21st century mountain biking

Murk <[email hidden]> wrote:

: Do I just need more experience or is suspension an absolute requirement in modern mountain biking?

I've been MTB'ing with a group containing everything from a fully rigid Dave Yates steel MTB to a
downhill-lite full-susser. The better riders still got to the top and bottom first.

That said, riders are riding mroe technical stuff, and if you want to do that, suspension is where
it's at. I'd not give up my suspension forks for offroad. I'm bad technically so need all the help
I can get!

: My eight year old titanium Dyna-tech STX is still a good bike, but how easy is it to fit
: suspension forks, and can I swap them back and forward easily enough? (I use it for touring when
: shod with slicks and front and rear panniers).

Porbably not worth the bother IMO. You bike is likely to have a 1" quill-stem. Modern suspension
forks are all 1 1/8" ahead, so you'd have big problems.

I'd keep your bike for touring. You can get a reasonalbe MTB for 300 quid (as long as it *only* has
front suspension) and a good one for 400 quid these days.

Arthur

--
Arthur Clune clune.orgclune.orgOpen ↗ Power is delightful. Absolute power is absolutely delightful -
Lord Lester

In a brief moment of lucidity Murk scribbled:

Quoted message said:

Put the knobblies on at the weekend for the first time in about four years after hearing about the
dedicated trails at Glentress forest, and what a great facility it is, trouble is though, I was
scared s***less within about fifty yards.

Steep, rock-strewn tracks, barely wider than your handlebars, cut into the sides of mountains with
a wall of rock on one side and a sheer drop on the other, with hairpin bends thrown in for good
measure (the sort of thing Thunderbirds 1 and 2 had to rescue 48-wheeled, atomic powered trucks
from). This is not the mountain biking I remember. What happened to the wide forest roads and
grassy open moors?

After tentatively making my way round the moderate trail, walking a few of the hairpins and only
falling off once (all the other times I managed to get my foot down), I went round again.

This time was much better. I was a bit more confident and determined. I knew what was in store and
I was more tuned-in to the off-road requirements. The sudden swings of momentum from short steep
drops to even steeper rises and rapid changes in direction; keeping the weight on the back wheel
for grip while keeping the front wheel from lifting; the relentless gear changing and aching
forearms from manic braking; the intense concentration required to watch the trail ahead; the lack
of the gyroscopic forces from the wheels keeping you upright because they're turning so slowly. An
'A' road blast on 120psi 700x20s it aint. But it *was* fun, in a white knuckle sort of way.

Now, clearly I'm a bit of a wuss, and my off-road skills are fairly rusty, to put it mildly. But
it was noticeable that everyone else out there had suspension forks. As one commented to me, "It
must be a bit of challenge with stiff forks". So this is the bit where I appeal to you for advice.

Do I just need more experience or is suspension an absolute requirement in modern mountain biking?
My eight year old titanium Dyna-tech STX is still a good bike, but how easy is it to fit
suspension forks, and can I swap them back and forward easily enough? (I use it for touring when
shod with slicks and front and rear panniers). Are there compatibility issues? How much do I have
to spend for decent forks? And which would you recommend? Will my cantilever brakes fit or will I
need V-brakes?

Any advice for an out-of-touch roadie would be most welcome.

M

I run a 10 year old Dynatech cro-mo comp, got some 'el cheapo' forks from Decathlon (Opening day
offers at Giltbrook where I live) for £30 .. only got three inch of movement but the difference is
phenomenal .. much, much easier on the trail now.

I also fitted a Cane Creek alloy ahead set, alloy stem, raised handlebars instead of the Ti flats
and vee brakes. Actually, only the frame and seat post are original fitment I think, everything
else, inc wheels, gears, etc etc has gone the way of heavy bugger, riding badly .. 😉

Have a look here for pics of it .. The bike looks awful, I'd only just got back from a week away,
and it isn't clean at all .. I got it as a semi-gift (better than half-price) when I was working for
the company that produced a lot of Ti parts and fasteners for Dyna-Tech, they asked me what colour I
wanted so I said 'Blue'. It appears they sprayed the Green bike blue .. I would have been happy
either way .. 😉 A lot of the rear frame has had the blue 'overcoat' flake off, but the green
underneath is reasonable .. 😉

tinyurl.com95ekOpen ↗

--

Completed 1581 Seti work units in 12041 hours setiathome.ssl.berkeley.edusetiathome.ssl.berkeley.eduOpen ↗

Arthur Clune said:

Murk <[email hidden]> wrote:

: My eight year old titanium Dyna-tech STX is still a good bike, but how easy is it to fit
: suspension forks, and can I swap them back and forward easily enough? (I use it for touring when
: shod with slicks and front and rear panniers).

Porbably not worth the bother IMO. You bike is likely to have a 1" quill-stem. Modern suspension
forks are all 1 1/8" ahead, so you'd have big problems.

