Top 10 MTB Setup Mistakes - And How To Avoid Them!

Here are a few common mistakes to avoid when setting up your mountain bike.
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The way you set up your bike and choose your equipment depends largely on the type of riding you do. Everything from tyre choice and pressure to how long you have your stem - take a few tips from Neil and Marc and hopefully you'll be in roughly the right position!
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[@affalaffaa]

Trying not to be rude, but if you're new to trail riding don't take much of this too seriously. Me and my mates turned up to Coed-y-Brenin with shit set-up bikes about 10 years ago. 1 inch (2.5cm) of travel on my Suntours attached to a hardtail Cape Wrath frame. Rode it all out. As time went on we upgraded to the better gear but don't let it put you off if you haven't got the top stuff. Get out and ride. If you have the balls you will survive, some people need the best gear to give them confidence and some people don't.

[@saminfc3211]

affalaffaa ŵ

[@ryanford5387]

Yes! I'm fairly new to mtb. Bought an old hardtail xc bike second hand for £90. I use it to ride fast, flowing downhill trails on. It might make some odd noises every now and then and it might not have the best geometry for the style of riding I do but it's great fun

[@terryinri]

I’m also fairly new to MB at 55 but rode balls to the walls years ago. I now have a fairly inexpensive GT Pantera Comp and upgrading it to be exactly what I want. And happy to do so.

[@CenoWick]

I bought an older Giant Reign on Consignment and for what I'm going to do buying a 2nd Hand Bike couldn't have been better. In not worried about damaging it and I'm upgrading it as I go. When I'm good enough I'll upgrade my frame.

[@dusty111]

Just started MTB two weeks ago and hit my first singletrail today on my used fully for ~600€. Little did i know that it was a black technical trail but i finished it and i really enjoyed the challenge. And everything with a used bike with no setup changes at all

[@MerlinMan1579]

I like 2 fingers on my brake levers as I feel I get better modulation and feel through them….that’s just what works for me.

[@willh3339]

as long as it works for you and you are comfortable that’s all that matters, these are just recommended tips :)

[@YourNickIsTaken]

Summary: if you don't get it right you doing it wrong.

[@atomicbomber771]

I used to ride with my saddle All the way down until I watch ur last video , I watch all your videos keep up the good work

[@braydendaunt7070]

How do I set my rear suspension on my hard tail?

[@hamaadrana8948]

Your incredibly humorous 😒

[@braydendaunt7070]

+hamaad rana your not the first person to say that

[@Unc3]

you'ren't*

[@theclashking953]

Brayden The SP3D I don't know

[@markuschandler1642]

I think it is all in the tyre pressure

[@twillfast]

My biggest mistake is to want a new bike every year.

[@BenDunster]

Http 404 Error: Mistake not found.

[@twillfast]

And that's what saves my money every year!

[@wesofx8148]

I ride a bike from 1993

[@projectcerebus]

man ! you have to control your bike lust- i have a also bike lust before but low budget calms me down! he he..!

[@EricFB]

+twillfast I support folks like you by buying their bikes 1 year used for a fraction of the price :)

[@bicyclist2]

Some of us don't have suspension lock out. Its good to see what mountain biking in the UK looks like. Thanks.

[@arnauddurand8375]

No clips is the best advice! It was a revelation for me when I stopped riding with clips!

[@ArthursHD]

My mistake. Not have enough food in morning before a ride. And not cleaning gears and chain soon enough.

[@lampshade34]

Whenever I don't eat enough before my rides, I always regret it.

[@gmbn]

David Thacker Hey David, I would agree with you there, I have made that mistake many times. cheers Marc

[@ronaldtartaglia4459]

I love these two guys. Living in the United States, that accent makes them sound like they Really know what they are talking about ! Their advice is solid, they have made me a better rider. Mountain biking is fun! GMBN RULES!!! CHEERS!

