I think I want a new Bike... again...

ozzybmx

taking a shit with my boobs out
Noticed pedal type makes a big difference with pedal strikes, used to ride only Time ATAC XC style pedals with very occasional pedal strikes, went to the Time ATAC MX which have the composite surround, striking those regular.

Then the obvious, suspension sag/softness, BB height, crank length and terrain type.
 

ozzybmx

taking a shit with my boobs out
Loving it... come back here to learn some shit, 7-8 posts since there was help for folk, bullshit the whole way down.... Rotorburn is one of the last surviving forums.

Juicers, Car oil, Biscuits and Wank.
 

Nambra

Definitely should have gone to specsavers
I currently have a 2016 Transition Smuggler (29er) that I was happy enough with. I then bought a Norco Torrent hardtail. The hardtail hardly ever has pedal strikes and I have noticed that if I have been riding the hardatil for a while I get tonnes of pedal strikes on the Smuggler again. Other things I love is the 2.8 (can go 3.0) wide tyres that still have tonnes of clearance around the frame and chainstays. Something the Smuggler lacks is tyre clearance. If i run through any sticky form of mud it quickly starts to wedge up between the tyre and the frame.
On the Smuggler I hardly ever get flat tyres or sidewall tears but have gone through 2 tyres already on the Torrent and just fucked a third today. now obviously I am writing this with a bit of a hatred on both bikes but whilst loving them too.
Currently I am not in a position to just get a new bike however I started thinking on the way home from the trails. If I sell the Smuggler and buy a frame that has threaded bottom bracket / 140 mm travel front and boost spacing wheels I could take everything off the Torrent and put it on the new frame. then eventually just rebuild up the Torrent with new stuff.
The discussion I need is really around boost / plus sized wheels dual suspension and pedal strikes. Is the nature of dual suspension going to mean more pedal strikes or will boost wheels and more travel give me a higher bb and more clearance?
Whilst an increase in pedal strikes can be partly attributed to the long/low/slack geometry trend, the rider is also part of the equation too IMO. That's not to say your abilities are the issue - swapping between a HT and FS with a 'variable' BB height just needs to be part of the thought process when riding, and adjust your technique to suit. Think on how the pedal strikes are occurring, is it due to the inside foot being down on a corner, or when traversing obstacles when you could pause at horizontal / pedal again when clear, etc.?

And some further musings to add to your own... A frame with boost spacing will not necessarily give you room for bigger rear tyres, but a 29/27.5+ frame will, or even a 29+ frame. Running 2.8" rubber on a FS bike isn't likely to increase the durability of the same tyre either - plus tyres have thinner casings to keep weight down and simply have more physical sidewall to attract sharp shit. Banging them on a dually could possibly be disadvantageous too - the big tyres will soak up a lot of trail chatter and make a dual suspension bike feel less lively. Shock tuning might overcome this, or you might find you need a little more air in the tyre for the bike to feel less wallowy, but this could also increase the chances of flats?
 

Ultra Lord

Hurts. Requires Money. And is nerdy.
I have to double check this again I think I have 2 now I had 3 before I dropped all the weight. I don't seem to be bottoming out but I certainly could be in the lower half of the travel a lot more than I should be. I like the way it rides I have just lost a lot of confidence in it due to the last crash (pedal strike). I also know fucking tyres is part of the deal in MTB'ing but I went so long with out this happening and I really feel confident on the Forekaster's but $100 a tyre is getting tedious.

You are all right I should just get an E-Bike......
Plus tyres are always going to be weaker than normal sized jobbies, all in the name of weight. Keep the tranny for hard rides? Less pedalling more pumping and be wary of what your pedals are doin.

It’s funny how as you get faster, things break, then you become accustomed to the new speed so smoothness returns and you stop breaking stuff as much.



Don’t go an electric bike, grab a new eurotrash enduro bike
 

Dales Cannon

lightbrain about 4pm
Staff member
@Minlak how low does the pedal get under load? See whether it is fixable with suspension set up or technique. Sounds like you need (another) new bike though...

:p
 

Oddjob

Merry fucking Xmas to you assholes
I kind of went through this with my SAM. Great enduro bike that is very light and flickable but the constant pedal strikes drove me nuts and I had to get tank like pedals to stand up to the constant hits.

In the end I used offset bushings for the rear shock to get the bb up and an -1° angleset headset to increase the stack and slacken out the head angle. This raised the bb by about 10mm and made a huge difference to the rock strikes. It also steepened the sta and slackened the ha by 0.5° which made the bikeclimb and descend better. Overall I was really happy with the result with minimal outlay.

Sent from my SM-G900I using Tapatalk
 
I can relate to this a bit. I have built up a banshee prime about 6 months ago and find I’m smashing my pedals heaps. The low bb that is so nice and stable has a definite downside. I know I could help stop this by putting the rear end in the high position or adding travel to the fork but I just love the way everything else works so I’m super reluctant. I am trying to focus on better timing and technique for a while before changing the bike around.

I have just rebuilt my old 429 (robbed it for the banshee build) which is far more old fashioned in its geometry. Riding it again yesterday showed the higher bb removed any chance of belting my pedals.

The old girl still climbs so well but my banshee is a lot more fun on the way down. I’m happy comprising to have that extra stability but I can totally understand your issue. Keen to see how you get on.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

yes, he should get a Prime
 

Dozer

Heavy machinery.
Staff member
Hey @Minlak I have swapped the 2.8's on my Torrent to 2.5 (still Minion front but an Aggressor rear) and it has improved the bike. No shit, it still does all the things you're used to that you love but is a little more agile and climbs that bit better. The grip level hasn't changed for me on the trails I ride and I'm running a bit more pressure in my tyres than what I was in the 2.8's.
Now, consider this as part of your dilemma 'cause I'm in a similar boat to you. The Torrent is an awesome bike to ride, it's a point and shoot no fuss ball of fun. You get used to riding an aggressive hardtail then you jump on your wallowing dual suspension bike (of any brand, not a Tranny or Intense etc) and it feels like dog shit. I'm all over the place on my Tracer and cannot for the life of me fall in love with the thing but I get back on the Torrent and it's love all over again.
How can I cure this bogus thing? My only vibe is that I need to go back to a shorter travel dual suspension bike (Tracer is 160mm, 650B) and have it feel almost similar to the hardtail. Or I could just ride the hardtail on everything? Or I could just be content to ride what I have and just enjoy it? This is keeping me awake at night. ;)
 
Top