Hot answers tagged mountain-bike
25
There are basically four solutions that do not involve extensive work on your bike:
Roll up the pant-leg on the gear-side high enough to stay away from the gears.
Wear tight fitting cycling pants that don't flap.
Use braces as you have, or clips such as these to keep your flappy pants close enough to your legs.
Stuff the pant-leg on the gear side in your ...
24
As you mentioned, one of the primary differences between a Presta and Schrader valves are the diameters--with Schrader valves being slightly larger--and therefore the valve holes on bicycle rims are drilled to suit one size or another.
Your foremost concern with using a Presta valve in a rim drilled for a Shrader valve shouldn't be 'movement' of the valve ...
23
Tire pressure is generally a trade-off between three things:
Rolling resistance (more pressure == rolls easier)
Pinch flat resistance (more pressure == less chance for the tube to tear when a rock squashes the tire toward the rim)
Grip (with less pressure, the tire can conform better to rocks, roots, and other terrain giving a larger contact surface)
If ...
22
The question of big box bike quality to one side, the question should be not whether it's "appropriate" to ride this bike, but whether you like it.
Are you physically comfortable riding the bike? If so, great! If not, there are several questions here about bike fit that may help you get comfortable on the bike. A bike that doesn't fit you will never be a ...
21
Best? Doesn't seem like there's any one right answer.
Pros for carrying on bike:
Weight is on the bike, not you
Doesn't make your back all sweaty
No adjustments necessary
Generally easier to clean
Easier to choose alternate beverage options (with the right bottle)
Easier to just always have a water bottle on the bike (one less thing to worry about ...
21
A mountain bike will never really be a road bike. The geometry and construction of the frame is different. Mountain bike frames are designed for a different posture and are often designed for a suspension fork, as well as generally being beefier.
You can set up a mountain bike with slick tires and drop bars if you want. I've tried this before and the ride ...
20
Keep on riding. Ideally every couple days. If you can't ride, do some other form of cardio exercise, such as going for a walk. I'll bet a couple days after that ride you'll find the same distance a little easier and might even be able to go a little further.
Get a day of rest. If you've pushed yourself really hard and you're "done", take a day off before ...
19
I haven't tried them specifically with goatheads, but I've run through nails, staples, glass and just about anything else you could find in an urban environment on Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires.
I have never had a flat over thousands of miles with their Marathon Supremes, either--and they're much lighter and better riding--but they're not as puncture-proof ...
19
The back wheel is the wheel bearing most of the weight and also the wheel providing the driving force. For these 2 reasons it is likely that the forces being exerted between the wheel and surface are much greater on the rear wheel than on the front. This makes it more likely that you will get punctures on the rear wheel than the front - all other things ...
18
The usual trail etiquette rules are, basically:
Cyclists yield to everybody
Everybody yields to horses
If you're both cyclists (or both hikers, etc), somebody going downhill yields to somebody going uphill
So as a pedestrian going uphill on a narrow path, the cyclists were supposed to yield to you. However, if you looked like you were stepping off the ...
18
Get a printed map and look for the 'postal roads'...
There are 'postal roads' in Switzerland that are closed to normal cars. These go over some high passes that are just not wide enough for regular traffic. They are called 'postal roads' because only the post bus goes on them. What is amazing about them is the descents - you can ride 'TdF' style without ...
17
You can get a set of slicks or semi-slick tires that will reduce your rolling resistance. If you're using it to commute lots as well then fenders are awesome to keep the rain off. I have a snap on rear fender that goes on any bike I'm riding if it's raining (outside of races). I hate having a wet butt.
17
If we assume that both models are at about the same price point, here is what you can expect:
The hardtail will be substantially lighter than a comparably priced full-suspension bike.
The hardtail will likely have a higher level of components and possibly a better front shock because of the increased expense associated with the full suspension frame.
...
17
-20C is -4F, cold enough to be uncomfortable for humans, but not particularly cold for mechanical equipment. You will notice that lubricants get stiffer, but generally they warm up rapidly when you ride and the stiffness will be gone in a minute or two. Hydraulic fluids, et al, should be good to -35C or below, though they will stiffen before that, ...
16
This choice really does depend on what kind of terrain you will be riding on. I'm also assuming you are intending to buy a quality full suspension bike. Anything under like $800-$1,000 USD, don't bother. Go hard tail with a good fork.
The bumpier the terrain, the more a full suspension bike will help suck up the hard hits. You can really fly over rocks and ...
