# Ouch! Baptism by fire..... now I need a MTB >:)



## ChrisEyles (19 Sep 2015)

I went out mountain biking for the first time ever this morning with my wife and a friend from work. We went to the trail centre in Haldon forest and rented some of the hire bikes there (650b hardtails). 

Had an absolutely awesome time bombing along the trails! Unfortunately my enthusiasm rapidly overtook my experience and after a couple of hours I thought I'd try and get some serious air off a nice downhill bump.... not quite sure what happened after that but ended up sliding through the flinty mud on my knees and face with the bike on top of me, to be met by horrified glances all around when I got to my feet - urk! 

Knee is now pretty fooked (hopefully nothing actually serious just swollen so bad I can't really walk on it at the moment) and face is stinging like the blazes (I have a good action-hero cut/graze from forehead to cheekbone).... 

But what's this? I seem to be opening multiple ebay and gumtree tabs and looking for a mountain bike! Might have to take it a little more cautiously next time but it was so much fun I *have* to give it another go. 

I really like the look of the old GT bikes with the "triple triangle" frames, especially the older ones with more-or-less horizontal top tubes. Budget will be, well, budget for a MTB (I guess around £50 or so) but I will keep an eye out for second hand ones, something's bound to come up sooner or later. 

Any tips for how not to catapult off the bike next time (or any good resources for these)? I more or less know what I'm doing on a road bike, but these seem to be rather different beasts!


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## Deleted member 23692 (19 Sep 2015)

Just for you...


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdaZjiun9AE


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## ChrisEyles (19 Sep 2015)

Haha! I think I've got the taking off bit nailed, it's just the landing that seemed to be a touch problematic!


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## mustang1 (19 Sep 2015)

Ha good post! Happy MTB hunting!

I too am useless off road and don't ride the MTB as much as I want to. But whenever I do, its a whole bunch of fun.


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## ChrisEyles (19 Sep 2015)

Right, next question to assist me in my search:

Is it feasible to do blue/red trails in a spirited fashion on a fully rigid vintage MTB as a newbie, or would I just be setting myself up for more disastrous wipe-outs? There is a nice old GT Tequesta going (a bit of a drive away, but very well priced), but it's fully rigid... and my knee still hurts a lot...


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## Hugh Manatee (20 Sep 2015)

Hello Chris. I'm sort of into the retro mountain bike thing. My main ride is a 1988 Saracen Kili Flier and I also have a 1990 version used for touring and a very early Brontrager titanium. The GT bikes from that era are very highly regarded, indeed the Zaskar is an all time classic considered the first 'hooligan' attack/jump bike.

Back then the suspension was the tyres and I tend to spend a lot of time out of the saddle absorbing hits and rattles that moderns don't even notice. I have recently purchased a new bike for my daughter. Not an expensive bike by any means, a £450 Norco I think, but I have noticed a few things.

The position. Moderns seem to emulate the bike your local vicar used to ride around on. Despite being a 18.5 frame with 650B wheels, I felt like a bookend! Very sit up and beg. Old bikes tend to put you into a more stretched position. My 1990 bike came fitted with a 150mm zero rise stem! Arse up, head down was considered the racey way to ride (giggidy). That GT doesn't look too bad as it tended to be the high end machined aimed at weekend racers with the extreme positions.

The current fashion now is for bars so wide you really need to be a gibbon to ride the thing. I still don't know why this is. There is always some radical gnarly dude wrapped around a tree or lying on the trail in front of his bike still upright pinned between two trees whenever I ride Cannock chase. My race bike had 21" bars. That GT has bar ends, possibly part of the actual bars? These in my opinion aid climbing and comfort thanks to more varied hand positions.

Tyres (and indeed frame clearance for them) tended to be around 1.95" and of course were 26" size. These are harder to find now especially in the required gum wall configuration. The holy grail would be white Onza Porcupines, good examples of which sell for hundreds of pounds on ebay. I have just fitted gum wall Charge Splashbacks which I got for the crazy price of £11 per pair!! Personally, I hate the fashion of all black tyres as it makes the wheels look very heavy.

