Ask Pinkbike: Tire Width, Cleaning Tips, Shock Setup, & Buying a Bike Without Trying It First
Here at Pinkbike, we get inundated with all kinds of questions, ranging from the basic "Can I have stickers?" to more in-depth, soul-searching types of queries like if you should pop the question or what to name your first child. Ask Pinkbike is an occasional column where we'll be hand-picking and answering questions that have been keeping readers up at night, although we'll likely steer clear of those last two and keep it more tech-oriented.
Setup tips for Fox DPX2 on 2019 Nukeproof Mega?
Question: @Chabrosm asks in the Mechanic's Lounge forum: Hi everyone, I have a 2019 Nukeproof Mega 27.5 in XL frame with a Fox DPX2 and I am having issues with setup. Tried to set initial sag by Fox's 1 PSI for 1lb of weight suggestion (I am 200lb) and it's not even close. When I put 200 PSI in, sag is like 50-60%. I need to pump it to almost 300 PSI (max) to get that 25% sag. And then when I ride I still bottom it out super easy....
Any ideas? Anybody with similar issues?
 | The max pressure for that shock is 350 psi, so you do have the option of going a little higher, although I'd recommend checking out the volume spacer situation first. If the shock feels good on the trail other than the fact that it's too easy to bottom it out, adding a larger spacer may be all that's needed to solve that issue. The 2019 Mega has a 230 x 65mm shock, which means Fox's grey .4” spacer will be the largest size that you can fit. Fox's instructions for swapping volume spacers along with a compatibility chart can be found here. |
Adding a larger volume spacers is a simple way to improve a shock's bottom out resistance.
Why does my bike have a narrower rear tire?
Question: @mistercoffee asks in the Bikes, Parts & Gear Forum: I just bought a Trek Fuel EX 9.8 XT. Love the bike, but there's one small puzzle---the bike comes with a 29x2.6 tire on the front and a 29x2.4 tire on the back. I checked the website and it's advertised this way, so it wasn't an error or an out-of-stock situation when it was built.
I'm mildly curious as to why they'd make this specific configuration decision.
| Running a slightly narrower rear tire is a very common spec choice. Your front tire is the first point of contact on the trail, so having something wide and grippy helps keep the front end going where it's supposed to. Losing traction at your front wheel has much more serious consequences than the occasional slide out from your rear wheel, so many riders prefer to run a wider tire with a more aggressive tread pattern up front, and something a little narrower and faster rolling out back. The narrower rear tire is also less likely to fold over during hard cornering, so you'll get a more predictable, less vague feeling in the turns. Another reason you may see narrower rear tires has to do with frame limitations – not all frames can accommodate a 2.6” or wider tire, and more clearance between the tire and the frame helps ensure there's room for the wheel to spin even when it's packed with mud. |
A narrower rear tire helps provide more frame clearance, something that's especially useful on muddy days.
Can I shampoo my bike?
Question: @Sebrios asks in the Bikes, Parts & Gear Forum: Hello. Wondering if its possible to use baby shampoo to clean the bike and drivetrain instead of the bike-specific soaps because are crazy expensive where I live...or what do you guys use?
| Baby shampoo wouldn't be my first choice, but there are plenty of relatively inexpensive cleaners that work great on bikes. A bucket of warm water and a couple squirts of Dawn dishwashing liquid or something similar will work just as well as those pricey bike-specific soaps. Simple Green is another inexpensive option – you can buy a gallon of the stuff for around $20, and then dilute it with water in a spray bottle and use it for all your cleaning needs. At one time there were rumors floating around about Simple Green causing issues with chains, but that seemed to be related to leaving a chain soaking in a concentrated solution for multiple days. If you spritz it on and then rinse or wipe it off it shouldn't cause any problems. Everyone's level bike cleanliness comfort level is different, but as long as my drivetrain is relatively clean and lubed and the frame isn't absolutely coated with mud and grit I don't typically go too crazy with the degreasers and cleaners. There's not really a need to wash your bike after every ride, especially if you're riding in drier conditions. In those instances, a wipe down with a cloth and a re-application of chain lube if needed is likely all that's required to get it ready for the next ride. |
Buying a bike without trying it first?