[@lobo8656]

Gosh, I really love ur channel gettin back riding after long time learning to walk again. So much changed. All info here. Thank u so much!

[@gtn1994]

#1 Mistake: Not getting into mountain biking sooner!

[@mauriciovalenzuela8902]

Hell yeah!

[@marcelimotyka5231]

Theo Nichols same

[@MatadorCE]

This is extremely helpful, thanks for putting this together!

[@paulbelo]

Majority of these tips work. Great job, don't stop!!

[@idozen13]

Great vids guys! Very helpful, keep it up

[@VRJensen1]

Great tips and explanations. Thanks!

[@trailthief2310]

These truly are top 10. I always spot these in common riding places!

[@johnclayton3304]

very informative!!! Thanks!

[@sbrenan3326]

really really informative vid guys, well good, thanx heaps, carry on carryin on..!!! peace

[@telephonic]

Awesome video...thanks guys!!!

[@johnjohannemann536]

Great information 👍🏻

[@Ikreisrond]

At the end of the day, a good rider can ride any terrain on any bicycle. But these tips definitely help those who only do 1 kind of mountain biking. In the Netherlands there's hardly any long uphill or downhill though, so a hardtail bike set-up 'average' will be perfect to get around.

[@sidwildcatjamieson]

Really good set up advice. I only have a cheap hard tail bike but I hit all sorts of terrain, downhilling included. I set my front forks to what feels best and lower tyre pressure on rear tyre and make sure my handle bars are set at right height and just go for it. Cant wait til I have a full on downhill bike though.

[@jdwalker9718]

Good call on the tire choice issue. Locally, the soil in the area has quite a high clay content which clogs the tire with mud during spring or in fresh, wet conditions. Rarely do most new bikes come spec'd with rubber to handle these conditions. While seeming counter-intuitive, it is always a good idea to get another set of tires with a new bike purchase. In addition to being able to have good rubber choices over the various conditions of a season, a good LBS will not charge full clip at the time of bike purchase.

[@AndyCurriePhotography]

What about rebound damping setups? - have you made a video for that yet? - one for beginners new to FS would be good!

[@theotht]

Going downhill with locked suspension is something that you should definitely not do,It feels awful.

[@SubieSage]

Cee Neiton My mountain bike doesn't even have a suspension You get used to it

[@mototarka]

Cee Neiton I ride a cyclocross, should I kill myself now?

[@angstanon]

+Cee Neiton Hmm... maybe that's why I crash so often. Too distracted looking for the rear lockout on my hardtail.

[@andyjack37]

+Cee Neiton Done that and then realised why it was so bumpy

[@Dearlp640]

+CannedPakes if you're riding rigid, its okay, you'll get used anyway. But if you have a suspension lock-out and you activate it on the downhills, you might damage it. Your shock and pivots could get damaged as well. But...why would anyone with a suspension ride it locked when going downhill?

[@nickthedick3742]

I always forget the damn lock out! So I just started climbing with suspension it's not bad really

[@kevinc7632]

Nick Quillen keeps your bottom from going numb if you ride more than once a week.

[@markusaurelious1150]

As I learnt from yesterdays video and now this: 1, stem is too long and slightly high causing neck pain 2/3, I use my bike both on and offroad, I've worn my rear tyre right down from riding on the road with too high a pressure and on offroad tyres. 4, I still have no idea how to set the damper up on my rear shock. 5, Lockoff! I too always forget. Short little trail across a farm to my friends, I'm wondering why I feel like I've spent a night in prison with a man named Bubba. 5/10 isn't bad for total novice. :S

[@aussietrail-rider1492]

Markus Aurelious no.5 hahahahahahah

[@BluesBroken]

5 10s are good for pro's too

[@ryanford5387]

Steve Darwick 👏👏

[@EBproperties]

great job. only suggestion would be to offer more specific solutions to the problems, like you did during the handlebar and saddle parts. thanks!

[@jaygarcia6769]

Good vid , good tips.

