18 year absence from MTBing & "newbie" questio

fuji-la

Hi all,

I guess I'm a newbie but I was heavily into bikes in my youth and was mountain bike obsessed in my teens (the era of Girvin FlexStems and drooling over the GT RTS1 in MBUK).

I will spare you my lifes story but lets just say 18 years is a LONG time in mountain biking so I am rediscovering it all over again. Last weekend I bought a new bike (a Fuji Tahoe 1.0) after an hour dithering in Evans Cycles in Crawley. I have used it every day since purchase and will be going out on it again shortly (anyone in Tadworth/Epsom parts of Surrey by the way?)

My first questions are:

1) I am used to almost completely straight handlebars like were the norm in the early 90's. These swept back/angled bars are a new thing to me. I already think the reach is about an inch too short on my bike but have been advised against getting a longer stem as it "messes up the handling". Would putting a set of straight bars on be a good way to give me the extra reach?

2) Where did bar ends go? I never see 'em anymore. Every bike I've ridden without them feels incomplete.

Lastly, MY GOODNESS how good are disc brakes? Good riddance to the spongey old v-brake system!!

Curious Yellow

Looks a great bike. I'd probably give the bars a chance offroad (if you've not already) before thinking about changing anything.

You can get bar ends if you want to add some bling. I am guessing you mean what I call end caps? I used to have some on my old MTB. They stopped the mud getting into the bars and such, but I don't bother with them these days. Just clean out the bars at the end of the ride and things seem ok.

Seems there are some good rides out your way. Have fun!

fuji-la

Thanks, yes I agree I should probably get some more trail time in before I go tweaking things.

By bar ends I mean these...

xand_xand

There's just more variation with 'mountain biking' nowadays Inc xc, all mountain, downhill etc etc.
If you take a look at the pro xc riders they will tend to have straighter bars or low riser bars and will have the bar ends fitted too as they are reflective of the type of mtbing they do.
If you do alot of xc riding, roads, fireroads, canal paths etc stick to your flatter bars and ends... Keep you low and quick.

fuji-la

Yeah I hear you.

I've been out for a few hours this afternoon thinking "I wont go far" so no need to take any kit (tools, puncture kit etc). Rookie mistake therefore obviously I found a great trail, ended up twice as far away, and got a puncture along the way. Long walk home and lesson learnt BUT are those puncture proof tubes/tyres any good?

fuji-la

Also the bike came with inner tubes with some different type of valves - right now I don't even have a pump that fits them. I just want the generic car valves. Is there any disadvantage to swapping the inner tubes for ones with the generic car style valves (other than expense?).

supersonic

If the rims accept them. You can get adaptors for the narrower bars anyway.

How the bike handles is due to we#here your hands finish up. Whether that be a bar with less sweep or a longer stem, makes no difference if hands are in the same place.

There seems to be an obsession with people fitting very wide bars and shorter stem - they are not always better.

bentes

I'd say go for what feels more confortable to you, and only the you can experiment new positions, lengths, etc.

You can use a flat bar with bar ends and a longer stem if it makes you more confortable. Once you're used to the bike and if you wish to, try something different, change the bar / stem and see how the bike handles. If you prefer it that way, keep it. If you prefer it the former way, just change it back.

Usually xc racing and marathon riders use straight bars and bar ends or low rise bars. That keeps the weight more to the front of the bike and helps climbing and keeping the front wheel down. It can make some descents freaky scary though!

Wider riser bars usually give more control of the bike and are more confortable providing a more relaxed position. They also give more confidence and control on the descents because they help keep your weight back. They're worse on the climbs because it's a lot easyer to lift the front wheel.

Bar ends + riser bars is a big no - no. (They make the bike look like a cow with big horns).

fuji-la

Thanks for the input guys, most appreciated. I may go the bar end route but I am not going to alter the bike YET I need to get to know it properly first. I also have a presta pump now thanks to an unused voucher and a nearby Halfords. Hurrah!

But now for my next question.........

How much has tyre technology come along in 18 years? I've had two punctures in 3 days. It's not that I don't mind repairing punctures it's just that I don't have time to do it immediately. I made myself a promise I'd use my new bike every single day, and I already broke that promise by not having the right pump to hand for 2 days which is irritating.

So basically the bike can't have any "downtime" so what are these kevlar/puncture proof tyres like?

paulbox

You must have stopped riding before me as I was still around for the switch from flat bars and bar ends to risers...

