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Racing vs. long trail ride?

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Hey Lee
so spring break is coming up, signalling the end of winter’s deathgrip on the high sierra’s of lake tahoe and high schools around the globe. ive been presented with two great opportunities, one to ride the white rim trail, or to race in the Junior beginner/sport class at Sea Otter in superD and XC.

ive never done a formal mountain bike race before but im super stoked on the idea, and ive qualified for the Nordic Junior Olympics so ive got the base fitness needed to not die in the XC events. on the other hand, ive heard tyhe white rim is spectacular ride and im really interested in that. I’m torn Lee, in your opinion which one is better?
Stefan

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Riding wheelies!

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Hi Lee,
I am a great fan of your book and website. I think you are genius in explaining and putting the right photos.

I have been practicing wheelies, following your book’s advices. The problem is that I can’t lean back to keep the wheelie going. I can only do 5 or 6 pedal strokes and that’s it. Very sad… I have a feeling that this is probably due to my fear of falling back on my back??? not sure. Do you have any advice or trick to conquer my problem? I really appreciate anything you can advice me. Thank you!!!!

Naoko
Small rider riding Titus Motolite
Los Angeles, CA

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Spreading The Love?

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Lee,

There has been a lot of talk about Sea Otter lately, and I know many of us are going to race. I noticed last year there were a couple of people who put ‘leelikesbikes.com’ as their sponsor.

Do you mind us doing this? I know we may not be ‘sponsored’ by you, but perhaps we all can help spread The Love. It is the least we could do after you have answered our questions, written us books and taught us to be better riders.

I might go down and help man a booth for a friend, but I may just race the XC as I hear the course is beautiful and otherwise closed to the public. But don’t expect a podium from me, I am going to wait until the pack has sprinted away and then give the fun bits of the course a good braappping!

What say you Lee? What say you all?

Chris.

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Demo 9 rider with an upgrade itch

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Our man Doug loves his Demo 9, but dreams of lightness are flitting through his mind. What to do?
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Adding dirt to a pump track

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Hi Lee,
I haven’t been here in a while, but Spring is around the corner and I am about to order more dirt for my somewhat settled pumptrack. My question is…

What is the best way to “mesh” new dirt with the old, hard packed track?? Should I wet the old track and put the dry dirt on top of the mud and then re-water? I’m afraid that I will end up with a bunch of new, loose dirt over the hard stuff. Thanks Lee!
pmac

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Dual slalom racing: Am I worthy?

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Lee,
I am interested in competing in a beginner’s dual slalom event (possibly Sea Otter). The problem is that I have never ridden a dual slalom course and don’t want to irritate fellow competitors or organizers if I should not be there. I enjoy dirt jumping, moderate drops, and light free riding. I have never competed in a race or seen what the level of rider a beginner should be. Barring the possibility to ride a DS course, do you have any benchmarks that would indicate that I could participate appropriately enough to not make an ass of myself?
Thanks, Mauricus

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Cockpit length vs. braaapablity

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Hi Lee,
I keep hearing you say “….Longer is more XC-able; shorter is more braaapable and a longer bike with a shorter stem is a great compromise.” You said the same thing in your book! I believe you but I never really understand why. …
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All those holes: 2002-2004 BigHit suspension

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Lee,
I was wondering if you could explain the differences in the positions of the upper shock mount on the 2002-2004 specialized big hits. The manuals just say something about progressivity, which to me sounds like something marketing made up. I am hoping one of the 3 positions will magically unleash the riding god within me almost overnight.
Cahoon

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Hardtail for big dude?

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Hi Lee
I need some advice on buying a mountain bike xc hardtail. I would like to get a 29er in a single speed or 9 speed. I would like to do trail riding (single track). I am a aggressive rider however I don’t take unneccessary risks. I am very powerful, and I put a lot of stress on my cranks.

I would like to buy a stock bike if there is one out there that will do the job, but if I can’t find one then I guess I can piece it together. It would be nice to stay under $2000.00. I am 6’5″ and 280lbs. Any advice would be nice.

Thanks Lee
Eric

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Seat-height change on a Maverick?

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Hi Lee,

I was sent your link from a friend of mine regarding the ML-8. I am looking at a Durance and my concern is the amount of seat height change.
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Handlebars 101: rise, sweep, etc.

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Hey Lee,
I am looking at handle bars and I was wondering what bar rise is and what the advantages of a bar with more rise rather than less rise. What would the difference between a 19mm. rise vs. a 38mm. rise?
Zach

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Pedals: Flats vs. clips for goofing off

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Dear Lee,
I’m not racing, just riding the xc and dh up and down, roots, single track, dips, climbs, etc…Since it is not a race, is it better in your opinion to use Specialized Lo Pro Mag pedals and Five.Ten Impact shoes instead of the Shimano clipless???

My DX clipless with platforms seem to be hitting every root and I used to ride cages in the old days anyway, I do like being cliped in and not worrying about a foot slipping off the pedal though, so are the sticky shoes and lo pro mag pedals safer and a better ride for not racing, just having fun???
Jay

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