Specialized Big Hit riders thread to elect the coolest Big Hit...

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Specialized Big Hit riders thread to elect the coolest Big Hit...
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flag VF400rider
O+
Posted: Feb 22, 2018 at 8:56 Quote
Hey all, I’m looking for some tire advice and was hoping you could grace me with some of your wisdom. I’m a bit of an odd duck, and I’m still running a bighit with a 24’’ rear. This makes my tire selection, well let’s just say rather limited. To start with, here are the tire setups I’ve tried:
- Vee rubber (excavators?) Rear 24 x 2.6, front 24 x 2.6 : meh tires, forgettable came with a past bike.
- Kenda Nevegals, Stick-E compound with DH casing and wire bead. Rear 24 x 2.5, front was 26 x 2.5: Overall really liked these tires in terms of grip and progressivity. Main drawback, they had lots of drag/rolling resistance.
- Maxxis High roller 2-ply DH casing. Front was the 40a slow reezay compound and the rear was the 60a maxxpro compound. Both front and rear were 2.5: Not bad tires but, still some rolling resistance, better max grip than Nevegals in loam or dirt (maybe 15% more) but less grip on wet rockfaces and roots. Also far less progressive, especially at the limit.

My bike is currently shod in the 2.5’’ maxxis highroller combo but I’m looking for change. My main issue with the maxxis is I don’t like the lack of progressivity. I’m fine with the transition to the side knobs but once those side knobs start to go I find they go really fast. It’s sort of you have grip, have grip, have grip, boooom zero grip huge slide. It’s not a terribly great tire characteristic for anything, progressive at the limit is really important (especially on the front!). Also, when on surfaces where the side knobs can’t bite say flat rock faces (Lots of that on the Canadian shield where I ride here at the momet) or roots, the high rollers aren’t great. They’re maybe on par with nevegals or slightly lower, but less progressive and once those surfaces are wet the high rollers have I’d say ~30% less grip than the nevegals and are far less progressive. Overall this has made it hard for me to ‘trust’ the tire (In my defense I’ve ridden a whole season on them now riding ~ 2-3 times a week). A little slide in the rear is okay but in the front I like to keep things planted, two wheel slides are sketchy. The high rollers were livable but not ideal. The nevegals on the other hand I always found extremely predictable in all conditions which made it easier to push to the limit all of the time. I liked the nevegals, but found when rolling even with gravity assist I could really notice/feel the drag when rolling and found I needed considerable pedal work to keep up the correct speed for flow/jump trails.

As for my riding terrain I’m most focused on the downs rather than the ups, but due to the areas I’m in right now I need to make the more out of less descent as there isn’t as much vert here to eat up as out west. Due to that I’m trying to enjoy the slight decline/flattish more and even do some mild to moderate uphill (gasp!). I’ll admit, installing a dropper post has greatly increased the span of where I can now enjoy my bike. I’m looking for a tire combo that does moderately packed dirt, roots and rocks. Oh, and it also has to be at least progressive in the wet as I’m a diehard and ride in pretty much all conditions.

I’m curious where to go from here so first off how about front options? If I changed the front and just ignored the rear would I notice a decent improvement? I’d possibly be okay with the rear being looser (although progressively loose would still be nice) so long as the front was always planted. In this case I’d like to get similar rolling resistance (or maybe even a bit better) to the front but similar levels of grip and most important progressive, especially over wet roots and rock faces. I’m going to be moving back out west this spring/early summer so wet roots are paramount as it’s never truly dry on the shore.
So what would you guys recommend? Minions (DHR or DHF I don’t know the difference!), Conti de barons? Anything else? I’m open here guys!


Now for rear options I’ve been scouring the internets and found a few choices that have popped up. I’m curious if anyone has thoughts on Halo tires, specifically the Halo contra and the Halo Ception. I’ve found a contra in 24 x 3 and a ception in 24 x 2.6. I will admit I’m intrigued by the 3’’ contra as that’s basically a plus size tire which is all the rage now isn’t it? Anyways, has anyone used these tires before? How do the stack up in terms of grip, progressivity and rolling resistance to the above tires?
I’m also considering the 24 x 2.35 DMR moto digger tire, it’s a little narrow for my taste but I have a feeling it would vastly reduce my roll resistance. Any thoughts on this bad boy a well?

Thanks in advance guys!
Cheers,
VF.

