Ps from a bike fitter at bike shop …drop a .plumb line from the front of your kneecap through your crank arm at 3 or 9 am position …MAKE SURE it passes through pedal AXLE . Plus or minus a bit for perfect alignment . Thats your MAX LENGTH . Going lower crank length will just make a bit harder BUT LESS ROCK HITS or on the track easier for legs :)
On my Trek Roscoe I noticed that Stem Length and handlebar sweep make a world of difference when it comes to steering in tight corners. I increased backsweep from 9° to 12° and shortened the length from 780 to 760mm (due to wrist problems) and increased stem length by 10mm. The result (which I didn't expect) was much better handling for me in pretty much all situations. I gained a lot of stability in tight turns and riding in a straight line still feels as stable as before.
@@gmbntech Yes, and at the same time the backsweep (and probably also the shorter width) of the handlebar made tight cornering a lot easier - I think it's at least partially due to the relieve of my wrists. Whatever the case it feels a lot easier to maintain balance while cornering in very right turns.
+1 from me on this one. Also a Trek Roscoe rider here (the older frame design from 2020) size M/L. Cockpit set up makes a massive difference. I also switched to SQLab 12deg backsweep bars due to wrist and elbow issues. I always run 750-760 bars so cut them right away. And stem length was the biggest impact on handling. I tried a 40mm stem because this is what I was used to back in the day with dirt jump bikes - easier to bunny hop and pull the front wheel off stuff. The bike was so twitchy and really unenjoyable to ride. Switched back to 50 or 60mm stem and it is so much better!
I had an '05 Jamis Dakar that was 130/130 back then that was considered long travel... My current Giant Trance is 130/120 and it's still the happy medium, good for almost anything.
140 is great when you’re older like me and you still enjoy the trails but the harsher parts hurt the joints. I’ll take the extra bit of kush over any lost efficiency. I’m not racing out there.
I absolutely love my Canyon CF9 Spectral 125! I have it in the high setting unless I am running at a park and it is the perfect bike for 95% of what I ride in the Rockies!
Fork seals also may dry-up during storage in cold, prior to stroke the fork and shoks it is better to shake the bike (without compressing fork and shoks) to lubricate the seals.
The knee over pedal can also be adjusted by sliding your seat forward and back. There is a good 20mm or more of movement there with the seat, so I don't think that is a great way to determine crank are length.
If you do more flat and gravel trails. 100-120 should be fine. Enduro trails may require 120-140mm. Anyway, my 140/135mm it's a good all around solution. I also have a HT 120mm which deserves a lot of respect even in tough trails....good tyres and wide rims combined with short stems and wide handlebars are the a strong combination...
When I ride in winter (anything below 30 *F) my cheap suntour fork will seize and turn my bike into a rigid frame. It’s either cheap oil or water in my lowers, but it’s something I keep in mind when riding any sort of coil fork.
It could be some water, but it's most likely going to be the weight of oil used. The colder it gets the less 'runny' oil will be and the heavier the weight the more it's affected by the cold.
How did you do that? I have SRAM DUB and I am not happy with how quickly bearings got muck and dirt in them. Does threaded last longer (brand for brand)?
@SergejGrabun I had a PF40 BB in a carbon specialzed camber and replaced it with a Wheels Manufacturing BB. They make BB for all types of BB. With the required wrenches it was an easy install, just thread together with grease. I did have a Park BB removal tool to knock out the press fit one without damaging the frame.
170 29 for a pedal bike and 180 mullet for an e bike is the right number. 140 is not enough travel and beats you up. This is not 1985 and it is 2024 geometry and long travel is king.
I ride at -5°c because I live in Canada, it gets much colder but minus 5 is about when things start creakin n whining 😂 I don't have any scientific evidence but I can assure you it's not good for the bike from all the sh*t that breaks during winter riding...
I struggle to believe that crank length makes that much difference bar the obvious such as reducing pedal strikes. We all used to ride 175mm cranks as standard and being a short arse myself, found that later bikes have come with 170mm. Not sure if this is just my own size (m) or the larger frames still sue 175mm? Also surely to get your knee in the right position we would traditionally just move the seat a little. Much cheaper than buying a new set of cranks.
