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This year I got a new bike, it is a 29" El Mariachi. I love the bike but am finding now that I’m used to the bike I am not able to carve through turns as easy anymore. I don’t know if it is the center of gravity or geometry. There is one trail I have a hard time with last year I could haul through it, now I can hold my own but not really gain on anyone now.
I am planning on a new stem soon because mine only has two bolts to clamp on the bars, and on 2 foot drops or larger the handle bars spin a little.
So I guess I am wondering should I change the hight or maybe new bars as well??? Any help would be appreciated.
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I’m a little confused…you’re not able to carve turns as easily now that you’ve gotten used to riding your 29er or since you switched to it from your old 26er?
–If you are noticing a difference in your turning from the 26er to the 29er…it’s probably a geometry and wheel base issue. The wheel base is longer and the head tube [i:1se2qldv]can[/i:1se2qldv] be slacker, due to a longer front fork, causing less responsive turning. I find 26ers to be more nimble in turns. It seems like a sort of trade-off for the decreased rolling resistance over objects due to the larger wheels.
–If you are just finding it harder to make turns on your 29er than it previously was… I would venture to guess that your riding style has changed and that is the real reason for your problems. Not sure how to help you fix that sort of problem. 😢
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"Jeremy_Green" wrote
I’m a little confused…
–If you are noticing a difference in your turning from the 26er to the 29er…it’s probably a geometry and wheel base issue.
–If you are just finding it harder to make turns on your 29er than it previously was… I would venture to guess that your riding style has changed and that is the real reason for your problems.
Whoa, now I’m confused. 😮
😃 😃 😃
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It could be a tire pressure issue. I have noticed that I lose a little bit of control with a higher pressure (above 37lbs). This is especially true with low tread profile XC tires.
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I ride a Mamasita 29er. Here’s some things I’ve noticed about my riding and what helped.
1. Pay attention to which way you are leaning (and you probably are leaning). Balance is a big part of the battle in switchbacks.
2. Stay off the brake, and use momentum instead. This does not mean do turns as fast as possible, but just keep pedaling, staying in tune with the speed of the bike.
3. I sit up a little higher on turns, but put the majority of my weight on the handlebars. This is a little hard to explain, but in doing so, I can shift (depending on the turn) from one hand to another to control the bike.
4. I kind of agree with the comment concerning tire pressure. I ride with mine a bit harder than most. This doesn’t slow me down, and I do feel it gives me a little more control.
5. Find lines in the turn. I’m still working with this, but I can certainly see the importance in doing this. Don’t rely on those big wheels to pop over just anything. Popping over rocks/roots tends to force me to rely on power rather than balance.
If it’s downhill turns then #1 applies, #2 applies but coast leaving the pedals horizontal (not: one down/one up), #3 does not apply. Rather, lower your center of gravity by draping back a bit and dropping down on the pedals and don’t put too much weight on the handlebars, #4 and #5 applies, but you can rely more on those nice big wheels to "hop" over things.
Sorry for the long post 😆
Just some things I’ve noticed.
Hope this helps.
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