Limits of a hardtail?

[popcorn_skollie]

I'm not sure the same can be applied to your Merida but if I can offer a little perspective from my bikes.

 

My skills are VERY limited but I can wheelie my hardtail for a few pedal strokes.

Something I find very difficult to do on my dual. My hardtail has flats and my dual has clipless. Which is also a big contributing factor. My hardtail is also my fun choice for certain spots like blackhill where there is a big emphasis on sloped jumping and general tomfoolery. (Drops are another story) 

 

Also like Myles said if your cranks are shot its worth considering something a little more durable. I bent an Alvio/acera crankarm a few years ago but the pedals survived. I think they make those cranks out of cookie dough.

 

Its hard to apply general rules here because there's WAY too many variables, but...
Like others have said a dual isn't necessarily a better bike. Its too soon to tell anyways. Just ride, ride, ride and ride some more.

[popcorn_skollie]

By the way. What shoes are you wearing?

[rudi-h]

1)  No, you do not weigh too much.  Same weight and never bent or broke a crank arm

 

2)  No, you are not exceeding the limits of the bike.  

 

3)  I'd look for something second hand.  SLX / XT stuff are great

 

don't stress about it being a hardtail.  in time you can consider a better bike, but then again its more about geometry than whether it has a shock at the back...  I'd feel much more comfortable riding an e.g. an on-one hardtail than i'd do riding a dual sus marathon racer.

[bikerdoodle]

By the way. What shoes are you wearing?

Tekkies - older pair of running shoes

[Jewbacca]

Look at some Danny Macaskill and Fabio Wibmer videos.

 

Rigid hardtails.

 

I know it is not trail and stuff but he jumps gaps and does 2m plus drops.

 

Technique!

[popcorn_skollie]

Tekkies - older pair of running shoes

Do you have a pair of ALL stars?

[bikerdoodle]

3)  I'd look for something second hand.  SLX / XT stuff are great

Something like this?

https://www.bikehub.co.za/classifieds/169050-xt-crank-3-blades/

 

(If this is the 2nd hand price, I don't want to know what it will be new...)

[bikerdoodle]

Do you have a pair of ALL stars?

No, is that the kind of shoe I should be looking at for flats?

[Gonduir]

No, is that the kind of shoe I should be looking at for flats?

 

No i think he is just pulling your leg, if I'm understanding him correctly those Converse All Stars have 0 grip. I myself personally use an older pair of Merrell hiking shoes. The studs from the saints grips the shoes very nicely.

[bikerdoodle]

No i think he is just pulling your leg, if I'm understanding him correctly those Converse All Stars have 0 grip. I myself personally use an older pair of Merrell hiking shoes. The studs from the saints grips the shoes very nicely.

OK   I haven't had any major grip problem as yet, but I was thinking of switching to a pair of hiking shoes anyway, as the sole is narrower at the back, the running shoe sole is wider and sometimes catches the frame while pedalling.

[Dieter ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)]

No, is that the kind of shoe I should be looking at for flats?

When you get decent flats you will have grub screws that will eat your takkies (sometimes shins)! All stars or Vans, something with a good amount of sole and stiffness will be best. No need for 5Tens but you need more than a running takkie!

 

http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/NDUwWDYwMA==/z/kCMAAOxyN05TlwXJ/$_32.JPG

[Thermophage]

Probably still flat for the foreseeable future...

Chris Willemse...Shimano Saint pedals...Amazing flat pedals. Probably the best you can get locally IMHO

[Beast Tech]

Stripping the crank arm is most likely not pedal quality nore crank quality but rather the pedal may have been slightly loose in the crank thread to be honest...

 

I rode some DMR V8 flats with a basic shimano crank for 2 years and I was able to do the scout hall jump line numerous times without hassle. 

 

As everyone said a second hand SLX/XT is the way to go with some decent flats (if you not looking to spend an arm and a leg I would suggest Giant flats - good quality). 

 

Just always ensure they are screwed in tightly... 

[popcorn_skollie]

my post here should help understand things a little better

[s14phoenix]

1. Technique... bending your knees to absorb the impact...

 

2. most likely your pedal was loose or already 1/2 stripped when you started - sometimes the local bike shops are sh!te and fit the pedal skew - (from experience when a "GOOD" set of flats where fitted crap and stripped a new XT crank by a reputable bike shop)

 

3. Learn to check the essential stuffs like your pedals, headset play, brakes and gears adjusting etc.etc yourself on your own bike before going riding as to avoid unnecessary mechanicals...  (this will possibly mean that you might need to get some bicycle specific tools)

 

4. enjoy the riding first... then move up. You bought a hardtail because you decided what kind of riding you want to do... so for general XC duties a hardtail is fine. Have you seen the rocks, drops and jumps the guys do with hardtails on the World Cup Circuit???

 

2c...in the bucket.

[Martin PJ]

Hi,

 

So I bought my (first bike) Merida Big Nine 300 three weeks ago. This weekend while on Peach's intermediate skills clinic I bent / partially stripped the left pedal out of the crank arm...

 

I dropped it off at the LBS on my way home, and should hear today if it will be covered under warranty. But while I wait:

• Do I weigh too much? (1.92m, 90kg)
• Am I exceeding the limits of the bike? (30cm drops)
• Should I think about a better crank arm? (Looks like it's Shimano Alivio M4000)

I think I was the only hardtail at the clinic, don't know if I should read something into that...

 

Thanks 

 

 

My son is an expert at pushing a hardtail to the limit. He is a bit bigger than you. He has managed to break a shock three times, many sets of tubeless tires, seat post, saddle, derailleur twice, many chains broken, rear wheel broken. He basically thinks that if you ride anything fast enough, it will flatten out, which is true to a point. He has never broken a disk brake, frame, crank, pedal, handle bar or stem. So I would conclude that these parts of a bike, if aluminium, are pretty strong.

 

He rides mid range components, mostly, Shimano Deore and SRAM X7 quality.

 

Based on my son's extensive testing (and my extensive fixing) over four years, I would say the weakest points of a hardtail are the tires and wheels. If you are riding too hard you would be damaging these before you wreck anything else. So I think the problem with your crank is not because you are riding too hard.