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kimbo305 posted:Oh also, I'm guessing you have Shimano based on what I think is SLX on the RD in your pic. Yeah, it's an SLX derailleur and shifter, Sunrace 11-46 cassette and a 32t Race Face NW chainring bolted to ancient 175mm Deore 3x8 cranks. The cheapest option would be to get a 34 or 36t chainring and just suck up the loss of the low gears. The Deore 5100 derailleur and cassette would get me 11-51 but at that point I'm replacing almost the whole groupset and I might as well go 12 speed. The issue there is my rear wheel, which is an old DT Swiss 240s 10x135mm where I think my options are a 12 speed HG cassette, an expensive conversion kit to 10x135 XD, or a slightly less expensive conversion to 5x135 microspline (because for some reason DT don't do this in a 10mm).
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Apr 22, 2024 18:11
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Scrapez posted:A "downcountry" bike might be the sweet spot you're looking for. Full suspension but shorter travel than a trail bike and longer travel than an XC bike. Thanks! I will look at the Scott spark and try it out at the shop. Specialized is apparently a no go here, nothing is in stock anywhere. It’s either Scott hardtails or Trek Fullsuspension I see on the trails.. or the e-bikes, sure love those here in Denmark.
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Apr 22, 2024 19:16
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Riding bikes in the woods is so dang fun. I was thinking today on my ride how surprised I was that riding this trail near my house still felt so difficult to me, even though I've done it a few dozen times since I first started mountain biking last year. Then I check Strava after I got home and see I PR'd a couple climbs and downhill segments about 30% faster than my previous best. I guess it's really true when people say it doesn't get easier, you just get faster.  Anyway here's my bike taking a rest in the creek on my ride. Hoping to spend a lot more time on the bike this year. Hopefully one day soon I'll actually ride this creek crossing instead of walking it... 
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Apr 25, 2024 15:44
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That bike looks very sexy.
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Apr 25, 2024 16:16
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agreed, karate monkeys are so dope
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Apr 25, 2024 17:09
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It feels great to ride through a creek crossing that is too wide to keep dry feet as a pedestrian.
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Apr 25, 2024 20:17
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I had a really good ride today, can really feel muscle improvement since I started. Now that I'm wearing a helmet my confidence has gone way up and I am quickly outgrowing my Schwinn. Still only hitting up the small trail in my neighborhood, but it is still offering plenty of challenge and learning for me. I need to take a day and do some maintenance to my bike like tightening up some cables that have some slack. I have a water bottle and a little storage bag now which have both been great additions. I got the Trailforks app which shows me the bigger trails in my area which I am going to check out. This is a pretty good example of the terrain I will be riding around here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngGV__ok85o I am still practicing getting my front wheel off the ground which is going well. I have successfully gotten over some small branches that I could ride over, but I am just practicing form and timing. Still can't get my back wheel up, but I need to build up more confidence in my balance. I am realizing I am quickly outgrowing the bike that I have and I want to get a better bike. I've expanded my cost options up a bit and have found some bikes that I think would work great for me, however it's like nothing is available in stock anywhere. I keep going back to that Ozark Trail, which might not be the best, but its available today if I want it and I can upgrade it which I would love to tinker on. Browsing used markets daily have produced nothing yet, but I am better informed than I was a month ago or whenever I started this.
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Apr 26, 2024 04:56
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Make sure you have a dropper post!
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Apr 26, 2024 10:30
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Used markets are hosed as everyone wants covid prices for ten year old bikes when new models are on sale.
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Apr 26, 2024 20:02
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Polish posted:I had a really good ride today, can really feel muscle improvement since I started. Now that I'm wearing a helmet my confidence has gone way up and I am quickly outgrowing my Schwinn. Still only hitting up the small trail in my neighborhood, but it is still offering plenty of challenge and learning for me. I need to take a day and do some maintenance to my bike like tightening up some cables that have some slack. I have a water bottle and a little storage bag now which have both been great additions. I got the Trailforks app which shows me the bigger trails in my area which I am going to check out. Where are you located?
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Apr 26, 2024 21:24
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I'm in SE PA outside of Philly. Some helpful goons looked through some things for me when I first posted and found some bikes and such but I was still unsure about getting really in to this.
