Ask the experts

[toast2266]

I used to really hate the summer instagram shift when people would go from posting pictures of skiing pow in big steep mountains - which IS (or at least can be) awesome to look at - with pictures of bikes laying down next to trails. I get it more now that I do it, but still... not a great social media spectator activity.

I guess maybe the slowmo stuff is as eye-candy as it gets?

Agreed.

Getting good bike pics / video is so much harder than skiing. With skiing, it's so much easier to get to some awesome vantage point that shows the scale of some feature, or is scenic, or is just a rad pow shot. With biking, there's always a tree in the way of the perfect angle, and the rider is constrained by the trail so you can't just tell them to ride 50 feet to the right so they're in the sun instead of a shadow, and it's almost impossible to find a perspective on any given feature that conveys steepness or scale.

Which still doesn't answer the question as to why people want to watch some hack flounder his way down a trail. Especially when there's soooo much professionally produced bike content these days that's infinitely more watchable.

[kathleenturneroverdrive]

People like real stuff though. Relatable with a story > production value 99% of the time. It's why so many here like Cody's 50 videos. The skiing/snow can really suck, but it doesn't really matter at all.

[Thaleia]

I noticed if my bike is on a stand (chain on the largest rear sprocket) and I hand pedal backwards (ei applying chain lube) the rear will shift one or two gears down. Obviously when I pedal forward it goes back to the original gear - just curious if this is normal or if it suggests something is out of alignment?

[caulfield]

I used to really hate the summer instagram shift when people would go from posting pictures of skiing pow in big steep mountains - which IS (or at least can be) awesome to look at - with pictures of bikes laying down next to trails. I get it more now that I do it, but still... not a great social media spectator activity.

I guess maybe the slowmo stuff is as eye-candy as it gets?

might just need new insta friends



But hey before we get too far from your chain question, skizix has a good point about the chainring and cassette that you may not have read up on yet. Many schools of thought on it, pretty much boils down to either:
A. swap chains early and chainring/cassette after the 2nd, 3rd or 4th
B. run them all to shit and swap everything at once

I'm on program A, and I think most guys here are too. How many miles and chains you can go depends on how nice your parts are and drivetrain cleanliness

[caulfield]

I noticed if my bike is on a stand (chain on the largest rear sprocket) and I hand pedal backwards (ei applying chain lube) the rear will shift one or two gears down. Obviously when I pedal forward it goes back to the original gear - just curious if this is normal or if it suggests something is out of alignment?

normal with some drivetrains maybe both shimano and sram 11spd? People lost their shit about it in the early 1x11 but they've largely moved on to freaking out about other stuff

[John_B]

If my sram 11 speed is adjusted dead nuts perfect it won't downshift.

[rideit]

That’s an oxymoron.

[John_B]

That’s an oxymoron.

It happened! Once. Then I hit a blade of cheatgrass with my derailleur and that was the end of that.

[schuss]

Oh I get how the game works. What I don't get, as someone who finds most POV of anything short of legit pros going full-send to be unwatchable (very much including stuff I've shot myself), is why people click more than once. "Man, this guy is a bigger hack than I am, better go watch his whole catalogue!" WTF?

Be a kid with no idea what you're doing/looking at in terms of skill level.

[teledad]

A. swap chains early and chainring/cassette after the 2nd, 3rd or 4th
B. run them all to shit and swap everything at once

This is basically a tradeoff between laziness and cost. An 11-speed chain is $20, a GX or XT cassette is around $100, X01 or XTR are even more. I'm lazy but I'm also cheap so I'm on plan A.

[grinch]

I noticed if my bike is on a stand (chain on the largest rear sprocket) and I hand pedal backwards (ei applying chain lube) the rear will shift one or two gears down. Obviously when I pedal forward it goes back to the original gear - just curious if this is normal or if it suggests something is out of alignment?

Buy this guys drivetrain?

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CESuc...=1nrormmcz9ufl

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[kidwoo]

That is kinda what I am saying. You can't really make riding and/or reviewing mountain bikes look interesting.

I disagree. Just gotta want it.



https://www.vitalmtb.com/product/gui...ws/2167/expand

[kidwoo]

Agreed.

Getting good bike pics / video is so much harder than skiing.

No way in hell.

You can always do the bike shit twice. And don't have to slug around in 4 feet of variable density dirt to do it.


Might depend on your definition of 'good' I guess. I'm not talking about instagram bullshit.

I used to shit a shit ton of both. I can shoot a good, very watchable 5 min bike vid in two afternoons. Takes me a season to get 5 minutes of ski footage worth watching.

[grskier]

Don't get me started on youtube nerd/gapes.

The only people that should really be doing it IMO are Sam Pilgrim and Nate Hills. Kerr, Neko, etc have been putting out legit stuff as well recently. They can actually ride and aren't super cringe hyper gapes.

BKXC etc is like me doing ollies down a 3 stair on a skateboard channel and getting 50k views per video. Fucking wack.

I find a few of them entertaining. Seth's bike hacks (now berm peak) is like a slow car crash. By the time I realize what I'm watching I'm done with the video. Skills with Phil may be 5x worse. Have I learned a thing or two.. sure. It isn't easy making all those videos. The hours of content to boil down to 12 minutes is insane. Good for those guys for making it work. I'm surprised that Cody is like the only skier to figure that out so far.

