If there's cavitation in the oil and the fork is equipped with a Grip damper, don't worry. That damper's designed to bleed itself after some time. It sucks oil from the bottom and pushes air out of a bleed port when it's being compressed enough for the piston to open the passage.
handpain #1 rule: no joke, brake less. let me epxplain. brake less in bumps. it really hurts your grip strngth and comfort. brake on flatter and even parts, then go into the gnarly stuff. riding fast a bearm fast hurts your hands way less then hanging onto your bike for life and braking.
@Krenon that's great advice! Definately comes with confidence. I see it as making sure your speed is right before the obstacle/feature or before the section that can cause the hand issues. I'm still learning speed regulation and perception, best thing is to follow some one who knows your skill level and you can trust to lead you in at a pace suited to your skill.
Agree. Soften the lsc and psi if possible, brake less, breathe properly, use your legs and relax your hands/forearms at every opportunity, make it a habit. Experiment with lever position, grip thickness/compound and making adjustments to get your weight off the bars.
To person with armpump in Leogang: I had the same in Sölden. In addition to what Doddy said, check your rebound. Braking bumps can make your fork pack down and get stiffer if you are running the rebound too high.
I think I'm qualified to add something to the "arm pump" conversation. I grew up doing lots of motocross and desert racing, the arm pump is real! lol. Assuming you have proper cockpit set-up, the number one thing you can do is, obviously get out and ride. Nothing builds up grip endurance like practice. Focus on keeping a semi-loose grip and stay relaxed, no death gripping. Get a grip strength trainer and do daily wrist stretching. On riding day before you start, do a lot more wrist stretches, drink lots of water and electrolytes, and take 3 aspirin (Aspirin only! not ibuprofen or other substitutes). All of that will make a major difference with arm pump. Happy Riding!
The secret is keep the hands loose . We naturally grip the handles tighter than they need to be and we can do it subconsciously . Usually the dominant hand will grip the most and why maybe one hand will hurt more . You have to retrain the way you ride being loose on the bike and not just your hands but that's where it starts . Hand pain and tennis elbow went away learning to relax . When you hurt your to tight . Fear can cause some of that but anxiety plays a part . You have to make a conscious effort to grip less .
I'd like to add that I found being Hips Over BB centred and using your legs vs hands to support your self not only improved my riding but also helped hands stay relaxed, like 80% legs/core support and 20% barhands.......ish. Hope that's helpful.
Manitou makes a 120MM fork the uses a quick release front skewer. My buddy put one on his 10 year old Marlin Gary Fisher Team edition single speed. It’s a damn good fork too!
I just ordered a new steel raceface cinch chainring ($15) and a new steel sram pg1130 cassette ($89). They are the same as what came on my Atroz 3. I cant justify getting aluminum when the cassette went 6 chains before I started getting skips. Im still in the process of riding that 6th chain and cassette to destruction and the bikes over 2 years old at this point.
The squish sound can come from the air spring side. There is a small port that equalizes the pressure in the positive and negative air chambers when the fork is at the top of its stroke. If a bit of grease moved to that port, it could cause a quiet squish sound when the fork is slightly compressed and released.
#askGMBNtech Hi Daddy, love the show! I've put a new hose on my Shimano mt520 rear brake, I'm struggling to bleed it, but I've never had an issue bleeding before. The lever feels good but there is little to no pressure at the caliper
If possible hang your bike in a way that the Caliper is the lowest and the Leverbody the highest possible Point and bleed again. Also: use a strap to hold the Leverblade tight to the Handlebar. After a Tea or Coffee Break losen the strap and pump up pressure again and strap the Leverblade again. This will help to force the remaining Air up. Have Fun wrenching.
Sounds like your pistons may be stuck or there's contaminant at the caliper hose banjo area (where the fluid goes in to push the pistons). To diagnose simply put your bike on a stand or on the seat post (avoid flipping as air in the system would also give the same following result) drop your rear wheel, grab a tire lever and hold 1 side of the piston. Then press the lever and see if the other piston is able to exercise back and forth. Be careful not to pop the piston out. Do the same for the other piston. If the pistons don't move or they have limited movement (which I'm sure it is), it might be dirty and stuck or there might be contaminant in the line still. You can solve this by taking the caliper off the bike and disconnect off the brake line, then putting a air pressure gun to the brake port and blow the pistons out. Then use alcohol to clean the piston edges and apply some brake oil before sliding them back into the caliper with the help of the tire lever. Then reassemble, rebleed and volia. If the pistons don't move even after cleaning them,, it means that something in the fluid is lodged at the banjo area or inside the caliper, giving pressure to the lever but no action at the caliper. This time, use the tire lever at an angle to hold the pistons in, and do the same air gun trick, to blow out any residue stuck. Then.... reassemble, rebleed and volia. Hope this helped!
Three things plus a planned one that I found did help me with hand pump, hopefully this may help someone?! 1st I chose ODI Dreadlock Grips, they are tacky enough for thin gloves or gloveless lovely squish but not soft, feels very connected (larger hands). 2nd I went for Cushcore as I gave destroyed a few rims, this allowed me (120kg on bike) to run 1.5bar rear and about 1.2 front, Assagai Exo Front Aggressor Rear. Makes the front end way less jarring on small bumps that the fork doesn't handle. 3rd I adjusted NY breaks leaver position, angle, reach and bite point for the situations and body positioning I will be in when I need to use the breaks the most, so descending, ready position before corners obsticles etc, I adjusted the lever so with the brake pulled hard with one finger it still sits 3-5 mm away from the closest finger. Last I plan to get a Oneup Carbon Bar and an appropriate stem, they are stiff for steering but flex a little online with fork travel when set correctly, I think this will be the final thing to mak emy setup perfect outside of suspension tuning, all the above has stopped most of my ulnar nerve issues, don't get hand/arm pump thta I can notice. Only think I get is after sessioning some jumps (small) in the evening my knuckles were a little stiff/ache. I know the above may sound like random blurb, but I hope it may help some one with specific items that worked for me, I'd also love to hear what anyone else has tried? RevGrips? Oneup bars? Etc I'm always learning.
Hey Doddy, I love the channel and I recently bought a 2021 Trek fuel ex 5, and I was wondering if I should be doing jumps on this bike or if I would just be slowly destroying the bike? Thanks
Hey I got the same bike recently. I jump every once in a while and it does fine. However, the 5 comes with a x fusion shock and the dealer didn’t give me any volume reducers for the rear shock. I can’t find anywhere to buy them and the website for X fusion just says they come with the shock. This means that no matter how much air you put in that thing, it still blows through the travel and bottoms out. The front fork volume reducers were easy to get
#askGMBNTech I’ve been riding regularly for the last 18 years and had a lot of bikes in that time. Crashing has always been part of the sport. Mainly just sliding out and then jumping back on the bike and riding away. This type of crashing feels like a pretty normal part of mountain biking and has never resulted in any damage worse than torn off derailleurs and snapped brake levers. 6 months ago I bought a brand new Kona hei hei cr, which was my first ever carbon bike. I chose kona as I have had 6 kona bikes in the past and always had great luck with them. Last month I had a light crash on a corner where the front wheel slid on a root. I jumped up ready to carry on and then noticed the rear carbon chain stay had been crushed inwards. I returned the bike to the dealer and was quoted 700 dollars plus tax and installation for a new rear end. The cost is a bit more than I was expecting for an at cost rear triangle. Do you think in a sport where light crashing is pretty much ingrained in the sport, bikes should be built to resist these impacts better? I don’t expect to be able to ride of huge drops or into trees and survive. But surely bikes should survive hitting the ground in light crashes. Surely there is a certain degree of crashing that should be considered normal use.
Long post so I read through everything, I've reached my life goal 😂 XC race bikes are built for speed and medium trail duty. Does not excuse the damage but if you had been taking it out on places it shouldn't have been e.g bike parks or urban then it could have contributed. My guess is that the impact was on a weak spot and unfortunately perhaps the resulting torsional force of the crash in motion just made the carbon fail (?) Another theory could be perhaps repeated impact (you would've known otherwise) or poor carbon grade/manufacturing but sadly unless there was a recall or proof that the material was to blame, you're out of the loop... Seeing that the crash caused the damage and not the other way around, you've probably just hit bad luck with the warranty claim and repair cost. If you have not emailed Kona then you might as well consider doing so as I am sure any manufacturer would take keen interest of their products failing as that is potential future customers being D.O.A when they hit the trail. And if they're any good they might just send you a replacement stay or some credit (seeing as it's repaired already)
@Sean Hey Thanks for the response. You raise some good points. I dont think I took the bike outside of what its made for. I ride hard, but I ride within what should be considered reasonable trails for xc and down country bikes. Looking at where the damage is (in the middle of the oversized chain stay area) I think I just managed to get really unlucky and impact the bike in the one area with the thinnest carbon fibre. Therefore, as you suggested on a weak spot. As for poor carbon/manufacturing I will never really know. I will drop a email to Kona today and explain the situation to them directly. But in all honesty, I wonder if this is just the downside of carbon bikes across all manufacturers. I certainly wouldn’t say no to a high end aluminium modern down country bike, if there was one.
