Does Your Bike Even Matter? | Dirt Shed Show 488

[@gmbn]

Is it about the rider, is it about the tech, or is it about the riding? What’s MTB all about to you? 🚨 [FREE ENTRY] Enter the WORX competition giveaway 👉 gmbn.eu/GMBNWORXComp

[@SkiSurfBike]

#whatsitallabout It's all about riding. The less I need to think about myself, the bike or it's parts & adjustments while riding, the better the ride.

[@deadweight1020]

I think that the average rider on a mid range modern bike is significantly 'over biked'. That said, gains from better tec can not improve the average rider... until said rider has improved to the point where the tec gains are meaningful.

[@DNDinitials]

If you’re bike and contact points fit it definitely helps your riding

[@paulcollingridge8387]

#didyouknow that no matter how hard you pedal on a tandem you can't escape your partner going on and on about how you've taken the wrong turn!

[@FunctionFIVE]

I love the riding, I love learning technique aswell, but I'm also a gear head, I love tinkering and messing with bike stuff just as much too. I have ridden all kinds of stuff, and I don't think most components make that much of a difference for the majority of riders, and the ones that it does make a difference for usually have someone to help them tune that stuff.

[@Ali_Clarkson]

Thanks for the crash shoutout guys! I’ve been taking lessons from my cat on how to land on my feet 😂

[@BaldBloke]

i bet your back gave you abit of grief for 5-ish minutes ! 😬🙄

[@Ali_Clarkson]

@@BaldBloke you’d be surprised! I literally didn’t hurt myself at all 😐

[@LaurentiusTriarius]

The cute thief has definitely a lot of talents but this one was expected for once 😅

[@Ferrari255GTO]

​@@Ali_Clarkson sometimes you get lucky, and it looks like you'll be a corpse post-crash but you end up unscathed, and other times it looks like the most casual non-concerning accident and you end up with a pierced organ or some crazy crap like that

[@martynashtonGMBN]

Nice escape Ali.

[@JeffMTBinVA]

Thank you Martyn for bringing up the EDR. Discovery and the UCI are not doing nearly enough EDR coverage. I've never touched my flip chip. It's in low where I want it. Riding vs Tech, I want to be better at both.

[@lilmorg87]

You're absolutely right about EDR and EDR-E. It's 4pm in California on Tuesday and they haven't even uploaded the highlights for this past weekend's race yet. Most of the time, the only coverage I get in my feed is videos from individual riders on their private accounts (Jesse Melamed, Jack Moir for example are really good about it). It seems, at this point, like the parent company doesn't know how to cover it and doesn't really care to figure it out.

[@gatonero6261]

I feel you. Same here in Germany. The 'news' I get are from the riders, not from UCI. UCI also makes you pay for a channel to watch the races. Never seen this on red bull and surely won't pay extra (already paying for netflix, prime, para+...) unless they put Warner & Jackson in the booth. So I'll stay on Jack, moimoiTV, BK, Ed Master, Wyn Masters...f.e.

[@briw4647]

Yes, it does. For certain conditions. It can make a ride smoother, more comfortable or faster. Also reduce the amount of energy you expend. However, in many cases, the results in times may only be seconds for a professional or minutes for a average Joe. As my downhill days are long gone, I go for comfort and ease now

[@bazbroon]

It’s Tuesday night and the highlights from the weekend’s EDR are still not on Discovery or KZbin! The highlights from the downhill are posted on the same day as the race 🤷‍♂️

[@ctquadracing]

I regularly flip chip and change the headset cup angles on my specialized Stumpjumper Evo depending on the trails I’m riding that day. Low and slack for bike parks/Uplifts days Low and neutral for natural rooty trails and high neutral for rocky trails. I’ll run the steep head angle in winter when trails are wet and muddy.

[@martynashtonGMBN]

Exemplary Flip Chipping Mate.

[@helicopter12345678]

Love the way Martyn sails close to the wind 😅

[@monstermini225]

Definitely flip the chip. Installed a 160mm front fork on my specialized stumpjumper, flipped the chip to high which basically gave me EVO / 15 geometry... Plus it reduced pedal strikes where I normally ride. Before the fork upgrade I was in the low position

[@j.albertogratacos2076]

On the question of a hardtail vs fullsus on the descents, I find the biggest problem with the hardtail is that the rear brake does not work that well because wheel skips. Especially on braking bumps. So, you tend to go slower and brake earlier.