On my trail bike full suspension I have f/r 150mm-140mm and it feels great but on some other bike I tried it felt like jello whenever you put the power down, me thinks it's even more about setup than travel...
you're right there's so many factors at play with suspension that you can't just put the feel of it down to travel. There is also anti-squat, anti-rise, leverage curve etc. The best thing you can do is go for a test ride before you buy!
Bike manufacturers already have crank length figured out correctly Short cranks are just an experiment in wasting money. 💰 Do it ,and you’ll be back to longer cranks soon enough.
#ASKGMBN Can you shed some light on how your partnership with bike brands work? I think it would only be fair for the viewers to know what content is sponsored and on what set of rules. eg. are there any things you're prohibited to talk about, like the 2022 Canyon Spectrals and Torques having issue with bottom bracket bonding to the frame. Many TH-camrs nowadays are more open and transparent about their sponsorship, I think it brings a bit more trustworthiness to what they are saying.
being properly 'biked' for your riding results in 'faster' results... being overbiked is always less efficient, though it can be safer for less competent riders.
I am looking at brakes for my bike and was wondering if say a 4 piston deore brake would be better than a 2 piston xt brake. Is budget 4 piston better than higher end 2 piston?
On the first subject: I'm getting tired of EVERYONE jumping on the short crank bandwagon, they don't work for everyone! I have used every crank length calculator there is and the results are from 188 to 197 And in terms of what I feel, what I like, I find my natural length (the length where I always find the pedals and is more comfy) at 190-185mm The problem is that very few manufacturers make them 🙁
I used to race XC on a Santa Cruz Bullit, 5th element version. 175mm travel was perfect for just smoothly flying over the terrain both up and downhill. The only drawback at all was the weight. So given the current state of tech, get the most travel you can get
@@gmbntech with the fifth element shock I never noticed any bob. I also had a larger chainring (38t iirc) that lined up the chain perfectly with the high pivot so there was very little chain growth.
For me, it's more about the stanchions. 120mm tend to be thinner stanchions. I'm not going crazy, but I'd feel a little more comfortable doing drops, rock rolls and jumps if I had a little beefier stanchion than what most 120mm forks have. Even going to 130mm seems to get you a thicker stanchion. Sometimes, it's just about not worrying about your fork when you're trying to conquer something new. 🤷🏻♂️
Do you thinks that some of the aspects from the new AXS transmission. Are going to be added/trickle down to non axs group sets? Do you think we could see hanger-less mounts for normal gx eagle (as an example)?
Why all this debate about crank length? What about using the adjustable cranks I just saw a TH-cam video about? I think they'll be the next kind I try.
Lmao🤣 yeah no downside going down! Otherwise on flats, switchbacks and uphills, it’s a big downside. Guaranteed. That’s why downhill bikes are dying out bro. An enduro bike is a better option by far.
if you have srader valves and your wheels are not tubless ready, can you still corvert your wheels with a wheels mfg srader to presta valve adapter? #askGMBN
#ask. Hi there I'm looking at getting a trail bike but I'm not sure what size I should get I have an enduro bike. The reach is 485mm and I'm 6 foot . But the shorter travel bikes have a smaller reach I am looking at a yt izzo in a large the reach of it is 467mm. Is that about right do you think .thanks Stephen.
Where do you live? Like dutch xc trails you could do on city bike so with my kona honzo hardtail (120 front), i am overbiked, while when I go to Belgium or Germany for enduro riding my spectral is necessary (but I'm also not super great)
Ive got 2 2020 norco a1 ranges. 1 XL 29 and 1 L 27.5. is it possible to mullet both bikes? both have lyrics which can do both wheel sizes. Cheers #AskGMBNTech
hardtail for my home trails.... Maybe 100mm would be the most someone would like.... But it's funny because most people are running 150mm.... Like, why?
I have to disagree with you both about suspension travel, bike length etc. for xc. It’s never the bike that’s at fault. Any bike can be ridden and raced for that matter. It’s usually the engine that is the limiting factor. Unless you have dreams of turning pro just go ride and have fun, that’s the point. More suspension is always better for the fun factor.