I'd keep your bike for touring. You can get a reasonalbe MTB for 300 quid (as long as it *only*
has front suspension) and a good one for 400 quid these days.

Arthur

It's got an Aheadset, so I take it then most, if not all, modern forks will be compatible? But,
easy to swap?

A new bike is not an option, either financially or practically, having three already, I just don't
have the room for another.

As for *only* front suspension, whilst I can see the benefits in terms of control for suspension
forks, I am unconvinced as to the benefits of rear suspension other than comfort.

M

Quoted message said:

I run a 10 year old Dynatech cro-mo comp, got some 'el cheapo' forks from Decathlon (Opening day
offers at Giltbrook where I live) for £30 .. only got three inch of movement but the difference is
phenomenal .. much, much easier on the trail now.

I also fitted a Cane Creek alloy ahead set, alloy stem, raised handlebars instead of the Ti flats
and vee brakes. Actually, only the frame and seat post are original fitment I think, everything
else, inc wheels, gears, etc etc has gone the way of heavy bugger, riding badly ... 😉

Have a look here for pics of it .. The bike looks awful, I'd only just got back from a week away,
and it isn't clean at all .. I got it as a semi-gift (better than half-price) when I was working
for the company that produced a lot of Ti parts and fasteners for Dyna-Tech, they asked me what
colour I wanted so I said 'Blue'. It appears they sprayed the Green bike blue .. I would have been
happy either way .. 😉 A lot of the rear frame has had the blue 'overcoat' flake off, but the
green underneath is reasonable .. 😉

tinyurl.com95ekOpen ↗

I like the bit about cheap forks, I was starting to think I'd have to spend at least £150.

I notice from your pics that you've got bear trap pedals instead of clipless spd types. Is this much
more sensible for off-roading in general? The one time I fell was because I didn't get my foot
released in time.

M

In a brief moment of lucidity M scribbled:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I run a 10 year old Dynatech cro-mo comp, got some 'el cheapo' forks from Decathlon (Opening day
offers at Giltbrook where I live) for £30 .. only got three inch of movement but the difference
is phenomenal .. much, much easier on the trail now.

I also fitted a Cane Creek alloy ahead set, alloy stem, raised handlebars instead of the Ti flats
and vee brakes. Actually, only the frame and seat post are original fitment I think, everything
else, inc wheels, gears, etc etc has gone the way of heavy bugger, riding badly ... 😉

Have a look here for pics of it .. The bike looks awful, I'd only just got back from a week away,
and it isn't clean at all .. I got it as a semi-gift (better than half-price) when I was working
for the company that produced a lot of Ti parts and fasteners for Dyna-Tech, they asked me what
colour I wanted so I said 'Blue'. It appears they sprayed the Green bike blue .. I would have
been happy either way .. 😉 A lot of the rear frame has had the blue 'overcoat' flake off, but
the green underneath is reasonable .. 😉

tinyurl.com95ekOpen ↗

I like the bit about cheap forks, I was starting to think I'd have to spend at least £150.

I notice from your pics that you've got bear trap pedals instead of clipless spd types. Is this
much more sensible for off-roading in general? The one time I fell was because I didn't get my
foot released in time.

M

For me, yes. I have trouble with both my knees, my left one hyper-extended and now goes forwards as
well as backwards, and my right knee and ankle dislocate *very* easily when I twist at all, so
although I prefer to be clipped into my spd's, spd's don't like me .. 😉 It really wasn't an option,
it was forced upon me, but I must admit, you get used to not being clipped in after a while. Toe
clips work for me, because it's a rearwards movement, I just don't like 'em much .. 😉

--

Completed 1581 Seti work units in 12041 hours setiathome.ssl.berkeley.edusetiathome.ssl.berkeley.eduOpen ↗

M said:

As for *only* front suspension, whilst I can see the benefits in terms of control for suspension
forks, I am unconvinced as to the benefits of rear suspension other than comfort.

Rear suspension stops the back of the bike bucking around on bumpy descents I've found. However,
after 5 years on fully suspended, I'm going back to a ridged rear soon because I don't think it's
really needed for the riding I do. I reckon I'm quicker over most terrain on a hardtail.
--
"We take these risks, not to escape from life, but to prevent life escaping from us." ***** replace
'spam' with 'ben' to reply *****

Ditto Ben's comments - already had a full susser when moved to present area. Used it on the slighlty
calmer trails around here and it just flattened them all out - lost most of the fun. Now back on a
fully rigid single speed - much more bumpy, throws me all over the place and is generally great fun.

"Ben" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

Quoted message said:

Rear suspension stops the back of the bike bucking around on bumpy descents I've found. However,
after 5 years on fully suspended, I'm going back to a ridged rear soon because I don't think it's
really needed for the riding I do. I reckon I'm quicker over most terrain on a hardtail.
--
"We take these risks, not to escape from life, but to prevent life escaping from us." *****
replace 'spam' with 'ben' to reply *****