The biking thread

[W3H5]

Nearly got wiped out today on my way to work. Some stupid tart who clearly bought her licence. She missed my by what must have been cm, going the wrong way down my side of the road at close to 40kph (me). Bitch.

 

[Neal]

Took a ride yesterday with my recently trued wheels.

We got some rain the day before so the trail was a little slick. Changed the feel of the place significantly. Uphills were harder with way more resistance. Downhills were scarier with less traction for braking. Corners were very exciting as you wonder what the bike is going to find first, some grip or some tree!

Did they stay true? It's pretty wet round here too although not as bad as the other side of the country, it's biblical over there!

I was out last night for a pretty decent ride, 23km (14ish miles) of woody singletrack with minimal road, the rain stayed off until I was loading the bike into the car at the pub and the ground wasn't that muddy. However the trails were badly overgrown with nettles so my arms and legs are itchy as 🤬 today.

Nearly got wiped out today on my way to work. Some stupid tart who clearly bought her licence. She missed my by what must have been cm, going the wrong way down my side of the road at close to 40kph (me). Bitch.

Glad you're ok mate, it's been a while since I've had a near miss with a car. I heard news yesterday that a cyclist ended up under a lorry not far from where I'm moving to and died. RIP

 

[W3H5]

I hate to think of all the negativity that comes with a cyclist's death by the hands of a car or something bigger.

I'm often reading on blogs that it's the rider who gets blamed for being there and the family of that poor chap/ lass have to put up with that.

It's scary to think that I could meet my end on the road. My father has already told me he's prepared for it so that in the event of it happening it won't destroy him.

On a lighter note: Mountain climbs in 35+ heat and 90 percent humidity do require drink stops!

I rarely carry a bottle to and from work and usually get a water/ Gatorade at either end. Today I had to stop just shy of the town for some liquid about 600m up the bloody thing. Leaking like a bath with 7 plug holes I was!

When I move to Thailand I'm making sure I live at sea level so that the hill climbs are optional and not a necessary part of my commute.

 

[Yrkshrpudding]

Did they stay true? It's pretty wet round here too although not as bad as the other side of the country, it's biblical over there!

I've hit the trail three times since I got the bike out of the shop. I've had to very slightly slacken the brake cable to stop some rubbing after the first ride. This is the least amount of adjustments I've had to make so far, so I am slightly optimistic.

Currently working on adjusting the front derailleur. It seems to get reluctant to shift right before one of the big hills on the trail. On the road, it'll shift smoothly but right before I really need it, it becomes all stubborn

 

[boiltheocean]

Hey guys, just back from a weeks holiday in Northumberland. Couldn't take the bikes however I got a very sweet bike related present for my birthday while I was away in the form of a Rapha Spanish country jersey Some seriously good looking places to ride around there though, I'd love to go back again someday.

 

[Yrkshrpudding]

Urgh. Massively frustrated with my bike.

My front derailleur has never up shifted very well but it had started to become reluctant to down shift too. I've spent this weekend reading online guides and adjusting everything to the point of removing the entire mechanism, cleaning and re-assembling. I had to stop when the cable frayed from being removed and replaced too many times. I've bought a new cable and installed it and spent another hour fiddling with it.

All I seem to be able to do with it is return it to the condition it was in when I started which is:

Up shifts only possible by moving the shifter up one click and then wiggling the shift lever a bit.

Down shifts are reluctant but will occur after two to four rotations of the pedals.

I don't understand how it can be reluctant to both up and down shift?!?!

I'd appreciate any ideas before I have to take it back to the lbs

 

[W3H5]

Very nice, mate. I've never been fond of team jerseys but that certainly is a very modest, good looking shirt. 👍

Urgh. Massively frustrated with my bike.

My front derailleur...

You've probably tried already but loosening the H & L screws could help. They set the limit for the front shifter so that the chain doesn't fall off on a shift, if they're too tight it may cause the problem.

Alternatively have you checked the hight and angle of the dérailleur itself? Might have budged a bit into an awkward position.

 

[Neal]

boiltheocean - very nice top, you'd get away with that off the bike 👍 I've never thought of riding up there buts it's virtually Scotland so it must be good. Also happy birthday mate

Yrkshrpudding - It sounds like you've had a good crack at it so assuming you've done eveything right you may need a better front mech, what's the mech that's on it now? I had exactly the same problem with great shifting on road but wouldn't work off road so upgraded from a very cheap SRAM mech to Shimano XT for £25 which completely sorted the shifting even in really grotty mud when stomping on the pedals.


