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Ok third ride on new camber evo and generally absolutely spot on. However, two things getting used to
1. Tyres - riding on supplied Butcher Control up front and Ground Control at the rear. Surprised by the number of sketchy moments in sand, mud and flat corners. Mainly at the rear end. Spooking me out a little bit, and holding back as a result. Scared to let the bike really go into loose mini berms as a result
2. At speed, it's a blast but at slower speeds often struggling to get front round very tight singletrack. Most likely technique ( 😉 ) and getting used to change from 26 XC HT, but had a number of close shaves with trees today
3. Some of my favourite cheeky trails are not suited to wider handlebars
By the end of the ride I was being much more active (rather than passive) into corners but still nervous about rear wash out. Probably more about adjusting to new geometry and wheel size?!?
1. Play with tyre pressure. Go as low as you can without while having enough in it to guard against pinch flats/rim strikes. Tubeless+solid sidewalled tyres allow for good experimentation with tyre pressures.
2- I'd say it's mostly technique and getting used to the new bike. In my experience getting more weight on the front (lower the bars or get a zero rise stem) helps with wrangling a slacker bike around tight and twisty singletrack.
3- Cut them down but not too much. Wide bars are ace.
Edit: I recently went from 750mm Easton Havoc bars to 711mm Easton Havens for less knuckle-tree encounters and I really miss the wider bars. I am going back to wider bars and will just have to work on carefully threading through tree-lined singletrack without bashing my pinkies 😀
Cheers mudsoul, thinking about it I had the tyres pumped up a little more than usual, so good idea.
I was joking about the wide bars! Like that feeling despite the tight fits and increased bramble wraps!!!
Just out of interest, other than tyres how are you finding the rest of the bike? I may be getting one and was wondering if you're enjoying it? Don't suppose you have an idea on weight? Have you set up the tyres tubeless?
Really, really enjoying it. Only change was a reverb. Said to wife this week, why on earth didn't I buy this bike before. Feels at it's best (so far) when riding singletrack/trails fast. Takes drops, corners etc really well and gives me much more confidence than my old HT. Climbs as well too!
The tyre thing yesterday may well have been I was on sandy stuff and minced rather than road it hard.
Very big thumbs up from me - feels like the perfect bike and has got me riding harder stuff immediately.
Good suggestion on tire pressure mudsoul. Much better today at 30! Grip better just v slight drift into a couple of corner but felt just right.
Loving the new bike! Why did I not buy it two years ago!
teamhurtmore - Ive got a Camber Evo too and loving it. You say You've bought a Reverb? How are you running the cabling through the frame? I was thinking of one but abandoned it due to the lack of routing for thicker hydro cable. Now got a Blacklite on order (if they have any in stock)