I learned most of my skills on a hard tail. When I got my first full suspension bike I was surprised at how forgiving it was in comparison. That being said I felt more confident doing jumps and drops because I’d already figured out how to use my body as suspension
During the Sticky Pistons part of the video I also recommend acting like your going to bleed them by opening the reservoir cap and threading on the cup. This way when youre pushing the pistons back you don't rupture the rubber diaphragm in the lever reservoir.
Had a background of BMX'ing in my teens...started up MTB'ing couple of years ago. Started with hardtail and quickly ventured into full suss two months after. Felt better in general for me, comfort, traction and also able to have more 'pop' on the trails utilising the rebound.
I started mountainbiking on my dads full suspension bike (specialized epic comp), but now i got my own hardtail (a 10+ year old bike that was otherwise going in the trash) and I don't know wich one I like the most... I love both of them!
My first bike is a 2019 Santa Cruz Bronson. I started 2 years ago, and started in blue and black trails, and downhilling now for a dozen times, blue & black. Full suspension keeps me on the trail and I am growing into the bike. I can learn with confidence, speed, and agility, without problems sticking to the trail. Proper suspension setup helps beginners to experts.
I guess the G2s suffer the same issues as the guides. I'm so happy I switched to Shimano after owning 4 different sets of fidly sram brakes. Never had sticky pistons since.
Started with a specialised Hardrock back I. The 90s that I upgraded over time - main one being yellow magura hydraulic rim brakes! Learnt most of my skills on that bike as very little suspension and brakes weren’t good pre upgrade so always looking a long way ahead. Put me in good shape to make most of a Stumpy around 2000. Now on an Orange Trio of P729, alpine 6 27.5 and evo 29. Love MTBing and find GMBN inspiring. Wish it was around when I started 20 years ago or so - not many people were into it then!
Doddy - we are both relative old-timers. Like you, I cut my teeth on late-80's and early-90's rigids and hardtails with steep geometry and narrow bars that assumed we were riding slow through the trees and only ever went UP the mountain. Today's riders don't do this (and we didn't either, did we?) and, as such - they should embrace the newer stuff and reap the benefits of our "R&D" years. I agree with you that the dropper seat post is doomed to be replaced by dropper frames that house the "dropper" portion of the equation (why did this take so long?!). What other things will experience a similar transition? Bars with integrated reservoirs/brake pistons? Yes please! Multi-gear transmissons in the BB? Yes please! (deraileurs are so last year!). Imagine a single, rigid rear gear with all the shifting taking place within a free wheeling BB - we have the technology! The heaviest part on most bikes is the cassette so there is room to work - mechanical advantate leverage ratios don't care from which side you work! Mullets are the future! (See motocross) - each end has different jobs so there is no engineering reason they need to be equally sized. Regarding bike geometries: what good are geometry numbers if they are made on a bike without the rider? Do bikes move without a rider? The numbers we see area all static, unweighted values that - by themselves - mean little. All the measurements change when the rider gets on. What is YOUR head tube angle when you are onboard in a riding position? I foresee a rider mass/weight number becoming part of the geometry equation. Active, micro-processor controlled suspension: YES! Please save us from outdated setup techniques and charts that assume constants values for rider size/weight/terrain that can change weekly. I could go on, but you see - the future is bright!
as much as I shouldn't admit this, best lube i have tried for my guide r pistons is silicone shine. pistons have stayed smooth for way longer than with dot 5. no braking issues.
#GMBNTech Doddy you are spot on with the hard tail theory. I started on a hard tail 29 and really learned how to handle roots and stay balanced. It has exponentially increased my ability to ride. So much so that when I have a little shredder they will absolutely start on a hard tail also.
The shock position also defines where the forces act upon. If the shock is horizontal, continuation of the seatstays, then there are no forces acting on the seat tube. If the shock goes 90° vertically, the seat tube needs to be reinforced to handle this. But the shock goes into the bottom bracket area, that is the strongest part of the bike. If it is horizontal, then the top tube needs to be reinforced.
Hi Doddy, Love the show, great content. I started my MTB riding 12 months ago at the young age of 55. Started with a 2017 Levo hardtail, gave that Levo to my wife when I got my 2018 FSR Levo comp, I love my. My fitness has changed so much that I bought my fist new bike a RockHopper to commute on around town. To me it was a bit of a waste riding a full sus EMTB as a commute when most of my commuting is flat tarmac. I slowly getting to riding some some single track on my Levo and love the blue and green trails. I have ridden both full sus and hard tail Levos on the same single track and maybe its my limited skill level I could not notice any difference other than the full sus was more comfortable. I might just have to ride more!! Cheers keep up the good work
Sticking caliper - pistons, :- I found corrosion under the internal seals causes the seal to swell and bind on the piston stopping it from retracting , removing the pistons, and the seals and cleaning out the retaining grooves then re-assembly with a dab of lithium rubber grease on the pistons worked a treat, very fiddly but worth the effort!!😀
Came to mtb 2 years ago after many years off from riding bmx in my teens. First bike was a 180mm canyon torque. Probably picked up some bad habits at first but I smash through things that I probably wouldn’t have thought I would do 2 years ago.
#ASkGMBNTECH Why we don't use fork boots on mtb? Motor cycles use fork boots, so was wondering why modern mtb with expensive forks can't use. Would you recommend using one, if one can acquire or can hack something e.g. using a vacuum hose etc. Thanks
As an old bloke who has started riding in 1992, I should be tempted to say „you should learn on a hardtail with steep angles“ but no, the opposite is true. I think riding with 135mm stems, 560mm bars on a classic 71/73 hardtail for too long has really set me back in my riding. In those days, even the smallest error would lead to a crash and I think I have stopped trying things because of that. When I see the kids today and what they are doing on their bikes, I whish I had a more forgiving bike back then. However, I think riding on a hardtail or rigid bike teaches you to set up your tire pressure correctly.
Do you have any idea if 2020/1 Yeti sb115 or Pivot trail 429, trek top fuel, ibis... really needs to have their frame/suspension bearings replaced more often, or are more difficult than any other full suspension bike? Or is this a lie. What are the best bearings a person can buy for the suspension/frame? Brand and model? Do you think it is a good idea to drill a hole in the derailleur hanger(make it weaker) to make sure it fails before destruction of the frame and wheel? Thank you!