[@ltrtg13]

Martyn. You can mix the Hope RX4 calipers with SRAM levers. But did you know you can mix the Hope RX4 calipers with Shimano levers. All you need to do. Is rob the road levers from GCN and get the correct calipers. As they come in DOT and mineral fluid options.

[@stevesullivan9377]

My mate doesn’t have an MTB anymore. When we go to Bike Park Wales, he’ll rent a bike, jump on it and be one of the quickest on all the runs that day. Doesn’t even touch tyre pressures or play with suspension. Bike and tech will help shave some time off but it won’t make you a good rider.

[@martynashtonGMBN]

That is a great example of where I'm at with it. I remember letting Steve Peat have a go on my Trials bike back in the 90s. He jumped on it and was absolutely awesome on it right away, just natural ability flowing through. I know that's an extreme example, because it is Steve Peat i guess.

[@stevesullivan9377]

@@martynashtonGMBN yeah some people just have a better feel for the bike. It’s why we all aren’t downhill racers and all drivers aren’t in F1. The annoying thing is he’ll leave me in the dust on his borrowed bike while I try and follow on my own Enduro and he’ll tell me I’m going well! I’ll have my day next Friday when we go to BPW again though. He can’t make it.

[@gatonero6261]

That's what I'm saying. If you don't have the feel for your own bike, new parts won't help anyway.

[@Hiefi97]

Flipped my tyee last month to the low position. Love it even more than before, especially in the turns i feel more integrated and a bit more stable. Feel like i will leave it there

[@ypofarmstead1189]

It’s the tech that gives the bike capability. It’s the rider that knows what the bike’s capabilities are, and knows how to control them!

[@gmbn]

Perfectly said!

[@ThomasZiechner-xc1vu]

#captioncontest When you buy the 'super mullet Mtb, Mtb, super downhill bike, road bike, bicicle, mullet bike' from Ali Express for an absolute bargain and you are wondering what the hell you got.

[@jamiedemden4717]

Each to their own. I feel tech knowledge is 80% conversation fodder and 20% actually useful. If I really need to know something it will become apparent when I need to fix it or take it to the bike shop and get a new "watcha me call it". Tech talk is kind of unavoidable though as we ride things with many moving parts. Some people definitely go on a bit to much about it though. Just ride the damn thing.

[@KevinT3141]

We all know what Martyn can do with a road bike, can't wait to see Blake!

[@smithandshortdogs]

I think we were the first to explain the shigura in the last video. I am a retired Master Sergeant; #didyouknow that in the military, someone who knows and cares more about tech than technique is called a geardo... as in "check out that POG REMF Fobbit with the NOG mount on his OPS-CORE and the Kabar on his LBE... he has never SP'd from the wire. What a Geardo."

[@martynashtonGMBN]

🤣🤣🤣🤣 That's absolutely brilliant. Thank you for making me laugh.

[@blakekennard7700]

Without intentionally doing it, after rides where I push myself to limits I either think about how I need to adapt my riding or what components would allow me to do what I want while riding. Geo matters to me a lot as it creates the feel on the trail that makes sense to me. I don’t own a bike with flip chips but that has never stopped me from experimenting with changing geo with either a longer fork or head set cups to customize the bike for my preferences

[@advtyun3917]

#Captioncontest just found the hardway that size doesnt matter

[@glebtyunikov3890]

😂

[@bamb4boy271]

Or does it

[@endurancegoliath4569]

#Captioncontest: After Blake ruined all his frontwheels, he grabbed the wheel of his kid's bike so he could keep on shredding

[@VRietySociety]

#CAPTIONCONTEST Blake doing a nolly on a wheel smaller than my chance of winning a caption contest

[@mikej1348]

I think coming back to the sport after a long hiatus. recently I had to adapt to the tech. I came from a 26 inch canti brakes 3 inches travel. Bought a beginner bike (rockhopper) and ran it down steep terrain with 160mm disc. Super sketchy. Fast forward. I own 2 hardtails 140mm front 200mm disc. I learned from my mistakes.😅

[@Milessongs]

My chip is definitely flipped! I rode my 2023 Specialized Stumpjumper carbon comp ‘as shipped’ for the first 4mo or so, with the chip in the ‘low’ position. My typical rides involve Lots of climbing and rootsy raucous trails. Flipping that chip gave me a higher BB, quicker handling around these tight Vermont trees and better handling on the steep, punchy climbs. I suppose if I ever get into more DH, I could always flip it back.

