Pointing Prussian pooch perturbs park perambulating pedaller.

You rang?

Very fun ride, made some familiar descents a little more challenging and some climbs easier.

DO IT!

I’ve run my PAs with 140 travel (Rev the 1st time, Pike the 2nd) and this came out a little lower so would be closer to the 120 you’re after. The fork here is a Kona P2, I wanted to get a carbon legged On-One or Exotic fork on there for a bit more give and less weight but this was only ever a side project.

It would probably be fine with a 26″ fork, but it’s definitely good with a 29″.

I find putting my weight through my thumb for a split second helps no end :wink:

IXS hack softy elbows work well for me, the knees are annoyingly rubby on one leg but the elbows are great. I got knees and helbows for £20 from CRC.

Excuse the advert, it was the clearest image:

Red bull have used it for MTB: LINK HERE.

High (Orange) 5!

Pedals definitely. You only contact the bike with your hands, feet and backside. You’ve got some ODIs which are solid but a nice thin pedal with replaceable pins (Superstar Nano is a good starting point) will give you more security and allow you to control the bike with your legs as much as much as your arms.

First thing though is to move your brake levers as far in as possible to get you closer to 1 finger braking. Your shifter windows aren’t removable but you appear to have a gap between them and the brakes. This free upgrade gives you one extra finger on the grip, your pinky and ring finger don’t offer much grip by themselves.

Your tyres look quite summery, something with a bit more definition and a defined shoulder would help in the next 6 months of slop. Bontrager Mud-X get rave reviews for mud riding. I personally use Maxxis ADvantages for the fairer months, these would be spot on for trail centre stuff if that’s what you do.

Bar width is affected again by what you do and how you do it. The trend is toward 700mm+ as it gives you more leverage and stability. I ride 711 which isn’t that big by current standards and feels pretty good. To balance out the handling change, people often choose a shorter stem to match the wider bar. Even a 685mm riser bar would be an improvement without needing a stem change.

You urgently need to sort your brake hoses out. The front one should run up the inside of the fork leg and be gripped by the zip tie on the outside of the arch not behind (zip tie in the same place though); you’re leaving it vulnerable and it may rub the stanchion. Likewise the rear hose should be tucked behind the frame and run under it. You don’t want to lose your brake fluid after a crash!

Put something up in the wanted section, the STW hoarders will sort you out and often at a really good price. In short; pedals yes, tyres yes, bars maybe, levers and hoses tidied up.

Hard to say without knowing budget, size, where and how you ride but I believe the above to be an all round improvement for whatever you do.

Blame the tyres, haven’t you learned anything from STW yet? :wink:

Are you talking about Downhill for Girlz? Or rather the bit that feeds into it?

Given the conditions at the moment up there and the fact that you’re no slowpoke I reckon the answer is just to do more but specifically on bits of the trail you want to improve on. Have someone video you and analyse yourself objectively. You know more than enough theory, to get from consciously unskilled to consciously skilled you need to be fully aware of what you think you do and what you really do and how these pair up.

As you no doubt have experienced outside foot down on rooty corners is a dance with death at times. Try and set up outside foot at 6, keep your posture (from your hips up) set there but then lift your outside foot to 4.30/7.30 to give you a platform to pump and adjust.

I like FB’s ‘helbow’ thing and the dropped heels.

See you out there :-)

Depends on your field and to some extent whether you want to work for anyone else.

I’ve just dropped out of my part time final year to re-take full time next year as I want to keep my options open. However, adventure education (facilitation in adventure sports like MTB, climbing etc) doesn’t strictly require a degree :lol:

Ironically I may be holding myself back by doing a degree! I could have achieved a whole lot in the past 3-4 years without spending that cashish but would need to be taking the independent/self employed route.

Grimy has a pretty solid point!

Your parts are compatible, no issue there. No-one’s mentioned BB spacers yet, remember it’s 2 drive, 1 non drive for 68 and 1 drive only for 73. I bet it’s something really small that’s responsible.

Checking the indexing is a good one too as said by argoose. You can just gently press on the derailleur in/out and if it loses the noise then adjust as advised.

Is it noisy in use or just at home indoors?

I think I recall Met having some larger sizes. I use a Crossover, does the job nicely and weighs the same as something more expensive. LED flashy light in the adjustment dial comes in handy too.

Is your upper jockey wheel too close to the cassette perhaps? I had this on my road bike, adjusted the B-screw to add tension and the noise went.

PARK TOOL SITE

Have a look at ODI Crosstrainers:

Crap name, excellent grip. I really liked Ruffians but was getting callouses and didn’t want to lose that magical ODI tackiness. The fins smoosh in a gentle way that doesn’t shift your hand in/out like a normal mushroom grip. Not too thick, not too thin, juuuuust right.

The end section of this is pretty hard once you’ve done the first bit, I’m using this routine among other yoga techniques to address my core and flexibility. It’s a nice vid to plank to :wink:

I think my last timed front plank was about 1:30. OP are you talking elbows or top of press up?

