any tips on setting up a mtn bike
got an entry level 29er for Christmas. came in a bike box, so i guessed on things like seat position and handlebar angle. put about 65psi in the tires. similar feel to the road setup but keepin' seat a tad lower and a tad farther back.
i never ride trails. brand new to this concept. plan on using it to mix thigs up ocassionally but dont want it to messwith our schedules.
any tips you can share would be much appreciated.
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I am in a similar situation as I just got a new 29r HT a few weeks ago. I have found it most comfortable to maintain the same length from top of saddle to pedal spindle (measure straight line along seat tube) as I have on my tri, road, and cyclocross bikes. On technical trails, I run at 25psi and will switch to a tubeless set up in the spring to save some weight.
I have also found out (by flying over the handlebars on a descent) that you need to be out of the saddle a lot more than what we are used to. There are some great youtube videos on mtb fundamentals which I need some serious help with.
I would just have fun with it for now. The MTB community is typically very open and cool to newbies (as long as you don't ride on closed trails). It is amazing the terrain you can roll over with a 29r. I have been out three times so far and it is a total blast.
I'm not really mtn bike hacking, but I thought i might do it about once a week on some less technical trails, just for the fun of it, and I guess I'll manually enter it in WKO since my power is crank based.
I'm already eyeing an Xterra in 2013 to mix it up.
how do i get these aero bars on it? and my aero helmet keeps hitting branches...
BTW, we can share stories at IMFL. c ya there.
Don't obsess about position on a mtn bike, as we do on TT bikes. You may notice the seat tube has a quick release on it to easily move the saddle up and down - it's there for a reason! As the terrain changes, your position on the bike will change - up, down, back, front, lean left, lean right, etc. Let the bike stay stable, and move your body all around. TT riding and Mtn biking are as different as cross country and downhill skiing.
Play with handlebar height, angle of shifters, saddle position - you'll find what works best. But given the much different geometries of road vs mtn bikes, and the different ways they are ridden, things like saddle height are not really transferable.
Hope the foot is improving.
-Get a pair of bar ends. While they do help while climbing (their primary published purpose), I found they are most useful in keeping your hands from slipping off the bars when you are into some gnarly terrain.
-Practice dropping your ass off the end of the saddle and riding with your chest on it. Very helpful for when you are bombing down a steep incline and you need to manage your center of gravity.
-Speed flattens out a lot of rough terrain. Don't be skeered! Crashing is fun.
x2 on all the comments of the knobby wheel society. Much more welcoming folks than the typical roadie/tri-geek crowd. Enjoy!
@Brian - I'll pick that book up, got a year to read it as I get introduced to this. I'd like to do the Xterra SE Champs (in name only) down in Pelham, AL in 2013. I have a bunch of entry level components on this entry level 29er. So, I gotta see if my ignorance can ride or race without needing to put a bunch of $ into this 'just for fun' side of the sport.
Thanks for help guys!