[Closed] Realising a Jeffsy might mean I'm overbiked

Overbiked ? for what ? What's the downside to being overbiked ?

If you're overbiked everything can get a bit dull, no feeling of finessing your way down a tricky trail when you can just straight line it and let the suspension deal with it.

Good point, I forgot the main issue in my post. Its not a light bike, the carbon frame is actually quite heavy and solid, by tapping it sounds thick. And I notice the weight when riding. It seems inefficient. Otherwise I wouldn't mind being overbiked. Then when I see people clearing huge road gaps on a Jeffsy, I realise why it was built heavy.

And what Akira said

Its not a light bike

Must be the build, my mate in Stirling has one and it's the lighter FSer I've ever felt, incredible.

Its probably not just a factor of travel.Geo etc will come into it. You probably want something in more the xc / trail category rather than am / enduro. Assume you are keeping the forks?

Yeah ideally, I'd love to just swap out the frame. That's it - more trail than enduro. Maybe it is the build, but the wheels feel light and its Pikes with E13, SRAM guide, and Race Face etc, not the top build, maybe the first rung on the carbon bikes.

I don’t know where you ride but I’m finding myself happier back on a 150mm hardtail at the moment, I’m loving how direct and immediate it feels without any rear suspension and it’s very light too for a fairly burly zero-carbon build (28lbs).

It’s fairly long up front (v short chainstays though) and very slack so you can attack stuff and trust it to go where it’s pointed even if the back end going wild.

So that would be my suggestion if your trails aren’t constant rock gardens (I love occasional rock gardens on a hardtail) - stick the Jeffsy components onto a 29er hardtail like a Bird Zero 29 or Cotic SolarisMAX.

You're probably easier just putting up a swap offer for the likes of a 120/130 trail bike, a lot more people tend to be looking to go from a trail to longer travel, so shouldn't be too problematic, personally i find a hardtail less efficient on longer rides as it fatigues me faster due to knee and hip issues, as well as my back getting sore, trail bikes are getting as light as hardtails, but again they do seem to be in two groups, trail bikes with heavy frames/kit that are enduro lite, or the trail bikes that are old style XC bikes, probably worth getting yourself a list and seeing what's on offer through swaps.

^^^ It second this.

I also ride a hardtail (Pace RC129) with 140mm Pikes and its quite at home in the peaks and almost as capable as my Hightower. Yet i still have that immediate and playful feel that you end to lose with bigger enduro rigs.

I seem to have a minimum difficulty level that needs to be met to feel engagement and be satisfied with a ride.

If the bikes too good and mis matched with the terrain I just feel like it was a dull unsatisfying ride.

As mtbs of both HT and FS persuasion are getting better and better, I actually use the FS for less and less because of this.

All the places I used to ride FS locally are now better on a HT, with the exception of the very dry parts of the year when the ground gets super hard and rough.

I suspect you're finding the same.

have you thought about just shortshocking it (or just pumping up the shock)? won't solve the weight, but would give you a feel for a shorter travel trail bike without having to do the actual swap

You need n+1

I got a stooge.

I ride 120mm F/R and prefer it to longer travel bikes. I have to work a bit harder downhill to keep things smooth, but I never flat (last puncture was 8/9 years ago) as a result. On the flats I feel it pops off stuff better, needing less compression, so small surface features turn into ramps rather than flattened in the sag. I appreciate the efficiency when climbing. I get a better feeling for the surface and what the tyres are doing.

I'm also slower on the descents than mates with more travel. And less comfortable on the really clattery stuff. And I avoid really big drops. And have less confidence when it gets really steep.

The compromise works for me over 95% of what I ride. But it's clearly not for everyone.

With the price that bikes are going for at the moment I'd flog it and get an Izzo (providing they've still got some).

Ive got a Carbon Jeffsy, with carbon wheels. Just where are you riding that makes you think you are over biked ? Somewhere very flat ?

Sure, its not a XC race bike, but its a very capable Trail bike - which is a sort of do it all bike.

First try setting up the suspension, you may find it changes the feel of the bike. To go lighter you need to be spending a lot of money on a frame.

Try stuff like tyres, tyre pressures, flipping the flip chip and sorting your suspension first.

Or just keep it locked out.

If I had one bike Id rather be over than under biked.

“If I had one bike Id rather be over than under biked.”

Yes! But I think quite a lot of us could “down-bike” a bit without ending up “under biked”.

What I really like about my hardtail is that the front end is overbiked in most situations (150mm Pike, Magic Mary, 63.4 deg head angle) so I’m confident, but the back end is underbiked in many which keeps it feeling fun.

I think this is why I always end up with a HT. Everything I ride (Peaks, Macc, Marple area) just feels boring on a full sus. Yes it’s quicker, but the challenge is not as great. Different people enjoy different things though. I know simply going as fast as possible is a big draw for some. I just prefer having to pick lines and enjoy being a bit scared. Hardtail makes sense for me in that regard

If you’re overbiked everything can get a bit dull, no feeling of finessing your way down a tricky trail when you can just straight line it and let the suspension deal with it

This is a completely different problem...being under trailed.