#AskGMBNTech Are aluminum or titanium brake pistons better then plastic pistons (e.g. Sram for example)? Heard they are better dissipating heat, rather then the plastic ones.
Theoretically yes they will, but manufacturers probably made them to have better transition of braking action and pad feel on the lever compared to plastic, and not for heat dissipation.
Doddy mentioned most of the things causing fatigue and hand pain and did a great job with it. But here are other things that can cause pain. really floppy wrists, my wrists are very loose, causing misalignment, and not being able to brake properly sometimes, resulting in missing corners, but wrist supports have limited the misalignment, eliminating the issue. Keep in mind if both wrist and elbow is misaligned it can cause even more pain in the hand and arm. if you have these issues and ride too narrow handlebar the elbows might miss align even during gentle riding, mine did, but now I have a wide enough handlebar and a well-fitting bike. reach and brake lever position and handlebar rise play a role too. my bike has long enough reach and handlebar high enough rise to have the brake levers almost flat, levers are set up just like Doddy mentioned to end up braking with the mid bone. Some ride on too small bikes, reach too short, too low rise, shorter the reach steeper the brake lever angle needs to be, longer the reach is, flatter the brake levers can be, thus be relaxed with handlebar rise being high enough. But if a bike is really small the hand and the upper body won't be as relaxed, so you will be more fatigued and fatigued faster. The suspension setup is also important, the suspension setup might be too harsh. So recommend looking into these things too.
Hi Doddy, got a gear problem for #AskGMBNTech - 1x12 shimano deore M6100 drive-train. Shifting to lower (larger sprocket) gears is fine, but when shifting from the lowest to the second lowest, the hanger does not move enough to shift the gear. Thoughts? A friend suggested a sticky cable. What are your thoughts on lubing the inner cable?
I have this drive train as well and have battled shifting since I bought it. Apparently I have cracked the hanger and therefore don’t have as good of shifting when going to the smaller sprockets (going to a harder gear)
You have probably put too much cable tension on when tightening up the shift cable. This would prevent the derailleur from dropping down to its intended H limit position. Shift to the highest (smallest cog) gear. Release the cable bolt at the derailleur, screw in the barrel adjuster at the lever fully, then very (very!) lightly pull the cable and redo the cable pinch bolt. Then set your H limit before your Indexing via barrel adjuster, and finally L limit and B tension screw.
#AskGMBNTech Greetings Doddy. No real problem but just a strange question. Somewhere back in the past I recall hearing tyres fresh from the mould wear quickly as the tyre compound is still soft. A tyre that has matured will handle better and last longer. Have you heard of this? Of course really old tyres are not very good either. Thanks.
A fresh tire will wear quicker as it provides optimal grip while soft. A "matured" tire just means the rubber compound would harden slightly and change structurally, but it would theoretically only result in a different wear pattern as compared to durability loss. (e.g picture soft, floppy knobs rolling and wearing off roundly at the corners, versus hardened knobs scrubbing at the surface and shortening itself at an angle)
#AskGMBNTech Hi Doddy, thanks for all the advice over the years. I do have a question regarding shortening the travel of a suspension fork. More precisely I am planning to do a full bike build with a 150 mm pike in mind. Can I somehow shorten the travel to 120 mm to put it on my current hardtail and reverse it back to 150 when I got the rest for the build? Cheers, Patrick
You need to find out if a regular trail Pike accepts a 120mm RS air shaft, or if there is a compatible one. Online manuals, websites, stores and your lbs will come in handy. Right now I can only think of Pike DJ being a Pike under 130mm travel.
#AskGMBNTech Hey Doddy do you know how to fix an oil leak under the lock out knob of forks(manitou markhor)? I already changed the o rings of the Kwik toggle damper but it still leaks small amounts of oil.
#AskGMBNTech Hi Doddy, I'm looking at getting a new aggressive hardtail and one of the bikes I'm looking at is the Commencal Meta HT. I noticed on their website that one of the sizes was XS with a 27.5 front and a 26 inch rear which is great for short riders like myself! But I want to know why haven't any other bike manufacturers tried a mullet bike in this setup before? Seems like a perfect solution to a size problem!
Smaller riders have the predicament of Size S being too big and having to run it anyway because most brands only stoop down to 160cm and no lower... (I'm 164, and Size S is just right, most of the time) A 27.5 /26 mullet will feel, to you, what a 29 / 27.5 mullet will for a taller rider like Doddy. It's proportional, but also practical as you probably wouldn't clear a 29er rear wheel travel.
Coming from a mx background my arm pump was solved by cockpit setup and just as important how hard i was gripping the bars, relax squeeze the grips with your outside fingers and only when you need to. I was squeezing too much wich was aggravating arm pump caused by the poor cockpit setup
#AskGMBNTech I put my Carbon Canyon spectral cf8 on my bike rack whenever I take it to the trails. I clamp on the top tube right above the shock and right under the headset on the down tube. I’m wondering if that’s bad for my bike? And the clamps are just Velcro straps with a rubber U shaped thing for the frame tube to sit on. Am I going to ruin my back doing this?
If the clamp supports the bike (seeing that it's a U clamp and you didn't mention a clamping upper), then it's fine as the weight of the bike would not cause carbon to deform. The difference is if you have a clamping jaw type of rack, then excessive clamping force on especially the middle of the top tube (or in the middle of any load bearing tube) may cause dents, cracks or fractures under load stress or torsional movement, of which would develop as you ride the bike and input load on the weakened area
#AskGMBNTech I just bought a used bike and I can't turn the rebound adjuster knob on the fork at all. I think the problem is that it's been set to the lowest position (no-damping) and was left to sit like that for years. Because of this right now I wouldn't be able to take the fork apart because I would have to screw the knob out. Can I somehow twist it out by some force with a wrench? And if I can do that, would it be worth it to also service the damper after this problem while I am doing an air-shaft and lower leg service? (I have a FOX 32 Float Performance from 2016)
#AskGMBTech hey I got a used downhill bike and it’s a fox float dps performance 2018 rear shock and when I take all the air out of it the shock doesn’t move I weigh around 105 pounds and run 85 psi but the shock doesn’t move much and lowering the air doesn’t make a difference do you think the shock need a Service or is damaged and I took a look at it and it’s not locked out pls help
Could be a couple of reasons - I would suspect a busted seal which caused the neg air to essentially suck the shock in and slow it or limit movement (can't extend out but can only retract). Bit of a long shot as I've not heard this cause a shock to bind or seize... Could also be a seized air shaft or a bent shaft. Or just that it's super duper dry inside... Best to take it to lbs, never disassemble a shock if you think it is still pressurized internally.
Hope brakes are fiddly to brake to say the least. You need to level the levers, then remove the reservoir cover, fill it with brake fluid constantly while pulling out fluid at the caliper end using a syringe until the line is bled. Then fill the reservoir again and keep flicking the levertill bubbles are clear. Experienced mechs can have the arm span of a bus and can do this with some struggle - the average joe would probably either a) spill fluid all over the fork and your floor, b) let the syringe flop and drop off, or c) finish bleeding, close everything up and realize you flicked too hard and air bubbles reentered the system, and you have to restart
#AsGMBNTech Hi Doddy, Thanks for all the info for bike maniacs like us haha but my question is I bought a new frame commencal 29" with rear hub spacing 12x148mm and I'll use my current wheels but they are 12x142mm. So, what is the best way to adapt from 142 to 148mm hub spacing? Good Rides Andres!
#AskGMBNTech hi doddy, I have an airdrop edit that I use for bike park laps and I need to change my chain and cassette due to wear. Would there be any benefit to fitting a dh style short cage derailleur and 28-11 cassette or should I spend the extra money to replace the 11-46 that’s on there currently. ( I hate pedalling up the hills and only pedal down )
Less unsprung Weight would be beneficial but you will need a Spacerring to compensate for the fewer Gears. If you absolutely don't pedal up maybe get rid of the Dropper Post as well if one is fitted.
If you only go down, and never ride up, then you can consider turning your bike into a mini DH rig with, like you said, a smaller cassette, a DH derailleur and a bigger front chainring. DH drivetrains tend to have less speeds, which results in thicker chain and cassette material, and less overall wear. It will also extend your high speed pedalling gear range and help you down the track better.
#askgmbntech hi doddy, my rockshox maxle boost 15x110 thru axle lever came off. the screw thats thight it upp are broken the top of the screw came off so do i need to buy a new axle or can i do somethingelse?
The regular Maxle doesn't have a screw..? It's just a thru axle. I'd guess you're using the quick release lever version of the Maxle, and the broken screw is to adjust the angle of the lever when closed - in which case you could try to source the same screw from a hardware store, or just get a new axle (which is what is safer and easier)
#AskGMBNTech Hi everyone, i've been cleaning my bike with brushes and Muc-off Drivetrain Cleaner. But now it's always raining and I started to hear more grit from chain when moved from side to side. Should I always clean it so much that there's absolutely no sand? Or is a tiny bit of sand ok?
If the threads are already buggered, and you don't bother with zipties, then some plumbing tape will force-fit the bolt in place. This will ruin the thread further though, so do consider a traditional zip tie mudguard or helicoil tapping fresh threads.
