Get the most out of your stuff.

Flexy-front-end madness

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Hi Lee, I have a question that maybe you can answer.

My lighter bike has 4 inches of travel (older Duke Race fork), radially laced front wheel and a 5mm skewer to connect these. Sometimes I feel that the front end is quite flexible, at least in comparison to Revelation+3x laced wheel+9mm skewer. It is when I need the front to be as stiff as possible when I discover the flex – on rocky switchbacks and descents.

My theory is that the radially-laced wheel is the most flexible part of the equation, while 30mm Duke’s stanchions are the second. However, given a choice of replacing either wheel set or the fork, I am not sure what should be the best investment to start with.

Thanks,
Omer

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Short track and saddle height

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Lee, Dude your clinics rock! I’m ridding so much better then I ever have and thinking about the sick skills you teach every time I’m ripping singletrack…Attack Position! I’ve got a question regarding Short Track and Saddle Height.

I’ve had a bike fit and the shop set the saddle height (and body position) for correct comfort as well to rock cross country racing and for optimal power output (at least that’s what i thought it was for).

When I raced Short Track I lowered my saddle because I was concerned about the cornering. I wanted to be able to rip the corners faster then the other racers and also absorb all the little kickers. It worked pretty good as I passed several racers in the corners and when I wasn’t behind someone I was able to rock the corners and absorb the kickers fast (thanks to applying your mad mtb clinic skills).

Anyways, my question is am I sacrificing efficient power output by lowering my saddle during a $hort Track race?

Thanks dude, looking fwd to clinic #3. Happy Trails
-Farid

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Same gear ratio with a smaller ring?

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Hi Lee,
I just got a Black Market MOB and want to run a gear ratio (single speed) as close to 36-17 as I can, but with a smaller front and rear sprocket. Can you tell me how to compute this or just tell me what the closest is?
Justin

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Longer shock on SX? Just leave it alone!

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Lee,
Interesting thought, I’ve got an 05 Specialized SX Supercross with 107 mm of travel. The eye to eye and stroke are different than that of the SX Trail, is the geometry totally different on the 2 bikes or can I increase my travel to 150 mm by upping the shock size? What kind of crazy math goes into determining compatability of different eye to eyes and stroke, as well as resulting travel? I need to replace my shock and can get a 7.5″ x 2″, will it wack out my ride?
Thanks,
Dave

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Coil shock on 2003 Enduro?

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Hey Lee,

Firstly, let me express my adoration for your writing. Being a mountain bike journalist is an admirable career, and you are the best of the selected few. I enjoy reading your blog (and your book) very much – that is when I do not ride my bike.

And it is the bike about which I have a question. I would like to have a coil rear shock on my old Enduro 2003. Although this bike is not the latest word from Specialized, it is so great I do not intend to change it for anything – it just rocks. However, I would like to have a plushy coil at the back, such as Vanilla R.

The problem is that Enduro shocks come at unusual eye-to-eye length (7.765 to be exact). So I wonder whether it would be feasible to put a longer eye-to-eye shock, e.g. 7.875, or maybe a shorter one (7.5 e2e).

The other question is what kind of a shock would fit the Enduro. Is it feasible to install a Vanilla shock? Wouldn’t the piggy back reservoir be a problem on the frame?

Sincerely Yours,
Omer Shapira

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How do you define “light stunts?”

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Lee,
Can you define light stunts??? It would be cool to understand bike companies’ idea of light stunts as not to void warranty!
Thanks,
John

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Suspension tips from Fitz

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Howdy Lee,
So last summer I lived up in Whistler and if there’s one thing I did a lot, it was hit berms filled with teeth-chattering holes and braking bumps. I ran a DHX 5 on a VP free with the propedal at its lightest setting and the bottom-out resistance at its firmest setting. I felt that max bump complicance + sturdy bottom out worked well, but i didn’t really try any other settings. Reading the recent piece on propedal (FOX PropPedal and suspension bracketing) got me thinking that perhaps this set up is bad for bumpy berms: perhaps the lack of propedal was allowing my suspension to blow through the first half of travel in response to the G forces in the berm and forcing it into the heavily damped end-of stroke.
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FOX ProPedal and suspension bracketing

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Hey Lee,
I saw the ProPedal on my FOX DHX 5.0. What does this do?
Zach

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Holy pinch flats, Batman!

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Lee,
I got a 3 pinch flats running Azonic Outlaws, Kenda Kinetics 2.35 and Maxxis 1.5mm DH tubes at 40psi this weekend at bootleg canyon on my new vp free. Never had any problems running my singletracks with standard tubes on my Giant DH. Any idea what is going on?

BTW, I just switched the tires to Maxxis mobster 42Duros 2.7s…hopefully it was the thin sidewall on the Kendas…thanks!

Erich

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All-mountain rims: DT Swiss 5.2 vs. 4.2?

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Hey Lee,

This sounds like a dilemma you could have a nice insight on. I own a 2004 Enduro and am giving it some sweet love and upgraded parts after almost two and a half years of abuse. I ride the bike on anything; from 50km XC loops to day-long epic rides including pretty rough downhillish descents in lift-serviced terrain in the Alps. Anything but full-on downhill and bikepark usage really. I weigh about 90 kilos, so I need my parts to be tough, but like to keep ’em as light as is functional and makes sense (carbon is for fishing rods and F1 racecars IMHO). …
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Super D tires?

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Hey man – great book! I had question on Super D tires – do you run XC type tires or DH type tires? I race on my 575 and I usually run 2.35 regular tires with stans (saves a lot of weight over UST). What do you usually ride?
Stan

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All fogged up: glasses inside goggles

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Hey Lee,

I also wear glasses and constantly have the problem of fogging while wearing goggles. I use anti-fog lenses in my goggles and they stay nice and clear but my glasses still fog up constantly. I’ve tried anti-fog sprays and every home remedy (rubbing a layer of bar soap on, etc.) but nothing works. Any ideas?

Thanks,
–Taylor

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