Cockpit sizing/slow steering/no small bump compliance

Clockworkmark31

After reading a review about my bike Giant Talon 27.5 0in the latest MBR mag review I agree with everything they say. I used to love how my rockhopper handled but I still don't feel at home on this bike. I can post the review if that helps.

But it seems like they are complaining about the same issues I experience, I know I need to change bar stem and grips to get a more lively and in control feel on the bike. Suspension is questionable atm but maybe a cockpit change could improve things?

My question is, is there a rule for choosing bar and stem lengths or is it just a case of what feels right?

On the rockhopper I had a 50mm stem with 780mm bars and I liked the handling, the giant has 100mm stem and 690mm bars. Geometry is similar on both bikes but the rockhopper had 26" wheels and this one 650b, would that make a difference? And would a shorter stem and wider bars help with the suspension, or moving the headset spacers around?

On a budget atm so it would either be new cockpit or new suspension or suspension upgrade going from CTD to FIT.

The posture and handling don't feel correct now, and I know bar and stem will help things, but then the suspension issues remain, diving under braking etc.

Ranting on, but not sure if this is all cockpit related or suspension related?

Antm81

Changing the cockpit is unlikely to affect the suspension.

Best to list your each suspension issue, then we may be able to help with some setting as etc is quite hard to fix. Also what settings are you running? How much sag? Rebound? Compression settings?

robertpb

First set up your cockpit, if your previous bike was correct start from there.

This doesn't mean because you had a 50mm stem on one bike every bike has to have a 50mm stem for you, it's getting your saddle height right, the distance from the nose of the saddle to the bar ends, that then gives you feet, bum and hands in the right places.

Then you set the sag on your forks, try 15-20%. After that it's just a matter of fettling.

Mister_g

I've got the Talon 1 with the Rockshocks TK Gold Solo Air forks, and I also read the review. I don't recognise their description of the forks diving at all - they seem wonderfully progressive, so I wonder if this is a 'feature' of the Fox forks on the Talon 0.

I did agree their description of the lack of responsiveness (I would describe it as remoteness) of the steering, but found, like them, that a shorter stem fixed this. I first flipped the stock 100mm stem to lower the bars, then went to a flipped 70mm stem, which was an improvement, and finally to a 50mm stem which was a much more marked improvement. I now love how the bike handles - it's much more direct. I can get my weight right over the bars going into corners, and it's still manageable when climbing (a little twitcher, but no problem), and I have no problem getting my weight back going down hill. I haven't changed the width of the bars, (690mm feels wide to me since my last bike had bars <600mm wide, and I'm sure there must be a correlation between shoulder width and the 'best' bar width), but if you were used to bars ~100m wider, then these will likely feel narrow - can you swap the bars from your old bike?

I think the Talon has a short-ish cockpit which suits me, as I have a short-ish upper body (I'm 5'6 on a medium), but this might make it unbalanced for someone with the opposite proportions.

YMMV

Clockworkmark31

Thanks for the replies and sorry for my late response.

Nose of the saddle to bar ends? I'm intrigued as I haven't heard this before?

I have set sag between 25-30% and rebound halfway and adjust the CTD accordingly I am just bottoming out the forks now so I believe the settings are fairly dialed in, I maybe wrong though. With riding gear etc I am 100kg so have 100psi in the forks.

I find if I set say between 15-20% and have it in decent mode the fork seems too stiff and I feel every minute bump.

Trust me the nose diving under braking is not a welcomed feature and I have never had this before. But they do dive under braking using almost all the travel.

I would love to try swapping the bits from my old bike, but this was stolen. And I am trying to avoid trying various combinations, as more expense. I think wider bar and shorter stem will solve the remoteness as that is defiantly how it feels.

I too have the medium, but I am somewhat taller 5"10 to 5"11 and that puts me between medium and large, Giant recommended the medium and my old bike was medium.

I think the bike has potential, but needs some component swaps. Today I was on a local loop albeit lost and some sections I tackled but didn't feel connected or completely in control if that makes sense. Its like I committed 60% instead of everything in certain sections.

Antm81

To be honest I never got my ctd forks set up exactly how I wanted them, the lack of separate LSC adjustment really doesn't help as this would reduce some of the brake dive.

robertpb

Fox forks should be set between 15-20% it doesn't matter what the pressure is, but 25-30% sag is too much, and you will feel the bumps that's normal on a 100mm fork.

Clockworkmark31

Fox even recommend 25% sag, I have experimented with with various sag settings and 25-30% is the best.

I had RS reba dual air before and they didn't act in the same way.

robertpb

"Sag should be set to 15 – 20% of total fork travel", that is straight off the Fox website.

It also says set at 15% for a firm ride and 20% for a plush ride.

Here is the page, http://www.ridefox.com/help.php?m=bike& ... irpressure.

The 25-30% is for a shock not a fork.

Clockworkmark31

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dh2Q7Fu2pfA

Straight from fox too 25%.

Has anyone upgraded the damper on these forks?