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any mountain bikers out there

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Pretty stoked to have just landed the cover of Decline Magazine with this shot of Kirt Voreis at Retallack Lodge in BC.
 
Looks like a lot fun considering summer is a coming!

I have a Spec. stumjumper FSR, Spec Rubuix, Spec DEMO, and a Sata cruz chameleon! They just keep piling up!

Do I MTB...duh!!!
 
If you are not eating some dirt every now and then you are not riding hard enough. Or at least thats my excuse...
 
Any mountain bikers know anything about the 29 inch mongoose mtn bike from walmart? I'm 6'3 and bought one wanting to try my hand at some local grassy trails for exercise and a way to blow off steam.

Its got front and rear disc brakes and they are horrible. For some reason I can't get them to stop me very fast. When I crank the pads closer to the disct they drag.

Is this the price I pay for a cheap 200 dollar bike or is there a feasible solution?
 
If everything else works for you on the bike then you can upgrade the brakes. Look at Avid BB7s or BB5s, they are very good and not too expensive especially if you find a used set.
 
Unfortunately that's the price you pay for $200. It's akin to asking why a Centerpoint Scope won't hold zero or why you can't see your target.

The brakes on those rattle even when they are tight. To get BB5s and install them yourself it'll be around $90 new. I would return the bike to WalMart and spend the money on a bike from your local shop at around $400-500.

You could also see if anybody rents bikes in your area. Most places will let you rent a few times and apply part of the rental cost towards the purchase of a new bike.
 
jbell said:
If everything else works for you on the bike then you can upgrade the brakes. Look at Avid BB7s or BB5s, they are very good and not too expensive especially if you find a used set.
Click to expand...

Are they something I could easily install myself. The only other issue I have is when I stand up to really put a lot of force to the pedals for like an uphill climb sometimes the chain jumps the teeth? I think that's what it is anyway. Is that a crappy chain or crappy gears? I loved the price and really like the 29 inch style.
 
You should be able to install the brakes yourself, just take the time to read the manual.

Re: the chain skipping and jumping teeth. It may be that it's not set up correctly and/or the parts are not very good. To check the see if they are set up you will need to do the following:
Front Derailleur - better directions here Park Tool Co. » ParkTool Blog » Front Derailleur Adjustments
1. Check the derailleur height
2. Check the derailleur rotation
3. High and Low limit screws (these are like the screws on a carburetor)
4. Cable tension

Rear Derailleur - better directions here http://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help/rear-derailler-adjustments-derailleur
1. High and Low limit screws
2. B tension screw
3. Cable tension.
 
liyenhang said:
You should be able to install the brakes yourself, just take the time to read the manual.

Re: the chain skipping and jumping teeth. It may be that it's not set up correctly and/or the parts are not very good. To check the see if they are set up you will need to do the following:
Front Derailleur - better directions here Park Tool Co. » ParkTool Blog » Front Derailleur Adjustments
1. Check the derailleur height
2. Check the derailleur rotation
3. High and Low limit screws (these are like the screws on a carburetor)
4. Cable tension

Rear Derailleur - better directions here Park Tool Co. » ParkTool Blog » Rear Derailler Adjustments (derailleur)
1. High and Low limit screws
2. B tension screw
3. Cable tension.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the links and the advice, ill have to check it out and see. I'm guessing its way off. Firstly it was assembled at walmart. I've also taken it down some questionable trails that were scary as hell with my experience level. Not to mention going over the bars also.

Nice thing about a Wal-Mart bike is I'm not pissed when I crash it and scuff some stuff up.
 
All good advice. It would make a lot more sence to return the bike and find a less expensive but higher quality bike that would be worth spending money on from time to time for upgrades. If you want to see some price points of decent bikes look on Mountain bike news, photos, videos and events - Pinkbike or Mountain Bike Review ? Best, Bicycle, MTB, Bike Parts, For Sale classified adds. It will give you some ideas. They also have some good forums to get some very good information. There are several poss causes for the chain to skip as posted above also the cain is prob lower quality and may be bent or rusted and binding. Roll the chain backwards slow and look for a link or two to bind up.
 
jbell said:
All good advice. It would make a lot more sence to return the bike and find a less expensive but higher quality bike that would be worth spending money on from time to time for upgrades. If you want to see some price points of decent bikes look on Mountain bike news, photos, videos and events - Pinkbike or Mountain Bike Review ? Best, Bicycle, MTB, Bike Parts, For Sale classified adds. It will give you some ideas. They also have some good forums to get some very good information. There are several poss causes for the chain to skip as posted above also the cain is prob lower quality and may be bent or rusted and binding. Roll the chain backwards slow and look for a link or two to bind up.
Click to expand...

