Just a few questions...

rackgaki

Right, two things,

1: Why is that I cannot seem to be able to get myself all the way off the back of the saddle for descending like in technique guides and pictures? I'm 6"1 and have long legs but there simply isn't enough room to get behind the saddle.

2: On action shots in MBUK why does the chain always seem to be slack? Is it that I havn't noticed this because I can't see it when i'm riding?

P-Jay

Firstly, most people drop the sadle for long tricky descents, you'll have room then.

Secondly as the bike bumps up and down the chain shakes, the sping in the derailer allows this, fs bike do it more as, as the rear goes up and down the wheelbase gets shorter so the chain gets slacker, again the sprung derailer manages it but with fast shutter time action shots it gives the impression the chain is too long.

RealMan

Yeah, drop the saddle if you want to do that.

Naveed

I know it sounds silly but sometimes wearing baggy shorts can make it hard to get behind the saddle as they cattch on the saddle.

I too have had this problem. I just find lowering the saddle is key

RealMan

Or getting some better designed shorts. Most of the good ones have a fit which eliminates that problem.

Naveed

You making fun of my shorts Realman?

RealMan

Maybe a little bit. Having a pair of shorts that forces you to change your whole riding position..

Naveed

To be honest the one's I've got are Troy Lee and they did bruise the bank account a bit. They catch only because I wear them low and don't fasten them too tight for comfort.

Got an adjustable seatpost so it's not an issue nowadays.

RealMan

Naveed wrote:

To be honest the one's I've got are Troy Lee and they did bruise the bank account a bit. They catch only because I wear them low

:roll:

Naveed

:roll:


Trust me, you're not my type, so don't worry. I only go for REAL men.

RealMan

Plural?

rackgaki

yeah cheers guys, even if I drop the saddle its still hard to get that far back, is this something to do with the top-tube length of my bike and me having a small body to leg ratio for my height? Oh and about the slack chain thing, yeah I probably could have worked that one out!

And errr why are you debating whether RealMan fancies Naveed?

Chaz.Harding

rackgaki wrote:

yeah cheers guys, even if I drop the saddle its still hard to get that far back, is this something to do with the top-tube length of my bike and me having a small body to leg ratio for my height? Oh and about the slack chain thing, yeah I probably could have worked that one out!

And errr why are you debating whether RealMan fancies Naveed?

If you find it REALLY difficult, and are scared / apprehensive / plain just-don't-like downhill sections, then you should think about trying out a shorter stem. There's some pretty cheap ones, so cost isn't too much an issue.

That, and drop your seat wayyy down. Also, you could bring your seat forward on it's rails as far as it will go (prob worth trying first before buying another stem!), and see if that helps any!

rackgaki

yeah this is the problem, I did have the seat right back to give my knees more clearance and then that obviously made it hard to shift my weight backwards so i moved it back forwards and was actually considering a longer stem! And I realised when I was moving the saddle on the rails that i have bent the rails right into the saddle! So ive got to buy a new one. Anyway i think the problem must be caused by me having an abnormal leg to body ratio.

Anonymous

Wait, what? You moved your saddle back to gain more clearance for your knees?
Would you care to elaborate? I don't understand that at all.

rackgaki

Oh and its not that I find it hard as in its to difficult, I do know what im doing you know!, its that i physically cant do it without letting go of the handlebars.

Anonymous

Wait, are you saying that in your normal riding position, your arms and torso are at full extension, and you CANNOT extend any further?
If that's the case, then your bike's frame is way WAAAAY too big for you.

rackgaki

nooooooo, when im trying to get back behind the the saddle, i dont run a big frame actually. The problem, I think, is that my legs are much longer than my arms and body in comparison, so when i put my body backwards i cant get as far back over the wheel bacause I am limited by body lengh holding onto the bars, in that case maybe a shorter stem probably isnt a bad idea!

Chaz.Harding

yeehaamcgee wrote:

Wait, are you saying that in your normal riding position, your arms and torso are at full extension, and you CANNOT extend any further?
If that's the case, then your bike's frame is way WAAAAY too big for you.

+1

Was gonna say, that if you absolutely cannot, after making a few MINOR adjustments to the bike, get back far enough from being pitched over the bars, then think about a smaller frame size.

Either that, or stop being a pussy, and LAY OFF THE DAMN BRAKES!

