2:36 try to grab the bar blind. How you feel comfortable. It can depend on shoulders with arm lengh.... with this method i found my bar with and i absolutly love it. Greetings from Austria.
Surprised you didn't mention shoulder width as the #1 consideration for the bar length question. Going into the tradeoffs (most notably steering speed and leverage) and what riding style/conditions might benefit from more length than what the shoulders (or "push up position") may suggest would have been good as well.
I'm 5'8, I use 760mm bar with 70mm stem, rather unusual I know, most my friends with similar height to me runs 740/720mm bar with 50 or less stem. As Doddy said, it's a preference thing.
What's thw width because it doesn't ads up to regular conversion? My old bars are 26 1/2 inches wide and thw new used bike i got have 24 1/2 inches, looked up the conversion and it was giving me like 64mm for the 26in yet I'm seeing bars listed as 720-740mm which don't add up 🤔. My old bars (26 1/2)came with a used bike i bought and I like the width so I'd like to get the same size, we didn't have this problem back in the mid 90's 😂
@@1thess523 25.4mm to the inch. your 24.5 inch bars are 622 .3mm. a 26.5 inch bar is 673.1mm. When you see the numbers like 740-720 means it is 740mm wide but can be cut down to 720. All bars can be cut but only within a small range. my bars are 800 and can be cut to 770 but no narrower. Hope this helps. Don't be afraid to go with a wider bar the feel and control is much better but it's all a personal preference.
On the issue with the tyre not being aligned its always worth cleaning the bead. A big crash can get dirt stuck in there. So pop the tyre off, chean everything and re-install. Might as well top up tyre sealant while your at it too 🤙
Regarding the question about bars. Armspan is also hugely important to handlebar comfort. I got 800mm bars on my Large 29er hardtail. I'm 6'0" with an armspan which is 2 inches shorter than my height (I'm all torso) as a result the reach is a little too long for such wide bars. I cut my bars to 760 and it helped a lot but I'm considering changing to a bar setup with a 17° backsweep, and possibly 740mm wide (I also primarily ride xc trails so I don't need extra width) Definitely go narrower if you've got shorter arms for your height.
Your Explinations ,amd answers are incredibly informative, and helpful, I think you do an amazing job tackling so many issues for ,thank you for all your work , Cheers from the states, 😉😃
For bar width. Do some pressups. Get a mate to measure the gap between your little fingers. That will not be the width you need but it's very close and generally within an inch of where you'll like it.
Another reason to narrow your bar width is due to your local trails. We have a number where I live that have trees beside the track and the gaps between them are 800mm or less.
Hey Doddy, you asked for some suggestions in the last vid and I reckon a cool suggestion for a new competition or project could be to do with bike design. I believe there are companies out there who do create handmade and custom designed framesets who I'm sure may be willing to participate in creating a frameset to do with the project. I think itd be awesome if the basis of the competition was to design a hardtail. Not taking into complete consideration the tube profiling, material or build process since thatd be defined by the company and how they work. The entrants should create a geometry chart for a hardtail, one that separates itself from current bikes, but also a bike that in theory should really work, and ride well. A basic geometry sketch preferably to be done in computer design software along with a bullet pointed list/ short essay of the reasoning behind it. Theyd have to justify each of the key measurements on the bike, and why they should be like that. But also an explanation of why the whole geometry as a package would come together. I think it would really cater to a very different group of passionate mountain bikers, not the ones who could create films that were for this competion, which too was awesome. But it'd allow many bike lovers to live their dream of designing a real life bike. Many people may have other jobs or commitments that mean theyre not in the mtb design field, or just would like to have a go at creating one. I hope this idea isn't too outrageous. I feel as if itd make for some great competition and content. Maybe you could shortlist a few favourite designs towards the end which could then be professionally drawn up in 3d CAD to get a proper perspective of the finalists. Then the final vote could be cast for the winner, which would then be built. Specification and componentry could work in a similar fashion to the competition you just did. A compilation from a range of sponsors or gifts to the channel from companies. Let me know what you think of this idea, and if it would work well for you.
I see mountain bikes with ridiculously wide handlebars, but as some people say and I agree, that's just a fad as not using handlebar extensions these days. The positive side is that you can grab a pipe cutter after buying a new bike and make it the way you like
Don't worry Doddy, I also like to run my bars rolled pretty far forward. I think it looks way better and feels way better with the rise vertical. Can't stand laid back bars with the rise laying flat...
