|   New toy. Questions... | Drevil
Sep 24, 2003 8:27 PM | | I just got a Planet X Zebdi on Monday (thanks Webcyclery chaps) and finally built it up today and took it for a spin. Now, I have questions.
I guess a little background will help. I've been riding XC singlespeed exclusively for the last 2.5 years. I've always ridden clipless. Never done "real" trials stuff before, but on my XC bikes I could bunny hop, trackstand, get over logs up to 1.5' high, pivot (~135 degrees)on the front wheel, climb stairs by sidehopping, and bounce indefinitely on the rear wheel.
However platform pedals seem to be my Kryptonite. Tooling around today, I could barely get both wheels off the ground. My trackstanding was weak, and I can't do much else that I could do with my XC bikes and clipless.
Also, my forearms are blitzed! I'm guessing without the dependency of the clipless, my arms are getting a much better workout. This bike, even with lightweight parts, feels 10 pounds heavier than any of my previous bikes. No wonder I'm sore ;^)
Questions:
1) Are my arms supposed to be this sore? I've got chump arms, so maybe that explains it. However, is my technique off? Any kind of lifting or exercises you do to help with trials?
2) Zebdi owners, do you find a front chain retention device necessary? I slapped on a N-Gear Jump Stop (pic below) as a precautionary measure, but I wonder if I even need it.
3) I'm going on a long ride this weekend in the Shenandoah Mountains in Virginia (Douthat to be exact) with long uphills and downhills. My XC ride is a singlespeed, and people scoffed when I suggested I'm taking a one-speed up a lot of the climbs, so I'm considering taking the Zebdi instead. How badly does it perform on a singletrack woods ride? I already noticed on some short singletrack hills I've ridden around my 'hood that it's wheelie-happy. Will it simply suck?
3a) What about slapping on my Fox F80 on the front. Will that jack it up and just get all ugly and impossible to ride on the trails?
4) I know, I know...clipless pedals are cheating, at least that's the impression I'm getting from a lot of you guys. However, I don't plan on changing to platforms on my XC ride. Do you think that the techniques that I learn on the Zebdi are going to improve my clipless riding on the XC bikes?
5) What to learn first? I suspect trackstanding but let me know if you think something else is better.
6) What gear ratio do you do most of your trials in? I've got a 22 tooth front and a 8-spd 11-28 XT cassette.
Thanks for the help!
-rickyd |
| From 1 newbie to another.......... | Shane73
Sep 25, 2003 7:47 AM | | I can't help with your questions on the P.X. frame (very nice BTW) but I ride flat pedals excusively on everything I do. I gave clipless a shot once but it wasn't for me, but I learned alot. Yes, your arms should feel that way. It's just new exercise to those muscles that you will use now that were "handicapped" by the assistance of the clipless pedals. Your time spent on clipless will serve you well since you had aquired some good skills with them. You still have that good sense of balance somewhere, you just need to find it on flats and that will come with practice. Try practicing simple things like simply lifting the rear wheel off the ground without using the front brake and riding up curbs while doing the same. Your arms will need a day or two rest between long practice sessions to allow the muscles to grow and adapt (your basically putting them through a real workout as far as they're concerned).
I think the jump stop is a good idea. Just ordered one myself. Good frame protection. As for the suspension fork it would slack the head angle out more making slow speed climbing even harder. Don't bother. I'd try a lower gear combo on your SS and just stomp the gearies on your trip!
Good luck in your practice! |
| xc bike for xc trials bike for trials | EricTheRed
Sep 28, 2003 12:31 PM | | seems pretty simple and it is. If people can't understand riding a SS up long climbs that doesn't mean you should ride it. I've ridden w/ folks on SS bikes at elevation up past tree line, from 9k feet so don't worry about it. Also a trials bike w/ a rigid fork probably isn't a good idea for bombing long downhills and if your head angle is in the mid to high 70 deg then that bike should be pretty prone for OTB.
I ride a SS Zedbi so i can't really help you on gear choice i do know that lots of guys get a road cassete and only take the 5-6 cogs they like the most. It will also depend on your terrain and what you like doing so keep the large range cog till you think you need a tighter cluster.
Platforms will save you in the end. I run flats on my xc bike if there aren't alot of tough climbs or if its bad weather and i want to keep my feet warm. If you can handle riding flats for a while on all of your bikes i think that will help you become a better rider (trials, xc, etc..)
Just go and ride, your muscels will get stronger. |
| Thanks Shane and Eric. Followup... | Drevil
Sep 29, 2003 4:59 AM | | So I ended up taking the Zebdi with the 22T x 11-28T setup, and the bike felt better than I expected. I also kept the Knifen fork on. I slapped on the clipless pedals because I didn't feel that one hour of tooling around in the hood with platforms was enough time to get accustomed.
I did notice the front end a little lighter and wanting to lift up on some of the steep climbs, but at least I was still pedaling!
This ride has a lot of tight switchbacks going both up and down the mountain, and it was cool because I was the only one that made it through all of them. People said I was cheating because I had a trials bike :)
One thing that was scary was going fast on off-camber trails, where if you dropped off the edge you'd fall 20 feet down. The bike definitely felt more "twitchy", but maybe it was my nerves?
The Knifen fork doesn't flex as much as my Kelly, so I'm glad I put Ourys on to take up some of the shock on the rocky trails and downhills.
I could have ridden this mountain with my singlespeed, but I was just antsy to get my new bike out. I've done a few races (Shenandoah Mountain 100) and rides on my SS that were worse than this one.
Altogether a fun (but not perfect) bike for big trail rides, but I'm ready to slap the platforms back on and begin learning proper trials. Thanks! |
| Drop that seat down! | ScaryJerry
Sep 29, 2003 5:12 PM | | Drop that seat down as far as it will go!
Unless of course, you don't want to have kids anymore and enjoying peeing blood.
That's why i like mods, junk busting proof! almost... until you tap it on he top tube. ouch! |
| I know, I know... | Drevil
Sep 30, 2003 6:37 AM | | ...I'm also using the bike to commute to work (about 1.5 miles). Right after work I can tool around campus, with the seat dropped down, of course. |
| I know, I know... | Surfboard921
Oct 2, 2003 9:44 PM | | You might wanna lower that stem, the zebdi has a high front end to begin with(130mm headtube I beleive) so an inch of spacers under it doesnt help. I suggest you buy a mini seat(mod style), remove the seat post that comes with it and carry the mini seat around. That way you can use that mega long seat and seatpost for commuting and once you arrive to the spot where you wanna do trials you take the xc seat off and push in the mini seat. Remember that in trials the more standover clearance you have the better. It will take some time to get used to flat pedals but it's worth it, you will eventually go much bigger than you did with clips. The most used gearing for trials are 22-17, 22-18, 22-19. My personal favorite is 22-18. 22-11 is the best for street(assuming you run 170mm cranks).
Good luck! |
| |
