[treky92]

Two words: Bar mitts

[treky92]

Hope you don’t crash much! That would get expensive…

[treky92]

"koni13" wrote

Hi everyone i purchased a Giant 29er Revel 1 which has a Suntour XCT V4 29", 80mm Travel Fork, although the bike rides smooth and handles great I sense I’m missing out when I hit the trails in terms of the full effect of mountain riding.

My question is what would be a recommended affordable fork & is it worth the cost despite the bike being an entry level?

Thanks for the help.

For future use, this probably should be the start of a new thread.
In terms of missing out, I guess I don’t understand what you think you might be missing out on. You are on two wheels in the woods and on the trails, so it sounds like a good time to me. We all started somewhere, and very few people are satisfied with their first bikes for very long. "Upgradeitis" is very common.

With that being said, there are much better forks out there. It would probably be a better idea to save up your money and purchase a new bike when you are able. You will get a better feel of what you want the more you ride. I am sure you will find more to upgrade if you just did your fork.

[treky92]

The biggest things you can get is good gloves and a pair of shoe covers. A lot of other clothing you already own will work for the rest of your body.

[treky92]

That is almost worse than sitting at home on singletracks wishing I could be out there riding!!

[treky92]

While I have never owned those wheels, with some quick research I found that they tend to have issues with spoke tension coming from the factory. It wounds like you have had a better experience than some others even. My advise would be to make sure the spoke tension is appropriate and even.

Are the spokes always breaking on one side or in a particular place?

[treky92]

What kind of wheels are you having the trouble with? Also, have you had a wheel builder look at them?

[treky92]

Find them. Ride them. Make your decision based on that. No one on here will be able to tell you which bike will fit YOU best. Good luck!

[treky92]

You really shouldn’t have to remove the fork if you are just doing fork maintenance. It isn’t difficult to remove, but it should be okay to leave on the bike.

[treky92]

That, or show up and ride the Brown County Breakdown. Last year was my first time and it was a blast! I think you can register on site still.

[treky92]

I am from the area near Brown County, however you may be disappointed if you decide to go this weekend. It will be exceptionally busy all weekend as it is the annual Brown County Breakdown. The big ride is on Sunday, but the trails will be packed all weekend.

To answer your question about which trails though… I would grab a map from the gatehouse first off. The must hit trails are as follows: Hesitation point, Aynes if you like to climb, Green Valley if you like flow, Limekiln if you want to go fast, Walnut if you want exposed ridges and some techy stuff, and Schooner if you are really good or like to walk with your bike.

My favorite trails are hesitation point, walnut, and green valley. That is me though.

[treky92]

Here goes the pre-canned answer: Get on each of the bikes and see which one feels better.

[treky92]

Town Run and Fort Harrison State park are definitely my favorites in that area. I went to college in Indy so I was able to spend a lot of time at Town Run especially. If you want a more fluid ride with fewer obstacles, then I would suggest Town Run. On the flip side, Fort Harrison is frequently referred to as a small Brown County. It isn’t very technical, but it is not built to carry a ton of speed compared to Town Run. Make sure to check the Hoosier Mountain Bike Association (hmba.org) website before you com up too. It will have the most current trail status information. Currently Town run is closed indefinitely due to flood damage. I believe they will be addressing this starting the weekend of March 9 to try and get it re-opened.

Other than those two places, you have southwestway, which is supposed to be expanded greatly this summer, but I cannot speak to it as I have not ridden there before. I hear good things about it though. Hope this was helpful.

[treky92]

"mtbgreg1" wrote

It is based on feel

Sorry, no, it isn’t. For the best control, pedaling efficiency, and to line up with how your anatomy transfers power, the cleat should be directly under the ball of your foot.

Guess I need to take a look at my shoes now…

[treky92]

I have always started pretty close to the middle and adjusted it if needed from there. It is based on feel as long as the cleats engage and release from the pedal.

[treky92]

Anyone?

[treky92]

Leave the trail cleaner than when you started. Pick up that piece of trash you see when you stop. This goes a long way to keeping a good reputation with the public.

[treky92]

Ummm…. care to explain what this "tube weenie" is/does?

[treky92]

I general guidelines are + or – 20mm of travel from the stock fork. If you do more than that, you are really messing with the geometry

[treky92]

I carry a pack with me on every ride even if it is ten miles. Two liters is going to only last you about a couple hours on the bike. I personally don’t care for camelback brand of hydration packs. I had a couple of them. One ripped out after only a couple months and I still have the second one, but I like my Fox brand pack much more. It has a 3 liter hydration pack and is still light and stable on my back. Three liter packs are pretty much what everyone I know carries. It will still only last you a few hours on a mediocre temperature day, but at that point I generally start carrying water in bottles and/or making sure I can stop somewhere and refill.

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