Hippie Daredevils Who Invented Mountain Biking • Hacker News Board

Re: Hippie Daredevils Who Invented Mountain Biking

#71

Post by collyw » Mon, Sep 15, 2014, 6:01 PM UTC

was_hellbanned wrote: post #49

plq wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Are you sure about the rear suspension? Yes, it can save your wheel in some situations (which you should really be avoiding as an amateur), but %99 of the time it's unnecessery weight that also happens to eat some of the power that'd normally go to the wheel. (I'm not a competitive biker, mountain or otherwise, I'm just curious)

I would say that if you're riding on rough terrain (e.g. rocky, boulder-strewn, heavily rutted, etc.), you would be shocked at what you can do on a full suspension bike. I know I spent the first couple of months with a F/S bike just riding over random obstacles out of sheer amazement. If you're riding mostly smooth dirt trails where your primary obstacle is occasional tree roots and ruts, then a hardtail is probably…

I have a hardtail (its a 4 X steel framed tank). Big forks at the front, and a bit of effort, I haven't seen much that full suspensions would make me do that I won't on the hardtail.

http://www.bikemag.com/news/guy-wins-megavalanche-division-o...

(Admittedly, full suspension is probably a bit more forgiving than a hardtail, but I have more fun on a hardtail).

Re: Hippie Daredevils Who Invented Mountain Biking

#72

Post by scott_karana » Mon, Sep 15, 2014, 9:38 PM UTC

taude wrote: post #29

scarecrowbob wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't see why spandex is fashion. I don't wear it because I look good in it (I think it looks dumb, and I'm old enough to start to have a belly), I wear it because it's hot in Texas and it is the least amount of clothes I can wear and still feel like I have enough clothes on. Now, bar ends and disc brakes, that's fashion. :D

Disc brakes, fashion? You must not be riding the right trails.

No kidding, especially when you consider mud.

Re: Hippie Daredevils Who Invented Mountain Biking

#73

Post by flexd » Mon, Sep 15, 2014, 9:55 PM UTC

collyw wrote: post #69

mtbcoder wrote: post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Also, narrow/wide chain rings, clutch derailleurs and a far greater range of available gearing options has advanced the entire drivetrain compared to 5, 10 years ago...and lets not forget all the advances in disc brake technology over the years.

Yeah, but going from eight to ten cogs on the rear isn't going to make that much of a difference to the rider.

You are right, but it makes a bigger difference than you suspect. My bike has a 2x10 setup right now, and I am most likely converting that to 1x10 or paying up for a 1x11 setup in the future.

Not having to choose between 1-2 on the front and then the back gears simplifies things greatly. In addition you also save some weight, it's a much simpler mechanic with less maintenance and with a newer SRAM Type2 or Shimano Shadow+ Clutch derailleur and a narrow-wide front ring you pretty much can't drop a chain, which is great. The only exception would be if you ride incredibly rough terrain where you bounce a lot, but a very simple chainguide fixes that problem.