Basic Bike Set Up Tips To Get You on Track!

One of our goals when starting this channel was to try to have more accessible information for beginner/intermediate riders available from pros. Bike set up is very complicated and can be overwhelming but the goal of this video is to simplify it and give new riders tools and information to learn.
MGM ALTERNATIVE is made up of Miranda (M)iller, Remi (G)auvin and Jesse (M)elamed.
Follow Miranda on Instagram - / mirandamillermtb
Follow Remi on Instagram - / remi.the.semi
Follow Jesse on Instagram - / jessemelamed
Remi and Jesse ride for the Rocky Mountain Race Face Enduro Team.
They’re supported by:
Rocky Mountain Bicycles- www.bikes.com
Race Face- www.raceface.com
Fox Shox- www.ridefox.com
Shimano- www.shimano.com/en/
Maxxis- www.maxxis.com
SMITH- www.smithoptics.com
Evoc- www.evocsports.com
Reform Saddles- www.reformsaddle.com
Crankbrothers- www.crankbrothers.com
CushCore- www.cushcore.com
RideWrap- www.ridewrap.ca
One Up- www.oneupcomponents.com
FSA- www.fullspeedahead.com
Miranda Miller rides for the Kona Gravity Team and is supported by:
Kona Bicycle Company- www.konaworld.com
SRAM MTB- www.sram.com/en/sram
RockShox- www.sram.com/en/rockshox
Ride 100%- www.100percent.com
FiveTen- www.adidas.ca/en/five_ten
Maxxis Tires- www.maxxis.com
Enve Composites- www.enve.com/en/
Chris King- chrisking.com
ODI Grips- odigrips.com
OneUp- www.oneupcomponents.com
Maxima Racing Oils- maximausa.com
CushCore- www.cushcore.com
HT Pedals- www.ht-components.com
RideWrap- www.ridewrap.ca

[@josh_on_bikes]

I find it really cool that 3 competitors that race against each other, have different sponsors and can live together and have youtube channel.

[@MGMAlternative]

Contrary to popular belief we don't live together, but we did for a short time once.

[@josh_on_bikes]

@@MGMAlternative oh

[@jkeiffer]

I'd love to hear you talk about how to grip and hold the bars/grips. How you hold the grip in your hand and the angle and all that. Sometimes I think there are tricks to doing it better that I don't know...

[@MGMAlternative]

Miranda kind of touched on that with how to orient your grips. Everyone has difference preferences of how they like their hand angle. Remi mentioned brake angle as well, not too flat but not too steep. That should give you a general idea.

[@dirtbarrelsridingclub1930]

Love the various views on bike set up! Definitely interesting to hear, as well as the comparisons on setup based on height and preference.

[@MGMAlternative]

Thanks! We're trying to cover all the bases of bike set-up, as it's such a complicated topic. So much for all of us to learn!

[@robinbryony1964]

Thanks for this! As a total newbie I've totally flailed around trying to figure out how to set my bike up. Great to have some basic tips and a few ideas on where to start with everything. Also, loved the BG tunes. Felt like I was go-proing my drive down the Sea-to-Sky. 😉

[@MGMAlternative]

That's great to hear! We are glad we could help.

[@KingVita-mf6xu]

@Jesse Melamed just right before EWS Round 1! Thanks Buddy see you in Canazei ;-) Remember to bring your DHR 2 in 29x2.5 - still not available to public

[@MGMAlternative]

We'll try to save some extras!

[@ofiros396]

Guys I think your audience are more advanced riders then basic setup, ofcourse it's allways fun to see this happy trio hanging out talking bikes.

[@MGMAlternative]

Maybe so but it's always good to make sure you have the basics down! A more advanced one will be coming.

[@whatthehellareyoustarinat8569]

I love those moments where you guys are not serious; just enjoying and having fun. Guessing from your clothing, I'd say this is one of the first videos you guys recorded months ago. Either that or Canada is cold even in June

[@MGMAlternative]

Thanks! haha yes you are correct, this might have been the first one we filmed!

[@nicoloweiss6529]

Love this. Se you in Canazei

[@MGMAlternative]

See you there!

[@blueage1560]

Nice vid, good luck at the EWS next week.

[@MGMAlternative]

Thanks!

[@benrogers7025]

Lol, Love the Cushcore collection (graveyard?) in the back.

[@MGMAlternative]

Patiently waiting for abuse.

[@gabrielsegura1530]

I need to buy a pressure gauge been going by the classic finger😂 and a bit harder just in case, but men did i noticed a difference between me old dhr II with normal casing and my new dissector with dh casing! Haven’t punctured in almost 2 months thats impressive for running tubes

[@MGMAlternative]

It's a handy little tool to have! Takes the guess work out of a pretty important set up step.

[@andykrull9297]

Interesting on Shimano brakes you guys aren’t moving them more inboard. I always like that to make more room. I like what you guys are doing! Thanks.

[@MGMAlternative]

They have nice short levers so we run them pretty outboard!

[@capeljov2666]

nice chill music in background, was vibing along :)

[@MGMAlternative]

That's good to hear!

