Nice pics! And a nice looking bike! The stem looks quite long, which would make it a more cross country bike, but it's bent slightly upward, the bike has riser handlebars, the top tube slopes downward, which makes it a bit more all mountain. The geometry looks good for having general fun!
I'd definitely try a shorter stem and mvoing your seat back a bit. Short stem - better steering Seat back - Weight on the back wheel = traction But if you are comfortable, ignore everything. Smart bike though.
WoW! Nothing escapes to your expert eye…. Thank you David, I think it´s exactly as you describe it. I´m getting used to that geometry, long stem and saddle position. Not bad, as far as I can tell, the bike is robust but heavy. Although I have nothing to compare to it weighs 15 kgs on the fat side. My legs looking desperately for more power! Btw… I bought it at SZ Parque Corredor, and guess what. Víctor, the SZ Gran Manzana mechanic we Know was there!. He will be transfered to the new SZ Majadahonda center. He said it will be a great facility over there. We have to think of an easy way to go there by bike through La CDC just in case. Cheers.
Oh, thank you Mackem... Yeah, I moved the saddle backwards and feel better now! Will give that stem an opportunity to see if it´s ok for me or not. Cheers!
In this case with a carbon saddle I´m sure this is the problem, I don´t recommend this kind of saddles, people normally use this for the only reason like the weight not for any other. The size of your saddle it depends of your body. In some bike shops like Specialized store have a template to prove which it´s your saddle size.
For a saddle, you have to buy this, at the price you would be crazy not to, I've tried many many saddles but this one is super... http://www.wiggle.co.uk/es/sillin-charge-spoon-con-railes-de-cromo-2011/
Interaptor! For your bike with this tyres is enough to ride&ride as you tell . Only if you want something more with grip and traction you can keep your front tyre and use it in the rear wheel in the future, when you will finish the rear tyre and in this case you can put something with more grip in front. This is a good option. Normally I use a front tyre in 2.20 size with more lateral grip and in the rear wheel a tyre in 2.0 size in this only I want some traction and with good rolling. On this moments in using GEAX AKA 2.20 in the front wheel and SPECIALIZED CAPTAIN 2.0 in the rear wheel, as I wrote in this thread I use this combination in dry conditions, in fact the AKA with humid conditions works quite bad but in dry is the best tyre I have been prove
Interaptor, you should find the best saddle position for you. Maybe you know that conventional wisdom says that for the best fore-aft position of the saddle, when the pedals are horizontal, the knee of the forward leg should be lined up with the pedal spindle. But here's a long-winded article saying that KOPS (Knee Over the Pedal Spindle) is arbitrary because everyone has a different physique. Anyway, I'm interested in this because of the knee problems I've been hearing about due to riding position. http://sheldonbrown.com/kops.html Cool! Although I personally steer clear of the extreme stuff.
Well, about positions I use the indications listed in the Excel file that is tumbling around the forum (btw (c) by one of my route partners ) It has fixed some of my aches caused by bad biking positions, 100% worth; if combined with a proper cleat position it's one of the best things that can be done to avoid dumb injuries http://www.foromtb.com/showthread.php/662413-TALLAJE-DE-BICICLETAS-MTB-Y-CARRETERA-RENOVADA
Cool! Thank you guys. Wow! Personal tips, traditional ways, old sayings and technical excel information Wow! With your help it is impossible not to find the right position. I feel like a child singing that song Row, row, row your boat, Gently down the stream. Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, Life is but a dream. Cheers!
Definitely that stem's angle it's way too upright for our standards, I've been able to take a look at the pics now! in my opinion also the saddle's tip it's a bit downwards.... but seriosly, grab a metric tape and take measures with the excel file and probably you'll double check what the mate's trained eye has told you above The issue is that as as you are new in MTB you won't know if you're comfortable or not.... as you haven't tried anything else!