#askgmbntech Hi Doddy. I heard rumors about turning off the clutch on your shimano derrailleur would save you some energy when padeling climbs or flat terrain. However, I can't find any other sources on this. What are your thoughts on this? Love the show, thanks for sharing your knowledge with us.
It would be pretty negligible, you might notice it (the clutch friction) more on oval chainrings as the cage extends and retracts , but on normal round chainring set ups the cadence would matter more than clutch on/off. .. And while I'm at it, remember to take your clutch cover and the clutch cam off to grease it up, Shimano 12s dees come dry from factory and tend to snap into two at the clutch cover holes when the clutch seizes dry
Just ride with it on always. If there was technically a different (with ovan chainring, obviously no difference with round), the difference would literally be too negligible to be noticed.
#AskGNBNTech, hello. I have an old Cannondale (1990) aluminum touring frame which had dropouts for a skewered hub. Assuming I rebuild a bike using this frame, my thought is that through axels are out, but I am interested in having strong axels so, am I able to switch to solid axels of at least 12mm? 14mm? Yes I am OK with a standard theaded nut. Is there a brand of hub that caters to retro or refit? Industry 9? Phil Wood? In addition the steering tube is old fashioned, having used an internal wedge/neck, but I would not mind having the more modern stacked stem/neck. Is this even possible?
#AskGMBNTech I have a bit of an odd torso:leg ratio, i.e. very short legs for my height. None of the bike websites actually work for me so was wondering your opinion on the matter. I'm 176cm and inseam is 74cm with a GT (Greater Trochanter) length of 85cm if that helps at all. I ended up going for a Trek Fuel EX in size ML but would love to know your thoughts on the matter - should I have gone for a Medium instead?
#AskGMNBNTech i've got deore xt in my comuter (canyon pathlite 7) clutch is on all the time i wonder why it need to be serviced so often , every month i need to grease clutch mechanism (i use dedicated Shimano Shadow+ and its placed where it should be) because of jumping action of Cage i lowered tension on clutch several times could it still be to high?i dont have dyno key to check it properly but tension feels to be just right. second problem is clutch is turning itselt off during the ride i'm sure its reasembled corectly, could it be fixed or its just Shimano clutch thing?
BETTER BRAKES. I solved my cramps with more powerful brakes. most people say “keep your hands loose” or “grip less”, they’re probably not wrong: I say check your braking power before grips and handlebars, because it’s braking that demands the most effort to your hands. If your forearms are already working 110% to squeeze the brakes, then you won't have enough strength to cope with the added stress of brake bumps or riding surface in general. I'm circa Doddy's size (190cmx93kg), I ride a hardcore hardtail with 4-pots shimano mt520 brakes, and I always had problems with hand pain: at the beginning I thought I was just weak, so I did a lot of strength training for hands and forearms until I almost got myself inflamed tendons; then I followed every advice on the subject: tried a higher handlebar rise, different grips, different lever angles ad setups, tire pressures, fork setups, which all slightly helped somehow but didn't really solve the issue. Then I experienced the worst arm pump one day at the bike park, this summer: my sintered pads needed replacement and I had to use the resin ones that I kept as emergency spares: bedded in as best as I could, dropped in, mid pre-ride and my hands were already killing me! with my favorite pads I could ride with some discomfort, with less powerful ones I simply couldn't: I was on the brakes way longer that I thought I should, my hands were squeezing a lot more and a lot longer than they could withstand, pads overheating making the whole system work worse corner after corner. So the next day I was shopping for brake pads, saw a nice set of Shimano m7120 brakes at a price that was too inviting to pass: I bought them expecting an increase in braking power as advertised, but not by THIS much! they bite like a starving dog! now I can grab a handful of front brake and go instantly OTB if I want, or, I can feather it into stoppies and such, but more importantly I can now ride faster, with more confidence, and hand-pain free. (I know it's an expensive upgrade, more than grips or handlebars, but in this day and age I've been able to quickly sell the brakes I had, and the finned brake pads that came with the new brakes, reducing the cost of the operation to a mere 20€. BIG WIN!)
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#AskGMBNTech Hi, Doddy! Should suspension travel be adjusted to the rider's height? Would it make sense to go for a bit longer travel bike only because someone is a taller rider?
@ Because that doesn't make sense. What's your thinking behind this?
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@@th_js bigger dude has bigger bike, bigger bike should mean proportionally bigger parts. For example size S bikes often come only with 27.5 wheels. A 150cm tall guy gets for example a 150mm travel bike, if we wanted to have the same characteristics for a 190cm tall rider, optimally the whole bike should be "stretched" to his size, resulting in 190mm travel. I know, bike geometries are not this simple, but i don't see how a taller rider wouldn't benefit from a longer travel bike. If the answer is "it doesn't make sense", then i would like to have a proper explanation about why not.
dead serious question. why are GMBN videos always substantially louder than any other video/channel on youtube? always forget to turn the volume down before the video starts
Why nobody talks about handlebars backsweep?? Handlebars come usually with 8 or 9 degrees backsweep. Try one with at least 12 (mine is 16) It will put your arms in a more natural position. worth the try!
8 and 5 is the most common and the best middle ground for everyone! Mine are 7 and 5 and I love them! Are your bars SQ Lab by any chance? I saw something a while back about SQ Lab making some larger back sweep bars and they gave me beach cruiser vibes! 😂 I couldn’t imagine them being fun to ride at anything over jogging pace… but each to their own!
@@rupedog shoulder width helps you find bar width. Shoulder/arm rotation helps you decide on back sweep & up sweep. Back sweep and upsweep are not really anything to do with shoulder width.
#AskGMBNTech. Hi Doddy great show. I have a question about lights. I am looking to upgrade and get new front lights so I can do some more adventurous night riding. My question is. Which would be better to get, one 4000 lumen light or two 2000 lumen lights. The lights I'm looking at have external battery packs. I know having 2 battery packs could awkward to mount. That isn't a problem for me. The light I'm looking at are made by Lumicycle and they make a Y connector to connect 2 lights to one battery.
#AskGMBNTech Hey Doddy, what is the effect of using a fork with around 10 mm more Axle to Crown than the maximum given by the bike brand?, i'm trying to upgrade from 130mm to a 150mm travel fork, "The maximum axle-to-crown measurement = 551mm." But The Fox 36(150mm) has 559.6 mm a2c. Saludos from Quito-Ecuador.
It just means that "hey, we're telling you to not void your warranty by using too long of a fork on our frame!" Go ahead and do it, a 20mm increment of travel should not be an issue bike wise, all it does is slacken the head tube angle, slacken the seat tube angle and raise the bb (handling change), but it will void your warranty I guess, if they state a max value for axle-to-crown. Check your warranty.
Should be fine. Just don't preferably go too many centimeters over the max. It basically just adds more leverage to rip off your head-tube/snap your bike in half but those are unlikely. When it comes to riding, it slackens your HTA and STA, increases your BB-height, shortens your reach and increases wheelbase. However when you're riding your bike, the "sag" will basically make these differences too small to have a negative impact.
#AskGMBNTech Hey GMBN, I just built up a commencal meta, and have GX eagle on the build. Ive set the B tension correctly and everything, and decided to replace my chain right before it hit the .5 wear mark. Therefor, I only have about 200 miles of riding/ enduro racing on the chain and cassette (the black coating is barely worn off the cassette). I put on a new chain, and it seems to be skipping in the lower gears (9th, 10th, etc...). I was wondering what could be the cause of this issue if all my limit screws are correct, and the chain is of the exact length as the old one, and its shifting perfectly? Is there a wear in period for chains? Thanks, Will
@@willmyers5764 Are you sure that it is actually skipping and not just jumping because of misalignment in the derailleur caused by improper cable-tension or a bent hanger? Also, did you install your powerlock the correct way around? It's easy to get wrong if you don't pay attention. I've got at least 6000 kilometers on my GX casette and it still isn't skipping, so there's no way yours is too worn out, unless your previous chain was way too worn.
@@th_js It was shifting perfectly and wasnt making any excessive noise, and the hanger is straight too. Ill throw a cable in it to ensure most acurate shifting performance, and the powerlock is installed correctly. Ill play around with it to see if it works out. thanks!
Depending on your internal rim width, a wide tire that exceeds the recommended width by the manufacturer would only result in the sidewall protruding out more and forming a mushroom shape of the contact patch to the ground. The carcass flops around a bit more, which means you can not run lower psi, as you'd risk the bead coming off. So... yes, you can, but there are drawbacks, and limitations
#AskGMBNTech Is there anything wrong with using a good pair of hiking shoes instead of MTB-specific shoes? I ride with flats and use a pair of sturdy but basic hiking shoes. I feel like the comfort and support they offer is more than adequate and possibly superior to some MTB shoes. I can't see the justification of spending nearly £100 on MTB shoes such as Five-Tens when I can spend £40 on mid-range hiking shoes. Is this a case of style over function or do MTB shoes actually offer specific benefits?
It's a huge difference actually. Different Rubber Compound, different Sole design ( mostly Flat ) and MTB specific Shoes have a pretty stiff Sole which most Hiking Shoes haven't. 100 Bucks is a stupid Price, absolutely... I just can tell you, also from experience, it makes a difference.