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Apr 27, 2024 05:44
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Polish posted:Still can't get my back wheel up, but I need to build up more confidence in my balance. Practice pointing your toes down, pushing back into your pedals so your shoes are gripping tight (ly as they can), leaning forward a bit, and scooping the rear of the bike upwards by curling your legs up while your front wheel keeps rolling. Just roll along at 5mph and do that repeatedly. Once you have down, you can practice clearing small obstacles in distinct front wheel, back wheel phases. Ultimately, you wanna hop into the air before scooping to maximize rear clearance.
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Apr 27, 2024 05:51
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Also just try bringing only your back wheel up without using the brakes (obviously).
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Apr 27, 2024 06:04
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kimbo305 posted:Practice pointing your toes down, pushing back into your pedals so your shoes are gripping tight (ly as they can), leaning forward a bit, and scooping the rear of the bike upwards by curling your legs up while your front wheel keeps rolling. Yeah I have watched a bunch of different takes on it and I think I have the methodology down, but doing it in practice well.. just needs practice. I am confident I will get it fairly quickly. I really over-think things and don't tend to just let go and let things happen which really holds me back. I know that is a mental hurdle I need to overcome. I am still getting in to shape and the small area I ride in is like, always uphill. I have always been a more leg strength kinda person with playing hockey goalie for years and I've just been a lump of poo poo the last couple years as I stopped doing almost any physical activity. But I have been riding basically always uphill for the past few weeks, and it is a loving struggle but I enjoy that more than going down hill. Going down hill at speed I constantly keep over-thinking that I am going to crash and break a bone or something which holds me back. Where as I really enjoy the challenge of climbing uphill. I am guessing that isn't the norm because almost everyone looks like they are doing this to fly downhills and get adrenaline going, which is exciting. I dunno, I just gotta let go a bit to get better, and I am just ranting at this point.
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Apr 27, 2024 06:06
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If you can, set up your phone beside your practice area and record what you're doing. Sometimes you think you're doing something but in reality it's way off. Comparing how you're executing it vs the demo videos you've watched could be revealing.
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Apr 27, 2024 06:08
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kimbo305 posted:If you can, set up your phone beside your practice area and record what you're doing. Sometimes you think you're doing something but in reality it's way off. That is a great idea and my nephews would love to record it.
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Apr 27, 2024 06:56
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in a well actually posted:Used markets are hosed as everyone wants covid prices for ten year old bikes when new models are on sale. always lowball. if they didnt want to get lowballed they should have been better at posting (a classified ad)
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Apr 27, 2024 07:07
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If I am standing while pedaling up hill, should I try to move me weight more toward the back of the bike? I usually end up standing straighter up with most of my weight toward the front because its easier to pedal. I would think I want my weight on the back tire since that is the drive tire, but it also could not matter. This applies to the steeper hills where I am really hammer pedaling. Did some maintenance after my ride which included tightening up my brake cables that I guess have stretched. Cleaned and re oiled my derailleur and chain, and installed my new pedals.
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Apr 30, 2024 01:22
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I think weight forward like what you're doing is exactly what you want on an uphill. I've definitely found myself in instances where my weight was too far back on a steep incline and as I was crawling up my front wheel pops off the ground if it isn't weighted enough. This is from personal experience though and not from actually knowing what I'm talking about.
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Apr 30, 2024 01:38
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If you mean extended climbs ideally you stay in the saddle and lean into the bars. This keeps the weight centered and low. If you come up and take too much weight off the back on a steep climb you will lose traction. If you're doing short punchy climbs on a trail you just need to maintain speed to roll them and adjust position dynamically with the bike same as you'd do the rest of the time.
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Apr 30, 2024 01:49
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Bottom Liner posted:If you mean extended climbs ideally you stay in the saddle and lean into the bars. This keeps the weight centered and low. If you come up and take too much weight off the back on a steep climb you will lose traction. I currently have my seat all the way down because I am trying to practice balance and bunny hops. I guess I could stop and adjust my seat up higher at different points in my ride so I could sit during uphill climbs, but the area I am in the climbs aren't super long and I can just push through it while standing. Getting up over roots on an uphill climb is a bitch. Maybe I should try to find a happier medium with my seat now that I figured out how to get my front wheel off the ground. Whenever I get my new bike a dropper post is going to be the first upgrade.
