well, "gear slipping" is almost always a symptom of a badly adjusted derailleur. It happens when the derailleur stops the chain between gears, and the chain cannot seat itself properly on the cassette.

I had a gear slipping problem a while ago where my a couple of the gears on my cassette had been crushed and were bent, and the chain couldn't engage in those gears. In that case, I had to change my cassette, but there was nothing wrong with the chain or derailleur.

I don't know what would be wrong with the chain itself or why it would have to be replaced more than once.

If it keeps happening, try a different bike shop.

3/31/2009 10:43:58 PM

Quote :

"Thats not a picture of my bike but every time my gears slipped the guys at All Star Bikes would change the chain a lot and occasionally the cassette."

find a new bike shop. it could be as simple as just slack in the shifter cable or something.

3/31/2009 11:25:34 PM

Well slipping might not be the right term. What happens is I put the bike in mid gear 5 and it works. If I move it to Mid 4 or Mid 6 and put too much pressure on the pedal the pedal will keep going from like 12 oclock to 9 oclock and feel like its skipping a lot before I can pedal again. For parts of the rotation my foot will go around without and resistance and then I"ll get a little resistance and then it will go away again usually causing my foot to fall off the pedal or I just won't be able to go anymore since its usually going uphill.

3/31/2009 11:31:45 PM

it could be anything really, but i'm fairly certain replacing the cassette isn't going to solve anything. basically what it boils down to is the chain is being forced out of alignment between the front chain ring and rear sprockets. could be a bent derailleur hanger, bent dropouts, screwed up derailleur adjustment, too much slack/tension in the cable, too much friction in the the cable housing.

3/31/2009 11:41:33 PM

^^ has the chain actually shifted to the gear when this is happening, or is it like right after you change it and before it engages?

3/31/2009 11:52:49 PM

Its on the gear that I want but it still doesn't hold on to it because my foot will occasionally go around the pedal without the tire moving.

3/31/2009 11:56:32 PM

this is what having a neighborhood bike shop is for, they are pretty good at diagnosing these kinds of problems

4/1/2009 12:13:54 AM

They always change the chain because the pressure from the gear always messing up loosens the chain. They probably change the cassette every year too. It always happens again. They need to use better parts or diagnose the problem better.

4/1/2009 12:31:29 AM

Alright folks, I'm going to check out All-Star and The Bicycle Chain. If they don't have anything better and you guys can't come to a better conclusion I'm pulling the string on that 08 GT just because the fork looks better than the one on the 09. Don't let me waste my money T-Dub. I know you can find a better bike for the money (or at least let me know which is better between the 08 and 09 models.)

4/1/2009 11:28:59 AM

I'm going to be in the market soon for a new mountain bike. Basic features I'm looking for are: disc brakes, push/pull gear change type, and a front shock fork.

I'd prefer to go with a used bike since money's a little tight right now. Other than craigslist any places I should look? Do bike shops sell used bikes?

Also, I'm 6'2" what frame size should i stick with? I haven't bought a new bike since 1994 and that one was stolen over a year ago.

4/1/2009 2:18:24 PM

Quote :

"What kind of frame/fork/wheelset do you think you're going to get and still end up with less than $1200 in it?"

I got a Jamis Dakar XC Comp for $175, came with a Fox Float R rear shock. Fork...I am looking at the Rock Shox Reba, not sure though. Wheels...I found some custom built online for $200...XT hubs and Mavix 823 rims. Otherwise, most of the components I have found on either eBay or some online retailer. I should still get everything up for under $1200, but will have to pay someone to install the fork/headset, BB/crank, and possibly the rear cassette. I don't have the tools or knowledge to install those.

4/1/2009 7:23:43 PM

Oops, turns out that is a mavic 827 rim.

4/1/2009 9:50:07 PM

^^^I'm 6'2" with a 32 inch or so inseam and my 19.5" (Large) trek is too small. I would get an XL in just about anything. Another trick is to figure out the length of cockpit you want and look at top tube lengths rather than seat tube (which is typ. what you are seeing when they say 18" or 20")

Used is definitely the way to go. This years bikes took about a big price hit because of increases in component prices (because of increases in raw materials).

also, the best time to buy new is in september-november. In september, bike mfgs announce/preview the next years' models and you can find clearance deals on last years' models.

some local bike shops even list their old models' clearance on their websites, I know Cycling Spoken Here (great shop, btw - very supportive of local races, and the owners work in the store) and Trek of Raleigh both post clearance deals and still have some small or medium 08 frames hanging around.