White, silver or orange with a contrasting spoke at the valve. That one should be purple :wink:

Bike fitting is important to me, but from acquired knowledge as opposed to external advice. I think that question doesn’t sit right.

Done by the way, would this be a ready reckoner or could you photograph a person on a bike and analyse the image with the app?

Kona wah wahs are great; lighter than either nano and very grippy. However Vaults are superior. They really are that good. I have the polished ones which stay looking fresh despite abuse. They are huge though, I’m not sure what they’re like for people with smaller feet.

If she’s a beginner and has little feet then the good old V8 is fine too. Easy to look after and comes in lots of colours. Depends on your budget, your relationship and her ability.

Nanos are probably the middleman.

Do it. The climbing thing is solved by leaning forward a little more (20mm to be precise :wink: ) but other things feel better IME. It’s not going to be a huge difference, there are too many variables involved. However it gives you a bit more range to manipulate the bike.

Try popping an extra spacer (5mm or so) under the stem when you change it too, many riders go a little higher as they bring the bars closer. Equally many don’t, but it’s worth a try. Again, this will affect the climbing marginally.

The real question is really how are you going to coordinate it with the rest of the build?

New Deore brakes feel a lot like the previous year’s SLX.

The current SLX differs with XT by not having forged levers, a pad retaining screw, free-stroke adjustment (pointless to me) and ice-tech pads. The calipers are the same, the SLX come with a split pin but have the thread for a proper screw and the level blade is unlikely to be much more than aesthetics unless you’re into DH perhaps? German prices mean the price difference is little between the 2, UK prices are quite different. I’d buy German XT for a main bike, Deore for a 2nd bike.

Rose bikes is another option, google their facebook discount code and you can get 10% off.

Don’t forget Bob from Campbell Coaching. Really professional, progressive and lots of detailed feedback. Check his site/vids to see what I mean. He has cake as well as tea/coffee as well as a Cd with your video footage delivered post session. You can’t go wrong with Ed, Jedi or Dirtschool.

Nuckin’ futs!

The GD is measured from the end as a fully extended unit (tip-clamp IIRC).

Get a GD in CRC sale with added 10% off; about £150ish. Go for the turbo and you don’t have to tap the saddle to actuate the post and it weighs less at 410g, although the classic is cheaper with a better cable route. The X-fusion is a porker in comparison and the same money with the discount.

I recommend a multi drop, the 1″ down is very handy for half sitting/half technical stuff.

It is very windy where it is intended for use and as said anything that reduces the presence of mines is a plus. Sure there are more metered, sophisticated ways to do this; but I doubt there are the means and motivation (from those with the means, not the wider population) to apply these.

He says it’s about $1200 to clear a single unit, his design is just above $50 and is capable of clearing more than one. It’s not as if it’s going to run out of power; once it’s out there it will continue to tumble around so the lifespan of one is pretty long. If it’s lifespan is shortened from use it has achieved it’s objective.

You could put a tracking device in them if you really wanted too, but the really practical solution is for the countries which placed these to remove them and for people to stop being d***s to one another. Neither of these are going to happen, he has found a cheap and realistic way to help the problem.

I don’t think this is being demonstrated as a replacement to current mine clearing technology, more a much needed addition.

Campbell coaching in N. Wales, Jedi in Herts and Dirtschool up in Scotland are all great. Choose the one nearest to you and iron out those wrinkles.

Repeatedly going OTB is sure to have an effect on the way you approach stuff and eventually your body! There are too many things to mention in a post here, but the earlier posts cover some issues. I’d put a Bakewell tart on your eyes being part of the issue as well as a limited range of motion (both very common). In short many of us need to look further ahead/through the trail and move with and against the bike more dynamically. Your body has more travel than anything you could plug into your frame.

A slacker bike won’t help until you address the technical; then get a slack frame once you’ve solved the problem :D

Chisel flat side to the fork, not screwdriver and gradually tap your way around. After you remove it, cut a slot in the next crown race you need to use and it will be a doddle to fit and remove.

You can get proper tools, but the LBS will be cheaper than buying the tool. Have a cautious go first, it just needs to be freed slightly and it will release.

I recommend the JetBlack aluminium rollers. £135 at Ribble, they’re pretty solid and do the job well. Plastic just doesn’t seem the right thing in my mind for the job. The rear roller is adjustable in it’s position so should be fine for your MTB.

The bearings are cartridge if you need to service them and the finish is nicely machined on the cylinders. Pop something like a bit of newspaper under the front chainring if you have an oily chain to avoid any marks on your carpet :oops:

Learn in a corridor/with things to lean on and relax, you’ll get the hang of it. When I’ve slipped off the tyre has just come to a stop on the frame of the rollers, nothing to worry about. Oh and move by steering the bars, not leaning the bike to correct any wandering!

Karripor: Buy cheap, buy twice.

