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Mountain Bike - Hard tail

Discussion in 'General' started by Game, Jun 8, 2011.

  1. Gigantic

    Gigantic Maverick Moto Media

    the bicycle weighs 30 pounds, it has less of a wheelie inducing influence than a passenger.
     
  2. vince224

    vince224 Well-Known Member

    i'm seeing a built-in wheelie bar! :)

    might wanna put a red-flag out back thoe!! lol

    vince
    :D
     
  3. Lance's BBS name should give you an indication that the 30 lb bike isn't going to induce too many wheelies.:D
     
  4. STT-Rider

    STT-Rider Well-Known Member

    But it also doubles as a wheelie bar.....yes? Its the latest in stuntah accessories.
     
  5. RndHoleSqPeg

    RndHoleSqPeg Well-Known Member

    Does anyone have thoughts on the 27.5+ and 29+ stuff that is starting to trickle out? Especially if you were getting ready to buy, not really the fastest guy out there, and do not have a lot wrapped up into wheels and hubs yet?
     
  6. Gigantic

    Gigantic Maverick Moto Media

    the new full squish Stumpjumper FSR 27.5+ would make me horny if it wasn't made by Specialized.
     
  7. wsmc42

    wsmc42 Well-Known Member

    I rode one last Sunday. Specialized description of the bike as "playful" is pretty accurate. It was a fun bike and would be a blast at a bike park or on some tight single track. My only complaint was it felt kinda slow on the flats and the climbs to me coming from my Epic 29er.
     
  8. Ty

    Ty Well-Known Member

    I have been playing with a Krampus since it was released. The biggest benefit I can convince myself the plus size has is simply the larger diameter of the tire. It rolls over everything with ease. (Almost like going from 26 to 29) It would probably be a major advantage in the big rock sections if the tires offered weren't so delicate.
    Cornering at 8/10ths and below is confidence inspiring; above that and the sidewalls come back into play as they fold over (my experiences are with the Knard 27tpi, Gravity Vadar and the Dirt Wizard) and higher inflation pressures offer no reasonable compromise.
    They do not work well in loose over hard pack, gravel or wet hard pack/mud.
    If you take away the roll over advantage(ie. the 27.5+), I can't really see them be useful for much. Adventure biking/bike packing perhaps. This could all change with different tire sidewall construction, but I can't envision them ever being the go-to setup for a wide variety of conditions.
     
  9. STT-Rider

    STT-Rider Well-Known Member

    The whole fat tire thing depends on where you live. Around here they are a trend or statement if hipness. They certainly do not handle the terrain better than a conventional wheeled bike. Change locations and that can change instantly.

    Is there any reason that a 27.5 29er in with standard tires wont serve your purpose (snow, sand, etc...)?
     
  10. shakazulu12

    shakazulu12 Well-Known Member

    Ok, so I jumped on a buddy's hardtail and went for a pedal. So one thing I figured out real fast was that tall ass seat sucks going downhill or any time I wanted to move my body around a lot. I felt like it was trying to give me surprise buttsex. Is this what droppers are supposed to eliminate?

    Hang with me here, I'm still considering myself a virgin here.
     
  11. Yep. With droppers, you can raise the seat for climbs, and lower it for descents, without having to stop. With a regular seat post, you make a compromise and just keep it in one position somewhere between the two extremes. Personally, for cross country riding, I keep the seat about 1/2" to 1" lower than I would if I were riding on pavement. Too low and you lose power and put stress on your knees.

    Droppers can be cool, but that's just another thing that needs frequent maintenance. I have friends whose droppers lower when they don't want them to. The heavier the rider, the more likely this can happen.
     
  12. TurboBlew

    TurboBlew Registers Abusers

    I didnt want to spend $400 trying to see if I liked the post. Got a take off Giant contact switch post from a friend and I was glad I did. Couple things I noticed:

    -they are very particular about cable routing. I just zip tied mine externally. Took a couple rides to get the tension correct. (mechanical cable)
    -If your bike has provisions for internal routing use it. My rear tire rubbed some of the cable housing when the seat was pushed down.
    -They are heavy (count on ~1.5lbs)
    -Just remembering you have that feature can be difficult. Usually after I clear the feature do i remember I could have done it faster by droppng the seat.
    -It is nice to have the adjustment when you are fatigued.
    -Just made it a point to wipe/blow the post off after every ride and foil tape over the pressure release. Nothing really gets past the wiper seal & the tape keeps debris from entering the system.

