midwestmtbiker


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  • in reply to: Tell me about your back pain experience #596544

    I had backpain for several years and no doctors or chiropractors helped.  I couldn’t even carry a standard backpack for more than 10 minutes without paying for it the rest of the day and next day.

    What solved it finally is just doing some full body exercises with some reasonably heavy dumbells (heaviest you can use without losing your form).   This is the best way to strengthen your entire system from your legs, to core to forearms.    For example, even when doing standing curls, your back and stomach muscles still have to support you to maintain form.    Just find some dumbell exercises on youtube that hit every major muscle group in your body.    Keep it simple.  You don’t need anything fancy or equipment beyond the dumbells.  My workout takes only 20-25 minutes and they are simple enough that I have them memorized.    After several months, your backpain will just magically disappear as long as you make sure your form is good.

    Now I can ride a hardtail in singletrack endurance races (50 miles plus) with an aggressive cockpit position (negative rise stem) and my back is the least of my worries.

    in reply to: Newb here with so many questions #501510

    2020 or 2021 Specialized Fuse.    Budget is right, and it’s a great bike.

    You should be careful about buying used.   You don’t have a warranty and if the drivetrain and suspension haven’t been maintained, you will quickly make up the price difference with parts and service.    I am not saying buying used is a bad idea, but you do have to do your homework.

    in reply to: Clipless or flat pedals for enduro? #365620

    I agree with some of the others.  I ride flats because it allows me to bail easier.  We have a local trail with lots of bridges over small ravines and lots of roots before those bridges.  So you have to be super precise in line selection and timing.  I have had to bail several times when my technique wasn’t perfect and jumping off a 8ft bridge is a hell of a lot less painful without the bike coming with me.

    in reply to: Me: do you have ? LBS: No but we can order it for you. #306308

    It’s not reasonable for a LBS to keep a bunch of wheels in stock.  Wheels are highly customizable and people get pretty picky about what they want.   Plus, the quality of the build is really important and I personally won’t trust a run of the mill shop mechanic to build a wheel for me.   I want a specialist who builds multiple wheels per week.    Basically, I don’t think it’s in the best interest of either the LBS to sell or the customer to buy wheels unless they are super generic that can work on a variety of bikes for non-discriminating customers.

    I know that if I ever taco a wheel, the LBS won’t be able to help me unfortunately, but I do keep a cheap spare wheelset in the garage so that I can at least still ride when I order my custom wheel online.

    in reply to: Pre & Post Ride Inspections? #268056

    I usually only check tire pressure and shock pressure during the weekday rides.   But on weekends, I go over all the bolts with a torque wrench that could cause me serious damage if they are loose (stem, handlebar, brake caliper, axle).    Once in a while, I also check hanger and dereailleur bolt torque.    I also check for loose spokes, and lube the chain.    Then I’m good for that week.

    Serious question: what is the downside of an enduro bike for general trail riding?  They weigh virtually the same as a trail bike but have more suspension.  They also probably climb better because enduro racing involves climbing.   So basically, you have a bike that is better at both climbing and descending.    I’ve never even understood the “trail bike” category.     Seems like the only advantage is price.

    in reply to: dropper post user fee #263653

    I’d give the rigid post a shot for a few months.    Most people don’t “need” droppers unless they are trying to set PRs on rowdy trails.  Sure it’s nice to have, but like a lot of features, it can also become a crutch that keeps you from advancing your skills.    The fastest dudes in my area ride rigid bikes with rigid posts.   They set KOMs  on both climbs and descents.    My view is invest in skill courses first and components later after you find out what components are truly limiting you.  If you don’t explore the ceiling in your riding skills with existing components, then you just end up throwing parts at the problem.  And more parts mean more hassle and expense.

    DT Swiss 350

    in reply to: 2018 Kona Honzo, Big Kahuna, Salsa Timberjack NX #255926

    Why not a Santa Cruz Chameleon?  Better fork for the money and lighter.   I don’t get all the hype Salsa gets.  Generally not a lot of bike for the money and I know three people who have broken their chainstays.

    in reply to: Cheap Chinese Carbon Rigid MTB Fork Results #254119

    Yeah keep us updated on how this goes.  I’m shopping for a rigid fork too.   I’m leaning towards biting the bullet and just plunking down the money for a Niner RDO fork for a peace of mind but am interested in hearing more about others’ experiences.

