Is anybody else's hobby MTBs (Mountain Bikes)?

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I’d say it’s a little over 25lbs with the dropper post. The rigid fork is original and it is geometry correct for the frame. With the tires having around 12lbs in the front and maybe 14 or so in the rear it runs over choppy stuff with ease. Rock gardens are not bad either.
Changing over to ss takes some doing but the dropouts make it easier and I have a spare wheel with a cog already on it. When I do it stays that way for a while.
For a ss on a budget go with a Redline monocog and get a decent wheel set, carbon fork and you’re gold. Great frame with drop outs so ingenious the boutique bikes look out done. I think they still use Reynolds chromoly for their frame material. Used they are a bargain. I even raced one for a couple seasons. Best cheap bike ever made...
 

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That's fine, I miss some replies too! I bet it's sketchy, be careful! You might want to look into a modern trail hardtail for that stuff, or a dirt jumper if you ride a lot of dirt jumps and that stuff, just don't expect to use a DJ (Dirt Jumper) as a daily driver!

Like an actual DH park, with a chai lift and all, or just a bike park, on some green and blue trails?

I bet it's probably under 25 pounds! A rigid carbon fork probably isn't the most forgiving, I would imagine, so you'd probably want more supple tires, and/or ride less gnarly trails (ie. no rock gardens, or big jumps/drops). Does the CF fork have the same crown-to-axle measurement as the stock fork, in order to keep the same frame geometry? So you just casually swap between a geared drivetrain and a SS setup? 🤣🤣 For me that conversion would take about 2 hours, if I've done it multiple times before, have all the specialty tools, and don't stop to clean anything (🤣🤣 I almost always clean parts/places that I couldn't get to before when I'm modding/upgrading my hardtail or one of my RCs)

I've now heard from 3 people that SS hardtail are stupid fun...but I don't have the money or space to get another hardtail to try it on!
Yeah. I'm 13 and broke, so I can't get a new one. No carbon, just aluminum. Also n upgrades, just stock. and yes I do take it to the downhill park up a chairlift. everybody there laughs sarcastically when they see my bike. here is a vid of me doing something stupid on it.

I'm probably going to die on it but oh well.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/JXWyx2hLvWveVLDG6
Yeah. I'm 13 and broke, so I can't get a new one. No carbon, just aluminum. Also n upgrades, just stock. and yes I do take it to the downhill park up a chairlift. everybody there laughs sarcastically when they see my bike. here is a vid of me doing something stupid on it.

I'm probably going to die on it but oh well.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/JXWyx2hLvWveVLDG6
And I hit the dirt jump lines.
 
@The_RC_Dude
The bike is a trek Roscoe 8.

As for tires, they are like whack a mole. My work truck, trailer, etc has 12 tires. Some days its 4 or 6 tires, other days 1 or 2. Then they are good for a week, month, or year.

My bikes are the same. Its like a gremlin hops on, I have 2-8 flats and then its good for a year. I guess the gremlin falls off? 🤣 I too bin tubes. After a patch or two, they would go on the motorized bicycle with a shotty tire where I would convert it to air. 😂

Best tire patch, cut an old tube in a square. Put a square or circle of ca glue around the hole, then another circle with a gap in between. Add your square tube and let dry. Tried and trued by a tire changin fool. 😁🖒🖒
 
Nah, not at all. Honestly, it's been so long since I did the upgrade, I don't remember if they were four or six pawl hubs, and Trek just left out the extra pawls to try and make you buy a higher tier wheelset. Ratcheting the cranks is super important here on the east coast, and especially on the single speed. Both my bikes have an hour or less engagment if memory serves, but I haven't ridden in a while.

It's the stache I was referring to digging the tire into the stays in hard cornering. It's a 29x3.0 29+ tire, and the Stache has super short stays so the tire is really tucked up under you. The stays taper at the front as all frames are, I could move the tire back some, but then you lose the benefits of having the tire tucked as far under you as possible. I do have tape there to protect it as well. Did I mention I turned wrenches at a bike shop in college? Best job I ever had, just no money in it.

That bike was my supermoto. Basically take a dirt bike, and put it on wide sticky slicks. With extensive mods it'd do about 108mph. The only way it's breaking 200mph is behind a 200+MPH car. Most fun streetbike I ever owned.
Interesting, for Trek, that means they save money, because all they do is leave out a few pawls, and they don't have to design a new wheel, and all the consumer has to do to easily get a "higher-end" wheelset is to add a couple of pawls! I misspoke above, my bike had 21 POE (or whatever it's called, I forget, I mean Points-Of-Engagement), which put my bike at just over "half an hour" between each pawl. How come racheting is vital where you live? Here in the renown PNW, our trails usually aren't that techy and tight, but that's the green and occassional blue trail, it ramps up when you get to black and double black (even from what I can see of those trails!)!