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Apr 30, 2024 04:20
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For climbs you definitely want your seat high, your butt on the saddle to keep the weight on your rear wheel, but leaning forward to avoid your front wheel lifting. If you don't have a dropper post you should fix that ASAP.
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Apr 30, 2024 05:12
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Yeep posted:Yeah, it's an SLX derailleur and shifter, Sunrace 11-46 cassette and a 32t Race Face NW chainring bolted to ancient 175mm Deore 3x8 cranks. The cheapest option would be to get a 34 or 36t chainring and just suck up the loss of the low gears. The Deore 5100 derailleur and cassette would get me 11-51 but at that point I'm replacing almost the whole groupset and I might as well go 12 speed. The issue there is my rear wheel, which is an old DT Swiss 240s 10x135mm where I think my options are a 12 speed HG cassette, an expensive conversion kit to 10x135 XD, or a slightly less expensive conversion to 5x135 microspline (because for some reason DT don't do this in a 10mm). I got a really good deal on a used M8100 groupset (cranks, chainring, shifter and derailleur). Does anyone have any experience with E*Thirteen or ZTTO 9x50 cassettes? I can't justify the cost of a new SRAM XD cassette and I could really do with a 10t or 9t so I don't have to buy an expensive 36t chainring. I'm currently using an 11 speed SunRace cassette so I'm not fussy about performance so long as it works and doesn't fall apart.
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Apr 30, 2024 15:33
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I’ve run a couple e*thirteen TSR+ cassettes so I can keep running HG, and they’ve been pretty trouble free. They definitely fill a bit of a niche, which I appreciate. You do get some bigger gearing jumps, but nothing is too clunky really and shifting remains smooth across the range.
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Apr 30, 2024 15:51
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I haven't been biking in awhile due to multiple health issues. Still hoping maybe this summer I'll get out after surgery... I found out that my neck/trap pain that I've had on pretty much every bike was due to my poo poo form and bad upper back posture (craning neck to look up the trail when I should have been more upright in my slouching upper back and using my eyes to look up instead). Now I have arthritis in my neck from it so not sure how much longer I can really ride. A bike fit didn't really help but I have tried adding some bizzaro parts to make my nice bike look really stupid. Imagine this goofy rear end stem and bar setup on a carbon bike with factory suspension.  https://tumbleweed.cc/products/persuader-bar + https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08QY87BD3?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1 I have no idea how this will work on a trail but the cockpit is way more upright now at least. I worry about getting any weight over the front wheel now but the trails here are fairly tame at least. PSA to listen to what your body is telling you and try and fix it before you break it irreparably. I did try to fix it (to be fair) but kept riding anyway through the pain.
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May 2, 2024 15:26
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drat man. Really sorry to hear this. Hopefully you can adjust the bike and maybe some combo of surgery/PT/strengthening can help you be out there.
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May 2, 2024 17:42
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High five chronic bike health issue bud. The past few years every time I did a big bikepacking trip I'd get really sick the following week followed by a tooth ache. Turns out my widsom teeth have been causing all kinds of complications in my sinuses and head. Having them removed next week and hoping I see a big improvement.
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May 2, 2024 19:39
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Suburban Dad posted:I haven't been biking in awhile due to multiple health issues. Still hoping maybe this summer I'll get out after surgery... I found out that my neck/trap pain that I've had on pretty much every bike was due to my poo poo form and bad upper back posture (craning neck to look up the trail when I should have been more upright in my slouching upper back and using my eyes to look up instead). Now I have arthritis in my neck from it so not sure how much longer I can really ride. A bike fit didn't really help but I have tried adding some bizzaro parts to make my nice bike look really stupid. Imagine this goofy rear end stem and bar setup on a carbon bike with factory suspension. I have a persuader bar that I like a lot. One note is that when I initially set it up, I tried to get a similar reach setup as on my flat bars (which meant a longer stem than usual on a mountain bike, 80mm I think) and I ended up feeling way too stretched out. I ended up with just a marginally longer stem (went from 35mm to 50mm) and was happy with that. So definitely play with the both the stem length and bar width if you feel uncomfortable.
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May 2, 2024 20:00
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I went for a ride today. I need to do this my often, I felt absolutely gassed today.