[@kidcruz977]

I really wish you guys did a tips video for people who ride hard-tails ..... Still this channel is life now!

[@gmbn]

+Anthony Cruz Thanks, we are starting to, but most of these skills work on both. Neil

[@NELSONG12]

all good info. thanx

[@themagicillusions]

I love gmbn

[@minabishay1]

hey guys i have a question. I am an overweight bloke (5"9 @ 115kg) and I really wanna get into enduro style mountain biking. Is this a realistic goal at my weight? Every Time I watch these videos I get more and more excited about it! Any thoughts on a good bike to start out with? I have my eyes set on the scott ransom 920. Cheers

[@rob1399]

absolutely realistic just start nice and easy and don't get discouraged! I'm overweight too

[@Ewan.f15]

9 minute video! YAY

[@dskordo]

Great and helpful video. may i suggest thet the definitions for rebound dempening may be "backwards"? too little rebound = fork does not respond quickly enough over bumps. This tends to be the result of too many "clockwise turns". symptoms - first bump feels ok, subsequent bumps get harsh - fork packs down and does not return to max stroke length quickly enough. Too much rebound = fork responds too quickly. symptoms - first bump feels ok, but front wheel keeps bouncing and doesn't settle in place for subsequent bumps. (bouncy feeling - unplanted). The terms "too much" or "too little" rebound tend to be associated to clockwise vs counter-clockwise turns (respectively) - when it is actually the reverse. if this helps anyone. ..great, if not - thanks for reading. if you're confused like i was 20 years ago (with motorcycles), look at the rabbit vs turtle graphic next to the rebound adjuster for clarity. lol.

[@johngraham6506]

I haven't watched this one in forever, always fun to rewatch. My excuse that I always say 'I could keep up with you if it weren't for two things: Fitness and Talent. If I was in better shape and had more talent I could ride as fast as you.' :-)

[@novacolonel5287]

I used to do most of my offroad riding with a discount hardware store pedelec. This got stolen and now I'm using my hardtail with stem extension, heightened stem and curved riser bar to commute in the city. Still got those awesome mtb tires at 3.5 bars :-D

[@trackdiaries]

"Couldnt fit 2 fingers even if I wanted to.." thats what she said....

[@Antoine_Frs]

"Mine is 50 mm, it's pretty standard"

[@gazg00]

😆😆😆

[@aidenrobertson947]

Haha lol

[@shonmchugh9002]

She lied!

[@clayaustin5838]

These r the gmbn goat videos

[@ThroatSore]

Absolutely pounding Neil's nose !

[@Phootaba]

With time I have started to lock-out my suspension on my HT more often than not. When I know there's a gnarly section going down i switch it off, otherwise during regular and somewhat technical I keep it locked and depend om my tyre-pressure. Works magic. Been thinking about an Epic with stiff fork and only brain suspension in the back!

[@frahzaadsiodora6418]

Viktor Kock Appelgren Boxing boxier

[@glennoc8585]

I had XC with front and rear sus but my new bike has taken me back to a hard tail with 100 up front as all i do is XC these days and IMO it does the job.

[@Panagiwtis_Agrimis]

NICEE VIDEO!!

[@Vanadium]

Yay I got a 80mm stem and a XC bike but I really dont like the long stem for climbing. On crazy hard ascents my rear will tend more to lose grip because it is not enough weight on it.

[@damsonpirate]

Having your rebound really fast is a killer it just fires back and sends your weight over the bars and there's also one you've missed which is a bit tricky to explain but it's having your quick release on wrong so that it appears really tight at first but once you release it you can see it wasn't tight at all, you might have seen it, my buddy who's a bike coach says he he's it all the time.

[@gmbn]

Flipper Hey Flipper, yeah thats a good one I often see poorly tightened quick releases or even tightened in the wrong position, where a simple knock will undo them. Cheers Marc

[@sherules5005]

This was helpful 😀😇🙏🏾

[@rolllo62cg]

I've done that! forgot to unlock my rear shock for a race run, lost so much time as I didn't have a remote lock out

[@scootjockey]

Excellent...