I bought the bike late last summer, definitely to late to return it. Other than the chain skipping its a fun bike in town, pavement, gravel etc. The brakes are my number one priority to get fixed. I'm definitely going to check the chain though.
 
In all reality it should be an easy and inexpensive fix for the chain skipping. Dont forget about chainline and over extending it. As a rule you will want to run the top half of the cassette in the small ring, and the lower half in the large ring, and you can run the whole thing in the middle ring.
 
jbell said:
In all reality it should be an easy and inexpensive fix for the chain skipping. Dont forget about chainline and over extending it. As a rule you will want to run the top half of the cassette in the small ring, and the lower half in the large ring, and you can run the whole thing in the middle ring.
Click to expand...

Is there a simple way to explain that? I understood very little of that, I'm realizing I'm so far under most of you guys talking about MTN biking. I'm from Iowa and I basically ride trails through creeks and fingers of timber and grassy flats. It's definately not a big hobby/sport by anymeans around here. I really only got one to break up the exercise week when i'm sick of being inside at the gym in the summer. That being said imagine I know about as much about bikes as a 13 year old that knows how to put air in the tires, put the chain back on when it falls off, and ride just enough to attempt stupid stuff my mom would kill me for if she caught me.

I really do appreciate all the help, just wish I knew enough to beable to utilize and fully understand the advice I'm being given.
 
It's also called cross chaining.

Basically you don't want to use the big chainring in front with the big cogs in the rear (usually last 2-3). You also do not want to use the small chainring in the front to the small cogs in the rear (usually the first 2-3). If you are cross chaining in the big to big, it puts a lot of extra stress on the chain and rear derailleur. If you are going to small to small, the chain can be too loose and can drop more easily.
 
Sorry for the confusion, I think liyenhang said it in a way that was more clear. What it all means is if you run your chain at an extreme chain line it will put much more stress on it than it can handle and will cause it to wear much faster. Your shifting will suffer as will the rest of your drivetrain. One other thing that may be causing your dropped chains is what liyenhang said about a loose chain. Depending on what your gearing is on your bike and what chain you are running the chain may be too long and be too slack in any gear. Most new chains will need to be shortened to fit properly. Its just one more thing to check. If you are wanting to try and repair this by yourself there are several great books published that outline proper drivetrain set up and maintenance. Also check out you tube as seeing a video on the subject can be very helpfull.
 
Thank you! I actually understood most of that lol. I'm going to YouTube research it for sure. I'm guessing its got a bottom of the line chain on it. I've kept it lubricated with chain lube and after looking at it it already has a small amount of rust.
 
Well I finally got my new ride finished up. Here is the parts:
-Cysco Cycles Ti frame
-White Brothers carbon fork
-Paul hubs and Stans ZTR Flow up front and 355 out back & Rocket Ron for rubber
-XTR M960 cranks that I modified for SS and polished with a Blackspire 33T chain ring
-XT M785 brakes
-Thompson post and WTB saddle with a Ritchey stem and a truvativ carbon bar

It weighs in around 20 pounds (I was shooting for less) now for pics:










 
NICE!!

Check out Cannondale OEM parts to save a few grams.

Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 2
 
Thanks Ill check em out. I just built this bike from parts that I eighter already had or have recently traded for (except the brakes and tires which I just bought new) to keep the cost down. I know I can shave a little off with some minor tweaking here and there, but I am not going to get too focused on the weight weeny thing untill I see how it rides. I have never spent any time on a Ti frame and may not like it. Ill find out as soon as the trails around here dry out some.
 
Well I have a few rides on the Cysco now and am starting to like it more and more. I am still getting used to the fork but it is nice being so light, I can get it up and over so easy even when I am smoked. This bike has the new XT brakes and they are very sweet! I had the model before these and they were ok but not nearly as strong. They feel about as good as I could imagine, when I need a little to slow down its easy with a light touch or if I need to slide around a corner bang its done no question. I also have to say I am diggin the Rocket Rons. I have settled on 25 pounds front and rear and they hook up like spyderman and they roll faster than any other I have been on even when I ran tubes and 45 pounds. Here is a pic from today:

 


no where near your level, newbie at best but i sure wish i took this up long ago! A 10 speed bike was my under 16 transport for years! but a few weeks ago ,wife and i picked up a few mtn bikes and are addicted! Many trails locally and a big weekend event next weekend

https://sites.google.com/site/paoutfitters/rro-events

butloads of trails to ride and excellent scenery!



if you haven't rode in awhile. get on it!
 
