Help - I don't understand!!

molehill

I'm a 55yr old fell/mountain runner who bought a Giant Rincon (cheap bike I think) 2 years ago for training when injured. I use it at nant yr arian sometimes and am now 'running injured' with a totally shot achilles ..... but I can cycle

Thought I might enter an event in Builth Wells in a few weeks for fun (never done anything before), probably the 50k as I don't trust my dodgy knee lasting much longer.

I understand nothing of the technical jargon, what tyres should I have? The bike came with Kenda 26x1.95 - whatever that means, but they are a bit worn after 2 years - and I asked the bike shop to put on some with better grip, Continental vertical 26x2.3. I tried them yesterday but they seem a bit slower on the hills - though grip better. Is there anything more suitable, but not silly money?

I am not worried about fitness or nutrition, I can run all day over mountains and have no problem with hills on the bike. But when it comes to bikes ..... I can change a tyre, slowly, and that's about it.

Help, what do I need to enjoy the day out? Moley.

woodywmb

You won't know untl you're out there. Experience counts a lot in mountain biking. All depends on the terrain, distance and skill level if the route is technical. You haven't said much about the type of ride. Otherwise, every answer is somewhere in this forum. Use the search facility to narrow down the topics. You could be here for ever more though!

molehill

I have no idea on any of those. It is the Merida MTB series (5/6 july) and I want to do the 50k. Haven't a clue what the course is, I presume it is off road but hills, technical? Only place I've ever ridden is in the hills from home and Nant yr arian a few times.

Could do with someone who knows the event giving me some info. Is food or drinks provided at the checkpoints (what sort?). Do I need big chunky tyres or not so big chunky tyres?

Just want some very basic info to get a beginner round in one piece.

Give me a map and compass and tell me to run 30 miles over the Welsh mountains in the mist and I know what I'm doing - stick me on a MTB and :?
Moley.

djkmtb

WTB Velociraptors are cool. I've been on them for at least 12 years. You can get them in 2.3" width. Front and rear.

bluechair84

I did the Merrida Marathon years ago when it was the Schwinn 100, and again when it was the Kona 100. I think it still goes around the same area - it is just the sponsor name that has changed. When I did it. it was a lot of MOD moorland with some forest singletrack and lots of road work. They have in recent years tried to cut as much of the road stuff out as possible but I think two verticles will cut down that efficiency that you really need on an enduro like this.
tyres of 2.3 width will have more rolling resistance - ie harder to pedal along - but they do offer more grip on the descents. I would recommend a tyre of 2.1 width that has good mud clearance. just to give you an idea, i saw three puddles on one race which I thought I could just ride through. Well, the bike was fully submerged and I had to swim out! If it is wet up there it will be really bloody wet. And muddy. But you'll love it.
the 26 denomination means the diamete of your wheel - you always want a tyre with 26 on it. The [1.95 - 2.5] bit means the width of the tread. Bigger treads are heavier duty and will be slower, but grippier.
I could recommend other tyres, but the verticle will serve you well on the Merrida. Try having just one verticle on the front and your old Kenda on the back. This is a great compromise between big grippy tyres and fast rolling light thin tyres. Do a short ride and see what you think - you might find it more efficient with most of the grip advantage where you need it - on the front. If the tread on the Kenda really is shot, I recomend Panarace XC Fire Pro as a good XC tyre. They served me well in Bulith Wells in the past. But if you end up buying another tyre - keep mixing and matching always with the bigger tyre on the front.
Buy an energy powder that you mix into your water bottle which will keep your electrolytes and blood sugars up as you drink and ride. Keep lots of bananas and flapjack in your backpack and nibble regularly - not when you feel tired cos you've had it already by then. There are fuel stations on big races like this which provide food and water to fill your bag up.
Check your brake pads before the race and think about getting some expensive, good quality pads ready for the race as there is nothing worse than three quarters through having to fight with your bike when your shattered.
Chain tool, multi-tool, spare inner, patches, sorted.
And have a damn good time! Good luck healing too.

Steve_F

2.3 tyres are fairly wide (that part refers to the width of the tyre (in inches I think)). I run 2.3s for trail centre farily agressive riding. For these type of XC races I would be wanting something a bit narrower.

