[Closed] How good do you have to be?

you don't have to be a good rider to notice stuff like that. The main requirement is probably to have tried lots of different bikes/setups.

Nope, but you will pretend to notice so it justifies the cost 😉

o notice stuff like flexy rear ends

it's a triangle

I noticed the difference twixt a DTSwiss 10mm RWS and a QR on the back of my hardtail. I am really good though.

Yes but less than a good pair of wheels a nice geometry and some good tyres.

Nope, but you will pretend to notice so it justifies the cost

Beat me to it!

Try riding a tight switchback climb with a 100mm stem, then do it with a 70mm.

Ride a rocky descent on 2 different FS bikes, probably best to do it on stuff that's set up the same (travel & shock) if you can and you'll notice a difference, you'll be surprised.

i tend to notice flexy area's on bikes.
riding out of the saddle should never make the tyres rub the frame or fork stantions. 😀

to be honest I couldn't tell the difference between a flexing frame and flex in the tyres. But I know the frame does flex as when I have big tyres on and I'm stomping, ape like, on the pedals I can hear the tyres rubbing on the front mech with every stroke but can't say I notice/feel it.

Not set up, of course 100mm stems feel much different to a 50mm. I mean lets say I swapped out my QR Maguras for Maxle ones would I actually notice, really?

yes.

I'm a bloody awful rider, but very sensitive to bike setup, tyre changes etc.

Don't think talent has anything to do with it.

Partner has just changed from a pair of MX1 Bombers to SIDS and can't tell the difference!
If I'd known before we could have saved £300.

my road bike feels like bambi on ice at the moment, the reason: about 4mm of movement at the rim from loose spokes. took me a while to work out why it felt so flexy and wobbly.

MTB bolt through front axles are very noticable and make alot of difference to the bikes ability to hold a line. Flexy back end on the other hand I think you need to be quite an agressive rider (in the corners) to notice

MTB bolt through front axles are very noticable and make alot of difference to the bikes ability to hold a line.

This is true, I've acid tested it on the same frame with two otherwise identical sets of Marz Z1s, the 20mm bolt through ones got deflected far less through rock gardens.

anyone would be able to tell the difference between my scandal with 100mm light weight stem and quick release wheels compared to my 456 with pikes and 50mm stem.

it makes a difference to riding - but i'm not sure it makes me faster.

I went from a 2010 model of a bike to the 2011 version with a tapered steerer, all other parts equal. The new one goes round corners a lot better. The old one wasn't bad, but the new one is better, it's odd.

Don't notice any difference between my Podium wheels built with Revolution spokes and my Crest wheels built with Sapim DB spokes though, in fact I prefer the lighter ones, and that surprised me.

There's not a level you need to be at, I can get really retentive abont bike setup, then I also know people who ride bikes I basicly think are unrideable and they're infinately faster again!

Depends how hard you hammer the bike. If you really push it, you start to notice flex more. That is not to say you don't notice it when riding at a lower intensity, but it is not really that important 😉

Talent doesn't necessarily go hand in hand with 'feel' and the ability to 'filter' what you are feeling

o notice stuff like flexy rear ends

it's a triangle

Mines not. It's got a swing arm. 8)

So genuinely people feel that these innovations are clearly noticeable to the average rider? The reason I included talent in the OP was talented riders are typically faster and / or going bigger..

Depends on the things you are comparing - Fox 40s vs. Fox 32s with QR axle. Very noticable difference under braking! I can SEE my 32mm Boxxers flexing under heavy braking ( 225mm rotor + Hope 6Ti caliper! )

If you hammer the bike - and push it to it's limits - then you will notice.

and +1 LoCo about the talent vs. feel 'ability'

Had some SIDs on the bike a few years ago, I couldn't feel the flexing but could often see it.

First time with a bolt-thru front axle, i went down a steep, fast, rocky descent near me that I've ridden loads.
The difference was outstanding. i hadn't realised how much I'd previously got thrown all over the place, had loads more control.

Equally, on my full-sus bike, changing to a bolt-in rear hub has noticeably reduced lateral flex.

o genuinely people feel that these innovations are clearly noticeable to the average rider? The reason I included talent in the OP was talented riders are typically faster and / or going bigger..

Notice, yes (assuming the person has ridden a number of different bikes and setups). Make any measurable difference, no.

I used to work in a bike shop and a few of the guys in there could tell you everything about frames, forks, stiffness, geometry etc. They were however, mediocre riders who hardly ever rode, so it didn't really make any difference in terms of performance.

I definitely noticed the extra stiffness of the 12mm bolt through axle on my old Cube Fritzz, but I haven't noticed the flexiness of the QR rear end on my new Mondraker Dune.

Read into that what you will.

1.5mm steerers

I think I'd notice if I had a 1.5mm steerer.

I think if you're a big guy then you'll notice it regardless of how good you are.

I find I notic things like that much more on the road bike rather than the mtb though. My current road bike has big stays and a tapered steerer and is much stiffer than the PX carbon I had before hand.

I used to have some Z1 Bams on my mtb with 30mm stanchions and a qr axle, they were very flexy when doing things like 180 bunnyhops.