I started at the beginning of corona on south mountain, on a hard tail. Road that beginner bike harder than some of my buddies on full sus. Upgraded to a full sus bike. My fun level is going up and up in the past few months!
Hey Doddy. I’m rocking an entry level bike (2018 giant ATX). I want to talk care of my cheep coil fork. Do you have any tips for cleaning and other general maintenance? #AskGMBNtech
After every ride that gets the fork dirty: take a clean lint-free rag and wipe the seal area on the fork to get any dirt away from the seal. Also wipe down the stanchions with light soap water. After every week/2 weeks: Take some suspension grease (DO NOT use regular grease) and rub a bit on the stanchions. Compress the fork through it's full travel a few times and then wipe the excess grease off After every 200 miles of dirty trail riding or 400 miles of clean trail riding: clean the o-ring and foam wiper, and do a lower leg service. I honestly wouldn't recommend disassembling the fork to clean the o-rings and do a lower leg service on a low end coil fork. It's probably not worth the hassle and the cost of the foam rings will soon add up. The best maintenance that you can do is to clean and grease the fork frequently to prevent more time consuming and expensive services.
Open the top caps and pour 12ml of motor oil (5-10w) in each leg. Makes it 2x better, so much more responsive and smooth. Od recommend to clean the internals before this. I did this and its a huge improvement!
@@linusdalin1 wait so how does the fork get lubricated? Or does it not get lubricated? The Walmart forks prob don't have foam rings, but even the cheap suntour stuff is decent so I would think that they would have foam rings.
The calibre v2 frame has tha cable routed on top of the chainstay and I just wrapped an old inner tube round it, it is soft enough to work for noise damping but because my cranks come quite close I had to chop it in half so I only had one layer of rubber
Dear Doddy, my breaks squeal is epic, I've replaced rotors and pads, they still squeal super bad. I have removed the pads (front and rear) I found an oil ring so the pistons leak a little. Is it possible to strip down and repair or should I just get new calipers. I have Shimano Deore. TIA
Yep, start on a hardtail, with flat pedals...best mtb education. Since I had FS a number of years, I now couldn't ride the gnar terrain I used to on my hardtail!!
As always, great show Doddy! I agree that riding steeper head tube or hardtail forces you to be a better (though slower) rider as to picking lines, avoiding obstacles, and the like. I recently got al trail bike and it allows me to descend faster and roll over stuff my XC FS bike makes me go slower to handle, but I decided going faster is not better - I'd rather work on trials skills than DH/Enduro skills... safer too :)
#askgmbntech High guys I have a trance-3 2018 model running (stock) shimano 1x10 cassette & mechanism. I have an issue in that I wear out the smaller cogs on the cassette very quickly well before the chain even becomes 75% worn causing the chain to jump around & slip on the smallest cog. I am at the upper weight limit (145kgs) of the design of this bike and I can get a lot off power down through the drive chain. I also am fairly good at cleaning the bike and drive chain after riding. So questions; can I get a tungsten edged smaller cogs? second is it worth up-grading the front chain ring from its stock 30 tooth to a 32 or 34 tooth? I am not really finding I use the bottom gear so this would enable me to wear the drive train out move evenly?
When it comes to head tube angle bike, I like 65 degrees. A person could get a semi steep angle, but get a bike where you can change out head sets for a couple degrees slacker. I'm getting the new stumpy evo which has alot of set up options.
I would definitely consider better levers. The MT200 from Shimano, are the very entry level one. They are ok for lightweight people and trekking bike in my humble opinion. If you need loads of braking power you need a more powerful lever with the servo system. These are not only more powerful, but single finger as well, while the MT200 are more for double finger use (technically triple, but you really do not need three fingers). For Shimano brakes there are also third party companies making pads. Shimano unfortunately makes only metallic or resin pads, no semi-metallic. Quaxar to the rescue. I tried their semi-metallic pads and I love them. Bonus for making a lot less black powder compared to Shimano's resin pads. My frame is white, it's an hell of a job to keep it clean ;)
far? I tried a Yeti SB115 and a Pivot Switchblade, yesterday. Everyone raves about how great the Switchblade is. Not for me at this point, felt too heavy and sluggish. I liked the sb115 but no iscg 5 tab to mount a bash guard. I think any bike I buy needs frame protection of some sort to keep from taking chunks out of my bb area on big rocks, especially And logs. What do you folks do? Is the Pivot trail 429 too heavy and sluggish feeling compared to the sb115? Also pedal strikes are a pet peeve, I hate too low bikes that pedal strikes or you have to put midget crankset on. I ride in the midatlantic where it is totally different from all the TH-cam reviews which are either at ski resorts out west, or Moab, Arizona, kalifornia, with fast more groomed wide open environment. I am trying to figure out the best bike for my area, and something quick, light, responsive, and efficient, that does not jack hammer my back. I ride a xl 2016 trek remedy 9.8 29r now. I am 6ft and 3/4 about 165 with no gear. Thank you.
#AskGMBNTech Hi Doddy I can't reach my forks full travel no matter how hard i try. It gets to 110 mm and i have 180 mm of travel. What should I do. Please help. Keep up the great work.
My right piston is stuck squeezing the disc, I take the pads out and push it back in, but when I put everything back on and press the brake, it doesn’t push back and gets stuck rubbing my disc again, do I need to lube the piston or let some fluid out, I’ve only had the brake for a few months.
plz can you tell me, can i replace a broken slx 2 piston brake leaver with an xt one? i'm not sure and dont trust the local bike shop, so please can you help? (cant find the right slx and have an xt one) best greetings, andi
In my humble opinion, an affordable aluminium hardtail is the way to go for beginners. There's not much to do wrong, most of them can take a beating and if you find yourself to be sticking to the sport after several thousand kilometers, you can always upgrade if you want to. By the way, those hardtails really take more awareness during descents and do teach better riding. Trust me, I just hopped on my first full suspension. After a year of shredding.