[@raisagil2897]

I enjoy the tech, but I also recognize that it's not really important. I enjoy geeking out and learning about the tech, but also understand that it's not going to make me a better rider. I just enjoy shiny things.

[@martynashtonGMBN]

I love the shiny things too. I am really excited about the Eeb motor tech at the moment. So, I guess if i'm into it then I'm into it. However, if it misses my radar.

[@jj_mtb_2023]

I couldn’t agree more with Martin it’s not the bike it’s the rider no matter how spect out your rig is it all comes down to how u ride it love the show great topic love it

[@KevinT3141]

Owen's a blessing, not a curse.

[@bogdandecowski7442]

What i would like to think: it is about riding skills first and then do whatever... Ps. Too many people riding expensive bikes and when they changing gears, you could hear them from "miles"😂.

[@alancork120]

I know exactly what your saying about EDR Martin, it makes me feel like the UCI don't care and even want to faze it out all together.

[@slow_as_a_sloth_mtb]

I've flipped my chip on my Trek Rail 5 ebike 🖐️ I've actually had significantly less pedal strikes since doing so, so for me it's definitely made a difference 👌

[@JamesMTBAdventures]

I have a flip chip on my Nukeproof Reactor, I’m one of the 95% Martin mentioned that never flips it. As Nukeproof are no more I’m to worried about damaging the threads and then not getting parts and being stuck with a frame that can’t be used. It’s in Trail mode as I do some big rides with downhill trails throughout the ride but it rides well in bike parks too so I’m not that bothered.

[@alfy364]

Have you heard of Sramano yet chaps? DB8 leavers are crap,no power so I've swapped them out for XTs ! Great stopping power!

[@Milessongs]

Great to see some hard tail bikes in The Vault!

[@johnh3095]

Great fun video guys! Seeing the Pace forks at the tail end, any chance you guys could pop up to see and review theor stuff as I reckon that video would do really well! Cheers

[@elmomos]

Thank for the enduro race recap, we are still waiting for the official coverage on the UCI channel ..😢

[@carstenesch985]

I ride Shiktro!^^ Combination of Shimano Zee levers and Tektro Orion 4p calipers and I love it!

[@gmbn]

Amazing name!

[@adamphillips4791]

Tech is always going to be an addictive thing whether it be computers, camera resolution, horsepower from a car. Always going to be an enticing factor for some people. Behind every trail 'hero' with all the gear and no idea there's money going in to the industry so that has some good sides. Technically you could be in to tech to a point where you buy a DH bike to ride to the shop, nothing actually wrong with that.....The rest of us might cringe a bit. V10 with a pannier rack anyone?

[@noddy8064]

17:59 forget about the bike show me the golf in the background 🤑

[@Grassngas]

My specialized big hit had a flip chip 20+ yrs ago, 1’ didn’t make much difference,,cheers ✌️

[@jimimurray9601]

#captioncontest ted to dougal, this wheel is small that wheel is far away

[@Over50sroadie]

I just completed Black Forest Ultra marathon on a fat bike... still managed midfield finish! The bike (sort of) doesn't matter!

[@gmbn]

Not bad! How was the fat bike on the climbs?

[@Over50sroadie]

@@gmbn I passed as many times as I was passed, so ok - but I suspect I was leaning heavily on my roadie fitness. Really excelled in traction at the 30% sections; no spinning out and walking for me! It's not a technical course, so no loss there - it did lose out on false flat descents - simply ran out of gearing. Drafting was also completely useless. Overall memory was - it held its own.... but there were no rests; you had to pedal EVERYWHERE. (Video evidence is over on my channel).

[@martynashtonGMBN]

Brave

[@Over50sroadie]

@@martynashtonGMBN The line between bravery and stupidity is quite narrow in this case... 🙂

[@JasonTrew2018]

#Captioncontest: Blake's bike riding skills was so good, he finished the ride by using only his front brake and doing a front ender

[@DuffersMcDuff]

My chip was flipped when I first set up my Stumpy Evo....never been touched since.

[@mitch_smith]

In the US finding EDR or E requires looking. Not a lot of finding though.

[@deividas_kimontas]

It's mainly about the rider! 💪

[@kyleslater5245]

If I ever get sick of my shimano mt420s I will probably go that route and stick some magura calipers on the old emtb. As far as replacing the codes on my park bike im not sure. I want to go back to something mineral oil. Probably a trp something as I want to try them.