Hiking shoes don't have as stiff of a pedalling platform on the sole. Even if the rubber compound is the same, the hiking shoe would flex more and not provide as good of power transfer. Also hiking shoes may provide excessive ankle and lateral support - good for DH but probably restrictive for regular trail riding.
Lower temperature result in higher Viscosity. Open your Rebound some clicks to counter this effect. *Update* Also check your Sag in colder Temperatures. The Airpressure might drop.
Lower temp results in the oil having thicker viscosity. Like what Timothy mentioned, change your rebound if you feel it's sluggish on trail. Remember to turn it back to where it was for summer days. *And no, if you were thinking about changing oil weight from let's say 15wt to 10wt - don't. It'll kind of fix your issue in cold weather but will provide much lesser lubrication under normal riding conditions and ruin your fork in the long run (lest you do insane amount of lower leg services)
@@th_js The thinner viscosity of the lesser weight oil wouldnt be sufficiently coated over the key parts, and the oil itself would suffer from burnout sooner than the correct weight thicker oil. However, the benefit of running thinner weight oil is more responsiveness and plushness. Hence why racers run lesser wt but have to change it more often between events. Lest they run their forks dry 🤣
I use to suffer with really bad arm pump out of nowhere, it never use to be an issue. A couple years later and here’s what I’ve found which may have helped to minimise it. Bike set up: Thicker grips Higher rise bar Lower tyre pressure Brake levers tilted a bit further up (horizontal) Exercise: Dead hangs Grip strengthening (powerball or the squeezy ones)
Yes, most major oval chainring manufacturers have a "dot" or "marker" to position and align the chainring to the crank. Each area on an oval chainring has a power zone and rest zone, if you install it the wrong way you will feel like you're bobbing and exerting more strength then you need to.
Technically yes, but in practice no - if you have a clean chain, theory says yes, but since most dry lubes have some kind of wax or teflon on it, you run the risk of the wet lube just flowing off. Even worse if you have a ridden, gritty chain; even with dry lube, you'll just be marinating grit with wet lube.
#AskGMBNTech Why are bikes so small? The stack height of bikes seem tiny. People are always towering over their bike. Bike just seem to get longer reach for larger riders and they just look uncomfortable
yep, somethign that grinds my gears is stack height. a Large needs a MIN 640 but some have downwards of 600 which is unacceptable. I like my back to be upright not hump back like roadies.
@@MrSupermugen 5,10 and run a large with 50mm bars. Got a great enduro bike but sold it straight away because it felt like a kids bike and it just felt i was riding ontop the bike instead of in it. Norco seems to be the only one breaking the trend somewhat
To stop arm pump go vain less same as tube less tyre seriously nevered suffered from it but I spend lots of time in the gym it happens a lot in motorcycle racing but only to a few riders so top riders having surgery there is know hard rule to solution.
im 50,suffered bad hand cramps after long rides for years..looked at lots of options,settled on the brookes plump grips..nevrer had an issue again...pricey at £70...but will last a lifetime
No, the levers should not be horizontal, it is the angle of the levers that causes the straining of the wrists and hands. They should be tilted/angled at the same angle as your forearms. Dont listen to Daddy when it comes to having the levers horizontal. This is super duper mega important for racing motorbikes for instance, and if the levers are at angle that is too horizontal you will get cramped hands and wrists and even armpump. For instance try this when you do push-ups. first try witht he palm touching the floor and then try with making a fist ie the angle of the hand will be the same as the forearm, which feels better ie less strainy on your wrist?
Well... I beg to differ. The Angle of the Lever's vary on the Terrain you ride. Flatter trail's often call for steeper Angles than steeper Trails... Also: everybody is different. What you like must not work for everybody else.
@@mistera1mL3Ss You may beg to differ but that is pretty much standard ergonomical practice. Having the hand in a acute angle compared to the arm will result in excessive strain. Maybe you don't ride long enough and/or hard enough to feel it but every human body would have issues.
@@Pillokun to find a starting Position, yes... Still every Body is different and People like different Stuff. I get your Point but to tell People someone is plainly wrong and you are right isn't really an approach. Take a look at Yoann Barelli's Brake levers... Maybe he also doesn't ride long or hard enough 😉
@@mistera1mL3Ss the only reason you would want to have the levers parallel with the ground is if you are far behind the bike, ie when you are over the rear wheel with your behind going down technical sections. That is the only reason, and even then the fore arms and hands are inline without any acute angle on the wrists. The question about how the riding position is supposed to feel or be is one of the main questions we track riders must get right, and it is the same issue a mtb rider have.
@@Pillokun So... You agree that the Lever Angle depends on Terrain? That actually was my Point. Also you are actually not behind the Bike but the Bike tilts under you so it makes the impression that you are behind the Saddle even if you are don't. Also... Comparing Track riding on a Motorcycle in a rather fixed Position ( Movement but in smaller Increments then MTB ) and the movement on an MTB going down technical Descents isn't really Apples to Apples.
It can also be that you just did something you usually don't do, your body isn't used to it. Also bad nutrition can play a huge role in it and you don't have to be out of shape, it just sometimes happens, when the outside-factors allow it.
This isn’t true. Chainrings don’t wear chains or they shouldn’t do if you’re using a correct chainring and you have correct chain line. 99% of chain wear is due to the stuff that gets ingested into the chain rollers during riding. Not the contact of the chainring on the chain. Your chain will have shit itself due to the wear I mentioned wayyyyyyy before the chainring would start wearing it regardless of whether it’s steel or aluminium. Aluminium chainrings wear faster than steel though.
Horizontal levers!🙄 must disagree doddy, thats never going to be a sensible lever angle, and will likely cause pain due to his brake lever angle...horizontal levers, when stood in the attack position will hyper flex wrists. Might not show on his local milder trails. Always set lever angle when stood in attack position so forearms, wrists, hands and fingers are a straight line. Not blinking horizontal!!!
I agree to the most of this... But: the steeper the Terrain the flatter the Angle of the Lever's. The Angle set on flat Ground won't always be suitable for 20 degrees down... And: personal preference is a huge Point as well.
I very strongly disagree. Of course it's personal preference, but you can't just say it like it would be bad for everyone. I actually ride with my levers literally pointing upwards slightly and anything else feels like shit.
Have you got an MTB question? Use the hashtag #AskGMBNTech for a chance to have your question feature in an upcoming show!
If there's cavitation in the oil and the fork is equipped with a Grip damper, don't worry. That damper's designed to bleed itself after some time. It sucks oil from the bottom and pushes air out of a bleed port when it's being compressed enough for the piston to open the passage.
handpain #1 rule:
no joke, brake less.
let me epxplain.
brake less in bumps. it really hurts your grip strngth and comfort.
brake on flatter and even parts, then go into the gnarly stuff.
riding fast a bearm fast hurts your hands way less then hanging onto your bike for life and braking.
⬆️ this
This is why riding a hardtail really gets the fundamentals in place for beginners . Everyone should consider a HT as a first bike
@@wichovr6 i life in Austria at some Beiträge g bike parks. Ofc i ridden some HT before but as Bikepark Bike i will use my propain spindrift.
@Krenon that's great advice! Definately comes with confidence.
I see it as making sure your speed is right before the
obstacle/feature or before the section that can cause the hand issues. I'm still learning speed regulation and perception, best thing is to follow some one who knows your skill level and you can trust to lead you in at a pace suited to your skill.
Agree. Soften the lsc and psi if possible, brake less, breathe properly, use your legs and relax your hands/forearms at every opportunity, make it a habit. Experiment with lever position, grip thickness/compound and making adjustments to get your weight off the bars.
To person with armpump in Leogang: I had the same in Sölden. In addition to what Doddy said, check your rebound. Braking bumps can make your fork pack down and get stiffer if you are running the rebound too high.
yes, agreed!
I think I'm qualified to add something to the "arm pump" conversation. I grew up doing lots of motocross and desert racing, the arm pump is real! lol. Assuming you have proper cockpit set-up, the number one thing you can do is, obviously get out and ride. Nothing builds up grip endurance like practice. Focus on keeping a semi-loose grip and stay relaxed, no death gripping. Get a grip strength trainer and do daily wrist stretching. On riding day before you start, do a lot more wrist stretches, drink lots of water and electrolytes, and take 3 aspirin (Aspirin only! not ibuprofen or other substitutes). All of that will make a major difference with arm pump. Happy Riding!
The secret is keep the hands loose . We naturally grip the handles tighter than they need to be and we can do it subconsciously . Usually the dominant hand will grip the most and why maybe one hand will hurt more . You have to retrain the way you ride being loose on the bike and not just your hands but that's where it starts . Hand pain and tennis elbow went away learning to relax . When you hurt your to tight . Fear can cause some of that but anxiety plays a part . You have to make a conscious effort to grip less .
Good advice Steven cole, thanks
I'd like to add that I found being Hips Over BB centred and using your legs vs hands to support your self not only improved my riding but also helped hands stay relaxed, like 80% legs/core support and 20% barhands.......ish. Hope that's helpful.
My personal fix has been thicker grips for this finger pain issue
@Jamie Waters Try Manitou Markhor air fork, it can be internally adjusted to 120mm and they have a quick release version.