#AskGMBNTech Love the show. I'm thinking to move to clipless pedals for the winter, but I'm not sure which pedals to go for, cranckbrothers or shimano. I want enduro pedals, but are mallet e pedals fine to ride dh and a bit of bike park, but still pedal? Or should I go for mallet dh? Thanks
#AskGMBNTech Hi there, love the show! I have an SR Suntour XCR32 Air fork, I'd like to make it more progressive and I can't find any volume spacers for it. Can I use 80W oil in the chamber to take up some volume or modify existing spacers from another model? Is there a risk of damaging the fork? Thanks a lot
Ask someone to 3D print you some or just cut them from some cork etc. and glue it to the top cap of the air chamber. Pouring oil into the air chamber doesn't seem like a good idea, especially if the air chamber is not designed to be oil-lubricated (but grase-lubricated as most seem to be nowadays).
idk if you have tried this already but sr suntour has a place on their website where you can put the serial number for your fork (found on the crown facing back) and it will tell you exactly what varient fork you have and then you will be able to tell if suntour has volume spacers for it. i did this w my raidon 32 and found volume spacers. i know suntour sells volume spacers online so if you cant find any there they probably arent meant to be used on your fork.
I had a Trek Fuel with the minnow link. I did not like it at all with the longer seat stay (steeper head tube) and it felt way better with the shorter seat stay (slacker head tube)
With SRAM AXS Eagle mtb group set, are any of the derailleur parts replaceable? Cage? Is it worth it? How is SRAM about warranty? Any kind of help with crash replacement? Thank you big guy.
#askgmbntech I bought a 2021 Kona Kahuna online and I’m having difficulty indexing the gears. I put it into its highest gear and I have to loosen the barrel adjuster to stop it clicking. Once I get that right I start changing down, by the time I get half way down the cassette it doesn’t want to change down so I have to tighten the barrel adjuster. Then when I go back up into high gear it starts clicking again. I go round and round like this forever!
Don't second guess yourself doddy, your totally right, riding a hardtail does makes you a much better rider, the over cofidance when on my full sus sometimes ends up in stupid line choices because I want to see if the bike can handle it.
#AskGMBNTech Did I misunderstand something? Doddy esplained @7:56: "I´m going to put a link to that [chart] in the description underneath.." But I can´d find this link.
#askgmbntech Hi. I have a Cube stereo 140HPC TM 2020 with Fox Float DPX2 Factory ( metric 185x52,5 /Trunnion) Is it possible to use a spring damper for this frame in the future? I'm not sure there's enough space for a coil spring. If so, what damper would you recommend? Ideal with pedal lock for climbing. Cane Creek Double Barrel Coil CS Trunnion or Marzocchi Bomber CR?or can i fit Fox Float DHX2 Factory 2-position 185x50mm? thank you very much! have a nice day Lubec
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#askgmbntech Hi! I bought a bike about half a year ago, after 15 years of riding the same old one. I'm thinking about breaking the habit of riding a bike until its retirement age, and rather selling it and buying a new one maybe a few years later. What's a good way to tell, when to decide and sell a bike? I love this one so i don't want to get rid of it anytime soon, but i would also like to enjoy new tech and try different things, without losing too much money. Thank you!
#AskGMBNTech What's the minimum internal rim width I should be running for 27.5" x 2.35"/2.4" wide tires? My current rims are 23mm wide internally and setup with Schwalbe Hans Dampf & Nobby Nic that are 27.5" x 2.25" wide. I've been told 2.25" is near the maximum a 23mm wide rim can hold When the time comes, I plan to upgrade my tires to something wider like a 2.35" or 2.4" as I need the grip for my riding but worried that my current wheels might not be able to handle them. Cheers you guys and keep up the good work!
That does seem on the edge of being too small, but to be honest if the tyre holds then its all good. I have 2.4 with 28mm rim. Also depends if u run tubeless and if the tyre holds and doesnt come off when shredding turns hard. If it doesnt then its alright I think and there is no disadvantage. Obviously bigger rims are stronger but more weight.
Like the new #AskGMBNTech in the mantenchon in thes brakes and mecanics and oils pistons and diferents fusioens in the setup process handedle bar bike. Thanks guy Doddy. Saluds of chile 🇨🇱 🤘😀
To the guy that need to protect his cable on his chain stay. What if you recyclable a piece of plastic (cut up coke bottle or something) and then tape it on. Wouldn't look any different as tape is covering everything but plastic shield would allow the cable to run freely
#askgmbntech can you explain the different ways to mount hope older disc brakes! I’m rebuilding an Orange Hitman and the actual differences in disc sizes, clamps and post mounts is bewildering!
For the chainstay protection, take a look at the nukeproof scout. This has a neoprene sleeve that attaches by velcro and would cover the cable as well.
#askgmbntech Hey Doddy, can you give us a history of handlebars and stems? Any weird ones (girvin etc.), who decided on 31.8mm diameter (seems very random), that sort of thing. Cheers!
Hey Doddy. I got a 26er entry level hardtail that are not tubeless. Nowadays, its hard to find 26er tubes and i'm planning to use patch kits to fix the punctures. I just wanna ask if patch kits are permanent fix or just a temporary fix? Thanks. #askgmbntech
#AskGMBNTech Hi Doddy, loving the show. I have recently bought a 2012 Inspired 4Play with Avid Elixir 5 brakes. Although 8 years old the bike is in mint condition and has clearly not been used much but I'm having problems with the rear brake. I've bled plenty of brakes now so I know what I'm doing but I can't get this one working properly. I've bled this brake about ten times now, in various orientations, on the bike and off the bike but still get the same result. When pulling the lever and holding pressure on it, the lever gradually sinks towards the bars. It feels as if it should be leaking but it's dry as a bone. I've stripped and rebuilt the calliper and lever and everything still looks as good as new inside. There is a service kit available but can't see how this will change anything. Pulling my hair out with this one! Thanks in advance.
#gmbntech doddy I have a carrera banshee 2006 “same as kona stinky” I run it with 200mm 888 bombers but I can’t seem to find seals what fit what’s the best way to measure my stanchions
Hi Doddy, big thanks for great educational and entertaining content! I have a Horst-link rear suspension with 140 mm travel, and the shock uses only about two thirds of its stroke. In the horst link there is another mounting point for the shock. Mounting it there would reduce leverage ratio. I am considering doing just that, and removing a few spacers from the shock in order to compensate for the reduced leverage and keep the same 140 mm travel. Would you recommend doing that and is it generally advisable to use as much stroke of the shock as possible? Thanks! #AskGMBNTech
#AskGMBNtech Hi Doddy, i ride a suntour DUAIR rear shock at around 160 psi, but i've noticed it hasn't been bottoming out when i ride, even when i (heavily) case massive jumps at places like rogate- looking at the 'o' ring on the stanchion i can see that only just over half of the travel is actually being used. Despite the casing of jumps. And on top of that it makes a weird squelching noise whenever it compresses. Any advise would be great thanks a lot. :)
#AskGMBNtech. Hi Doddy, I have a Specialized Stumpjumper 2016 and I was thinking about converting from a stock air shock to a coil shock. I ride decent sized gap jumps and a lot of trails and I was wondering if the frame was compatible and if my choice of riding would suit a coil shock.
