Blog - Page 9 of 181 - Lee Likes Bikes

Berms in a very narrow pump track

November 2, 2018/1 Comment/in Ask Lee, Trail building/by leelikesbikes

Hey Lee,

First off id like to say i love your building style and your website.Recently i have been reading up on pump tracks when i came across your website which i might add is amazing.Whilst reading i noticed that you said a backyard pumptrack could be as small as 20 x40.Ive been wanting to build one for the longest time yet only have about 15 feet x 42ish feet.Do you think this could work and be fun?Also what kind of roller spacing and berm radius do you use?

Many thanks
Fraser

Dialed bike setup and front/rear weight distribution

October 31, 2018/5 Comments/in Ask Lee, Tech tips/by leelikesbikes

Lee,

We at Trail Werks Cyclery are trying to use your Dialed theories to fit body/bike but I have some questions that I’m sure you’ve thought about.

Front/rear wheel attack position weight distribution – auto racing wants 50/50. What’s the theory on two-wheeled sports where body weight has such a huge impact? Is it 60/40 on flat ground? How does your RAAD affect that, if at all? We want to be able to set up suspension along with rider position. Does the front/rear weight balance shift with RAAD from xc race to dh? How? Is one more important than the other?

I hope this doesn’t drive you nuts. I’m hoping you tell me they are just two different things.

Thanks again. You’ve made me very busy thinking, talking to customers and measuring shit… Nice work.

Michael K

Two rides on a Pivot Shuttle

October 29, 2018/0 Comments/in Equipment, Reviews/by leelikesbikes

Thanks to the folks at Sports Garage in Boulder, I just enjoyed a pair of adventures on the Pivot Shuttle.

Me want.

Pump track design tip: Simple is good

October 22, 2018/0 Comments/in Ask Lee, Trail building/by leelikesbikes

Hi Lee

I’ve read your ebook “welcome-to-pump-track-nation” and it’s really great.
I’d like to build a pumptrack in my garden.
Attached you’ll find a picture of the total footprint.
Could you give me maybe a suggestion for the track?……I mean about the berms, rollers, interchanges……..It would be really great.
I can extend the length of the footprint if necessary (59 feet up to 63 feet).

Cheers
Stefan

Should I be on a medium or small bike?

October 22, 2018/0 Comments/in Ask Lee, Equipment/by leelikesbikes

Hi Lee

I just signed up for your RideLogic bike setup service. I’m 5’8″ and am a little stunned at the difference in dimensions that it recommends vs my current bike.

I have one of those long low 27.5 Whyte bikes, and I ride a medium with a 450 mm reach (The RAD on that bike is WAY longer than what RideLogic recommends, but it actually feels really good).

I was shocked when your article said I should be on a 410 mm reach bike. I am looking at 29ers (never owned one before), and I rode a Guerilla Gravity Smash medium which was at 460 mm reach and I hated it.

After looking at RideLogic, I should have demoed the small instead. Most of the bike websites out there say I should be a medium and the average reach on those is 425 mm which still have longer RAD numbers. Do I really need a small??

It looks like RideLogic doesn’t discriminate on someones proportions (arm length, inseam etc). Do those factor in or is it pretty standard that someone who is 5’8″ will fit into a certain RAD?

Matt M.

Finding a new enduro bike that fits

October 18, 2018/3 Comments/in Ask Lee, Equipment, Tech tips/by leelikesbikes

Hi Lee,

Because I am looking for a new bike I just got a copy of your book Dialed.

While the RAD concept fits to my current short list I see no way to get near to the recommended RAAD numbers. My current bike is a Radon Slide 160, a light Enduro. It has a RAAD of about 55.5° and I am happily riding it for 4.5 years now.

Now taking the measures of a Norco Range XL as an example would give me a perfect RAD, but the RAAD would be 53.7°. To get to an enduro RAAD of 60° I need shorten the reach from 475 to 402 mm and expand the stack from 621 to 670mm for the same RAD. Any other bike I am looking at has similar numbers.

What’s your thought?

Cheers,
Christoph

CushCore first impressions

October 5, 2018/0 Comments/in Equipment, Reviews/by leelikesbikes

Feels slow, but maybe it’s not slow

Why is my heart rate so high on descents?

October 1, 2018/0 Comments/in Ask Lee, Skills/training/by leelikesbikes

Lee,

I hope all is well and RipRows are flying out of your garage! I have a quick question for you.

I have been training extensively lately with a heart rate monitor. I notice that my heart rate spikes significantly when I go downhill. I have a hard time keeping in under 160. My max is somewhere around 180. However I don’t feel out of breath or winded when riding downhill. Is this something you have seen before in riders? Any thoughts on it?

Cheers,

Rob

Fairlee Frey 12-week build to XCE world championships: Week 6

September 27, 2018/0 Comments/in Racing, RipRow™/by leelikesbikes

After one week of rest, pro mountain bike racer Fairlee Frey (@fairleefrey_mondin) is diving into her second build phase.

This just in from her coach Mike Durner (@coachdurner) –>

Minion DHF vs. Butcher

September 27, 2018/2 Comments/in Ask Lee, Equipment/by leelikesbikes

Lee,

Do you prefer the Maxxis Minion DHF over the Specialized Butcher when it comes to dry, roots, pine needles? This is for 29×2.6 on the new Specialized Levo Expert 2019 model that just came out. (I remember you had a 2012 Expert Stumpjumper just like mine.)

I want to keep the weight of the new LEVO low and the Butcher weight is about 200 grams per tire lighter than the Minion. I like the Maxxis High Rollers better than the Specialized tires I tried. Is Maxxis worth the the weight from Butcher to Minion?

Jason