[@mattkock]

My wife is rocking SHIGURA brakes on her BMX eBike. Saint levers with Magura MT7 calipers and everyone that rides her bike LOVES them. 🤘🏻🔥

[@Superteastain]

Sweet merch, forest mountain is good. "To the woods" is the goat.

[@junka1975]

I don't really get into the tech of my bikes, I got my first dropper post this year and although I love it on that bike, I am just as happy on a fully rigid bike just bombing around having fun. I don't think it matters as much if you're just an average rider like me but for serious riders, I see how they can use the tech. But like anything, if you're having fun, does it matter much?

[@Carsandcoffe]

Both, you can have a santa cruz V10 but if you just got into the sport 3 months ago it's pointless, also, if your a world cup downhiller and your riding black trails on department store bikes, it's just dangerous to do, I belive there is a middle ground

[@rogerd9405]

Tech can make a good rider better, but it can't make a bad rider good.

[@plainuser48596]

Knowing about tech itself and especially some sketchy variations is not necessary for a common rider. But it is surprising that hosts of a big MTB channel are oblivious to it. One could expect you to be on top of all that is happening in the biking world or at least do research when something "strange" comes up. Regarding bike vs rider - both matter. A decent bike will help a mediocre rider with confidence and will forgive more mistakes. A pro rider on a clunker will still outride a newbie on top-end machine. Of course, there are diminishing returns to both skill and bike

[@Dustypants92]

I know I'm late to the party, but but tech only matters if you're a wold class racer trying to shave seconds. For the average rider like myself, it should be about if your bike does what it needs for you and if it feels good for you.

[@evanl889]

I got really good at climbing on a bike that was not really made to be an uphill bike due to all the trails in my area basically being old school XC trails. When I was finally able to get a bike that loves climbing I was wayyyyy faster.

[@trileb396]

Tanks for the race top guys! Will I receive a link by e-mail to claim it?

[@307.William]

#gmbn I raced a big enduro this weekend and there were

[@cornishcactus]

#captioncontest Yes it's 29 inches, you just need to play with it a bit first!

[@jebleshful]

The faster you are the more ero matters the later you are the more bike weight matter so for most of us mortals only bike mechanics matters.... and i assume if you give first place last please bike in any race it will still be in the podium...

[@ZOB4]

I'm not going to say who it is - but it's a recent World Cup winning XC racer who is also working on a degree in Mechanical Engineering.

[@martynashtonGMBN]

🤣😂

[@LaurentiusTriarius]

Love you Martyn but you definitely played Devil's advocate for a bit 😜

[@mlee6050]

I know mixing the brakes but didn't know had a name

[@R1eger25]

#whatitsallabout the bike doesn't matter. you can be on a 500 pound decathlon bike or on a 12grand bike with blake's wireless breaks, as long as you're riding and having fun.

[@KarlGosling]

It's the rider not the bike... Sam Pilgrim can do pretty much anything on anything!

[@philiphales9993]

It's all about going to the shop 🚲

[@randomphil8666]

Pressure washer prize? I was told when I got my new bike recently do not pressure wash…. (eMTB).

[@kaupo80]

I watched it but I don't have a mountainbike. Am I allowed to watch the next episode or should I wait untill I get myself a MTB?

[@willlange9978]

Flippin’ the chip… Never on home ground in Bentonville. But definitely flippin’ the chip when I go to lift served downhill riding. And swap the fork and wheels. It just makes it more fun.

[@gmbn]

Do you swap the fork for more travel?

[@willlange9978]

@@gmbn 100% switching from a 150 Pike to a 170 upgraded Yari. The weight and geometry difference is big enough that the Yari is just for bike parks.

[@tim__sadler]

#captioncontent - 'Who needs a front wheel when you have slightly better than average company health insurance?'

[@Xennial_Dad]

Does that mean that Magano would be Magura levers with Shimano Calipers?

[@alexriver4997]

#whatsitallabout I think it is very much the rider. In highschool I had a friend who would do insane things on his 2016 Fuji hardtail. This guy also had absolutely no fear on the bike whatsoever.

[@tim__sadler]

#captioncontent - 'when Blake's Bike has physics teachers questioning their life choices...'

