Mountain Biking general thread

[Jobbo]

Had a first proper ride yesterday and a longer ride today on my new Orbea. The thing which really makes it compared to my old one is the way it corners and handles generally. When turning tightly on the old one, something about the geometry means it feels like it’s slightly unstable. I don’t find it easy to track stand on it either. The new one is much more intuitive.

I thought the battery wasn’t lasting as long as I’d hoped on my longer ride today; I did 35 miles and had 18% of 750Wh left, which is worse range than my old 625Wh one. I’d assumed the modes on the Kiox were updated from the old Bosch but it turned out when I got home that there are about 10 modes and you can only select 4 to use on the Kiox. I’ve swapped to the old modes rather than Eco+, EMTB, EMTB+ and Turbo - EMTB felt a bit weaker than the old Tour and EMTB+ which is what I used seems to be basically Turbo. So I can actually do about 40 miles in Turbo mode Explains why my average speed was about 30% higher than usual…

[Rich B]

I managed to fuck up badly preparing for Paganella - i’d checked my bike over the week before and been out for a ride at Queen Elizabeth country park. on the saturday before setting out (on the sunday) i gave it another quick clean and noticed i was completely missing a pivot bolt!!!



where and when that went i have no idea, but it’s pretty fucking critical. I tried to get hold of YT (who have recently had issues and semi gone into administration) with no luck, so had no choice but to try and bodge something.

The thread looked like an M14 with a bespoke part where the bearing sits, so i took a wheel nut off the van and tested the size. yep, M14. i have a load of spare wheel nuts for the van, but they all have a collar bit so no good.

i went a bought some VW fox wheel nuts that just had a fixed taper and went at it with my angle grinder. Half an hour later i had something that resembled the bolt i needed and thread locked it in!



It worked great and didn’t come loose (and didn’t contribute to my crash!!)

Just waiting for the real deal replacement bolts to arrive now!

my temp solution is still in place. My YT replacement bolt set delivery turned up - with no bolts in it, instead it had a bearing kit (worth over double, but not what i need). I can’t get hold of YT though.

In the meantime, YT have fully closed - to the point where they are auctioning off all the kit from the guildford shop. Annoyingly, buried in one of the lots (spare parts - currently at £12k) is 9 sets of the bolts i need.

So, there is a chance that these might find their way into the market, but maybe not any time soon.

i need to find someone to make me a decent replacement i think.

[Jobbo]

Enjoying my new bike. Two things though:
- I’ve changed the pedals and am unsure about them. I initially fitted a pair of DMR V6 nylon flat pedals I had lying around and they are fine but don’t have proper bearings which is a bit disappointing. I have barked my shins so much on metal pedals I’m keen to find some which won’t maim me as much. Swapped them for a set of Crank Brothers Stamp 0 - colour poo brown to go with the decals and green paint - but despite some positive reviews they just don’t locate your feet as securely. I have some DMR V8s in gold which I think I’ll stick on and risk my shins again.
- There are too many ways to alter the assistance settings in the Bosch app. I used to use Tour all the time pretty much and I don’t think it is quite the same on the gen5 motor. I’m trying to find what torque and power it would give in the old Tour mode so I can copy those over.

Oh, one user error so far. With my old bike I always took the battery out to charge it. With the new one it isn’t removeable - great for cleaning crud off the down tube after a winter ride but I managed to do the whole ride with the charging port cover open
Still, I also did the whole ride with a helmet on and didn’t mind it. My wife has sadly decided it would be safer for me to wear one so I’m making an effort. Also noticed some bike parks seem not to allow people to ride without a helmet - not sure if FoD has that rule but I don’t want to be prevented.

[Rich B]

Yep, i’m riding FoD on Sunday, you need a helmet. All bike parks have that rule, trail centres don’t have the ability to restrict it really.

Weirdly, the attitude has completely changed from when we were kids - now people not wearing helmets are assumed to be either crap novices who don’t have a clue or chavs with stolen bikes.

It’s not as though you have much hair to mess up?!

[Jobbo]

It’s not my hair, it’s that I just don’t like wearing something on my head. But my helmet is pretty light and I’m trying to get used to it.

Go to Amsterdam and nobody wears a helmet. Go to a Chinese takeaway and the staff still wear COVID masks. It’s all about risk; I don’t think my style of bike riding is risky.

[Rich B]

It’s not my hair, it’s that I just don’t like wearing something on my head. But my helmet is pretty light and I’m trying to get used to it.

Go to Amsterdam and nobody wears a helmet. Go to a Chinese takeaway and the staff still wear COVID masks. It’s all about risk; I don’t think my style of bike riding is risky.

I’m not bothered about your safety - you’re an adult. It’s more the effect on everyone else.

I’ve recently seen a local trail demolished, partly because of newbs rolling down it and having accidents (admittedly mostly because of kids and litter). The land owners (because every bit of land in this country is owned) then freak out about insurance and close everything down. That’s one of the reasons why most proper mountain bikers get annoyed at people riding without helmets. It’s mostly kids, but adults tend to be the ones who then try to sue the land owners.

[Jobbo]

That’s absolutely fair and I respect their rules entirely. I’m not exactly a bike park person anyway.

My experience is that it’s roadies who look down on me for not wearing a helmet when I’m on a dedicated cycle route through a housing estate

As for land owners - yes, that’s my client base. If they become aware of people riding round their land without permission then they’re going to stop them when the risks become real. It’s nothing to do with helmets because they aren’t more liable for a crash and injury if the rider is wearing safety kit.