The main area of technological advancement in terms of tyres I'd say is tubeless. You need to do a bit of research as to whether or not your existing rims are compatible or can be converted, but the general principal is that you loose your tubes, have a valve installed directly in the rim and some sealant in the tyre. The advantages are that you drop a bit of weight and that the sealant repairs any punctures that you do get while you're on the move.

I have only switched to tubeless in the last couple of months and (touch wood!) haven't had any puncture issues to date. I still carry spare tubes in my Camelbak just in case...

The one downside for me is that during the recent rainy spell, I would have switched my tyres to some that are a bit more suitable, but because of the faff involved in getting the sealant out etc. I have persevered with tyres more suitable to hard-pack. But that's really because I’m a lazy git.

Alternatively you could get some slime filled tubes, they do a pretty similar job of sealing punctures, have seen them in action, but you are actually adding a bit of weight here.

bails87

Tubeless isn't flawless, I've pinched the tyre and put a hole in it with tubeless. You'd need to patch/replace the tube in this situation, but if you're tubeless and it doesn't seal it's more hassle to sort out.

If your rims aren't tubeless ready I'd advise against a conversion kit, it was too unreliable and just not worth the (considerable) hassle for me.

But.....you could put some Stans sealant inside a regular inner tube to give some protection against thorns. Again, it's not guaranteed to work 100% of the time.

I've found decent tyres make the biggest difference. Using the OEM tyres on my Boardman I got loads of punctures, since I've been useing Maxxis Advantages, Schwalbe Nobby Nics and Bonty Mud Xs I've been pretty much puncture free, apart from the odd pinch puncture.

anjs

try looking at Ergon grips is you still want bar ends

KitsuneAndy

PaulBox wrote:

The main area of technological advancement in terms of tyres I'd say is tubeless. You need to do a bit of research as to whether or not your existing rims are compatible or can be converted, but the general principal is that you loose your tubes, have a valve installed directly in the rim and some sealant in the tyre. The advantages are that you drop a bit of weight and that the sealant repairs any punctures that you do get while you're on the move.

How much weight do you actually save? Sure you lose tubes, but if you're running UST tyres or anything then you have heavier tyres, plus the weight of sealant and still have to carry a spare tube. Right?

I've got some tubeless ready rims (Mavic 3.1's I think) that I'm not using at the moment, and never actually tried switching, as I figured the main advantage was being able to run much lower pressure in your tyres. Which I just don't really need for the riding that I do.

Just curious about the actual weight savings if anything.

bentes

The tires I use now are lighter than my previous ones. I use some Rubena Chrybdis and another one. They're about 450g ~500g for the tubeless ready versions.

But the main thing is the punctures. I used to have lots of punctures with my old tires, about one every two rides. I blame the place I ride...

Now I still have punctures but the sealant does its thing very well. I hear a hiss and a few moments later is gone. I inspected the front tyre the other day and had a few thorns in. Not going to pull them out anytime soon!

RTW

You can fit bar ends on risers. It depends if you are bothered by other telling you 'what you should, and shouldn't do'. I bike is for riding. Put the bits on it you want, and leave it at that.

BigLee1

Another top bike setup tip that just about nobody does unless you`re "into" bikes is loosen the brake and gear levers and move them further toward the middle of the bars. So when you reach out with 1 or 2 fingers to brake they are further to the end of the levers so giving you more leverage and the gear levers are where your thumb pad is when you`ve extended your thumb to push on the lever. It gives your hands more room and its easier to operate your levers rather than the standard bike shop setup where they are both hard up against the grips

paulbox

KitsuneAndy wrote:

How much weight do you actually save? Sure you lose tubes, but if you're running UST tyres or anything then you have heavier tyres, plus the weight of sealant and still have to carry a spare tube. Right?

I've got some tubeless ready rims (Mavic 3.1's I think) that I'm not using at the moment, and never actually tried switching, as I figured the main advantage was being able to run much lower pressure in your tyres. Which I just don't really need for the riding that I do.

Just curious about the actual weight savings if anything.

To go tubeless I switched from Mavic 317's on SLX hubs to Crests on the new Hope II's so I got some weight saving there too. You don't need UST tyres on Stans rims so I have some regular Ralphs which as you say are lighter than their UST equiv's. I also changed cassette from SLX to XT, I think there is a quite a big weight saving there. Will have to get some scales.

