Originally posted by charlesr
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Very impressive -
Been out for another run on the bike, ended up being out again for 3 hours. found my hands get rather sweaty so i'm losing grip on the bars, some thin gloves or fingerless will be ideal that can be washed. i check out what the local bike shop have in.Originally posted by charlesr View Post
I was with a mate and he said have a go at this so i had a go at my first short downhill section and came off the bike the front wheel slid as it was a bit muddy and i put the front brake on slightly as i was going too fast and off i went but its all experience gained. the bike holds up rather well for what i attempted on it the front forks felt rather good plenty of travel on them.
the bontrager lite cage and water bottle i had on the bike never came off either.Comment
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Nice one. Glad you are ok. To lose the front on the brakes is quite hard in a straight line - were you tipped in a bit? Anyway, it is something you can practice.
Find the another muddy/wet bit on the flat and in a straight line and while going a bit slower, deliberately lock the front by mashing the brake lever as fast as possible and then quickly let go again. It's a crazy feeling. I used to do it on my motorbike on the motorway when it was raining hard to see how much grip I had so if I did need to stop fast, I'd be prepared. Front wheel lock at 70mph
You can then do it again a few times, but don't grab the brake so hard. Because of the fork compression, you need to squeeze it gently and then progressively increase the power once once the fork has reached the end of it's "braking dive". This all obviously happens really fast, so just think about what's going on down there if you get time.
Braking dive is a good thing - it shortens the forks, steepening the head angle and reducing the rake (google rake - it's very complex), thus making it quicker to tip into the corner. Use it, but be gentle. Also, as your braking slows you down, the fork becomes better at tracking bumps so you can brake harder and harder.Last edited by charlesr; 23-05-2012, 07:29.Comment
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I thought I had said in my post it wasn't on a straight bit but a small corner that I did come off near the end of the section.
my front tyre was caked in mud and my front brake not worn in yet as its still a bit powerful when lightly pressed.
On my way home I ride a downhill part on loose gravel through a golf course and the bike was really grippy on that.
Does anyone bother with a saddle bag as I'm after something not too large to fit my phone, keys and some bits in instead of carrying a back pack about unless a hydration type bag can include those in ?Comment
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The less stuff on your back the better. I use a saddle bag for the kit I mentioned a few pages back e.g. inner tube, tools, wallet.
I put my phone in a phone pocket on the side of my Altura Mahem shorts so it can see the satellites.Comment
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i've today bought a specialized dirtbag to go under my seat and its big and will fit loads of things in 2 compartments and the bottom one can expand if needed.Originally posted by charlesr View Post
also got a mini pump bought a bontrager with a pressure gauge on it.
charlesr, what do you think of this hydration pack http://www.evanscycles.com/products/...34209#features with a promo code i can get it for under 30 pound for 3 litres.
also had a look at them XR4 tyres in evans and not much bigger than i've got now but the tread pattern is so much better, good value too 2 tyres would be 40 notes.Comment
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Note if you are paying 40 for the pair, you are getting the normal tyres, not the Team Issue TLRs (I assume - if they are the TIs, you are getting a bargain). The Team versions have much stickier rubber and have the more supple sidewalls. However, the normal versions will last longer.
I think that pack is a 2L pack with a 3L luggage capacity. Difficult to tell what it will be like though. Any reviews?Last edited by charlesr; 24-05-2012, 06:32.Comment
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A couple of promising reviews for it at wiggle: http://www.wiggle.co.uk/deuter-hydro...ydration-pack/
I'm thinking you will get 1L left over for luggage after filling it with 2L of water - I could be wrong though. I almost never fill my pack with 3L of water unless I'm going for very long ride 4+hours.Last edited by charlesr; 24-05-2012, 06:45.Comment
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yeah it was 40 for the normal tyres, the team issue tyres were 32 each and i wasn't sure if the 12 pound extra per tyre was worth it just for lighter weight etc, I didnt buy any tyres because they had only 1 of each in.Originally posted by charlesr View Post
At the moment i've been going out for about 3 hours so i thought 2 litres would be more than enough and have room for the mini pump etc.Originally posted by charlesr View Post
I'm also doing it as a fitness thing not just because i like riding, my fitness at the moment is shocking and riding is helping but i'm not keeping hydrated enough.Comment
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3 hours is a long ride. Well done mate!
I'd say the Team Issue tyres are well worth it due to the much stickier rubber - I've used mine for 1 season and I think they are going to last me through this season too (My biking year is split into 2 seasons: summer tyres and winter tyres), so that's 2 years of use.Comment
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I didnt think 3 hours was all that long my last few rides have been about 3 hours each time with a mate.Originally posted by charlesr View Post
I was wondering that, do you have 2 sets of rims as i was hoping the xr4s would be decent all year round due to the tread size or maybe get some better tyres just for the winter as i fancy riding in the winter xr3s might be the better option.
also the team issue tyres come in folding and folding tubeless design, i guess the latter version isnt needed and how do they keep the strength if there is no wire bead around the rim part ?Comment
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If you just want to leave the same tyres on all year around, get the XR3 Team Issues 2.1 (they only come in TLR "TubeLess ready").
The folding ones have an aramid bead (like kevlar) instead, so they are much lighter than equivalent wire versions. However, the XR3 will never be as good at shedding mud as the proper winter tyres. You could always flog your XR2s on pinkbike or ebay.Comment
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The GTIs will always be better than an XR2 or XR3
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What are GTIs?
I haven't tried the XR2 or XR3 so I'm only going on what their intended uses are on the bontrager site.
The only ones I have tried recently:
Bontrager XR4(TI) - amazing grip in almost all surfaces, but hopeless in mud. Most people I ride with use these.
Bontrager JonesMudX - perfect in winter and can cope well enough in the dry.
Panaracer Razer XC - pretty scary in the wet, mud or soft topsoil, but on fast rides on hard packed bridleways it flys. I never use them though because they have no give, so makes the ride very harsh. I tried them in an XC race once but it was tight and twisty in the forest so were pretty useless.
Panaracer Fire XC Pro - seemed to stop ok, but gave me no confidence in the corners - always felt scared to tip them in hard. I can't explain why. I fell off a lot when using them.Comment
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The earlier comment was a funny one about cars.
Hmm thanks for that short summary of tyres you've used.
the xr2s are ok at the minute but could be made gripper if the tread pattern was changed slightly.
I will bare with these for the moment and spend wisely the money on some proper winter tyres later, sounds a better plan ?
Charlesr, Evans got a sale online and you can get 10% off tyres so if you like the xr4s get another 2 now and save money on them maybe.Comment
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