Question: @Beersandbikes asks: I’m currently riding my 2014 V1 Santa Cruz Bronson that I’ve owned since new. I keep it well maintained there isn’t much I don’t ride it on. I’m a Dad and new mtb purchases tend to take a back seat when kids come along, but last year I was finally looking to update, but then COVID.
Since COVID it’s become impossible to test ride new bikes in Australia. Availability is tough enough so Demo bikes are non existent. I’m now reliant on yourself, @mikelevy and other journos from some of the other great mtb sites our there to get your views and opinions on how bikes ride & perform out in the trails. (Knowing of course that the PNW terrain is slightly different to what we have down here in AUS)
If I’m going to spend between $5-8k on a new bike, how important is the demo ride? How many other people actually demo bikes before they buy these days? I mean properly demo, not just a car park test.
For reference I’ve been weighing up the Spur, Tallboy and new Stumpy.
| I'm a big proponent of trying before you buy whenever possible, mainly due to the fact that everyone has their own preferences and ideas of what their ideal bike will feel like. Events where it's possible to spend time on multiple bikes over the course of a day or two make a lot of sense, especially for riders like yourself who are trying to choose between three fairly similar options. That's the ideal scenario, but Covid obviously threw a wrench in the works. The good news? You've held out long enough that whatever bike you end up with is pretty much guaranteed to be a noticeable improvement over that 2014 Bronson, especially if it's one of the three options you mentioned. As far as which one of those bikes to go with, that's a tough one. The Spur is like the love child of an XC race bike and an enduro rig, with impressive capabilities on the descents especially considering there's only 120mm of travel. The Tallboy has the same amount of rear travel, but its frame is heavier than the Spur's, and is really more of a short travel trail bike than an XC-speed machine. The Spur makes you want to sprint, and maybe pull that Lyrca out for the occasional local race or two, while the Tallboy is a bit more about all-round trail riding. As for the Stumpjumper, that has more travel front and rear, with an impressively light frame and room for all your snacks inside the down tube. That extra squish provides a little more room for error on those botched lines, and adds additional comfort on extended adventures. Personally, I'd be totally happy riding any of those bikes as a daily driver, but there's something about the Spur's manners that puts it on the top of this list of three excellent bikes. It's light and fast without feeling too uptight and serious, traits that encourage goofing off on the trail rather than constantly checking your heart rate and average power output. |
It can be nerve-wracking purchasing a bike without getting to try it first, but the good news is that today's bikes are better than ever.
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156 Comments
Additionally, I also feel that there is a strong component of how much a bike makes you drool. Same with skis. Get something that matches your intention and riding style, has favorable reviews, and that gets you really stoked....you'll end up loving it. Hell, 50% of my ski purchase decision comes down to how cool the top sheet graphics are.
Fair enough hackman. A few thoughts:
For anyone coil curious on the AF or v2 a progressive spring helps, as does a rear shock with the right HSC tune for you (or adjustable HSC). Shock setup/tune is everything. Lots of riders love the bike with a coil (I run both and switch when I want but if I had to run only one setup all the time it would be air).
Cable rattle. No contest, guilty on all counts. It takes some patience and tinkering to shut it up.
Frame flex. Not noticeable by 99% of riders in my opinion.
Did you keep it? A great market to sell used assuming you can (probably not) find something else in stock.
My point is that skis (probably more so than bikes) have gotten to a point where they are basically all the same in terms of overall quality. K2, Armada, Line, RMU, blah, blah, blah. Buy the ones that get you stoked.
That said, I once bought a pair of AM skis that I absolutely hated - Icelantic skis are garbage. Heavy, chattery, skied switch terribly. Hell, I'm from Colorado so I get the local stoke - but they were absolute garbage.
Wake me up when he says snowboard, will you?
Frame flex is good in some riding situations and bad in others. I’m mostly worried about long term reliability. I’m almost 6’4” and 200lbs so it’s easier for me to feel I guess.
Keeping it hopefully until next season. Probably go back to something with more travel.
I’m also on a SD for my air shock and like it. Sag is upper 20s on my Ohlins coil and the hsc adjust is nice, I run it in the middle setting mostly on the dh. I also liked the Jade-x and would have gotten a HSC tune on that shock to firm it up a little if I had kept it.