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flag nickkk
Posted: Feb 22, 2018 at 14:13 Quote
Whoa. A lot to go on here- it’s rare to have such a well written detailed question on such a niche area lol I think I have something to add here though. I’m running a newer Bighit (2006) but until last year was successfully running it as a 24/26 and enjoying it. And I agree, tyre choices are... difficult in 2018 for a 24” freeride bike! It’s been that way for a number of years though let’s be honest. I ran with a couple of different Maxxis HR out back (all first gen) the first was 2.7 and the most recent tyres were 2.5. Most of my 24 finds have been ‘new old stock’ or second hand on eBay exclusively. A lot of hunting and searching believe me. Ironically, I moved on from the 24 rear but I have a stash that I need to shift now lol

I found them to be great all rounders but never really found their limits particularly a problem for me but clearly there are issues with that tyre to a degree as you highlight. However, Maxxis do now offer a 24” DHF which you might want to consider. I believe it’s their first 24” ‘professional’ grade tyre they’ve released since the old high roller. So there is at least one new much more capable 24” choice for you there. It’s marketed as a front but can and has been run as a rear by many to great effect. I don’t have personal experience with the DHF but it’s rated highly- esp in the dry.

I also used Halo’s tyres for many years before that (2.6 Ception and Contra) and found them surprisingly good for a budget choice. Heavy though and probably best over all in the dry as I remember. I ran them all year back in the day when I knew no better! I still use Halo rims and love their products generally.

I now run a 26/26 on the big hit- with the new wheel (halo T2) being available in that size at under £100. I have found in my case that unsurprisingly, fitting the size of wheel the frame was designed for... has given it a new lease of life. 2006 was the year they moved from the 24 out back iirc. It has vastly improved the bike for me, and my nostalgia for the 24” was stupidity in hindsight (I still loved it though). I still run Maxxis but a DHR2 and HR2 combo. I’m experimenting between which end, but the DHR2 up front is certainly a beast of a tyre in a variety of conditions. The newer HR2 also great and a huge improvement on the old one- really different with tons of confidence. I ran it recently up front for a change and liked it. Can’t say I noticed a massive difference but the bike was planted. No skittishness. Cant speak for other brands as I love Maxxis personally but there’s a lot of great tyres out there. Even still in 26..
flag VF400rider
O+
Posted: Feb 22, 2018 at 16:14 Quote
Haha, well you know the old saying "garbage in, garbage out" and I know how hard it can be to make recommendations without enough info.

That's interesting about the DHF I wasn't aware (until a few hours ago) that it was actually offered in 24''. I'm quite interested in this option as I've always been curious about minions but never got a chance to try any. I'm now toying with the idea of trying a DHRII in the front and a DHF in the rear. I've actually found that I have the most luck finding tires on unicyling sites of all places lol .

Since you've been dabbling how have you been satisfied about the DHRII in the front paired to a DHF in the rear vs say just running two DHFs?

I find it interesting that you went to a 24 when the 06 was the first year that they had 26 in the rear stock? Was it in an attempt to get it slacker/lower? I don't have the option to go up to 26 as the expert is 24'' specific and I wouldn't really want to steepen it/raise the BB height as I've already experimented with this using the link positions and ended up preferring low and slack (surprise surprise eh).

Lastly, that's good to know about the Halo tires. It's hard to find people that have used them. It sounds like they'd be okay in a pinch, but probably not something for my 'ideal' tire pairing. Mostly due to their weight/ rolling resistance.

Thanks for the info nickk!

Oh and PS you wouldn't happen to know anything about Arrow racing tires would you?
http://www.arrowracing.com/home.html
It looks like they may have some interesting stuff, but so far I can't seem to find any of their stuff for sale anywhere and I'm not sure if they're still in business.
flag nickkk
Posted: Feb 23, 2018 at 1:53 Quote
VF400rider wrote:
Haha, well you know the old saying "garbage in, garbage out" and I know how hard it can be to make recommendations without enough info.

That's interesting about the DHF I wasn't aware (until a few hours ago) that it was actually offered in 24''. I'm quite interested in this option as I've always been curious about minions but never got a chance to try any. I'm now toying with the idea of trying a DHRII in the front and a DHF in the rear. I've actually found that I have the most luck finding tires on unicyling sites of all places lol .

Since you've been dabbling how have you been satisfied about the DHRII in the front paired to a DHF in the rear vs say just running two DHFs?

I find it interesting that you went to a 24 when the 06 was the first year that they had 26 in the rear stock? Was it in an attempt to get it slacker/lower? I don't have the option to go up to 26 as the expert is 24'' specific and I wouldn't really want to steepen it/raise the BB height as I've already experimented with this using the link positions and ended up preferring low and slack (surprise surprise eh).

Lastly, that's good to know about the Halo tires. It's hard to find people that have used them. It sounds like they'd be okay in a pinch, but probably not something for my 'ideal' tire pairing. Mostly due to their weight/ rolling resistance.

Thanks for the info nickk!