Gearing. What has happened to mountain bike ratios? Again, in my opinion, if God rode a bike, He would go for chain ring sizes of 24-36-46 and a cassette with a 12-28 spread. I am an old fat man and never get off and push if I can possibly help it. I have ridden over the years places such as Dartmoor, Halden, The Peaks, Devon bridle paths and Cannock chase both for pleasure and racing. I have also toured fully laden with the same ratios and not struggled. Visually, modern bikes look all wrong to me because the big chainring doesn't overlap the tyre. Yuk!

Brakes. The first go I had on my daughter's bike made me think, Wow! Even the cheap Tektro hydraulic disks are really very good. Some chaps on Retrobike say cantilevers as fitted to bike in the picture can be set up to be almost as good, but I'm not so sure! My hands and wrists sure hurt more than my legs do after a ride. I Have fiddled with and experimented with cantis for years and still haven't found the perfect set up. A lad on one of those weird fat things had a go on my Saracen and immediately fell off (very funny) because, "The brakes don't work." I thought they were working pretty well. One youngster congratulated me on riding a nasty rocky downhill stretch on my old bike. Apparently I was like, radical gnarly man! Truth was I had frantically tried to stop and walk it but couldn't manage to brake in time! I have one bike fitted with (in my mind) modern Shimano XT Vee brakes as the wide profile cantilevers fouled the panniers. It looks wrong but, my word they are very good. Consider also Magura HS-33 hydraulic rim brakes. I'm not sure if that GT has the Groove Tube running along the bottom of the top tube? This might complicate fitting other braking systems.

Suspension. At least 100mm seems to be the minimum these days. I say a rigid bike makes you a better rider more in tune with the process. You have to look ahead and plan your line. Try to smash your way down and rely on the bike to soak up all your mistakes won't work for long! I suppose it is horses for courses! Personally, I have no desire to ride the Black routes with huge jumps and drop offs. I do ride the Red Routes on Cannock, don't need to get off and embarrass a few youngsters each time I go up there especially on the climbs. The little gits do catch me on the downhills easily enough though! For the record, I have a Flexstem and an Alsop Softride stem to try and protect my ruined shoulders. The Bontager has an early Pace fork offering a huge 50mm travel!

If, like me, mountain biking is going to be an occasional thing, the GT would be fine. Modern bikes will stop a lot quicker and allow you to get away with stuff that the old bike would punish you for but simply develop a riding style in tune with what you have.

I started cycling seriously as a mountain biker waaay back in the late 80s. I bought a road bike simply to get fitter for racing the MTB. It has swung the other way for me now but occasionally I get the urge to get muddy and when this happens the old 89 Saracen is the bike I reach for.

Sorry for the long reply! Additional: That GT has the finest shifters type ever!


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## ChrisEyles (20 Sep 2015)

Thanks a lot @Hugh Manatee for the in-depth reply - very useful info indeed to have while I search around. 

Yes, I think MTBing will be more of an occasional thing for me, so I'm not keen on splashing too much cash on one. 

Totally agree on the sit-up-and-beg position and crazy wide bars (and super short stem) of a modern MTB. To me the hire bikes felt incredibly solid and indestructibly ride-over-anything hence a lot of fun bombing downhill over bumpy ground, but they didn't feel at all lively in their handling. A 150mm zero rise stem might be a bit too much of a good thing for me but like you say most of the lower end 90s bikes are a bit more of a happy medium. 

I have cantilever brakes on my touring bike, and they are definitely a good deal stronger than any road bike caliper brake I've used... but I can still envision the odd enforced "gnarly" descent happening on them like you said! The vee brakes on my wife's bike are superb though (I'd say nearly as good as the disc brakes on the bikes we hired), so I'd consider upgrading to these. 

If it were closer I'd jump at the pictured GT Tequesta, but it is around a 5hr round trip to pick it up, and if it doesn't fit..... plus at the moment the knee is making walking/driving impossible not to mention riding. 

I think you've convinced me that a 90s rigid (or short-travel front suss) is the way to go though


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## ChrisEyles (21 Sep 2015)

Thanks @Jolly Julia  You bet I'll watch out in future.... having to take time off work as not able to walk or drive, let alone cycle is not much fun! Can't even get into the garage to tinker with my bikes > Am definitely going to get back out there and get down that hill in one piece next time!


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## ChrisEyles (21 Sep 2015)

now this looks even better: 






if it had a horizontal top tube it might actually be worth the insanely long drive (why are all the beautiful bikes so far away from Devon!). Must... resist... (at least until I can drive again, I don't think Mrs Chris would be at all amused otherwise!)