In my biking news I've bought my entry to the Howies Coed y Brenin Enduro on 29th September, it's a 60km 1,700m climbing endurance event in Wales on some great hidden single track mixed in with some of the best bits of one of the best trails centres with random and bizarre entertainment along the route. Best start getting the training miles in!

 

[mp10]

In my biking news I've bought my entry to the Howies Coed y Brenin Enduro on 29th September, it's a 60km 1,700m climbing endurance event in Wales on some great hidden single track mixed in with some of the best bits of one of the best trails centres with random and bizarre entertainment along the route. Best start getting the training miles in!

Good luck mate 👍

 

[Yrkshrpudding]

You've probably tried already but loosening the H & L screws could help. They set the limit for the front shifter so that the chain doesn't fall off on a shift, if they're too tight it may cause the problem.

Alternatively have you checked the hight and angle of the dérailleur itself? Might have budged a bit into an awkward position.

H & L screws have been fiddled with a lot. I just can't find a sweet spot where it will shift up and down. As soon as it down shifts smoothly, it refused to up shift at all and vice versa.

Angle: tried moving it around but it pretty quickly starts to rub on the crank guard thingy if it is moved out of alignment much at all.

Height: It looked too high so I attempted to lower it but then it didn't have enough clearance to get the chain on to the large gear. I'm not sure I tried to raise it though. That might be the one thing I haven't attempted.


Neal - The current front mech is a Shimano Tourney. There is some noticeable wear on it which I find a bit weird seeing as how little I use the front mech. Seeing as it has never been particulary smooth I'm afraid that I might need a better one. I'm a bit worried about spending on a new component in case I can't install it properly. Trying to fix the current one has shaken my confidence a bit.

And keep us posted on the unpronounceable event. Sounds like a lot of fun

 

[boiltheocean]

Best of luck in the Enduro Neal, sounds like a lot of fun.

Yrkshrpudding, have you checked for wear on your chainrings? That's usually a contributing factor that gets overlooked.

 

[Yrkshrpudding]

Best of luck in the Enduro Neal, sounds like a lot of fun.

Yrkshrpudding, have you checked for wear on your chainrings? That's usually a contributing factor that gets overlooked.

Good idea. The bike is only 3 months old though, so there is virtually no wear anywhere. I'll double check it. I spent all weekend with my face pressed into the wretched drivetrain so I hope I would have spotted anything amiss but my confidence is low right now so it's worth another look.

 

[Neal]

The current front mech is a Shimano Tourney. There is some noticeable wear on it which I find a bit weird seeing as how little I use the front mech. Seeing as it has never been particulary smooth I'm afraid that I might need a better one. I'm a bit worried about spending on a new component in case I can't install it properly. Trying to fix the current one has shaken my confidence a bit.

Don't let it knock your confidence, spannering can often be frustrating but it's satisfying when you finally get it right. Front mechs aren't that hard to set up and it does sound like you've covered everything so you might not be doing anything wrong especially as it's manly refusing to shift on off road hills. I realised my old cheap one was the problem when I looked down at it as it tried on failed to shift down a ring and saw the mech cage being easily pushed out of the way by the chain rather than pushing the chain off the ring, basically the spring in the mech wasn't strong enough and there was too much play in the pivots. From my searching it seems Shimano make the best front mechs and it doesn't really matter whether you get XT, SLX or Deore but make sure you get the right one (i.e. top/bottom swing, 9 or 10 speed and correct seat tube diameter). Post up with a photo of the front mech on your bike if you need help identifying it.

 

[ExigeEvan]

Nothing like setting out in the sun, rain starts when you hit the top, decline in pouring rain and then return to dry roads.

Gotta love the British weather.

 

[funkyDucks]

Had an eventful cycle today. I left home for a destination about 7k from where I started. However I took a 15k route which was not only indirect but also unbelievably steep.
On my return cycle I found a road that had not seen traffic since the stone age and took myself on a short mountain trail. (Only about 2k) After that I took a more direct route for most of it, but wandered off towards the end because I knew a great wee lane that was so flowing and free of traffic. So I left the traditional route and went to find this lane only to meet a herd of cattle half way down it, so I retreated and took a new road home that was slightly hilly.
To sum it up, I went for a cycle took a very scenic route, went on a trail, met cows, and on roads travelling the opposite way to my destination. In the hottest day of July.