4/2/2009 8:25:28 AM

Quote :

"the best time to buy new is in september-november. In september, bike mfgs announce/preview the next years' models and you can find clearance deals on last years' models"

There are still lots of 08 models around and it's April of 09. All Star has had a big sign up in their window for a couple of months announcing that all 08 bikes are on clearance. I haven't been able to get there during their operating hours to check out the inventory though. In any case, I'm pretty sure they are cheaper now than they were back in September-November.

The only way I'd buy a used bike right now is if I ran across a steal on an 08 that someone almost never rode. I don't want someone else's old junk and I haven't seen used prices that were low enough (IMO) to justify depreciation.

4/2/2009 10:19:24 AM

One of my friends is selling his one year old barely used Norvara Bonanza and I told him I'm interested. It has everything I want. I just need to go out, check it out, and make sure the frame size works for me.

What should I offer him? I believe new this bike is about $599 (MSRP at least).

Oh, and FYI REI is having a anniversary sale first week of May so could be good discounts on bikes there.

4/8/2009 1:31:51 PM

Anyone been to the trails in Chapel Hill? How are they?

4/8/2009 2:45:14 PM

yeah, they're pretty cool. I've done them a couple times, but haven't hit all of the trails. There's not a ton of climbing. The trails are nice and solid - generally hard packed dirt and some pine needles. Not many muddy spots and they seem to drain pretty well to stay dry. They have some fun rock gardens and a couple cool bridges. Several fast, swooping sections.

here's a ride i did there last year. I think it covered most of the trails on the east side, but there is apparently a whole other set of trails on the west side of the Seawell School Rd, up behind the school.
http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/5624491

I have some friends in Cary who drive over there almost every weekend, but I think I wouldn't go more than every 3 or 4 weeks.

4/8/2009 3:41:04 PM

i'm up in the mountains for a long weekend. Did a nice ride on Thursday evening up in the Wilson's Creek area, NW of Morganton, near HW-181. I strapped my point-and-shoot digi cam under my camelback chest strap and took some video of the downhill. Unfortunately, since it's strapped to my chest, it points mostly downwards, instead of forward onto the trail. I guess it's time to get a helmet cam and do the trail again!
http://www.vimeo.com/4109961

here's the track. it's a nice loop because the initial 10 mile climb is all on dirt roads, then the entire downhill is single and double-track. The downhill at mile 14 is as steep as it looks. I got video of it, but it's hard to tell, since I was back over and low to my seat as possible the camera angle was straight down.
http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/7965392



my wife and some of her friends did a nice ride last week, where again most of the uphill is on roads and the downhill is some killer single track
http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/7942533

4/11/2009 9:04:43 PM

what trails did you ride in wilsons?

4/12/2009 4:28:01 PM

The first trail listed is 21 Jumps, then some of Schoolhouse road, then the really steep part at the end was unmarked and came out literally in someone's back yard.

The second trail listed there is a combination of several trails. They started about halfway up HW-181 and rode 8 miles up the highway, then dropped into a trail called Roseboro (it's on the NE side of Table Rock mountain) (miles 8-12), back to and over 181, then down Greentown trail (miles 12-17), then onto a downhill trail called Beehive (miles 17-19), then back up the road to 181.

of course, hardly any of the trails in the Wilson's Creek area and in Pisgah are marked, and most of the names are probably unofficial names that only cyclists use. (Greentown is an official trail name - there is a marker at the trail head on HW-181)

My wife is from Morganton and her parents still live there, so we take our bikes whenever we visit. The lower portion of Wilson's Creek and the Johns River Valley Camp is about 20 minutes from her house.

I have lots of Wilsons Creek area trails GPS'd out. Look for any tracks starting in Crossnore, or in Avery, Caldwell, or Burke county here for those trails - http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/user/joelion


i'm just about motivated to get a real helmet cam now, instead of using my stupid point-and-shoot. Thinking about one of these as a good entry-level camera
http://www2.oregonscientific.com/shop/browse.asp?cid=6&scid=14

4/12/2009 4:54:39 PM

dunno where else to put this - i'm moving to asheville later this year. since i'll be in the mountains, i'd like to take advantage of that and do a little biking. nothing crazy, just some simple trails. the rest of the time i'd be riding the bike in the city. what kind of bike would ya'll recommend? doesn't seem like i should break the bank on a specific-use mountain bike just to use every other weekend or so. plus i don't want to have 2 bikes (one for town, one for trails). what's a good all-around bike?

4/12/2009 9:55:40 PM

Hey agentlion,

How'd you get those elevation profiles?

4/13/2009 9:06:27 PM

Garmin 305.

4/13/2009 9:07:58 PM

You think I got ripped off?

