Mountain Biking general thread

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Gavin
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Mountain Biking general thread

Post by Gavin »

I found out on Saturday morning whilst failing to climb a muddy hill that my bike has gravel tyres. In fairness they may be past their best but I could see little difference between my tyres and the ones on my mates' bike, which were allegedly "mud tyres".

Is this just a subtle way of fleecing daft buggers like me or do people have spare tyres/wheels to swap depending on surface?

I was out again today and it was quite muddy and I did slither around a fair bit.
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dinny_g
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Re: Mountain Biking general thread

Post by dinny_g »

Rich B’s the expert but in 35 years of mountain biking, I’ve never heard of different types of off road tyres.

But then again, there appears to be a million and one different types of bikes these days do why not tyres

Edit - done some googling and Gravel Tyres appear to be non slick road tyres...
JLv3.0 wrote: Thu Jun 21, 2018 4:26 pm I say this rarely Dave, but listen to Dinny because he's right.
Rich B wrote: Thu Jun 02, 2022 1:57 pm but Dinny was right…
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mik
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Re: Mountain Biking general thread

Post by mik »

Yes Gavin, what can I do for you?

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Gavin
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Re: Mountain Biking general thread

Post by Gavin »

Hmm, my tyres are properly nobbly so goodness knows what he was on about! Having said that he is justifying buying himself a bloody gravel bike so as my hardtail is pretty much it, I will just leave whatever the hell is on, on.
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jamcg
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Re: Mountain Biking general thread

Post by jamcg »

“Gravel tyres” are what you see on hybrids, basically a very shallow tread pattern
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Gavin
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Re: Mountain Biking general thread

Post by Gavin »

Well in that case, my mate is blind, I have tyres like that on a hybrid in the shed. If I could remember how I would take a photo and post it up but cannot be arsed. :D
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Re: Mountain Biking general thread

Post by V8Granite »

Hi used road biases tyres on my cycling to work bike.

I just used off road tyres without an openly deep tread at all other times. I went through a few pairs of Continental Pre-molars which I always found really nice. I am on my second set of Specialised Ground Control tyres on my Camber as the shop I bought it from had them cheap.

I find I usually crash due to a lack of skill rather than a bad tyre :lol:

Dave!
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Re: Mountain Biking general thread

Post by ZedLeg »

If it’s really muddy general mtb tyres will get gummed up with mud quicker than a more open mud tyre. Mud tyres flex more on the road though.

99% of the time most people will be fine on general tyres but as you’ve noticed they basically turn into slicks in sticky mud.
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Re: Mountain Biking general thread

Post by dinny_g »

Gravel Bike??? Cyclocross bike with discs you mean ;)

Christ I’m old and out of touch ... :lol:
JLv3.0 wrote: Thu Jun 21, 2018 4:26 pm I say this rarely Dave, but listen to Dinny because he's right.
Rich B wrote: Thu Jun 02, 2022 1:57 pm but Dinny was right…
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John
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Re: Mountain Biking general thread

Post by John »

dinny_g wrote: Tue Jun 16, 2020 6:35 pm Gravel Bike??? Cyclocross bike with discs you mean ;)

Christ I’m old and out of touch ... :lol:
My cyclocross bike has discs :D

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Re: Mountain Biking general thread

Post by Orange Cola »

Here’s me onto just back on the bike after 7+ years out and I feel like a newb when it comes to MTB tech :oops:
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Gavin
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Re: Mountain Biking general thread

Post by Gavin »

Orange Cola wrote: Tue Jun 16, 2020 7:23 pm Here’s me onto just back on the bike after 7+ years out and I feel like a newb when it comes to MTB tech :oops:
Yeah, there seems to be a rivalry between SRAM and Shimano...?

My first MTB was an Emmelle with 18 gears back when Shimano did 3 gear sets, Mountain was one of them, my bike had the middle one and you had to move the gear lever back and forward! :shock:

I imagine it is like most things, you can have all the kit and not a clue!
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Re: Mountain Biking general thread

Post by Orange Cola »

Gavin wrote: Wed Jun 17, 2020 9:06 am
Orange Cola wrote: Tue Jun 16, 2020 7:23 pm Here’s me onto just back on the bike after 7+ years out and I feel like a newb when it comes to MTB tech :oops:
Yeah, there seems to be a rivalry between SRAM and Shimano...?

