Mountain Bike Reviews Forum banner

New bike on the way, some questions

1K views 9 replies 7 participants last post by  Fly Rod 
#1 ·
History: I once was a fairly avid mtber. I haven't in quite some time now, in fact my current bike is nearly 20 years old! I have decided to get back into things mainly to help connect with the kids(12yr old twin girls...I know I'm in trouble!) and to get back in shape.

New toy: I ordered a new 2012 Trek fuel EX 7 yesterday!! Super excited! I thought it was the best bang for the buck.

Questions: 1) Spd or egg beaters? Why? (never have run clipless, but want to) 2)Tubeless? This is new to me and I'd like to know the pros and cons. 3) It comes with the bontrager xr4 tires. I have read many negative things about bontrager tires in general and would like to know if I should trade them out in house before I take it out of the store. My riding will be mostly northern Utah single track (i.e. gravelly, rocky, rooty, dusty) and some moab and around town. Tips, suggestions on tires?

Budget is now very tight again having spent so much on the bike. P.s. the kids will only ride with me part time since I only have them part time.
 
#2 ·
I'm just going to chime in on question 1 regarding clip less. While traditionally many folks will recommend the spd clip less pedals to noobs to clips because of the adjustability, as somebody who was new to clips as of a few months ago, I've had a great experience with the Crankbrothers eggbeaters (I use the mallets which are essentially eggbeaters with a platform built around them). Very easy to clip in and clip out with a bit of practice, like the simplicity of them.

Enjoy the new ride!
 
#3 ·
Tubeless is often touted as the greatest thing since sliced bread in many of the magazines.. Whether or not it's for you has a lot to do with your type of riding and the terrain. The biggest benefit, as the name suggests, lies in the fact that the tire no longer requires use of a heavy (and often finicky) inner-tube. Instead the rim itself is sealed so that when coupled with the tire's bead, it functions like your car's tire. Some benefits include decreased rolling resistance and there may be some weight shavings but not always when you factor in the rim strip and gunky sealant. In the real world the greatest benefit comes in the form of allowing you to run lower air-pressure without the risk of pinch-flatting. There are some benefits but in my experience it's never been a deal breaker.
 
#4 ·
ZmyDust: Thanks. That is the way I have been leaning, but I have no real reason to base it on. I think I am gonna go with the eggbeaters. They look to me like they'd stay cleaner and they have 4 sides, not just two.

SlimTwisted: Thank you as well. The bike comes "tubeless ready". As I understand it, that means I just need a rim strip, a stem, and a tire rated as such. Are you saying there are more pros than cons? I like the idea, but like I said before I'm new to the game and some of this technology. I am looking for ease of maintenance and rideability. I am not going to be racing or going extreme on much, if anything. I would like to save weight, but this bike is lighter than my old bike anyway.

Anyone with the xr4's?
 
#5 ·
Congrats on your purchase. I don't have an XR4 but I highly suggest you invest in some chain oil/lube, air pump, tool kit and gloves. I recommend these items because this is what I first needed when I started back riding two weeks ago. As far as the pedals and going tubeless that is up to you. Take your bike on a few trails and after a month or two assess what you think you need to increase your comfort. Good luck out there.
 
#6 ·
1) Spd or egg beaters?

Do you like Coke or Pepsi? Crank Bros tend to be lighter and shed mud better, but might not be as strong as the SPD system. shimano pedals just go on forever and ever.

2)Tubeless? This is new to me and I'd like to know the pros and cons.

no reason not to. there are 1,000,000 threads about tubeless stuff on the wheels forum and just as many how-to's on youtube. go for it.


3) It comes with the bontrager xr4 tires.

I really like my Bontrager tire. i have a fat one on my front wheel and it's great. there are better tires out there, but give them a try and run them into the ground, then consider some Maxxis, Continentals, or Kendas.
 
#7 ·
History: I once was a fairly avid mtber. I haven't in quite some time now, in fact my current bike is nearly 20 years old! I have decided to get back into things mainly to help connect with the kids(12yr old twin girls...I know I'm in trouble!) and to get back in shape.

New toy: I ordered a new 2012 Trek fuel EX 7 yesterday!! Super excited! I thought it was the best bang for the buck.

Questions: 1) Spd or egg beaters? Why? (never have run clipless, but want to) 2)Tubeless? This is new to me and I'd like to know the pros and cons. 3) It comes with the bontrager xr4 tires. I have read many negative things about bontrager tires in general and would like to know if I should trade them out in house before I take it out of the store. My riding will be mostly northern Utah single track (i.e. gravelly, rocky, rooty, dusty) and some moab and around town. Tips, suggestions on tires?