Great point, but if you're wanting to ride XC style trails on an enduro bike the travel will cause you to get tired very quickly. This and the fact that you'll be riding slower than other riders might take the fun out of your ride!
Ps from a bike fitter at bike shop …drop a .plumb line from the front of your kneecap through your crank arm at 3 or 9 am position …MAKE SURE it passes through pedal AXLE . Plus or minus a bit for perfect alignment . Thats your MAX LENGTH . Going lower crank length will just make a bit harder BUT LESS ROCK HITS or on the track easier for legs :)
On my Trek Roscoe I noticed that Stem Length and handlebar sweep make a world of difference when it comes to steering in tight corners. I increased backsweep from 9° to 12° and shortened the length from 780 to 760mm (due to wrist problems) and increased stem length by 10mm. The result (which I didn't expect) was much better handling for me in pretty much all situations. I gained a lot of stability in tight turns and riding in a straight line still feels as stable as before.
It's great to play around with your set up! Sounds like you got it nailed with those changes. Did the extra 10mm make the bike feel more stable? 🤘
@@gmbntech Yes, and at the same time the backsweep (and probably also the shorter width) of the handlebar made tight cornering a lot easier - I think it's at least partially due to the relieve of my wrists. Whatever the case it feels a lot easier to maintain balance while cornering in very right turns.
What size frame you riding?
@@MannBazza I'm 1,80m and ride a size large. I tried a medium/large at the bike shop but it felt too cramped for my taste.
+1 from me on this one.
Also a Trek Roscoe rider here (the older frame design from 2020) size M/L.
Cockpit set up makes a massive difference.
I also switched to SQLab 12deg backsweep bars due to wrist and elbow issues.
I always run 750-760 bars so cut them right away.
And stem length was the biggest impact on handling.
I tried a 40mm stem because this is what I was used to back in the day with dirt jump bikes - easier to bunny hop and pull the front wheel off stuff.
The bike was so twitchy and really unenjoyable to ride. Switched back to 50 or 60mm stem and it is so much better!
I had an '05 Jamis Dakar that was 130/130 back then that was considered long travel... My current Giant Trance is 130/120 and it's still the happy medium, good for almost anything.
140 is great when you’re older like me and you still enjoy the trails but the harsher parts hurt the joints. I’ll take the extra bit of kush over any lost efficiency. I’m not racing out there.
I absolutely love my Canyon CF9 Spectral 125! I have it in the high setting unless I am running at a park and it is the perfect bike for 95% of what I ride in the Rockies!
Amazing, it's always a good feeling when you find a bike that works for you! 🤙
Fork seals also may dry-up during storage in cold, prior to stroke the fork and shoks it is better to shake the bike (without compressing fork and shoks) to lubricate the seals.
The knee over pedal can also be adjusted by sliding your seat forward and back. There is a good 20mm or more of movement there with the seat, so I don't think that is a great way to determine crank are length.
I ride northeastern Pennsylvania and 160 front 150 rear on my stupjukper Evo is perfect for this rocky terrain.
If you do more flat and gravel trails. 100-120 should be fine. Enduro trails may require 120-140mm. Anyway, my 140/135mm it's a good all around solution.
I also have a HT 120mm which deserves a lot of respect even in tough trails....good tyres and wide rims combined with short stems and wide handlebars are the a strong combination...
Any canyon spectral that came out in early 2022 has the bottom bracket Bonding issue. Luckily their warranty system is great
When I ride in winter (anything below 30 *F) my cheap suntour fork will seize and turn my bike into a rigid frame. It’s either cheap oil or water in my lowers, but it’s something I keep in mind when riding any sort of coil fork.
You can get some rockshox forks off chain reaction for around £200, a big improvement over the cheaper suntour and definitely worth it.
It could be some water, but it's most likely going to be the weight of oil used. The colder it gets the less 'runny' oil will be and the heavier the weight the more it's affected by the cold.
I replaced my press fit BB with an aluminum threaded version due to creaking. I love it and it is dead silent with no maintenance or care.
How did you do that? I have SRAM DUB and I am not happy with how quickly bearings got muck and dirt in them. Does threaded last longer (brand for brand)?