[@quing808]

Good video

[@suicidemon]

Yup, doing long rough descend with locked suspension - been there. Definitely not comfortable. Also, leaving it open for long climbs is not a good idea either...

[@simchabruk6078]

Nice video

[@williamkeys5701]

I see the brake levers and saddle ones all of the time. But my biggest mistake is having the wrong tires for the track. I tend to like fast rolling XC tires but some trails just don't play well with those.

[@bLuEdEviL17]

My mistake is I don't have a mountain bike.

[@johnnygunz2300]

4 years have gone by.... Still no mountain bike? You're missing out on a lot of fun if you don't have one!

[@ryanjspinks]

Biggest mistake I see in my shop is handlebars rolled too far forward or too far back. With all the different types of rise/rake I see all sorts of weird setups

[@RamsayMacFarlane]

***** i just commented on this, do you have an opinion on setup of this? I set it up so that the sweep angle points to my shoulders while seated to give the outside of my palms plenty of support... and what feels right obviously!

[@ryanjspinks]

Ramsay MacFarlane your bars are rising and raking back which creates angles the ends of the bars (where your grips go). If you stand beside your bike and look across your bars, your grips should be flat to the ground. Roll the bars forward and back to see how the rise/rake can make the ends of the bars point up toward the sky or down to the ground. Align them so your bars are flat, not pointing up or down. Set your bars first, then move on to brake levers, shifters, ect. Hope this makes sense...

[@RamsayMacFarlane]

Interesting that you say the grips should be horizontal. Mine are far from horizontal, pointing up at the ends a fair bit. It's not like I just set them there and forgot about it though, I've tinkered with it over the years and find this to be the best angle for some width to haul the bike around, whereas if they're rotated any lower it feels like my elbows and shoulders are forced to be narrow and low, reducing the leverage I get over the bars. I'm going to try and rotate them down a bit again and see how we go...

[@JackAldred]

I think the most important thing everyone should do is to spend time setting up their suspension. Having your suspension dialled into how _you_ like it will make a very big difference to how fast you can ride. And also everyone should go clipped in, some are put off at first but it's definitely more beneficial no matter what type of mtb you ride. Although I ride DH and currently I'm not clipped in, it's definitely up on my list of things to do on my bike.

[@tinidavies6531]

Trying to use a bike which has sat in a shed longer than my life on a trail where everyone else is running full-sus. Frame made of rust, brakes help a bit but stopping = pick the softest bit off the side to hit, changes gear when it feels like it, no relation to the gear levers, seatpost rusted in place, forks rusted solid...on the upside, the tyres are fine and the cracks in the frame make interesting twanging noises when you hit bumps! And noticing that you've melted the brake pad down to the metal and then scored the top of that off always makes for interesting conversations with riding buddies :) I found it funny anyway!

[@Sultan29er]

I prefer two finger braking. Time to give back my medals and trophies as apparently I'm no good.

[@gggg-xx6gx]

Sultan29er noob

[@Aire0001]

Sultan29er 2 finger braking give you less grip to your handlebar in rocky sections this can be really bad but if you are strong enough i think it wont matter but i think its stupid with good disk brakes

[@theclashking953]

Sultan29er I almost always use four hand and I have plenty of grip for fuck the people who say I am a noob

[@teodelfuego]

Regulator 21 dumbass

[@ryanford5387]

I also do 2 finger braking, simply because the levers for my mechanical disc brakes are too stiff for one finger

[@shwin86]

When one should switch to clip pedals, what should be mastered before switching to clips, can you make a video about it?