I’m getting into mtb after 18 year break. Would age be a factor in going to a full suspension making it easier on the body or stick to hardtail to hone the craft?
Depends what kind of riding - if u want to do it all, go for full sus, if you are sticking to fire roads and blue, red runs, then a modern HT will be more than enough. I have a mate who does literally everything on his HT including 30ft jumps.
#AskGMBNTech Hi Doddy! Do you have any tips on how to fine tune a stock coil fork through its preload adjuster (like how much the fork should actually travel etc)? And are these forks actually serviceable when the time comes? Am running the stock SR Suntour XCT30 HLO on my 2020 Giant Talon 3. Thanks so much for all your videos!!!
#askGMBNtech I have a standard shimano 9-speed hub with a 9-speed freehub body and I would like to upgrade to the newest shimano deore groupset 1x11 or 1x12, I would like to know if i can convert the freehub body on my hub to a 11-speed body or a 12-speed body. Thanks! Keep up the good work!!!
#askgmbntech Hi Doddy, I am running Continental RaceKing tyres with tubeless setup, the bead sit perfectly (no leakage of sealant as well). When i look at the tyre from the rear of my bike, the tyre is not true. Dose it matters or how can i fix it? Thanks.
#AskGMBNTech Hi There! I’ve recently purchased a 2021 Norco Sight with the 10-52T Sram GX Eagle. As of the last ride or so, it will happily sit in the top and bottom gears, but struggles to find gears in the middle and is skipping and jumping constantly. Cable tension/ limiter screw issue, derailleur hanger or warranty issue? Cheers.
#askgmbntech Hey Doddy, I'm curious to know with the new 2021 Mega 290, the shock stroke is limited to 62.5mm. Like with many other bikes, what would happen if you were to remove the 2.5mm internal spacer? Is there a bit more travel that can be eeked out of the rear end? Thanks
Modern slack full Suss is like riding around around on a magic carpet, compared to older bikes back in the day. Totally agree that some riders go beyond their ability because the modern bike allows them to., Which is fine when all is going fine, but get out of shape the skill level doesn't match the speed trouble matrix. Seen it many times out on the trails.
#askgmbntech I'm riding a 2020 polygon siskiu D7 29er, and looking to upgrade the fork (rockshox recon RL) because my compression isnt working and I would love to add tokens to the fork. Ive been looking at also upping the travel from 120 to 130 or maybe 140, 1- what would be the downsides of lengthening my travel 2- what cheapish forks would you recommend
The magnet part in a chain bath collects small bits of metal that collect on the chain, where do these particles come from ? Also what actually happens to break pad as it wears does it just fall onto the trail? #AskGMBNTech
#askgmbntech I read I can use a XD cassette on an XDR driver by using a 1.85mm spacer as the road driver body is a bit longer. Could I use a SRAM XDR cassette on an XD driver?
#AskGMBNTech n i have just got a new scott aspect 750 and looking to do some upgrades to it. what drive train with a cluch do you think i should use And what non taped air fork should i use im looking for some thing bujet friendly
Outside caliper doesn't move and the inside one pushes the disk to the outside, deforming it under hard braking. This is on mechanical brakes fresh from the factory, is this normal? Or do I phone the shop up?
It's normal that on a mechanical brake one normally the inside caliper doesn't move. This is just an setup question. Usually there should be a Allen's crew on the inside and you should be able to turn it with a 5mm in. Try it bit by bit till It just barely doesn't rub.
@@maikszczerbuk613 ah okay nice one cheers! I've done that so there's a visible gap and it doesn't move the disk quite as much. Was worried for a bit there haha thanks
If Doddy leaves GMBN, I'm going to cry. He is so entertaining and full of information. What a Dude!
It wouldn't be the same I totally agree. Doddy is set for life with GMBNtech 💯👍😆
Aye. Doddy, Neil and Blake are brilliant.
Truly AMAZING knowledge of bike history/retro indeed. None I know of alive with better.🤘
@@jamieknight326 Hey you forgot Rich! They're all great! Shame Henry's gone
@@mod.ts76 rich is great and def a growing talent. Blake, Doddy and Neil are further along in their presenting careers and it shows.
I learned most of my skills on a hard tail. When I got my first full suspension bike I was surprised at how forgiving it was in comparison. That being said I felt more confident doing jumps and drops because I’d already figured out how to use my body as suspension
During the Sticky Pistons part of the video I also recommend acting like your going to bleed them by opening the reservoir cap and threading on the cup. This way when youre pushing the pistons back you don't rupture the rubber diaphragm in the lever reservoir.
Had a background of BMX'ing in my teens...started up MTB'ing couple of years ago. Started with hardtail and quickly ventured into full suss two months after.
Felt better in general for me, comfort, traction and also able to have more 'pop' on the trails utilising the rebound.
I started mountainbiking on my dads full suspension bike (specialized epic comp), but now i got my own hardtail (a 10+ year old bike that was otherwise going in the trash) and I don't know wich one I like the most... I love both of them!
My first bike is a 2019 Santa Cruz Bronson. I started 2 years ago, and started in blue and black trails, and downhilling now for a dozen times, blue & black. Full suspension keeps me on the trail and I am growing into the bike. I can learn with confidence, speed, and agility, without problems sticking to the trail. Proper suspension setup helps beginners to experts.
I guess the G2s suffer the same issues as the guides. I'm so happy I switched to Shimano after owning 4 different sets of fidly sram brakes. Never had sticky pistons since.
Interesting! I only had problems with my Shimano ones, never with the G2s.
Started with a specialised Hardrock back I. The 90s that I upgraded over time - main one being yellow magura hydraulic rim brakes! Learnt most of my skills on that bike as very little suspension and brakes weren’t good pre upgrade so always looking a long way ahead. Put me in good shape to make most of a Stumpy around 2000. Now on an Orange Trio of P729, alpine 6 27.5 and evo 29. Love MTBing and find GMBN inspiring. Wish it was around when I started 20 years ago or so - not many people were into it then!
