Riding very rocky single track

[dev null]

At no point in the whole thread have you told us exactly what bike you ride, year/model or suspension travel front and rear. So all the advice on stemlength etc is purely speculative.

 

The geometry of some older 26ers has steep headangles and less trail with a short top tube so a short stem can make them really twitchy....as you found by switching to 80mm stem which is quite long by current standards.

 

We could give better advice if we knew exactly what you're riding...maybe a side-on pic too so we can see if there are any weird stance issues. Nonetheless, by current sizing norms your 1.82m seems a little tall for a Medium frame.

 

I also say BS to those who say the wheel size is immaterial..its not, but skilks can compensate. If your skills are good and you can ride gnarly rockgardens then you''ll ride even gnarlier ones on a 29er....but 29er wheels are weaker and heavier and it is tricky to get long travel into their frames....so some will prefer 27.5. My 26er has more travel than my 29er but the 29er rides rocks so much better.

 

The other advice on skills, visualising your line, getting your weight back on rough stuff, dropping the seat etc.....all good. But lets hold back on changing your geo until we know what geo you actually have.....

 

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

 

BMC FourStroke 02, 2011 model. Here is a pic of it:

 

 

 

Suspension is:

 

Front:  Fox F-Series 32 FIT RL Remote 100mm

Rear: DT Swiss XM180

 

Above photo is with the 110mm stem.

[JXV]

BMC FourStroke 02, 2011 model. Here is a pic of it:

 

DSC_1189.jpg

 

Suspension is:

 

Front: Fox Float 32 FIT RL Remote 100mm

Rear: DT Swiss XM180

 

Above photo is with the 110mm stem.

Nice bike...

 

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

[AlanD]

Haha the bruises on my arm exposes me as a bash my way through kinda rider

Know what you mean: before i knew about the river crossing by the second bridge at rietvlei (the one where you drop down a section, then cross the river then up the embankment the other side) i ride over the steal bridge for the first time with my 780mm bars, they caught on the bridge and next thing i knew i was entangled with my bike sprawled all over the bridge...

 

There was an audience on the other side, slightly embarrassed but i just got up, laughed, had a quick chat the cycled off like nothing was wrong..but i was sore...hahaha

[Thor Buttox]

Just some feedback. I couldn't find a 70mm stem at the LBS, but at least got me an 80mm in place of the 110mm stem. The steering is a bit more twitchy now, so will probably need a wider handlebar than my current one which is 640mm. But my budget is shot for this month, so it will have to wait.

 

Tomorrow afternoon I will hit Helderberg Farm/Steilte to see how much difference it and the correct rebound will make.

 

Thanks for everyone's feedback. Just wish I had the money to buy a new bike with a frame to fit my body, but we can't always have everything in life.

Let me share my recent adventures, panic and finally a feeling of satisfaction.

 

I am 1.87m and had a large Anthem 1 26er. Cut the bars down too to about 680mm. Had it for 8 years and eventually the shocks were shot and I saved up for a SBC 29er.

 

Long story short: the LARGE 26er was too small for me, the top tube was far too short. The new 29er has 30mm longer top tube. Secondly, the recommended shock pressure on the shock itself was ridiculous. That was when I panicked cos I couldn't ride the bike at Contermans, it had basically no suspension. Had 3 independent sag tests done and all of them said it was supposed to be 80psi, not the 125psi recommended on the shock for my weight. Put on a 780mm bar. The independent people still say my stem is still too long for comfort on twisty bits.

 

But: I have never felt so comfortable on the trails. I thought the bar width would have made tight spaces terrible, but I haven't had any issues except for one slight blip going through a toit gate in a fence.

 

Lastly, I finally gave in and took my first skills class. Looking forward to the second one on Friday. Every single thing I was doing on the bike on the trails was wrong. And bloody hell it feels good to feel a bit more confident.

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

How do you get through narrow gaps on such wide bars - there's gaps my 680mm bars barely make.

You'd be surprized just how small of a gap you can fit through. Some extra tiny ones may require a bit of a shimmy,, but that's easy enough. Still haven't yet found a gap on the trail that my 780s or 800's before that couldn't fit through. 

[RiverInTheRoad]

You can ride a downhill track on a roadbike with the right technique. Dont fiddle with your bike too much. Its not the real problem. Rather than going on a fitness ride find a technical section and "session" it . When I used to ride DH there was a guy on a bmx who showed up at the races occasionally.he rode the track with us. Roots jumps drops etc.

