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Letter of the Month
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Dear MBT:
I’ve noticed that riding bikes with different head angles feel really different but how does seat tube angle affect the feel of a bike? Maybe I’m wrong in thinking so, but wouldn’t that simply affect how much of a rider’s weight is over the rear wheel?
Cory Colewell
Cory:
You’re on the right path with your conclusion but there is a little more to the equation to consider. On a flat surface, like say the showroom of your LBS, the seat tube angle would simply place the rider in a position where his or her kneecap would be centered over the pedals and your conclusion would be correct.
However, we all know that the world is not in fact a perfectly flat surface, especially in the rough and tumble world we mountain bikers call home. As such the seat tube angle is actually another controllable factor bike manufacturers use to make the most of a given bike’s geometry.
You may have noticed that many XC bikes come standard with a fairly straight/ rear-set seat tube angle so as to put the rider’s weight over the rear tire while stretching the upper torso out to reach the bars. On the opposite side of the spectrum, you may notice that downhill bikes often make use of a stubbier angle (with a more upturned seat) as the rigors of going with gravity work best with a rider seated fairly upright and over the center of the frame.
Since the examples above are the extremes of the spectrum, you can imagine that trail bikes and all mountain designs usually fall somewhere in the middle. Better still is the fact that most bikes give the rider some degree of control over this angle by simply raising or lowering the seat post (which is why seat tubes are very rarely straight up and down).
The bottom line is that when it comes to the fact that no two human bodies are exactly alike, it is quite beneficial that frame designers have so many options at their disposal to allow customization of the relationship between a rider’s leg and crankset. Remember that the top tube is fixed and in most cases, so too is the bottom bracket. This is why the ability to perfect the relationship between the saddle, bars, and cranks becomes so important. Like the head tube angle, tweaking the geometry of the rear of the bike offers a near limitless set of options to maximize comfort, performance, and when we’re lucky, both.
For making us think, we’re going to send you a $20 gift certificate to spend at Evomo. Go get yourself a kick ass shirt, and send us a snapshot of you rocking it out: www.evomo.com/
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Welcome to but another edition of ASK MBT where our editors tackle your pressing questions in effort to earn their keep. For whatever reason, our inbox has been filled with nearly as many comments as questions so we’ve decided to sprinkle these in with the usual Q&A (because, after all, Tell MBT isn’t nearly as catchy a column name).
Without further ado:
Dear MBT:
What ever happened to the Tomac updates? I was following along with your regular updates and interviews with Joel Smith prior to the brand’s re-launch then it seemed like the moment they came out “poof” not another peep.
I am guilty of reading their reviews in Mountain Bike Action as the Primer could very well be my next build-up. Just wondering why the silent treatment and whether or not you guys plan to test the Primer in the near future?
Kevin Quillott
Kevin,
As much as we would love to come up with a satisfactory reason for Joel’s lack of contact, the truth is we aren’t exactly sure ourselves. We can only suspect that he’s been quite busy with the promotional and entrepreneurial responsibilities that go along with resurrecting an entire brand from the ground up. That said, should the opportunity arise for the MBT test crew to put one of the new Tomac models (especially the Snyper) through the paces, we would certainly like to affirm the general consensus thus far in the media that this most recent iteration of the brand name is by far the best.
Dear MBT:
After finally buying into the logic that Specialized may be right in saying that their private label components are superior to using aftermarket stuff, I go to my LBS to check out the Pitch and am floored to find a Fox shock and a RockShox Pike on the thing! Guess maybe making your own suspension isn’t as easy as they thought it would be.
William Horboski
William,
Many riders felt that Specialized’s decision to produce and run proprietary suspension components was counterproductive when viewed against the backdrop of society where the first sign of any tuner was to throw away any OEM bits in favor of the trick aftermarket stuff. That said, Specialized countered this reasoning by insisting that by manufacturing their own components in house, they maintained higher quality control and could design suspension to work with individual chassis/ configurations.
Like in any facet of the industry, some swear by it, others are less than impressed. The Pitch does not represent the end of the company’s commitment to proprietary suspension but rather comes equipped with Fox and RockShox units in effort to keep the MSRP of the price down. This is especially true when you consider that it is roughly a grand less than its cousin the Enduro SL (which does come equipped with Specialized’s own suspension). What’s interesting is that in this case we find that the proprietarily manufactured bits would raise the cost of the bike while other companies (see our test of the Giant Yukon elsewhere in this issue) use the same technique to actually lower the price.
Dear MBT:
I’ve seen the letters SSA on people’s forks out at the bike park. What’s that stand for?
D. Agron
D,
SSA is exclusive to Marzocchi suspension and it is the acronym for Single Schrader Air. As the full name suggests, the technology allows for a single Schrader valve to inflate both the positive and negative air chambers of the fork baring the SSA label.
Dear MBT:
Like your resident complainer CG, I am one of those “29 inch wheel freaks” and was wondering if I have the option to go tubeless?
