Mountain Bike - Hard tail

Not very hard to swap lines--I rode with the right lever as the rear for 3 years, tried to talk myself into it was OK--swapped them 3 months ago--waaay better--more power and control in the proper hand--prolly just me

 

I have not encountered a rental or demo day where they'd be willing to do that for me. My bikes are all moto (or Euro) style too.

 

Its a royal pain in the ass to swap on some bikes due to cable routing. Its like GP or street shift, just get used to it.

 

Yep, I have a medium size Intense Tracer 26 with Stans flow wheels, hope Pro II hubs, full XT, etc.. that I am trying to sell. Replacement value on its north of 5k but I'll be happy to get $1500. Its in awesome shape but there are just so many choices out there right now.

 

Rear shock is way gimmicky. Stay away from proprietary suspension it can mean very long waits for service/parts.

 

^^^^^^ listen to this man^^^^^

 

I encountered that with a fox "brain" shock. Luckily the only gimic with those is the reservoir so I was able to find a used conventional shock that fit pretty well.


I've made up my mind that I'll go back to a hard tail for my next bike. I think I just ride to hard for my weight (200 lbs right now), because I end up blowing up rear shocks pretty quickly.

 

There you go, solid deal even with added shipping cost.

 

Considering most mountain bikes are designed for the 150 lb people you are probably crushing that shock. Fat bastard!

 

That's what I figured.

 

i weigh what you weigh and i jump mine off of dumb shit. stop buying pieces of shit shocks, and just get a godamn Cane Creek DBAir on any bike you ever own forever. i've never had a problem. guys use DBAirs and Vivid Airs and BOS air shocks for Red Bull Rampage jumping off 50 foot cliffs and the World Downhill Cup... if they can do that stuff, you can use one.

 

Was going to say the same: get a freeride shock. But I don't know how will that work out for AM type riding, might suck on uphills.

 

Damn skippy! Clydes!

 

Ditto-Im 220lb--mine HD has a pretty garden variety fox CTD rear shock--the 36mm forks up front are definitely preferred

 

Seriously? I'm 180 with gear and I've (nor any of the guys I ride with and they DO ride at Red Bull site) have "blown up" Fox rear shocks. Brain shocks on Specialized are XC designs, maybe you just need to get a good all-mountain design.

 

Some Kung Fu stuff or branded? Not that there's any difference between Kungfu wheels and branded items, they're all built in the same factory.

 

tks guys. even to my un-bike-educated eye, i was immediately skeptical about the shock too. the one positive argument i can buy is that the frame / geometry / suspension, having been designed together, should work well together. and, if my currrent bike can serve as a guide, i dont expect much in the way of shock issues / maintenance / headache. fingers x'd.

that said, i bought the bike the other day. got a few bucks off haggling and feel good w/ the deal.

got the bike out yesterday for a couple hours. H-O-L-Y S-H-I-T!

this thing is f'ing cheating! lol i honestly couldnt believe the difference from the giant. especially going DH.

while all the cables and gizmos had/have me a little concerned, if you already are using a dropper, there really isnt a whole lot more w/ the setup on this bike. just the remote lever for lockout. and, keeping in mind i roll around the racetrack on a late model GP250 bike (not generally considered "set it and forget it", even if i could make a contrary argument), i dont really fear the upkeep and stuff.

time will tell, but for now i'm pretty pumped and cant wait to really get the thing dialed in now that i have some feel for it. i figure worse case i can slam it back on CL and recoup most if not all my cost.

so, THANKS GUYS! i wouldnt have been inclined to pull the trigger otherwise...and would have continued swinging my 4-bat giant (which is now converted into beach / trail cruiser).

vince

 

Yea, I replaced the brain with a Fox Float RP2 that I got used from my buddy at a local bike shop, but I think that's an XC design too. It no longer holds air, but I'm gonna have it re built. I'm not gonna buy any more shocks, because I've already made up my mind what my next bike will be. I'm gonna get an On One 456 Evo Carbon hard tail, thanks to a recommendation of someone earlier in this thread (can't remember who it was). I'm just waiting till I have the $2500 to devote to that.

 

You can buy a fox rebuild kit about $30--easy to do--should get you by

 

First off set the sag both front and rear. 30% travel or so. On that double barrel shock you might have to do it twice I'm not sure. My understanding is it pretty much is two shocks in one. One is for big hits the other for small chop and going up the hill. A buddy has a Cannondale Jekyll (sp?) that utilizes the same idea, it works pretty well but you gotta remember to switch back and forth.

Tire pressure is pretty important. If you run tubeless the yardstick I was taught is "if feel the rim once every ride it's perfect"

Adjust the bike to you. Seat moves back and forth on the rails. You can install different length stems and that makes a major difference. Most moto guys I know prefer the shortest stem possible, feels more like a motorcycle but is a compromise for going uphill. Most moto guys also prefer longer handlebars, 800mm or more.

Get this book and practice, you'll enjoy your riding more with some skills: http://www.amazon.com/Mastering-Mou...BD1Q/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1405711650&sr=8-1