Manitou makes a 120MM fork the uses a quick release front skewer. My buddy put one on his 10 year old Marlin Gary Fisher Team edition single speed. It’s a damn good fork too!
I just ordered a new steel raceface cinch chainring ($15) and a new steel sram pg1130 cassette ($89). They are the same as what came on my Atroz 3. I cant justify getting aluminum when the cassette went 6 chains before I started getting skips. Im still in the process of riding that 6th chain and cassette to destruction and the bikes over 2 years old at this point.
The squish sound can come from the air spring side. There is a small port that equalizes the pressure in the positive and negative air chambers when the fork is at the top of its stroke. If a bit of grease moved to that port, it could cause a quiet squish sound when the fork is slightly compressed and released.
Is there anything wrong this that as it happened to my shock
@@hugoandreas1715 It shouldn’t be a big deal as long as you can set the air pressure and the correct sag.
Thank you for answering my question Doddy.
#askGMBNtech Hi Daddy, love the show! I've put a new hose on my Shimano mt520 rear brake, I'm struggling to bleed it, but I've never had an issue bleeding before. The lever feels good but there is little to no pressure at the caliper
If possible hang your bike in a way that the Caliper is the lowest and the Leverbody the highest possible Point and bleed again. Also: use a strap to hold the Leverblade tight to the Handlebar. After a Tea or Coffee Break losen the strap and pump up pressure again and strap the Leverblade again. This will help to force the remaining Air up. Have Fun wrenching.
Sounds like your pistons may be stuck or there's contaminant at the caliper hose banjo area (where the fluid goes in to push the pistons).
To diagnose simply put your bike on a stand or on the seat post (avoid flipping as air in the system would also give the same following result) drop your rear wheel, grab a tire lever and hold 1 side of the piston. Then press the lever and see if the other piston is able to exercise back and forth. Be careful not to pop the piston out. Do the same for the other piston.
If the pistons don't move or they have limited movement (which I'm sure it is), it might be dirty and stuck or there might be contaminant in the line still. You can solve this by taking the caliper off the bike and disconnect off the brake line, then putting a air pressure gun to the brake port and blow the pistons out. Then use alcohol to clean the piston edges and apply some brake oil before sliding them back into the caliper with the help of the tire lever. Then reassemble, rebleed and volia.
If the pistons don't move even after cleaning them,, it means that something in the fluid is lodged at the banjo area or inside the caliper, giving pressure to the lever but no action at the caliper. This time, use the tire lever at an angle to hold the pistons in, and do the same air gun trick, to blow out any residue stuck. Then.... reassemble, rebleed and volia.
Hope this helped!
Three things plus a planned one that I found did help me with hand pump, hopefully this may help someone?!
1st I chose ODI Dreadlock Grips, they are tacky enough for thin gloves or gloveless lovely squish but not soft, feels very connected (larger hands).
2nd I went for Cushcore as I gave destroyed a few rims, this allowed me (120kg on bike) to run 1.5bar rear and about 1.2 front, Assagai Exo Front Aggressor Rear. Makes the front end way less jarring on small bumps that the fork doesn't handle.
3rd I adjusted NY breaks leaver position, angle, reach and bite point for the situations and body positioning I will be in when I need to use the breaks the most, so descending, ready position before corners obsticles etc, I adjusted the lever so with the brake pulled hard with one finger it still sits 3-5 mm away from the closest finger.
Last I plan to get a Oneup Carbon Bar and an appropriate stem, they are stiff for steering but flex a little online with fork travel when set correctly, I think this will be the final thing to mak emy setup perfect outside of suspension tuning, all the above has stopped most of my ulnar nerve issues, don't get hand/arm pump thta I can notice.
Only think I get is after sessioning some jumps (small) in the evening my knuckles were a little stiff/ache.
I know the above may sound like random blurb, but I hope it may help some one with specific items that worked for me, I'd also love to hear what anyone else has tried? RevGrips? Oneup bars? Etc I'm always learning.
I had the hand problem too in leogang i went to the physio and just ignored it it went away massaging helps
Hey Doddy, I love the channel and I recently bought a 2021 Trek fuel ex 5, and I was wondering if I should be doing jumps on this bike or if I would just be slowly destroying the bike? Thanks
Dude you can jump that bike as much as you want, it's tough as nails. Check out what Cam McCaul does on his!
Jump it all you want. That bike will handle it very good
Yes I agree. I have an EX8 and I have been jumping on it for over a year. I weigh 190 lbs and ride a medium. The bike holds up real nice!
Hey I got the same bike recently. I jump every once in a while and it does fine. However, the 5 comes with a x fusion shock and the dealer didn’t give me any volume reducers for the rear shock. I can’t find anywhere to buy them and the website for X fusion just says they come with the shock. This means that no matter how much air you put in that thing, it still blows through the travel and bottoms out. The front fork volume reducers were easy to get
@@danielhicks5031 I had the same problem with the Marin alpine trail 7, try turning up the low speed
#askGMBNTech I’ve been riding regularly for the last 18 years and had a lot of bikes in that time. Crashing has always been part of the sport. Mainly just sliding out and then jumping back on the bike and riding away. This type of crashing feels like a pretty normal part of mountain biking and has never resulted in any damage worse than torn off derailleurs and snapped brake levers.
6 months ago I bought a brand new Kona hei hei cr, which was my first ever carbon bike. I chose kona as I have had 6 kona bikes in the past and always had great luck with them. Last month I had a light crash on a corner where the front wheel slid on a root. I jumped up ready to carry on and then noticed the rear carbon chain stay had been crushed inwards. I returned the bike to the dealer and was quoted 700 dollars plus tax and installation for a new rear end. The cost is a bit more than I was expecting for an at cost rear triangle.
Do you think in a sport where light crashing is pretty much ingrained in the sport, bikes should be built to resist these impacts better?
I don’t expect to be able to ride of huge drops or into trees and survive. But surely bikes should survive hitting the ground in light crashes. Surely there is a certain degree of crashing that should be considered normal use.
Long post so I read through everything, I've reached my life goal 😂
XC race bikes are built for speed and medium trail duty. Does not excuse the damage but if you had been taking it out on places it shouldn't have been e.g bike parks or urban then it could have contributed.
My guess is that the impact was on a weak spot and unfortunately perhaps the resulting torsional force of the crash in motion just made the carbon fail (?) Another theory could be perhaps repeated impact (you would've known otherwise) or poor carbon grade/manufacturing but sadly unless there was a recall or proof that the material was to blame, you're out of the loop...
Seeing that the crash caused the damage and not the other way around, you've probably just hit bad luck with the warranty claim and repair cost. If you have not emailed Kona then you might as well consider doing so as I am sure any manufacturer would take keen interest of their products failing as that is potential future customers being D.O.A when they hit the trail. And if they're any good they might just send you a replacement stay or some credit (seeing as it's repaired already)
@Sean Hey Thanks for the response. You raise some good points. I dont think I took the bike outside of what its made for. I ride hard, but I ride within what should be considered reasonable trails for xc and down country bikes.
Looking at where the damage is (in the middle of the oversized chain stay area) I think I just managed to get really unlucky and impact the bike in the one area with the thinnest carbon fibre. Therefore, as you suggested on a weak spot. As for poor carbon/manufacturing I will never really know.
I will drop a email to Kona today and explain the situation to them directly. But in all honesty, I wonder if this is just the downside of carbon bikes across all manufacturers.
I certainly wouldn’t say no to a high end aluminium modern down country bike, if there was one.
I also broke my rear triangle on my carbon bike which is why my new bike is aluminum.
Yeah I will be on the lookout for a aluminium down country bike for my next. But there are less and less options these days.
#AskGMBNTech
Are aluminum or titanium brake pistons better then plastic pistons (e.g. Sram for example)? Heard they are better dissipating heat, rather then the plastic ones.
Theoretically yes they will, but manufacturers probably made them to have better transition of braking action and pad feel on the lever compared to plastic, and not for heat dissipation.
Doddy mentioned most of the things causing fatigue and hand pain and did a great job with it.
But here are other things that can cause pain.
really floppy wrists, my wrists are very loose, causing misalignment, and not being able to brake properly sometimes, resulting in missing corners, but wrist supports have limited the misalignment, eliminating the issue. Keep in mind if both wrist and elbow is misaligned it can cause even more pain in the hand and arm. if you have these issues and ride too narrow handlebar the elbows might miss align even during gentle riding, mine did, but now I have a wide enough handlebar and a well-fitting bike.
reach and brake lever position and handlebar rise play a role too.
my bike has long enough reach and handlebar high enough rise to have the brake levers almost flat, levers are set up just like Doddy mentioned to end up braking with the mid bone.
Some ride on too small bikes, reach too short, too low rise, shorter the reach steeper the brake lever angle needs to be, longer the reach is, flatter the brake levers can be, thus be relaxed with handlebar rise being high enough. But if a bike is really small the hand and the upper body won't be as relaxed, so you will be more fatigued and fatigued faster.
The suspension setup is also important, the suspension setup might be too harsh.
So recommend looking into these things too.