Would absolutely love a caliper/brake service video. You are the best Doddy!
Doddy - we are both relative old-timers. Like you, I cut my teeth on late-80's and early-90's rigids and hardtails with steep geometry and narrow bars that assumed we were riding slow through the trees and only ever went UP the mountain. Today's riders don't do this (and we didn't either, did we?) and, as such - they should embrace the newer stuff and reap the benefits of our "R&D" years. I agree with you that the dropper seat post is doomed to be replaced by dropper frames that house the "dropper" portion of the equation (why did this take so long?!). What other things will experience a similar transition? Bars with integrated reservoirs/brake pistons? Yes please! Multi-gear transmissons in the BB? Yes please! (deraileurs are so last year!). Imagine a single, rigid rear gear with all the shifting taking place within a free wheeling BB - we have the technology! The heaviest part on most bikes is the cassette so there is room to work - mechanical advantate leverage ratios don't care from which side you work! Mullets are the future! (See motocross) - each end has different jobs so there is no engineering reason they need to be equally sized. Regarding bike geometries: what good are geometry numbers if they are made on a bike without the rider? Do bikes move without a rider? The numbers we see area all static, unweighted values that - by themselves - mean little. All the measurements change when the rider gets on. What is YOUR head tube angle when you are onboard in a riding position? I foresee a rider mass/weight number becoming part of the geometry equation. Active, micro-processor controlled suspension: YES! Please save us from outdated setup techniques and charts that assume constants values for rider size/weight/terrain that can change weekly. I could go on, but you see - the future is bright!
as much as I shouldn't admit this, best lube i have tried for my guide r pistons is silicone shine. pistons have stayed smooth for way longer than with dot 5. no braking issues.
#GMBNTech Doddy you are spot on with the hard tail theory. I started on a hard tail 29 and really learned how to handle roots and stay balanced. It has exponentially increased my ability to ride. So much so that when I have a little shredder they will absolutely start on a hard tail also.
The shock position also defines where the forces act upon. If the shock is horizontal, continuation of the seatstays, then there are no forces acting on the seat tube. If the shock goes 90° vertically, the seat tube needs to be reinforced to handle this. But the shock goes into the bottom bracket area, that is the strongest part of the bike. If it is horizontal, then the top tube needs to be reinforced.
Hi Doddy, Love the show, great content. I started my MTB riding 12 months ago at the young age of 55. Started with a 2017 Levo hardtail, gave that Levo to my wife when I got my 2018 FSR Levo comp, I love my. My fitness has changed so much that I bought my fist new bike a RockHopper to commute on around town. To me it was a bit of a waste riding a full sus EMTB as a commute when most of my commuting is flat tarmac. I slowly getting to riding some some single track on my Levo and love the blue and green trails. I have ridden both full sus and hard tail Levos on the same single track and maybe its my limited skill level I could not notice any difference other than the full sus was more comfortable. I might just have to ride more!! Cheers keep up the good work
Love these shows only started watching about a month ago
Sticking caliper - pistons, :- I found corrosion under the internal seals causes the seal to swell and bind on the piston stopping it from retracting , removing the pistons, and the seals and cleaning out the retaining grooves then re-assembly with a dab of lithium rubber grease on the pistons worked a treat, very fiddly but worth the effort!!😀
Started with a hardtail, long slack and low for me it's more fun and sendy, I did my time on 90s hardtails full squish only these days
Came to mtb 2 years ago after many years off from riding bmx in my teens. First bike was a 180mm canyon torque. Probably picked up some bad habits at first but I smash through things that I probably wouldn’t have thought I would do 2 years ago.
#ASkGMBNTECH
Why we don't use fork boots on mtb? Motor cycles use fork boots, so was wondering why modern mtb with expensive forks can't use. Would you recommend using one, if one can acquire or can hack something e.g. using a vacuum hose etc.
Thanks
Re sticky pistons, Henry did an excellent video including exactly this not long ago!!!
How soon u forget Doddy!!🙄😋
th-cam.com/video/ys9bUOJ0qg0/w-d-xo.html
at 5:35
I watch lot of minecraft videos and thought this was one lmao
Wish I was here sooner but I was washing my mtb
As an old bloke who has started riding in 1992, I should be tempted to say „you should learn on a hardtail with steep angles“ but no, the opposite is true. I think riding with 135mm stems, 560mm bars on a classic 71/73 hardtail for too long has really set me back in my riding. In those days, even the smallest error would lead to a crash and I think I have stopped trying things because of that. When I see the kids today and what they are doing on their bikes, I whish I had a more forgiving bike back then. However, I think riding on a hardtail or rigid bike teaches you to set up your tire pressure correctly.
Thanks mate, you just saved me a trip to the shop!
Tyre width...rim width also a key factor...effects tyre profile...30mm internal is good for 2.2 to 2.6 imo
Do you have any idea if 2020/1 Yeti sb115 or Pivot trail 429, trek top fuel, ibis... really needs to have their frame/suspension bearings replaced more often, or are more difficult than any other full suspension bike? Or is this a lie. What are the best bearings a person can buy for the suspension/frame? Brand and model? Do you think it is a good idea to drill a hole in the derailleur hanger(make it weaker) to make sure it fails before destruction of the frame and wheel?
Thank you!
I started at the beginning of corona on south mountain, on a hard tail. Road that beginner bike harder than some of my buddies on full sus. Upgraded to a full sus bike. My fun level is going up and up in the past few months!
Hey Doddy. I’m rocking an entry level bike (2018 giant ATX). I want to talk care of my cheep coil fork. Do you have any tips for cleaning and other general maintenance?
#AskGMBNtech
After every ride that gets the fork dirty: take a clean lint-free rag and wipe the seal area on the fork to get any dirt away from the seal. Also wipe down the stanchions with light soap water.
After every week/2 weeks: Take some suspension grease (DO NOT use regular grease) and rub a bit on the stanchions. Compress the fork through it's full travel a few times and then wipe the excess grease off
After every 200 miles of dirty trail riding or 400 miles of clean trail riding: clean the o-ring and foam wiper, and do a lower leg service.
