New to MTB and some questions

[lulubel]

I finally took the plunge the other day and got my 18 month old, ridden once MTB out of the garage. Took it out for a road ride on Tuesday to get the feel for it (really weird after only riding a road bike for years), then went up the mountain trails on it today.

Apart from having to spend 20 minutes indexing the front and rear derailleurs, which I'm proud to say I can now do, it felt pretty good. I was worried that my decision to buy a small frame for standover clearance had resulted in me getting a bike that was too small for me, but I think at most it will need a bit of tweaking. It's an entry level BH hardtail with Shimano Deore (I think) groupset and forks that must be pretty generic because the name on them means nothing to me.

Anyway, here are my questions:

1. It feels a bit cramped. I'm not sure if that's because it is or because the position is naturally less stretched out than my road bike. It has a very short stem and bars that curve back slightly, so I know I could adjust the reach by getting a longer stem/straight bars/both. I can move the saddle back for now to see how that feels, but I'm guessing I don't want to have the saddle as far back as it will go in the long term because this will affect my position in relation to the pedals?

2. (possibly related to 1) My wrists and elbows ached and my hands hurt after spending an hour on it today. I can change the hard, plastic grips for cushioned ones, I assume, but still ..... too much weight on the hands?

3. The track I came back down on is a bit corrugated in places. The forks handled it fine, but there was something banging - presumably the rear mech - at the back. Is this normal, or something that's going to wreck my bike if I keep going over them at that speed? (I wasn't exactly hammering it - Garmin said 15mph!)

I was surprised at how safe I felt. The surface was very dry - it hasn't rained worth mentioning since April - so lots of loose dirt and stones on a hard packed base, but I only lost grip once, and only very slightly. And I still can't believe how much I enjoyed it

 

[Friz]

I'd say 1 and 2 are just because it's a geometry you are not used to. I get the same feeling when I transfer to a road bike. My wrists, elbows, and shoulders hurt for the first while. Then I get used to it.

Number three is most likely the chain slapping off the chainstay. You can get one of these http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=29805 if it really bothers you...

And yeah, it is a blast, ain't it?

 

[Cubist]

Well done for drifting to the darkside.....

A small frame is a good thing on a hardtail as it means you can throw your weight round better, and the bike will generally be better poised than if it's oversize.

Try setting your controls up to suit a more upright posture. Brake levers should be positioned so that your fingers reach for them without cocking your wrists, so should be dropped towards 45 degrees downwards if you get my drift.

Gear levers should be positioned so that your thumb and forefinger can reach them with a full handful of the grip. This will probably mean shifting the shifters inboard.

Current MTB wisdom is for wide bars, and trust me, they make a huge difference in the comfort stakes. If you are of average female build I would suggest looking for a medium riser bar of at least 680mm width. Many bars on the market can be bought wider, 700mm plus, and cut down to suit. A comfortable shoulder width apart plus a bit more for luck. I am just under 6'0" and use a 710mm bar.

Finally, the banging noise is chain slap. It will fetch the paint off your chainstay. It happens as the rear mech loses tension on the chain and allows the chain to flap upwards hitting the chainstay. Firstly make sure the chain is no longer than it has to be. It should be long enough to pass around the larger chainring and the biggest sprocket on the cassette, plus two full links. If it's longer than that then cut it down to size.

Next, make sure the rear mech is adjusted properly with minimal clearance on the B screw adjuster, and make sure the spring is still strong.

Then wrap an old inner tube around the chainstay and zip-tie it in place.

Have fun, it's brill!

 

[Chris-H]

i agree with the wider handlebars,the first thing i changed on my bike was the bars and that made a world of difference,also consider getting an adjustable stem,that way you can adjust the height and degrees of the bars to fit you perfectly,thats how i got mine set up just right and after a year still love it just as much,also try having the seat and bars at a similar height,have fun

 

[Cubist]

i agree with the wider handlebars,the first thing i changed on my bike was the bars and that made a world of difference,also consider getting an adjustable stem,that way you can adjust the height and degrees of the bars to fit you perfectly,thats how i got mine set up just right and after a year still love it just as much,also try having the seat and bars at a similar height,have fun

Those adjustable stems are great for finding the right angle for your set-up, but are not recommended as a permanent stem on an off-road bike. If you can measure the angle you've got it at and then buy a similar size and shape fixed stem, either that or make sure you have access to quality dental work.

The adjustable ones do OK on Ebay.... I got about 12 quid for mine when I'd finished with it, which defrays the cost of the exercise.

 

[Chris-H]

Those adjustable stems are great for finding the right angle for your set-up, but are not recommended as a permanent stem on an off-road bike. If you can measure the angle you've got it at and then buy a similar size and shape fixed stem, either that or make sure you have access to quality dental work.

The adjustable ones do OK on Ebay.... I got about 12 quid for mine when I'd finished with it, which defrays the cost of the exercise.

Ive had mine on for a year nowand still as strong as day 1,i dont do heavy duty off roading mainly forests and trails etc which is probably why i've had no probs with it,did'nt realise they're prone to probs

 

[Cubist]

Ive had mine on for a year nowand still as strong as day 1,i dont do heavy duty off roading mainly forests and trails etc which is probably why i've had no probs with it,did'nt realise they're prone to probs

If you think about the interface between the grip plates on the pivoting section being a few nubs of alloy, you certainly wouldn't want to do any big drops with it on! Mine creaked badly after a few miles, and I had to keep nipping it up every so often.

 

[Chris-H]

If you think about the interface between the grip plates on the pivoting section being a few nubs of alloy, you certainly wouldn't want to do any big drops with it on! Mine creaked badly after a few miles, and I had to keep nipping it up every so often.

will have to keep an eye on it,cheers for the heads up

 

[lulubel]

Thanks for the advice (especially that detailed post, Cubist). The bike seems to have been set up quite well by the shop I bought it from. I've just angled the brake levers down a bit further, moved the saddle back slightly, and it's now much more comfortable. I'll probably keep tweaking it a bit every now and then as I get more of a feel for it (I still do this with my road bike, and I've had it 3 years).

Regarding wider bars, I've been browsing online, and there seems to be a massive range at different price points. Roughly how much should I expect to spend to get decent (as opposed to cheap, or unnecessarily expensive) bars?

Also, on that subject, why do you recommend a riser bar over flat? (The bars are currently a couple of inches above the saddle, and I don't need the saddle any higher.) Also, I'm guessing the degrees of "sweep" is how much they come back towards you at the ends. How can I tell what I've got at the moment to get a comparison?

The chainstay already has a built in rubber bit, but it only covers the top of the chainstay, which seems a bit ridiculous if the chain is hitting it underneath. I haven't got any old MTB tubes, but I have got an old road tube that I can wrap round the underneath part (it isn't wide enough to go all the way round) so hopefully that will protect it until I destroy a wider tube!

 

[Cubist]

Measure your bars end to end for the width. If you're comfy with them, then leave them! If you don't want much more height but want more width try a low riser.

You need to find a compromise between heavy/cheap and ridiculously expensive given the type of riding you want to do. Check Chain Reaction, they have a massive stock and you can get an idea of what the bars look like. http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Categories.aspx?CategoryID=202
Check clamp size before ordering.... some of the bargains are 25.4mm only.

Those FUNN bars are great, I love mine.

Try wrapping the tube in a spiral pattern. Or slicing it down the middle and opening it up.

 

[mickeydrippin60]

cubist "Try wrapping the tube in a spiral pattern."


like bar tape


also i would try giant bars they are cheap but good quality stay away from dmr wing bars the tend to snap in the middle we have had quite alot returned at work