    Has anyone heard of diycarbonbikes?  They advertise a lot on the Pink bike forums and seem to get good reviews.

    in reply to: What is the fastest tyre size for mountain biking? #253551

    Bigger tires also mean dragging around a lot more weight.  For short durations, that’s probably not a big deal as was shown in the tests.  But for longer rides with lots of climbs, the extra rotational weight can become a factor.    That’s why World Cup XC racers are still running <2.3 tires and that is where rolling resistance matters the most.   Some of the Specialized factory racers are running 2.1 tires and that is a team that does a lot of testing.   Also, for off-road riding, tire pressure, tread pattern, and tire suppleness also matter a lot.

    in reply to: FS bike weight – today's standards #252945

    I would say most XC FS bikes that are competitive are going to be in the 25lb range or lower.   Trailbikes tend to average from 27lb-32lb depending on how much you spend.  Enduro rigs will be one or two lbs heavier than that.

    As for whether it matters a lot, it really depends on how you ride and what you relative comparisons are.   When I had a 30lb FS bike and a 23lb hardtail, the FS bike felt like my brakes were rubbing all the time or I was dragging a bowling ball around.   Not fun.     But when I was on a long vacation and rented a 30lb enduro rig, I got used to it after a couple days and didn’t notice the weight after that.     So I would say if you only have one rig, it probably will not matter too much unless you race.   But if you have a light rig and a heavy one, my guess is you will slowly stop riding the heavy one unless you are doing lift assisted riding.

    in reply to: I need another bike. #248290

    Kona Honzo.  415mm Chainstays

    in reply to: Crash on new bike #246638

    The way you describe the crash with the front end too high, I’m not sure a full suspension bike would have made much of a difference.  If you had cased the jump and the shock was setup properly, then maybe….         I have ridden both a full suspension bike and a hardtail and I actually much prefer my hardtail to the point that I’m essentially selling the full suspension.  A poorly setup full suspension bike can be worse than a hardtail, like when some people have the rear damping faster than the front.  I’ve seen people land from jumps or cross logs and have the rear end kick them over the bars.   With a hardtail, the rear damping is always “dead” so the rear end will rarely kick up violently.   It may not track as well over roots or on technical climbs as well as a nicely setup up full suspension bike but it’s more idiot proof.

    in reply to: How hard do you push when you ride? #246538

    I push hard partly because it’s fun and partly because anaerobic workouts deliver way more bang for the buck in terms of strength and keeping your body lean.       I’m in my 40s so I need to get those threshold type workouts in to stimulate the growth hormones and stay lean.    The guys my age who just casually ride all seem overweight, even though they probably put in as much or more total mileage than me.

    in reply to: Tire recommendations for South/Central Texas #245098

    The guys I know who ride those conditions regularly swear by Bontrager XR3s or XR4s.   Very tough tires for dealing with strewn rocks and rock gardens and decent rolling resistance.     I’ve ridden plenty of rocky and rooty trails with Specialized Fast Traks with no tire cuts or flats.  The tires are pretty minimalist but they are fast and supple.

    in reply to: Wear earbuds riding on the trail? #241971

    If you are the fastest dude on the trail, feel free to wear earbuds.  Otherwise, you end up being a road block that is impossible to move because you have no idea about anybody coming up behind you.     Don’t be that guy that drives 45mph in the fast lane on the interstate and refuses to switch lanes.

    in reply to: 26" or 29" and 1×11 or 2×10? #240237

    I’m a fan of 29” but that is a personal preference.

    As for gearing, I actually slightly prefer 2×10 when riding hilly terrain because I can transition from downhill to climbing with a single click of the front deraileur as opposed to cycling through multiple gears on the rear.    But when I’m off the bike, I love the simplicity of the 1x.   No front deraileur to mess with, simplicity, easier to clean the area around the bottom bracket with just a wet towel, etc.     So overall, I’d go with the 1x

    in reply to: Average speed for XC #240235

    Average speed on a mountain bike is meaningless.   We have several trails near us all of which are intermediate level.   I average about 7mph on one because it’s tight and twisty and am in the top 5 on Strava but 12 mph on another one that is flowy but am outside the top 10.   What matters is lap time relative to others on the same trail, not average speed.

    in reply to: Non-negotiables #236673

    I wouldn’t worry about boost just yet.   There will be plenty of 142 wheels on the market for the foreseeable future and you might even get better deals on them.

    As for me, a lifetime frame warranty is non-negotiable.   Good customer support and good LBS.   Aside from the frame geometry, I can upgrade everything else if I need to.

Viewing 20 posts - 1 through 20 (of 59 total)