@SergejGrabun I had a PF40 BB in a carbon specialzed camber and replaced it with a Wheels Manufacturing BB. They make BB for all types of BB. With the required wrenches it was an easy install, just thread together with grease. I did have a Park BB removal tool to knock out the press fit one without damaging the frame.
170 29 for a pedal bike and 180 mullet for an e bike is the right number. 140 is not enough travel and beats you up. This is not 1985 and it is 2024 geometry and long travel is king.
I ride at -5°c because I live in Canada, it gets much colder but minus 5 is about when things start creakin n whining 😂 I don't have any scientific evidence but I can assure you it's not good for the bike from all the sh*t that breaks during winter riding...
I struggle to believe that crank length makes that much difference bar the obvious such as reducing pedal strikes. We all used to ride 175mm cranks as standard and being a short arse myself, found that later bikes have come with 170mm. Not sure if this is just my own size (m) or the larger frames still sue 175mm? Also surely to get your knee in the right position we would traditionally just move the seat a little. Much cheaper than buying a new set of cranks.
Bottom brackets have gone too low too so to counter act that is to run shorter cranks.
#ASKGMBN how often realistically do you yourself, service your suspension. How do you take care of it when you do.
On my trail bike full suspension I have f/r 150mm-140mm and it feels great but on some other bike I tried it felt like jello whenever you put the power down, me thinks it's even more about setup than travel...
you're right there's so many factors at play with suspension that you can't just put the feel of it down to travel. There is also anti-squat, anti-rise, leverage curve etc. The best thing you can do is go for a test ride before you buy!
Bike manufacturers already have crank length figured out correctly
Short cranks are just an experiment in wasting money. 💰
Do it ,and you’ll be back to longer cranks soon enough.
#ASKGMBN Can you shed some light on how your partnership with bike brands work? I think it would only be fair for the viewers to know what content is sponsored and on what set of rules. eg. are there any things you're prohibited to talk about, like the 2022 Canyon Spectrals and Torques having issue with bottom bracket bonding to the frame.
Many TH-camrs nowadays are more open and transparent about their sponsorship, I think it brings a bit more trustworthiness to what they are saying.
being properly 'biked' for your riding results in 'faster' results... being overbiked is always less efficient, though it can be safer for less competent riders.
Great way of looking at it! 🤙
I put 40mm rise bars and a 35mm stem on my am160 its so much better especially when jumping which im not great at at the moment.
If he has a 140 fork, there's a good chance he could just get a shorter air shaft to shorten the travel in the fork.
Giant Fathom Hardtail with a Fox Rhythm 36 160mm. You can’t stop me 😈
I am looking at brakes for my bike and was wondering if say a 4 piston deore brake would be better than a 2 piston xt brake. Is budget 4 piston better than higher end 2 piston?
On the first subject: I'm getting tired of EVERYONE jumping on the short crank bandwagon, they don't work for everyone!
I have used every crank length calculator there is and the results are from 188 to 197
And in terms of what I feel, what I like, I find my natural length (the length where I always find the pedals and is more comfy) at 190-185mm
The problem is that very few manufacturers make them 🙁
I used to race XC on a Santa Cruz Bullit, 5th element version. 175mm travel was perfect for just smoothly flying over the terrain both up and downhill. The only drawback at all was the weight. So given the current state of tech, get the most travel you can get
That's a lot of travel for XC. Did you increase the PSI from the recommended to firm up the suspension and reduce 'bob'?
A shorter travel fork and a steeper HA makes a lot of difference going uphill! Try it and you'll see.
@@gmbntech with the fifth element shock I never noticed any bob. I also had a larger chainring (38t iirc) that lined up the chain perfectly with the high pivot so there was very little chain growth.
You would of been much faster on a shorter travel bike. Guaranteed.
IMO 120 would be enough for 75% of riders. Most are over traveled.
Psh. Hold my o-ring.
On basic trails yes. 120mm. 👌
On enduro style trails, very hard tech, no. 140mm-150mm is better suited.
I agree. I run 140 front and 110 rear but xc/trail. Bit lacking for trail centres sometimes though
For me, it's more about the stanchions. 120mm tend to be thinner stanchions. I'm not going crazy, but I'd feel a little more comfortable doing drops, rock rolls and jumps if I had a little beefier stanchion than what most 120mm forks have.
