[reidsvillebikes]

I started a facebook group “mountain bikers 60+” if you want to join the group. We can post info there about our experiences riding at 60+.

[reidsvillebikes]

Wow, just watched the Carmichael Video. Yeah that’ll get you in shape! 😆

[reidsvillebikes]

Just letting y’all know that when I load singletracks my virus protection stops a malware file 😈

[reidsvillebikes]

Your local shop should be able to help. I use hangers from Wheels Mfg. Google their web site. $20+ is a good price for a hanger.

[reidsvillebikes]

One last bit of info I found on 170 cranks. I raised my saddle to see if it helped with the loss of leverage, it did not help, so my saddle height is back where it’s been. I am faster with the 170’s based on times for routes I ride. Just need to anticipate hills better and change gears.

[reidsvillebikes]

Thank you all for the great info! I have to say that my wrist pain is pretty much gone and I’m still riding three times a week. Here’s what I think the reason is; I switched back to regular round OURY grips! During the time my wrists hurt the most, tendinitis I would say, I took Aleve to manage the pain as well as massaging my arms and wrists. Hope all this info helps anyone else dealing with wrist pain. 😀

[reidsvillebikes]

Here’s what I learned about switching from 175 to 170 cranks. First let me say that I rode a trail that I ride at least once a week and know well. Second I changed nothing else on the bike. For sure I could tell a difference in leverage. When needing to get up a short quick incline it was noticeable. In fact I had to quickly get off twice because I was in the wrong gear to get up this short uphill that I would have gone up with the 175’s. I’m thinking on the remainder of the trail that I could spin the pedals up faster and get to the next gear sooner. After a couple miles I was anticipating the uphills better and shifting sooner. I did ride the trail in my fastest average time to date but let me say that the trail was fast today and it was cold which is when I’m the strongest. I’m gonna raise my saddle about 1/4" to compensate for the shorter cranks and see. I’m leaving the 170’s on for a bit and ride some more of the trails I normally hit. Hope this all helps. I’ll keep you posted. 😃

[reidsvillebikes]

I ride with Crank Brothers pedals too. I’ve used the eggbeaters on my road bikes and the "Candy" model on my mountain bike. The Candy pedals have a small platform around them which gives more surface area. I have not experienced the same problem you have but would say with the age of your shoes it’s time for some really stiff sole shoes, that should fix your problem.

[reidsvillebikes]

I ride 3 times a week and do a pretty thorough check over the bike before each ride. As the owner of a bike shop and 30+ years in the saddle both on and off road, so much depends on how often you ride. Roadies can get by perhaps with a once a year tune up but I find mountain bikes take such a beating that there is almost constant maintenance to do, especially on the drive train. Mud, dirt, sand, and water are brutal on bikes. Every rider needs to keep their bikes clean and dry between rides. It will extend the life of nearly everything on it.

[reidsvillebikes]

I’ve been riding a 1×8 since I came back to riding a mountain bike, was a roadie for 20+ years but road mtb before that. I remembered that I didn’t really use the big and small rings so when I built-up my bike I went for a single speed crank and a 34 chain ring. I do have a chain retainer on the crank and on occasion drop the chain given the right circumstances. Not a biggie though. I’m a big fan of a 1x for sure.

[reidsvillebikes]

I put on a pair of OURY grips to ride today. I had been using grips that had a wider area to support your palms. What I noticed is that my hand is in a bit of a different angle with the OURY grips so will see what happens. Also, I know tendenitis is weird in that sometimes it can feel better overnight, and at the same time hurt for long periods of time. Taking Aleve too.

Bill

[reidsvillebikes]

I use the Crank Brothers Candy pedals. They are 4 way entry, don’t clog with dirt easily, and you can get in and out of them easily. I actually stay with a worn cleat on my shoes to aid in disengaging. Once you’ve ridden a while clipped in it just becomes second nature. Definitely better than toe clips or flat pedals.

[reidsvillebikes]

I’ve been a "roadie" for 25+ years but did ride a mountain bike prior to that before the advent of suspension and cell phones. I am now back to riding a mountain bike and the primary reason is riding the road where I live is too dangerous, we’ve had numerous fatalities here. I don’t want to be the next one. Also, within 20 minutes of where I live is an awesome network of trails. I’d say I’m not alone in this situation and that the more trails become available the fewer riders you’ll see on the road.

[reidsvillebikes]

I’d inspect the shift cable and housing. In fact just replace the cable and housing with a high quality set-up like Jaqwire. The cable could be frayed inside the housing or it could have a kink in it somewhere. Also I wouldn’t be too hard on the guy eyeballing it. The derailleur alignment tool uses your rim as a reference so the derailleur alignment is only as true as the wheel. I’ve found eyeballing it is pretty good. Check your cable.

[reidsvillebikes]

"sk8fux" wrote

I typically find myself staying in the middle gear all the time, I don’t ever really switch out of it….is this normal?

I converted my Gary Fisher to a 1 x 8 with a new lightweight crank. Takes a lot of weight out and for the trails I ride it works just fine.

Bill

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