Back in the saddle

legacydan

Finally getting around to get back out on my Cube race ltd hardtail after breaking my leg and collar bone in a car crash. Took a while for me to get back to healthy form. I bought the bike in 2010 and it didnt get much off road use. Gave it a service, new chain and rear cassette and some new Maxxis Minion DH tyres. One of the guys in work recommended me some good local trails, but i was a bit weary about breakng something again, he told me tracks were pretty advanced.

Even taking it very slowly down the tracks and with a full compliment of body armor, it was pretty tough! Once i get used to the trails up there it will be good fun i think! Few things i need to change on the bike, new larger pedals ordered as the Shimano M324 are no good for downhill. I need to figure out if its the stem i have is too short or handle bars are too narrow, but it was a bit twitchy on the front end. Also the Rock Shox Reba SL where way too soft and i need to figure out how to adjust these so they are a bit firmer. Does anyone know how i could stiffen them up a bit? im guess i need to adjust them to my weight, as at 6'4" im not the lightest of riders!

ALso in relation to saddle positioning should it be far back and as low as possible or whats a good generic setup for downhill biking? in relation to tyre pressure should pressure be slightly lower than cycling on tarmac or smooth surfaces and should i have same pressure in front and rear?

Got myself a Gopro hero 2 aswell to capture the trail adventures, so should get some better footage once confidence and skills improve!

http://youtu.be/68ymYtPwHkg?hd=1

cooldad

Forks are air, so you need a shock pump.
Tyres should be much, much softer than road tyres. I run mine around 30-35psi. Road bike around 110-120psi

legacydan

thats for the info, ill go get myself a shock pump, how do i know how much air to put in the shocks though, do you just adjust according to the feel your after, knowing my luck ill put in too much air and burst the seals or something stupid like that! I cant find a user manual for the Reba SL's only the RL's which look a bit different

cooldad

See viewtopic.php?f=40073&t=12629675

Greer_

If they're solo air (which I think they are) just pump enough air in so you're getting 10-20% sag. The charts are usually wrong, and it will take a while to get them correctly set up. Tyres are ran at lower pressures for mtbs but look at the recommended pressure on the tyres sidewall as well. For downhill, you probably want a low saddle but from watching your video it looks more like an XC trail - is that what you are going to be riding?

cooldad

If solo air ignore my link.

Long_Time_Lurker

Twitchy front end you say - well you did buy a Cube Race ltd. They are made that way (I have an SL).
You say twitchy, I say light and manouevrable.
It is quite an unforgiving bike at the start and took me some time to get used to. (I previously used an old Felt Virtue which weighs a ton.)
The light front end will bounce you a bit at first. It teaches you the importance of picking a good line and is scary at times as it is so fast. I think it is a superb XC bike, and great fun on trails.

As for the air - check the left fork - they should have a sticker on it with a weight/air table. That will let you know how much air you need.

legacydan

thanks for the info guys, im guessing ill need to get used to the light and maneuverable front end, the trail is probably more XC alright, not too many steep downhill sections. few different tracks of that style up there which would be the main ones ill be on.

Ill have to check out if my Reba's are single air, i thought i saw a sticker on them that said dual air, ill check them out when i get home

cooldad

If they are follow my link above.

YeehaaMcgee

legacydan wrote:

I need to figure out if its the stem i have is too short or handle bars are too narrow, but it was a bit twitchy on the front end.

If you're new to mountain biking, or have been out of it for a while, then first thing to do is just ride more. Spending money now may have a difference, but you're far more likely to benefit from just riding, and practice - and that costs nothing.

legacydan

I got a bit more practice in and a bigger set of flat pedals, much more stable base now. Lowered the saddle a bit and it also helps with being able to control the bike better. Full face helmet i got is a bit of an overkill i think maybe, its too uncomfortable to wear on the uphill climbs but im sure i would appreciate it if i did come off on the way down! Coupled with the knee pads and body armour top i feel like "captain Safety" its only really an annoyance on the steep climbs so i guess ill just get used to it after a while!

bennett_346

YeehaaMcgee wrote:

legacydan wrote:

I need to figure out if its the stem i have is too short or handle bars are too narrow, but it was a bit twitchy on the front end.