 

[Dragonistic]

I've been waiting to make this post for about a month but finally it's time! I want to get (back) in to mountain biking again as I need a healthy hobby so I don't spend my life outside of work on video games and I've always liked biking particularly off-road. I've been looking in to MTB for a while now and I'm pretty set on it but I don't want to break the bank getting everything I need but I do need everything (starting from scratch, no gear no bike etc.).

So I need to establish everything I need, some things are obvious but if you guys make a list of the things you need (including what may seem obvious) I can start to make a shopping list. My closest store of use so far as I know is Halfords, so I have been looking at the bikes on their website to try to establish what I want and how much to spend. I'm thinking sub £400 gets me something like this which seems like a really nice bike if a touch heavy. There's also a Carrera Centos on offer at £300 but doesn't include lockout on the fork which will be something I want (I think?) as I want to use the bike a fair amount on road with my girlfriend who probably doesn't want to head out to serious trails or at least not yet .

For the price range I've established to go hard-tail and get better everything instead of cheap full suspension and similarly it should be a better road bike which is a positive as the bike will see a fair amount of use on road whilst I get myself in shape. I know to avoid cheap (Apollo) if I want to do any serious riding which is why I've gone upmarket in the Halfords lines with Carrera which I trust will be more then adequate for a relative noob (I mean I could save up and get something like Specialized but that seems like major overkill at my level, I can always get that later). I could buy used on eBay but that seems like I could end up getting something with alot of wear on and could end in disaster which I've been and done with a motorbike though that was from a dealer through Autotrader.

Thoughts? As mentioned a list of everything I need from safety to cleaning and maintenance products would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Greycap]

I mean I could save up and get something like Specialized but that seems like major overkill at my level, I can always get that later.

As the owner of two (well, three but already sold one) Specialized bikes I can say that they aren't overkill, sure they seem like that when you're used to the supermarket stuff but I ran a supermarket MTB to the ground in a year and a half. Doing nothing but commuting and shortish tarmac trips it lasted 1500 km and more or less died. Now my first Specialized has done 1000 km without any complaining, it's going to its first service tomorrow and I'll probably clock another 1000 km on it before winter kicks in and I'll put it into storage - and keep going with the hardtail that'll do yet another 1000 km during the winter. When the spring comes I'll pull #1 out again and continue from where I left.

Yes, these things are relatively expensive. They cost me 1600€ and 900€ respectively but for that price I know that they won't fail me. During that year and a half I put over 600€ into the el cheapo MTB, had I known how poor of a showing it was I'd have done things differently. I got 1500 km out of it for 600€, that's 0,40€ per km. It means I'll have to do 6250 km with the current equipment to break even and I have zero doubt it'll happen. They'll probably last more than that each.

Although I'm usually against people who say that it's worth it to save money for a good bike instead of getting a cheap one, I have to admit that they have a point. Yes, a cheap bike now is better than a good one next summer but if you go cheap enough you'll find out that you'll have to buy another next summer anyway and by then you've paid for two bikes while one could have done the job. A couple of words about what is considered useless by the "pros" on their high horses though, you'll probably hear a lot of people saying that Suntour forks suck. No they don't - I had a Suntour on my briefly owned Rockhopper and there was nothing to complain about. It's like saying a Toyota sucks because it's not as good as a BMW, well, that might be true but it still does the job perfectly well. Some people say that Shimano part groups below Deore are useless. Again, for casual use anything goes as long as it's set up properly. Sure a SLX derailleur shifts better but the low-end stuff shifts the gears too and that's what matters, and it costs dozens of pounds less. There's only one thing I'd advice against and it's mechanical disc brakes made by Tektro - I had them on my el cheapo and they were marketed as having "safe and controllable power". Don't know about controllable but certainly safe, no way of going over the bar despite pulling the front brake all the way in a steep descent. Hopelessly weak creations.

