All the sweet bikes and parts. Mmm … parts.

Expanding your quiver from 2 to 3 bikes

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Lee,

Here’s what I am thinking – would like your input as I am getting a new bike [Mikkel, a Specialized ambassador, has been riding a Stumpy 6Fattie for the past year].

Epic – for XC racing and long rides

Camber 29er – perfect for the Santa Monica trails

Enduro 29er (with a 6Fattie wheel set) – for bigger riding (mount Wilson and shredding)

I am thinking of getting rid of the stumpy in favor of the Enduro.

What do you think of having those three bikes?

Mikkel

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Custom frame and seat tube angle

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Greetings Lee. I am in the process of having a custom hardtail frame built, I have some questions about fit, seat tube angle, pedaling efficiency & comfort. Seems like a lot of makers are going with shorter stays and steeper 74* seat tube angles to keep the rider weight centered. My Builder thinks that a true 73* seat tube angle will work fine with short stays. Of course I want to be sure about the geometry.

Wondering what your take is on the steeper seat angles paired with shorter stays – certainly for short rides they can keep the rider in a good spot, but does that come at price – less engagement of the glutes & lower back, and thus less ideal for longer days in the saddle, for example?

Thanks for any input.
Josh

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1x drivetrain for bikepacking?

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I’m a fit 52 old on a 2007 3×9 26” Ibis Mojo planning to bikepack the Colorado Trail in July. The drivetrain has considerable wear, and probably needs to be replaced. Do I just stick with it or move to a more modern setup? I’m considering moving to 1X11, 30t front, 11-46 back. I know and don’t have issue with 50% HAB on this trail.

Any thoughts?

Ed

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Straight seatpost verses setback post on Specialized bikes

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Lee,

I noticed that you always run a straight seat on your Specialized bikes that come stock with setback posts. How does this affect your knee/pedal position and the size of bike that you choose? It seems to me that your knee would be pulled well over the front of the pedal (especially with shorter cranks) and you might choose a larger bike size because the cockpit is 3/4 inch shorter which is about 1 size. Am I wrong?

Thanks for your time,

Rob Linnenberger

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Specialized Fuse instead of a Stumpjumper hardtail?

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Hey lee

and thanks for your homepage and your enthusiastic cycling world 🙂

I ride stumpjumper evo ht at the moment and are considering buying the fuse 6fattie pro but im having doubt about the wheels and tires and the weight.

I ride all kind flat gravel, singletrack, xc and trips with my kids in a troller so i need a bike for everything 🙂

Do you think it will to heavy ?? And how does the fuse pro handling climbing ??

I live in a very small mtb country and the fuse is no where to found so i have to order it overseas in the United Kingdom.

Best regards Rasmus from denmark

Happy Trails !
Rasmus

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Plus tires for XC and endurance racing?

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Lee,

How do +tires fit in for someone who does XC and endurance races? That is the rub for me, I participate in several XC and endurance races throughout the year.

Gary

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Air pressure for 6Fattie (27.5 plus) tires

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This comment was posted on Two rides on a Specialized Fuse Expert 6Fattie

I rode the Stumpjumper 6Fattie and thought it was fun on the technical climbs, I loved the way it leveled the trail trash. As soon as I pointed it down a rocky technical descent I felt like I was sledding on a tractor inner tube. The bike was bouncing all over the trail, no precision with the undamped bounce from the tires. I literally bounced off my line at one point and almost ate it.

I had pressure set at 14F/15R and did not experiment with it. Who knows what pressure I really had as it seems all gauges read differently. Anyway I wonder how more pressure would have made things feel. I felt the tires folding in turns when pushing hard too.

Ron

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For sale: Sweet 2007 S-Works Tricross

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Sick CX bike for cheap!
Budget race bike.
Dialed backup bike.

Carbon frame and fork. Ultegra drivetrain. $1,200.

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Which size Evil Insurgent should I get?

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Hey Lee! I was wondering if I could tap into your bike fitment expertise? I am looking at getting an Evil Insurgent, and I feel like I am right between a L and XL. Any tips or input would be greatly appreciated! I am 6’2″ tall with normal proportions. I like to ride DH and aggressive trail.

James O.

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Learn about Shimano Di2 shifting

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I’ve ridden XTR Di2 electronic shifting, and it’s freaking awesome. As great as the cable-actuated Shimano shifters are, this is next level.

Check out this video and info from Shimano:

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Increasing front travel from 110 to 120mm?

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Lee,

I’ve had a chance to digest your RideLogic bike setup method and calculations (RideLogic Bike Setup System), and my bike is dialed.

One last geo question for you. While not directly related to your calcs, I’m looking to upgrade my fork to a Pike and the nearest stock size to mate with my 2013 Camber Comp is 120 mm. My Camber model came spec’d with a 110 mm Reba. I’m wondering if the Pike’s additional 10 mm of travel would noticeably throw off my bike’s geometry? My goal isn’t really to add 10 mm of travel, but rather to upgrade to a much better fork. To stick with 110 mm likely means a special order or having to order a non-standard airspring. Thoughts?

Brian

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Thinking critically about bike-geometry BS

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This press release on Pinkbike about Ragley’s 2017 line contains an explanation of Ragley’s geometry.

I like Pinkbike, and Ragley strikes me as a cool company that makes awesome bikes. That said, we’re hearing similar geometry claims more and more, and I don’t think they all make sense.

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