Yeah, I got the shralping corners part! What size tires does the Stache come with? A 29x3.0 tire is a really big, beefy tire, lots of grip, air volume, mdapening, weight, and rolling resistance I'd guess! Good, you've got tape! I'm considering working at a LBS too when I'm at about that age, so you say it was good work, but the pay was "meh"? I'm also considering working at a LHS, can anyone provide some feedback on how it is working at a hobby shop?

For others reading this who don't know what I'm talking about, "LBS" stands for Local Bike Shop, and "LHS" Local Hobby Shop. You mean that wheelie bike in the video was yours? I'm assuming that the reason you'd have to ride behind a fast car to get higher speeds is because the car would "break the wind" for you, so there's a lot less resistance?
I’d say it’s a little over 25lbs with the dropper post. The rigid fork is original and it is geometry correct for the frame. With the tires having around 12lbs in the front and maybe 14 or so in the rear it runs over choppy stuff with ease. Rock gardens are not bad either.
Changing over to ss takes some doing but the dropouts make it easier and I have a spare wheel with a cog already on it. When I do it stays that way for a while.
For a ss on a budget go with a Redline monocog and get a decent wheel set, carbon fork and you’re gold. Great frame with drop outs so ingenious the boutique bikes look out done. I think they still use Reynolds chromoly for their frame material. Used they are a bargain. I even raced one for a couple seasons. Best cheap bike ever made...
Not bad, lightweight! Pretty much only full-carbon XC bikes can get to that weight or slightly under, and that's without a dropper, and XC stuff, meaning lightweight and effecient, but not trail, Enduro, or DH strong/tough! Oh, it came with the carbon fork? I just googled, and apparently tthere was a time when Trek sold the Stache with a carbon fork, and I also came upon this MTBR thread.

You still have to mess about with the cables and shifter though...and the rear mech! I'd just leave the shifter and cable, and secure the cable end somehow when going SS, so to go back to gears, you throw on the cassette wheel, bolt on the rear mech, put in the cable, adjust, and done!

Interesting, but I still don't have the $$ to get another, second bike, and my bike space is also somewhat limited. I'm not sure if I'll enjoy a rigid SS, I've tried riding my friend's 20" BMX several times before, it has 2.4" tires, and it's a bit harsh TBH, and I'm more of a "spring chicken"! Don't ask me how all those guys do those crazy tricks on BMX's without aching for days afterwards 🤣🤣
Yeah. I'm 13 and broke, so I can't get a new one. No carbon, just aluminum. Also n upgrades, just stock. and yes I do take it to the downhill park up a chairlift. everybody there laughs sarcastically when they see my bike. here is a vid of me doing something stupid on it.

I'm probably going to die on it but oh well.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/JXWyx2hLvWveVLDG6

And I hit the dirt jump lines.
Well, make the best out of your bike then! No need for carbon now, I'd focus on things like a better fork, drivetrain, brakes, or tires. Just be careful, but man, you shred a DH park on an "entry-level" hardtail, let's go! :) The next time you get a new bike, I'd look at something like one of the Polygon Xtrada's, affordable for what they are (the 5 Xtrada 5 is on sale for $660 for the 2021 version, $800 for the 2022, the 6 is on sale for $720 for the 2021 version, $900 for the 2022, and the Xtrada 7 is $919 for the 2021, on sale, and $1,100 for the 2022, I have my eye on the Xtrada 6 for my next bike, too bad the 2021, on-sale 1x11 version is no longer available!).
 
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@The_RC_Dude
The bike is a trek Roscoe 8.

As for tires, they are like whack a mole. My work truck, trailer, etc has 12 tires. Some days its 4 or 6 tires, other days 1 or 2. Then they are good for a week, month, or year.

My bikes are the same. Its like a gremlin hops on, I have 2-8 flats and then its good for a year. I guess the gremlin falls off? 🤣 I too bin tubes. After a patch or two, they would go on the motorized bicycle with a shotty tire where I would convert it to air. 😂

Best tire patch, cut an old tube in a square. Put a square or circle of ca glue around the hole, then another circle with a gap in between. Add your square tube and let dry. Tried and trued by a tire changin fool. 😁🖒🖒
Nice!

Pesky tires ya know...I had a little, *ahem* "issue" with my front tire about 2 months ago, it ate through at least 3 tubes in like less than 3 weeks! But now it's all good again...you should consider going tubeless, it may be a slight hassle at first to set up, but you won't be changing tubes anymore (except for the nasty tire slashes), you'll lose at least a pound of rotational weight front and rear, probably more with those chunky tires of yours, ect. ect.! There are plenty of threads, dicussions, and videos on tubeless, give it a shot!

Yeah, inner-tubes are very useful! I currently have a 10 inch strip wrapped around my chainstay :) And they do make great patches, so I've heard! You can also use some "rubber cement" like what comes with bike patch kits!
 
