Cycling: shifting systems?

I've not posted pics of my beloved before, seems slightly pimpish...

 

Nice one greg.... how does the Sub5 ride? I'm not entirely happy with the way my East Peak rides and was thinking about the sub 5 as a potential replacement. Well, what I REALLY want is a Turner Flux, but I haven't got that kind of money...

I don't use SPDs (I had two operations on my leg due to a ski binding not releasing properly), so don't ask me.

Dom - trackstanding is standing still on the bike without putting your feet on the ground. Looks trick but it's very easy.

 

Ah, mine's actually the Sub 3 which is Orange's XC full suss (now discontinued).

It's a little more "race" orientated than the Sub 5 (now just the "5") and a little lighter, climbs very well, pin sharp handling, but the geometry is a bit "forward" for some folks. Also the geo is setup for 80mm max forks and 3" of rear travel. I like the 5 a lot too though and would definitely be on my shortlist for a 5" rear travel full suss. Their rear suss designs are simple (some would say basic) but they are effective IMO even compared to some of the more exotic alternatives (and they're English ).

With current trends moving towards the freeride end of trail the Sub 3 wouldnt be an ideal choice for anything too rough. Orange are very specific about which bike is warrantied for which type of usage. The 5 is a great allrounder and definitely light enough to compete in events even against superlight hardtails if you've got the legs for it. I'm not really keen on the heavier freeride bikes, though what you can do on them is startling to say the least.

 

Trackstanding is not very easy IME, especially with anything other than a track bike with no freewheel. With no freewheel you can pedal (and move) backwards and that makes keeping the whole thing balanced a damn sight easier. With a normal bike any adjustment has to be done with forward motion...if you're trackstanding at traffic lights you often run out of room for manoeuvre.

Trackstanding with your feet locked in the pedals is also one of the few times when you don't have enough time to release your feet if/when it all goes pear-shaped and an undignified fall ensues

Michael.

 

You need to practice more Michael! (of course I'll fall from my bike whilst trackstanding this coming weekend)

 

Moving a freewheeled bike backwards is easy for the distance required for trackstanding.... just pop back off the front tyre, or suspension if you have it, and the bike will easily roll back a few inches. I certainly have no problem with it. It is harder on full sus than on a hardtail though.

greg - I felt that the 5 looked a bit too freeridy for me. I want something around 4"... XC but tough enough for fast trail riding and the drops that entails. Hence why I want the turner... Still, I'm skint now, and the marin rides pretty well so will do for now.

 

I dont mean to suggest the Sub 3 is a wuss, it'll handle the usual rough trail: ruts, typical trail drops and rocks with no probs.

However, according to Orange, these days what one person considers a XC trail differs from another. People were bringing back cracked XC frames complaining. When quizzed they described breaking it whilst landing a 17' drop-off.

As a result their literature defines what they consider to be appropriate usage. I'd probably say a 5" rear and 100-120mm front travel bike would be great for flat, slight inclines and descents, but I'd find the ride to be a little too leaned back for climbs.

Some of the adjustable systems look fantastic to give an all round setup, but equally I couldnt live with riding around on a 40lb tank.

 

isaac,
can;t remember the name of them but there are some american bikes which are effectively hard tails with a small 1 inch or so air shock at the top of the seatstays to allow some flex. might be worth a look (if you can find them).
cheers


julian.

 

Also forgot to add that trackstanding is probably a lot easier on a namby-pamby MTB (suspension is for wimps :MILD: ) than a typical road bike with much steeper (less stable) fork angle and much thinner tyres. "popping" back off the front tyre is not something you want to try often with a road bike if you want your wheels to remain round

Michael.

 

I have to admit front and rear suspension actually helps with trackstanding as does the nice wide tyres. For me its probably the years of BMXing that left me with a few skills, though my courage has diminished a lot.

After breaking my leg, my arm and fracturing several ribs I have a well developed survival instinct these days!

 

very nice, and here's mine...

 

Heres my bike.

No webspace, so small zerogain attachment only.

 

Classic Merlin frame! lovely.

 

I havent ridden a Flux, they are lovely looking and seem an intelligent design - great rep too. The Nicolai Helius CC is another strong candidate along similar lines.

Of course you cant overlook the Litespeed Niota Ti they're lovely to ride, and take a silly number of hours to hand build with all that custom drawn titanium. Arguably my pick of the bunch.

 

oooh nicolai This would have to be my dream bike if money was no object however at about 4k for the frame only it's a bit out of reach.
cheers


julian.

 

I'm not quite convinced by Ti on full sus... You have the suspension design to take out the bumps and you want the frame sections to be as stiff as possible. With Ti you're introducing some degree of compliance into the frame, which combined with the suspension may result in a slightly less precise ride. The Helius also looks nice, although the big gearbox nicolais are really rather heavy (frame weight also).

 

I had a mooch around on a Nucleon TFR with the gearbox. Good fun, but heavy and bloody expensive. I'm not sure the gearbox designs are quite "there" yet. A recent test I read concluded the Orange Patriot 7" was the better choice - and a LOT cheaper.

There's a very interesting Honda bike designed for their DH team - massive R&D costs, looks fantastic, wont be going into production though.

Isaac - regards Ti on a full suss - dont overlook that the custom drawn tubes and careful butting Litespeed implement look to create greater rigidity where it is required. I didnt find the Niota "flexy", but it is a great ride, very light as a basis for a bike and will last forever.

 

It's getting a bit silly that companies are now making stuff for pro racers that is then not sold to the public. Fair enough that pros ride prototype stuff that might take a year or two to get to market, but stuff like Honda's DH bike, Brembo discs and Avalanche forks which won't come to market... just doesn't seem right.

I've no doubt that the Niota will ride nicely... At that price it should! I just think the Flux is a bit more "me".

 

A gearbox on a push bike??? Honestly, they'll be adding engines to them too before long and calling them motorbikes.....no wait....someone's already done that .

Michael.

 

It does make some sense to me, but the current incarnations arent really convincing IMO.

The average downhill racing, freerider would hate to think they ride a "push bike"