Will demo a friends v2 soon with similar build and see if I can discern a difference in stiffness. Demoed a Sentinel v2 last month and thought it was awesome, just a little too slack. Could see myself going to the ripmo v2 carbon frame next year or sentinel v2 but would want to (gasp) steepen the 63.6 hta with a +1 angleset.
Generally, bikes placed in the dryer would have been transferred from the washing machine first, limiting their need to be washed again after a dryer ride. Additionally, riding in a tumble dryer would have some consequential results for both bike and rider!
Especially good on MTB drive train
Nothing has worked as well as the Mucc Off bike wash (the pink liquid). I’m not sure what’s different about it but in a single application it does what would take multiple coats and scrubbing with other cleaners I’ve used. I’m all about cheap DIY solutions but in this case I’m happy to spend the money.
I have a Focus O1E (XC bike) being replaced by an Epic Evo. What is the difference in reach, HA, STA, wheelbase, BB height? Don't know, don't care, I'll adapt. I didn't test ride either, nor any of my previous 10 or so bikes. Happy.
Find a category, pick something that looks pretty, has the components you like, and has a good warranty and, most importantly, get it from a good LBS. No wuckers.
Though, if it's staining the laminate, I would be worried about the quality of the resin, because that shouldn't happen.
I remove my wheels to keep the rotors from getting contaminated and avoid getting it on the brakes. If the bike is really filthy I'll remove the pads and install a bleed block when cleaning. If you do this try to keep the pad locations the same when you reinstall as they are worn to match the rotor so it will feel the same when put back together.
I totally agree this is frustrating and should not be a thing on an item like a bicycle that manufacturers know fully well consumers will work on themselves more often than not.
It took 7 months (May 2020 to Dec 2020) but I had specific criteria:
1/ Trail oriented
2/ Did not want to pay full MSRP
The results was a C2 2020 XL Optic. I wanted to support a local Canadian company, and liked the esthetics better than most other brands. Most of the newer Norco's have a clean design. I only sat on my bike in the shop before buying - the only bike I had ridden on the trails was a 5 min stint on a 2014 Rocky Mtn Instinct.
... wait, you aren't kidding?!
If, however, you're going from an old(er) bike with old geo, suspension/kinematics and fit, I agree a trail test could be critical. Bikes have progressed so far since 2014, that taking a quick rip on a trail could be very valuable. If nothing else, you'll be able to ascertain which feels more natural, and hopefully provide a little first hand context to the words in reviews- a twitchy handling bike today is absolutely nothing like a twitchy handling bike from 2014 for example. I think if you can, a demo is a great tool to verify/contextualize reviews and give you some confidence in your choice.
All that said, they'll all be so much better than an older bike. My brother rides my 2013 Norco Sight still, and it's hilarious seeing it next to my Ripmo. The Norco was an amazing bike for it's day, and there's nothing wrong with it, but it's just so dated and incapable in comparison. I imagine this will be a similar situation.
This is correct: some parts of handling have gotten better and some parts have gotten worse.
Low speed tech handling. Nowadays, bikes are so long that turning at switchbacks requires lifting the rear wheel and pivoting on the front wheel. That’s not an improvement in my book.
no difference in performance
1. It slackens the bike, good for park rats but not for elsewhere
2. I like a wide tyre in the rear for extra traction especially for wet tech climbs
3. where I live, swamp walks are 2 planks in parallel with a nice gap in the middle, I like the extra footing (only a few mm's) to not have my wheel lodge in the gap.
4. Also, soft ground whereby a narrower tyre will more likely sink into the ground and drag.
2.4 to 2.6 doesn't sound much but it makes a difference.
Therefore, contact times for unprotected or unpainted aluminum surfaces should be kept as brief as the job will allow - never for more than 10 minutes."
Like I mentioned in my answer, it's not a good idea to soak items in a concentrated solution, but for spraying it on and then rinsing off it'll be fine.
www.homedepot.ca/product/simple-green-4l-pro-hd-heavy-duty-cleaner/1000682744
Dunno about you, but I know what I want from both cars and bikes enough so that with the exception of some really weird ones I could easily buy either sight unseen having checked out specs, geo etc. I'll stress again that's assuming we're talking about new stuff.