jza Posted September 29, 2007 Report Share Posted September 29, 2007 I know people are gonna say "bloody beginner" but i had to laugh. I finally manage to borrow a C Spanner and got a tape measure out. For the record im 18 stone (i.e. chunky). The guy i bought the bike of weighs 10 stone. You can probably guess where this is going..... 14cms static sag at the rear Thinking about it - the bike did bottom out when i'd sit on it having a breather So i got the spanners out and its now a much healthier 7.5cm which im told is about right for a beginner.... And boy what a change. I have rear suspension movement now LOL And the difference.... first thing i noticed (as i did it in the car park straight away) was i can now do a stoppie without trying. Just grab the front brake and the rear lifts on it own like magic. If i bounce the bike - i actually hop a bit. I guess thinking about it the bike was just bottoming out as i pushed down LOL Next the rocks.... wheel up as usual - but whats this - the bash plate doesnt crash onto the lip and im up and over nice and easy:D Then i go up the hills.... theres one hilly section at my local club where i always spin the rear and fall off. I thought lets give it a go. So i line up - go for it.... up i go no issues. No spinning up just drive. I've been riding the bike for 9 months now and it's fair to say that whilst im never going to be a Dougie or Adam or Tony, im gonna find life a lot easier on my white routes and improve much quicker. So get the tape measure out and play with those C Spanners Jza Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barrybaines Posted September 29, 2007 Report Share Posted September 29, 2007 Well put I know a fair few people that are scared to play with set ups on their bikes be it road, trials or whatever (even down to road cycling friends) But the difference a well set up machine makes WILL make the difference between a 3/5 and a clean. If you are really not mechanically minded at all do whatever you can to record the settings as they stand, mark with a pen take photo's whatever it takes. You will not only reap the benefits from a more enjoyable/competitive ride but also get to know and understand your bike so much better. Lets face it at most you need is a couple of Allen keys a C spanner and a screw driver or 2 and the patience to play around with potentially loads of combinations, just make a note of what feels good where whats feels totally wrong etc and soon enough all will fall into place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scorpa3 Posted September 29, 2007 Report Share Posted September 29, 2007 I agree; take a careful note of your base settings before you start and note everything you do. Another really good tip I used when road racing was to make big changes at first. This will give extremes of the adjustment your making; you will be clear as to what effect the adjustment makes, then you can then come back in smaller steps to the point where you started. Road racing is a little less 'seat of the pants' than trials, because you can see the changes in lap times or tyre wear, however taking notes and trying the bike could well make a worth whle difference. At the end of the day, you can always go back to your base setting and no harms been done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
copemech Posted September 30, 2007 Report Share Posted September 30, 2007 I cannot recall all them stones vs kilos vs lb's things, but over 80 kilo's would do even better with the heavy spring available out there! That little spring may POP! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sectiononecleaner Posted September 30, 2007 Report Share Posted September 30, 2007 I know people are gonna say "bloody beginner" but i had to laugh.I finally manage to borrow a C Spanner and got a tape measure out. For the record im 18 stone (i.e. chunky). The guy i bought the bike of weighs 10 stone. You can probably guess where this is going..... 14cms static sag at the rear Thinking about it - the bike did bottom out when i'd sit on it having a breather So i got the spanners out and its now a much healthier 7.5cm which im told is about right for a beginner.... And boy what a change. I have rear suspension movement now LOL And the difference.... first thing i noticed (as i did it in the car park straight away) was i can now do a stoppie without trying. Just grab the front brake and the rear lifts on it own like magic. If i bounce the bike - i actually hop a bit. I guess thinking about it the bike was just bottoming out as i pushed down LOL Next the rocks.... wheel up as usual - but whats this - the bash plate doesnt crash onto the lip and im up and over nice and easy:D Then i go up the hills.... theres one hilly section at my local club where i always spin the rear and fall off. I thought lets give it a go. So i line up - go for it.... up i go no issues. No spinning up just drive. I've been riding the bike for 9 months now and it's fair to say that whilst im never going to be a Dougie or Adam or Tony, im gonna find life a lot easier on my white routes and improve much quicker. So get the tape measure out and play with those C Spanners Jza Try a heavier spring, jitsie do one for riders over 85kg. I did this in my motocross days and what a difference, it was like floating on air. Remember the standard spring once compressed due to the bigger rider gives very little control over the rear shock, so i would suggest you go harder. Even winding the spring up to get the correct sag will just make it like a pogo stick which is no good obviously.What the jitsie spring is like i aint sure and at Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jza Posted September 30, 2007 Author Report Share Posted September 30, 2007 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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