My first MTB was an Emmelle with 18 gears back when Shimano did 3 gear sets, Mountain was one of them, my bike had the middle one and you had to move the gear lever back and forward! :shock:

I imagine it is like most things, you can have all the kit and not a clue!
Definitely is, I’ve even found bikes which can be spec’d as either Shimano or SRAM :shock: I’m used to the Shimano stuff but my new bike is a SRAM fest, even the forks are Rock Shox (SRAM owned). The gear changes are unintuitive but so far no complaints, it’s an Eagle 12 speed single front chain ring.
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Gavin
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Re: Mountain Biking general thread

Post by Gavin »

My Cube is 3 at the front and we got a LaPierre a few weeks ago for my wife and it has single chainset at the front and it is clear why that is now the preferred set up.

What holds me back is skill/technique. Keeping enough weight over the front wheel on steep climbs and confidence to let go of the brakes and properly fly downhill.

I think I will leave my bike as it is and if, after lockdown and sorting a new job I am still getting out enough, I will possibly upgrade to a topline hardtail with dropper post, single front ring etc, and possibly a bit lighter.
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Re: Mountain Biking general thread

Post by drcarlos »

Tyres. Well it's a mine field. Tried a few combos over the past few years as I've moved from retrobiking to modern more and more so I've tried to find what suits me best. The majority of my riding is XC on fire roads with a little non technical single track and I have an XC bike for this. I also have an All Mountain type bike too (kind of long travel trail/Enduro bike) which I use for the local trail centres and bike parks. Both bikes have different tyre setups to suit the style.

I tend to go for fast rolling on my XC bike and thought Scwalbe Racing Ralph's were quite low on tread until I got my Giant that's fitted with Maxxis Rekon Race tyres which is the least amount of tread i've ever had on my MTB ever. They work well in these dry conditions and are super fast rolling.

For general XC riding, I would still suggest a Racing Ralph on the rear paired with a Rocket Ron on the Front is a good summer combo. Maxxis Ardent Race front and rear are also good too.

You can get away with the lightweight casings (more expensive) on tyres for XC riding if you are bothered about weight.

My Trail bike has a slightly more aggressive setup with the Rocket Ron on the rear and a Nobby Nic on the Front (this also works well as a winter XC combo for when it's a bit wetter). Pairing the Maxxis ardent race on the rear with a forecaster is a good combo too for winter.

You shouldn't use the lighter casings on these tyres due to the more extreme conditions with roots and rocks that can tear them.

What ever you do don't got extreme like a Magic Mary or a Maxxis Minion combo if you are mostly riding XC, they just drag like fury and will hinder yo more than help unless you are riding bike parks or enduro racing they really aren't needed.

Also if you can make sure you get the folding bead tyres, they are rarely much more than the wire beads but save a chunk of weight.

I won't talk tubeless as that's another massive minefield that's not worth bothering with for leisure riding.
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Re: Mountain Biking general thread

Post by Gavin »

Cheers, not that I understand half of what you are saying tbh, casings?

I was reading up on new bikes and the article suggested buying a bike based on what sort of riding you did. Endara, XC, downhill and even with the descriptions I am still not sure to be honest. I know it is not downhill.

I suspect I do a cross between XC and endura but I will wait til after lockdown to see. On Sunday I went on single muddy track straight up a hill to The Three Brethren (if you know Scottish Borders) then down past Yair and along. Some on forest tracks, some on mud tracks through the woods.

Monday I did a quick 5 miles loop which had a ile of road then up some steps and along forest type roads then along a wide grass "path" with a few gravel climbs.

Yesterday I went along the Tweed which was mud path, gravel roads, then up an Eildon (from the wrong side) again, on stony paths by and large then down through forest tracks.

My current bike dealt with all of it, although along the river with all the tree roots and steps etc, a full sus might be easier on the bum!