I got new cables, a new shifter, a new rear derauller, a rear tire straightened up, and new handle bars for 200$ total. They also had to straighten the metal piece holding the rear derauller to the frame. They basically charged for parts and included all the labor in the cost of a tune up which was 75$. I saw rear deraullers cost around 75$ and shifters cost around 40$ so I got a lot of repairs for 85$.

What do you think?

5/22/2009 2:01:46 AM

that doesn't sound too bad.
Bike shops generally get away with charging pretty outrageous prices. If you could do all that work yourself, then yes, you would realize you were ripped off. But, as far as any normal bike shop? They'd probably all charge about that much

5/22/2009 8:11:36 AM

just got an '08 Rockhopper Comp Disk off craigslist for $550. Dude had ridden it two miles and couldn't stand mountain biking - he was a hardcore roadbike guy.

I'm hoping to get my first ride in this weekend, but since i live in boulder, colorado, i'm guessing no one on here has any advice nice thread though, learning alot for a n00b

5/22/2009 4:38:14 PM

They only charged me 185. The rear derauller cost 40$ though. They charged 20$ on the labor for that and the shifter and included everything else in the 75$ tune up.

5/22/2009 8:51:10 PM

Anyone got a spare mountain bike rear derailleur they wouldn't mind letting me borrow for a week?

[Edited on May 26, 2009 at 7:56 PM. Reason : .]

5/26/2009 7:56:19 PM

^^^cool, thats a good bike. the '08s inherited the M4 frames from the stumpjumper that year.

5/27/2009 11:09:32 AM

How much would a Gary Fisher Sugar4+ needing 2 new tires/tubes and nothing else be worth?

5/27/2009 11:17:04 AM

i'd spend $20 on new tubes/tires and then sell it.

5/27/2009 11:31:54 AM

Well I have a friend that has two gary fisher bikes. He doesn't ride the sugar4+ anymore and I've yet to see it. I just wanted to know what a reasonable offer would be on it, as I would to go trail riding, but don't have a bike nor do I have a lot of $$$ to throw at one.

[Edited on May 27, 2009 at 12:03 PM. Reason : .]

5/27/2009 12:02:18 PM

i wouldn't buy it without riding it first. Thats why i said it'd be worth $20 for the seller to buy tires/tubes for it. It won't sell if no one can ride it.

So yeh, fit is very important. If it doesn't fit right, you won't like riding it so you won't. I had a bike once that didn't fit right and it almost turned me off to mountain biking. It just killed my desire to ride and i never knew why exactly. I finally sold it and got a new bike ('08 rockhopper frame) and it fit like a glove. I wanted to ride it all the freaking time, even just around the neighborhood for 5minutes for kicks.

I'd make a deal like, i'll buy tubes and tires for it and if it rides nice and fits, i'll buy it. If it doesn't fit, then you gotta pay me back for the tubes/tires and you can then sell it as a functional bike.

5/27/2009 1:26:45 PM

Gotcha. I thought you were saying fix it and flip it or something to that extent.

I know I enjoy biking and I have a lot of energy for it. I just need an intermediate bike right now to get back into it all. Thanks.

[Edited on May 27, 2009 at 2:52 PM. Reason : .]

5/27/2009 2:51:18 PM

Screw the Sugar4+. I liked the bike, but it was a shady deal, so I ditched it. Kinda pissed off since I was really looking forward to biking again.

With that said, I'd be very much interested in a XC/AM MTB. I have never before looked at bikes and I'd like to spend no more than $500 on a MTB that needs nothing or priced accordingly if it needs a little freshening up. I'm 6'& 150lbs, so I believe I need a Large (19"-21") frame. Am I going to have to look at "used" only for this price range or are there quality bikes that I can purchase new?

I really would like to start off with a FS MTB or should I get a hardtail of equal value that's been built with higher quality components? I really want to hit up the local trails but also be able to occasionally ride it around town/trails/greenways. (I'm going to be riding 80% trails/ 20% street)

Brand recommendations? I've heard a few names like Gary Fisher, Cannondale, Trek, and Schwinn.

I started reading reviews at http://www.mtbr.com but holy shit, there's just too much to read and I'd like to get something soon. (within a couple weeks or so). From what I've been told, Shimano makes pretty good shifters and derailleurs and Fox is the brand to go with for forks and shocks.

I know this is a lot for one post. I'm just trying to get this all out there and hopefully some of you guys can help point me in the right direction with any/all of these questions... I need a lot of guidance. I figured maybe I could stop by Cycle Logic or Flythe tomorrow and just talk with the guys there and maybe help me figure out what it is that I need.

Thank you.


[Edited on May 28, 2009 at 8:31 PM. Reason : .]