About other things you need, ignore the people who insist you to get padded biking shorts, lock pedals and shoes to fit and a garage full of tools. You can get all those if you really like but none of it is necessary, I've done all my riding this summer in cargo shorts and Merrell multisport shoes with an Allen key set in my pocket. Your bike is unlikely to have any parts you can't take apart or adjust with an Allen key between 3 mm and 6 mm so get a small folding set of them. The only thing you really need is a helmet and when buying it don't take the cheapest one. There really is a difference between a 20€ and a 50€ helmet, you won't realize it in the store but you certainly will when on (or off) the road. I can warmly recommend Bell helmets, wore a Slant last summer myself. Excellent comfort without breaking the bank.

 

[boiltheocean]

You won't need lockout on a fork, it's more to go wrong plus you'll soon learn the technique to compensate for it.

You've got the right idea on the rest of it though. As for safety, get yourself a decent lid, it doesn't have to be overly expensive as everything is produced to a certain safety standard anyway before it's allowed on sale in the UK and it's recommended you replace a helmet after a hard knock. Something in the region of £30-40 will do.

Clean after every ride if you can, especially in winter. Just hose it down, take a bucket of warm water (with a few squirts of Muc Off) and a sponge to it then dry with an old towel. Make sure to lubricate the chain with dry chain lube and anything else that's meant to move such as derailleur springs with TF2 spray on lubricant.
I also spray TF2 around my hub cones, bottom bracket seals, headset and fork stanchions even though they are all pretty well sealed just to provide a little extra protection. It probably makes very little difference but that's just me. Most of my components have taken 4 years of off-road abuse and they still run like new.
You should also use grease on all the bearings but it should come with plenty already packed in. Just make sure to take it apart once in a while to put new grease in.

 

[Neal]

Hi Phil, long time no...:waves:

I've got a Carrera Vulcan (older crapper version) although after much spendage it should be called Trigger's Brush, very decent starter bike though. Decathalon seems to be the current bargain new bike retailer and they have a very decent £400 bike and a very spiffy £500 bike. I'll post more when I'm not on my phone and less drunk but apart from the bike you'll need...
Helmet
Sporty(ish) clothing including separate padded shorts
Gloves
Half decent shoes, I used walking boots until I got proper clipped in bike shoes and pedals
CamelBak for carrying a drink, basic tools, pump and inner tubes or...
Water bottle and seat/frame bag to hold tools etc
Lots of gnar and radness to schralp the trails

Once you get set up you'll scare yourself more than you ever did on a motorbike and become more attractive to the opposite sex in the process. Also if you've got a swish phone get signed up to strava.

EDIT:

Everything Greycap and BTO said is absolutely spot on appart from the padded shorts as they're essential...or maybe I'm just getting soft in my old age. Also there's a balance between a better brand like Specialized and a good spec list from Halfords/Decathalon etc....it's a bit tricky to summarise easily but until you get into £1K territory most frames are much of a muchness so higher quality components may be better at the entry level price. Ultimately a bike is a bike though and you'll have fun whatever you're on 👍

 

[Aldo]

You need a lycra one piece suit just cause...

PS Neal you mentioned you're a bit drunk. Massively jealous

 

[SHDante]

This is my bike guys. I recently got it as a hand me down from my brother. I rode it through the trails near the area and I got to say that it was very fun and the ride was pretty comfortable as well.

 

[W3H5]

Today on my way to work I noticed that if I brake hard on the front (don't often use the back) there's a jolt from somewhere as if a part is not fully secured.

I can't work out if it's the handlebar stem or the forks or something else. There is no problem on the stand; it only happens over 30kph on the road so I can't figure it out at home and don't want to be checking my front end while I'm on the brakes for obvious reasons (eyes on the road, y'all).

All the bolts are tight and there isn't any play in the forks. It's not the wheel either. I'm really at a loss as to what is causing this thing. It's not a major problem just something that I feel shouldn't happen.

Any ideas?

 

[Dragonistic]

Appreciate the thoughts fellas and I'll take everything said in to consideration. Bike wise I've been fairly set on that Vulcan for a while for the rather stupid reason that I like the styling, the fact it appears to have a decent spec and reviews so far as I can tell is a bonus and the weight thing just means it'll keep me fitter and fall down hills faster . Other things I know I'll need are spare inner tubes on every trip along with tools for the tyre change and other roadside maintenance as mentioned and puncture repair kits for when I get home and a nice backpack of some variety to carry those sort of things and some fuel for the body.