Here is a pic from the other day. Trails like these makes me want to put my Reba up front!!

 
I've been getting out every day because it's only a matter of time before the forest fires hit and then it won't be worth breathing the smoke. My favorite ride is all dirt on the uphill and dumps out on to a windy paved road near the end. It's usual to run that section around 43 MPH if I don't wuss out and tap the brakes. The Avid BB7s I threw on last year will stop the bike easily in less than 100 feet at that speed. I've never had to mash 'em and have yet to replace the pads. When you do, since I was messing around with removing one while installing them, slide a razor blade behind the pad to keep the retaining clip from popping out.
 
Sounds very cool, when you get time throw some pics up everyone likes bike porn... How often do you get the fires up your way? That must really suck!
 
Nice pix Jbell. I dig the rigid SS. Riding SS certainly changes perspective. As you know, it forces you to maintain 100% focus while going up, maybe more focus going up than down. I've not ridden or raced mountain bikes in more than 10 years, but the last races I did were on a rigid SS. This was before there were SS classes, so you'd just line up with the experts and see how it went. Good times. Seeing your photos brings back a lot of fun memories. Thank you.
 
ChemE1975, Very cool. I enjoy riding the SS and racing it in 12 hour races. I wish I had more time to ride so I could be more competitive but life... I did like riding it full rigid but with some of the trails I ride I was just getting slowed down bouncing around so much. The light front end was nice though. Thank you for the comments.
 
Just signed up for the York (Montana) .38 Special (http://www.york38special.com/)...first race I've done in years. Check out the course map and elevation profile. Far from the hardest I've ever done, but I'll definitely be training (Course Map - York 38 Special). It's a good incentive and, heck, now I've got $50 in the game. One thing's for sure, since it's not a mass start I'll try to get going early to avoid the heat.

It might be smoky by then too, but at least for now we've had inches of rain and so should avoid forest fires for a while. I used to live in Colorado Springs (and race around Colorado) and it's bad news down there.
 
A buddy of mine gave me this Schwinn Straight-6 FS bike for a $25 bottle of wine. I think I made out on the deal! It's my first FS bike and it's a lot of fun out here in Colorado. This is up on Guanella Pass, about 11,670' ASL.

 
I cant imagine 11,256 feet of elevation on a bike, that is a lot of climbing!

Here is my SS after I switched to the Reba up front, I just was losing too much speed with the carbon fork. I have also changed the gearing and what a difference a little change makes. I went from a 33x20 to a 33x18 (I installed a White trials free wheel for more precise engagement) and it felt like I was dragging a sail. I was also not cleaning some climbs that I should make. So I dropped a tooth up front and am now 32x18 and I love it. I have a 5 mile trail that I used to test the gearing and by dropping 1 tooth up front I gained 1 mph on my average speed over the 5 miles and cut 6 min off the time, and was making the climbs again. I was very happy with the change!

I thought this was a cool pic...
 
Ok so last bike and best one I had was a m800 cannondale, mid 90's , I want a good 29 hardtail, are the new cannondales still up there on the list as good? any top 10 list out there to compare to? google hasn't helped much.
 
Geranimo, Cannondale is still a very nice bike. If you could give an approx. budget for your bike and roughly how and where you will be riding it I would be happy to throw a few ideas at you. Oh also how tall are you and what do you weigh? If you are tall around 6' or more then 29ers are the best choice for a hard tail but if you are shorter then a 27.5 (650b) may be a better choice.
 
5'10" 245ish like to go the most durable route with 1k to 1500 maybe just want very good and tough and thank you
 
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What type of riding do you think you will be doing? If mostly XC style riding (fast single track with roots and rocks and some small drops 1-4 feet and plenty of climbs) you know just going out and having fun ripping up the trails. I would look at a aluminium or steel hardtail that has short chain stays with a 100mm to 120mm fork. The long travel fork will give you a slack head angle to help with bombing down at speed and the short chain stays are going to help with climbing. I also love a single speed but its not for everyone, so a 1X9 would be all you need and help keep the weight down. Also I think quality disc brakes are a must, with your budget if you are building a bike look at Avid BB7 mechanicals. I ran them for a season and really liked them they were very strong and reliable.

