Do I need a narrower front tyre?

neilrosser

Rode the blue at Swinley and on the tighter turns I felt I had to put in quite alot of effort to get around. Is it a case of putting on a narrower front tyre on just dealing with the issue, and manning up 8). I run Bonty 2.35 XR4 team issue F&B.

Cheers

YeehaaMcgee

I don't see how a narrower front tyre could make any difference, to be frank.
What do you mean "a lot of effort" anyway?

turnerjohn

surely the reduced grip of a smaller tire would make things harder ?
could try running pressures higher...but then you loose grip...would speed up the handling....or a shorter stem and wider bars !

neilrosser

I was always under the impression having a narrower front tyre than the rear, would mean as the bike is leant over it would turn in quicker, as it does on motorcycles, that's one of the reasons they have wider rear tyres, and obviously for more grip. Or have I been mistaken believing this for the past fourty odd years. Lack of grip isn't my problem, it's just the effort required to turn in quicker.

YeehaaMcgee

Er, nope, the reason motorcycles have large rear tyres is to handle the power being put down.
The lower the power of the bike, the less the difference in size from front to rear.

I still don't understand the effort you're talking about - particularly since MTBs aren't generally leant over very far into corners.

neilrosser

Sorry, should of said raised corners, berms, which help you round anyway. If that makes any difference, sounds like it doesn't though :?

EDIT: Think I may be getting confused with smaller diameter front than rear....or maybe not :?

pesky_jones

I'd say you need to try and lower the bike beneath you and you'll be able turn better. Don't know if this is what you should do but it's what I think I do ha

YeehaaMcgee

neilrosser wrote:

Sorry, should have said raised corners, berms, which help you round anyway. If that makes any difference, sounds like it doesn't though :?

EDIT: Think I may be getting confused with smaller diameter front than rear....or maybe not :?

Well a smaller diameter front will make the bike's handling quicker, because it steepens the rake (or head angle, as it's called on pushbikes)

neilrosser

So unless I change to a steeper head angle, I've just got to work harder

YeehaaMcgee

Well, I dunno. Can you actually explain what you mean?

neilrosser

Get a different bike with a steeper head angle is what I mean, which by the way isn't going to happen. So I've just answered my own question. So I will have work harder on the corners, or probably the right thing to do would be to choose a better line into them.

YeehaaMcgee

sigh. It might not be a case of working harder, it might just be a case of doing it properly. I still don't understand what you mean by it being hard work.

neilrosser

Ok lets try to explain, because like you I'm getting bored now .
I enter a corner in what I think is the correct line, but halfway through the corner,I find myself getting higher on the bank, and risk going over the edge, so I have to force the bike around quicker by either turning the bars more and leaning more. If that doesn't make any sense, then don't worry....thanks for trying to help me

YeehaaMcgee

On bermed corners? Sounds like you just aren't leaning enough, it's common, since getting big lean angles on berms feels quite unsettling at first.

cooldad

Pretend they're like a wall of death and get horizontal whilst going vroom vroom and screaming yeehaa.
(Not Mcgee though, that would be sick.)

cooldad

And focus on the exit.

YeehaaMcgee

Ok, I'm focusing on your exit. Lets see if I can make you scream my name.

lawman

Shorter stem, wider bar. More leverage and more control, what is your current setup?

neilrosser

90mm stem
690mm wide bar

cooldad

Typical BR - throw money at it and see if what sticks.
New bars aren't going to magically change your riding style, and Swinley is basically XC.
A couple of people do the trail centre stuff on CX bikes, and one guy does it on a unicycle.

neilrosser

I'm not going to throw any money at this issue.
I've decided it's me that's the problem and I'm going to learn how to ride the bike.

cooldad

Which ones are giving problems - the smaller bowl type on Stickler or the bigger swoopy ones on the second (return) part of the blue (I can't remeber the numbers).

lawman

He asked for a way to make the bike handle better, so I suggested a way. Yes there is technique that could be looked at, but a small change on the bike can make just as big, if not bigger, a difference.

YeehaaMcgee

lawman wrote:

Shorter stem, wider bar. More leverage and more control, what is your current setup?

cooldad wrote:

Typical BR - throw money at it and see if what sticks.

+Potato. That has to be the dumbest fu**ing thing I've read here in a long time, and that includes concordion's insane ramblings.

Seriously, you tell him to change to something, before even asking what he currently has?
What the actual hell is wrong with you?

Kowalski675

YeehaaMcgee wrote:

Er, nope, the reason motorcycles have large rear tyres is to handle the power being put down.
The lower the power of the bike, the less the difference in size from front to rear.

First part's true, second part not always. Fashion plays a large part too - a Hornet 250 runs a 180 rear, for example, and those have about as much power as a sewing machine, lol.

Some folk do take it to extremes though:

The Rookie

It's technique, I have the same issue, and I know it's all in my head, I'm just not commiting to it and getting the bike over as I should, I 'always' run wide on the exit to turns.

benpinnick

Narrower tyres ? Nope. Different tyres, probably. Now Swinley is hard packed, xr4s, while excellent tyres are not putting much rubber down as they have a deepish tread and widely spaced blocks. I'd recommend some racing Ralph snake skins if you want to go fast.

DCR00

http://www.pinkbike.com/news/strength-t ... -2011.html

Not necessarily needed for berms, but the technique will help you rail berms as well as flat corners

Wider bars/shorter stems/slacker/steeper angles will not make up for lack of skill

cooldad

DCR00 wrote:

On BR wider bars/shorter stems/slacker/steeper angles/new tyres/lighter grips/blingy pedals/anything by Hope will make up for lack of skill

FTFY

DCR00

cooldad wrote:

DCR00 wrote:

On BR wider bars/shorter stems/slacker/steeper angles/new tyres/lighter grips/blingy pedals/anything by Hope will make up for lack of skill

FTFY

You forgot Orange 5 in that list

lawman

YeehaaMcgee wrote:

lawman wrote:

Shorter stem, wider bar. More leverage and more control, what is your current setup?

cooldad wrote:

Typical BR - throw money at it and see if what sticks.

+Potato. That has to be the dumbest fu**ing thing I've read here in a long time, and that includes concordion's insane ramblings.

Seriously, you tell him to change to something, before even asking what he currently has?
What the actual hell is wrong with you?

Ever heard of a thing known as an educated guess? :roll: assuming the bike is stock, it will probably have quite a long stem, which it does and relatively narrow bars, which it also does. Therefore a small setup change, say to a 70mm stem and 710mm bar would make a big difference to the bikes handling and offer the OP more control than his current setup and thanks to the shorter stem, faster steering.