Yup
Hi Doddy, got a gear problem for #AskGMBNTech - 1x12 shimano deore M6100 drive-train. Shifting to lower (larger sprocket) gears is fine, but when shifting from the lowest to the second lowest, the hanger does not move enough to shift the gear. Thoughts?
A friend suggested a sticky cable. What are your thoughts on lubing the inner cable?
It’s your cable tension
Check Cable Tension, dirt in the Derailleur if it worked before, B-Screw setting. Sticky Cable is a good suggestion as well...
I have this drive train as well and have battled shifting since I bought it. Apparently I have cracked the hanger and therefore don’t have as good of shifting when going to the smaller sprockets (going to a harder gear)
You have probably put too much cable tension on when tightening up the shift cable. This would prevent the derailleur from dropping down to its intended H limit position.
Shift to the highest (smallest cog) gear. Release the cable bolt at the derailleur, screw in the barrel adjuster at the lever fully, then very (very!) lightly pull the cable and redo the cable pinch bolt. Then set your H limit before your Indexing via barrel adjuster, and finally L limit and B tension screw.
#AskGMBNTech Greetings Doddy. No real problem but just a strange question. Somewhere back in the past I recall hearing tyres fresh from the mould wear quickly as the tyre compound is still soft. A tyre that has matured will handle better and last longer. Have you heard of this? Of course really old tyres are not very good either. Thanks.
A fresh tire will wear quicker as it provides optimal grip while soft. A "matured" tire just means the rubber compound would harden slightly and change structurally, but it would theoretically only result in a different wear pattern as compared to durability loss. (e.g picture soft, floppy knobs rolling and wearing off roundly at the corners, versus hardened knobs scrubbing at the surface and shortening itself at an angle)
#askgmbntech I know it's a bit niche but I'd love to see a fatbike episode that highlights advancements for your more snowbound neighbors
#AskGMBNTech Hi Doddy, thanks for all the advice over the years. I do have a question regarding shortening the travel of a suspension fork. More precisely I am planning to do a full bike build with a 150 mm pike in mind. Can I somehow shorten the travel to 120 mm to put it on my current hardtail and reverse it back to 150 when I got the rest for the build?
Cheers, Patrick
If it's like the Lyric, it's just an air piston length change.
@@kevinshort3943 no changes on the damper at all?
@@patorico_8879
TH-cam keeps deleting my reply, sorry.
Everything is in the manual on the manufacture's website.
@@kevinshort3943 no worries :) thanks for not giving up then ;) I'll have a look into it. Thank you
You need to find out if a regular trail Pike accepts a 120mm RS air shaft, or if there is a compatible one. Online manuals, websites, stores and your lbs will come in handy. Right now I can only think of Pike DJ being a Pike under 130mm travel.
#AskGMBNTech Hey Doddy do you know how to fix an oil leak under the lock out knob of forks(manitou markhor)? I already changed the o rings of the Kwik toggle damper but it still leaks small amounts of oil.
#AskGMBNTech Hi Doddy, I'm looking at getting a new aggressive hardtail and one of the bikes I'm looking at is the Commencal Meta HT. I noticed on their website that one of the sizes was XS with a 27.5 front and a 26 inch rear which is great for short riders like myself! But I want to know why haven't any other bike manufacturers tried a mullet bike in this setup before? Seems like a perfect solution to a size problem!
I love how I ask that and then my question from last week gets featured 🤣
Smaller riders have the predicament of Size S being too big and having to run it anyway because most brands only stoop down to 160cm and no lower... (I'm 164, and Size S is just right, most of the time)
A 27.5 /26 mullet will feel, to you, what a 29 / 27.5 mullet will for a taller rider like Doddy. It's proportional, but also practical as you probably wouldn't clear a 29er rear wheel travel.
Coming from a mx background my arm pump was solved by cockpit setup and just as important how hard i was gripping the bars, relax squeeze the grips with your outside fingers and only when you need to. I was squeezing too much wich was aggravating arm pump caused by the poor cockpit setup
#AskGMBNTech I put my Carbon Canyon spectral cf8 on my bike rack whenever I take it to the trails. I clamp on the top tube right above the shock and right under the headset on the down tube. I’m wondering if that’s bad for my bike? And the clamps are just Velcro straps with a rubber U shaped thing for the frame tube to sit on. Am I going to ruin my back doing this?
If the clamp supports the bike (seeing that it's a U clamp and you didn't mention a clamping upper), then it's fine as the weight of the bike would not cause carbon to deform. The difference is if you have a clamping jaw type of rack, then excessive clamping force on especially the middle of the top tube (or in the middle of any load bearing tube) may cause dents, cracks or fractures under load stress or torsional movement, of which would develop as you ride the bike and input load on the weakened area
It is definitely not ideal, but I do that too on my Spectral.
#AskGMBNTech I just bought a used bike and I can't turn the rebound adjuster knob on the fork at all. I think the problem is that it's been set to the lowest position (no-damping) and was left to sit like that for years. Because of this right now I wouldn't be able to take the fork apart because I would have to screw the knob out. Can I somehow twist it out by some force with a wrench? And if I can do that, would it be worth it to also service the damper after this problem while I am doing an air-shaft and lower leg service? (I have a FOX 32 Float Performance from 2016)
#AskGMBTech hey I got a used downhill bike and it’s a fox float dps performance 2018 rear shock and when I take all the air out of it the shock doesn’t move I weigh around 105 pounds and run 85 psi but the shock doesn’t move much and lowering the air doesn’t make a difference do you think the shock need a Service or is damaged and I took a look at it and it’s not locked out pls help
Could be a couple of reasons - I would suspect a busted seal which caused the neg air to essentially suck the shock in and slow it or limit movement (can't extend out but can only retract). Bit of a long shot as I've not heard this cause a shock to bind or seize...
Could also be a seized air shaft or a bent shaft. Or just that it's super duper dry inside... Best to take it to lbs, never disassemble a shock if you think it is still pressurized internally.
Hey Doddy, I love the show. I have Hope Tech 3 Duo. What is a good way to bleed my brakes without flipping the levers?
#GMBNTECH
Whoop whoop!
@@blakemason2142 JUGGALO
Hope brakes are fiddly to brake to say the least. You need to level the levers, then remove the reservoir cover, fill it with brake fluid constantly while pulling out fluid at the caliper end using a syringe until the line is bled. Then fill the reservoir again and keep flicking the levertill bubbles are clear.
Experienced mechs can have the arm span of a bus and can do this with some struggle - the average joe would probably either a) spill fluid all over the fork and your floor, b) let the syringe flop and drop off, or c) finish bleeding, close everything up and realize you flicked too hard and air bubbles reentered the system, and you have to restart
#AsGMBNTech Hi Doddy, Thanks for all the info for bike maniacs like us haha but my question is I bought a new frame commencal 29" with rear hub spacing 12x148mm and I'll use my current wheels but they are 12x142mm. So, what is the best way to adapt from 142 to 148mm hub spacing? Good Rides Andres!
Depends on your Hubs... Some Hub Manufacturer provide some sort of Adapter.
#AskGMBNTech hi doddy, I have an airdrop edit that I use for bike park laps and I need to change my chain and cassette due to wear. Would there be any benefit to fitting a dh style short cage derailleur and 28-11 cassette or should I spend the extra money to replace the 11-46 that’s on there currently. ( I hate pedalling up the hills and only pedal down )
Less unsprung Weight would be beneficial but you will need a Spacerring to compensate for the fewer Gears. If you absolutely don't pedal up maybe get rid of the Dropper Post as well if one is fitted.
If you only go down, and never ride up, then you can consider turning your bike into a mini DH rig with, like you said, a smaller cassette, a DH derailleur and a bigger front chainring. DH drivetrains tend to have less speeds, which results in thicker chain and cassette material, and less overall wear.
It will also extend your high speed pedalling gear range and help you down the track better.
@@mistera1mL3Ss my dropper post went ages ago haha.
#askgmbntech hi doddy, my rockshox maxle boost 15x110 thru axle lever came off. the screw thats thight it upp are broken the top of the screw came off so do i need to buy a new axle or can i do somethingelse?
Go for a maxle ultimate. It's more expensive but the quick release style is pretty neat when you undo your front Wheel often.
The regular Maxle doesn't have a screw..? It's just a thru axle. I'd guess you're using the quick release lever version of the Maxle, and the broken screw is to adjust the angle of the lever when closed - in which case you could try to source the same screw from a hardware store, or just get a new axle (which is what is safer and easier)
#AskGMBNTech
Hi everyone, i've been cleaning my bike with brushes and Muc-off Drivetrain Cleaner. But now it's always raining and I started to hear more grit from chain when moved from side to side. Should I always clean it so much that there's absolutely no sand? Or is a tiny bit of sand ok?
#AskGMBNTech My Suntour durolux has a loose thread where you put the bolts for the fender. Are there any solutions to that?
Helicoil could be something to consider...
If the threads are already buggered, and you don't bother with zipties, then some plumbing tape will force-fit the bolt in place. This will ruin the thread further though, so do consider a traditional zip tie mudguard or helicoil tapping fresh threads.
#askgmbntech Hi Doddy. I heard rumors about turning off the clutch on your shimano derrailleur would save you some energy when padeling climbs or flat terrain. However, I can't find any other sources on this. What are your thoughts on this? Love the show, thanks for sharing your knowledge with us.