Kenny Pitt
Kenny,
Hutchinson creates a tubeless ready 29er tire called the Python. The weight of this meat is to the tune of 1lb/ 6oz and it allegedly corners with the best of them thanks to a raised outside row of tread. We’ve heard mixed reviews about the reliability of the tire however on account of sidewall rupturing over the rough stuff. You may want to check out the various forums on the subject around the net before deciding.
Dear MBT:
I was recently browsing at Greenfish and came upon a sweet deal on a Haro Werx Xeon custom that was sold in two identical configurations: As a complete bike for $2299 or as a kit for $2199 and it got me wondering who in their right mind would order the bike in a thousand pieces to save $100? Needless to say I’ll be ordering the complete bike soon. Thank you for listening to my rant. I’ll send yo ua picture of my new ride when I get it.
Adam Jones
Adam,
Congratulations on making the cut into ASKMBT. While we initially intended this column to provide insight on bike setup/ purchase decisions, yours a fine example of the wide range of topics we deal with every month. As far as an answer to your question is concerned, we imagine that there are probably two types of riders out there who would prefer the kit option (and would likely still choose it even if it wasn’t a penny cheaper than the complete bike option): The rider who plans to swap out components during the build. You figure for him it would only be more work to take off what he paid someone else to put on. The other type of rider may be the tuner who simply finds the process of assembling his own bike therapeutic and relaxing. As a side-benefit some perfectionist mechanics rather enjoy the peace of mind in knowing that the bike was assembled to the proper torque specifications and lubricated properly along the way, a security that comes only with assembling the bike one’s self.
Dear MBT:
Hi, just found your website and read your review of the Trance 2. I was about to buy a frame to build up but your conclusions in the review stated that there were unacceptable handling characteristics compared to other bikes in the price range. Is there something on your website that compares bikes and gives recommendations?
I will be building up with my own choice of components. BTW, I have a Santa Cruz Blur 4x with XO/XTR build and just wanted to get anther full-suspension bike where I don't have to worry about damaging or having stolen a $5000 bike.
I weigh 225 and will be using a SMALL size frame, if this matters, and do not want to spend more than about $500 - $600 on the frame.
Thanks,
Steve Nunberg
Steve,
Unfortunately we don't have a comparison option on the site- but the best thing to do is to visit our review archives page as all of our bike tests since 2004 are listed there: Review Archives
As I'm sure you'll note, we have tested several bikes in the price range of the Trance 2 from the likes of Jamis, Trek, KHS, Woodstock, Felt, etc.
As far as our handling quips of the Trance 2 are concerned, there is some good news if in fact you are planning on building the bike from the frame up. The tendency of the chassis to wallow under out-of-the-seat hammering was attributed more to the shock's lack of a ProPedal option than it was the Maestro linkage. The Fox Float R that came equipped on our test bike was difficult to fully pressurize as well on account of the location of the Schrader valve in relation to the linkage.
If we had the option of hand picking each of the components that would grace the Trance 2, we can state with confidence that the chassis has serious potential. In fact our test riders all commented on how natural feeling the geometry was.
About the only area of concern is the Small size frame. We tested the medium option with test riders weighing in at 137- 175 pounds and it was a perfect fit. Not sure if you prefer a tighter frame or if the small is the only option available to you, but we would strongly recommend considering at least a medium if you do in fact decide to go with the Giant Trance 2.
Dear MBT:
I have a Gary Fisher Marlin Genesis series, and I am having some trouble with the gears slipping. It seems to happen most frequently on uphills, the bike will jerk and it feels like the gears are shifting, though I did not touch them. What is most likely the problem, and what can I do to fix it?
Thomas Fraser
Thomas,
When it comes to ghost shifting, especially on a hard tail where there is much less motion to consider along the drive train, the first step is to answer the following two questions:
How old is your drive train (meaning cables/ housings as well as chain and sprockets)?
Have you upgraded components (such as your chain) without installing clean chain rings?
Most common ghost shift trouble is caused by worn out bits or partial drive train swaps. Additionally, one of the major culprits is a bent derailleur hanger (particulalry if the problem seems prominent in the higher gears). Your local bike shop should either have a replacement or an alignment tool to check it for you if in doubt.
If neither is the case, here’s what to do:
Shift your bike into the big ring up front and the largest cog in the back. Now, without touching the pedals, click your shifters down into the smallest gear (front and back). Doing so should provide slack in the shifter cables. This should provide enough slack to allow you the ability to slide your cables out of the cable-stops on the frame.
Here is where you can do some investigating. Once free of the cable stops, you should be able to feel wear or lac kof lubrication. Place a few drops of lube on the cables and slide them back and forth with a cloth to get the all the grime and grit out of the housing.
Now, put your cables back into their frame stops. This should cure your troubles.
Earn Money by Making Us Work
Attention ASK MBT fans: You’ve always got questions and we like to think that we have the answers but now you could earn some swag just for putting our collective melons to the test. In each issue we will choose a winning question or comment to become Letter of the Month and send its author $20 toward the Evomo online store. What are you waiting for? Get hammering on those keyboards.
Got a question? Fire it away to us and we'll do the best we can to answer it. Send your inquiries to Ask Mountain Bike Tales.
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