New bike questions / concerns

[Wernervdmerwe]

Greetings!

 

I went for a ride at Jonkers today for the first time on my new Trance1.

 

 

 

Prior I had an Alias HT. It might have been expectations that was too high, so to any who has made the transition from HT to dual, could you give me some thoughts?

 

 

 

I climbed a LOT slower, with a ave heart rate of about 15-20 BPM more, had to stop a couple of times to catch my breath. Also, I had extreme difficulty keeping anything that resembles a line in the single track, ended up having to bomb over rocks and had a couple of close-spills. Also have some lower back pain now. My ride buddy also commented on the lower speed were were averaging than normal.

 

 

 

Is this just bike setup? Shock setup? Bought the wrong bike (as in should I have bought an Anthem due to the XC nature)?

 

 

 

How long did it take you guys to get used to the different geometry?

 

 

 

Sorry for all the questions

 

Last one:

 

Where in the Cpt area is a good place to have the bike setup done? I know Cycle-Lab does it, but are they recommended for MTB as well? (Is that a stupid question? )

 

 

 

Thanks guys

[Dirtbreath]

Any change in your set up takes time to adjust to. I have had a pro set up and my saddle was raised 15mm. Felt like 15 cm and I was so uneasy that I wiped out twice on my first ride. Feels great now that I have gotten used to it.

 

Try cyclefit. I think they have a setup in CT. If not I do know that Cyclelab do Mtb.

 

[Wernervdmerwe]

Good to hear...

 

 

 

I see Cyclefit is only in Gauteng and Pta.

 

Anybody know of a place in Cpt?

 

 

 

 

[_BBi]

Just give it some time. I had the same sort of "disapointed" feeling when switching from a 1999 Trek HT to a 2007 Stumpy FSR. Ride a couple of times, and when you look back then, you will actually notice a bigger difference.

[GoLefty!!]

I was not too disappointed when I switched from a F3000SL CAAD4 Hardtail to a Optimo Scalpel 3000. the Scalpel weighed the same as the hardtail and was just as responsive.

However with longer travel bikes the transition can be disappointing because you lose the lively feel of the hardtail. There is a lot of hype around full suspension, a lot of which is unjustified, sort of like a Fender acoustic vs a Cort acoustic. It's only only you try the two alongside each other than you fully appreciate the differences.

 

Also Giants FS bikes are heavy. YOu need to run the suspension much firmer to get some sort of liveliness into the ride.

You will get used to it.

I can't say if you will be faster though...

[Mudsimus]

Ok...so you've learned you're lesson. Now get you're ass back onto a HT.

[turtlek]

Ok...so you've learned you're lesson. Now get you're ass back onto a HT.

 

 

 

i second that

[Wernervdmerwe]

lol - riiiight.

 

 

 

Thanks for the feedback, bike only weighs 12.1kg if memory serves (might be 12.3kg), which is lighter than the Alias I had (although that not really being the best on the market, but great starter bike I thought)

 

 

 

Will give it some more time, I am relieved the 'disappointment' have been experienced and turned to excitement by some - bring it!

[DunMan]

Was also dissapointed when i mswitched from a HT to a Duel,but it took some time to get the suspension setup just right,also felt very uncomvertable on the duel,but had a bike fit done at Cycle Lab.

I am now very comfortable and faster than i ever was on the HT.

[Wernervdmerwe]

That is good news.

 

 

 

For anyone interested in fitment in Cpt, Chris Willemse and Willie Engelbrecht also does it for R250-R350. Think CycleLab does it for R450?

[niterider]

Any disappointment I had with climbing ability on my first DS was quickly erased the first time we hit a technical downhill.

 

Some tweaks you can do before you get your fit checked out, is to make sure your front and rear shocks are set up with the recommended sag, rebound etc. Visit the shock or fork manufacturer websites to download the manuals. That can make a MASSIVE difference.

 

[Canaris]

A new bike always rides difficultly.  (Its the pixies and elves trying to push you off it).  Remember to set your rear shock at its slowest rebound or you gonna fall spectacularly, and often.  place the bikes next to each other and check your set up.  Also check you brakes (new disc brakes need a bit of wear to start rolling)

 

Good luck

[TYGA]

Came from an XTC1 hardtail to a TREK EX8 trail bike...first ride was a bit awkward, havent looked back since. Best fun ever, glad I made the move. Taking jumps and drops that I would've taken the chicken run on before. Pick a line and keep it on singletrack, over rocks and roots no worries. Missed my hardtail dragging my dually over the Swartberg Pass though this weekend...def didnt miss it while smoking the downhills though.

[RyanV]

I know the feeling! I recently upgraded from a Giant XTC1 to an Anthem 1 and had the same experience at Jonkershoek. The trick is knowing when to unlock and when to lock out. Riding unlocked wastes a huge amount of energy (as i found out in my 1st race on the bike). This will cause the HR spike! ProPedal is fine for all but the most demanding bumpy downhill sections. It still has some give and will absorb most of the small bumps.

Once you learn how to use the rear shock it will be an absolute dream! If you have smooth singletrack, unlocking won't help much. If you need to pedal/put the power down to get over obstacles (downhill/uphill) it is better to be locked. If you are flying downhill unlocked is shweet and you will fly past the hardtails....lock it shortly therefater. Climbing up a steep gradient on loose gravle unlocked is not advisable....at any point where power is needed it is better to be locked. If you are going up a steep, but bumpy gradient that is kicking your butt out the saddle and the terrain is firm, then unlock. It will help maintain better traction and you can maintain the seated position.

 

The ride comfort is definitely better on the full suss and the it does help save the legs in longer rides. I think I probably ride faster on the full suss than I ever did on the HT, but that is probably a combination of more training and more experience. However, it is still great to sail past the HT's on a technical downhill! On a flat route like Koeberg, HT's and full suss's are evenly matched and the only benefit a HT has is during a flat out sprint to the line!

 

Oh by the way...be careful on high speed jumps with the full suss unlocked...you migh start arcing head-first into the ground as the shock compresses and then releases! Also..I have had to drop my saddle height about an inch from what was recommended to get to the point where I felt comfortable . I can't say how much weight these points carry, but they come from trial and error. I have trophies to prove it!

[Wernervdmerwe]

Thank you - all the comments are most helpful!