Questions tagged [mountain-bike]
Mountain bike (MTB) can mean almost any kind of off-road bicycle. Wide knobby tires, flat handlebars, maybe shocks, probably a sturdy frame...
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Front suspension or full suspension mountain bike
I'm considering buying a mountain bike and have narrowed it down to two models (make and model aren't important for this question). One model is a full suspension bike (front and back), the other is ...
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How to find a mountain bike that can handle a heavier (250-260lbs) rider?
I am a 44 year old man that is very heavy (250–260lbs(113-118kg)) and I am looking to buy my first mountain bike to do some riding on the weekend to burn off some of this fat I have.
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What type of tires can prevent goatheads?
We have a lot of goatheads1 in our area, and they have a tendency to do something like this to bike tires:
Unfortunately, I ride a road bike (specifically a Kona Dew), so I have much smaller, thinner ...
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What are the differences (and their practical implications) between a 29" mountain bike and a cyclocross bicycle?
I am considering the purchase of a bicycle for riding off road, and have heard a lot of buzz about 29" mountain bikes. However, I am not particularly interested in technical riding - although I would ...
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Converting a MTB to a Road Bike
I just bought a new MTB and am planning to change my previous MTB into a Road Bike.
How do I do it? What kind of parts do I need to change or add or remove?
I am not looking to for a full ...
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What pressure should I run my Mountain Bike tires at?
Should I run my mountain bike at the suggested PSI/Bar on the tire/rim? Or should I run it a bit lower? Or is it more about conditions? Should I run lower if I am running on softer terrain?
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How to tell when to replace cassette?
How do you tell when it's time to replace a cassette?
Are there any specific wear patterns on the teeth to watch for or symptoms specific to a worn-out cassette?
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Mountain Bike on Paved Roads
I'm an occasional biker. I bought a mountain bike (nothing fancy) with the idea that I might use it off-road or on mountain trails (of which there are many here in Calgary). However, since I've bought ...
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What skills/drills should I learn to descend faster and more confidently? (for mountain biking)
I've ridden road and mountain bikes for years, and this is my first year riding as a part of a team (and actually doing races). I've been stuck at nearly the same level of skill when descending and ...
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Creaking bottom bracket
I have a Trek 3900 Mountain bike that had a serious creaking problem whenever I would pedal. I found that the ring that holds the Shimano sealed bearing was really loose. I tightened it up and it ...
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What do I get by paying more for a bicycle?
I am not experienced with bicycles, although I have been using them for years to get to work, as well as to go out in the countryside (dirt trails) to take nature photos.
I have used affordable B'...
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Replacing suspension with a solid fork
I have an older version of this bike:
They have made some changes to the components since I bought my bike but it is more or less the same. Here are the specs on the newer bike.
I was hoping to ...
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What are the pros and cons between an aluminium and carbon frame?
I'm after a mountain bike and I've narrowed it down to the Cannondale F29 (based on reviews, plus I like the look of the bike).
My question is, should I go for the carbon bike or the alloy bike? I'm ...
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How can I fit a bigger rear tyre when limited by the front derailleur?
I've recently bought a hardtail, just an entry-level bike, but I've only got entry-level skills. The tyres it came with are WTB Nano 2.1". They aren't exactly ideal for the sort of conditions we have ...
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Can I use a Presta tube in a Schrader rim?
I keep losing pressure in my tires, and among other things, I'm looking at the valves in the tubes. It's an old mountain bike with 26 inch tires. Can I use Presta tubes on rims drilled for Schrader ...
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How to get the tyre back on to the rim easily?
What is the best/easiest way to get the tyre back on to a rim after removing it to fix a puncture for example?
Some tyres can be really hard to get back on to the rim. I don't like using the tyre ...
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do I need to change my disc if the brake pads got oil on them
In trying to change the brake pads on my mountain bike, I managed to get oil on my new pads and empty out all the brake fluid, and consequently also get some oil on the disc. I took the bike to the ...
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How to choose a set of tyres
I have been riding my hard tail on the road for the last 3 years on some knobbly 26 x 2.1 tyres. After just starting a new job and with the need to commute further I am considering purchasing some ...
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What's the difference between All-Mountain, Cross Country, Freeride, Downhill bikes?
I'm somewhat new to the world of mountain bikes and I'm seeing various terms to describe different bikes. What is the difference between all-mountain, cross country, freeride, and downhill? Are they ...
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Kickstands and mountain bikes
Why is it that many people often recommend against using kickstands on mountain bikes? Does it have something to do with offroad riding (perhaps something could get caught there?), or are kickstands a ...
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Do I need to take my weight off the bike to lock out the suspension?
I've recently bought myself a new mountain bike (my first since my schooldays...) and it has front suspension with a lock-out function. Suspension is new to me and I'm not sure how to use the lock-...
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Which way do I orient my bike tire's tread direction? and why?
I have a mountain bike tire that has stamped on the side something like:
<----------front rear------------->
Which seems like a pretty clear indication that the tire should be oriented in one ...
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What is the "preload" setting on the front fork suspension?
I've made a photo of the actual "thing" as I find it very difficult to explain otherwise:
I'm wondering what this "thing" sets and how it actually works. So, what is "preload" and what happens when I ...
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Are single chainring mountain bikes usual?
I just bought my son a typical+ mountain bike in a typical Frech sports shop (a BTWIN 530 at Décathlon) and realized that it has only a single sprocket at the front, and 9 sprockets at the back:
I ...
