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Teach me about geometry (is mine wack)

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Teach me about geometry (is mine wack)

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flag NasiLemak
Posted: Oct 19, 2022 at 2:11 Quote
Hi - first post on pinkbike Smile

Background

I started mountainbiking in January 2022 and fell in love!

I came from a road background and quickly committed to XC. I raced 2 local club leagues on natural trails and did pretty well despite the technical nature of the tracks. I am progressing quite quickly and am now finding myself in much more gnarly trails where I am starting to pleateu in terms of mtb skills.

I am wondering if i should look at my bike to help make me more confident on the descents as this is where I am lacking most.

I ride a cube reaction pro c:62
https://archiv.cube.eu/en/2021/416110

It has great components with an upgraded wheelset with 25int rims to 2.35maxxis forekasters & a 125mm dropper post.

Im 5'9 and and proportionately average in size in about every way! I ride the size M.

Issues

It has a 69hta with a 406mm reach! when comparing bikes other xc guys are riding - my bike has about a 30-40 deficit in reach! I am thinking this is pretty significant? And i haven't found a modern xc bike with a reach similarly short to mine.

Although I do enjoy the hardtail, its agile and light - climbs well; I poop myself in some of the steeper sections, big drops & switchbacks with drop offs.

Solutions

Now my future plan would be to upgrade to a yeti arc, this will be 1 to 2 years down the line as I would like to get another season out of my cube.

I am thinking maybe I should look to make it more capable - either with a slacker or reach adjust headset combined with a 120mm sid ultimate which i can put on the arc frame when I find a good deal on them.

Questions

What are your opinions on the geometry of my frame - what can i do to improve my confidence on steep sections of trail - would it be worth moving to a 120 fork?

Thank you very much - and appreciate all and any feedback or criticism in my approach.
flag naptime
Posted: Oct 19, 2022 at 2:27 Quote
life's too short. Get the Yeti
flag NasiLemak
Posted: Oct 19, 2022 at 2:44 Quote
naptime wrote:
life's too short. Get the Yeti

haha! I might add this to my profile's handle.

I'm only less than a year with this bike! Still making purchases like mtb lights for night riding and mtb clothing so will need to hold off for the time being!

What do you think of my issues - am I overthinking the whole 'too short reach' thing?
flag naptime
Posted: Oct 19, 2022 at 5:20 Quote
without see'ing it. An XC bike will allways feel a bit shorter than a trail, all mtn or enduro rig, by desighn. XC riders make time on the climbs an not descents, so that's how the bikes are made. Like you've said as you've gotten braver an ventured into gnarlier trails you've found the limits. You could push the seat back a bit an get maybe a 5-10mm longer stem which will give more room in the cock pit but, nothing you can do aboot the wheel base so although those mods will give you more room an comfort it wont really make any difference where you need it, the descents. May even make it worse..
I reckon some more aggressive tyres will give you more grip on the downs an might give you some confidence..?
Untill its new bike time Wink

I had a 29er XC rig for aboot 9months an even with Minions on it didn't like pointing down at all
flag naptime
Posted: Oct 19, 2022 at 5:26 Quote
The longer, lower, slacker geo's of modern bikes put the rider "in" the bike rather than "on" it. That an a lower centre of gravity gives WAY more grip an feel so much better when the going gets rough. A lot more "planted "feel
flag MT36
Posted: Oct 19, 2022 at 8:00 Quote
Welcome to the sport! You are not overthinking it by any means. The bike you have now will not inspire confidence on descents in the way you want to feel comfortable. With that geometry, you are going to be riding high and forward on the bike, as opposed to a longer/slacker bike, which will place your body more in the frame. With that reach and head tube angle, your body is not in a balanced sweet spot for going downhill with stability and traction.

I am biased towards descending capability, but I think you should sell that bike ASAP and get something that fits your goals and style of riding. There is no shame in buying a bike you end up not liking... happens to the best of us. Also, just one person's opinion, modern hardtails are very cool, but they don't come close to full suspension for descending capacity.

The yeti arc is a nice bike but would only be a marginal improvement for DH traction and stability. It is a hardtail, and has surprisingly outdated geometry by modern standards, even though the new version is a recent design.
flag eshew
Posted: Oct 19, 2022 at 11:17 Quote
Screw getting a yeti. Nice bikes, but they are race bikes. You might want to consider getting something a bit beefier & used.

Sure it might weigh more, couple kg's but the plus side is it will survive longer, inspire more confidence & probably be much more enjoyable for everyday riding.

Nothing sucks worse than having to skip a feature or a drop because you don't think the bike can handle it.

And yeah, your geo is outdated. Had an older Mojo HD w/ older geo, best parts A pieced together modern bike that retailed for a third of the cost was much more entertaining to ride. No longer did I feel unbalanced on jumps, could rip the corners and dance down the trail.

Ibis was a much better climber & it took a few upgrades to get the other bike as settled on the rough stuff, but it got there eventually.
flag NasiLemak
Posted: Oct 20, 2022 at 1:14 Quote
My bike will be for racing primarily - I cycle to my races so it will be 1hr cycle > 1 hr race then 1 hr back. I did pretty well this year so I think a hardtail with modern geometry is the way to go. It needs to be relatively lightweight as i do a lot of road riding on it and do generally close to 800km a month on the bike.
flag Ksquared13
Posted: Dec 11, 2022 at 8:45 Quote
Good call focusing on your next frame's geometry instead of just parts! I just made a video talking about my taste in geo, which tends to lean towards the playful side of things. Hope this helps shed some light on all the options out there!
flag senorbanana
O+
Posted: Dec 11, 2022 at 9:16 Quote
Sold my yeti arc after 1 ride due to its long yet steep geometry
flag Ksquared13
Posted: Dec 11, 2022 at 10:05 Quote
senorbanana wrote:
Sold my yeti arc after 1 ride due to its long yet steep geometry

Ya, definitely more on the XC end of the spectrum! What are you on now?
flag senorbanana
O+
Posted: Dec 11, 2022 at 10:33 Quote
No longer on hardtail, but my previous fav was my curve downrock. I also really like the banshee paradox and chameleon
flag MIBikePlease
Posted: Dec 19, 2022 at 18:49 Quote
Dropper seat post do a lot for confidence.
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