16
You turn it on when riding on smooth surfaces or going up hill to improve pedal efficiency. It's hard to know if you will need it in advance because without riding the bike you won't know how well the suspension design handles pedal bob (the energy lost by the bike suspension compressing under pedal forces), try and get a test ride.
15
I can think of a few possible explanations:
If you're sitting too upright, vibrations from the road/trail (anything from pavement quality to serious potholes) will travel straight up your spine, causing your the gaps between your vertebrae to expand and contract. This can add up on a long ride. Ideally you want to be leaning forward enough that your back ...
15
If, by stands, you mean bike mounted kickstands, then the reason most mountain bikers don't use them is three fold:
Safety. The kickstand is usually a relatively cheap piece of metal, bolted on wherever it will fit. Its shape and style lend themselves to ending up in your wheel or otherwise damaging the bike, if they are not secured to the frame so they ...
14
Look at any high end bike and you will find hydraulic disc brakes.
There will be people who argue the pros/cons of hydraulic vs mechanical disc brakes but it's hard to deny what the entire industry is putting on their most expensive rigs.
For ease of stoppage, minimal brake fade and ease of modulation - the hydraulic disc brake wins hands down. You can ...
14
Keep riding.
It will take a little while to come back, but it will come back. Just don't push yourself too hard, as you will be tense and stiff and those things can lead to another accident. For all practical purposes your skill limit has decreased, so riding at your old limit is riding beyond your limit until you get past the mental block caused by the ...
13
Although this is purely anecdotal, I know from my own experience mountain biking that most of my flats were from so-called "pinch flats" (where the tube is pierced by pinching or friction with the tire/rim rather than piercing by an external object). This was highly annoying. After having switched to tubeless some years ago, I've not yet had a single flat. ...
12
Weight distribution is critical, and it is a bit of a fine balance, much like doing a track stand. I find that it is easiest to do this by staying seated and crouching towards the front of the bike. Standing on the pedals will tend to put your weight too far forward and make it difficult to achieve smooth power transfer to the wheels.
Smooth Power Transfer ...
12
Riding in snow depends on a bunch of factors, so you won't really ever be able to know unless you just go for it and try it out.
What bike/wheels you have
Should be obvious. Mountain vs Road, 26" vs 29", wide vs skinny tires, etc
Your skill level in snow
The better and more comfortable you are in the snow is important. I'd say its the most important ...
12
Mountain bikes have been pressed into service as touring machines for a long time. Old hardtail mountain bikes make great, bristly touring machines, and they're fun to ride.
Tires
The first thing you'll want to look at are the tires. Most mountain bikes come with knobby tires for riding on dirt and gravel. A set of slicks or semi-slick tires will decrease ...
11
A shorter stem does make your steering quicker, it also enables you to sit further upright and gives more leverage on the handlebar.
The longer stem gets you more forward and in a better position for climbing but I think it makes low speed steering awkward and is uncomfortable for long stretches on the bike.
I went from some ungodly long stem (100+mm) with ...
11
The < > layout is the most common. As Jay Bazuzi pointed out, the forces on the tires aren't from the same directions.
Some tires it doesn't matter, some it does.
Also, road bike tires typically have essentially zero tread, and it doesn't matter which way they are mounted. They'll almost always have a "rotation ->" printed on them though, but thats ...
11
The most common use for "mountain" bikes is city riding. Usually the Walmart variety are a bit overdone with shocks and the like (what the kids like to see), but probably better suited for city riding than actual off-road riding.
As stated, if the tires are exceptionally "knobby" you may want to replace them with smoother ones (though not "slicks"). Tire ...
11
Some things to check and I'm assuming you're running V-brakes:
My first guess is that the brake cable inside the brake cable housing is sticking. Some light oil on the cable could help. (WD40 is a solvent, do not use it on cabling or chains and do not use it where you want to maintain lubrication on parts. Look for some light oil like TriFlow, or whatever ...
11
Yes there is one main trick, and some regular skills.
The trick is: if you LOWER THE TIRE PRESSURE, any tire will float over sand like magic. It should not be so underinflated as to allow easy pinch flats, but the lower the pressure, the more marked the floating effect. There are just two limitations:
If the tire is skinny (low volume) it might not be ...
11
I'm going to see how many answers I can say this in today - don't overthink it.
A 100mm full suspension 29er is going to be able to shred anything you can throw at it for a long time. That's a good amount of travel to start with, and on a 29er it's going to feel like even more while staying efficient. The epic has a really well balanced geometry as well. ...
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