Full susp for £1k - £1.5k

danlightbulb

Reflectors and bell are gone lol.

Its a size medium, seat is pretty slammed with the 150mm dropper (Brand X).

jamski wrote:

How much did it all come to?

Bike was £1300, dropper £120, V12 pedals £35. The rest was the tubes and shock pump which I'd have needed anyway. A grand went on the voucher (no additional charge) and the rest paid on top.


Thread might get longer lol. I have set up questions.

1. For 25% sag on the rear shock Im needing 225psi. Is that normal?

tallpaul_s

I was expecting a sag question next

For rear sag, easiest way is to sit with the dropper down slowly onto the seat and briefly lift your feet off the ground. get to 30% by the measure and you're done. If the shock was empty make sure to cycle it a few times equalise the negative air chamber.

Here you, this is the easiest way: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhnKTZu2AKs

225psi sounds about right, depending on your weight.

danlightbulb

Thanks that's what Ive done, was just surprised how much pressure it needed.

danlightbulb

Ive tried to set the front rebound, and using the trick of trying to get the front wheel to just lift off the ground. Ive gone all the way from slow to fast and the front wheel is still not leaving the ground?

tallpaul_s

Yeah mine doesn't go fast enough to get the wheel lifting off either, just set it at the fastest rebound and you'll be fine.

jamski

All depends on weight mate. Rear shock pressure is always higher than front. Love the Guide R brakes on those too. Is incredible kit for the money.

Not heard that one for rebound. I push down, let hands go and you want them to just come off the bars. If the bars push your hand up it’s too quick, if if they’re off for more than a split second it’s too slow. Failing that set it in the middle and see how it goes. FYI it can take months to get it all right. There’s no 100% set way of getting it perfect for you without riding and trial and error.

danlightbulb

On the front fork, what does the compression knob do, and how does it relate to the air pressure and the rebound?

tallpaul_s

Ok, so air pressure is the 'spring' - it essentially replaces the coil spring in a normal shock absorber. You press down on the fork, it resists this force with increasing progression as the air compresses. If you had no damping the shock would bounce up and down and u and down after it returned from the hit. Compression damping controls the fork when it's being compressed, and rebound damping when the fork is extending. They slow the movement, or 'damp' it.

For the RC forks, run the compression fully open. Job done. You want to be seeing 90% travel on the bumpiest run you'll do, which is what the red ring is for. This shows what travel you're using. Another test you can do is ride along fairly slowly on the road, then with all your might, without the wheels leaving the ground, force both ends down so you're compressing the fork and shock. If you see about 60% travel at both ends you're good. As a starting point that is!

Welcome to the world of tuning MTB suspension. We'll save bottomless tokens for another day...

danlightbulb

Did any current/previous owners of the Boardman do the linkage upgrade please and can tell me more about it?

Also, is it worth buying a spare mech hanger just in case?

And is it possible to fit a chainguide on this?

jamski

danlightbulb wrote:

Did any current/previous owners of the Boardman do the linkage upgrade please and can tell me more about it?

Also, is it worth buying a spare mech hanger just in case?

I didn’t do the linkage change. Some on here have.

As for the hanger, yes, get one. The standard one is made of cheese, although mine never snapped, but you should carry a spare.

BETD is the brand you want, they do a very good and stronger replacement.

B_The_Biker

danlightbulb wrote:

Hi all.

Been a while since I was here. Back in 2012 i got myself a Rockrider 8.1 hardtail that ive been riding ever since. Had a couple years away from regular riding and now looking to get back involved. Rode Cannock last week and alot of it is pretty badly rutted now, and wasnt comfortable on the hardtail.

So Im looking for a full suspension bike suitable for trails like Cannock, Llandegla, Hopton. All are a mix of climbs, singletrack, with the technical sections thrown in around the route - you all know the score.

Id like to spend between £1k and £1.5k although lower end is better for financial reasons but could go higher end if its worth doing so for a step up in spec.

Are there some go to bikes at this price range that you can point me to?

Thanks.

Buy an ex demo bike or try “tredz”website even look around for a quality secondhand bike that’s been looked after.
My 2013 carbon Lapierre Zesty 514 is still like new & was £3,500 and I’m letting it go very soon for £1,250 and that’s with dropper post and upgraded rear suspension to a Rockshox Monarch Plus. Look around an you will find a nice one for that price

JBA

B_The_Biker wrote:

Buy an ex demo bike or try “tredz”website even look around for a quality secondhand bike that’s been looked after.
My 2013 carbon Lapierre Zesty 514 is still like new & was £3,500 and I’m letting it go very soon for £1,250 and that’s with dropper post and upgraded rear suspension to a Rockshox Monarch Plus. Look around an you will find a nice one for that price

Did you just read the first post and then ignore the other 13,000 posts in the thread?

JBA

danlightbulb wrote:

And is it possible to fit a chainguide on this?

Why?
There’s no need if you have a narrow-wide chain ring.

danlightbulb

JBA wrote:

danlightbulb wrote:

And is it possible to fit a chainguide on this?

Why?
There’s no need if you have a narrow-wide chain ring.

Just for that extra bit of security that's all, plus they look cool.

Replacement mech hanger ordered. Would you change it immediately or wait till the other one breaks first?

tallpaul_s

No need to change it, just carry it as a spare and if the current one bends or breaks then replace it.

If you've got ISCG tabs then fitting a chain guide is easy, if not it's a bit more complex. I'm pretty sure it doesn't, and tbh you don't really need one, there might be a way but you'll need to look to see if any will fit.

