Getting bouncy with it.

[Mulger bill]

Picked up me new steed today

Giant TranceX 2. I've been a hardtail holdout for a looong time, mainly cos the last DS I did more than a carpark trundle on was a horrible noodleish pogo stick. The couple of short runs I've done on me local test loop have been a ball, less worry about line choice and a bit quicker too. With one exception...

How do I get the rear wheel up? Hopping has never been a problem for me until now
I haven't touched the fork or shock settings from the set up the shop gave me, need some sort of base to work from before I try tweaking.

Could it be the bars and me don't get along? The homebrand OEM units have a pronounced upsweep that aint floating me boat at all, methinks the Crank Bros bar and stem the kids gave me last birthday might get subbed off Princess sooner rather than later...

[}SkOrPn--7]

Congrats on the new steed now time to plan another.....

[Kalgrm]

Cool, but pics or it didn't happen!

'Grats on the new steed.
Graeme

[Mulger bill]

The camera battery and the charger are getting intimate tonight, pics tomorrow. I could SMS a phone pic
It's about time I got the gallery up to date.

[trailgumby]

Nice buy, MB. You know the rule... photos or it didn't happen

I swap between the HT and dually sometimes, and struggle a bit with adjusting with getting the back wheel up over things too. You just need to plan ahead a bit more and start your move a little earlier... all that bouncy goodness means things take a little more time to wind up when you want to pop in the air, and a bit more body english is required. Once your timing adjusts you'll be fine.

What you can do that helps with bunny hopping is compress your weight into the suspension first, a bit like preparing for a trampoline jump.

[Mulger bill]

What you can do that helps is compress your weight into the suspension first, a bit like preparing for a trampoline jump.

Preloading? Used to be easy with just the front end D'yer reckon losing a bit of rebound damping would help?
Speaking of, the Fox 32 air fork is as stiff as the morning proverbial...

[trailgumby]

Errrmmm... yes, losing a bit of rebound would help, but I prefer to err on the slow side with rebound on the rear.

We have some vicious waterbars on some of our fire road trails and I generally hit them fast with a low manual (can't do high/long ones ), as the downhill stretch they're on is on the steep side. Fast(er) rebound can easily punt you over the bars if you're not paying full attention. A guy got stretchered out earlier this year at Terrey Hills, I think from making this mistake.

Give it a go, but don't go too wild...

[ZepinAtor]

What you can do that helps is compress your weight into the suspension first, a bit like preparing for a trampoline jump.

Preloading? Used to be easy with just the front end D'yer reckon losing a bit of rebound damping would help?
Speaking of, the Fox 32 air fork is as stiff as the morning proverbial...

Not sure about rebond adjustment, but I found the more pressure I put into the RP23 the easier or more responsive the rear wheel lift became. Seems the less it goes down the easier it is to pull back up.

I've always preferred the hard tail feel over the DS bike & hence probably run the rear suspension setting way too hard.

I like TG's explanation of the trampoline jump scenario, makes a lot of sense.

[DaveOZ]

Nice ride. Without wanting to drift this thread too much, did you consider a 29er Dual Susp? I'm keen to have a go at the forest trails around here (Penrose and Wingello) and I'm finding it hard to go past the Giant Anthem X 29er for $2650. I figures the big wheels and DS would be ideal for this type of track and an an old bloke like me who hasn't ridden a MTB for many years.

[AlMac]

Yes, pre-loading.

I highly recommend, all your questions answered in one place, Mastering Mountain Bike Skills 2nd edit.

http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/Mastering-Mountain-Bike-Skills-Brian-Lopes/9780736083713

Best skills book I've read, road or mountain. Some of the principles are applicable to road to (circular pedaling for eg) and better set out and described than in the roadie books I've read.

[Kenzo]

Bunny hopping is mostly through the handlebars.... Get that technique right, it transfers between hardtail and duallie with ease.
I normally ride a 29er Hard tail and one day swapped bikes with a friend on a one size larger Santa Cruz Blur LT with 140mm travel.... The lifting of the rear wheel felt easier, not harder. Managed an uphill log hop which I never do smoothly on the hard tail. The back wheel did not even touch the leading side of the log.

[Mulger bill]

Thanks all. More practice before I fiddle settings. Yep, I've seen the results of too fast rear rebound on a triple at the local BMX track.

DaveOZ, I did look at the Anthem 29er but my stumpy little legs weren't gonna make it work unless I got such a small model that the top tube would be waay to short for my fairly long torso.

[Mulger bill]

Still gotta get this hop thing dialled, it'll come.

[Kenzo]

All those 'Giant' stickers are weighing you down....

(I ride a heavily branded Giant roadie ).

[Mulger bill]

Know what yer mean Kenzo, me old OCR roadie had something like fourteen of the damn things.
Methinks wheel decal removal will be tomorrows project...

[trailgumby]

Hmm noice

If you flip the stem, your steering response will improve noticeably. The price of course is that techy descents will feel a bit more sketchy, so that choice will depend on the terrain you most commonly ride.

[Mulger bill]

Negative stem on an MTB? I'll pull some spacers first

[}SkOrPn--7]

I'm pretty sure I would enjoy that beast that is one sweat steed and nicely decked out but the only change I would have done is had a white fork but that is a personal thing I know.

Ricky

[toolonglegs]

With duallies you can hit obstacles harder as the rear will soak it up while you keep pedaling at speed...just point and pedal,much easier over rough terrain.Hopping just feels harder because you have to lift the "sag" first.

[Mulger bill]

Noticed the point and shoot on the first ride, me back's loving it
Can't wait to hit the Wombat forest

[Kalgrm]

Okay, okay, I believe you.

Nice ...

(Can't get one myself, so I'll go sulk quietly in my corner ... )

Cheers,
Graeme

(Nah - looks excellent. Give it some stick!!!)

[Mulger bill]

You could get an X2 if you want Graeme, it's black after all

[LoveB]

Cant wait to get my fs on the road!! (or off of it!)

[jheeno]

got the same bike as you
it was already mentioned above but based on my experience and the adjustment that I made ... yes putting more pressure on the RP32 will get you what your after

[Mulger bill]

Methinks you're right Zep and jheeno, I'll see what a few more pounds of air in the rear will do.

Still not happy with the brakes

Shaun