I honestly wouldn't recommend disassembling the fork to clean the o-rings and do a lower leg service on a low end coil fork. It's probably not worth the hassle and the cost of the foam rings will soon add up. The best maintenance that you can do is to clean and grease the fork frequently to prevent more time consuming and expensive services.
Open the top caps and pour 12ml of motor oil (5-10w) in each leg. Makes it 2x better, so much more responsive and smooth. Od recommend to clean the internals before this.
I did this and its a huge improvement!
@@vivek_v the cheap ones don't have foam rings
@@linusdalin1 wait so how does the fork get lubricated? Or does it not get lubricated? The Walmart forks prob don't have foam rings, but even the cheap suntour stuff is decent so I would think that they would have foam rings.
The calibre v2 frame has tha cable routed on top of the chainstay and I just wrapped an old inner tube round it, it is soft enough to work for noise damping but because my cranks come quite close I had to chop it in half so I only had one layer of rubber
Dear Doddy, my breaks squeal is epic, I've replaced rotors and pads, they still squeal super bad. I have removed the pads (front and rear) I found an oil ring so the pistons leak a little. Is it possible to strip down and repair or should I just get new calipers. I have Shimano Deore. TIA
Yep, start on a hardtail, with flat pedals...best mtb education.
Since I had FS a number of years, I now couldn't ride the gnar terrain I used to on my hardtail!!
As always, great show Doddy! I agree that riding steeper head tube or hardtail forces you to be a better (though slower) rider as to picking lines, avoiding obstacles, and the like. I recently got al trail bike and it allows me to descend faster and roll over stuff my XC FS bike makes me go slower to handle, but I decided going faster is not better - I'd rather work on trials skills than DH/Enduro skills... safer too :)
To the problem with the cable on the top of the chain stay, the best fix is to remove rider, replace bike, reinstall rider.
#askgmbntech High guys I have a trance-3 2018 model running (stock) shimano 1x10 cassette & mechanism. I have an issue in that I wear out the smaller cogs on the cassette very quickly well before the chain even becomes 75% worn causing the chain to jump around & slip on the smallest cog. I am at the upper weight limit (145kgs) of the design of this bike and I can get a lot off power down through the drive chain. I also am fairly good at cleaning the bike and drive chain after riding. So questions; can I get a tungsten edged smaller cogs? second is it worth up-grading the front chain ring from its stock 30 tooth to a 32 or 34 tooth? I am not really finding I use the bottom gear so this would enable me to wear the drive train out move evenly?
I have rockshox 150. Can I change the air spring to 160/170 to make it more travel
When it comes to head tube angle bike, I like 65 degrees. A person could get a semi steep angle, but get a bike where you can change out head sets for a couple degrees slacker. I'm getting the new stumpy evo which has alot of set up options.
I would definitely consider better levers. The MT200 from Shimano, are the very entry level one. They are ok for lightweight people and trekking bike in my humble opinion. If you need loads of braking power you need a more powerful lever with the servo system. These are not only more powerful, but single finger as well, while the MT200 are more for double finger use (technically triple, but you really do not need three fingers). For Shimano brakes there are also third party companies making pads. Shimano unfortunately makes only metallic or resin pads, no semi-metallic. Quaxar to the rescue. I tried their semi-metallic pads and I love them. Bonus for making a lot less black powder compared to Shimano's resin pads. My frame is white, it's an hell of a job to keep it clean ;)
far? I tried a Yeti SB115 and a Pivot Switchblade, yesterday. Everyone raves about how great the Switchblade is. Not for me at this point, felt too heavy and sluggish. I liked the sb115 but no iscg 5 tab to mount a bash guard. I think any bike I buy needs frame protection of some sort to keep from taking chunks out of my bb area on big rocks, especially And logs. What do you folks do?
Is the Pivot trail 429 too heavy and sluggish feeling compared to the sb115?
Also pedal strikes are a pet peeve, I hate too low bikes that pedal strikes or you have to put midget crankset on.
I ride in the midatlantic where it is totally different from all the TH-cam reviews which are either at ski resorts out west, or Moab, Arizona, kalifornia, with fast more groomed wide open environment.
I am trying to figure out the best bike for my area, and something quick, light, responsive, and efficient, that does not jack hammer my back.
I ride a xl 2016 trek remedy 9.8 29r now.
I am 6ft and 3/4 about 165 with no gear.
Thank you.
#AskGMBNTech
Hi Doddy I can't reach my forks full travel no matter how hard i try. It gets to 110 mm and i have 180 mm of travel. What should I do. Please help.
Keep up the great work.
take air out
@@jackavery6193 a have a spring
My right piston is stuck squeezing the disc, I take the pads out and push it back in, but when I put everything back on and press the brake, it doesn’t push back and gets stuck rubbing my disc again, do I need to lube the piston or let some fluid out, I’ve only had the brake for a few months.
Hi doddy do u think I should get a rockshox Sid or a fox 32 (I’m a racer)
plz can you tell me, can i replace a broken slx 2 piston brake leaver with an xt one? i'm not sure and dont trust the local bike shop, so please can you help? (cant find the right slx and have an xt one) best greetings, andi
if im not mistaken dot grease is not meant for pistons,thats from sram manual
In my humble opinion, an affordable aluminium hardtail is the way to go for beginners. There's not much to do wrong, most of them can take a beating and if you find yourself to be sticking to the sport after several thousand kilometers, you can always upgrade if you want to. By the way, those hardtails really take more awareness during descents and do teach better riding. Trust me, I just hopped on my first full suspension. After a year of shredding.
#AskGMBNTech
Love the show. I'm thinking to move to clipless pedals for the winter, but I'm not sure which pedals to go for, cranckbrothers or shimano. I want enduro pedals, but are mallet e pedals fine to ride dh and a bit of bike park, but still pedal? Or should I go for mallet dh?
Thanks
I think they are basicly same pedal but the dh version just a bit more heavy duty so go for the mallet e!
#AskGMBNTech Hi there, love the show! I have an SR Suntour XCR32 Air fork, I'd like to make it more progressive and I can't find any volume spacers for it. Can I use 80W oil in the chamber to take up some volume or modify existing spacers from another model? Is there a risk of damaging the fork? Thanks a lot
I did that but it started to leek oil out of the stancsion
@@cyclingstunts9887 wouldn't do anything
@@cyclingstunts9887 Really? But did you feel anything different?
