Modern MTB questions

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Andy B


This is the first bike I've ridden with front shocks (RS
Suntour XCR), and while they're usefull when hitting ruts
etc, I find them a pain when trying to accelerate fast, as
the font end feels like it's bouncing all over the shop. Is
this a technique thing? I've tightned them up as much as
possible (adjustment knobs on top), so they're not too washy
while riding. Can you get shocks that offer more support,
while still providing a damping effect when it's needed?
I've also noticed that they take a while to recover from
being compressed, so on a section that's very rutted out,
they'll probably end up compressing and not extend before
the next rut, so will stay in a compressed state untill the
road/track smooths out.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

If they annoy you that much you can change em for rigid forks >>(as you see most couriers and regular commuters do)
As you say, you pump alot of effort into the suspension >>without much reward when sprinting for lights or climbing
Unless you could afford a cannondale or more [censored]'y shock s >>with lockout

The frame geometary is very different to what I'm used to.
It almost looks like a girls bike compared to mine, in that
the top tube travels down from the head. I'm guessing that
by having smaller triangles, the frame's stiffer. The
problem I find with this, is that I end up sitting over the
back wheel, as the seat post is at an angle, and has to be
extended about a foot to be the correct height. When I
peddle, instead of being over the peddles, they're in front
of me. To give you an idea, when my foot is at the top of
the peddling arc, my knee is directly above the bottom
bracket. I find this neither a comfortable nor powerfull
riding position. Is this the new way to ride?

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Isnt the rincon a hybrid? hence the differing riding position.
the frames/bikes have changed a bit since 1990 bu the riding >>position hasnt for mtbs

Lastly, what price should i expect to pay second had for a
6-12 month old bike in good condition, with a new RRP of
around $1,500 (In Bris if it makes any difference)?

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

round the thousand-mark perhaps?

Thanks for any insight you can offer.

Andy

"Andy B" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

This is the first bike I've ridden with front shocks (RS
Suntour XCR), and while they're usefull when hitting ruts
etc, I find them a pain when trying to accelerate fast, as
the font end feels like it's bouncing all over the shop.
Is this a technique thing? I've tightned

Yes and no. Better shocks will tend to have a "locked"
effect for normal pedalling action but still absorb bigger
hits. You might find that you are expending too much energy
shaking the bike around on takeoff - hence the shock bounce.
Try taking off hard without bouncing the shocks. Instead of
planting your feet and letting your body move forward in
opposition to the hard pedalling, try bracing your arms and
stomach to hold your upper body rigid while taking off. This
should reduce shock bouncing and give you faster takeoff.

Quoted message said:

Can you get shocks that offer more support, while still
providing a damping effect when it's needed?

I would say so - the range of suspension forks these days
is HUGE. AFAIK Suntour forks aren't "up there" if you know
what I mean. I will happily accept a correction on this
point. Marzocchi, RockShox, Fox and others are the brands
to look for. Or, just go rigid - cheaper, lighter, faster
(on road). :-)

hippy

*time for a long-time lurker to wade in with a first post* 🙂

Can't comment on the frame geometry issue. (The Rincon is a MTB, not a hybrid.) Could be an issue of size/fit or maybe just not what you're used to. The top tube travels down from the end often to give you a bit more 'crotch room' for when things get technical, and yes, it can stiffen up the frame a bit more.

In terms of suspension, I think you've probably been given a bad impression by the Suntours, which are by no means a sophisticated fork... I commute most days about 30plus kms on a dual-suspension mountain bike and don't find it a problem, but then it is a XC oriented machine and I'm fairly lightweight, which helps. Yes, you do get suspension bounce on climbs, but this can be minimized as Hippy indicated, by smoothing out your motions. It never cancels it out completely (well, maybe on some of the new whiz-bang MTBs it might), but can be brought under control. I notice my front and rear suspension moving a little from time to time but not to the point of annoyance, and it's more than compensated for when you slam into that pothole or need to jump that kerb, etc.

Compact frames do -not- have shallower seat angles as you described. If anything you will find the newer compact frames have slightly steeper seat tubes compared to bikes 10+ years ago.

Your right about the frame being stiffer but that is slightly offset by the long, extended seatpost.

The difference between a 73 and 74 degree seat tube (most bikes use these angles) makes is about 1cm, which isn't much. It would be hard to find a bike frame that would push you way over the rear wheel unless it was very small or big according to your size. I would say whoever rode the bike you tried had the seat a fair way back and it was obviously not adjusted for yourself.

Quoted post said:

To give you an idea, when my foot is at the top of
the peddling arc, my knee is directly above the bottom
bracket

Its best to look at the end of you knee when the pedal and crank arms are horizontal, being forward in the 3 o'clock position -not- at the top of the peddling arc. Adjust your seat forward or back until your knee is directly over the center of the pedal. This is the method most people use. Never use the saddle to adjust the reach to the handlebars.

One bike and one bike alone - the new 2004 Specialized EPIC.
Took one for a ride a couple of weeks ago and it is simply
awesome (for a stock bike). Rides like a hardtail when you
want it to and takes any bump, lump or jump you can throw at
it. Only downside is the $3800 price tag. The front shocks
(Manitou?) have a lockout on them that works a treat and I'd
be happy to have them on almost any bike.

Oh, and I just like the bike I don¹t have any agenda or work
for a bike shop.

On 9/3/04 9:56 AM, in article
[email hidden], "Andy B"

Quoted message said:

Hi

I own a 1990 Diamond Back Topanga which has done more km's
than I could imagine. It's needing some repairs, so am I'm
borrowing a bike (Giant Rincon) from work for my commute
in the interim.

As I'm considering retiring the Topanga, I've got some
questions about newer bikes.

This is the first bike I've ridden with front shocks (RS
Suntour XCR), and while they're usefull when hitting ruts
etc, I find them a pain when trying to accelerate fast, as
the font end feels like it's bouncing all over the shop.
Is this a technique thing? I've tightned them up as much
as possible (adjustment knobs on top), so they're not too
washy while riding. Can you get shocks that offer more
support, while still providing a damping effect when it's
needed? I've also noticed that they take a while to
recover from being compressed, so on a section that's very
rutted out, they'll probably end up compressing and not
extend before the next rut, so will stay in a compressed
state untill the road/track smooths out.

The frame geometary is very different to what I'm used to.
It almost looks like a girls bike compared to mine, in
that the top tube travels down from the head. I'm guessing
that by having smaller triangles, the frame's stiffer. The
problem I find with this, is that I end up sitting over
the back wheel, as the seat post is at an angle, and has
to be extended about a foot to be the correct height. When
I peddle, instead of being over the peddles, they're in
front of me. To give you an idea, when my foot is at the
top of the peddling arc, my knee is directly above the
bottom bracket. I find this neither a comfortable nor
powerfull riding position. Is this the new way to ride?

Lastly, what price should i expect to pay second had for a
6-12 month old bike in good condition, with a new RRP of
around $1,500 (In Bris if it makes any difference)?

Thanks for any insight you can offer.

Andy