In the way we have the phrase BSO, Karrimor is ‘outdoor effect’ equipment. I’ve had some things in the past, the drybags were ok but I wouldn’t trust much else. Walking poles failed on 2 friends in Scottish Winter and I definitely would not buy cheap walking boots (unless they’re in a sale!).

That’s awful! Genuinely sorry to hear :(

Where abouts are you? Has Plod been any help?

I did the same about a week ago, I’ve used a BB mounted Stinger (90g) and a modified N-Gear Jumpstop (30g!) with a bash. A lighter replacement for the Stinger would reduce that further.

Not mine, but this is what I copied:

On a Hone bash the jump-stop doesn’t hang over the edge and looks tidier.

You simply email N-Gear and ask for the right size, he sends it to you….then you pay! If you don’t like it, return it with no payment. It took about 9 days to arrive from TX, I didn’t get any email response just the packet in the mail.

Make sure the jump-stop is as close fitting as possible in your lowest gear (it will need to point towards the rear hub slightly due to the chainline in biggest cog) and get it low to the bash. Quite easy to fit and doesn’t clog with mud anywhere near as much as a mech as there’s less going on.

I am finding it a little hard work on the climbs though :oops: But mechanically it’s functioning great despite some purposefully clumsy landings on my Blue Pig X.

TV on the radio; TV Party!

Clue’s in the name with High Rollers :wink:

Chief raises a good point about square tyres vs round ones. If you’ve come from something rounder it will feel horrible as you won’t be used to clicking in with the gap. One riding style is not necessarily better in a broad sense, but square tyres are popular in the DH world.

I’m currently trying out some Geax Datura on my Blue Pig X which are higher volume 2.2 and very knobby. I didn’t want a typical low volume mud tyre. They grip and clear very well due to the tall knobs, the profile is a bit square, but not as severe as a HR. A trade off for a tyre that clears well is that it can be a bit more prone to roots if you’re not paying attention, but then again a clogged tyre won’t grip anything!

Cheap a chips at On-One (£12.99 ea) HERE and they’re UST if you’re that way inclined.

They aren’t light (890-900g) as they have more DH/FR oriented casings, but I think they still come in lighter than Swamp Things (1100g+ IIRC). I’m going tubeless to offset the weight a bit, they’re pretty tight on the rim so I feel confident in them staying put.

There realy is no hope for me.

Nope.

Just keep on keepin’ on. Improvement won’t always be obvious but after a few weeks a it it will be easier. Then get a new bike in the Jan sales!

I’ve found my past couple of rides a lot harder due to; not riding enough lately (deadlines), the leaves hiding the roots and my genius idea to go 1×9. The front mech’s going back on! The mudfest has not been helping matters.

Each time it gets hard you can push through for a little bit, that’s a win. Focus on what you can do, not what you didn’t :D

Sounds more fun but may take a while. I got an orange non-branded Mobi-washer from ebay which works quite well. It was £65ish posted. It was being sold as a general purpose washer, not as a bike product.

You’re right about position, but you wouldn’t just slap some 745s on a 100mm stem; it would feel unwieldy. IME 45, 50, 60 & 70mm stems all feel quite different in terms of steering to one another with the same bar (the sizes I’ve tried in the past 2 years). Somewhere between twitchy and slow is the place you personally like your handling to be.

I see your point from a leverage point of view, as we should be leaning the bike to turn and not turning the bars so much. However, the bars do turn a bit when steering and this is affected by stem length. Wider bars slow the steering down, shorter stems speed it up. As you mention the bars give you added leverage so the handling remains similar but the ride is more stable… I think :mrgreen:

People of the same height aren’t the same proportion or necessarily ride the same way. A 5’5″ DHer may want distinctly wider flat bars, a 6’5″ XC mincesnake may want more ordinary width riser. Then it’s also affected by frame size/geo, stem/seatpost settings etc.

I’m 5’11” and use 711mm, I’d like wider but some bits of the local trails only just let me through with my current bar!

As a stab, 50-70mm stem & 700-750 bar; then again I don’t know your bike or chosen terrain! As the bars widen, shorten the stem so it doesn’t handle like a barge.

Confirm the type; this may help!

Hactually, I just found out you have a semi-integrated headset (44mm)

I’m just about to replace the Nukeproof headset that came with my frame for a Hope (it’s not dead, I just want to coordinate a bit more). I have a 44IESS (top cup sits inside, bottom cup sits outside) the same as this:

It’s for standard steerers. Let me know if you want it: shameer AT gmx .co.uk

http://www.gjfservices.co.uk/cat2_1.htm

They do the whole lot and can offer bead blasted satin or proper chromey polish. The mirror finished forks on there look pretty damn good!

That’ll show me for piping up, now I want to get my road frame and MTB cranks done :lol:

Raw, polished.

If you choose a colour, slightly transluscent/pearlescent paints look pretty neat. I’ve had pearlescent tangerine on both a Dialled PA and my Marin Attack Trail. It’s subtle but has added depth and flatters the contours of the bike due to the mild shimmer.

That Surly ‘Space Black’ is rather nice too:

Or there’s always anodising too!