[@CoffeeMonster12]

I dont have a dropper post so my saddle is quite low for pedaling but i dont want to mess around lifting and dropping the seat

[@Cafferssss]

Lockout... ALWAYS stopped using it in the end haha

[@ExtremeTSATrickish]

Can you make a video on how to set your rear shock sag and rebound and all that stuff? Thanks

[@PieMaster928]

+ExtremeTSATrickish They already did check the setup playlist

[@frederikdortmund]

Setting up the rebound damping correctly made a big difference for me. Google the curb test to get it right.

[@yegmtb8377]

I have something to add on the stem part if your tall like me im 6'1.3" 170lbs i have a xl norco with a 30mm stem and i ride mostly up down trails river valley in Edmonton and i recommend for myself seeing my arms are abit short oppose to my legs lmao i need a shorter stem so for some of those with the case like mine id go short as possible also the specialized ground control tire is great

[@riggermortisfpv526]

My bike setup skills are good so my new Cube is set up well and I have avoided the mistakes you presented here, my mistakes have been on cornering and bunny hopping, which I have corrected this year and am riding faster than ever.

[@Ewan.f15]

Marc Ariss Well done mate! I hope you are enjoying yourself!

[@riggermortisfpv526]

MrWtfchicken I am thanks ! Big time....Im thinking about racing now.....at age 39 :). I haven't raced since my BMX supercross days. (over 20 years ago)

[@Ewan.f15]

Go for it mate, funnily enough I did my first race not that long ago and it was stupidly fun

[@riggermortisfpv526]

MrWtfchicken Right on ! Good for you man ! Fun is the driving force for me to race. Time to fill out these Dairy Capitol run forms (A race here in my town of Woodstock)

[@Ewan.f15]

Go for it! let me know how you get on :)

[@philipfenton-ree5131]

You got your rear shock explanations back to front 😳

[@mewwew411]

Spend 2,000 dollars on a bike 6 years ago, still got it today and still using it till this day, fuck all that fancy rear suspension shit. (I'm still using the same treads though have wiped out a few times because of lack of grip, but it's alright lol) On another note, if you're ever heading to Pennsylvania, bring your bike because we have some crazy trails.

[@sagemata8466]

those are some beautiful bikes

[@23lnp]

Have any of you tried the new marin attack trail 7 2017 model ? Also whats the different between the Xfusion 02 pro RL and RCX rear shocks ?

[@duncandehulst2016]

I love the orange bike :D sorry for not remembering your name but i only subscribed today... So that my excuse :)

[@neiltidman9589]

just about all of them but I'm a newbe just got my first although it's a hard tail so no mistakes with the rear suspension as I have none :) lol

[@MarzNet256]

Can you guys to a how to on how to properly setup riser bars?

[@numberreyes]

Make a video about crankarm lenght

[@foxman105]

Many things you talk about are also about personal preference... I did try shorter stems on my bike, but the bike felt fiddly and generally didn't inspire much confidence. I now have an 80 mm on my XC/AM bike and I'm completely happy. That said, it is a 10 year old bike, so maybe modern frames have a different geometry.

[@jaylite2826]

+foxman105 geometry has changed a lot, i have 2013 hard tail, and recently got a 96 trek 7000 with a RS judy I am converting a to a rigid commuter. There is a noticeable difference in geometry. I will be adding a lot of spacers and a longer stem on this build . I did find going shorter on the stem with wider bars on my main bike has really helped me out and feels better on that bike.

[@gmbn]

+foxman105 Hey Foxman, Yes you make a good point I would guess the top tube of your xc/am bike is shorter than the modern equivalent.Of course everyones setup is different would be boring if we all rode the same.Cheers Marc

[@Tuckersteward]

+foxman105 they do

[@JimboJones2022]

A major no no mistake putting on 8.5 ESI Chunky grips before you put on the break levers and gear sifter!

[@zesty4011]

Like if you forget to un-lock the lockout sometimes. I sure do! Lol

[@notydino]

I can't seem to adjust sag or rebound of my back suspension. It's pretty much locked up all the time. Permanently.