Once I get myself biking, start building my PC and buy premium (first pay check for premo me thinks) I can be generic GTP premium member if I just go out and buy myself a camera to finish it off (which I most certainly will not do).

 

[daft biker]

Although I'm usually against people who say that it's worth it to save money for a good bike instead of getting a cheap one, I have to admit that they have a point.

Albosultey - cheap parts often work OK to start with but quickly wear however, unfortunately, not all expensive parts last better. For example Race Face bottom brackets...the signature ones seem to be utter garbage even though they cost about 4x more than the one I replaced it with. On the other hand there are things like XTR mechs and shifters which seem to last until they get crash damage. There's a difference between parts that are expensive because they are light and parts that are expensive because they are built to last.

Depends how you use them though.....mud and bumps tend to wreck stuff quicker than nipping down to the shops or going for a pootle along a towpath or something. My Mrs has a quite different bike to me because she's never going to thrash it offroad....and if she does thrash it I'll gladly buy her a better one that will take it. There's even some cheap suff that lasts well just to make it even more difficult to pick the wheat from the chaff.

I don't do padded shorts, lycra or clip-in pedals either....I do comfy clothes and footwear. I always ride with a helmet and gloves though....helmet because heads don't always heal and gloves because shredding your hands in a fall makes day-to-day life a very awkward and painful.

I'm reminded of a time I hired a fairly basic MTB from a shop and when they showed me the bike I told them I was going to ride it down the local downhill tracks. They said it would be OK before I set off but it went back to them with no brake pads left, the supension forks all packed up with mud, the gears mashed, bearings grinding and rattling, wheels buckled......serves them right for hiring out a bike that wasn't fit for purpose! I wasn't able to have that much fun on it either

 

[Greycap]

There's a difference between parts that are expensive because they are light and parts that are expensive because they are built to last.

To add to that there are parts that have a bad rep because they truly deserve it and parts that have a bad rep for God knows why because they work just fine.

The best example I can think of is the Suntour fork, I can't even count the times on a Finnish bike forum when someone is asking for advice to buy their first bike to get a feel for trail riding and the bike in question has a Suntour. There's always someone who shoots the entire plan down because of the fork and tells the asker to buy something that costs half a grand more and has a RockShox. As a result the asker waits for another two or three months, saves the money and finds out that summer came and went and there's still no bike on the porch while they could have bought the one with the Suntour, ride it happily and swap a RockShox on later if necessary. For the most part it wouldn't even be necessary, there's no real difference on easy trails (I should know, I've had a Suntour XCT, a RockShox XC and a RockShox Recon) and by the time the trails get rough enough to require a serious fork the rest of the bike is badly out of spec anyway. No idea where the Suntour's reputation comes from but it's probably a leftover from a decade back as the current offerings aren't half as bad as they're claimed to be.

It's always a matter of striking the balance between price and durability and it has to be remembered that everything but the frame can be replaced easily. If I had to choose between similar bikes, one with Tourney shifters and the other with XT (knowingly going for the extremes here) ones with a 200€ price difference, I'd personally go for the XTs but a casual rider with a tight budget would be better off with the Tourney set because it would mean getting to ride immediately without saving more money for the high end parts. If the XT parts are still desired, run the Tourneys to the ground - which takes about two or three months - and during those months save the 200€ on the XTs.The same amount of money spent, a couple of months more riding time gained.

 

[Neal]

You need a lycra one piece suit just cause...

PS Neal you mentioned you're a bit drunk. Massively jealous

Hangover was awesome

...Suntour fork...

Having started off on a Suntour fork and upgraded to a second hand Rockshox Reba I'd agree with what you've said. Suntour coil spring forks do the job although as your skill increases and you ride harder you will eventually find their limits but that could be said of many components and if you catch the biking bug you'll want to replace and upgrade stuff anyway. It took me a bit over 2 years before I felt the need to replace them so they can't be that bad.

...Bike wise I've been fairly set on that Vulcan for a while for the rather stupid reason that I like the styling, the fact it appears to have a decent spec and reviews so far as I can tell is a bonus and the weight thing just means it'll keep me fitter and fall down hills faster . ....

