Joe Papasnap Maher Posted September 6, 2005 Report Share Posted September 6, 2005 Good evening boys and gals.... I have a question for you all. Earlier today, i took a 1cm headset spacer, from underneath my stem, and placed it ontop of my stem...hence lowering my bar/stem height.as it was quite high. I went on my bike...and it felt weird...obviously ..not alot, but felt like something wasn't right...that kinda feeling. Anwyays...i carried on riding, and i slowly got used to it...and within 10 mins or so, i was doing stuff that i could do before...but with so much more ease...(up..taps...sidehops..). Now my question is.... from that 1cm bit of movement...has it REALLY made that much difference to me and my riding...or am i kidding myself. Is it that, i want to think its easier...?? i'm not sure..you tell me...? i'm guessing you'll will have done this at one stage...whats your experiences in similar circumstances.? i'm now going to bed, but i hope to see a shed load of replies in the morning.. Night night x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark W Posted September 6, 2005 Report Share Posted September 6, 2005 Minor adjustments really do make a big difference. I tilted my BMX bars back about, say, a degree at most, and it felt totally different. If you think about how much a ° more on the HT feels and how much difference there feels between a 1065 and a 1080 bike, you start to understnad just how much stuff affects you. Bar height really is a clincher too. With the ZOO! stem on, which lowered my bars by just over an inch in total, everything was way harder. Gaps and sidehops felt a little easier, but everything else was just a right mission. High all the way for me (Y) Currently got a bar height of around 38"... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Posted September 6, 2005 Report Share Posted September 6, 2005 Sorry. (Y) Anywhom. I wen't from a 25 degree rise stem, to a 10 degree rise stem, and everything was harder at first, but after a while everything was easier and a lot more control. My theory on this, is thus; If for example you have a 25 degree rise stem, you only have a spare 65 degree's to play with, and your arms can only pull in that amount, if however you have a 10 degree rise, you have 80 degree's to play with, and your arms can pull up a lot more, or pull up less to keep the bike more stable. You are closer to the front wheel, so taps and such like will feel more natural and gentle. Thats my thinking anyway. I know i changed degree's, but you changing the spacer basically has the same effect anyway. (Y) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark W Posted September 6, 2005 Report Share Posted September 6, 2005 Sorry. (Y) Anywhom. I wen't from a 25 degree rise stem, to a 10 degree rise stem, and everything was harder at first, but after a while everything was easier and a lot more control. My theory on this, is thus; If for example you have a 25 degree rise stem, you only have a spare 65 degree's to play with, and your arms can only pull in that amount, if however you have a 10 degree rise, you have 80 degree's to play with, and your arms can pull up a lot more, or pull up less to keep the bike more stable. You are closer to the front wheel, so taps and such like will feel more natural and gentle. Thats my thinking anyway. I know i changed degree's, but you changing the spacer basically has the same effect anyway. (Y) ← Plus it doesn't *really* work like that anyway... It's just that your centre of gravity is changed, plus your weight and force is distributed over the bike differently, as opposed you being a spaz and only having 90°(<- Alt 01456 Si (Y)) movement in your arms :P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Motivator Posted September 6, 2005 Report Share Posted September 6, 2005 Yeah I found this but I made my bars higher (Y) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aust Posted September 6, 2005 Report Share Posted September 6, 2005 yeah i had that when i adjusted my levers... really made a difference... im an odd b*****d and run my back brake a shit load higher than my front one.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caleb Posted September 6, 2005 Report Share Posted September 6, 2005 yeah i had that when i adjusted my levers... really made a difference... im an odd b*****d and run my back brake a shit load higher than my front one.. ← Yup me too just feels like you get a better grip on the lever you need most. id of thought a lot of people did but most others try to get them identical. Yeah id also agree and changes to due with bar and stem are very sensitive, and will make a big difference just with gear ratios Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Si-man Posted September 6, 2005 Report Share Posted September 6, 2005 Just changed my bars tonight, shitty zoo!'s to my old monty risers, and oh my god they feel sooo much better. Bike feels alot more controlable and just feels alot better. This is with a zoo! stem btw (Y) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Posted September 7, 2005 Report Share Posted September 7, 2005 Plus it doesn't *really* work like that anyway... It's just that your centre of gravity is changed, plus your weight and force is distributed over the bike differently, as opposed you being a spaz and only having 90°(<- Alt 01456 Si (Y)) movement in your arms :P ← Oh hush, you all know what i mean't! (Y) Atleast i hope so. (Y) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MSM Posted September 7, 2005 Report Share Posted September 7, 2005 (edited) Hi Joe, How about riding a couple of days as is, to get really comfortable with the new lower bar setting, and then switching back for long enough to get used to them again... that will should help you work out if it's just a placebo effect or a genuine improvement in setup for you. (Y) MSM Edited September 7, 2005 by MSM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Endohopper Posted September 7, 2005 Report Share Posted September 7, 2005 Glad everything feels better , albeit inexplicable . I had a similar thing this week , but with new riding gloves , boy - I had no idea that would make so much difference , but I'm so much more in touch with the bike . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billocks Posted September 7, 2005 Report Share Posted September 7, 2005 i put my bars furthr forward and i could backwheel higher, but now i cant sidehop aswell as i used to... (Y) my weight is further forward on the bike. cheers, bill (Y) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Bleech Posted September 7, 2005 Report Share Posted September 7, 2005 After the roadtrip I put a extra 5mm of spacers under my stem and cut my bars down to just under 26" and has really affected the way my bike rides. I can bunny better just generally, height and length. It has made gaps and sidehops harder, but I am going bigger, so unsure how that works. Manuals better too and is more flicky! Plus the shorter bars help loads with random x-up and barspins tricks. Pretty much prefect for the way I ride (Y) mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rich4130 Posted September 7, 2005 Report Share Posted September 7, 2005 Same as mike, I like my high bars, there like 40" on a 24" bike, they make bunnyhops easier, which are the foundation of most trials moves (I never pedal into anything). When I put on a higher rise stem there was a noticble difference, I could manual and bunnyhop so much better, and since when tapping its all I've known its seems ok, not that I can tap anything any bigger than bar height mind.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Bleech Posted September 7, 2005 Report Share Posted September 7, 2005 Same as mike, I like my high bars, there like 40" on a 24" bike, they make bunnyhops easier, which are the foundation of most trials moves (I never pedal into anything). When I put on a higher rise stem there was a noticble difference, I could manual and bunnyhop so much better, and since when tapping its all I've known its seems ok, not that I can tap anything any bigger than bar height mind.. ← I am finding bunny hop tapping easier with my higher bars too (Y) just pedal medium/fast pace, small bunny hop and when your front wheel hits , just try to bunnyhop again (Y) I don't think my headset/forks are liking it too much though :P odd noise's coming from there last night and i wasn't even doing any.. Its like when i do gap up to front wheel, I just think off them and static bunnyhops to front wheel, because thats all they are really. (Y) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spangler Posted September 7, 2005 Report Share Posted September 7, 2005 (edited) Aust, You do that thing with the lever position because when your on backwheel your hands have to move back. When your on front wheel your hands go forward only just a little bit, but it's enough for your hands to ache/feel wrong. I need to move my back lever unless i want some more friends like trevor. Edit:Trevor is a thing that came out of a cut on my hand and aust named it trevor :( Edited September 7, 2005 by spangler Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Papasnap Maher Posted September 7, 2005 Author Report Share Posted September 7, 2005 well i just got back from another ride...and well...only good things have come from the change. seems i do alot more...easierly(sp) so yer, tis all good :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Cook Posted September 7, 2005 Report Share Posted September 7, 2005 i tilted my bars forward and took the spaces form under my stem and put them onto and it felt horrible and wierd at firts put after a while it was way better. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Royaltrials Posted September 7, 2005 Report Share Posted September 7, 2005 I remember when I first started doing tricks on my bike, I got some DMR V8 pedals for my birthday and from then on I could wheelie further. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N.Wood Posted September 7, 2005 Report Share Posted September 7, 2005 yeah i had that when i adjusted my levers... really made a difference... im an odd b*****d and run my back brake a shit load higher than my front one.. ← Makes sense, thats how i run mine :( Think about the body position when you use your brakes (rear brake over the rear, front brake over the front, usually) it makes it more natural :P Not that you didn't know that but yeh... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe b Posted September 7, 2005 Report Share Posted September 7, 2005 Yeah, the tiniest of adjustments when it comes to geometry of a bike can change your riding completely! :( Cheers, Joe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aust Posted September 10, 2005 Report Share Posted September 10, 2005 (edited) Makes sense, thats how i run mine >_< Think about the body position when you use your brakes (rear brake over the rear, front brake over the front, usually) it makes it more natural :blink: Not that you didn't know that but yeh... ← i run my back brake higher because when i tap things (alot of the time i do) my back brake is easier for me to reach when my weight is back.... because my wrist is level with the back lever and i dont have to wrench it forwards to press the brake..... and i dont need the front brake for tapping... so i put it a shit load lower so when im on the front wheel my wrist is level with the front brake lever..... same concept for both levers... just can't be arsed to explain again :ermm:... but yeah... thats how it works kiddies aust Edited September 10, 2005 by aust Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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