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Pre ride checks
What checks should you perform before setting off to ensure that your bike is safe to ride?
I'm more interesting in mountain bikes rather ride road bikes but I guess that most checks are applicable ...
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Super Heavyweight Biker keeps destroying Dutch bikes
So I've had two Dutch style bikes and I keep breaking the spokes on them. The last time I had a custom wheel built using good components by a well known shop here (sapim and mavic components)... the ...
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How can you identify if a Shimano rear derailleur is medium or long cage?
I have a 2013 Shimano XT rear derailleur. It is part of a 2x10 drivetrain. How can I find out if it is a medium or a long cage one? The picture below shows the derailleur.
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Recovering confidence after a fall
One month has passed since I fell on a mountain bike trip. The accident wasn't critical, it just left a huge scratch. The accident happened during a fast descent when my front tire hit a little crack.
...
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Disc brakes squeak on Trek mountain bike
I have a Trek 3900 mountain bike with disc brakes, and I just took it out of winter storage to start riding it for the season.
Everything works well, except for one very annoying problem: when I stop ...
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How to jump curbs?
Putting aside the question should one ever ride on the sidewalk, I would like to jump curbs safely and seamlessly.
Assume a hardtail mountain bike with high saddle (we are in the city), at a speed of ...
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Riding a Mountain Bike in the city
I just moved from where there wasn't much of a biking system infrastructure. There were lots of trails though, so I bought an OK mountain bike ($350).
Now, I've moved to downtown Seattle and ...
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Choosing good slick tires for a MTB
I have an MTB with tires that roll very poorly on pavement because of the thread lugs. I'm looking to get a pair of slicks and I'm hoping to get some advice here. My bike is a 29", I think they ...
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Can I combine different wheel sizes in one mtb?
Imagine a mountain bike that uses a 29er fork with 29er wheel and a 27.5 wheel at the rear. Can this be realized and what are the pros and cons?
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How do I bleed Avid Elixir brakes
My bike has a set of Avid Elixir R hydraulic brakes. The front brake barely goes on when I pull the lever and the back brake feels pretty soft. I think I need to bleed them. How do I go about doing ...
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Why so few mountain bikers with spandex?
I've never had clothing that was specialized for cycling, so I'm kinda n00b in that area.
I am confused about the use of spandex.
It's very common among roadies, for obvious reasons. It's more ...
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Does a rear derailleur guard provide effective protection?
I recently caught my rear derailleur on a log and snapped it in two. I have done some recent work on some department store bikes and noticed that some come equipped with an axle mounted guard around ...
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Shimano Deore front derailleur occasionally sticking
I have a question about my front derailleur sticking occasionally. I've had this bike for a 1.7 years and have ridden it through 2 winters.
It has only been after this last winter that my front ...
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Are mountain bikes good for urban riding?
I'm planning to buy a bike - mostly using it in the city on a daily basis - sometimes long roads - But I want a cool bike and I think mountain bikes look very cool.
I would like to know how mountain ...
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Pros and cons of single-sided forks (Cannondale Lefty)?
Looks like they save some weight, but how do they have a better strength/weight ratio than a traditional two legged fork?
With the single-legged fork the fork and axle must resist huge bending all ...
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How to choose a bike for a very tall and heavy person?
So I have wanted to ride a bike for a long time, I do strongman training, I am 6'6 (200cm) tall and kinda fluctuate between 440 - 480 pounds (200-220 kg) depending on what training I am on.
We are ...
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How bad is road salt for my bike?
I took my mountain bike out yesterday in the snow. Did some hills around town, riding through slush and puddles, and all sort of dirt/mush/ice/snow.
I gave the bike a pretty good wipe-down after the ...
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How many fingers on the brake lever of an MTB?
I have seen people stop with one finger, two fingers or the whole hands on the levers. Is there a recommended number of fingers on the brake levers when stopping/anticipating an emergency stop? Do ...
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How do I put grips on mountain bike handlebars?
I just spent the last 10 minutes trying to put a new set of grips on to my mountain bike handlebars..
The old ones came off fairly agreeably and I've got the new ones 80-90% of the way on, however, ...
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Hydraulic Disc Brakes Maintenance
I have Hayes Nine hydraulic disc brakes on my mountain bike. I have recently replaced the brake pads and after that it seems that the pads are almost touching the rotor.
How can I adjust it?
I have ...
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Bailing out with SPD pedals on a mountain bike
I got a new mountain bike a year ago, with SPD pedals. I'm OK with these on a road bike (that I don't normally crash), but on a mountain bike when I crash I usually can't jump off the bike like I used ...
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brake lever will not return
My friend has a mountain bike that survived last years Queensland's floods (Australia, that is), but is all battered and bruised after not being ridden for a year. With my beginner's repair skills, I ...
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I often get a sore neck when riding. How can I adjust the setup of my bike to help prevent this happening?
Quite often if I'm riding for longer than about an hour I get a sore neck. I assume that I can make some adjustment to my mountain bike to help prevent or reduce the soreness, but I don't know what. ...
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What's the proper science-driven way to treat mild scrapes/abrasions (that have a bit of dirt in them) from a mountain biking crash?
I tried to research this using search engines and found such a random variety of recommendations. Some were saying to make sure you have your tetanus booster while others were citing a study that ...
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Skate shoes vs mtb shoes?
It's an old argue on forums, still cant get it. What is the (real, that worth the money and time for ordering from abroad, in my case) difference, let's say between Five Ten FreeRider shoes and some ...
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