It will just depend on what gets done after lockdown/furlough as to what, if anything I add to my kit.
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Re: Mountain Biking general thread

Post by drcarlos »

Orange Cola wrote: Wed Jun 17, 2020 9:16 am
Gavin wrote: Wed Jun 17, 2020 9:06 am
Orange Cola wrote: Tue Jun 16, 2020 7:23 pm Here’s me onto just back on the bike after 7+ years out and I feel like a newb when it comes to MTB tech :oops:
Yeah, there seems to be a rivalry between SRAM and Shimano...?

My first MTB was an Emmelle with 18 gears back when Shimano did 3 gear sets, Mountain was one of them, my bike had the middle one and you had to move the gear lever back and forward! :shock:

I imagine it is like most things, you can have all the kit and not a clue!
Definitely is, I’ve even found bikes which can be spec’d as either Shimano or SRAM :shock: I’m used to the Shimano stuff but my new bike is a SRAM fest, even the forks are Rock Shox (SRAM owned). The gear changes are unintuitive but so far no complaints, it’s an Eagle 12 speed single front chain ring.
Which Eagle setup are you running? My Giant came fitted with NX, but I upgraded it to GX (shifter and rear mech had to have them matching as my OCD wouldn't stand it lol) due to the NX shifter being on a band clamp and not being close enough to my hand. The GX grumbles along in certain gears under no load (as soon as it goes under load it's fine) despite perfect alignment. I never had any issues with my XT 11 speed setup in the 3 years I had it but this SRAM 12s setup seems to be a bit intolerant. So far not impressed if it doesn't quiet down (wondering if the clutch needs to bed in) I'll be mailing SRAM to complain and probably sell it and move to XT 12s.
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Re: Mountain Biking general thread

Post by drcarlos »

Gavin wrote: Wed Jun 17, 2020 10:02 am Cheers, not that I understand half of what you are saying tbh, casings?

I was reading up on new bikes and the article suggested buying a bike based on what sort of riding you did. Endara, XC, downhill and even with the descriptions I am still not sure to be honest. I know it is not downhill.

I suspect I do a cross between XC and endura but I will wait til after lockdown to see. On Sunday I went on single muddy track straight up a hill to The Three Brethren (if you know Scottish Borders) then down past Yair and along. Some on forest tracks, some on mud tracks through the woods.

Monday I did a quick 5 miles loop which had a ile of road then up some steps and along forest type roads then along a wide grass "path" with a few gravel climbs.

Yesterday I went along the Tweed which was mud path, gravel roads, then up an Eildon (from the wrong side) again, on stony paths by and large then down through forest tracks.

My current bike dealt with all of it, although along the river with all the tree roots and steps etc, a full sus might be easier on the bum!

It will just depend on what gets done after lockdown/furlough as to what, if anything I add to my kit.
So my own take.

XC - Fire roads, non-techy single track, long climbs, lots of flat, a little downhill, the odd jump - The marathon, all day ride and off road racing whippet category with max effieciency.
Trail - Less fire roads, technical single track, less climbing but you still can, a bit more downhill, more jumping - The do it all category for most riders these days, can do some of XC and Some of Enduro
Enduro - The odd fire road but not a lot, more tech singletrack especialy the downhill stuff, only the odd climb, lots more downhill with big rocks, roots and drops offs, bigger jumps - The category for older Downhill racers who can't quite do full on downhil anymore but can still do the odd jump without crashing.
Downhill - No climbs, No fire roads, not much flat, All downhill, huge jumps, logs, rocks and drops. - The nutter category

As you go down the list the weight increases so you have more to cart around, you get more travel in the suspension and it's consequently softer mean less efficient.

120mm/130mm travel Trail is what most would pick for single do it all bike, you can have fun but also do some distance too. HT and FS bikes are most common types of bike sold. There are some stand outs.
Calibre Bossnut and BBB from go outdoors are epic value and extremely well rated
Vitus from CSC/Wiggle are good choices too
Canyon, Cube and Giant also have some good offerings

I was caught between Trail and XC mainly due to lack of XC bikes on sale now. They generally come at the top of the ranges now and are are expensive as top downhillers, 90% of bikes in the more affordable ranges are either Trail or Enduro so choice was limited. I'm glad I got my Giant now as I realise a Trail bike is not what I wanted.
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Re: Mountain Biking general thread

Post by Gavin »

drcarlos wrote: Wed Jun 17, 2020 10:25 am
Gavin wrote: Wed Jun 17, 2020 10:02 am Cheers, not that I understand half of what you are saying tbh, casings?

