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 types of mountain bike handle bar grips are available and how to they affect comfort and handling?

This question has been floating around in my head for a while, mainly because I don't know anything about grips (edit to resolve confusion:covers for the part of the handlebar you hold on to). Are ...
Phil Hale's user avatar
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6 votes
2 answers
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Fork lube. Should I use it? If so how often?

I ride a mountain bike with front suspension. I've recently seen fork lube for sale on an online retailer. This got me thinking. Do I need to be using fork lube? How does it help? If I bought some how ...
Phil Hale's user avatar
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1 vote
1 answer
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What Schwalbe Nobby Nic should I buy?

I recently bought a Swissbike X5 (same as the Montague Paratrooper, but labeled Swissbike and matte black). It came with Kenda Kinetics 26" x 1.95" (front and rear) that I'd like to replace. Due to ...
T0TTE's user avatar
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28 votes
6 answers
21k views

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 ...
Baltimark's user avatar
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13 votes
3 answers
13k views

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. ...
Phil Hale's user avatar
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13 votes
3 answers
26k views

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 ...
sixtyfootersdude's user avatar
7 votes
3 answers
425 views

What should my first adult bike have? [closed]

I bike a lot and I'm looking to spend £400-800 on a full size bike. It must have full suspension, detachable front wheel, preferably room for a minipump and a large water bottle (without using the far ...
tobylane's user avatar
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7 votes
2 answers
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Can my bike be recovered from the rust monster?

First question here, and please note that I am a total bike virgin, other than the fact I can (just about) ride one. Last year I bought a Felt Q520 (I think) the 2009 model, secondhand that had been ...
Rob's user avatar
  • 79
9 votes
3 answers
16k views

Can I convert a road frame to a mountain bike?

Some years ago, I picked up a Cannondale R3000 and moved all the components to my current bike as an exercise in bike building, never repeated (in fairness, the Cannondale fit me a little better but ...
kyle's user avatar
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52 votes
10 answers
186k views

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 ...
Sk606's user avatar
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6 votes
2 answers
389 views

What to look for in quality mountain bike pedals?

After a few rides in mucky trails, I am finding my Norco Bush Pilot pedals are getting rough and do not spin very well. Additionally, the plastic of the pedals are getting pretty beat up. I realize ...
JeffV's user avatar
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8 votes
1 answer
2k views

Hard fork and low tire pressure or viceversa?

With mountain bikes, what do you think is more efficient: highly preloading the fork and using low tire pressure or having a "bouncy" fork and hard tire pressure? I like to have the fork with quite a ...
Narcís Calvet's user avatar
7 votes
3 answers
2k views

Single speed conversion chain keeps derailing rear cog under load?

The chain on my SS mt bike keeps coming off the rear cog under load (like when I hit a steep hill) it will hold right after it's tightened but after a few hills it starts coming off non-stop. Talked ...
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18 votes
6 answers
3k views

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 ...
Phil Hale's user avatar
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7 votes
3 answers
1k views

mountain biking - post ride tasks

After completing a long mountain biking trail (complete with lots mud and water etc) - what post ride checks / tasks should I be doing? I ask this because I don't want to be taking my bike into a ...
Peanut's user avatar
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4 votes
1 answer
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Using a bike with Trek ABP on a trainer

I was planning on doing my winter training this year on a mountain bike (for ergonomic reasons), but it occurred to me that the skewer for the Active Braking Pivot on my Top Fuel might not be work ...
Dana the Sane's user avatar
17 votes
4 answers
450 views

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 ...
Phil Hale's user avatar
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5 votes
2 answers
3k views

Tyre choice for loose gravel

I have a mountain bike that I take out to a local bike trail. Currently I have some thin XC tyres and they don't seem to offer much grip when going at speed. The trail is 80% downhill and mostly loose ...
Peanut's user avatar
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6 votes
3 answers
2k views

Mountain bike -- exciting after-market parts, modifications or paint jobs

I have a Specialized Stumpjumper Comp FSR from 2009. My previous bike was a mean-looking matte black Cannondale Jekyll 1000 with a Lefty fork. Now I've got this vanilla, grey boring looking bike that ...
Ken Aspeslagh's user avatar
4 votes
4 answers
1k views

Good books on mountain biking

What books do you know about learning mountain biking.
18 votes
5 answers
4k views

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 ...
Scott Langham's user avatar
14 votes
3 answers
4k views

Do mountain bikers yield to hikers?

I've seen rules and graphics online that basically say that bikers are to yield to hikers. Is this the generally accepted rule, and if so, how do you define "yield"? Background The areas I normally ...
Gary.Ray's user avatar
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6 votes
2 answers
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Carbon Fibre Mountain Bikes

Has anyone had experience with carbon fiber mountain bikes? I'm still skeptical as to how robust they are. Is it true that a scratch will make the frame useless? And Trek has this process called OCLV ....
helloworlder's user avatar
27 votes
7 answers
63k views

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 ...
Piers Myers's user avatar
7 votes
2 answers
1k views

Can anyone recommend a good maintenance-free rear shock?

