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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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New to bicycle riding. Questions about adjustments and upgrades
I just got my very first bicycle. At 30years old, I never ever rode a bicycle. I walked into a Walmart, bought the nicest looking mountain bike I could find, a 26" Havoc Men's Mountain Bike.
My first ...
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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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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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Why does pedalling backwards not move my bike backwards?
On the Mountain bike I have, pedalling backwards moves the chain but doesn't drive the wheels of the bike backwards like you would expect it to. Why is this?
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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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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 do I keep my pants/trousers from getting caught in the gears?
I have the unfortunate habit of always getting my jeans stuck in my gears and end up with a nice rip on the seams.
I've used those velcro braces to keep the bottom of my pants leg close to my body ...
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It it impolite to "informally" join or draft a group of cyclists?
On a recent Sunday ride on a country road, I was slowly overtaken by a group of (5) guys on road bikes. They were "proper" road cyclists, if you know what I mean.
When they passed me, I just slipped ...
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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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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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What is the purpose of whipping a bike?
What is the purpose of "whipping" a mountain bike during a jump? Is it merely a trick (show off) or is it a functional move with a purpose? It is very commonly seen in videos which made me ...
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Why are tubeless tyres popular in mountain biking?
I've noticed that a lot of people use or promote tubeless tyres for mountain biking. Why is this?
It seems a lot of hassle to get a special rim conversion kit and goop to put in the tyre. As far as I ...
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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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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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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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Should I fear cows? How can I encourage them to let me pass?
Recently a herd of cows appeared at my local trail. They often block the trail. I, being a city boy, don't know how to respond. I don't feel comfortable yelling at a creature which could easily break ...
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What aspects contribute most to me being slow on this bike?
So this is my bike (don't laugh). I've had it for about 20 years, still rolls. Lately I've been seeing on Strava or Garmin Connect that I'm just too damn slow vs. everyone else and I don't think the ...
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Do helmets really lose their quality with time even if kept in package?
A friend of mine, who works as a sales manager in a good bike shop advised me to never buy a helmet that is older than couple of years, and the best thing to do is to buy the current model line, when ...
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How much of a difference will I notice going from a Mountain bike to a road bike?
I have a Mountain bike with 1.95 tyres on it. Most of the cycle path I take into work is fairly well paved/asphalted, I'm not going over any dirt tracks or anything like that although there is the odd ...
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Is there something particularly wrong with exclusively riding a mountain bike in a city setting?
I live in Davis, and I ride bikes simply for commuting around the university and around town. My last bike is a hand-me-down from my sister's friend over 6 years ago; it's pretty much on it's last leg....
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14 "Trashed" bikes acquired for free. Worth repairing and reselling? What do I look for?
Very new to this, bike repair specifically. I tried my best with the tags. I'm mechanically inclined, like to tinker, and have many tools (not bike specific). Learning and time aren't really an issue. ...
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Could I bike 9 mile a day home from work starting with no current exercise?
I am thinking of getting a bike and biking it home from work on a mountain bike its 9 miles and reasonably flat, I'm not the fittest guy so I'm wondering if I would struggle??
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Cycling on snow in extreme freezing conditions: will my bike break?
I plan on riding my Merida Matts 40-D in mountains like these:
The temperatures are usually around -20 °C and I was wondering whether anything can break on my bike due to the freezing conditions. Is ...
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How can I keep improving after my first 30km ride?
I'm a 17 year old girl. I started riding in November, and I don't know how to keep improving—I'm a bit lost. So I will describe my journey up until now and maybe you can help me.
One day my friend ...
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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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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 features of a mountain bike's geometry gives it different characteristics?
When you see descriptions of mountain bikes they are usually described as XC, trail, enduro etc. and have different geometries based on what sort of category they fall into. What are the defining ...
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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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What is the purpose of suspension lockout?
I'm trying to decide which 29er bike I want to purchase and one of them has lockout. I know what lockout does but I'm not sure what it is used for and if I will need it.
Thanks
Update: We're good ...
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What is the purpose of landing on the rear tire?
Throughout the entire Kranked series, riders are doing insane jumps and drops. What puzzles me is that, despite beginner advice to land both wheels (nearly) simultaneously, about half of the landings ...
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Where is the best place to carry water (back or bike)?
Where do you prefer to carry your water? I find when I am mountain biking I prefer to carry my water in a hydration pack on my back (easier to rock the bike). When road biking on flat ground I ...
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How deep does snow have to be before it becomes unrideable?
I was going to go for an off road ride in the snow this weekend but I chickened out. Partly because it was cold but mainly because I have no experience riding in snow and wasn't sure whether I would ...
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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 do I cycle up steep rocky ground?
When mountain biking with my friends, we sometimes end up tackling a severe up hill over rocky ground.
I usually find I end up putting a foot down first. I'm not sure what's going wrong. Sometimes my ...
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How do experienced cyclists know which gear they are in without an optical display?
Most mid to high level mountain groupsets (eg SLX and X7) have shifter options without any display as to what gear is currently active. How do riders avoid cross-chaining and other unpleasantnesses, ...
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What are the advantages and disadvantages of riding a smaller Mountain Bike frame?
I am 182cm (5' 11'') tall and am looking into buying a new frame for my mountain bike.
Right now i have a 19'' frame and i found a good deal on a 17'' frame.
The guy from the shop told me that it ...
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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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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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What causes my front wheel to twist when I apply the brake?
I have a 2005 Specialized HardRock Sport with disc brakes.
When I'm slowing down from a reasonable speed with the front brake, I noticed that the top of the front wheel appears to deflect sideways ...
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How to build stamina and speed?
I am a 28-year-old female weighing 13 stone [approximately 180 lbs] (overweight, I know, as I am only 5'1"). I've recently bought a mountain bike to ride to and from work (about 2 miles each way), but ...
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What type of bike I should buy if I need to ride with a toddler
Which Bike (Mountain, Hyibrid, Cruiser or Road bike) I should buy if I want to carry my 3 year old daughter on a Child Carrier (fits in rear).
Here is one image of child Carrier I have. It attaches ...
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Bike choice for snow commuting
I'm currently living in Holland, Michigan, and we get quite a bit of snow (lake effect from Lake Michigan). I purchased a Giant AnyRoad CoMax this past summer which is great for commuting in all ...
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