 You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
Im enjoying my 456 and find it fine when I get of the back downhill etc and have plenty of weight over the rear wheel but when I am in my normal pedalling position I find it a bit twitchy on the rear. There are 3 things I am thinking of trying:
a.) Tyres - running Fire Mud Pro's which used to work great on my Cindercone in the winter slop but not so happy on this. They are only 1.8" so thinking something a bit thicker!
b.) Stem - currently running a 90 mm stem so thinking of going to 60mm to shift weight back a bit
c.) Layback seatpost - seat is the furthest back it will go so thinking of gettting one to shift the weight back a bit further.
So a b or c? Although I suspect youll say all 3 but approaching xmas not sure if funds will allow so looking for the biggest impact first of all!
I've had a 456 for ages - one of the first - but don't recognise your problem.
Having said that I do have a shorter stem than you and I also use a layback post (on all my bikes, MTB & road).
Also I don't 'get of the back' - when I get to the fun down bits I'll drop the saddle a bit and get my weight lower but not necessarily further back. It's good to keep some weight on the fork if you expect to be able to steer.
I've never had anything less than a 2.1" tyre on it, often bigger. Is it possible that with a 1.8" tyre you're running it quite hard and the tyre's pinging about a bit?
Finally when it all gets a bit hairy I try not to worry about what the back end of a HT is doing. To a degree what I do is ride the fork/front end and unweight the back. It may get a bit lary but the back of the bike will always follow the front eventually. (Unless it doesn't and then you crash!)
I hope some of the above helps.
What size is it, and you?
You really want to be riding the front, not the back - what fork have you?
Mines a large and I'm tallish but with long limbs - run a 100mm stem and straight post which gets plenty of weight over the front. Tyre wise it runs best on big volumes at lowish pressures (Nobby Nic 2.4 or Racing Ralph UST's both at 30psi).
Fork wise I think my 36 Talas works best, with lots of sag - but also have a 120mm for more local XC duties.
Running 130 Tora's on it. The problem is more when going up hills that are muddy I dont feel like I have enough weight over the back so end up pushing myself further back.
What are Nobby Nic's like in the mud?
What are Nobby Nic's like in the mud?
OK, up to a point.
They're not a mud tyre but they're one of the better all-rounders in mud. Proper mud defeats them though.
p.s. I've currently got a 2.1 Maxxis ADvantage on the back of mine which, like the NN, is a decent all-rounder that's not bad in mud.
Muddy climbs are always a problem, even with a good setup you will have to move your weight backwards and forwards to balance rear-wheel traction and front-wheel lift/wandering. A good, smooth, pedalling action also helps.
You could try a layback saddle. This will put more weight over the rear, but could potentially give you less front wheel grip and reduce climbing performance. Likewise you could try changing your stem to a shorter one, but this would also affect the steering handling.
Ultimately there is always a compromise between front and rear wheel traction. Time, experience and experimentation will help you find your sweet spot.
You must have very strange technique or the bike is the wrong size for you. Most people would have the opposite problem I would say with the front lifting on climbs. I've got 2, one with a 100mm stem and one with a 60mm. I never have the problem you describe but do have to move myself around to keep the front down. Have you tried tucking your elbows in, thumbs on top of the bars and pulling down in a straight line to the point where the back wheel touches the ground. Maybe not the best description but it seems to work for me.
Prob is just my poor technique! They arent mega steep climbs - maybe I am just hoping for too much and changing bikes right at the time the slop has come back has made me think I need to change something on the bike. Def going to look into the tyres though - the mud pro's are great in deep mud but awful on anything else!
stick a 2.1 swampthing on the back if you can find one still, and report back. 🙂
Put some 2.1's & a 70mm stem on your Xmas list.
I recommend the Kenda Nev'(R) / Blue Groove(F) combo, at about 33psi.
Well I got some swampthings of ebay cheap so decided to give them a go. Vastly improved as it doesnt move around at all now! Those tyres have some grip and some drag on the road as well but then again should help the fitness.
70mm stem on its way for xmas too!
everyone loves a happy ending.
what size did you get?
2.35's - I couldn't find any 2.1's but clearance isnt an issue so seems ok. Like i say very draggy on the road but I am the only one who didnt have to dab on last night's ride whilst everyone else was sliding about all over the place. Await for the next thread when it starts to dry out about what tyres are best for the summer months...
I only reccomended the 2.1's as they dont drag as bad, nor as heavy, but they have stopped making them as far as I can make out, they are a great tyre in any size.
There some on here would asy just leave em on, a worn down one still grips like a limpit but they get faster when they are worn down in the middle. (i just change tyres myself though)