If you're new to mountain biking, or have been out of it for a while, then first thing to do is just ride more. Spending money now may have a difference, but you're far more likely to benefit from just riding, and practice - and that costs nothing.

+1 biggest difference you can make is actually riding. a such an early stage 20mm off your stem length is going to mean nothing in real terms. practice will.

felix.london

bennett_346 wrote:

YeehaaMcgee wrote:

legacydan wrote:

I need to figure out if its the stem i have is too short or handle bars are too narrow, but it was a bit twitchy on the front end.

If you're new to mountain biking, or have been out of it for a while, then first thing to do is just ride more. Spending money now may have a difference, but you're far more likely to benefit from just riding, and practice - and that costs nothing.

+1 biggest difference you can make is actually riding. a such an early stage 20mm off your stem length is going to mean nothing in real terms. practice will.

Yep. +1. Just get out and ride the bike as much as possible

I was riding my '06 Rockhopper down Alpine Downhill tracks last summer with a 110mm stem, a pair of M324's & just an XC helmet for protection with varying amounts of success - that's after not being on a bike for 20 years!

I don't think 20mm off my stem would've made any difference to my riding at that stage

It took me a summer of riding everyday (mostly XC with the odd DH session) before I made any changes to the bike (bigger pedals, longer fork & shorter stem) and it took a few big off's before I even learned how to take a corner

legacydan

stem i have on now is a 50-60mm i think and standard one was 120mm so, reasonable difference. I have gotten used to the shorter one, went for a spin again this evening, chain snapped 3 times on the way up, very frustrating! Finally quit and threw the chain in the bush and rolled back down to the car park with my tail between my legs! Think ill try get one of those Sram ones with the powerlock as obviously my chain fixing skills are pretty bad!

YeehaaMcgee

legacydan wrote:

stem i have on now is a 50-60mm i think and standard one was 120mm so, reasonable difference. I have gotten used to the shorter one, went for a spin again this evening, chain snapped 3 times on the way up, very frustrating! Finally quit and threw the chain in the bush and rolled back down to the car park with my tail between my legs! Think ill try get one of those Sram ones with the powerlock as obviously my chain fixing skills are pretty bad!

The powerlink (or any similar quick-link thing) can be used on any manufacturer's chain.
Also, everyone except Shimano makes them.

felix.london

legacydan wrote:

stem i have on now is a 50-60mm i think and standard one was 120mm so, reasonable difference. I have gotten used to the shorter one, went for a spin again this evening, chain snapped 3 times on the way up, very frustrating! Finally quit and threw the chain in the bush and rolled back down to the car park with my tail between my legs! Think ill try get one of those Sram ones with the powerlock as obviously my chain fixing skills are pretty bad!

Throwing chains in bushes is not good!

Our sport relies on EVERYONE looking after the places where we ride - that could be a UK trail centre, a canal tow path or natural trails in the Alps. ANYWHERE. If everyone treated these places like you do there wouldn't be much riding to do. Mountain biking is about enjoying the outdoors - so look after it :evil:

legacydan

bit of an exaggeration when i said i threw it in a bush, should have phrased it better and said, "felt like" throwing it in the bush! dumped it into the metal skip in work today along with some used car parts. Only thing i leave on the trails is blood sweat and tyre marks!

felix.london

well that's alright then

(btw - I keep a small length of old chain & a few power-links in my riding pack. Can be a life saver)

legacydan

felix.london wrote:

well that's alright then

(btw - I keep a small length of old chain & a few power-links in my riding pack. Can be a life saver)

i usually do too but i changed from using a backpack to saddle bag and left lots of useful bits and pieces in my bag at home! along with half my body armour! Maybe it was a sign, just to quit and go home! Trip to the bike shop in the morning to get a few bits and pieces to get back on the road!

Zheka

Good you recovered after car crash legacydan
Any reason why you only used back brake in the video?

legacydan

Main reason I think I'm only using the rear brake as the bike dives way too much if i pull the front brake. Need to get ashock pump and tweak the front shocks too make them less spongey I guess