Budget is now very tight again having spent so much on the bike. P.s. the kids will only ride with me part time since I only have them part time.
Welcome back to bikes!

1) SPD all the way for beginners. Reasoning: #1 Adjustable tension. #2 Multi release cleats. Take my advice for what it's worth as I hate CB pedals. They are fragile, eject your foot when the pedal strikes a rock, and if you get the ones without a body around them (like the Candys or Mallets) then you can't stand on the pedal without clipping in or fearing for your life. SPD is as good a beginner pedal as it is an expert level pedal. Everyone praises CB because that's what they heard was good and that's what they tried first. If you want a non-SPD pedal, go Time. You can still get adjustable tension and a mud shedding design without compromising on the function and durability of the pedal.

Honestly, the advantages of clipless are vastly overstated. I would suggest that you just get a decent pair of flat pedals, some flat soled shoes, and get out on the trail and get used to riding again. There's no reason to rush into clipless, you won't be at any disadvantage by running flats.

2)Tubeless Pros: you can run sealant which is great for goat heads and other trail and tube destroying objects, you can run lower pressure without greatly increasing rolling resistance, for the most part you will get rid of pinch flats.
Tubeless Cons: you still have to carry a tube with you for flat repair, it can be hard to set up on some combinations of tires and rims (and no, we probably can't predict whether or not it will work with whatever setup you have), you trade pinch flats for the possibility of "burping" the tire off the rim (not common, but it's possible), and you do have to refresh your sealant. In our climate (I'm in SLC) it seems like you need to refresh the sealant every 1-3 months as it dries out quickly.

3) Tires are as personal as a fingerprint, take a look around at what the people riding the same trails as you have for tires and consider those as a starting point. There is absolutely no reason to take off perfectly good tires to buy something else. Wear those out and pick another tire. If you really hate them, put them in the garage until you go to Moab because Moab will eat a set of tires like nothing else. And if you really hate those tires, PM me for my address and I'll take them off your hands.:thumbsup: Also, it's not uncommon to want a different tire depending on the season or trail condition or your current location; keep the tires you have and see what you think.
 
#8 ·
Thanks all for your replies......this helps alot just hearing some feedback.

Zebrahum: Since we are in the same neighborhoodish (Brigham City). I take your advice strongly. Thank you. The dealer said they would trade the tires out and credit them for others if I chose, before they left the store of course. They had to order the bike, so I do not have it yet. I was wondering if there was a better tire choice for BST trails and the Wasatch range type riding. Moab may be few and far between...especially at first. I do want to go tubeless, but other than that I'm not too picky about weight savings and only moderately concerned with rolling resistance. More for confident handling and durability. Thanks again.
 
#9 ·
Well, I would ask the shop what they would be trading you for. You can do better and worse than the tires that come on the bike. If they're going to trade you for some junk then the Bontis are fine. Honestly, the Bontis are probably a good enough choice for around here. When the trails are in good shape they're not very demanding of a tire and when the trails are in bad shape, well there isn't a tire on earth I've been on that is able to cope with 4" of moon dust.

Personally I like Schwalbe tires, but it should be noted that I like really big tires all the time. My current tire setup is a Fat Albert F/R combo. But some people like fast tires, some people like grippy tires, it's a tough thing to narrow all choices down to even a couple good ones.

I'd start by asking what tires they would recommend and would be willing to swap for. I'm sure they have a limited selection and it would be hard to guess what they have.
 
#10 ·
My $.02:

SPD vs All others: I have been on spd's since 1991 so I am definitely biased. They just flat work. By buddy bought the candies and loves them. Roll the dice and learn to ride with your choice. It doesn't really matter, if you break one get the other one.

Tubeless vs tubes: Rode tubes for 22 years. Made the change and I will never go back. I do carry Co2 for burped beads and regularly maintain my sealant. If you are good at maintenance then tubeless will feel better.

Tires: Ride the stock tires. Tires are consumable parts on mtb's. If I get 6 months out of a tire I am happy. I change tires like my wife changes shoes. I still haven't found the "perfect" tire.

Kids: I have 6yo twins. As much as I like my fast solo rides my rides with the kids are ALWAYS the best. Ride with your kids, teach and enjoy them, learn your rig and love life!!!

HTH
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top