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## ChrisEyles (21 Sep 2015)

My friend at work just sent me this picture from our outing - sore but happy  






Managed to walk (well, hobble) upstairs today which is a relief - was starting to think I should maybe take the knee to the docs, but seems to be going in the right direction now


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## Pale Rider (22 Sep 2015)

I agree about modern bars being too wide, but they can usually be chopped.

They are supposed to give better leverage on difficult down hill trails, but that's not relevant to most of us.

On the topic of steering, a short stem is worth having to give a more direct feel.

The yellow GT looks a nice bike, but with that stem I expect the steering will be woolly.


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## Motozulu (22 Sep 2015)

Must admit I've bought into the wide bars thing - I'm not really a downhiller, but I've gradually gone from 620mm bars up to my 760mm ones on both MTB's now. I like the way it opens up the chest on climbs and I find I just have more control in general of the bike on anything that's fast.


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## ChrisEyles (23 Sep 2015)

@Pale Rider, yes the hire bikes at the trail centre had exceptionally short stems - this contributed to the sit up and beg position I think. Normally I like to be a lot more stretched out on a bike, but then again I'm still struggling to get my head around the MTB posture scooting way way back on (or off!) the saddle. Once I find a suitable bike I guess I'll have to experiment with a few different set-ups. 

Yes, I like the look of the yellow GT a lot too... unfortunately it's a bit out of budget, especially once postage is added on (and way too far to drive to pick up). Since I won't likely be hitting the trails too often I can afford to be patient, the right bike's bound to come up on ebay/gumtree eventually!


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## Levo-Lon (24 Sep 2015)

The thing with mtb is nearly All downhill riding or technicle stuff and any time your likely to need fast direction changes or going to get air You must be in the attack postion..
off the seat knees bent and low to the bike so you keep your balance.
you need to be able to push back over the rear or move forward and back when going through big holes etc..hence why modern bikes have low top tubes and wider bars..
The best advice id give you is Hire the bike for a while..
i think the old bike thing is a waste of time if you want to really get the MTB bug.


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## blazed (24 Sep 2015)

If you're going to do something do it properly. Even if it's just the occasional ride, what sort of budget is £50-£100? That's dinner for two people at a standard restaurant.


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## ChrisEyles (24 Sep 2015)

I know the budget is rather low, but so is my disposable income at the moment. If it's only going to be an occasional thing I can't justify much more unfortunately, especially not when it's bike number five! 

I will probably hire a modern bike again next time, and have a go also on my friend's 1990s Marin hardtail to see what I like the feel of the most. Have to say though, looks-wise pretty much any 90s bike is streets ahead of anything modern I've seen (especially if it's yellow ). My thinking at the moment is that I can always sell it on and upgrade if I really get the bug. 

@meta lon - yes, I thought I was getting the knack of the attack position a little... nice soft knees and elbows to take the bumps and pushing my weight well back behind the saddle for sharp braking and the steeper downs. Next time I'm going to ride a *lot* less agressively though - that crash was a lesson I'd be stupid not to listen to, and I think it's going to keep me off the bike for a while yet (still can't walk more than a few hundred metres and not confident to drive yet either).


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## Levo-Lon (24 Sep 2015)

You will still crash from time to time...you will just crash better and faster..and look better on film..
I cracked my ribs last year in a daft off...


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## ChrisEyles (24 Sep 2015)

yowch! something to look forward to, I guess!


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## dan_bo (24 Sep 2015)

I had a go of a pump truck the other day- right laugh speeding along. Got a bit ahead of myself when i tried to bunnyhop a speed bump and ended up almost impaled on the drop lever.

Saving up for a pump truck now.


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## ChrisEyles (24 Sep 2015)

Haha, I like it! Even comes in yellow  

Just seen a Marin Hawk Hill come up (1997 I think) locally for £40. A quick google reveals it was towards the bottom of Marin's lineup at the time, but I have very little experience with mountain bikes and don't really know if that's coded message for "use only on canal towpaths" or if it means perfectly trail-happy bike just with lower end components. 










Chain stays look a bit rusty - not something I'd worry about on a road bike but not sure if is a no-no when it's going to be abused on the trails? 

