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Hi Lee,
I have a couple of questions about titanium springs for your rear shock. How much weight savings do they provide over a steel spring? and do they feel “plusher?” also, If i have a 500 lb steel spring and i wanted to get a ti spring, would i need to get a 500 lb ti spring? or do ti springs require a heavier or lighter “lb”. than steel?
Thanks, Matt
Hey Lee,
Congratulations on the twins, hope the family is doing well.
Lennard Zinn of VeloNews has written several recent articles addressing brake chatter on cross bikes. It sounds like 1-1/2-inch tapered forks help tremendously and several companies are moving in that direction (including Specialized on MTB and Road bikes).
I am wondering how the Carbon Tricross does with fork shudder when braking hard and is Specialized going to move to a tapered fork on the Tricross as they have done on the top of the line MTB and Road bikes?
Cheers and Happy Holidays!
Jafar
Inspired by the discussion surrounding Why is a slack seat angle so rip-able?.
With a diagram this time.
Love the site. Love the book. I recently bought a 2009 Specialized SX (not Trail) frame to set up for all around trail use. I’ve ridden a few DS/4X bikes and I love how they feel. I’m gonna run a single front ring for sure and know to use 34t with a mtb 11-34 cassette. What other stuff do you suggest as far as setup goes such as fork, crank size?
Danny
I have a 2005 cannondale chase size small frame that i have converted to a single speed but it has vertical dropouts. I have tried tensioners and have not had any luck with them so I decided to try a half link chain since it looks cleaner.
I took the bike to a local bike shop and they tried swapping the rear cog to different sizes and now have a 36t front and a 17t rear. They tried a 18 rear but it was so tight the cranks would hardly turn. The 17t works but has alot of play until you put pedal pressure on it, but has never fallen off.
Can you help before I start buying hundreds of dollars of chainrings and rear cogs trying to find a good combo.
thanks, Kevin
Mike “Luby” Luebesmier has tons of experience with Fox, Rockshox, Manitou, Marzocchi and Maverick forks and shocks. His suspension tuning company, DirtLabs, dials in all kinds of suspension.
If you need some suspension love, give Luby a try.
Hey Lee,
Is better climbing efficiency the only benefit of having a high seat? I’m asking because I ride in a place with climbs that typically require riders to stand on their bikes, defeating the purpose of a high seat.
Alex
Lee,
Came across the following:
http://www2.trainingbible.com/joesblog/2007/01/cleat-position.html
Seems to be some evidence for putting the cleat in the arch of the shoe, although people point out how it would likely make technical riding on a MTB harder. I certainly can’t imagine riding this way, but may make sense for the true XC types? Then again, if there’s really 9% to be gained, wouldn’t all of the roadies have adopted this by now?
Curious to hear your take. Keep up the good work!
Eric
hey Lee,
I got a quick question for you about shock rebound settings (DHX Air). I read somewhere that rebound should be tuned by setting the rebound to fastest position and riding off curb, each time adding another click of rebound until the bike doesn’t oscillate (the travel compresses and then returns to its static position).
I did so and in the parking lot test (didn’t take it to the trails yet) it seems pretty slow to what I was riding before. Is that a correct setup method? Is it applicable to forks as well?
thanks!
Gal
I did a Jedi Knight series with Jen last fall, and she has some follow-up questions — not the least of which is her aching neck.
Hi Lee,
Awesome site and book. I love your approach to mountain biking revolving around technique and skill over equipment.
Anyhow I always been riding a hardtail until i finally purchased my Blur a little more than a year ago. Ever since then i’ve been having an issue with the rear of the bike. When I hit a triangluar shaped bump, or jump at a good speed i would suck up the bump pretty well so the front wheel would stay planted and track the ground very nicely. The back wheel however would tend to launch off the bump causing a situation optimal for an endo.
I am in an attack position during these situations with the front end relatively light and my weight being more towards the rear of the bike. Many people have told me that my rebound for the rear is just set to fast causing the rear to pop at the top of the crest of the bump. This is hard to believe since the bike is very well behaved in any other situation it is in. Is this situation caused from a problem in my technique or just a setup issue?
-Jerald
Hi Lee,
I have just bought the Marzocchi 888 ATA WC, 2008 model. I notice that there are a lot of conflicting thoughts of proper setup for it. I weigh 191lbs. How much air should I put in the upper and lower chambers respectively? The manual is not that clear on many of the settings. And do you have any other setup tips regarding this fork for DH?
Keep rocking this brilliant site!
Adrian