Nowt wrong with basing your choice on that as long as you don't get a supermarket special, you'll be more than happy with the Vulcan and it'll be a good while before you feel for something better. Mine does everything I want it to and the extra kilo or two hardly seems relevant when I'm far from my fighting weight.

You've got loads of great riding near you, have at look these for a few places http://www.mbwales.com/ http://www.mtb-shropshire.co.uk/ http://chasetrails.co.uk/

I've quoted the kit list from my bike club below to give you an idea of things you may need but here are a few specifics I'd recommend.

Topeak Morph Mountain Pump - quite long but it pumps up MTB tyres properly, also it's not the cheapest which may put you off even if the size doesn't.
Topeak Hexus II Multi Tool - there are hundreds of multi tolls to choose from, this seems to be a good one without being ridiculously expensive.
Rema Tip Top Puncture Repair Kit or Park Tools VP1 Vulcanising Patch Kit - ronseal.
Camelbak Mule - Perfect for pretty much any one day ride...they may be reduced soon when next years model is released.

Essentials
1) Helmet: for obvious reasons, no helmet no ride with the club, no matter how thick your skull is!
2) Waterproof Jacket: conditions change quickly even during summer so a light waterproof is a year round nescessity.

3) Hydration: be that bottles on you frame, or as most now use some form of Camelbak, a decent amount of fluid is needed on all rides.

4) Food: whatever your poison, clif bars, mars bars, nuts, pies etc

5) Spare Inner Tubes (x2): whether tubeless or not, tubes need to be carried as we can all have flats at any time. Also if you borrow a tube of another member it is the done thing to get them a new one back.

6) Pump: pick a decent one, and make sure it is set up for your valve type, more importantly get a decent sized one that actually shifts air, not a 58g wonder that takes 5000 strokes to get the tyre to 10psi

7) Tyre Levers: metal or plastic, get a couple especially if you have tubeless tyres, unless you have thumbs like popeye.

8) Chain Tool (power links highly recommended): a decent chain breaker and some Sram powerlinks are a godsend if you snap your chain, make sure you get the right speed, 8, 9, or 10 as they are not cross compatible, and also Sram links work on Shimano chains.

9) Multitool: again get a decent one, and make sure it has the necessary bits to fit your bike.

10) Emergency Contact Details: saved in your charged mobile phone under ICE (In Case of Emergency)

11) First aid kit: some basic items for bleeding, bandages, tape etc

12) Spare Mech hanger: This is an essential bit of kit and is specific to your frame, it is the bit of the bike that the rear mech hangs from and if damaged or bent can put an end to your ride unless you have a spare, they are easily swapped over in the field.

13) Spare brake pads: grit and dirt can eat pads in no time so always have some spares, most members use sintered (metal based) pads as they last a lot longer, Superstars and the like are a good source of cheap reliable brake pads

Additional / desirable items

The following items may be required depending upon the route and conditions and are useful and carried and used by most members. You don't need them straight away, but over time it will be worth picking them up.

Gloves: for comfort whilst riding and also for protection if (when!) you have a tumble, most members choose full fingered gloves year round.

Eye Protection: no one enjoys grit / mud / flies in the eyes, some quality riding glasses can make a big difference.

Knee and Shin Pads + Elbow Pads: given the demanding nature of some of the terrain we ride on, a bit of body armour can make the difference between laughing off a stack, or winning the coveted SOTY trophy (Stack of the Year, prize given to the worst crash injury on a club ride)

Whistle: for emergency signalling

Compass + Map / GPS: and the ability to use it, the ride leader and other responsible club members will always know the route, but a back up map can be handy to have, many members now carry GPS devices as a training aid and also to be able to store and share route information on the website.

Mobile Phone: fully charged, useful for emergencies and capturing SOTY pictures!

Duck Tape: single handedly responsible for more get you home botches than you could possibly think of, from broken frames, split tyres, and major bleeding duck tape has proved its worth time and time again, a top club tip is to wrap the outer shaft of your pump in several layers of stuff so you always have it in an emergency.

Zip ties / cable ties: nearly as useful as duck tape, for all manner of trailside get me home bodges.

Emergency or Thermal Blanket: for keeping a casualty warm in event of an accident. remember that casualty could be you.

the list could go on and on, but was put together as a basic guide for newer members, coming into a club it is difficult to know what you need and why. Other more experienced members will always be there to help and assist, but it is vital that we all carry equipment to look after ourselves too.