Then there is another '98 hardtail GT tequesta in driving distance which I must say I prefer the look of (actually I am full-on lusting after it), but the asking price of £125 seems a bit steep (or at least I've seen others go for quit a bit less). 






What do you guys reckon, snap up the Marin while it's aroudn, or play the waiting game and see if the GT can be had for a little less than the asking price?


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## dan_bo (24 Sep 2015)

Either will serve you well. Just make sure the brakes work and the drivetrain isn't shoot.


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## I like Skol (25 Sep 2015)

dan_bo said:


> View attachment 104855
> 
> Got a bit ahead of myself when i tried to bunnyhop a speed bump and ended up almost impaled on the drop lever.


I've got to ask, how's the pump truck? 

I reckon your chain's too slack. Sort this and you will be able to adjust the ride height to something more suitable and will then be able to clear those speed bumps like a pro!

If you are looking for something that isn't brand new then even the retro pump trucks can be quite pricey. I suggest going for something with rubber tyres at the front and nylon at the back. This allows you to flick the back end around much easier when making turns. Nylon steering tyres are a recipe for disaster and the front end just washes out when the trail gets twisty (DAMHIKT! )

Back to the OP. The old GT's are great bikes and should serve you well. Not all bike development has been a good thing and a bike that was good back in the 90's and early 00's will still be good now even if different to the current crop. If you buy a bike that was duff when it was new it almost certainly won't have transformed into a better bike with the passage of time so do your homework and buy carefully.
I have a GT from 1994 and apart from a full disc brake/geartrain upgrade in the last year or two it is still a very old school bike geometry wise. But, it is still a capable machine and can compete with the best of todays bikes. On the forum MTB rides I have been on I have yet to be beaten on the downhill bits despite riding a hardtail with only 70-80mm front fork travel. This bike just takes all I can throw at it and comes back asking for more!

Don't feel that you need disc brakes. A quality set of V-brakes will be more than adequate for the occasional use you are describing and certainly more reliable in the long run.


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## dan_bo (25 Sep 2015)

I like Skol said:


> I've got to ask, how's the pump truck?
> 
> I reckon your chain's too slack. Sort this and you will be able to adjust the ride height to something more suitable and will then be able to clear those speed bumps like a pro!
> 
> If you are looking for something that isn't brand new then even the retro pump trucks can be quite pricey. I suggest going for something with rubber tyres at the front and nylon at the back. This allows you to flick the back end around much easier when making turns. Nylon steering tyres are a recipe for disaster and the front end just washes out when the trail gets twisty (DAMHIKT! )




There speaks a pump truck pro.


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## I like Skol (25 Sep 2015)

dan_bo said:


> There speaks a pump truck pro.



May I point you to my strapline
<<<<<<<


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## ChrisEyles (29 Sep 2015)

Well, I went to have a look at the Marin......... and it is now predictably sitting in my shed  

Seemed in pretty good order, just rather scruffy with a lot of chips in the paintwork, but that's OK by me. Will need a new middle chainring later down the line but otherwise the transmission is in good shape - there's even plenty of wear left on the chain, which is a good sign. V-brakes are top notch - wouldn't mind a pair on my road bike! 

I gave it a good old clean last night, trued up the wheels (which weren't too bad) and re-greased the hubs (again, I probably didn't need to, though the bearings were too tight on the rear). The suspension fork seems to work OK, but I'm very curious to see how it works, so planning on taking it apart to see what's inside (I guess it will be elastomer cylinders, possibly with a spring too?) and give it a good clean/re-grease. I'm impressed how light it is for a "low-end" bike. 

Jobs to do... 

Indexing is a tiny bit off and the grip-shifters are a bit stiff feeling (will have to see if I have some cable inners/outers in the box-of-bits)
Headset has a bit of play in it, and possibly not enough spacers
I'm planning on touching up the chips in the paintwork, and re-painting the offensively grey forks

...and I need to wait 'til my knee gets better... 

But can't wait to take it out on some trails >


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## ChrisEyles (1 Oct 2015)

I made a start on the suspension forks - they do indeed contain boingy elastomers as well as a spring! I don't seem to be able to seperate the lowers from the stanchions, despite having taken out the bolts underneath the dropouts... I guess the bushing must be a bit too tight to let the stanchion out? Unless I'm missing something obvious I'm leaving them as one piece (might drip in a bit of oil through the bolt-holes under the dropouts), since I don't want to damage a bushing and have to replace it. 