[Rich B]

As for land owners - yes, that’s my client base. If they become aware of people riding round their land without permission then they’re going to stop them when the risks become real. It’s nothing to do with helmets because they aren’t more liable for a crash and injury if the rider is wearing safety kit.

How about riders riding WITH their permission. My local trails are Crown owned and a trail centre. They want riders there because it makes them money.

They seem to keep going through the same “cycle”.

- build better features to encourage more riders.
- people ride in bigger numbers and they then make bigger features.
- newbs have stupid accidents riding stuff they’re not capable of and have accidents (worse injuries when they’re not wearing the right kit - including a death in 2015).
- they sue the landowners
- trails get demolished because crown decides the risk is too much because they can’t control how it’s ridden.

Trails are then boring so no one rides there, wait 5 years, and repeat.

[Jobbo]

That’s unfortunate, certainly. Short of having manned access gates to the black trails I don’t know what they can do other than get rid of the dangerous features.

[Rich B]

A useful suggestion is asking cyclists to wear the appropriate safety equipment to reduce risk of serious injury!

[Jobbo]

Which they do, and still it seems not to solve the problem. Why is that?

[Rich B]

Which they do, and still it seems not to solve the problem. Why is that?

As i said, it’s generally newbs who go out without the right kit and come off going down stuff they shouldn’t that get injured.

and as i said, you do what you like, but now you understand why other riders think you’re a dick riding without a helmet on “their” trails.

It’s a bit like the Rufford Ford place - everyone enjoyed going through there and watching unlikely cars go through, until dicks started upping the danger and basically being dicks, so the authorities shut it down and now no one gets to enjoy it.

[KiwiDave]

I'll chime in on this...

I used to hate wearing a helmet while riding, but in NZ it's illegal to ride a bike without one. Anywhere. If you're spotted by the cops they do stop you and fine you.

So I reluctantly gave in to wearing one, and it didn't take too long until I simply wouldn't ride without one again. That said, I went through a few helmets originally til I found a brand which didn't bug me in the slightest (ironically Specialized). Having seen the mess people have made of their heads with even the simplest of accidents, politely, I'm with Rich. Wear one, get used to it.

[ZedLeg]

+1 I used to be lax about wearing my helmet around town but a bad crash last year would’ve meant at least brain damage if I hadn’t been wearing it.

I’ve always worn one off road.

There’s no good reason not to wear one.

[DeskJockey]

I used to not wear a helmet (20-25 years ago) because I didn't think it was needed. I then had one big off on my mountain bike that changed my mind. Nothing but a few bruises, but when I got up I saw that my head was inches away from a large rock. Had I hit that I think the outcome could have been very different.

I've always worn a helmet since then, and like seatbelts in the car it feels wrong if I'm riding without it. We've instilled the same in the kids.

[jamcg]

When I was a kid my mam wouldn’t let me go out without one, I used to get some stick off my mates, but the time I went over my handlebars at 25/30mph soon justified it, a split lip instead of a split head. Now I won’t ride without one, like a seatbelt in a car it just feels wrong without it

[Jobbo]

I didn’t mean to start a helmet debate.

Trying out Flickr so you can see my poo brown pedals:

[Jobbo]

Which they do, and still it seems not to solve the problem. Why is that?

As i said, it’s generally newbs who go out without the right kit and come off going down stuff they shouldn’t that get injured.

and as i said, you do what you like, but now you understand why other riders think you’re a dick riding without a helmet on “their” trails.

It’s a bit like the Rufford Ford place - everyone enjoyed going through there and watching unlikely cars go through, until dicks started upping the danger and basically being dicks, so the authorities shut it down and now no one gets to enjoy it.

You've missed my point entirely - the liability of the landowner is entirely unaffected by the choice of safety kit of the bike riders who use it.

I also said that I don't use bike parks so nobody there thinks I'm a dick. Why do they think you're a dick?

[Rich B]

Which they do, and still it seems not to solve the problem. Why is that?

As i said, it’s generally newbs who go out without the right kit and come off going down stuff they shouldn’t that get injured.

and as i said, you do what you like, but now you understand why other riders think you’re a dick riding without a helmet on “their” trails.

It’s a bit like the Rufford Ford place - everyone enjoyed going through there and watching unlikely cars go through, until dicks started upping the danger and basically being dicks, so the authorities shut it down and now no one gets to enjoy it.

You've missed my point entirely - the liability of the landowner is entirely unaffected by the choice of safety kit of the bike riders who use it.

I also said that I don't use bike parks so nobody there thinks I'm a dick. Why do they think you're a dick?

You’ve chosen to completely ignore mine! Helmets and other safety equipment help reduce the severity of the injuries, and from my experience of 30 years of mountain biking, serious injuries and the associated insurance claims are a massive issue for cycle centres and bike parks.

They probably think i’m a dick for trying to convince a lawyer online to consider this.

[IanF]

Your bike looks great @Jobbo.. I’ve been debating an e-bike and looked at road bikes as that’s simplest for me out my front door, but love the look and colour of your emtb.

I think bike helmets should be compulsory, there’s no good reason not to wear one, other than vanity. I’d never drive without a seatbelt on, even though I’ve not had a crash in 20+ years (touches wood) and even if there are scenarios where not wearing a helmet would’ve been beneficial, I think there are many more where it would!