the bike better move beneath me. going over big logs & up rock faces, I'll drop it half way and slam it all the way going down steep chutes, rocks, or fast rocky descents where I need to get my weight over the back tire. Whether a dropper is for you will depend a lot on the terrain you ride and your fit on the bike. If you're a shorter or lighter rider, the benefits may not be so great, as your center of gravity is already relatively low and your bike geometry may be better optimized. I'm super f@¢#ing huge and my bikes geometry puts a lot of weight up high. For me, a dropper is a no brainer and makes my rides a lot more enjoyable. YMMV

 

Lance offers a...how shall we say....much taller perspective than me. My CG is basically constant..his not so much. I could build two frames in my size and a small railroad bridge using the tubing from one of his.

 

The standard tires I am sure can serve my purpose, I am just curious if they new batch of tires/wheels will serve them better. Since I am in the market I am trying to determine if i should push off a purchase until there is a bit more time on the new standards, and I didn't necessarily want to be kicking myself in a year.

http://nsmb.com/uncle-dave-eats-27-5-crow/ this had me thinking it might be worthwhile to wait, it's just hard because The Hub had some discounts on 2015 Santa Cruz's and I was just about ready to pull the trigger on a new bike.

I am not looking for a XC racer or am I looking for fastest DH bike. I am looking for a great all mountain bike that will suit Pisgah and Dupont in NC and West Coast trips multiple times a year, and hopefully full time west coast living in the next year.

 

It's a bit of a production, yes? Mount the MTB, put on your motorcycle clothing then ride to the trail, take off your motorcycle stuff and switch to your MTB clothing, then unmount the MTB, then when you come back do it all again. I've seen guys with that setup before, seems effective but a lot more work than simply taking the front wheel off the bike and putting the bike in my car.

If you're gonna do all that you may as well just ride a dual sport for the day instead of your MTB.

I do want to get a dropper seat post, but with some recent adjustments I've made to the bike it's not as necessary. I'm pretty big (6'4" 230) so I have a high CG. I moved my seat about 1/4" forward I can now hang my ass over the rear tire. Whereas before it was optimized for climbing and I couldn't get my weight back and low. Now when I hit a bit of gnar I just hang my ass over the rear and let the bike float like a butterfly. It's been a huge revelation for my mountain biking and I've become much faster. If you're looking at a dropper post I would attempt adjustments on the seat first, you may not really need one. The only time I really want a dropper now is when it's so gnarly that my chest is hitting the seat as I descend. Those trails are rare though.

 

Wow. If yours stays where you want it to, that's a good dropper post! I haven't run one myself, but friends of mine who are only around 180 lbs have had trouble with theirs staying put.

 

Where on the West Coast? Southern California riding is a universe different from riding in NorCal or Oregon.

 

I deliberately don't have a car. I've been getting to the trails either by riding there, which limits me to about 3 trail systems that are within 12 miles from my house, or by taking the train, which opens it up to 16 trails, but getting there can be an ordeal, riding to the train station, waiting for the train, taking the train, riding to the trailhead, etc. It can turn a 2 hour ride into a 6 hour adventure. This is much more convenient by comparison. For trails that are semi-close, within 20 miles, I might only need a jacket and gloves. For me, the real appeal is in getting away for an extended weekend- you get all of the benefits of travel by motorcycle, plus riding trails when I get to my destination. With the 2x2 Cycles rack, my possible destinations go from 20-30 miles away, to up 300 miles or even further if I take a week or more off. This weekend, I'm going to the UCI MTB World Cup in Wyndham, NY for a bit of riding, spectating, heckling & shooting photos and assorted shenanigans. I'm stoked.

yeah, I'm +250... I've had to replace a cable and it's currently overdue for a rebuild, but it has been great so far. I love it.

 

we could probably build a frame for you using just the rear triangle from mine...

 

fwiw, i'm short (5'8" on a good day).

i have no prob offering that while probably cheating, a dropper is nearly required for me to ride. i like spinning up and bombing down, and the dropper just makes life SO much easier.

i have one bike w/ a fixed post (29er HT), and i'm inclinded to put a dropper on that thing too. while my CoG may be naturally lower, my short-ass legs making getting behind the seat more effort than its worth. and hittin my nuts sux! lol

i'll also note that while i'm not super heavy (~175 lbs), i've had really no issues with either of my posts (reverb, kronolog). basically, i wipe them down and they just keep working.

vince

 

I used to hate on droppers, until getting a bike that had one factory....uum, from my cold dead hands is when that thing leaves me.

I have a giant contact and it's been pretty good so far. I had to clean/lube it once but i ride in all conditions.

I weight 210 geared up and haven't had an issue with mine at all.

 

No comment on 27.5+, I have regular 27.5 and it seems like a decent ride with 2.4in tyres.

My biggest weakness is my legs not the bike, I can't sustain decent power for more than a few mins at a time. I only ride once a week for a few hours so I got a fluid trainer and speed/cadence/HRM that connect to their training app on the phone (whole setup less than a garmin bundle). Aiming to do at least 1 session a week in addition to riding and I hope that is enough to make a difference.

On the droppers, don't assume they are ok, pull them and regrease/paste occasionally, they corrode in the carbon frames.

 

If my wife chooses its either Portland or San Diego. If I choose then its the Bay Area.

 

Portland or San Diego....WTF? Those places are SOOOOOO different. Is she bi-polar?

 

FWIW there's a ton of very good riding to be had in Seattle. The difference vs. a bunch of other places is lots of it is under an hour drive from downtown. And if you're feeling especially feisty, there's Whistler in about 3.5hr drive.

You'll have to get used to riding in the rain though.

 

San Diego is her compromise for my vices

 

Headed to Mullberry Gap in north GA this weekend, anyone been there before?

 

Paging Stickboy, Stickboy to the white courtesy phone...

 

A few times. Have eaten and started from there for some all day races in the past. Never stayed there tho. Great place. Never heard a bad word about it.

Great trails. Ride Bear Creek up to the lookout(just an open view off the FS rd). Go back down from there, or ride the extra couple hundred yards to the very top of Bear Creek and ride down its crazy tight switchbacks. Then/or ride the Pinhoti 1, 2, 3, and even 4th sections. Sections 1 and 2 can be ridden straight from Bear. Then over to 3rd and 4th are out and backs. When your done, your right there just a few hundred yrds from Mulberry. Chit loads of climbing on all 5 trails mentioned, so bring your legs.