#AskGMBNTech - How do brakes deal with pad wear without changing where the lever becomes firm. From pistons fully open, you can pump a few times and they don't retract as far as they move in, but once they've contacted the rotor, they retract the same distance as they moved in.
Talk about old school... these chain tugs... I've been running them for 50 years now :-) (on my single speed city bike... never new these things would become trendy again)
I also own a 2019 trek remedy 8 and it's a fantastic bike. However, on the subject of bars, I really don't get on with the stock bontrager ones. I get a horrible feeling in my palms when descending on anything bumpy with them, iv'e moved them forwards, backwards and all over the place and it's not changed anything. So I think I'm gonna sack em off and get some burgtec bars or renthal fat bars on mine. Also you may want to check your bar length as im sure mine comes with 780mm bars.
ROAMING LOAM yeah I realised that after I sent the question in! It’s actually 780mm but the tape measure I used said 800mm when I measured. I’m also thinking about getting some renthal fatbars. But other than that it’s a mint bike!
Let us know what bars you end up getting. A buddy of mine has the same issue. So he bought a carbon Race Face handlebar but still had issues. We are guessing that the new size of 35mm for the stem/bars are so much stiffer that maybe going back to a 31.8mm stem and bar might get some compliance back. He's not that aggressive of downhiller so that 35mm sizing is overkill.
If the bars are to wide it can cause neck and shoulder problems . Im 6 feet tall with wide shoulders and i used to 810 mm and started having pain in my shoulders .I cut them down to 780 and the pain has gone away . I also feel like i can move around better on the bike .
The perfect handlebarwidth is the distance between your hands in a pushup position. Because then you got maxinum leverage in a position were you can use it.
This is a neat way to characterize a starting point, if you mean the position where you place your hands to feel the most comfortable during pushups. Of course, nowadays most new riders have never done pushups more than one or two times in their lives. So I suspect it’s too new of a position for them to use as a reliable gage. Still, a nice tip.
My remote lockout wasn’t working either. When I turned the dial all the way, there was no lockout, but I found that if I just turned it like half way, it locked it out, so I set the remote lockout ON, then turned the dial right to where it locked out for real, and then put the cable in at that position and tightened it down. Hope this helps someone in this sea of comments!
#AskGMBNTech Hey Doddy! My question is about brakes and how air gets into them; I bought a new MTB (Vitus Nucleus 275 VRX) in the summer and have ridden it a moderate amount (nothing excessive but hasn't just been sitting in the shed) and it seems my front brake needs bleeding already? (Spongy, pulls all the way to the bar). I have a brake bleed kit on the way but would love your thoughts on how a new brake could get air in it so quickly. Bits of info that may be relevant: 1) I take the front wheel off to get it in my car and there has been one or two times where the brake lever has got pressed while getting it in/out my car and I've had to push the pistons back (brake block is on the way as well!), but I've made sure that the pads are the right distance away from the rotor each time so I don't think it's directly related to that - could have possibly damaged a seal in the caliper? But can't see or feel any leaks from the caliper (or anywhere else) 2) When I put the bike upside down it gets MUCH worse to the point where you can pull the lever all the way to the bars with almost no resistance at all - you can't even feel the point where the pads contact the rotor. But put it the right way up and pump the brake lever and it starts to firm up again and you can feel the bite point as well (still squishy though) 3) Since I won't be riding it until it's fixed, I cracked the bleed bolt off at the master cylinder just to visually inspect - expecting to see fluid going right up to the bolt hole, but saw nothing? It's not bone dry, there is residue on the underside of the bolt and on the cavity walls, but this isn't how it's meant to be right? Where has the fluid gone?! I would say maybe something was not done correctly during assembly, but the brakes were just fine out of the box but the front one seems to get worse every ride. Am I missing something obvious? Would love to hear your thoughts!
