How long to get used to a new bike???

miss notax

Hello

I realise this is probably a 'how long is a peice of string' question, but i'm interested in peoples opinions!

I learnt to MTB on my old Superlight (now being ridden around Cumbria by it's new owner ) and literally went from not riding for 25 years, to being a fairly good MTBer. I literally re-learnt to ride on that bike and only rode it until I got the Orange.

I love my new bike and could instantly 'see' the advantages (for me) over the Superlight - I can climb as well on it but the downs are soooo much better 8) The problem is that it seems to be taking bloody ages to get completely used to it! On a good day I ride better and more confidentally on it, on a bad day I feel like i've gone back 3 years and am walking my bike down Cwmcarn swearing at my other half again :oops: (I don't actually do that anymore though, I would like to point out )

Anyway, just wondering if anyone else has ever found this? I assumed it would be like driving another car, grabbing the keys and off you go. However I guess if I had only EVER driven one car, then anything else would feel a bit odd....

There is definitely a different technique needed, especially on the climbs, and I know i'm riding to a fraction of the bikes true capacity. And I don't want to be doing that! It all just feels 'odd' :?

Any thoughts would be appreciated!

blister pus

i got mine built up a couple of months before you posted yours in the rides section and i'm still not entirely used to mine yet and my old cheap Giant was still a better all round comfort ride overall - but it's a trade off i guess because the new one excels in all the other places the other didn't (so much).

I know what mine is though. seat tube angle is different. and i can feel it, even after this length of time. amazing how dialled in and attached to things we get.

miss notax

Ah, it's not just me then :?

I do love it, but I am finding it very strange not to be able to ride things that I used to be able to blast over on the SL! I know I can do it, I guess it's just learning how THIS bike will do it....

I am finding REAL problems with climbing over rock gardens at the moment. Needless to say the Cwmcarn climb on Sunday was a) long, and b) rather frustrating :evil:

joshtp

sometimes its just a case of forming trust.... Go and ride something you wouldn't normally, something that really scares you. (wo)man up and just do it. It's amazing the confidence boost it gives you if you can get the nerve to do it.

miss notax

joshtp wrote:

sometimes its just a case of forming trust.... Go and ride something you wouldn't normally, something that really scares you. (wo)man up and just do it. It's amazing the confidence boost it gives you if you can get the nerve to do it.

Yeah, this is true. I did a jumps course recently and I can pretty confidentally jump the Orange now - I just can't ride rock gardens!! Having said that, I have learnt that there is a big difference between jumping the one jump with loads of space to land, compared to on a trail with 2ft singletrack to land on

Thewaylander

See this is one of the reasons I didn't likethe orange to be fair.

I found it harder work with the less active single pivot and required a complete change in approach to how i ride. The basic effects of a single pivot desin like the orange is that it stiffens under heavy pedaling and standing. This actually negatively effectted my downhill speed.

but this is personal, so people find the stiffening great for cornering and acceleration, hoarses for courses.

Could take some time on this swap i think.

wordnumb

One factor I found, and this may just be me, was that I pushed my older bikes harder because I wasn't worried about damaging them. My proper fs came out for special occasions, whereas the ht, rigid and my old fs were kick arounds that I was happy to fling through anything.

It took a while to start treating my nice fs as just another bike instead of my precious.

miss notax

wordnumb wrote:

One factor I found, and this may just be me, was that I pushed my older bikes harder because I wasn't worried about damaging them. My proper fs came out for special occasions, whereas the ht, rigid and my old fs were kick arounds that I was happy to fling through anything.

It took a while to start treating my nice fs as just another bike instead of my precious.

Hmmm, interesting one that! I am WAY more precious over the new bike compared to the old SL, which was second hand when I got it. I hadn't thought of that before! The old bike was chucked down the Alps, Peak District and Scotland when I came off - I would be horrified about the Orange!

I do need to start treating it like a MTB - I have only just stopped wrapping it in a fleecy blanket when transporting it in the back of the car! :oops:

AndyOgy

There's a lot of truth in that theory. I got a new Rockhopper a couple of years back and it was my belated entry into the world of front suspension. It was also my return to mountain biking after a period out of the saddle.

I too felt like I'd taken a step back until the first time I crashed it, scratching the frame in several places. Once this cherry was popped, I was no longer trying to keep it in showroom condition and the fun began. Now, every new scratch puts a smile on my face.

Thewaylander

Hmm got my new Mondraker...

Just rode it like i stole it straight away, but learning to take big lines on it has taken me a few weeks.

Beardface

Lol, I never truly get used to my bikes, I seem to have a habit of changing the frame due to curiosity every 6 months or so.. :oops:

But to echo the above, once you have your first few offs and get the bike looking less showroom and more workhorse, you'll no doubt find yourself getting used to the bike a lot faster

Looking forward to getting my 'new' (06) frame back from the shop tomorrow.. as it's not a brand spanking new frame, I'll hopefully have no reservations about giving this one a good hammering!

miss notax

Enjoy the new bike Stav83

So what I need (I think!) is a good painless off, that causes a few scratches to the bike and not me!!!

It's nice to hear that i'm not the only one who is taking some time to get used to a new bike - I assumed it was just me being rubbish and girlie :oops:

.blitz

miss notax wrote:

How long to get used to a new bike???!

It depends how adaptable your are. In my case it's a few hundred metres but that's just me.