It would be pretty negligible, you might notice it (the clutch friction) more on oval chainrings as the cage extends and retracts , but on normal round chainring set ups the cadence would matter more than clutch on/off. .. And while I'm at it, remember to take your clutch cover and the clutch cam off to grease it up, Shimano 12s dees come dry from factory and tend to snap into two at the clutch cover holes when the clutch seizes dry
Just ride with it on always. If there was technically a different (with ovan chainring, obviously no difference with round), the difference would literally be too negligible to be noticed.
#AskGNBNTech, hello. I have an old Cannondale (1990) aluminum touring frame which had dropouts for a skewered hub. Assuming I rebuild a bike using this frame, my thought is that through axels are out, but I am interested in having strong axels so, am I able to switch to solid axels of at least 12mm? 14mm? Yes I am OK with a standard theaded nut. Is there a brand of hub that caters to retro or refit? Industry 9? Phil Wood? In addition the steering tube is old fashioned, having used an internal wedge/neck, but I would not mind having the more modern stacked stem/neck. Is this even possible?
#AskGMBNTech I have a bit of an odd torso:leg ratio, i.e. very short legs for my height. None of the bike websites actually work for me so was wondering your opinion on the matter. I'm 176cm and inseam is 74cm with a GT (Greater Trochanter) length of 85cm if that helps at all. I ended up going for a Trek Fuel EX in size ML but would love to know your thoughts on the matter - should I have gone for a Medium instead?
#AskGMNBNTech i've got deore xt in my comuter (canyon pathlite 7) clutch is on all the time i wonder why it need to be serviced so often , every month i need to grease clutch mechanism (i use dedicated Shimano Shadow+ and its placed where it should be) because of jumping action of Cage i lowered tension on clutch several times could it still be to high?i dont have dyno key to check it properly but tension feels to be just right. second problem is clutch is turning itselt off during the ride i'm sure its reasembled corectly, could it be fixed or its just Shimano clutch thing?
I had some pretty serious hand pump on longer rougher rides. Long story short, got a shorter stem and it fixed the problem.
Not an option for XC lol
If you have a Marlin 6 you are best advised to get a new set of wheels for the new fork or upgrade to a Roscoe.
BETTER BRAKES. I solved my cramps with more powerful brakes.
most people say “keep your hands loose” or “grip less”, they’re probably not wrong: I say check your braking power before grips and handlebars, because it’s braking that demands the most effort to your hands. If your forearms are already working 110% to squeeze the brakes, then you won't have enough strength to cope with the added stress of brake bumps or riding surface in general.
I'm circa Doddy's size (190cmx93kg), I ride a hardcore hardtail with 4-pots shimano mt520 brakes, and I always had problems with hand pain: at the beginning I thought I was just weak, so I did a lot of strength training for hands and forearms until I almost got myself inflamed tendons; then I followed every advice on the subject: tried a higher handlebar rise, different grips, different lever angles ad setups, tire pressures, fork setups, which all slightly helped somehow but didn't really solve the issue. Then I experienced the worst arm pump one day at the bike park, this summer: my sintered pads needed replacement and I had to use the resin ones that I kept as emergency spares: bedded in as best as I could, dropped in, mid pre-ride and my hands were already killing me! with my favorite pads I could ride with some discomfort, with less powerful ones I simply couldn't: I was on the brakes way longer that I thought I should, my hands were squeezing a lot more and a lot longer than they could withstand, pads overheating making the whole system work worse corner after corner. So the next day I was shopping for brake pads, saw a nice set of Shimano m7120 brakes at a price that was too inviting to pass: I bought them expecting an increase in braking power as advertised, but not by THIS much! they bite like a starving dog! now I can grab a handful of front brake and go instantly OTB if I want, or, I can feather it into stoppies and such, but more importantly I can now ride faster, with more confidence, and hand-pain free.
(I know it's an expensive upgrade, more than grips or handlebars, but in this day and age I've been able to quickly sell the brakes I had, and the finned brake pads that came with the new brakes, reducing the cost of the operation to a mere 20€. BIG WIN!)
#AskGMBNTech Hi, Doddy! Should suspension travel be adjusted to the rider's height? Would it make sense to go for a bit longer travel bike only because someone is a taller rider?
No.
@@th_js but why?
@ Because that doesn't make sense. What's your thinking behind this?
@@th_js bigger dude has bigger bike, bigger bike should mean proportionally bigger parts. For example size S bikes often come only with 27.5 wheels. A 150cm tall guy gets for example a 150mm travel bike, if we wanted to have the same characteristics for a 190cm tall rider, optimally the whole bike should be "stretched" to his size, resulting in 190mm travel.
I know, bike geometries are not this simple, but i don't see how a taller rider wouldn't benefit from a longer travel bike.
If the answer is "it doesn't make sense", then i would like to have a proper explanation about why not.
#AskGMBNTech I am thinking about a hope chainring, would this fit on regular cranks or would I have to replace them for hope ones
dead serious question. why are GMBN videos always substantially louder than any other video/channel on youtube? always forget to turn the volume down before the video starts
Why nobody talks about handlebars backsweep?? Handlebars come usually with 8 or 9 degrees backsweep. Try one with at least 12 (mine is 16) It will put your arms in a more natural position. worth the try!
8 and 5 is the most common and the best middle ground for everyone! Mine are 7 and 5 and I love them! Are your bars SQ Lab by any chance? I saw something a while back about SQ Lab making some larger back sweep bars and they gave me beach cruiser vibes! 😂 I couldn’t imagine them being fun to ride at anything over jogging pace… but each to their own!
Depends if ur shoulders are narrow compared to bar width, mire backsweep may help, but usually not, as ur bar width relates to shoulder width anywAy
@@rupedog shoulder width helps you find bar width. Shoulder/arm rotation helps you decide on back sweep & up sweep. Back sweep and upsweep are not really anything to do with shoulder width.
#AskGMBNTech. Hi Doddy great show. I have a question about lights. I am looking to upgrade and get new front lights so I can do some more adventurous night riding. My question is. Which would be better to get, one 4000 lumen light or two 2000 lumen lights. The lights I'm looking at have external battery packs. I know having 2 battery packs could awkward to mount. That isn't a problem for me. The light I'm looking at are made by Lumicycle and they make a Y connector to connect 2 lights to one battery.
#AskGMBNTech Hi doddy great show!
I was wondering if i can put something like sram butter on my fork stansions for it to work better?
#AskGMBNTech Hey Doddy, what is the effect of using a fork with around 10 mm more Axle to Crown than the maximum given by the bike brand?, i'm trying to upgrade from 130mm to a 150mm travel fork, "The maximum axle-to-crown measurement = 551mm." But The Fox 36(150mm) has 559.6 mm a2c. Saludos from Quito-Ecuador.
It just means that "hey, we're telling you to not void your warranty by using too long of a fork on our frame!"
Go ahead and do it, a 20mm increment of travel should not be an issue bike wise, all it does is slacken the head tube angle, slacken the seat tube angle and raise the bb (handling change), but it will void your warranty I guess, if they state a max value for axle-to-crown. Check your warranty.
Should be fine. Just don't preferably go too many centimeters over the max. It basically just adds more leverage to rip off your head-tube/snap your bike in half but those are unlikely. When it comes to riding, it slackens your HTA and STA, increases your BB-height, shortens your reach and increases wheelbase. However when you're riding your bike, the "sag" will basically make these differences too small to have a negative impact.
#AskGMBNTech Hey GMBN, I just built up a commencal meta, and have GX eagle on the build. Ive set the B tension correctly and everything, and decided to replace my chain right before it hit the .5 wear mark. Therefor, I only have about 200 miles of riding/ enduro racing on the chain and cassette (the black coating is barely worn off the cassette). I put on a new chain, and it seems to be skipping in the lower gears (9th, 10th, etc...). I was wondering what could be the cause of this issue if all my limit screws are correct, and the chain is of the exact length as the old one, and its shifting perfectly? Is there a wear in period for chains? Thanks, Will
Do you mean the bigger or smaller sprockets?
@@th_js the smaller sprockets
@@willmyers5764 Are you sure that it is actually skipping and not just jumping because of misalignment in the derailleur caused by improper cable-tension or a bent hanger? Also, did you install your powerlock the correct way around? It's easy to get wrong if you don't pay attention.
I've got at least 6000 kilometers on my GX casette and it still isn't skipping, so there's no way yours is too worn out, unless your previous chain was way too worn.
@@th_js It was shifting perfectly and wasnt making any excessive noise, and the hanger is straight too. Ill throw a cable in it to ensure most acurate shifting performance, and the powerlock is installed correctly. Ill play around with it to see if it works out. thanks!
@@willmyers5764 Are you sure the hanger is actually straight? Only way to know is to check with a hanger-alignment tool.
#askGMBNtech is it okay to put a wide tire on a narrow rims?
Depending on your internal rim width, a wide tire that exceeds the recommended width by the manufacturer would only result in the sidewall protruding out more and forming a mushroom shape of the contact patch to the ground. The carcass flops around a bit more, which means you can not run lower psi, as you'd risk the bead coming off. So... yes, you can, but there are drawbacks, and limitations
Which sizes are we talking about here specifically?