    I was pleased to learn that no matter how much you spend on one... the issues are all the same.
     
  13. shakazulu12

    shakazulu12 Well-Known Member

    Hmm, I can see the weight being an issue. But it would seem it makes the bike a ton more versatile. I can take a massive dump before riding and equal that. From what I have learned so far, I like doing a bit of everything out there and the seat being in the way would get on my nerves really fast.
     
  14. STT-Rider

    STT-Rider Well-Known Member

    A hardtail is by its very nature simple and efficient. If you're doing rides with long technical descending on a HT (where a dropper makes sense) then you're more likely than not on the wrong equipment for that style of riding.

    I have a KS dropper seatpost....in the cabinet in the garage. I put it on if I am doing say the Mag 7 or TWE in Moab or if I am going to Sun Valley where I pedal 15 miles up and then descend for 10 miles..otherwise I find them basically useless for our type of technical slickrock mesa riding here in SW Utah. Besides that they ALL develop lateral play sooner or later (usually sooner like when you open the package) and I find this extremely annoying.
     
  15. STT-Rider

    STT-Rider Well-Known Member

    I've never encountered a move or section I could clear with a dropper than I can't clear with my fixed post in it's regular position. Disclaimer....I don't do crazy free ride stuff, about 5 feet vertical drop to flat is my limit.

    On the off chance I come to a crazy steep downhill section, I have my post marked and I can drop it in five seconds do the move and put it back in the proper position, but that's usually when I'm with the groms and they are talking me into doing shit I really shouldn't.
     
  16. shakazulu12

    shakazulu12 Well-Known Member

    I readily admit that I have no idea what I'm doing and my technique is probably wrong at this point. My inclination was to move around a bunch because it made me trust the tires more. Also felt like I was really hanging out far over the front end, but maybe that's what I'm supposed to be doing?

    Seems like climbinb up and descending was a ton of fun. But again, I have no idea what I'm doing yet.
     
  17. STT-Rider

    STT-Rider Well-Known Member

    No need to gyrate all over the bike..let the bike move around you...more specifically your BB. Your body should by and large stay in the vertical plane if that makes sense.

    Additionally avoid the temptation to "charge" into technical section. Speed doesn't offset a lack of skill, you need some speed (forward motion to help you roll over or up certain moves) but if you watch guys or gals who are really good, the success or failure of clearing a section is pretty much decided prior to their arrival. Hope that made sense.
     
  18. fastfreddie

    fastfreddie Midnight Oil Garage

    Fat bikes, Trek Farley 5 vs Farley 6.

    I've tried to find the component differences but Trek's site is less than informative. Prices are about equal.
    Any info links or advice?

    I would likely be looking at a brake upgrade as I hear that's the one downfall out of the box. So, Magura hydraulic?
    27.5 vs 26 wheels seems preferred for my intended use but I might also play around with Trials and, maybe, the 27.5s might be unwieldy?
    Another thing is frame size. I'm sure the local dealer can hook me up but what's normal on a mtn bike for someone 5'11" with long legs?
    And what about pedals? I'm inclined to go with the type pic-ed below as I may be wearing any number of shoe type during my outings.
    I seriously doubt I'll be a trailbreaker or hardcore rider. It will be solely for fun around my property of a couple sloped acres, 15º-30º, and paddock transpo.

    Yeah, it's all about the fat tires. :D
     

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  19. shakazulu12

    shakazulu12 Well-Known Member

    Probably going to sound really dumb, but what is "BB"?
     
  20. STT-Rider

    STT-Rider Well-Known Member

    Not at all. That's the bottom bracket where the crank arms connect to the frame.

    Also, I don't know where you ride but in the summer we're up at 9,000 - 11,000 feet and conservation of energy...specifically oxygen is important. If you go anaerobic for any length of time and "blow up" charging stuff recovery rates are substantially longer than down at 5,000 feet where we normally ride. In light of that I try to stay below my aerobic threshold.
     
    Last edited: Aug 1, 2015

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