5/28/2009 8:26:22 PM

you could also look at giant, specialized, and gt. basically you're going to get the same components and wheels on any of the bike brands, so it really comes down to which frame you feel the most comfortable on. i don't know who is using which forks now, but again they will be more or less comparable across the brands at that price point.

as far as components go, i would expect shimano deore level stuff. deore is lower mid grade. people like to geek out over component sets, but honestly, just use it until it breaks then upgrade or replace.

disc brakes are preferable, but don't let it be a deal breaker if you find a bike you like. most frames come with bosses for mounting disc calipers, so you can add them later. you may need a new wheel set though, depending on your hubs. you can spend as little or as much as you want on wheels.

hope this helps.

5/28/2009 9:22:30 PM

I'd take Schwinn out of that list and put Specialized in for sure.

SRAM makes excellent shifters/deraileurs as does Shimano.

Fox forks and shocks are very good, but RockShox has come a long way and makes some really nice forks/shocks, too. I had a RockShox Reba that is highly regarded.

5/28/2009 9:35:38 PM

Okay. So I bought a bike this weekend. I shouldn't have done it because I could have probably gotten a much nicer bike used for less money, but fuck it. I bought new and it was on sale anyways. Had to order it so it'll come in sometime next week. Gary Fisher Marlin. Didn't go with the disk brakes although the hub will accommodate one in the future should I decide the need to convert. Now time for a helmet and a tire pump and I'm good to go!

5/31/2009 9:20:22 PM

Nice those are good bikes. My gf had a Gary Fisher. She liked their Genesis geometry.

6/1/2009 1:18:13 AM

I really liked it too. Definitely stood out and "fit my style" compared to the Trek 4300 and a few others. I felt really comfortable with it. I didn't realize that one bike could ride noticeably different from another. I figured all mtb rode the same (boy was I wrong...). I'm glad I got out there and tried them all out.



[Edited on June 1, 2009 at 8:30 AM. Reason : .]

6/1/2009 8:22:02 AM

been riding the $200 kmart/walmart/target special a lot lately, like 3 hours at Umstead today. I run all the time, so I'm in good shape. Now I'm thinking I'd like to get a decent mountain bike, I was thinking of a road bike but not having to think about traffic is kinda nice. I want to do duathlon/triathlon next year.

my bike weighs 28lbs, shifts sometimes when it wants, and has like 1/2 the braking power I want. but I got it used for like $50 and it works. I'll probably fix it up a little more. it actually has SRAM components

I literally start from my front yard and ride to umstead within 15 minutes

or drive in 5

[Edited on June 2, 2009 at 4:39 PM. Reason : wee]

6/2/2009 4:38:18 PM

When i lived in Cary the greenway was about 100 yards from my driveway. it was about a 10-13min bike ride to the umstead gates. From my house around the big loop of Umstead and back was 22miles. It was quite awesome.

6/2/2009 4:49:28 PM

yeah i just get on the black creek greenway. i live where the harris teeter is basically

6/2/2009 4:55:57 PM

^^ that gravel road?

glad you spend so much on the expensive suspension, eh?

6/2/2009 6:24:44 PM

Umstead was just fitness for some harder core shit!!!!

6/2/2009 8:29:40 PM

^^its pavement all the way to crabtree/umstead. crabtree is normal trails, umstead is gravel bridal trails. There are lots of other trails in that area as well.

Around Umstead and back was just my twice a week exercise circuit. Not my fun OFF ROAD LOOK AT ME I'M USING MY SUSPENSION riding.

[Edited on June 2, 2009 at 8:32 PM. Reason : beat me to it]

6/2/2009 8:31:50 PM

yeah my bike won't be up to single track stuff. The single track at Umstead is off limits to bikes. There is, however, right before you cross over i-40 on the Lake Crabtree side single track that is for biking. I'm afraid to even run on it because some of those guys are fucking hard core that ride on that. Basically park at the bridge, and its right at the fence to the right of the paved path.

running is going to remain my primary form of endurance, so I really don't want to drop much coin on a bike (anytime soon)

6/3/2009 7:49:11 AM

^Lake Crabtree Park trails are open for everyone and are pretty basic. I don't know if you're being sarcastic or not... You could ride those on anything, go check em out.

6/3/2009 1:56:13 PM

i am being sarcastic. just have a better bike then me. But honestly i haven't tried them yet either

6/3/2009 8:57:23 PM

definitely check em out. they're close to you. Theyre fun. They can be easy, but there are also obstacles and things to play on like teeter totters, etc. They also made a pump track in the back thats kinda cool. Its not really more mountain bikes, but its cool.

6/3/2009 9:06:49 PM