The fork lowers look better all ready for a bit of bright red paint - grey and yellow just wasn't working for me! 

Headset seemed OK, just needs some fresh grease on re-assembly and it'll be good to go. 

That middle chain ring does need replacing though, on closer inspection there are a couple of rips/tears in between the teeth, which I've never seen before. I'm used to dealing with cottered cranksets - is there any safe way to remove the modern kind without a specialised crank puller tool? 

I found some great big bar ends in my box-of-bits so they are going on the bike for the true 90s look


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## Jody (2 Oct 2015)

Who made the forks? They look like RST as they have similar adjustment dials to a pair I had. If yes, you can remove the bottom two bolts and they release the lowers off the stanchion. Pace RC7 grease used to be recommended for the lowers and thats what I had always used. I'd be a touch worried if they had oil in the lowers. You might still be able to source metal springs to replace the elastomers which were a massive improvement, even more so when the temps drop.



ChrisEyles said:


> is there any safe way to remove the modern kind without a specialised crank puller tool?
> ]



It might not be the accepted method but I used to wind the bolt out by half a turn and ride it until popped off. But if you keep riding with it loose you will round the taper and end up with squeaky cranks.


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## ChrisEyles (2 Oct 2015)

They are indeed RST 161 forks with, from the look of it, a mighty 5cm or so of travel  I've removed the bottom bolts but the lowers are firmly stuck on the stanchions - they move to the end of the fork's travel and then stick fast requiring a fair bit of force to send them back the other way. It feels like they might come apart if I really gave it some welly, but like I said I don't want to risk breaking a bushing seal in the process. I have some silicone grease (which should be safe on the elastomers and seals) so I'll pop some of that in instead of some oil... since I can't seem to remove the lowers I'll squeeze some in through the bottom bolt holes and poke it in with a stick. 

I've ordered a crank puller for the princely sum of £3 (I thought they would be a lot more expensive than that - at least the ones in my LBS were), so just need to find a suitable middle chainring and I'll be good to go.


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## Ciar (2 Oct 2015)

once you have the bug it's hard to shake, enjoy


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## ChrisEyles (2 Oct 2015)

Hmmm... a bit of googling and I've found out that the crankset on the bike is an old shimano STX, with a very odd chainring set up - looks like the granny is bolted onto the middle chainring rather than to the spider. Guess this means I need an identical NOS middle chainring if I want to keep the granny ring (which I sure do). Can't find any online at the moment, will have to have a phone around my LBSs to see if they have any lurking in the parts bin. 

A rather unexpected complication!


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## Cubist (2 Oct 2015)

ChrisEyles said:


> Hmmm... a bit of googling and I've found out that the crankset on the bike is an old shimano STX, with a very odd chainring set up - looks like the granny is bolted onto the middle chainring rather than to the spider. Guess this means I need an identical NOS middle chainring if I want to keep the granny ring (which I sure do). Can't find any online at the moment, will have to have a phone around my LBSs to see if they have any lurking in the parts bin.
> 
> A rather unexpected complication!


Unless you want to keep it original, then you'd be better off simply replacing the entire crankset. 
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Shimano-M...-Chainguard-/151755141256?hash=item23554fb088


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## ChrisEyles (2 Oct 2015)

I'd rather keep it original if possible, seems a shame to throw away the lot when it's only one ring that's shot, and I don't want to buy a new one and find I have issues with chainline or insufficient travel on the FD (plus the STX crankset looks a lot nicer than the one piece modern ones)... was also hoping a single new chainring might cost less than a replacement crankset.

Would a triple-izer middle chainring work do you think? From this diagram it looks like the STX middle ring is basically a triple-izer in the first place...

http://bernd.sluka.de/Fahrrad/Shimano/TM/FC-MC36-S_1997.gif


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## ChrisEyles (2 Oct 2015)

Haha, and I should have learnt my lesson by now that old bikes are always more complicated and expensive than you expect. Just when I've learnt most of the tricks on old ten speeds I've found a whole new can of worms!