I find a stash of inexpensive bars/stems/seatposts can help fine-tune the riding position. I think if you throw your leg over a bike and instantly feel at home on it, it can compensate for other deficiencies. If you feel as though you're riding somebody else's bike, you will never get used to it.

Beardface

miss notax wrote:

Enjoy the new bike Stav83

So what I need (I think!) is a good painless off, that causes a few scratches to the bike and not me!!!

Cheers Miss Notax, it's nothing too special, just an 06 Enduro, but it's a frame I've always wanted, and finally got the opportunity

And yep.. winter is the time to do it as well, with all the rain etc, you're more likely to end up in a muddy puddle, and some of the muddy grit etc may scratch your bike a little, so get out and ride, come Spring you'll be a ladybeast* on the bike!

*I don't mean this as offence btw!

miss notax

Ha ha - there's no shortage of mud in the New Forest

Thewaylander

not so much in Wales mind all rocks

milfredo

M T F U simples.

You rode the last one and now walk down Cwmn Carn?

AndyOgy

miss notax wrote:

Ha ha - there's no shortage of mud in the New Forest

I did a charity ride in the New Forest a couple of months back but it was all on road. I did it on a hybrid, of all things.

What's the off road riding like round that way? I'm thinking about a camping/mtb'ing holiday there at some point.

miss notax

milfredo wrote:

M T F U simples.

You rode the last one and now walk down Cwmn Carn?

No, I did that years ago when I was learning to MTB

Riding the Orange and feeling a bit wibbly makes me *feel* like i'm back at that point. I'm not actually doing it now

miss notax

AndyOgy wrote:

miss notax wrote:

Ha ha - there's no shortage of mud in the New Forest

I did a charity ride in the New Forest a couple of months back but it was all on road. I did it on a hybrid, of all things.

What's the off road riding like round that way? I'm thinking about a camping/mtb'ing holiday there at some point.

Brilliant - it's our usual stomping ground

You have to hunt for the singletrack, but it's worth it... And remember that *technically* you are only allowed to ride on the gravel fireroads (not even the bridleways) :?

Give us a shout if you make it there - we ride there at least once a week

milfredo

miss notax wrote:

milfredo wrote:

M T F U simples.

You rode the last one and now walk down Cwmn Carn?

No, I did that years ago when I was learning to MTB

Riding the Orange and feeling a bit wibbly makes me *feel* like i'm back at that point. I'm not actually doing it now

I stand my ground, just ride it down CC. To do this you need to MTFU. No one can help you

supersonic

Did you test the bike before you bought it? Maybe it just isn't for you.

Thewaylander

Yeh,

I have to admit i'm kinda with sonic on this.

I really couldn't ride the single pivot oranges at all after varios linkage designs and so on. Some people love them others can't use them at all.

Keep at for a little while longer, but should be getting the hang of it after a few weeks.

miss notax

True, I get what your saying guys. I really liked the Superlight though (which is single pivot), but wanted a more aggressive ride that would soak up whatever I threw at it, and could handle jumps. Hence the Orange. I like the feel of single pivot bikes.....

It does feel like it fits me - if that makes sense. On a good day I ride faster and better than i've ever done before. I think the others have probably hit the nail on the head in that i'm just sub-consiously being flipping precious over it!!!

supersonic

But did ya test it?!

Thewaylander

How about tyres? are you running stock rubber?

Cos the tyres that come on bikes can be rubbish, stuff i have on my mondraker till i get some spare cash is crap.

miss notax

supersonic wrote:

But did ya test it?!

The answer to that would have to be a no!!! :roll:

Yep, do your worst!!!

Waylander - i'm happy with the spec I got the frame and specced it myself according to what I like / wanted etc, so sadly I don't think I can blame the tyres! Am running Panaracer Cinders.

supersonic

Lol!

While it is true that you can get used to bikes, often testing is the best way to get the feel for them. True they are both single pivots, but different geometries, different travel: and more weight, the 5 frame is over 2lbs heavier than the Superlight. Plus of course all the different components.

My advice would be to stick with it a while and try and identify what it is that you could do to make it feel better, then perhaps make some changes to say the stem, bars, saddle etc. But if it never works out, then sadly I would say sell it and go testing ;-)

miss notax

Wise words

Most of the components are the same as the SL (just because I like them!) - when I got the bike built, I had in the back of my mind that if I didn't like it, I could just take everything off, sell the frame, buy another one and put it all back!

Cheers guys!

Thewaylander

Cinders in Wales a bit so so,

I would be tempted by Some 2.35" Maxiss Minion up front and a 2.35" High roller at the back maybe for the rocky rooty fun. possibly even Minion front and back.

I have a taste for the Kenda blue grooves my self but i know this combo is reliable in pretty much any trail condition.

Raymondavalon

joshtp wrote:

sometimes its just a case of forming trust.... Go and ride something you wouldn't normally, something that really scares you

+ Potato on that point.

In 2008 decided to invest in an All Mountain FS bike as I believed my beloved Kona HT was holding me back when riding in certain areas.
I bought myself an FS bike in August and to be honest, I didn't feel overly comfortable or confident on the new bike. It took a little while to learn to trust the bike, to get to understand its geometry and how it behaves on climbs vs. fire roads, vs. downhills.

It took me a good six weeks or so to get to grips with the FS, understanding that I was only riding on weekends. Once I "knew" the bike I was just as at home on it as I was on the Kona, then my riding started improving due to the bike being much better than my HT was.

I do believe that we build "relationships" with our bikes, sure they may only be material items made of alloy and steel by the cheapest bidder, but they do have personality