Oh and PS you wouldn't happen to know anything about Arrow racing tires would you?
http://www.arrowracing.com/home.html
It looks like they may have some interesting stuff, but so far I can't seem to find any of their stuff for sale anywhere and I'm not sure if they're still in business.

yeah I've trawled the unicycle sites too for 24".. also trials suppliers who seem to still use the 24", esp in Europe here. It didn't lead to any purchases in my case as they were always seemingly at full RRP or unavailable. Its a struggle but lets be honest, we are probably the only two people on the planet over the age of 10 who have attempted to keep the 24" rear thing a reality in the modern era lol its a niche area..

The choice for the 24" rear on my BH was a long winded one but ultimately, I just didn't know any better in the early 2000's. I really bought into the 24" thinking and ran them on a bike previous to the BigHit. I don't know how i didn't die with such little BB height. When i got the BH, i kept the 24" rear I had at the time with a new 26 front, but as i got the BH frame-only from new, I built it up with what i had at the time. It worked for me for many years until i returned to MTB 'full time' in 2014 and I increasingly began to feel its drawbacks as my riding (and knowlege) progressed again. It certainly did keep the front slack which suited my riding style, but i welcomed the extra clearance of the 26" when i switched so enough was enough eventually lol

I know of Arrow from back in the day but like you, i don't know if they are still a going concern these days. I've certainly never seen any for sale over here.

As I mentioned, I've not actually run a DHF as conditions here (NW England ) seem to favour the DHR2 either F or R. Braking is particularly savage and I liked it out front, running it in a bunch of different conditions. It's got a rounder profile than the HR/HR2 and the HR2 has a little more bite when its really sticky but both are very close in function for me. To be honest, there's so much grip on the BH platform with all the travel that its hard to tell the tyre limits- i rarely find the limits of their grip-only struggling on very wet limestone which is like ice, and a feature of where i ride currently. I'd absolutely recommend the DHR2 out front with only the HR2 edging it when its VERY loose. Both are good all rounders on the front. I can only guess, but i reckon a DHF on the back would work well- its got to be better than the original HR we have ridden on 24".
flag VF400rider
O+
Posted: Feb 23, 2018 at 12:05 Quote
nickkk wrote:
snip

First off haha true enough. I remember being out on some trails out at Silverstar a couple years back and bumped into some trailbuidlers. When they saw me riding the BH with a 24'' they looked like they had just seen a unicorn lol , but they were super pumped that some were still out shredding.

After some more digging at this point I'm thinking that I'll probably go DHRII in the front and DHF in the rear as it seems like people are really happy with the improved braking and loose condition abilities offered by the DHRII. Now the real question is what compound and sidewall... hmmm Confused .

Kinda thinking running an 3c exo on the front may be allright and then 3c, 2 ply on the rear as that seems to be most of what I find.
flag Jaykob
Posted: Apr 23, 2018 at 8:06 Quote
Hey guys! Can you help me out slackening my Big Hit III 2008 (stock with 888, except of DHX 5.0 coil 8.75")?
I had some "over the handlebar experiences" and am hoping to reduce this tendency by slackening it a bit.
I read that many had good success with offset bushings, can somebody post the dimensions here? Is it 12.7mm (1/2") x 22.2mm M6? Can somebody recommend a dealer in Germany? I only found this one and it's quite pricey: http://www.crowny.de/?product=burgtec-offset-daempferbuchsen

Is this the way to go or would you rather recommend the works components headset?
flag nickkk
Posted: Apr 23, 2018 at 11:35 Quote
Jaykob wrote:
Hey guys! Can you help me out slackening my Big Hit III 2008 (stock with 888, except of DHX 5.0 coil 8.75")?
I had some "over the handlebar experiences" and am hoping to reduce this tendency by slackening it a bit.
I read that many had good success with offset bushings, can somebody post the dimensions here? Is it 12.7mm (1/2") x 22.2mm M6? Can somebody recommend a dealer in Germany? I only found this one and it's quite pricey: http://www.crowny.de/?product=burgtec-offset-daempferbuchsen

Is this the way to go or would you rather recommend the works components headset?

Presume you already have the shock in the ‘slack’ rocker link setting on the rear? I know that puts the HA at 64 deg.

I haven’t tried offset bushings on my BH but I can speak for the burgtec quality. They genuinely are of the highest quality and around 30€ is not genuinely that expensive for what they are. I believe your measurements are correct though. I have a local suspension parts supplier who makes his own so I’ll update here if I get some info- I may do the same! An extra degree slacker wouldn’t go a miss.
flag Jaykob
Posted: Apr 24, 2018 at 0:50 Quote
nickkk wrote:
Jaykob wrote:
Hey guys! Can you help me out slackening my Big Hit III 2008 (stock with 888, except of DHX 5.0 coil 8.75")?
I had some "over the handlebar experiences" and am hoping to reduce this tendency by slackening it a bit.
I read that many had good success with offset bushings, can somebody post the dimensions here? Is it 12.7mm (1/2") x 22.2mm M6? Can somebody recommend a dealer in Germany? I only found this one and it's quite pricey: http://www.crowny.de/?product=burgtec-offset-daempferbuchsen

Is this the way to go or would you rather recommend the works components headset?