Oh, it came with the carbon fork? I just googled, and apparently tthere was a time when Trek sold the Stache with a carbon fork, and I also came upon this MTBR thread.
I think it was their best effort with this platform. The chain stays are so short it makes it feel very light up front. Putting a several pound suspension fork is kind of a kill joy up front. There are plenty of other offerings for that kind of riding,
I still love my full suspension rig but ride the ridgid Stache more.
 
I think I’m about to buy one. I’ve ridden dirtbikes my whole life and currently have a ‘20 TE300i. I think I’m about to join the MTB world and do some cross training.
 
I think I’m about to buy one. I’ve ridden dirtbikes my whole life and currently have a ‘20 TE300i. I think I’m about to join the MTB world and do some cross training.
Wohoo! Many of the World-Cup winners have moto background (not that you need to have that background to win), so you should have a little more knowledge than the average first-timer! I take it you know berms, cornering, pre-loading before jumping, un-weighting, ect.? Ok, than might have been a bit much 🤣🤣 It's a lit overwhelming at first, MTB is a big, immersive hobby, just take it easy, slow, and have fun! For sure, watch YouTube videos on MTB skills, bike maintenance, cleaning, setup, part, trail etiquette, parts, ect. I can recommend GMBN (Global Mountain Bike Network), they have tons of content on so many parts of MTBing, often multiple videos on the same thing, so you can really understand! In fact, they recently did a video or two on motorcross and MTB!

Also, do you need any help with choosing your first MTB? FIrst, what's your budget, and riding style (ie. Cross-Country/XC, Trail, Enduro, and Down-Hill/DH)?
 
I think it was their best effort with this platform. The chain stays are so short it makes it feel very light up front. Putting a several pound suspension fork is kind of a kill joy up front. There are plenty of other offerings for that kind of riding,
I still love my full suspension rig but ride the ridgid Stache more.
I see, makes sense! Is it also a carbon frame? If so, seems like it'll be very nimble, agile, and responsive, but I don't know about the trail chatter. What width tires? 2.3"?

Kinda at the extreme ends, right? A full suspension, and a rigid single speed!
 
Wohoo! Many of the World-Cup winners have moto background (not that you need to have that background to win), so you should have a little more knowledge than the average first-timer! I take it you know berms, cornering, pre-loading before jumping, un-weighting, ect.? Ok, than might have been a bit much 🤣🤣 It's a lit overwhelming at first, MTB is a big, immersive hobby, just take it easy, slow, and have fun! For sure, watch YouTube videos on MTB skills, bike maintenance, cleaning, setup, part, trail etiquette, parts, ect. I can recommend GMBN (Global Mountain Bike Network), they have tons of content on so many parts of MTBing, often multiple videos on the same thing, so you can really understand! In fact, they recently did a video or two on motorcross and MTB!

Also, do you need any help with choosing your first MTB? FIrst, what's your budget, and riding style (ie. Cross-Country/XC, Trail, Enduro, and Down-Hill/DH)?
I’m familiar with all of those skills, as they transfer right into enduro dirtbiking. One of my dirtbike buddies has a 2012 Trek Superfly Pro that he will sell me for a decent price, and everything he owns is meticulously maintained. I may go with that.
 

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I’m familiar with all of those skills, as they transfer right into enduro dirtbiking. One of my dirtbike buddies has a 2012 Trek Superfly Pro that he will sell me for a decent price, and everything he owns is meticulously maintained. I may go with that.
Ok, nice! Just bear in mind, the SuperFly Pro is an XC (Cross-Country) style bike, so you WON'T be able to do all those big jumps, drops, and aggressive stuff. And XC bikes prioritizes climbing, seated pedaling, power efficiency, lightweight-ness, and lower speed handling, and covering long distances. They do not excel in brute strength (unlike DH bikes, which are the complete opposite, designed to only get you down the downhill track as fast as possible, while staying in one piece), durability over rough terrain (so forget those big jumps, drops, rock gardens, black, and double black diamond trails), and just generally stuff you'd do on your enduro dirt bike. Needless to say, XC bikes have less aggressive frame geometry, as well as lighter weight, less durable parts. Now, these bikes won't break like twigs, just expect to puncture the light weight XC tires on rock gardens, ect. You get my point :)

I'm not saying don't buy it, and the fact your friend takes good care of his stuff (like me 🤣🤣) is a nice bonus, as well as being able to tell your friend is anything breaks or goes wrong. (Since he is your friend and not some random seller) There are plenty of videos on XC bikes vs. Trail and other bikes. Oh, also, subscribe to "Berm Peak", and "Berm Peak Express", which is Seth's second channel. Berm Peak, formerly know as "Seth's Bike Hacks" is a popular channel. Seth lives in North Carolina, I've been watching him for over 3 years now, good stuff! Oh, and the cherry on top is that last year, he started to get into R/C, and he's a big fan of crawlers! Apparently, R/C and MTB go together well!