Here is a bike I have had my eye on since they came out, it looks like a great value and a lot of fun:
KONAWORLD

There is a growing trend for these style of bikes and I know why, they are just damn fun. I have been riding similar bikes off and on since 2002, before that it was all down hill and free riding for me. Now I am just trying to keep from getting broken too bad...
 
It's going to be single track with alot of urban riding, that Kona looks good, it will be a fall purchase for next season most likely, maybe sooner. Thanks for the help.
 
Sure thing, I would advise you to look at Pinkbike.com and MTBR.com they have a good selection of bikes in their classified sections. You can find some crazy deals on there. I have bought a ton of bikes, and parts from them. I would also look at the Stache 7 from Trek:

Stache 7 - Trek Bicycle

But like I said there are a ton of options out there. I think it also would be cool to buy a frame and then build it to your specs. It may cost a little more but if you spread it out you may not feel it as bad. If you are going to build a bike look at Gunnar frames they are sweet. I had a steel Ruffian last year and that thing was spot on, it did everything very well from bombing around with friends to 12 hour race solo single speed.
 
The new ride is more or less done. I need to trim the derailleur cables and at some point get the brake cables shortened. Otherwise, I expect there will be just the usual bike break-in to do and tweaking the suspension. Built on a YETI 575 frame it weighs in at just under 28 lbs. While I found some things easier and more refined since buying my last bike 12 years ago, a few required more attention or were just plain difficult. YETI designed the right chainstay with two holes at either end to thread the rear derailleur cable through. Neat, protective design, but it took me 20 minutes. I also had a local shop fit the headset and cut the steerer tube...things I neither had the tools for or the desire to screw up.

yeti.jpg
 
That is a very nice ride! I have always been a Yeti fan from the early days of Turquoise and Yellow... Let us know how it rides I have liked the 575 for a "fun tear it up" bike since its release.
 
While I didn't take it for a hardcore ride yesterday evening, it rides great. The geometry is a noticeable improvement over my old bike and "newer" features like being able to lock out the shocks when climbing make a difference. I ran yesterday morning and was tired by the end of the day from being on the go all day and still shaved over a minute off a steep, continuous climb. Tomorrow morning I'll be able to make riding my first activity of the day and will really get to see what it can do.
 
Thinking about getting into a little mountain biking. Nothing to extreme. Was looking at the giant talon 27.5 Talon 27.5 1 (2014) - Bikes | Giant Bicycles | United States
I rode this one and the 29er at my local bike shop today. I liked the feel and handling of the 27.5 a lot more than the 29er. Any thoughts on this bike, or possibly some other recommendations. Would this be a good entry level bike for me? Thanks
 
The Giant Talon is a very solid bike, the new 27.5 series are nicer than their 29 counterpart. If you get a chance to compare it with the 2013 just look at the welds! But I would hold off a year before getting into the 27.5 bikes. The bikes coming out for 2015 are that much nicer and there is a larger offering of aftermarket parts.

If I were in that price range, I would opt for the Cannondale Trail SL 29er 2. But I have not yet had enough time on the Giant 27.5s to do a fair assessment on them with a side by side ride along.

FTR I own a bike shop that carries Giant, Cannondale, Felt and Raleigh.
 
Good advice, the 15s will be out sooner than you know... I have yet to ride a 27.5 but at 6'1" tall I feel the 29" wheels on the style of bike I ride, where and how I ride it is ideal (endurance SS, on the east coast: rocky and rooty!!). I can tell such a big difference going from a 26" to the 29" and they have been out so long now that frame design has been nailed for the big wheels. There is no perfect answer for everyone that is where your LBS or other experienced riders come into play. You will not go wrong with either the Cannondale or the Giant, but for that matter there are SO many really good mfg. out there now its crazy. Good luck in the search and support your local bike shops as they will support you!
 
So anyone ride to work? Thinking it will help conditioning, my job is about 15 miles away. No showers at work though lol.
 
I would love to be able to ride to work, I live an hour away by car. For a 15 mile ride I would think you could ride it with out getting too nasty. you can always carry some baby wipes and clean up a bit when you get there. What do you do for work, I am a heavy diesel engine mechanic for a Cat dealer so it would not matter much for me.
 
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