Hi guys love watching your videos been watching for ages and only just realised I’ve not even subcribed I have now thanks for the videos they keep me busy through difficult times my question is I just dusted off my trek liquid 55 first question do I need a new bike ? Second what size bearing do I need for the back end of the bike really struggling atm for parts and just want to get back riding again after a very long lay off thanks
Hey, re building my old bike. It is getting new everything. My bike is currently a 26er 3x7 hardtail with a horribly worn out coil fork and old tubed freewheel wheels. I am giving it a good set of tubeless rims with freehubs, a set of tubeless maxxis tyres, a 2x9 Alivio transmision and hopefully a brand new air fork. I'm not shure about the crankset though. Alivio uses a 22-36 crankset, but I really see more benefit from a 26-36 deore crank. Not shure if ir will work fine. Also, any advice if the frame is built for V-brake and I want to put disc brakes? (At least front brake). Hopefully when I finish I will have a very nice and capable XC bike
@Tobias my girlfriends Sektor RL does the same thing, once i put her rebound fully fast it started to do it after i few fast compressions (she weighs 110 lb so low pressure and fast rebound but noticed the lockout wasnt working until rebound was up... why? no clue.its a cheap fork so reality is it just isn't that nice.
hey gmbn i am just amateur in cycle riding. and thanks to u i reach a bit higher level of my riding looking your videos. i am some queries about trail and enduro bikes. its easy : are enduro and trail bikes made even for long tour, or is it just hardtrail bikes. and if to buy a enduro or trail for long ride which is better to go??? thanks in advance. love from nepal
#AskGMBNTech I‘ve got an integrated headset on a carbon frame. I was wondering what i should be using on the surface of the frame where the bearing gets installed. Grease ? Carbon paste ? Thank you
#AskGMBNTech - How does the contact point (bite-adjust) feature work on brakes? Does it start the pads closer to the rotor (and therefore harder to align) or does it increase the piston movement for a given lever travel somehow?
Leo lavast, it really depends! Sometimes in the next show, other times it's something that's already been covered quite a bit, so we will move onto other questions.
#AskGMBNTech Hey guys. I've learned a ton about mountain biking from your videos and have a couple of tire related questions. I am looking to run an E*Thirteen tsr+ tire on the front (29x2.35) I have an extra WTB trailboss (29x2.4) I was thinking about putting on the rear. I know most people and most recommendations are to run the same size or a larger size on the front. Would 0.05" larger in the rear be a problem? It seems negligible especially with a more aggressive tread pattern on the front. If you are running a more aggressive tire on the front, and need to replace the rear due to wear, should you worry about having a new, but less aggressive tread on the rear vs a partially worn, more aggressive front? Thanks!
started to sound like the preacher scene from life of brian with the handlebar specs 😂😂 expected to hear about bar ends with little raffier work bases😅
#askgmbntech Hi I recently bought 2018 Norco Sight A.3 aluminium frame bike and was wanting to put a chainguide on? Now I'm not sure which ones will work best for the suspension system I have one the bike. I would also like to know what the difference between active and passive rear suspension systems? I'm 5.7" tall and run 25mm rise, 780mm bar width. Keep the awesome videos coming. 👊
#AskGMBNTech This question relates to maintenance of the organic squidgy bit that rides the bike rather than the bikes itself. I have regularly been experiencing rather severe cramp when out riding despite fuelling myself with the isotonic tablets in water and taking gels at regular intervals and had even taken to eating a packet of crisps before heading out as I believe that a lack of salt can be a contributor. The cramp is always in the same place at the base of my quads where they taper into the knee joint. Rasing the seat height a few millimetres seems to help but this puts pressure on Big Jim and The Twins!!! which gets very uncomfortable when puttings the K's in on a longer ride. I am wearing padded briefs/tights (dependant on weather). Any advise/alternatives would be greatly appreciated so that I can give it a go?👍👍👍
#askgmbntech I'm looking to upgrade the hydraulic disc brakes on my entry-level hardtail. I'm currently running Tektro Auriga hydraulic with 180mm rotors. The levers are the biggest issue with little adjustability and banged up from past crashes. Can I just replace the levers or do I need to buy a whole brake set so the parts all match? Also, are calipers universal where they bolt onto the frame? Thanks for the help and I love the show!
Just fully busted my avid brakes and yes I know what they say about hem so I was wondering should I upgrade to shimano zee/ saint or go for a sram guide because when they acids worked they were better then the v brakes I was running before so which would be a better version of those
I’ve had my Avid bb7s for 20 years. Switched them between bikes when my frame cracked. Pretty bombproof tbh and nothing ever goes wrong with them, just move the pads in as they wear and switch out the pads occasionally.