Ask someone to 3D print you some or just cut them from some cork etc. and glue it to the top cap of the air chamber. Pouring oil into the air chamber doesn't seem like a good idea, especially if the air chamber is not designed to be oil-lubricated (but grase-lubricated as most seem to be nowadays).
idk if you have tried this already but sr suntour has a place on their website where you can put the serial number for your fork (found on the crown facing back) and it will tell you exactly what varient fork you have and then you will be able to tell if suntour has volume spacers for it. i did this w my raidon 32 and found volume spacers. i know suntour sells volume spacers online so if you cant find any there they probably arent meant to be used on your fork.
I had a Trek Fuel with the minnow link. I did not like it at all with the longer seat stay (steeper head tube) and it felt way better with the shorter seat stay (slacker head tube)
With SRAM AXS Eagle mtb group set, are any of the derailleur parts replaceable? Cage? Is it worth it? How is SRAM about warranty? Any kind of help with crash replacement? Thank you big guy.
#askgmbntech I bought a 2021 Kona Kahuna online and I’m having difficulty indexing the gears. I put it into its highest gear and I have to loosen the barrel adjuster to stop it clicking. Once I get that right I start changing down, by the time I get half way down the cassette it doesn’t want to change down so I have to tighten the barrel adjuster. Then when I go back up into high gear it starts clicking again. I go round and round like this forever!
Don't second guess yourself doddy, your totally right, riding a hardtail does makes you a much better rider, the over cofidance when on my full sus sometimes ends up in stupid line choices because I want to see if the bike can handle it.
#AskGMBNTech
Did I misunderstand something? Doddy esplained @7:56: "I´m going to put a link to that [chart] in the description underneath.."
But I can´d find this link.
They never do, so when they say that its really bs sorry :(
It is around page 28 of this PDF: productinfo.shimano.com/download/pdf/com/2.6/en
At first riding local trails and forests then I skipped a hardtail and bought a second hand full sus and I feel that it was a good compromise
my first real mtb and my current bike is a full suspension and the same for my brother and dad
I can't find the link to the Shimano brake compatibility chart?? Please forward the link.
#askgmbntech
Hi. I have a Cube stereo 140HPC TM 2020 with Fox Float DPX2 Factory ( metric 185x52,5 /Trunnion) Is it possible to use a spring damper for this frame in the future? I'm not sure there's enough space for a coil spring. If so, what damper would you recommend? Ideal with pedal lock for climbing. Cane Creek Double Barrel Coil CS Trunnion or Marzocchi Bomber CR?or can i fit Fox Float DHX2 Factory 2-position 185x50mm?
thank you very much! have a nice day
Lubec
#askgmbntech
Hi! I bought a bike about half a year ago, after 15 years of riding the same old one. I'm thinking about breaking the habit of riding a bike until its retirement age, and rather selling it and buying a new one maybe a few years later. What's a good way to tell, when to decide and sell a bike? I love this one so i don't want to get rid of it anytime soon, but i would also like to enjoy new tech and try different things, without losing too much money.
Thank you!
Great show Doddy!
#AskGMBNTech
What's the minimum internal rim width I should be running for 27.5" x 2.35"/2.4" wide tires?
My current rims are 23mm wide internally and setup with Schwalbe Hans Dampf & Nobby Nic that are 27.5" x 2.25" wide. I've been told 2.25" is near the maximum a 23mm wide rim can hold
When the time comes, I plan to upgrade my tires to something wider like a 2.35" or 2.4" as I need the grip for my riding but worried that my current wheels might not be able to handle them. Cheers you guys and keep up the good work!
That does seem on the edge of being too small, but to be honest if the tyre holds then its all good. I have 2.4 with 28mm rim. Also depends if u run tubeless and if the tyre holds and doesnt come off when shredding turns hard. If it doesnt then its alright I think and there is no disadvantage. Obviously bigger rims are stronger but more weight.
Like the new #AskGMBNTech in the mantenchon in thes brakes and mecanics and oils pistons and diferents fusioens in the setup process handedle bar bike. Thanks guy Doddy. Saluds of chile 🇨🇱 🤘😀
Amazing Video!
At 8:50 there is a gmbn sticker on that nice blue bike. Do you guys sell those and if so also in white or silver?
To the guy that need to protect his cable on his chain stay. What if you recyclable a piece of plastic (cut up coke bottle or something) and then tape it on. Wouldn't look any different as tape is covering everything but plastic shield would allow the cable to run freely
Doddy always says that he will leave a link. For example the shimano compatibility thing. There’s never a link however
#askgmbntech can you explain the different ways to mount hope older disc brakes! I’m rebuilding an Orange Hitman and the actual differences in disc sizes, clamps and post mounts is bewildering!
For the chainstay protection, take a look at the nukeproof scout. This has a neoprene sleeve that attaches by velcro and would cover the cable as well.
i agree better to learn on a hardtail but also maybe not a good one like one with a bad fork so you basically learn how to ride with nothing
For sticky pistons you can use silocon grece
where is the link for Brake Compatibility ????????????? shimano.com is big
#askgmbntech Hey Doddy, can you give us a history of handlebars and stems? Any weird ones (girvin etc.), who decided on 31.8mm diameter (seems very random), that sort of thing. Cheers!
That would be cool. Like all imperial units, 31.8mm will be 3/8 of a cowhorn or something like that.
Hey Doddy. I got a 26er entry level hardtail that are not tubeless. Nowadays, its hard to find 26er tubes and i'm planning to use patch kits to fix the punctures. I just wanna ask if patch kits are permanent fix or just a temporary fix? Thanks. #askgmbntech
I started on a hardtail and have stayed on a hardtail and put an enduro fork on it
What to do when they pop all the way out?
#AskGMBNTech Hi Doddy, loving the show. I have recently bought a 2012 Inspired 4Play with Avid Elixir 5 brakes. Although 8 years old the bike is in mint condition and has clearly not been used much but I'm having problems with the rear brake. I've bled plenty of brakes now so I know what I'm doing but I can't get this one working properly. I've bled this brake about ten times now, in various orientations, on the bike and off the bike but still get the same result. When pulling the lever and holding pressure on it, the lever gradually sinks towards the bars. It feels as if it should be leaking but it's dry as a bone. I've stripped and rebuilt the calliper and lever and everything still looks as good as new inside. There is a service kit available but can't see how this will change anything. Pulling my hair out with this one! Thanks in advance.