Presume you already have the shock in the ‘slack’ rocker link setting on the rear? I know that puts the HA at 64 deg.

I haven’t tried offset bushings on my BH but I can speak for the burgtec quality. They genuinely are of the highest quality and around 30€ is not genuinely that expensive for what they are. I believe your measurements are correct though. I have a local suspension parts supplier who makes his own so I’ll update here if I get some info- I may do the same! An extra degree slacker wouldn’t go a miss.

Yes, I have it on the slack setting! 30€ * 2 (for 2 bushings) is more than the works components headset and for a bit of metal I find it quite pricey, but obviously they're not produced in masses on the other hand.
OK thanks for your input! If you hear back from your supplier that would be great!
flag nickkk
Posted: Apr 24, 2018 at 2:29 Quote
Guess we have different ideas about what is cheap and what isn’t. Try offsetbushings.com for a cheaper alternative.
flag Jaykob
Posted: Apr 24, 2018 at 3:02 Quote
nickkk wrote:
Guess we have different ideas about what is cheap and what isn’t. Try offsetbushings.com for a cheaper alternative.

Generally I'm on your side and I'm sure these bushings are as good as it gets, I'm just a bit hesitant to invest too much money in this old bike, just bought 2 sets of Magura MT5's for it Big Grin
flag nickkk
Posted: Apr 24, 2018 at 7:30 Quote
Jaykob wrote:
nickkk wrote:
Guess we have different ideas about what is cheap and what isn’t. Try offsetbushings.com for a cheaper alternative.

Generally I'm on your side and I'm sure these bushings are as good as it gets, I'm just a bit hesitant to invest too much money in this old bike, just bought 2 sets of Magura MT5's for it Big Grin

Yeah I hear you. I’ve probably spent too much on mine given it’s 11 years old.. the offsetbushing guys look really decent for the price too though. Check them out.
flag cymstar-racing
Posted: Apr 25, 2018 at 23:18 Quote
Here's my 2008 BIH HIT Retro re-build..... Still one of the best bikes out there in my opinion.

I've put a lot of work into this bad boy.... Let me know what you think.

Specilized 2008 Big Hit 1 frame size med
Marzocchi C2R2 380 TI fork with extra stiff Ti spring
KCNC top cap
Truvative direct stem
Renthal Fat Bars 800mm
Sram Guide RSC brakes
Marzocchi Moto C2R rear Shock with 500lbs TI spring
Mavic Deemax rims 26" (custom powder coated)
Specialized Slaughter tires (urban street riding)
Schwalbe Magic Marys (DH riding)
Blackspire Derguide chain guide
Blackspire Snaggletooth 34 too chain ring
Sram X01 carbon crankset
KMC X10SL chain in gold
Blackspire Robusto pedals
Sram X0 10 speed shifter
Sram X01 10 speed rear derailleur
Sram 10 speed rear cassette
KS dropper seat post
SDG down hill saddle
KCNC seat post clamp
Clarks floating 200mm rotors
ODI Troy Lee grips
All bolts are titanium in are gold anodizing

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flag nickkk
Posted: Apr 26, 2018 at 3:16 Quote
Nice work sir. At least I know I’m not the only mad bastard out there spending silly money on a big hit in 2018. You’ve got some excellent additions there and some similar choices to my own build. I really wanted to get a MotoCR2R shock a while back so it’s cool to see one on there. A great shock I believe. I was never a fan of that paint scheme that Spesh did on their frames of that era but you make it work. Good job!
flag cymstar-racing
Posted: Apr 26, 2018 at 10:22 Quote
Thanks Nick. I just saw your Big Hit... it looks great! These bikes still have some good rides in them. Specialized made a great bike back then. A lot of bikes use the same sort frame design as the Big Hit.... like the V10 for instance. I love going to a local hill and having people ask me what kind of bike it is, not knowing what the brand or model is (because it's fallen off the radar). Ya.... the Inuit color scheme is a little out there, but coming from Canada (native Indians live here) it works a little better. I get a lot of compliments on it. Thinking about upgrading soon, It'll be hard, but the time is coming.
flag kiko-bt
Posted: May 14, 2018 at 12:03 Quote
I just put rock shox vivid 5.1 on my big hit with 400lbs spring and it work like 200lbs. I have tried other bike with 300lbs and it was harder way much. Any expirience ?

 


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