Yeap!!! You´re right DavidVSP, my only reference on this is my road bike position that I guess is not the same when on a MTB. Since I also like everything in the technical side of whatever answer, I will follow the Excel file directions and measurements you gave me. This will be for sure my first model to be followed. Thank you for your time to let me know and your ride´s partner to have been able to make such a complete and accurate file to help us all!. We will meet up to go for a ride when Chainring´s Ok. Cheers.
hi guys, thank you very much by you advices about saddle but now can not buy a saddle by cheap that been, but thank I now very busy by so that I can not ride at bike I'm studying of 7 o'clok at 1 o'clok by morning and after of 3 o'clok at 6 o'clok, it's crazy
I´m in the same situation but working on this moments. I´m crazy but I have sometimes near two hours during the week and I ride with the racing bike, for me it´s perfect to cutt off my daily job.
Yeah, sometimes it's hard to find time for a bike ride, but I suppose you've got to make time. By the way, does anybody here have any experience with tubeless tyres? I'm wondering if I should go tubeless on my next bike. I read an article (below) about them and they sound like a pain, like they're not really worth the trouble. But last August when I was riding in Galicia, they were the in thing. The problem is in Galicia there are stickers everywhere and apparently tubeless tyres are much less prone to flats. They can also run at lower pressure so you get better traction. http://www.utahmountainbiking.com/goodies/go-tubeless.htm
Chainring my tyres are tubeless. In all tyres the tubeless version has differents compounds and more grip. In my case my tyres are tubeless only the Specialized Captain is 2BLISS is not a tubeless tyre but you can make it. With my experience , the tubeless has more grip and obviously you forget the flats. For other part has more maintence, In my case every month I put tubeless liquid in both tyres. I recommend it !
According to the article above in English, a disadvantage of tubeless tires is that you really need an air compressor or CO2 cartridge to inflate the tire. So if you're riding out in the mountains and the air leaks out, you can't inflate the tire with a hand pump; you need to take a CO2 cartridge with you, and they're expensive! Another disadvantage is that, besides a CO2 cartridge, you should take a spare tyre with you. Do you do this, Armentano? By the way, I found another article about tubeless tires, this one in Spanish and a lot more positive. It doesn't mention CO2 cartridges at all. Most people I know are like you, Armentano, they recommend them. http://biciblog.com/material/tubeless-si-o-tubeless-no/
Obviously not from my experience!, but from other guys experiences, going tubeless is in essence a good idea but results are not always trouble free… so good idea if working fine, a pain in the neck if they´re not. Pros exceeding cons or vice versa seem to be a very hazardous fact when you have to properly seal the wheel to hold the air, to pump it up with special tools, to periodically refresh the fluid and to follow the directions of the fluid´s bottle to the letter otherwise it could be a mess…It sounds like a lot of work especially when you think of a tubeless conversion (which, btw, it´s not easy to build…. Tubeless ready wheels and tires are not that work but working with sealants can be tricky. The bottom line here´s to use components specifically designed for tubeless but the work on the wheels remains. Although a great flat tolerance, the fluid inside lasts for… 6 months? The sealant cost equals the cost of a tube every 6 months. Mathematically it´s a question of the flats you get in a year plus the expensive material to go tubeless you need to buy. But I´m afraid this is not such a simple decision. Tubeless, as Armentano and many people say, give you a light and better control feel on the bike due to lower pressures and less rotational weigh. Puncture almost free as well… Don´t know if it really worth the work and the money. Pd.- Do you always need to take that CO2 bottle and a spare tyre with you??? Cheers.
I've never used tubeless tyres because I dont like the idea of having to use high pressure just to get them on. You can use a normal tube in a tubeless tyre, so if you have a puncture you can use that instead of using Co2 cans. The main reason I havent gone tubelss though is that I dont want to buy some new wheels, I like mine and see no need to get new ones. As for puncture protection, with cheap tyres I have used "slime tubes" and quite often I go 6 months without having to do anything to the, Yes, they weigh a bit more but just go to the toilet before a ride and the difference is gone. Modern tyres, with multiple compounds and puncture resistance is the way forward, I used to just buy cheap tyres but now I see the sense in good ones. For example the Nobby Nics with snakeskin protection. They are light, have excellent grip and I can use normal tubes in them. I dont get many puncture either, so overall an excellent balance of things for me.