I don't run low pressures either (I'm a bit heavy :oops: ), for me the main benefit is hearing that you've got a puncture, then a few seconds later, you don't have a puncture any more...

Yes I carry (2!) spare tubes, I was a cub scout and always like to be prepared.

fuji-la

This tubeless tyre scene is a whole new thing to me. I'll stick with that I've got for now but will revisit the situation again in the autumn.

My bike flipped me over the bars on Friday and all 14 stone of my landed on my forearm. No damage according to Epsom hospital A&E but it is aching and I have permanent pins and needles so the only riding I've done this week is the 1 mile scoot to work.

I am after some size 13 (or maybe 14 depending on fit) SPD shoes. How do the SPD shoe brands fair in terms of their sizings? Can I trust "Euro 48" when some brands say that means UK 12.5, some say UK 13 and some say UK 14?

felix.london

New member here too and fuji-la - you are a man after my own heart. I have just got back on a mountain bike after 20 years off one - and I was an early 90s rider too. Agree with everything you said. But I must say I have some Easton EA50 riser bars and they give me a really good aggressive riding position (on my '06 Rockhopper Disc) and yes I do have some little nubby T-shaped bar ends (old habits die hard!) which are awesome for climbing when you want to get out of the saddle for a bit.

I was very dubious about disc brakes but I've been out everyday (just moved to the French Alps) for a month now and I can safely say - disc brakes rock! Once you work out how and when to use them properly.

Anyway - happy riding and welcome back!

felix.london

In response to your last question - I have a pair of Specialized Taho MTB SPD shoes and the 43/UK 9 fit me perfectly (I'm always a UK 9 with trainers). They are a very comfortable shoe and didn't take too long to brake in.

Hope that helps in your choice.

fuji-la

Thanks!

I went on a wander round London yesterday and got to try on some size 13 Shimano SPD's in Evans Cycles in Shoreditch but they were too small. I asked for 14's but they don't stock em. More research needed I guess, or I need to learn about all the different SPD shoe brands and their sizings, which is most tedious and time spent not riding!

felix.london

btw - these are the bar ends I use



http://www.canecreek.com/component-other?product=ergo-control

fuji-la

I've been on a few long slog rides now so thought I should update my thread. As I said in my initial post I was a very keen mountain biker 18 odd years ago. Here's some things I've learned about myself and "things done changed" type observations since getting back into riding.

1. People HATE cyclists now don't they? I have ensured I'm polite and say hello and don't ride on the pavement/ignore traffic lights/whatever yet I still get attitude from people for no valid reason. I give way to walkers, pull over for horses, so I don't get it. Am I stirring up trouble without even realising??

2. I have no patience for road riding at the start of a ride. I need to be off and into the woods within 10 mins or I feel like I've gone the wrong way. On the way home when I'm all singletracked out its much more welcome as I can rack up some more miles quickly.

3. I did make the mistake of following some singletrack in the woods between Banstead and Chipstead and got told off by dog walkers for ignoring a cycle ban. Totally my fault that one (although the way I entered the trail was through a gap in a hedge so saw no signs). I did a bit of research and it turns out a huge patch of that area (absolutely perfect MTB territory) has a bike ban. I was actually stunned that dogs trump cyclists here but I did not live in the area when it became a bike free zone so I guess I've missed any chance to appeal against that. Is this kind of situation common?

Northdownsboy

The bike ban in that particular wood is a weekly trial to me as it's on my "training" route from Carshalton to Reigate Hill. There's no easy way round it except on tarmac. If you're looking for trails to ride from Epsom/Tadworth, you're better off heading for Headley Heath and Mickleham Down.

quattrojames

fuji-la wrote:

1. People HATE cyclists now don't they? I have ensured I'm polite and say hello and don't ride on the pavement/ignore traffic lights/whatever yet I still get attitude from people for no valid reason. I give way to walkers, pull over for horses, so I don't get it. Am I stirring up trouble without even realising??

I'm new to MTBing too, and this has surprised me also.

It seems that no matter how much you slow down (or stop for horses) they still glare at you as though you're evil! I find it hard to believe that ALL the previous MTBers they've met have given them cause for such hatred!

Strange :?

kinmofo

halfords do a decent puncture proof tyre. i was getting punctures near enough every ride, and it was getting expensive. so went to halfords (only cos its closest) and picked up one of thier knobbly "no puncture tyre", £20 per tyre (back one wore out so no longer have it) good grip levels, its never broke traction or punctured.