#AskGMBNTech what do you think of the Canyon Neuron AL 7.0 2019? I would like to buy it for trips and longer rides, to climb any hill and go fast on the descent. Thoughts? Greetings from Germany and Thanks in advance! Keep up your awesome work!
Just had this problem, if you let it dry a bit and get really crusty, it might peel of a bit better, if not, no loss, its so satisfying to peel anyway :)
I've got a question, I've got a voodoo bantu 2012 (old I know but it works perf6) and I'm wanting to get into some harder trails. Should I buy a new bike or stick with ol' faithful
the bike is just the tool, you dont 'need' bike X to do Y but good tools make the job easier. that said a new bike will probaly enhance your riding, go test ride some bikes to see what you are looking for
the bars are too wide if they inhibit the range of motion of limb suspention and in cornering, meaning you cant tilt bike more bars too wide your arm too short,, i am tinas husband an intermediate downhill mtbr at 5 foot 8 my bars ar 750 so with grips i ride a 30 inch bar and without grips bar is 29 1/2
#askgmbntech Hello, Love your channel! Do you feel it is worth the money to run a ceramic bottom bracket? I currently use a Raceface BSA 30 on my Epic but are thinking about getting a Kogel. Your thoughts are much appreciated.
My friend offered me a rockshox dropper post for a really good price. It's a 30,9 but my frame is 27,7. Can I send the post down to 27,7 or broad the seat tube ? My bike is a Rockrider 6.5
#AskGMBNTech Hey Doddy. A question about my Suntour Auron fork. Im a lightweight rider at 115 lbs and I run my fork at ~45psi (25% sag). I notice that there is already around 10% sag compressed even when I am out of my bike. You can see this if you try to pull the fork lowers away by your hands. This is the case since fork was bnew. How do I solve this? Thanks.
#askgmbntech I wanted to build myself a trail hardtail, but the frame I bought couldn´t be delivered. I was looking at the Nukeproof Scout 275 2019 but can´t find it anywhere in my size in grey and also at the Commencal Meta HT, but they recomend using a 29 fork with 555mm axel to crown, but I already got a 27,5 fork with 532mm axle to crown. Would that difference be to big?
#askgmbntech Hi. I have a vitus sentier+ 2018 model. And i use it for trials and going around the city. I was thinking about cutting of a piece from my seat tube to get the saddle even lover for more clearance when i'm doing trials stuff. I also have a dropper post installed and due to the stack height i want to get it lower. Would cutting away lets say 1-2cm make the bike more fragile to cracking in the welds during tension or weaken it? do you think it would be fine
#askgmbntech I have a giant xtc 3 mtb but the shock is making a squeaky noise whenever I lift the front wheel up. I have reoiled the shock but the sound is still there
#askgmbntech first of all, kudos on all gmbn channels, much better content as on “original” GCN. Question; I want to fix and “upgrade” my old rusted(salt) 3x6speed fat bike with thread-on freewheel. What’s the max amount of gears possible. 9speed? Also, are old Sram 9sp. grip shift compatible with Shimano 9sp. XTR RD?
best upgrade would be a new rear hub or whole wheel. the cassette style is much better compared to the freewheel as these put quite some stress on the axle making it prone to snapping
#askgmbntech Hey dodd, so I have a dt swiss ratchet hub on m1700 spline 2, the cassette just came off when the wheel was off(as if I could just pull them off), is this okay? Or is there something wrong? Thxs
#askgmbntech I recently swapper tyres on my bikes, one of them had two Specialized Ground Controls tyres, and the other one had Maxxis DHF and High Roller. Now I've put Schwalbe tyres on both bikes (nobby nic rear, magic mary front on my enduro bike, nobby nic rear and hans dampf front on my trail bike), and immediately noticed something, that I can't really understand. The schwalbe tyres feel a lot harder when pumped at the same pressure as all my previous tyres, and they ride a lot harsher. What could be the reason for this?