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May 2, 2024 23:37
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spwrozek posted:drat man. Really sorry to hear this. Hopefully you can adjust the bike and maybe some combo of surgery/PT/strengthening can help you be out there. Thanks. The surgery planned is something completely unrelated that also prevents me from riding but I'll spare more e/n details. I lost the genetic lottery, lol. Bottom Liner posted:High five chronic bike health issue bud. Sad but true
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May 3, 2024 00:35
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Been riding a ton. I put my new pedals on and they are much thinner and wider than the old plastic ones. They seem to be hitting the ground more often on some terrain, but its just something I have to get used to. I have been practicing going off a small jump which I finally got my back tire off of today. Confidence is soaring and I still haven't outgrown the trails by my house. I took some pictures of them: Two little bump/jumps  Central jumping area  Bottom of the chute on the right, it is fairly steep and lots of roots  Nice little loop area where I can practice bunny hopping over stuff and going up uneven terrain  Water crossing leading to the old farm      Old farm trail. The one hill is pretty steep and super fun and scary to go down on my 200 dollar Schwinn. Went through and cut back the rose bushes from most of the trails today and got a nice ride in. Down 6 lbs from when I started and going up hills is almost nothing now. Feels good man. Elevation does not show up on camera apparently. Also, I have really been looking in to my next bike and I think it might be a GT Avalanche Comp 29". https://gtbicycles.com/collections/hardtail-mountain-bikes/products/avalanche-comp?variant=47538723750185 It has most of the features I want and is within my price range and availability. Polish fucked around with this message at 00:41 on May 3, 2024 |
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May 3, 2024 00:35
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Suburban Dad posted:I haven't been biking in awhile due to multiple health issues. Still hoping maybe this summer I'll get out after surgery... I found out that my neck/trap pain that I've had on pretty much every bike was due to my poo poo form and bad upper back posture (craning neck to look up the trail when I should have been more upright in my slouching upper back and using my eyes to look up instead). Now I have arthritis in my neck from it so not sure how much longer I can really ride. A bike fit didn't really help but I have tried adding some bizzaro parts to make my nice bike look really stupid. Imagine this goofy rear end stem and bar setup on a carbon bike with factory suspension. I can relate for sure - I've always had poo poo posture and eventually my back just locked up to the point I couldn't get out of bed. Posture and shoulders/low back issues are very common for those of us who spend most of our time either at a desk or on a bike. My current physio referred to it as the prawn position - rounded back, craned neck. It manifests as short, very tight hip flexors, rounded in shoulders, with a weaker posterior chain. I really can't recommend physical therapy highly enough. I've been to several physios over the years and the prescription and homework has always been fairly similar with mobility and strength exercises to open up the chest and shoulders, stretch and release the tension in the hip flexors, and strengthen the posterior chain. Any PT halfway good will have seen these issues before and will have a good program to help you. I'd recommend someone who specifically works with cyclists if possible. Go for a consult sooner rather than later if your health and planned surgery allows. Good luck, I've been there and it will get better.
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May 3, 2024 02:23
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Polish posted:Been riding a ton. I put my new pedals on and they are much thinner and wider than the old plastic ones. They seem to be hitting the ground more often on some terrain, but its just something I have to get used to. I have been practicing going off a small jump which I finally got my back tire off of today. Confidence is soaring and I still haven't outgrown the trails by my house. I took some pictures of them: This all kicks rear end. Nice job!!
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May 3, 2024 04:15
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VacaGrande posted:I can relate for sure - I've always had poo poo posture and eventually my back just locked up to the point I couldn't get out of bed. Posture and shoulders/low back issues are very common for those of us who spend most of our time either at a desk or on a bike. My current physio referred to it as the prawn position - rounded back, craned neck. It manifests as short, very tight hip flexors, rounded in shoulders, with a weaker posterior chain. I really can't recommend physical therapy highly enough. I've been to several physios over the years and the prescription and homework has always been fairly similar with mobility and strength exercises to open up the chest and shoulders, stretch and release the tension in the hip flexors, and strengthen the posterior chain. Any PT halfway good will have seen these issues before and will have a good program to help you. I'd recommend someone who specifically works with cyclists if possible. Go for a consult sooner rather than later if your health and planned surgery allows. Yeah that sounds about right. My hip flexors are very tight and one side has tendonitis due to a previous surgery there. 
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May 3, 2024 10:31
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Polish posted:If I am standing while pedaling up hill, should I try to move me weight more toward the back of the bike?
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May 3, 2024 11:21
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