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## Cubist (2 Oct 2015)

ChrisEyles said:


> I'd rather keep it original if possible, seems a shame to throw away the lot when it's only one ring that's shot, and I don't want to buy a new one and find I have issues with chainline or insufficient travel on the FD (plus the STX crankset looks a lot nicer than the one piece modern ones)... was also hoping a single new chainring might cost less than a replacement crankset.
> 
> Would a triple-izer middle chainring work do you think? From this diagram it looks like the STX middle ring is basically a triple-izer in the first place...
> 
> http://bernd.sluka.de/Fahrrad/Shimano/TM/FC-MC36-S_1997.gif


That's the point. A new crankset can be cheaper than a new chainring or set of chainrings. Thing is, your current one is an obsolete standard, and a bizarre one at that. Yours dates back to 1995, and was replaced with a more current spider system in 1997. . There are plenty of chainsets out there that will look similar... I don't like the one piece cranks either. 

You'll need to ensure you source the right BCD five hole chainring with chainring holes to match the spider _and_ carry the granny. I imagine they aren't going to be easy to find. A quick search shows a useful thread on CTC, but be aware they were being described as scarce in 2009.... http://forum.ctc.org.uk/viewtopic.php?t=20168

In reality you would be better off fitting a different chainset.... you'll find loads of cheap square taper cranksets that will look the part, and be much easier to work with.


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## ChrisEyles (2 Oct 2015)

@Cubist looks like you might be right - I thought a single chainring would be a doddle to source and fit, but not this one apparently! 

Still might be worth a check in the parts bin at the LBS... but I'll keep an eye out for a suitable replacement.


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## ChrisEyles (2 Oct 2015)

It's also faintly possible that the damage to the ring is in fact some very bizarre shaping to aid shifting rings (look at the squared off hole on the middle ring around 4 'o clock)... this is a pic of an allegedly brand new chainset and the middle chainring shows some very similar what-looks-like-damage to my one. 







Tricky to tell, I guess! Think I'll see how it rides and only replace the crankset if the chain skips, or if it stretches really quickly (it's currently showing very little wear).


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## Cubist (2 Oct 2015)

Indeed. The middle ring teeth are shaped and ramped to aid shifting. Some of the teeth will look squared off and others appear sharper. The thing to look for in a worn ring are that all the teeth take on a shark fin appearance, and the scoop between the teeth looks asymmetrical as the chain wears the surface nearest the rear of the teeth..


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## dan_bo (2 Oct 2015)

*Coff* *have a look on retrobike* *coff coff*


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## Hugh Manatee (2 Oct 2015)

Those teeth don't look too bad. Shimano did all sorts of things with shaped teeth and little ramps to help get the chain across. If all is lost with that one I think I have a period LX chainset you can have. The rings on that are the standard pattern attachment and pretty easy to get hold of.

Whereabouts in Devon are you? I might be visiting home soon. Born and raised in the hippy stronghold of Totnes.


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## ChrisEyles (2 Oct 2015)

The teeth on mine are a little rougher looking than the crank in that pic. There isn't too much shark fin going on, which gives me hope, but there appear to be some nasty looking rips in the body of the middle chainring, in between the teeth. I'll see if I can get some pics to show what I mean. 

@Hugh Manatee - thanks very much for the kind offer! If my current crank turns out to be toast, that sounds great. I'm based in a small village North of Exeter - it's a little bit of a detour from the M5 but not too bad (and it's a pretty drive down the Exe valley from Tiverton). If you bring a bike (or will fit one of mine) we could go for a potter along the lanes, if you like


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## Cubist (2 Oct 2015)

dan_bo said:


> *Coff* *have a look on retrobike* *coff coff*


That's where I found the CTC link.... You flat earthers are all the same. ￼ 
￼ 
￼


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## dan_bo (2 Oct 2015)

Cubist said:


> That's where I found the CTC link.... You flat earthers are all the same. ￼
> ￼
> ￼


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## ChrisEyles (5 Oct 2015)

I had a look on retrobike, which has a fair few people lamenting the crazy desing of the chainrings. Apparently on some models the BCD of the large ring is 95mm instead of the usual 94mm, just to be extra difficult! I also came across a comment by a chap who worked in a bike shop, saying he had to deal with lots of complaints from people saying their chainrings appeared ripped or with damaged teeth but this was just how they were cast... so sounds promising. 