You did forget Matt Jones, he's putting out some of the best action sports content during quarantine.

[HAB]

I think photo and video need to be separate categories for that discussion. Photos on skis are so much easier for the reasons toast said, but I can see that not translating to video.

[grinch]

There's a lot of good channels now, especially with no racing and a bunch of heavy hitters with channels this year.
Here's a small channel thats really good. Simple production but he finds speed and flow in the jankiest trails. Good riders



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[sethschmautz]

I noticed if my bike is on a stand (chain on the largest rear sprocket) and I hand pedal backwards (ei applying chain lube) the rear will shift one or two gears down. Obviously when I pedal forward it goes back to the original gear - just curious if this is normal or if it suggests something is out of alignment?

I have similar drivetrains on two bikes - e*thirteen 9-46 cassette with M8000 derailleurs. Chains are probably different as are the cranks and chainrings and my guess is that chainline is also. One is a Trek Stache and the other is a Hightower v1. One downshifts (I think the Stache) and the other doesn't. My money is on chainline, but it hasn't bothered me enough to really figure it out.

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[skizix]

I noticed if my bike is on a stand (chain on the largest rear sprocket) and I hand pedal backwards (ei applying chain lube) the rear will shift one or two gears down. Obviously when I pedal forward it goes back to the original gear - just curious if this is normal or if it suggests something is out of alignment?

Doesn’t sound right. I’d have a hard look at your b-tension.

Be aware that to get it right, you have to adjust it with the rear sus properly sagged. I recently did this with my wife sitting on her new bike (but I don’t mind her undercarriage in my face so much - YMMV). Her shifting went from shit to awesome.

[volklpowdermaniac]

Contemplating a dirt jumper for bike park practice - trying to overcome gap fears (im at 4-6 feet with small to medium lips)
Tell me about what’s reasonable to spend for an average/mid level one that will allow me some skill growth?
Sizing - I ride a medium on every bike ever (54 on road bikes) 5’8-9, short arms and legs (28-29 inseam) (32-33 sleeves)
presumably used/but would also consider used
I don’t know, anything else to know?

[meepmoop24]

Contemplating a dirt jumper for bike park practice - trying to overcome gap fears (im at 4-6 feet with small to medium lips)
Tell me about what’s reasonable to spend for an average/mid level one that will allow me some skill growth?
Sizing - I ride a medium on every bike ever (54 on road bikes) 5’8-9, short arms and legs (28-29 inseam) (32-33 sleeves)
presumably used/but would also consider used
I don’t know, anything else to know?

I bought one for a similar reason and ended up with a Commencal Absolut: https://www.commencalusa.com/absolut-c2x30726764

Seemed like the best deal and it was available in a reasonable amount of time. I bought a medium and I'm 5' 11", seems to fit well.

[kidwoo]

I think photo and video need to be separate categories for that discussion. Photos on skis are so much easier for the reasons toast said, but I can see that not translating to video.

All bangers must be video. I'm pretty sure that's in the terms and conditions we all checked. And hey life's too shallow and superficial to do anything but bangers amirite?

[Boissal]

Be aware that to get it right, you have to adjust it with the rear sus properly sagged.

This. I had to get real creative with Voile straps to properly adjust things on a couple bikes last year. Ms Boissal wasn't around and I didn't want to air out the shock to get to the sag point.
It makes a big difference when compared to a derailleur that was adjusted with the bike on a stand.

[forty]

Contemplating a dirt jumper for bike park practice - trying to overcome gap fears (im at 4-6 feet with small to medium lips)
Tell me about what’s reasonable to spend for an average/mid level one that will allow me some skill growth?
Sizing - I ride a medium on every bike ever (54 on road bikes) 5’8-9, short arms and legs (28-29 inseam) (32-33 sleeves)
presumably used/but would also consider used
I don’t know, anything else to know?

used 500-1000, new 1200-1500

reg/med/short would be your size, whatever the brand calls their smaller model

low end dj forks really suck, you want a circus expert or better if your bank account allows

that absolut has great parts for the price and ive heard good things although never ridden myself

if looking used post up for input, dj bikes are pretty straightforward and havent changed a lot over time but they do use a mix of mtb and bmx parts so things can get kinda weird sometimes and there are some things to avoid or at least be aware of

[volklpowdermaniac]

used 500-1000, new 1200-1500

reg/med/short would be your size, whatever the brand calls their smaller model

low end dj forks really suck, you want a circus expert or better if your bank account allows

that absolut has great parts for the price and ive heard good things although never ridden myself

if looking used post up for input, dj bikes are pretty straightforward and havent changed a lot over time but they do use a mix of mtb and bmx parts so things can get kinda weird sometimes and there are some things to avoid or at least be aware of

Thanks man!!

[radam]

I've got a buddy who was thinking about selling an old GT dirt jumper. Probably at least 10 years old, but I'm just pretty sure its seen approximately 1 day of use in the last 5 years if not longer. Can get you more info if you don't mind an older bike

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