I am the opposite to most of you, I have a hardtail and a 150mm full suss. Unless it is a mudfest, I take the FS every time.

Even my local tame trails and bridleways are better on the FS, there are some sections that are so rutted and bumpy from a wet winter and horses that it is brutal and not at all enjoyable on the hardtail, I just feel battered and annoyed at the bottom.

On the FS, I get to the bottom and giggle about how fun that was, how fast I got down it and that I can't believe how good modern bikes are.

I am not troubling many leader-boards up or down and tend to sit and spin at high cadence on the climbs so I don't even feel like there is a much of a penalty there.

I also find I am more likely to seek out the odd fun bit on the FS that I wouldn't bother with on the hardtail. You know the sort of short, sharp descent with the odd jump that doesn't really go anywhere but is enough fun to warrant going down it and back up.

I went from a 170/160 bike to 140/130 bike a few months back. The timing couldn’t have been better with Covid and more bridleway rides from home.

I have barely saved any weight (and you’d struggle to save a lot of weight swapping from a carbon Jeffsy frame with the same build kit I’d imagine)but it has made for a more spritely ride.

The new frame is more progressive I believe and climbs a chunk better - plus it’s shorter and less slack (still 65 degree headangle). I think I’m particular the shorter chainstays make it turn quicker / easier to manual etc.

So if you do swap make sure you really pay attention to the geometry of the new frame and what it’s anti-squat levels are at the back (I think this is what has partially improved the climbing).

Edit - I think a lot of VPP frames are meant to be good for this - something like a Santa Cruz 5010 perhaps.

Rather than a new frame, maybe think about a lighter weight set of wheels and tyres?

It's astonishing how much a couple of hundred grams of rotating weight makes to the feel of the bike.

Bird Aether!

nickc

Rather than a new frame, maybe think about a lighter weight set of wheels and tyres?

It’s astonishing how much a couple of hundred grams of rotating weight makes to the feel of the bike.

+1. Esp if your Jeffsy is a 29er.

being under trailed.

or under ballsed.

I kinda feel like the 140/160 trail bike has become pretty efficient and light these days. I'm not sure you gain much by going shorter travel these days unless it's a super light XC machine with skinny light tyres and a bit less grip. I was looking at a Ripmo, Ripley, and Following MB. The Following was on the shorter end of the travel but was the heaviest bike, with the heaviest frame. The Ripmo, despite having more travel comes in slightly under the weight of the Following assuming same wheels, tyres, and drive train. The Ripley was lighter, but it was only a couple of hundred grams - your helmet probably weighs more. I'm sure the Ripley is a bit more efficient, but it's not going to be a huge difference given how efficient these new bikes all tend to be.

Poppy and engaging can be more a function of the Shock tune and pressure.

I don’t understand people who think they’re over-biked - just find better trails and/or ride faster. Unless you always ride from your house and are limited to bridleways, you can nearly always find challenging stuff within a reasonable distance.

JP

I only ride park gnar

nickc

Rather than a new frame, maybe think about a lighter weight set of wheels and tyres?

It’s astonishing how much a couple of hundred grams of rotating weight makes to the feel of the bike.

+1

Just get some xc/trail wheels and lightweight tyres for those days when it's not rocky.

Add some volume spacers to the fork and shock to make them behave more like shorter travel ones.

“I don’t understand people who think they’re over-biked – just find better trails and/or ride faster.”

Have you never met any MTBers who are less brave or less skilled or more risk averse than yourself?

Quite seriously, this is exactly why I ride my 160mm HT (Shan) most of the time. But I really appreciate having a FS (Aeris) for longer days out, days riding with mates, bike trips etc.

All I’m saying is that there is a reason many folks have more than one bike. I really recommend having a HT precisely for those trails where you feel over biked.

“I don’t understand people who think they’re over-biked – just find better trails and/or ride faster.”

Its my experience that following this logic that you end up restricting your choices to a smaller and smaller pool of trails, which gets stale quickly, and usually involves more and further afield travel and increasing time-suck and hassle.

Unless you live in the Alps, or the Lake District or similar, its not as satisfactory a solution as you think it is.

The Jeffsy pedals pretty well, but the stock tyres are stupidly heavy. Put some 2.1 Racing Ralphs on and see how it feels.

“I don’t understand people who think they’re over-biked – just find better trails and/or ride faster.”

That’s one of the daftest statements I’ve ever read on here and that’s saying something. Shock! Horror! Some folk may be able to only afford one bike and be limited on time or just not particularly like a bike with loads of travel. I live near the Peak District and choose to ride a HT as I find full suspension boring regardless of the trail. Yeah it’s faster, but that doesn’t necessarily equal more fun.