Here's my chainring - note the "damage" on the middle ring around 6 'o clock and 9 'o clock. Other than that the profil of the teeth looks OK, no sharks fins going on. 






And here's a NOS one - with very similar "damage". I guess it must just be a bizarre looking shifting aid. 






So I guess my chainrings are probably fine after all. Bizarrely one of the chainring bolts is missing, so I need to sort this out before taking the bike out in anger. 

Still need to sort the indexing of the gears out, but the suspension forks are working great after their cleaning/re-greasing. There are a couple of other small niggles (stiff jockey wheel, the bolt for the headset collar clamp sheared off, and the tension on the spokes seems a touch low), but it is basically ready to go. Here's where I am so far:


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## ChrisEyles (9 Oct 2015)

Took the bike into work today for a little test run and its all running quite nicely, if a bit slow compared to my not-very-fast-itself commuter! I was definitely glad I'd stuck the bar ends on, the position is no good for on-road riding otherwise. I was also informed I had mud all over my face when I got in, which reminded me just how awesome mudguards are (not for this bike though, I intend to get thoroughly plastered on the trails). 

Stopped off at the LBS to pick up a chainring bolt, headset collar clamp bolt, and seatpost Q/R skewer (all for £3.50, cheaper than I could find online for definite - I love my LBS ) - just needs a little fettle over lunch and it'll be all ready for the woods tomorrow.


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## ChrisEyles (11 Oct 2015)

Went out to Woodbury common yesterday with the bike and did a couple of hours riding. Mostly cross country trails, but with the odd bit of single track and some technical-ish bits through the woods. Had a fantastic time and no spills this time 

Seems to me that moutain biking takes a fair bit more skill than road riding though, I have a lot to learn! Planning on going back to the trail centre next weekend and seeing if I can get the knack of it a bit more. I'm particularly intrigued by all this "pumping" business, which is like nothing I've ever done on a bike before, and must confess a childish desire to learn how to bunny hop and wheelie  












Only downside is I bent the rear mech a shade putting the bike back in the car boot, and am having difficulties getting it to work again after removing it to straighten the cage (have asked in the technical thread for help!)... may have to swallow my pride and ask the LBS for help so I can get the bike back on the road for the weekend. 

But yes... this mountain biking business is really pretty good, isn't it?


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## Cubist (12 Oct 2015)

ChrisEyles said:


> But yes... this mountain biking business is really pretty good, isn't it?



Your grin says it all!


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## Jody (12 Oct 2015)

ChrisEyles said:


> I'm particularly intrigued by all this "pumping" business, which is like nothing I've ever done on a bike before, and must confess a childish desire to learn how to bunny hop and wheelie
> 
> But yes... this mountain biking business is really pretty good, isn't it?



The pumping business is the same principle to standing on the seat of a swing and using your body weight at the right point of the swing to gain momentum. But instead using your bike and the undulations to propel. As for wheelies the best tip is get used to using your back brake to stop you going over the balance point and landing on you arse. Once you have sussed this your away!


and yes MTB is epic.


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## ChrisEyles (12 Oct 2015)

Cubist said:


> Your grin says it all!



Couldn't wipe it off my face the whole ride  

Gonna have a try on the pump track at the trail centre to see if I can get the body mechanics figured out in my head. Think I need to get some solid basics before launching myself into the air at high speed like I did on my first attempt!


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## ChrisEyles (23 Oct 2015)

Well I managed to get down the trail centre last weekend with my Marin... and I think I am in love  

It felt incredibly different from the bike I'd hired before - the longer stem and lower front end meant it felt a bit less "playful" feeling over the bumps, and I wasn't able to get air anywhere near as easily, which was an initial disappointment... on the other hand keeping the bike grounded is maybe no bad thing while I learn the basics. On the flip side, the weight distribution seems to be ideal for getting a little bit of speed out of trail bumps with both wheels firmly stuck to the floor. 

When I put it through its paces a little through some level-ish but fast twisty singletrack, I was blown away by how much more responsive it felt - while I'd previously felt like I was floating around the bends (steering a boat!) on the rental bikes, this one dived into the corners at speed with ease and carving out a nice line felt much easier and more natural... Not sure why this is, maybe just because narrow bars (590mm vs 700+mm) and a longer stem (100mm vs ca 50mm) is more similar to the road bikes I'm used to. On the steeper downs it felt livelier and perhaps a touch less stable than the hire bike, but in a good way, still perfectly in control and a lot of fun. On the ups I found I really need a slightly longer seatpost to get a perfect seated pedal stroke, but will probably stick with what I've got for now, since the current min insertion height is a good compromise for the ups and downs. 