JBA

danlightbulb wrote:

JBA wrote:

danlightbulb wrote:

And is it possible to fit a chainguide on this?

Why?
There’s no need if you have a narrow-wide chain ring.

Just for that extra bit of security that's all, plus they look cool.

Replacement mech hanger ordered. Would you change it immediately or wait till the other one breaks first?

You have spent the last month saying you are concerned about the weight of a bike and now you want to add extra weight that has no real purpose.

Set the sag on your forks and shock and just go and ride the bloody bike!
You have waited long enough so now it's time to enjoy it.

danlightbulb

Rode it today, only local,no rough stuff. Its slower to turn in than my old bike but I'll get used to that. The gearing concerns me a little, I don't have so many easy gears for the climbs. I need to examine what ratios I have compared to my old bike.

I definitely need to change the saddle. Its way to narrow for me and has no padding whatsoever. Any recommendations?

apreading

Just be glad you didnt get an even slacker bike - the turn in would be even slower... You could shorten the stem to help but I am guessing its pretty short already as they normally are these days.

In terms of saddle, dont focus on the padding, focus on finding one that fits the size/shape of your posterior. There isnt much we can do to help as everyone's is different. However there are a few saddles which seem to have more widespread love than others - the Charge Spoon or Fabric Scoop are cheap and as close to universal as I think it gets, so not a bar place to start. Or if you go to some shops they will measure you for a saddle and look at different widths etc. Specialized are good at this but their saddles arent cheap!

JBA

Charge Spoon and a decent pair of padded shorts.

You could change the chain ring to a 30-tooth jobbie but then you will lose top end. Ride the bike as it is until you are sure what/if anything needs changing. You will adapt to the 1x11 gears very quickly.

jamski

Keep riding and the climbs will get easier! I have a Fabric scoop and it’s the only saddle that’s never made me sore at all. Had a Brand X one too which was pretty good but the Scoop is better. Padded shorts are a must too.

danlightbulb

jamski wrote:

Keep riding and the climbs will get easier! I have a Fabric scoop and it’s the only saddle that’s never made me sore at all. Had a Brand X one too which was pretty good but the Scoop is better. Padded shorts are a must too.

Which fabric scoop do you have, i see they do 3 profiles?

Do you have padded undershorts have you found mtb shorts with built in padding? I have some padded undershorts but they are pretty thin.

apreading

What did you say about not buying loads of extra bits? The cycling bug strikes again! This is a start of a slippery slope...

Endura Humvees are one of the most common MTB shorts - very good and come with removable padded inners.

If you have a perfectly fitting saddle you should have less need for padding anyway though - unless doing really long rides.

Whatever profile someone else has wont have any bearing on whether its the right one for you. If you want to try it and arent sure I would probably go for the middle profile. I would actually suggest you start with a charge spoon though. Its more or less the same shape but not so fancy and alot less money. I think you can get one for around £15. If you dont get on with it thats alot less money wasted but if you do then you could always upgrade to the scoop if you really feel the need.

danlightbulb

Yeah ill get the charge spoon i think. This doesnt count as buying stuff, its all part of the bike purchase. Once done that will be it.

joebristol

I think you’ll have 32f/42r as your lowest gear on 1x11 GX. That’s pretty low - although I have to admit I specced 30f/42r as my lowest get on my Aeris. Manage fine with 34f/42 rear on my hardtail though.

Just stick with it for a while and you should find you get used to it - if you struggle a little then stick on the 30t front chain ring.

Off-road I use endura humvees - baggy shorts with a clickfast liner that clicks in. They’re ok, but perhaps a little light on padding. On my road bike I use DHB Lycra shorts which cost about £30 from Wiggle and they have more padding / are more comfortable for longer distances.

On the saddle it’s very personal - but the Boardman ones are rather flat. The fabric scoop I have is ok, but I’ve just taken it off the Bird - over 20 Miles I find I get sore on it. Swapped it for an SDG Bel Air which is more my ass shape! Got one on both mtbs’s now, and my road bike.

If you think the Boardman turns in a little slowly you’d have had a shock on an Aeris 145!

danlightbulb

Ordered a charge spoon.

Yeah 32/42 now. On my old bike i most commonly used 32/32 when i could, for technical climbs. But id often switch to granny ring 22/32 for fire roads and when my legs burn out, so cant go that low now.

danlightbulb

I also need some larger grips, the o/e ones are way too thin. 30mm diameter i measured.

joebristol

I find a lot of grips these days feel quite thin. I don’t really have a recommendation on these as I’ve not found any that are really thick.

I put Uberbike lock on grips on my last bike - they were ok - not really any different to the raceface ones I’ve currently got.

Uberbike do make good value brake pads for guides too - I usually either use sintered or race matrix - popped race matrix in when my Sram organic ones died.

Forgot to add, using Sheldon Browns gear calculator there isn’t a huge difference in your old and new lowest gears. If you went 30 tooth at the front you’d very nearly get to the old ratio but not quite.

jamski

Easton lock-on grips. They come in 33mm. The highlighter hello is a great match for the Pro FS. The Race Face Gripplers are exactly the same, just branded differently and more expensive. I also have some DMR ones that are pretty thick. I don’t like a narrow grip either.

danlightbulb

Ive found 33mm grips its finding stock that seems to be an issue. will carry on searching.

jamski

https://www.tredz.co.uk/.Easton-Lock-On ... gIyD_D_BwE