Think the bike shop has presumed you want more downhill type grip which they will have given you but may not be exactly what you are after. A set of 2.1 or 1.95s could be the way to go using the 2.3s if you are mostly riding downhill or it is wet.

molehill

Thanks for the advice - I'm learning already. All very confusing for a total beginner, especially as I have no great interest in the technicalities of the sport or longterm participation, I am just using it to retain fitness and have some fun.

I only had one ride on the new bigger tyres, did some hill reps on local farm track and immediately noticed they felt slower and harder work to push up, had no idea you could mix tyres and would have put the big grippy ones on the back anyway - misguided logic :oops:

Not worried about the endurance part, can knock out 30 mile mountain runs no problem and long days out. Did the Dragons Back last year with some friends, 5 days 160 miles and 44,000ft ascent of mountains - slow but steady - I was beggared by the end though . Moley

supersonic

Which version of the vertical are they, and what pressure? I ran these for a few years, I found them to be one of the lighter and quicker 2.3 tyres! (Continental come up small for a given size)

djkmtb

molehill wrote:

Thanks for the advice - I'm learning already. All very confusing for a total beginner, especially as I have no great interest in the technicalities of the sport or longterm participation, I am just using it to retain fitness and have some fun.

I only had one ride on the new bigger tyres, did some hill reps on local farm track and immediately noticed they felt slower and harder work to push up, had no idea you could mix tyres and would have put the big grippy ones on the back anyway - misguided logic :oops:

Not worried about the endurance part, can knock out 30 mile mountain runs no problem and long days out. Did the Dragons Back last year with some friends, 5 days 160 miles and 44,000ft ascent of mountains - slow but steady - I was beggared by the end though . Moley

Forget what I posted, then.

supersonic

I think he wants tyres that work, rather than ones that are cool.

djkmtb

supersonic wrote:

I think he wants tyres that work, rather than ones that are cool.

That's why I suggested the Velociraptors. I have no idea about cool. I don't do cool too well.

switchback18

Best tyres I've used are:
1. a Continental Gravity (narrow 2.3") on the back and a Conti Vertical (also 2.3") on the front. Loads of grip, but when it starts to let go, you have time to get it back again. If you go for the 'protection' versions they're quite light also.
2. Kenda Blue Grooves 2.3" maybe a little bit more grip than the contis in the dry, but a little bit less in the wet. Also fairly predictable, but not quite so easy to recover from a front slide as the contis

http://www.chasingtrails.com

molehill

Cool ........... no no no, I don't do cool :shock:

Have spent half a lifetime as a disorganised shabby wastrel of the hills, if I even wore a pair of shades my mates would consider I had gone over to the 'dark side'.
Moley.

supersonic

So you found out what pressure they are at? ;-)

ratty2k

switchback18 wrote:

Best tyres I've used are:
1. a Continental Gravity (narrow 2.3") on the back and a Conti Vertical (also 2.3") on the front. Loads of grip, but when it starts to let go, you have time to get it back again. If you go for the 'protection' versions they're quite light also.
2. Kenda Blue Grooves 2.3" maybe a little bit more grip than the contis in the dry, but a little bit less in the wet. Also fairly predictable, but not quite so easy to recover from a front slide as the contis

http://www.chasingtrails.com

Hmm, personal preference but I cant say I'm a fan of Conti tyres. Always found them poor in the wet or damp conditions. Saying that tho' terrain has an impact on which tyres will work and where. I love Kenda Nevegals, but wouldn't recommend them for XC racing as they are too draggy. A Good all round tyre would be the Panaracer Fire XC pro, folding so pretty light and pretty fast rolling as well- again a personal thng as I didn't like 'em! Lots of people rate Racing Ralphs, but possibly quite an expensive option!

Steve_F

I switched from Conti Gravity 2.3s so Maxis High Roller 2.3s and I now can't go flat out through a berm i used to be able to. Whether this is less grip from the high roller or whether it's moving quicker before the corner therefore carrying more speed I really can't work out.

Still, never had a problem with the Contis and didn't get the big jump of grip I expected with the high rollers.

molehill

supersonic wrote:

So you found out what pressure they are at? ;-)

No idea, don't have a pressure guage, just a pump on the bike. I pump till I can't pump anymore.

supersonic

I think my next move would be to get a pump with a guage, see what they are at. Then you can compare how the tyres feel at different pressures - often very noticable!

Megatron-UK

I've got Conti Verticals (the basic wire bead, non-kevlar ones) on my hardtail and I found them really grippy and a good tyre - but they are quite high rolling resistance as the knobbly bits are quite tall.