 

[mp10]

To add to that there are parts that have a bad rep because they truly deserve it and parts that have a bad rep for God knows why because they work just fine.

The best example I can think of is the Suntour fork, I can't even count the times on a Finnish bike forum when someone is asking for advice to buy their first bike to get a feel for trail riding and the bike in question has a Suntour. There's always someone who shoots the entire plan down because of the fork and tells the asker to buy something that costs half a grand more and has a RockShox. As a result the asker waits for another two or three months, saves the money and finds out that summer came and went and there's still no bike on the porch while they could have bought the one with the Suntour, ride it happily and swap a RockShox on later if necessary. For the most part it wouldn't even be necessary, there's no real difference on easy trails (I should know, I've had a Suntour XCT, a RockShox XC and a RockShox Recon) and by the time the trails get rough enough to require a serious fork the rest of the bike is badly out of spec anyway. No idea where the Suntour's reputation comes from but it's probably a leftover from a decade back as the current offerings aren't half as bad as they're claimed to be.

It's always a matter of striking the balance between price and durability and it has to be remembered that everything but the frame can be replaced easily. If I had to choose between similar bikes, one with Tourney shifters and the other with XT (knowingly going for the extremes here) ones with a 200€ price difference, I'd personally go for the XTs but a casual rider with a tight budget would be better off with the Tourney set because it would mean getting to ride immediately without saving more money for the high end parts. If the XT parts are still desired, run the Tourneys to the ground - which takes about two or three months - and during those months save the 200€ on the XTs.The same amount of money spent, a couple of months more riding time gained.

When i purchased my Specialised hardrock for £400, i thought there would be no need for any upgrades. However soon after trying out some trails, i realised that this was not the case, my entry level Suntour forks were terrible, the adjusting cap did absolutely nothing to the forks so i was advised to go for Rock Shox recon's, cost me around £100 but well worth it :tup:

Anyway me and a friend have been looking for a decent track around Coventry, so we decided to go to Brandon Wood which in search of an infamous dirt/jump track . We spent around 1 hour checking Brandon wood out, the rain in the past couple of days made it terrible, we were bogged down most of the time. Eventually after getting some "directions" we stumbled upon the track



Could'nt spend much time their as the rain began to fall, but had a quick blast around and it was amazing. this is just one section of the track, there are some really steep hills aswell as some pump tracks. Can't wait to head back there, but can't see that happening anytime soon due to the weather

 

[Dragonistic]

Awesome post Neal, very useful. I think the only question I really have after that is tyre pressure for on and off road as I've not had to pump one up in an age (does that pump come with psi gauge?). I won't need all that gear from the get-go but I can definitely begin to build up a stock of all the things I need before I go far or to any trails so I shouldn't need an expensive bag, spare pads or mech hanger, to begin with it'll be an inappropriate road bike whilst I get myself in to better shape.

 

[Neal]

I used to run my tyres way too high in an attempt to make it roll faster but it just made it uncomfortable and have less grip. I now run 35psi(ish) for offroad and 40psi(ish) for road if I can be arsed changing them. I've got a track pump with a gauge for at home and a too small mini pump for the backpack but it turns out they do the pump I recommended to you with a gauge, I want one! http://www.evanscycles.com/products/topeak/turbo-morph-pump-ec008137

I've not got all the stuff on that list and recently I've been trying to travel lighter on days out but the brake pads and mech hanger are the kind of things that you'll need very rarely but will save a long walk home when you do, much more relevant to off rather than on road though. Superstar Components sell pads very cheap BTW.

When you do get your bikes get yourself to Coed Llandegla, I've done the blue route with my lad on a child seat but it's still huge fun even taking it easy. The red and black are stupid fun...must get back there myself soon.

 

[Dragonistic]

I do have a pump at home with a gauge also, though it is a little more heavy duty then you'd normally use for a bike temporarily it'll do the trick nicely.

There will be problems in the short term getting myself to trails, I don't have a car yet (on the list of things to buy though!) so that will be an issue but I'm also not fit yet so may as well get the bike earlier anyway. Be sure once I am free to take myself and bike around I will be back asking for places to go.

Side note that pump looks great, should do the job nicely 👍.