[hihello]

Only place I would consider very rocky is upper canaries at Jonkers.

The rock garden out at Grabouw is also a option

[KingTJ]

Been looking at a Giant 29er for a while, but the funds just aint there at the moment.  So, in the short term I will put on a shorter stem, but, it already feels like I am sitting too high on the bike, like I am not part of it.

 

Two words...dropper post.....it will change your world

[dev null]

Two words...dropper post.....it will change your world

 

Yes, but....

 

We already have 7 bikes in the family that I have to keep on their two wheels.

 

4 MTBs, 2 roadies and a kid's bike.

 

My oldest son rides competitive, so that bike needs constant attention.  Besides that, he already have an XCO specced HT MTB and a carbon framed roady.  Now he also want a dual sus to do Enduro rides with.

 

I need serious sponsorship to keep my family spinning with happy faces. 

[Deon M]

My two cents. My local track is Eselfontein ask anyone about death drop or baboons highway plenty of rocks. I am not the best technical rider around but I don't have problems with rocks. The only time I have fallen on death drop was with my wife and the reason was I was going too slowly,

looking back to see where she was I hooked a rock which normally I should just fly over. (Have had some big falls elsewhere though) You need to go a decent speed for the suspension to compress and do its job.

 

Secondly it's body position slightly back (depending on gradient more gradient the further back) and try and keep your back parallel to the ground don't sit-up. Arms and knees bent to also use as shock absorption.

[Thermophage]

How do you get through narrow gaps on such wide bars - there's gaps my 680mm bars barely make.

Then you dunno how to ride

I have 800 and get through narrow gaps

[Uni]

Know what you mean: before i knew about the river crossing by the second bridge at rietvlei (the one where you drop down a section, then cross the river then up the embankment the other side) i ride over the steal bridge for the first time with my 780mm bars, they caught on the bridge and next thing i knew i was entangled with my bike sprawled all over the bridge...

 

There was an audience on the other side, slightly embarrassed but i just got up, laughed, had a quick chat the cycled off like nothing was wrong..but i was sore...hahaha

when i was there i decided to check it out rather than head straight for the chicken run - until i heard the 3 guys in front of me squealing and saying it's impossible - i turned around and took the bridge - happy to say my bars didn't decide to grab hold - even with my bar ends.

 

Then you dunno how to ride

I have 800 and get through narrow gaps

no your single track is just wider   

 

seriously though _ the last 2 months i have been focusing on what i neglected when I started - which is riding properly and trying the technical stuff. 

for now the fitness is in the gym - and the learn to ride properly is out on my bike - not worrying about distances / speed - just the technicalities. 

 

I'll get there 

[Thermophage]

when i was there i decided to check it out rather than head straight for the chicken run - until i heard the 3 guys in front of me squealing and saying it's impossible - i turned around and took the bridge - happy to say my bars didn't decide to grab hold - even with my bar ends.

 

no your single track is just wider   

 

seriously though _ the last 2 months i have been focusing on what i neglected when I started - which is riding properly and trying the technical stuff. 

for now the fitness is in the gym - and the learn to ride properly is out on my bike - not worrying about distances / speed - just the technicalities. 

 

I'll get there 

Lies There are these two trees in Majik...yoh and then riding the Garden Route trail Park the other day there are some TIGHT sections. I did bump the end caps twice though, but not get hung up

[Guest notmyname]

Two words...dropper post.....it will change your world

Haha. You're funny. Smother the underlying issue with money..

[mikkelz]

Speed! And lower tyre pressures (otherwise you end up bouncing every direction but forward).

[supertorro]

Yes, but....

 

We already have 7 bikes in the family that I have to keep on their two wheels.

 

4 MTBs, 2 roadies and a kid's bike.

 

My oldest son rides competitive, so that bike needs constant attention.  Besides that, he already have an XCO specced HT MTB and a carbon framed roady.  Now he also want a dual sus to do Enduro rides with.

 

I need serious sponsorship to keep my family spinning with happy faces. 

Quick release seat clamp: job done. and shouldn't cost too much

Dropper post is very nice, no question. But if you can't afford it, a quick release does the job. Assuming you are not trying to win any races