[@KP-ol3tc]

If it wasn't for Moi Moi I'd prolly not have any EDR coverage in my feed at all.

[@peterhaazenrossi4390]

I'm defo not a tech guy as long as the bike feels good and I can get good times out of it I'm good to go

[@keithwestwood4640]

Great show guy's ❤

[@mazakari1]

#askGMBN Whenever I stop for that perfect picture (Bike Vault), I can never find a stick to prop the bike. Do you carry your own stick and if so is this classed as a hack or a bodge…. 🤔

[@jokermtb]

As for tech making you a better rider, remember this: it’s a poor artist who blames his brush

[@gatonero6261]

#whatsitallabout Well, I'm 110Kg and good brakes are key for my survival...but...average riders are well equipped with the stock parts on a 6k bike. All this "i need a new shock, better forks, brakes whatever" is 90% for the show and telling yourself it makes you a better rider. But in the end of the day its the rider who makes the riding, not the bike. And...yeah, Shigura ain't bad. After my first visit in Saalbach, Austria i switched to mt5 calippers (no rubbing) and XT levers. 😏🙌🏽

[@BrokenBiker55]

I have flipped my chips and is integral to bike setup for me , however I will admit that I am a novice rider and need every bit of help I can get.

[@kabenicholson7906]

bike setup......mmmmm.... i guess it depends if you're trying to " make the bucket fit the water or allow the water to fit the bucket " 🤔 ps thanks for the awesome show all !!!

[@Rock-It21]

#CAPTIONCONTEST I hear Blake had a birthday recently. They say things tend to shrink a bit as you age... Happy birthday!

[@mitch_smith]

#AskGMBN is there a noticeable difference between the various Cushcore systems? E bike, pro, xc, enduro, and on and on. I read the blurbs, but whats the real world.

[@paulsack9563]

for the price I hope you can walk on the moon with those Canyon shoes lol

[@MTBinKY]

Oops, entered. Got any promotions involving free places to live in the UK?

[@j.albertogratacos2076]

#CAPTIONCONTEST In the definitive test of tire size effect on rolling over features, Blake goes OTB over a Skittle.

[@westoncraig]

Martyn can you do a feature on Exotec's Exoquad? They look amazing

[@horselung1029]

#didyouknow? Apparently continuing to ride after blowing a tyre off is known as rimming.

[@BucketOfCrust]

#CaptionContest The last thing you see after challenging a leprechaun to a game of BIKE

[@Superteastain]

I had a Canyon.... Strive.... with the gizmo to the change the head angle.... it was kind of garbo and I sold it to the guy who cleans the pool.

[@mathewkirk1748]

A good bike won’t make a shit rider any better, but a shit bike can definitely limit a good rider. The tech sets the ceiling for performance potential - the rider must then ride up to that available potential.

[@Mtbforlife6873]

@didyouknow I really want a commencal supreme dh green with ohlins

[@jokermtb]

I flipped my chip about two weeks after getting my current bike. Years later, it’s remained flipped

[@Huey_Nadel]

I wasn't being sarcastic!

[@winklertribe5268]

#Whats it all about: it’s all about the riding and the bike a little bit!

[@timsnewromann]

The whole knowing your bike or not, is like gold chains on rappers.. Kanye said ”millionaires wear jewlery, billionaires dont”. Dave chapelle made a skit on it, telling Kanye to put his chain back on when he was dropped by adidas, and no longer a billionaire. Tldr: if you got wanting winning towards vs riding, youll end up on an s-works and leave it at the shop when you need new brake pads…🤷‍♂️ Not dissing but ive been observing since over 20years, and thats what it looks like to me..

[@Krzysztof_B]

#askGMBN perhaps this is a too close to "how to turn" question, but here goes: I have an (i?)rational fear of losing grip on flatter turns, hence I break a lot before the turn and then crawl through it. How would you propose I could combat that, what sort of exercises or other means of conquering flat~ish turns could you propose?

[@DandyHippo]

It DOES

[@deeplydisillusioned683]

Don't let Neil back on till he does the song. This is supposed to be fun.

[@neildonoghueMTB]

No one told me it was supposed to be fun

[@Superteastain]

I've never flipped a chip. Survey of mates..... no nobody flips the chip

[@zsanterre]

wait I run shiguras. was it me? I think you should give the guy a shoutout

[@Gooliverr]

Shigura sounds like a weeb thing. I'd go for Mamano for a more Caribbean vibe