Even the gripshifters (which I've hated on previous commuting bikes) felt really nice to use... in fact they brought back to memory my old Honda MTX 125cc which I occasionally messed around with off-road, twisting to accelerate to drop those gears going into a steep up. 

Off to the trails again with a friend next weekend, and planning to do a trip out to Dartmoor before the end of the year. 

Best £43.50 (well... plus several hours fettling time!) I've spent in a long time


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## Ciar (23 Oct 2015)

My HT which i run has 720mm bars but only 70mm stem and it runs so much better than it used to do, as it was originally XC centric 29'r i like it, but i do belive the next bike is either going to be a bouncy bike or possibly a 27.5.

even though i have read the 29r is better for taller people im 6ft it still feels like you described on the more technical stuff like driving a tank round corners 

great to hear you enjoying the MTB though it's the best thing in the world, just wish i had more time to get out on mine, but just so busy lately i have to be happy with commuting 5 days a week haha, just not the same ;-)


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## Psycolist (25 Oct 2015)

ChrisEyles said:


> Went out to Woodbury common yesterday with the bike and did a couple of hours riding. Mostly cross country trails, but with the odd bit of single track and some technical-ish bits through the woods. Had a fantastic time and no spills this time
> 
> Seems to me that moutain biking takes a fair bit more skill than road riding though, I have a lot to learn! Planning on going back to the trail centre next weekend and seeing if I can get the knack of it a bit more. I'm particularly intrigued by all this "pumping" business, which is like nothing I've ever done on a bike before, and must confess a childish desire to learn how to bunny hop and wheelie
> 
> ...


The smile on your face in the middle pic says it all. As a fairly recent convert to off roading myself, that feeling comes on every outing. Road riding had become tedious for me. The same routes, seeing the same things took the shine off riding for me. Now, two and a half years after going off road, I still find myself smiling on every outing.


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## arch684 (26 Oct 2015)

I have been riding road bikes for more years than i want to remember but last week i bought an old mountain bike,a Specialized hard rock took it home striped in down cleaned it and gave it a full service.I fitted a new BB and new tubes.Yesterday i took it out to the local nature reserve with miles of tracks and dirt roads.2 1/2 hours later i came home knackered hungry but very happy.That was the first time i have ever cycled off road.Oh and the bike cost me £10.


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## ChrisEyles (31 Oct 2015)

Out at the trail centre again this weekend, enjoying bombing through the muddy puddles  







I'm enjoying switching between road and off-road cycling immensely - the road bike feels positively turbo-charged after slogging through the mud on the MTB, and it's great fun tackling terrain I wouldn't ever dream of taking my road bikes on the MTB. 

I am already accumulating upgrade wishes for the bike..... new seatpost (the current one is a tad short), new forks (the bushings are shot on mine and it is a bit clunky - will probably go rigid so looking for some Kona P2's), new pedals (current ones plastic naffo specials)... good job xmas is coming up!


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## Motozulu (4 Nov 2015)

Glad you love it! now going fully rigid! that is hardcore! you will need a lot more skill and strength to ride a rigid bike off road - I know I've got the full set - full suss long travel, hardcore HT and a SS rigid. The rigid is by far the hardest bike to master.


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## ChrisEyles (5 Nov 2015)

Aha, yes I kind of suspected this, but I'm up for a challenge... So far I've enjoyed the short-travel 50mm ride on my bike much more than the more modern forks on friends/hire bikes - maybe silly but I felt a little bit like I was being robbed of fun when my suspension did most of the work for me over the rough stuff. 

It's also hopefully the easiest (and cheapest!) to keep running! Just need to have a think about axle-to-crown distances and rake/trail etc etc and find a decent 2nd hand fork...


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## arch684 (5 Nov 2015)

As i said in a previous post off road is all new to me and a new set of cycling skills is required.I have more bruises in the last couple of weeks than i have had in a life time of road cycling but I'm still loving it A new mtn bike may be on the cards soon


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