If you're looking for a slightly more robust trail or even enduro bike, I can help you find the right one for you. What's your budget, intended riding style (ie. how you're gonna ride, what you're gonna ride, and where you'll ride), height, and priorities in a bike (like efficiency, strength, jumping, down hill handling, weight, simplicity, or capability)? Also where you live (since you can't get most, say, UK bikes shipped to the US easily and/or cheaply)? That reminds me, if you haven't, feel free to check out my RCT Member Location Map Thread (yes guys, another shameless plug, how else will more people join? 🤣🤣)!

Your little buddy dirtbikes too?
 
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I’ll be riding single track XC type riding. I’m in north Texas and this place is one of many near my house. Not overly concerned with jumping.

 
I see, makes sense! Is it also a carbon frame? If so, seems like it'll be very nimble, agile, and responsive, but I don't know about the trail chatter. What width tires? 2.3"?

Kinda at the extreme ends, right? A full suspension, and a rigid single speed!
It’s the aluminum one. The big tires soak up much of the chatter and I love the blue color. The trek Stache has 3” 29er tires. I run the MTB ranger.
 
It’s the aluminum one. The big tires soak up much of the chatter and I love the blue color. The trek Stache has 3” 29er tires. I run the MTB ranger.
I love blue too, my bike is blue! I found a picture of it, this was taken about 10 months ago, and I was rushing to get the pic taken (I submitted it to one of my subscribed channels, he was doing a compilation video of all the subscriber bike photos sent in), so the cranks aren't level, the tire logos are upright (heck, the rear tire's valve isn't even aligned with the Kenda logo, now it is though). I'll try to get a new picture of my steed sometime, it has different, better pedals and grips now, along with some budget lights; but this pic will give you aa rough idea of what it looks like :)

Lots of contact patch, what with 29x3.0" tires I bet! You mean "WTB" Rangers? Front and rear?
 

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You mean "WTB" Rangers? Front and rear?
Whoops, yes WTB, there’s a few other 29” plus tires that are more aggressive but terribly heavy. The rangers are a nice compromise.
 

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Whoops, yes WTB, there’s a few other 29” plus tires that are more aggressive but terribly heavy. The rangers are a nice compromise.
Yeah, it's all about balancing rolling resistance, weight, grip, cost, and puncture protection!

Those 2-pot brakes stop those big tires ok? Even being a rigid and all, those wheels must weigh like 4-5 pounds each! I have the stock Kenda Kadre tires on my bike, don't even get me started on those...let's just say, when brand new, the grip is "good/ok", when worn it's "meh", and when worn, on wet pavement, it's down right Tokyo Drift mode (not in the good way)! In fact, I just wiped out a fe days ago when cornering on somewhat moist pavement, I didn't even lean into it super far, and BAM, flat on my hands! I'd replace them in a heartbeat, but I'm gonna get a new bike somewhat soon.
 
Those 2-pot brakes stop those big tires ok? Even being a rigid and all, those wheels must weigh like 4-5 pounds each!
The brakes are fine, I’m light, old and slower than I used to be. Fade a little on longish down hills but nothing that ever really bothered me to change them. The wheelset is very light, they are built by light bicycle using their carbon rims and industry nine hubs. They really make the bike. Tires are around 1000gr, run tubeless with maybe 12lbs in front and 15 or so in the rear.
 
The brakes are fine, I’m light, old and slower than I used to be. Fade a little on longish down hills but nothing that ever really bothered me to change them. The wheelset is very light, they are built by light bicycle using their carbon rims and industry nine hubs. They really make the bike. Tires are around 1000gr, run tubeless with maybe 12lbs in front and 15 or so in the rear.
Man, that's light for the tires! The tubeless surely saves you a lot of weight, because of how big the tires are. Yup, those Industry 9 hubs are the cream of the crop, Industry leading, I'd say! (See what I did there? 🤣🤣)

How do you calculate how much weight there is on each wheel? I know for RC, especially crawlers and drifters, they have those linked scales that you put under each tire, that tells you how much weight there is on that tire, the left/right, front/back weight ratio, and the total front and rear axle weight, as well as the total car weight. I don't think they make that for bikes though. If I had to guess for my bike, I'm going for ~14.5lbs in the front, ~16.5 in the rear, not including my little lights, water bottle, and DIY saddle puch.
Enduro Comp (circa 2000) :p
View attachment 146370
Used to go out on trails every night... not so much anymore. About once a month 🤞 I'll take the Enduro out for a spin
A blast from the past! Nice "old-school" ride, it must've been the newest and best Enduro rig back in the day!
 
Coming from a dirtbike, I wear a lot of gear. Any recommendations on what necessary gear to wear for a new MTB’r?
 
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