The old shock just gave up its life in my old single-pivot all-mountain frame. I'd like to replace it with something tough and maintenance-free, so that I don't have to worry about air pressure, oil ...
ttarchala's user avatar
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9 votes
4 answers
8k views

Trainers & Mountain Bikes

Can I use a trainer with a mountain bike? I want to the same bike off road at weekends so I don't really want to change the setup of the bike.
Martynnw's user avatar
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8 votes
4 answers
3k views

New, cheap mountain bike: What's most likely to break?

I have a very cheap (less than USD $100), new mountain bike I'm about to break in on a 2-4 hour ride on a mountain trail. I'd like to be prepared for equipment failures or problems - can anyone ...
MGOwen's user avatar
  • 279
4 votes
2 answers
2k views

How do I know if mudguards will fit my 2009 Carrera Kraken?

With the nice (and muddy!) weather coming up, I'd like to get some mudguards, but I'm really unsure of what will fit my bike I have a 2009 Carrera Kraken, no modifications. I will probably buy them ...
user155695's user avatar
  • 2,893
9 votes
1 answer
1k views

Tips for Bleeding Hayes Brakes

Does anyone have any tips for bleeding Hayes brakes? I have some Hayes Stroker Ryders and bleeding them is less than fun compared to bleeding my Avids. Do they make any syringes for bleeding the ...
Geoff's user avatar
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4 votes
1 answer
577 views

What MTB 10 speed double cranksets exist with 180mm cranks?

I am looking for a a 10 speed dual crankset that has 180mm cranks. I see the SRAM cranksets only come in 170 and 175mm.
Richard Tasker's user avatar
19 votes
7 answers
7k views

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 ...
Craig Walker's user avatar
8 votes
4 answers
851 views

Where Can I Legally Ride Off Road in the UK?

As it says in the title, where can I ride legally ride my mountain bike off road in the UK?
Martynnw's user avatar
  • 1,407
30 votes
8 answers
100k views

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?
Dan McClain's user avatar
18 votes
7 answers
15k views

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 ...
sixtyfootersdude's user avatar
6 votes
7 answers
1k views

What is must-have gear for mountain biking?

All types of biking, mountain biking in particular: what are some must have items/gear to keep with oneself on mountain biking trips? I'm think of items such as extra inner tube, bike pump, etc...What ...
studiohack's user avatar
27 votes
5 answers
2k views

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 ...
davefiddes's user avatar
14 votes
1 answer
9k views

What effect does changing the stem length have on my bikes handling

I'm finding that when jumping my mountain bike seems to be very nose heavy no matter how far back my saddle is. What effect will moving to a shorter stem length have? My bike, a Boardman FS-PRO came ...
davefiddes's user avatar
7 votes
1 answer
13k views

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 ...
davefiddes's user avatar
9 votes
2 answers
8k views

Cannondale Lefty DLR Ti Fork Rebuild/Maintenance

I have a mountain bike with a 2003 Cannondale Lefty DLR Ti fork. As I've been riding the bike this season, I've noticed that the fork is behaving strangely. It doesn't seem to lockout fully and it is ...
Dan Moulding's user avatar
13 votes
3 answers
6k views

Bike tires need air every ride...is this normal?

I ride my bike maybe once a week at most. I need to add air to the tires every time to bring it up to the right pressure. (I ride a mountain bike and I put about 45 - 50 PSI's into the tires.) Is ...
milesmeow's user avatar
  • 2,363
17 votes
2 answers
8k views

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 ...
kristof's user avatar
  • 941
10 votes
3 answers
546 views

Which mountain bike pedal is most suitable for racing?

Which kind of mountain bike pedal is most suitable for racing? It needs to be pretty light, but also durable to be able to resist a tough race.
Johan Dahlin's user avatar
  • 2,878
8 votes
3 answers
1k views

Bottom Bracket Creaking

I have a 1993 Rockhopper frame that I'm riding as a singlespeed. I have some creaking around my bottom bracket. I've just recently stripped and painted the frame, and there wasn't anything ...
Zann Anderson's user avatar
56 votes
13 answers
38k views

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 ...
Jared Harley's user avatar
  • 2,111
15 votes
5 answers
7k views

What type of brakes are best for mountain bike racing?

Disc brakes are more expensive than v-brakes, but in a heavy rain they will break down. V-Brakes are becoming harder to find, but they're much easier to maintain and don't break down as easily. What ...
Johan Dahlin's user avatar
  • 2,878
6 votes
3 answers
6k views

Which country has the cheapest top-end mountain bikes? [closed]

I'm living in Brazil where top-end mountain bikes are very expensive, due to high import tariffs. I'd like to know which country has the cheapest top-end mountain bikes? top-end would mean a bike ...
Johan Dahlin's user avatar
  • 2,878
4 votes
1 answer
357 views

All Mountain Bomber recommendations

Looking for recommendations on a Full Suspension bike - trying to spend < $2000USD. Looking for an All-Mountain bike - something with at least 6" of travel but I don't want a full on DH or ...
kkeilman's user avatar
  • 954
50 votes
11 answers
113k views

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 ...
Brock Boland's user avatar
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