[@Richard1976]

I'm still a noob but learning every ride. I do however feel riding with clips made me more confident and allmost falling I corrected them with staying on the peddles instead of placing my feet on the ground to feel save. The times I did fell I knew what I did wrong and started over. And with very tricky parts I lower my saddle max first not clip in try it and work it up from there. The track over here is alot with gravel and lose sand and rocks and the high speed countersteering I still have to sort that. I can do it on tarmac or stable ground, but lose dirt and stones is instant slide and losing grip with mostly a fall or heavy corrections. What do I do wrong? Or perhaps spend a vid on it?

[@rockmountbmxer]

Forgot to reset my behind the other day and rode 20 miles with it with no rebound at all. Left sloppy and sluggish - lock out was non existent. Didn’t think about it until I was tucked up in bed. Broken....

[@sexatica]

once my lockout on the shock was on in a race and there was a really bad jump and completely fail it.

[@Scfdr22]

At 19 seconds I noticed a wide grip stance on the bars. What would you recommend a correct grip width for mountain bike setups?

[@amandabarcy1557]

please do videos for hard tails especially, 29erz

[@egs7233]

thumbs up!!

[@connorkreiger2621]

when i got a really nice mountain bike i wasnt thinking and for some reason put oil on the disk brakes and have sucked since

[@robertoc.9099]

Gracias por el video explicativo ojalá pusieran subtitulos en español que coordinaran mejor.

[@gogovitch66]

..that lockout! 😅

[@rossbeake5779]

I've just bought a GT Aggressor expert 2019 as a beginner rider. What do people think of it, any advice you can give me?

[@siqueiroseduardo]

would you happen to know the biggest sanction for a fox fork that also has a lockout? eg Fox 32, fox 34, ect

[@askbeforeplaying2983]

My perfect tires *are* the ones that came on my bike... 11 years ago. I loved these tires, the Continental Mountain Kings, so much that when my dad(the original owner of my bike) wore them completely bald I got the same tires

[@askbeforeplaying2983]

Oh, and I also have a hardtail so the very next tip doesn't help

[@ashkanahmadi]

Wait so I should lock the front suspensions when I'm going uphill and unlock them when doing downhill? Didn't know that!

[@Ronni.Petersson]

I like to have 4.5-5 bar in my tires when i ride 90% asfalt.

[@konagang4234]

My bike needs a new bottom bracket..It is so broken, but I rode the damaged bottom bracket about 1 1/2 years now.

[@lewisrudd2274]

if I do about 75%road and 25% of road and I'm quite short will a 60mm stem be better than a 80 which I currently have but I'm wanting to do about 50% road and off road so which will be better

[@omahasho4658]

Hey guys I love ur videos. I am a mountain bike racers and I am a freshman in high school and I have a trek X-caliper 6 2015 is it a good bike for bike racing I am 6 foot tail and is there any tips for me

[@omahasho4658]

+Landon M thanks

[@maxabner1135]

on suspension lockout . He says lockout is on but if you look when Neil gets up before he supposedly turns lockout off the suspension fork clearly moves to indicate lockout was ever on in the first place.

[@greenair00]

Bikerballer11 rear lockout mate.

[@justjordan8018]

I took your advise, I stiked to Flat Pedals, I put my foot down, my foot got ripped by a Flat Pedal. I am confused, how come no one bother to explain that with extreme flat pedal grip comes the slight chance that you will eventually fuck up your legs. No one talks about that and everyone seemed to have gone threw that..... I could have saved me mounths of healing with SPD.

[@121VeNoM121]

I've lost so so much from forgetting to switch off lockout 😂😂😂

[@dangerous8333]

What did you lose?

[@danielgeorge8air110]

Neil, i have the same bar grips on my bike, lock ons, right?

[@lucaspound3921]

Two guys One bike during that tire pressure segment.Classic....

[@armagangokturk7800]

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