Even going to 130mm seems to get you a thicker stanchion. Sometimes, it's just about not worrying about your fork when you're trying to conquer something new. 🤷🏻♂️
lol, next month's topic "is 120mm not enough anymore for xc?"
im in it for the boing and the fun, so no im not over travelled
For me on an Xc bike 120mm is the perfect travel 😊.
That's great! Are you using it for XC or just a general trail bike?
@@gmbntech general trail riding, a few XCM competition. Just bought the new Orbea Oiz, looking forward to see how it goes on the trails. 😁
Do you thinks that some of the aspects from the new AXS transmission. Are going to be added/trickle down to non axs group sets? Do you think we could see hanger-less mounts for normal gx eagle (as an example)?
Why all this debate about crank length? What about using the adjustable cranks I just saw a TH-cam video about? I think they'll be the next kind I try.
I use 200mm of travel on my DH bike and it has no downsides whatsoever like you might as well just have a smoother ride then not.
No downsides 😂 Nice to pedal up hill ? The question was relating to xc so somebody never watched the video before commenting 🤦🏻♂️
@@flyasfukfishing8631 never tried hard on the climbs anyways so 200 mm of travel works for me.
Lmao🤣 yeah no downside going down! Otherwise on flats, switchbacks and uphills, it’s a big downside. Guaranteed. That’s why downhill bikes are dying out bro. An enduro bike is a better option by far.
Do you think riding a aluminum hardtail hard/fast over rocky tech, and step downs in -4c temps could raise the chances of cracking a frame? #askGMBN
On my xc bike 120 front 100 rear one my hard tail 140
if you have srader valves and your wheels are not tubless ready, can you still corvert your wheels with a wheels mfg srader to presta valve adapter?
#askGMBN
#ask. Hi there I'm looking at getting a trail bike but I'm not sure what size I should get I have an enduro bike. The reach is 485mm and I'm 6 foot . But the shorter travel bikes have a smaller reach I am looking at a yt izzo in a large the reach of it is 467mm. Is that about right do you think .thanks Stephen.
For the trails I ride 100mm seems to be enough. I go pretty fast and never really feel a bottom out.
Where do you live?
Like dutch xc trails you could do on city bike so with my kona honzo hardtail (120 front), i am overbiked, while when I go to Belgium or Germany for enduro riding my spectral is necessary (but I'm also not super great)
Ive got 2 2020 norco a1 ranges. 1 XL 29 and 1 L 27.5. is it possible to mullet both bikes? both have lyrics which can do both wheel sizes.
Cheers #AskGMBNTech
I can’t speak for everyone, but I couldn’t imaging needing more than 120mm travel for the region and trails I ride.
hardtail for my home trails.... Maybe 100mm would be the most someone would like.... But it's funny because most people are running 150mm.... Like, why?
I have to disagree with you both about suspension travel, bike length etc. for xc. It’s never the bike that’s at fault. Any bike can be ridden and raced for that matter. It’s usually the engine that is the limiting factor. Unless you have dreams of turning pro just go ride and have fun, that’s the point. More suspension is always better for the fun factor.
Great point, but if you're wanting to ride XC style trails on an enduro bike the travel will cause you to get tired very quickly. This and the fact that you'll be riding slower than other riders might take the fun out of your ride!
@@gmbntech just be like most everyone else then and buy an E-bike.
140 mm of travel is just perfect for me
Many depend of so the damper is one😂
Very funny to see people using enduro bikes on green and blue trails every time. Hehe
It's best to use whatever bike works for you, some riders buy bikes to 'grow' into! 🤘
Wait, I was told that 14cm was ok, isn't it?
FYI Anna, you measure inseam without high heel shoes. Or inside the leg, not till hip joint
I’m watching
👀
If you do weaksauce things like peddle up mountains more than you go down them, then yeah, get a gravel bike and don't worry about suspension.
Who are you where is old crew?
Come on catch up
I’m afraid to say but this channel without Doddy is just fluff with no filler. So next week will be is 150mm faster than 140mm, it’s trash.
Good grief. For what? And who cares anyway? Only the wrong people. Click bait. (Yeah i know, I clicked, whatevs..)