@@ultiss Hi, thanks for your reply, I thought maybe it's the volume difference, but I don't know exactly how it differs and how should I change my pressure to counter that. The outer width of the newly installed tyres it 2mm less, compared to the old ones. Which is weird, cause the old ones were 2.30 width, and the schwalbes are 2.35, which should be around 2mm more, but idk. The compund is softer on the schwalbe tyres, compared to the old ones, and they're lighter too.
then i guess its the sidewall, did you change from basic stock tires to snakeskin or dh casing? a stiffer sidewall will make the tires ride harsher. try lowering the pressure and see how that feels
#AskGMBNTech Great show GMBN team.... So I'm looking at buying a second hand 100mm rear travel 29er full sus frame. Would putting my 27.5 wheels effectively increase the amount by which the rear wheel could travel by the difference in wheel size÷2 eg (38/2=19mm)? The bb drop is fine and fork will slacken head angle to 68°. I understand the standard shock will still only give 100mm but I'm referring to rear wheel travel
why would the travel change? i dont see how wheel size would affect the axle path on compression of the suspension. Also keep in mind bb drops lower when you ride the bike (sag). sounds like a bad idea unless the frame is designed for 27.5+ tires
So confusing when looking for 'high rise' bars. 50mm seems way too much and 35mm not enough. Can I get 40mm? Nope, you get 38mm. With a 31.8mm clamp. If you can make up to 50mm rise why didn't they use 5mm increments and then use this to fine tune inventory?
#askgmbntech hi love the channel! I have Cannondale trail 4 and was wondering about the axels on it as they are thinner in diameter than the axels on the bikes you guys ride and they aren't through axels they are qr and I was wondering if I would be able to learn to jump on this bike?
#askgmbntech I'm eventually on a tubeless wheelset and wanted to add some more protection with some tire inserts. The problem is, on the front rim and tire fit a bit too good, resulting in me not being able to unseat/uninstall the tire to add the insert. Any idea how I can manage to get the tire off? Tire is a WTB Convict high grip soft compound mounted on a Hope Tech35 rim.
Hi doddy. I have recently bought my firs fullsuspension bike (rock machine blizzard 90-27+ 2018 model). Do ypu have any tips for upgrades on the bike i should do? #askgmbntech
There is the argument that wide bars are creating bad form, moving forces from core to shoulders and causing shoulder problems. Take Rowing a boat. If you have your arms too far out you put more stress on shoulder.
@@scottibass He doesn't ride, his doctor wants him to lose weight because of his back trouble, he doesn't look overweight to me. Dude, he wears a size 26 shoe, he is a giant. Just as friendly as anyone I know.
@@src248 I was thinking a cruiser but, that would be tough riding for weight loss, but better than nothing. I'm going to check this bike out with him at the shop. Thanks man, If you knew him you would love to know you helped, he is a very kind person.
good brake pads make a huge difference over cheap pads, best to start there. i would say most people can get away with 180 front and 160 rear but in the end it depends on where/how you ride. For fast long downhills probaly better 203-180 combo to be safe
Snow is not that bad for your derailleur if you use a "wet" lube on your chain and keeping an eye on your other parts. However if you have to ride on some streets that get salted by your local snow maintenance crew, than you'll get corrosion if you don't take care of your bike after EVERY ride.
I'm sorry, but this bar question is NOT getting answered by anyone. There has to be more to it than "it's all down to rider preference". That to me says that the science has been skipped. The closest I have seen to getting this answer right is get on the floor and do 5-10 pushups and measure where the outside of your hands are, and use that as your width. At least this gives you a ball park and makes sense as it will be the most comfortable position to maintain strong support of your upper body. It's all up to rider preference is a cop out.
4:40 it's not that difficult to find the right bar width, just sit correctly, put hands on on optimal position, with the arms straight, if hte hands go past the handlebar you need longer reach, so new frame, if your hands go past off the handle bar, you need wider bars, if they stay on the inside of the grip towards the shifter, your bars are too wide. with my current bike, used this method to see what I needed, I even measured it, you can measure the reach, to and distance from mid of grip to desired optimal position. for bar height, just measure the distance from where the middle of the bar is and to the optimal position, then you will get the bar rise for your setup. there are many combinations of body measurements, some got long arms some shorter arms, some shorter for arms longer forearms, wide shoulders narrow shoulder, high torso low torso. while you are at it check if you need bigger or smaller grips. measuring tape is a must for cyclist,also good for cockpit setup.
