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Taller front end better/easier to pull up?

pnj

pnj

Turbo Monkey till the fat lady sings
Aug 14, 2002
4,696
40
seattle
I have no problems manualing on my bmx, but on my mtn. bike, I seem to have a hell of a time. Someone mentioned taller bars, more spacers under my stem, etc..

Would this make pulling the front end up easier? What's the general thought on this subject?
 
Weaver

Weaver

Monkey
Oct 27, 2003
217
0
austin, TX
pnj said:
I have no problems manualing on my bmx, but on my mtn. bike, I seem to have a hell of a time. Someone mentioned taller bars, more spacers under my stem, etc..

Would this make pulling the front end up easier? What's the general thought on this subject?
Click to expand...
yes.

think about it... it puts you back over the back of the bike more easily.
 
J

jasride

Turbo Monkey
Sep 23, 2006
1,069
5
PA
pnj said:
I have no problems manualing on my bmx, but on my mtn. bike, I seem to have a hell of a time. Someone mentioned taller bars, more spacers under my stem, etc..

Would this make pulling the front end up easier? What's the general thought on this subject?
Click to expand...

Would this make pulling up easier? Yes

Would this make pulling up better? Not really.

Just going off my personal experience, I was riding a 4 inch travel fork with a 3 inch riser bar and although i liked the look of it, I'm not sure it's a practical set up. Pulling up is way easier but holding that real low manual position is really hard. You know when you're tucked way behind your rear tire and your front end is off the ground but fairly low. finding the balance point to hold that position is really hard when your front end is set up really high. You can still manual, but I was in more of that almost sitting on your seat feathering the brake position. More like a sit down wheelie than a manual. But some people might like that set up and ride really well with a higher front end so I guess you have to just experience it for yourself.

I guess the question is what are you riding right now?
 
opjones

opjones

Monkey
Aug 17, 2006
678
0
Detroit
Shorter chainstays and a higher BB make it easier to pull up and manual. What bike are you on right now pnj?
 
pnj

pnj

Turbo Monkey till the fat lady sings
Aug 14, 2002
4,696
40
seattle
well, I guess I don't have as much trouble pulling up as I do keeping it up...:)

The bike I'm riding now is a Diamond Back Sorento from around 2002. It's aluminum. I think it's a sized 16 or so. Kinda small. Actually, it's really small. the top tube measures in at around 20 inches. It came with 80mm crap fork and I'm now running a DJ 2 with 4 inches of travel. It rides great. :D

So yea, I guess it's just the keeping the front end up that I'm having trouble with. The bike, even though it's small in mtn. bike sizes, makes me feel like I'm riding a giant horse or something...
 
cmc

cmc

Turbo Monkey
Nov 17, 2006
2,052
6
austin
pnj said:
well, I guess I don't have as much trouble pulling up as I do keeping it up...:)

The bike I'm riding now is a Diamond Back Sorento from around 2002. It's aluminum. I think it's a sized 16 or so. Kinda small. Actually, it's really small. the top tube measures in at around 20 inches. It came with 80mm crap fork and I'm now running a DJ 2 with 4 inches of travel. It rides great. :D

So yea, I guess it's just the keeping the front end up that I'm having trouble with. The bike, even though it's small in mtn. bike sizes, makes me feel like I'm riding a giant horse or something...
Click to expand...
IMO there's a big difference between riding a small xc-mtb than riding a 26" designed for dirt jumping/4x etc. If you have the setup that is pictured below, if anything you would want the stem lower--a short low bmx style stem (except with 25.4 clamp area for regular mtb bars). Even with the seat all the way down, it might still be in the way for manuals, depending how tall you are.

My advice is sell that Sorrento and get DJ/4x bike !!

 
pnj

pnj

Turbo Monkey till the fat lady sings
Aug 14, 2002
4,696
40
seattle
well, that is my exact frame. But the parts have all been swapped for quality stuff. I'm running a GT bmx stem, fsa cranks, DJ 2 fork, Planet X bars, kick ass wheels, etc..

What I did when I first got into Mtn. Bikes was purchase the Diamond Back as seen above. Then I broke everything on it, minus the frame. I then purchased a custom complete through Unreal Cycles. The frame was a Planet X Jack Flash. But that frame was WAY too long for me. So I swapped it out for my Diamond Back..

I can fit 2.30 tires on that frame. Nutty.
 
allsk8sno

allsk8sno

Turbo Monkey
Jun 6, 2002
1,153
33
Bellingham, WA
having ridden an xc bike in similar fashion, get a dj specific frame, it will do wonders!!


SPAM....i got a nice giant stp frame size R for sale! brand new never built up,
 
Stoked

Stoked

Turbo Monkey
Nov 28, 2004
1,809
1
LI, NY
ditch that frame like people say. you can put the best parts on a shoe box but it'll still ride like a shoe box :P
 
dexter

dexter

Turbo Monkey
Sep 23, 2001
3,053
99
Boise, Idaho
i would highly suggest selling it and getting something designed for the purpose. I have seen way way to many ppl bust themselves up big time trying to ride xc bikes as dj bikes. i have done it myself a few times
 
pnj

pnj

Turbo Monkey till the fat lady sings
Aug 14, 2002
4,696
40
seattle
unfortunately I'll be riding this frame for awhile, due to my current finacial situation. But, as I said, I had a Jack Flash (designed for 4x/dirt jumping) and it seemed WAY too long.

anyways, for now I'm stuck with what I have...
I'm not afraid of breaking this frame, as I don't really ride hard enough.
 
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