#AskGMBNTech Is there anything wrong with using a good pair of hiking shoes instead of MTB-specific shoes? I ride with flats and use a pair of sturdy but basic hiking shoes. I feel like the comfort and support they offer is more than adequate and possibly superior to some MTB shoes. I can't see the justification of spending nearly £100 on MTB shoes such as Five-Tens when I can spend £40 on mid-range hiking shoes. Is this a case of style over function or do MTB shoes actually offer specific benefits?
It's a huge difference actually. Different Rubber Compound, different Sole design ( mostly Flat ) and MTB specific Shoes have a pretty stiff Sole which most Hiking Shoes haven't. 100 Bucks is a stupid Price, absolutely... I just can tell you, also from experience, it makes a difference.
Hiking shoes don't have as stiff of a pedalling platform on the sole. Even if the rubber compound is the same, the hiking shoe would flex more and not provide as good of power transfer. Also hiking shoes may provide excessive ankle and lateral support - good for DH but probably restrictive for regular trail riding.
#AskGMBNTech Hey doddy! Why is my rebound slower when it is cold outside and how could i fix it? thank you
The oil gets more thicker as its get colder outside
Lower temperature result in higher Viscosity. Open your Rebound some clicks to counter this effect.
*Update* Also check your Sag in colder Temperatures. The Airpressure might drop.
Lower temp results in the oil having thicker viscosity. Like what Timothy mentioned, change your rebound if you feel it's sluggish on trail. Remember to turn it back to where it was for summer days.
*And no, if you were thinking about changing oil weight from let's say 15wt to 10wt - don't. It'll kind of fix your issue in cold weather but will provide much lesser lubrication under normal riding conditions and ruin your fork in the long run (lest you do insane amount of lower leg services)
@@AORNova Why would it ruin your fork?
@@th_js The thinner viscosity of the lesser weight oil wouldnt be sufficiently coated over the key parts, and the oil itself would suffer from burnout sooner than the correct weight thicker oil.
However, the benefit of running thinner weight oil is more responsiveness and plushness. Hence why racers run lesser wt but have to change it more often between events. Lest they run their forks dry 🤣
I use to suffer with really bad arm pump out of nowhere, it never use to be an issue. A couple years later and here’s what I’ve found which may have helped to minimise it.
Bike set up:
Thicker grips
Higher rise bar
Lower tyre pressure
Brake levers tilted a bit further up (horizontal)
Exercise:
Dead hangs
Grip strengthening (powerball or the squeezy ones)
#AskGMBNTech does the orientation of your chainring matter when running an oval ring?
Yes!
Yes, most major oval chainring manufacturers have a "dot" or "marker" to position and align the chainring to the crank. Each area on an oval chainring has a power zone and rest zone, if you install it the wrong way you will feel like you're bobbing and exerting more strength then you need to.
great video dad
#AskGMBNTech isit ok to put wet lube on a chain which already has dry lube on it?
Technically yes, but in practice no - if you have a clean chain, theory says yes, but since most dry lubes have some kind of wax or teflon on it, you run the risk of the wet lube just flowing off. Even worse if you have a ridden, gritty chain; even with dry lube, you'll just be marinating grit with wet lube.
Just clean your bike man.
#AskGMBNTech
Why are bikes so small?
The stack height of bikes seem tiny. People are always towering over their bike. Bike just seem to get longer reach for larger riders and they just look uncomfortable
yep, somethign that grinds my gears is stack height. a Large needs a MIN 640 but some have downwards of 600 which is unacceptable. I like my back to be upright not hump back like roadies.
@@MrSupermugen 5,10 and run a large with 50mm bars. Got a great enduro bike but sold it straight away because it felt like a kids bike and it just felt i was riding ontop the bike instead of in it. Norco seems to be the only one breaking the trend somewhat
@@LJS1605 norco's sight stack is bad.only like 615 stack, when i owned that bike i hated it.
@@MrSupermugen got to get a Range. Its the only way
@@LJS1605 except its high pivot... i dont race downhill so have no use for a bike like that.
To stop arm pump go vain less same as tube less tyre seriously nevered suffered from it but I spend lots of time in the gym it happens a lot in motorcycle racing but only to a few riders so top riders having surgery there is know hard rule to solution.
im 50,suffered bad hand cramps after long rides for years..looked at lots of options,settled on the brookes plump grips..nevrer had an issue again...pricey at £70...but will last a lifetime
yea mann, handpump is annoying, i got success after adjusting brake lever angle, as far as i remember.
He may also have the front fork too soft, bottoming out will hurt your hands.
Man it's not a cavitation. Try to loose air, and sqeeze to full travel few times. Maybe GRIP will bleed itself.
No, the levers should not be horizontal, it is the angle of the levers that causes the straining of the wrists and hands. They should be tilted/angled at the same angle as your forearms. Dont listen to Daddy when it comes to having the levers horizontal. This is super duper mega important for racing motorbikes for instance, and if the levers are at angle that is too horizontal you will get cramped hands and wrists and even armpump.
For instance try this when you do push-ups. first try witht he palm touching the floor and then try with making a fist ie the angle of the hand will be the same as the forearm, which feels better ie less strainy on your wrist?
Well... I beg to differ. The Angle of the Lever's vary on the Terrain you ride. Flatter trail's often call for steeper Angles than steeper Trails... Also: everybody is different. What you like must not work for everybody else.
@@mistera1mL3Ss You may beg to differ but that is pretty much standard ergonomical practice. Having the hand in a acute angle compared to the arm will result in excessive strain. Maybe you don't ride long enough and/or hard enough to feel it but every human body would have issues.
@@Pillokun to find a starting Position, yes... Still every Body is different and People like different Stuff. I get your Point but to tell People someone is plainly wrong and you are right isn't really an approach. Take a look at Yoann Barelli's Brake levers... Maybe he also doesn't ride long or hard enough 😉
@@mistera1mL3Ss the only reason you would want to have the levers parallel with the ground is if you are far behind the bike, ie when you are over the rear wheel with your behind going down technical sections. That is the only reason, and even then the fore arms and hands are inline without any acute angle on the wrists. The question about how the riding position is supposed to feel or be is one of the main questions we track riders must get right, and it is the same issue a mtb rider have.
@@Pillokun So... You agree that the Lever Angle depends on Terrain? That actually was my Point. Also you are actually not behind the Bike but the Bike tilts under you so it makes the impression that you are behind the Saddle even if you are don't.
Also... Comparing Track riding on a Motorcycle in a rather fixed Position ( Movement but in smaller Increments then MTB ) and the movement on an MTB going down technical Descents isn't really Apples to Apples.
with 186cm you can ride a xs bike , so yess bikes got extremly bigger.
Of course you "can" ride any size bike with any height, but it will be shit.
#askgmbntech
How do you wash your bike in winter?
Quickly, so the water doesn't freeze.
The uploader isn’t letting me log in….haha
Whey
Put your brake levers flatter with the bars
Cramps are a side effect of being out if shape. If you're cramping workout more, lift weights or go for runs.
It can also be that you just did something you usually don't do, your body isn't used to it. Also bad nutrition can play a huge role in it and you don't have to be out of shape, it just sometimes happens, when the outside-factors allow it.
Hi👋
Since I committed to no nut November, my arm pump has gone almost completely. I suppose that's just the price I have to pay to ride comfortably
What's no nut have to do with anything? And what's the point? Who are you impressing?
@@dystopiaisutopia It is a joke.
Id be listening to bike stuff instead of my class
You guys should really open with the question you title the video with...
Steel chainring will wear a chain Faster. Aluminium will wear chain less because it is softer and becomes (more) the sacrificial element.
This isn’t true. Chainrings don’t wear chains or they shouldn’t do if you’re using a correct chainring and you have correct chain line. 99% of chain wear is due to the stuff that gets ingested into the chain rollers during riding. Not the contact of the chainring on the chain. Your chain will have shit itself due to the wear I mentioned wayyyyyyy before the chainring would start wearing it regardless of whether it’s steel or aluminium.
Aluminium chainrings wear faster than steel though.
Absolutely not true.
First 😊
🏆🏁
E
I am so old school 29" wheels dropperpost ebike tubeless all SUCK !!!! My hardtail frame marzocchi bomber 888 26" wheels can out ride all the mew sh#t
Okay, grandpa. Let's get you back to bed.
Just ride more
Schlerrrrpppp.
Haha weird
Horizontal levers!🙄 must disagree doddy, thats never going to be a sensible lever angle, and will likely cause pain due to his brake lever angle...horizontal levers, when stood in the attack position will hyper flex wrists. Might not show on his local milder trails. Always set lever angle when stood in attack position so forearms, wrists, hands and fingers are a straight line. Not blinking horizontal!!!
I agree to the most of this... But: the steeper the Terrain the flatter the Angle of the Lever's. The Angle set on flat Ground won't always be suitable for 20 degrees down... And: personal preference is a huge Point as well.
I very strongly disagree. Of course it's personal preference, but you can't just say it like it would be bad for everyone. I actually ride with my levers literally pointing upwards slightly and anything else feels like shit.