Ok, so 'shouting' it was a bit harsh, but a wheel can dedicate MUCH more grip to rolling over obstacles, and steering, if you forget the brakes. You only have so much grip, so the less jobs the grip has to share, the more chance you'll 'stick' to the trail!

Give it a go, you might just find that the bike is the right size!

rackgaki

hang on, i never mentioned anything about the bike being the wrong size, I just think i might have strange proportions for my height, i met another guy who said he had problems with bikes because of how long his legs were. And weres this about staying off the brakes!?!?! I do know how to ride a mountain bike to a pretty high level

Chaz.Harding

rackgaki wrote:

hang on, i never mentioned anything about the bike being the wrong size, I just think i might have strange proportions for my height, i met another guy who said he had problems with bikes because of how long his legs were. And weres this about staying off the brakes!?!?! I do know how to ride a mountain bike to a pretty high level

Heyy, slooow down big feller!

I never said you couldn't ride a bike! All I'm explaining is, that... If you DON'T feel good on steep downhills, AFTER adjusting the controls to a basic-ish level, then maybe it would be wise to look at different bikes, with different geometeries. They are all different, and some make a HELL of a difference in how they ride.

Also, if you feel like you are 'tipping' forward on the bike, which I would imagine if you cannot get back far enough, it helps to lay off the brakes, as it does genuinely help with grip, and confidence. I found this out first hand a while ago...

Jeez, some people..! You try and help 'em out with a problem, and you only get grief!

JOKE!!!!

Chaz.Harding

Also, you say you ride to 'a pretty high level', but ask, IMO, fairly elementry questions.... And for the record, I really REALLY wasn't trying to offend!

rackgaki

yeah sorry about that, i just read through that again and i did sound a bit arsy! I can get far enough back to feel comfortable on techy downhill bits, the main thing was i cant get as far back as you see riders in magazines and things, i just wondered if anyone else had the same experience because of their own slightly odd dimensions.

Ps:Im a nice guy really, honest!

rackgaki

oh and yeah i can ride to a pretty high level, that by no means im very good at understanding geometry and some of the mechanical processes, bit of a nonce when it comes to that, i just ride for the fun of riding

Chaz.Harding

About the riders in the magazines... If they are racing downhill, or are gravity-orientated, odds on, are that they will have a smaller-than-the-norm frame, and short cockpit. They need to be able to hang right over the rear axle, so the bike doesn't pitch them off doing the, seemingly impossible stuff, especially at events like the Red Bull event in the (Utah..?) steep desert-y bit, stateside...

THATS extreme.. So in reality, for a do-it-all bike, there will be comprimises. To have all day comfort, the cockpit, needs to be longer, and more accomodating, so will make getting wayyy over rear-ward a bit of a mission!

rackgaki

alright mate, cheers for the chinwag about body positioning, it kept me entertained

Chaz.Harding

Aye. You gotta give these things ago, but it's all a comprimise. If you shift your seat right forward, it may end up putting more strain on you knees (BAD times! ), so that might not be an option. It may be that fitting a shorter stem gives you back-ache. But you won't know untill you try!

Hopefully you won't need a different bike, but even so, it's a whole other world of comprimises. If you have a bike that's really stable, and comfortable going downhill, it's slack head angle, longer fork length, and short chain-stays may make it feel like a barge, that trys to loop-out every time you point it up hill... I know this first hand, as it's what mine trys to do!



But yeah, adjust, play, readjust, play some more. Then come to the conclusion that a new bike is definitely needed!

8)

Anonymous

Well, sorry to say it, but unless you actually belong in a carnival of freaks, then there is no possible way for the kinematics of a human body to restrict the movement necessary to get over the back wheel, IF THE FRAME FITS.

All women can do it, and the ratio of leg to body is much much greater for women.

Anonymous

try a shorter stem? or a DH one? may give an inch or so....i've got monkeys arms though so am only speculating. good luck.

G

kitenski

can you post a pic? As others have said you should be able to get your arse onto the backwheel and your chest on the saddle, or very close to it, without much effort..................

It could well be the bike's size or geometry, can you try it on some mates bikes?

regards,

greg

Tank-slapper

Do you need to do what the pics in the magazines show? It is extremely rare that I have to drop completely off the saddle and usually adopt a kind of half on-half off position for all but the very steepest stuff.