JacquesT Posted August 3, 2009 Share Hi I recently upgraded my 3 year old entry level bike and bought an Anthem X1. I love the bike, but it does seem to be little twitchy and loose on the corners. Can anyone suggest if this is perhaps a setup problem or if the standard tyres (maxxis crossmark 26x2.1) are not that great. Tyre pressure used is about 2.5bar front and back. I would be grateful for any advice in this regard. thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
splat Posted August 3, 2009 Share Crossmarks are not that great in the wet.2.5 bar is pretty hard (unless you are a big guy). Did you convert to tubeless tyres?How hard is your suspension pumped up? Correct for your weight?Same for rebound? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daxiet Posted August 3, 2009 Share Second Splat on Crossmarks abilities in wet/muddy conditions. They are good tyres for dry dust conditions. Considering you are in the Cape you may need something suited for moist to wet conditions. Alas I spend most of my time in dry conditions so not able to recommend a tyre for you. The Conti Mountain King however was excellent down on the Kzn coast in some damp areas. Also changing from I assume a HT to a DS may give the feel of being loose or twitchy. Definetly check the rear shock setup as well as the front fork. I use to run my Corssmarks between 30 and 35 psi, favoured 30psi. I think they say on the side of the tyre the min pressure is 35psi, that said I have never had issues at 30psi. Daxiet2009-08-03 02:16:40 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JacquesT Posted August 3, 2009 Share Thanks for that. 2.5 bar must be about 35psi i guess?? I have not converted to tubeless yet. I am not sure if the suspension was setup correctly, although they certainly did ask my weight and go through the whole setup routine at the bike shop. A friend who has the old anthem 1 says he reckons my suspension is too soft. How do i check if this is correct or not? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christopher Brunsdon Posted August 3, 2009 Share I have crossmarks and OK if you did not pay too much for them. Had them for 2 weeks and already thinking of upgrading. I run mine at 40psi as I'm heavy but at MTB Challenge I had them at 30psi. Excellent on the dry and dusty sections, but sucked in the mud. OK, I only paid R250 a tyre so no complaints at that price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JacquesT Posted August 3, 2009 Share I must say that i find them especially loose in the dry. What is the benefit of changing to tubeless tyres? Is it only to avoid punctures or is there more to it than that? Sorry, i am a bit inexperienced in this regard. thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
splat Posted August 3, 2009 Share You can run slightly lower pressures on tubeless with a reduced risk of pinch flats. Lower pressure = better grip & more comfort and control. Your X1 came with Mavic 819 rims didn't it? Those are UST rims, so you dont need a conversion to go tubeless, just new tyres. (I say reduced, cos I have 3 pinch flats on my rear tyre. Sharp edge rock + low a pressure +bad line choice = snake bite + dinged rim) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JacquesT Posted August 3, 2009 Share Yip, came with the mavic 819 rims. Do you think it is worth changing to tubeless? Is there really a significant improvement by running the slightly lower pressures?If i change, are there any tyres that stand out as the ones to go for or is it a case of horses for courses? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Borriz Posted August 3, 2009 Share Jacques! I recommend you increase your tyre pressure and test in dry conditions. Your setup will also need to be checked. How heavy are you? I've also got the AnthemX and running about 150 PSI on front and back (I think, might be 120 PSI on front - will check for you tonight) and I'm 87kg. Crossmark is not for wet, nor is Maxxis. My perfect wet tyre combination is Hutchinson Bulldog up front and lekker thin (think 1.8) Bontrager (looks like a trekker tyre) on back. People laughed at the start of Sani2C, I laughed passing them up slippery climbs :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JacquesT Posted August 3, 2009 Share Hi I am same weight as you - 87kg. Surely you can't be at 150 PSI - that's about 10 bar!! I think i am running about 2.5-2.8 bar, somewhere about 40 PSI. If you are running 150 kpa (about 1.5 bar or 22 PSI) which would be very very soft, then is this on tubeless? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tumbleweed Posted August 3, 2009 Share Hi I am same weight as you - 87kg. Surely you can't be at 150 PSI - that's about 10 bar!! I think i am running about 2.5-2.8 bar' date=' somewhere about 40 PSI. If you are running 150 kpa (about 1.5 bar or 22 PSI) which would be very very soft, then is this on tubeless? [/quote'] i think he's talking shock pressures. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
splat Posted August 3, 2009 Share I suggest about 1.9 bar front and 2.1 rear. Some people go softer and others ride harder tyres.Experiment and see what feels OK for you. After all it is your bike... Shock Pressure: About 110 up front and around 180 at the back. (I am about 100kg and ride my '09 Anthem X1 with 2.2" Mountain Kings and ride with 2.0f and 2.2r)splat2009-08-03 04:42:45 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daxiet Posted August 3, 2009 Share To set up your fork and rear shock Fox work on a 20% sag. I kept my Fox F100RLC @ around 70psi if I recall correctly. Your rear shock should have a little black rubber band. push it all the way to the main cylinder then sit on the bike, get off gently and check how much the rubber band moved down the shaft as a % of the total shaft length. This should be 20%. You could even make it less than 20%, but anymore than 20% would be soft. The same rule is used on the front fork, set it up according to the 20% sag rule then ride it and adjust according to what feels best for you. Daxiet2009-08-03 04:47:10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JacquesT Posted August 3, 2009 Share thanks very much for that info. i will check what my exact setup is tonight and let you know tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JacquesT Posted August 3, 2009 Share ok, so i have now checked and report back as follows: front shock pressure was 135 psi, and only getting about 5mm sag (5%) - too hard obviously. rear shock pressure was 140psi, and getting about 11mm sag (25%) - maybe a little soft. According to the fox manual they recommend about 95 psi for my weight (87kg) on the front shock, so i have now reduced the pressure to that. I have increased the rear shock pressure to 180 psi but still seem to get the same amount of sag. can't quite figure this out??? Probably a good time to now go and test ride. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daxiet Posted August 4, 2009 Share Front shock pressure sounds good, again you need to work on how it feels, so yes test rides are paramount. Can't offer any advice on the rear shock, but 180psi sounds quite high. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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