I was reading up on new bikes and the article suggested buying a bike based on what sort of riding you did. Endara, XC, downhill and even with the descriptions I am still not sure to be honest. I know it is not downhill.

I suspect I do a cross between XC and endura but I will wait til after lockdown to see. On Sunday I went on single muddy track straight up a hill to The Three Brethren (if you know Scottish Borders) then down past Yair and along. Some on forest tracks, some on mud tracks through the woods.

Monday I did a quick 5 miles loop which had a ile of road then up some steps and along forest type roads then along a wide grass "path" with a few gravel climbs.

Yesterday I went along the Tweed which was mud path, gravel roads, then up an Eildon (from the wrong side) again, on stony paths by and large then down through forest tracks.

My current bike dealt with all of it, although along the river with all the tree roots and steps etc, a full sus might be easier on the bum!

It will just depend on what gets done after lockdown/furlough as to what, if anything I add to my kit.
So my own take.

XC - Fire roads, non-techy single track, long climbs, lots of flat, a little downhill, the odd jump - The marathon, all day ride and off road racing whippet category with max effieciency.
Trail - Less fire roads, technical single track, less climbing but you still can, a bit more downhill, more jumping - The do it all category for most riders these days, can do some of XC and Some of Enduro
Enduro - The odd fire road but not a lot, more tech singletrack especialy the downhill stuff, only the odd climb, lots more downhill with big rocks, roots and drops offs, bigger jumps - The category for older Downhill racers who can't quite do full on downhil anymore but can still do the odd jump without crashing.
Downhill - No climbs, No fire roads, not much flat, All downhill, huge jumps, logs, rocks and drops. - The nutter category

As you go down the list the weight increases so you have more to cart around, you get more travel in the suspension and it's consequently softer mean less efficient.

120mm/130mm travel Trail is what most would pick for single do it all bike, you can have fun but also do some distance too. HT and FS bikes are most common types of bike sold. There are some stand outs.
Calibre Bossnut and BBB from go outdoors are epic value and extremely well rated
Vitus from CSC/Wiggle are good choices too
Canyon, Cube and Giant also have some good offerings

I was caught between Trail and XC mainly due to lack of XC bikes on sale now. They generally come at the top of the ranges now and are are expensive as top downhillers, 90% of bikes in the more affordable ranges are either Trail or Enduro so choice was limited. I'm glad I got my Giant now as I realise a Trail bike is not what I wanted.

Thank you, looking at that I am probably XC 70% with some Trail and some Enduro. I had seen a review with a Vitus at £1100 being lauded as the new Messiah but couldn't fin any for sale anywhere so not sure if that was due to 2021 models being imminent. The LaPierre 827 seems to tick a few boxes but the Cube answers all the questions at the moment and the half stone weight drop between it and my previous Merida has made a huge difference to my ability to control it and "sending it".

If and when I do go for an upgrade I will likely turn to the OV9 collective for advice which I will completely ignore before buying a hugely impractical full sus :lol:
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Re: Mountain Biking general thread

Post by drcarlos »

For the same price as the HT Vitus and La Pierre you can get the Bossnut FS which has a lower spec drive train (SRAM SX is Deore or there abouts equivalent to Shimano) but it has the important parts where it counts like the RS Recon fork and Monarch rear shock, with decent geometry.

https://www.mbr.co.uk/reviews/full-susp ... re-bossnut

My mate has last years BBB (the next model up that shares the bossnut platform but gets a better fork and a dropper) and it doesn't want for much. He's swapped the discs for a 200mm front and moved the 180 to the rear (he's a big lad) and a locking rear shock because we do some distance on it and it helps with long climbs but apart from that he's happy.
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