[@bikedude019]

The best way to store cushcores is to fold them in half and use a brocoli elastic band to hold it and stack them. You can also number them to keep a log when and how long (events) they have been used.

[@MGMAlternative]

Good idea!

[@tombuschpilot2344]

Don't hurt me 😨 I subscribe 😂 THX for the vid and good luck in Italy.

[@MGMAlternative]

haha. Thanks!

[@nickriders]

Nice tips! Best bar height vs BB and steam length is dependant on what?

[@MGMAlternative]

Depends how big you are, how big your bike is and the geo it has, and your riding style. No one size fits all!

[@pinoypridemtb]

Great video! What handlebar rise you guys running? Thanks!

[@MGMAlternative]

Miranda runs a 35mm OneUp handlebar and both Remi and Jesse use a 35mm Raceface Next R bar.

[@NorminkoDH]

Very relaxing

[@MGMAlternative]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@WWulf]

I would be super interested in the 2021 DHX2 settings of Remy. I’m about same wheight as him and have the experience, that the recommended 500lbs spring is too stiff for me (gives me in Ride9 setting 4 only 27% sag). With lbs 475 sag is right with 30% but I am not using full travel even charging hard and some drops 2m into flatter trail.

[@gabrielsegura1530]

27 or 30 for me is good and if you are not bottoming out on a 2 m drop that’s fine I guess, sometimes me I don’t bottom out on 2m either with air you can save that travel for a bigger hit but you have all the coil advantages, pretty sweet in my opinion!

[@Windband1]

I think to take things to the next level, it would be good for you guys to get some mics that you can wear. Cheers. :)

[@MGMAlternative]

We've got some now!

[@Windband1]

@@MGMAlternative Awesome! :))

[@RyanBoardman234s]

Jesse, will you ever adjust your bar width for different terrain/disciplines of riding?

[@MGMAlternative]

I(Jesse) will not, it's something that I like to keep consistent all of the time.

[@noobmtbpov]

Which saddle is that?

[@noobmtbpov]

Which saddle is that.

[@jkeiffer]

Saddle height at you hip doesn't help account for differences in BB height between bikes. I guess that's just a ball parking idea?

[@MGMAlternative]

This is correct, as Jesse said it is just a really quick estimation.

[@JamesRobertMTB]

I’m off to the garage 😳

[@MGMAlternative]

Get tinkering!

[@jsw5387]

Do you or your mechanics have any tips or tricks to deal with the "floating bite point" of Shimano brakes?

[@MGMAlternative]

With a proper bleed there shouldn't be a floating bit point.

[@_systemd]

the solution after past 3 sets of shimano brakes w floating bite point(rather pumping up of the lever actually if that's what you mean) was a set of sram code rsc - consistency top to bottom.

[@jsw5387]

@@_systemd lol! I like that answer. I've had those before as well and I DO miss the consistency for sure! BUT I LOVE the power of the XT's.

[@santiagoechave7345]

Guys can talk about a real example of bleed SRAM brakes? How must be the check it is well bleed... or something like that...? Pleaseeeeeeee!!! Great jobs!!!

[@MGMAlternative]

Good idea!

[@benjaminwerling9787]

Hey, you’re all wearing jackets…is it still so cold in Canada? It’s time to come over to Europe…30C° all over Germany 😎

[@MGMAlternative]

We filmed this in the winter!

[@bpersons14]

But what about rise, sweep, and rotation of bars?

[@MGMAlternative]

Personal preference there! The rise can be managed with headset spacers as well, the sweep is not something we have tested much of, and the rotation is generally just as recommended.

[@babilevi8506]

How cold is it where you shooting? you are all wearing layers inside like 5℃ :)

[@MGMAlternative]

It's an inside outside garage. And it was middle of winter.

[@ark8tct]

0:09 who’s that? That’s right!!!

[@MGMAlternative]

It's MILLERTIME!

[@thomasbaker26]

Great video! The music is obnoxious though and plays a little loud over some of you folks.

[@MGMAlternative]

Noted!

[@belinqoneovkanal]

You can send me some cushcores 🤘🏻😅😅

[@MGMAlternative]

We need them!

[@belinqoneovkanal]

@@MGMAlternative me too 😥🤘🏻😁

[@rl9810]

Pros: they're just like us! Only more pro-ier.

[@JesseMelamedMTB]

Barely!

[@MGMAlternative]

Yea, barely.

[@NerdsonDirtMTB]

Come for the basic BS, stay for the advanced BS lol

[@MGMAlternative]

haha. There's more coming.

[@davidaceto1532]

Plenty of talking about bars, but not enough spitting bars. I'm disappointed.

[@MGMAlternative]

We'll work on that for next time.

[@Johnny00006]

Was going to suscribe, such great riders, not so good youtubers :/ give the vids a little love and better audio... pretty easy nowadays Cheers!

[@MGMAlternative]

We're ok just being great riders. This was one of the first videos we filmed so we will only get better. Also we bought mics since we filmed this video.