How to set up a trp Evo DH-R.
Another brand that have 2.3mm thickness rotor?
#gmbntech doddy I have a carrera banshee 2006 “same as kona stinky” I run it with 200mm 888 bombers but I can’t seem to find seals what fit what’s the best way to measure my stanchions
Hi Doddy, big thanks for great educational and entertaining content!
I have a Horst-link rear suspension with 140 mm travel, and the shock uses only about two thirds of its stroke. In the horst link there is another mounting point for the shock. Mounting it there would reduce leverage ratio. I am considering doing just that, and removing a few spacers from the shock in order to compensate for the reduced leverage and keep the same 140 mm travel.
Would you recommend doing that and is it generally advisable to use as much stroke of the shock as possible? Thanks!
#AskGMBNTech
#askgmbntech Did you forget to include the link to the Shimano page shown? I'm not finding it in the description.
#AskGMBNtech Hi Doddy, i ride a suntour DUAIR rear shock at around 160 psi, but i've noticed it hasn't been bottoming out when i ride, even when i (heavily) case massive jumps at places like rogate- looking at the 'o' ring on the stanchion i can see that only just over half of the travel is actually being used. Despite the casing of jumps. And on top of that it makes a weird squelching noise whenever it compresses. Any advise would be great thanks a lot. :)
When I was an apprentice mechanic we were taught the seals retract the pistons.
Henry made the sticky piston vid already
anyone else watching old doddy vids?
#AskGMBNtech. Hi Doddy, I have a Specialized Stumpjumper 2016 and I was thinking about converting from a stock air shock to a coil shock. I ride decent sized gap jumps and a lot of trails and I was wondering if the frame was compatible and if my choice of riding would suit a coil shock.
#askgmbntech 2 days ago I noticed my rear hub stopped making noise when not pedalling. Can I ignore this or do I need to take it to the bike shop?
It sounds like the teeth of the hub are not retracting or could be because of too much grease if you serviced it recently?
I’m getting into mtb after 18 year break. Would age be a factor in going to a full suspension making it easier on the body or stick to hardtail to hone the craft?
Depends what kind of riding - if u want to do it all, go for full sus, if you are sticking to fire roads and blue, red runs, then a modern HT will be more than enough. I have a mate who does literally everything on his HT including 30ft jumps.
#AskGMBNTech Hi Doddy! Do you have any tips on how to fine tune a stock coil fork through its preload adjuster (like how much the fork should actually travel etc)? And are these forks actually serviceable when the time comes? Am running the stock SR Suntour XCT30 HLO on my 2020 Giant Talon 3.
Thanks so much for all your videos!!!
#askGMBNtech
I have a standard shimano 9-speed hub with a 9-speed freehub body and I would like to upgrade to the newest shimano deore groupset 1x11 or 1x12, I would like to know if i can convert the freehub body on my hub to a 11-speed body or a 12-speed body.
Thanks!
Keep up the good work!!!
#askgmbntech
Hi Doddy, I am running Continental RaceKing tyres with tubeless setup, the bead sit perfectly (no leakage of sealant as well). When i look at the tyre from the rear of my bike, the tyre is not true. Dose it matters or how can i fix it? Thanks.
Is drilling out the frame safe?
#AskGMBNTech
Hi There! I’ve recently purchased a 2021 Norco Sight with the 10-52T Sram GX Eagle. As of the last ride or so, it will happily sit in the top and bottom gears, but struggles to find gears in the middle and is skipping and jumping constantly.
Cable tension/ limiter screw issue, derailleur hanger or warranty issue? Cheers.
Cool Q an A's Doddy! 👊😎
#AskGMBNTech Just wandering when you're gonna drink those two beers in yr bike cave? 😆🍻
#askgmbntech Hey Doddy, I'm curious to know with the new 2021 Mega 290, the shock stroke is limited to 62.5mm. Like with many other bikes, what would happen if you were to remove the 2.5mm internal spacer? Is there a bit more travel that can be eeked out of the rear end? Thanks
Modern slack full Suss is like riding around around on a magic carpet, compared to older bikes back in the day. Totally agree that some riders go beyond their ability because the modern bike allows them to., Which is fine when all is going fine, but get out of shape the skill level doesn't match the speed trouble matrix. Seen it many times out on the trails.
#askgmbntech I'm riding a 2020 polygon siskiu D7 29er, and looking to upgrade the fork (rockshox recon RL) because my compression isnt working and I would love to add tokens to the fork. Ive been looking at also upping the travel from 120 to 130 or maybe 140,
1- what would be the downsides of lengthening my travel
2- what cheapish forks would you recommend
I hear a squeaky sound from my left pedal crank when I push quite hard.
What it could be?
@@RealMTBAddict shimano deore m6100
The magnet part in a chain bath collects small bits of metal that collect on the chain, where do these particles come from ? Also what actually happens to break pad as it wears does it just fall onto the trail? #AskGMBNTech
#askgmbntech I read I can use a XD cassette on an XDR driver by using a 1.85mm spacer as the road driver body is a bit longer. Could I use a SRAM XDR cassette on an XD driver?
👍
See ya!
#AskGMBNTech
n i have just got a new scott aspect 750 and looking to do some upgrades to it.
what drive train with a cluch do you think i should use
And what non taped air fork should i use
im looking for some thing bujet friendly
#AskGMBNTech
Hi
My suntour xcr 32 air fork works very slow when temperature is
Outside caliper doesn't move and the inside one pushes the disk to the outside, deforming it under hard braking. This is on mechanical brakes fresh from the factory, is this normal? Or do I phone the shop up?
It's normal that on a mechanical brake one normally the inside caliper doesn't move.
This is just an setup question.
Usually there should be a Allen's crew on the inside and you should be able to turn it with a 5mm in.
Try it bit by bit till It just barely doesn't rub.
It's perfectly normal
@@maikszczerbuk613 ah okay nice one cheers! I've done that so there's a visible gap and it doesn't move the disk quite as much. Was worried for a bit there haha thanks
@@RealMTBAddict if you're on a tight budget shimano MT200s and tektro TKD32s are better bang per buck
@@RealMTBAddict haha, I also like the Sram Level Ultimate and the Magura MT8s