How to gain confidence

[lightning]

l seem to have lost confidence in my front end, as in, when l take a corner on rough ground/gravel tracks l slow down because l am afraid that the front will wash out.
l never used to have this problem. My bike has a 2.8" Maxxis Minion tyre on the front, maybe it's the tyre that's no good?

lt's inflated to 20psi. The suspension is set to around 30% sag with the recommended compression and rebound settings, so l think that's alright.

How can l gain confidence and go faster?

 

[bsquared]

Session it... keep going over that section of the ride. You should be able to get faster each time... but if you hit it only 1x or 1/two days... you're going to be thinking about it every approach... and then the cornering monster will get you.

 

[Beekeeper]

£7 on Amazon. Great confidence booster

 

[Gary]

Alcohol

 

[Gary]

Oh.. And reduce your fork sag and increase your tyre pressure.
You need support to push the front hard in corners. Your set up sounds like a, wet lettuce.
A 2.5 would be better too.

 

[Neeko DeVinchi]

It sounds like you've probably messed around with your suspension and tyre pressures before making this thread lightning.
Please don't misinterpret this as a criticism as I have no idea how long you've been riding however, have you revised your cockpit orientation and stack height to better weight the front end?
I will say that my eebs are set up a bit differently compared to my regular mtbs. Granted, I run 800mm handlebars and 35-40mm stems (depending on the bike), but my bar roll, stack height, saddle position etc are different in an effort for me to always have control (like a pilot compared to a passenger).
Best advice, try dropping the stem down by 5mm increments and adjust your saddle accordingly.

Hope this helps and keep on shredding ?

 

[LexC]

The idea of doing it over and over is good. Mixing that with perfect form really helps you see what the bike is capable of.

Belly button and gaze pointed the direction you want to go, outside foot down and weighted, pushing the bike down just a little bit, inside foot ready to drop and save you if you push too hard. You will quickly see how far you can push.

Another trick is to get off the bike, lean it over and push on the bars and see what it takes for the front to slide out. This can help a bit

 

[lightning]

Thanks for the replies, l will try out the suggestions next ride.
The bike has plus size wheels
and tyres so l don't think l could fit a narrower tyre.
l posted a thread recently asking about tyre pressures (l've not had 2.8" tyres before) and 20psi was the top of what was recommended.
One guy was running his at 8psi

When l got the bike the tyres were at 35psi.

 

[Mteam]

Thanks for the replies, l will try out the suggestions next ride.
The bike has plus size wheels
and tyres so l don't think l could fit a narrower tyre.
l posted a thread recently asking about tyre pressures (l've not had 2.8" tyres before) and 20psi was the top of what was recommended.
One guy was running his at 8psi

When l got the bike the tyres were at 35psi.

Whats the internal width of the rims? I'd be surprised if they couldnt take a 2.4 or 2.5 inch tyre just fine, despite the fact that they are currently fitted with 2.8 tyres

I hate 2.8 wide tyres, they're horribly squirmy (IMO).

 

[B1rdie]

I believe that 20 psi is not enough for a front tyre if you ride dry tracks at fast speeds. Its also the most easy factor to try changing.

 

[Zimmerframe]

This won't be everyone cup of tea, but I find their techniques sink into the brain a bit easier than some of the others .


What @Gary said about support is hugely important. If your support is set too low the bike becomes hyper sensitive to every shock and tyre adjustment and you feel the front sliding out way more. So either slightly more pressure in the front, or a token and the same pressure.

And 2.8's are horrible, unless you're riding slowly or a hardtail and want some suspension.

I'm running 2.4's on 38mm rims, and whilst it's not ideal, it seems to work fine for most situations.

 

[B1rdie]

This page from Lee’s book shows Peaty doing what is right…
Or wrong for the skid hatters, anyway read thoroughly and buy the book if you please.
Note that he stands high while skidding at entry and then low at exit while railing the front wheel.

 

[steve_sordy]

Many years ago, pre emtb I had Maxxis Igniter tyres 26x2.35". The Igniters were a three season tyre designed for hardpack and dry(ish) trails. I was about to go the the French Alps for a biking holiday and I asked a new biking buddy what tyres he would use. He leant me his Continental Rubber Queen tyres. The RQs were the precursor to the Conti Trail King. Conti renamed them because they could not give them away in America (for some reason ?). The front was a 2.4" and the rear was a 2.2", both in black chill compound (BCC) which is their high grip compound.

I could not believe how much extra grip the tyres gave the bike and I went faster and faster down my test track. Once back from hols I had to (reluctantly) return the tyres. But before I did, I tested various combinations of tyres. I started by going back to my previous Maxxis Igniters and found I was quicker than I had been before! I knew I could go faster and had more confidence as a result, even on the same tyres!

Eventually, I opted to go for the Conti 2.2" on the front and the Igniter on the rear to use up the rubber. I bought a new Conti TK 2.2" with BCC and eventually I went Conti Trail King 2.2" on both ends.

@lightning By all means pay attention to the bike and tyre set up as previously advised, but be aware that some of your problem will be in your head. Solve the head problem and you will solve a big issue. Haven't you noticed that big feature that you worried about for ages before finally tackling was a doddle once you'd done it once or twice? You wondered what the fuss had been about? Cornering is like that. Your don't have enough confidence yet to realise what the problem is. Is it tyres, suspension, the bike, the trail, or you?

 

[lightning]

Okay
There's some great fire roads where we are staying this week, l will choose a decent corner and get some practice in tomorrow.

Plus, l will start by trying higher pressure in the front tyre, and look at changing them
for some 2.5" when l can.

 

[Zimmerframe]

Okay
There's some great fire roads where we are staying this week, l will choose a decent corner and get some practice in tomorrow.

Plus, l will start by trying higher pressure in the front tyre, and look at changing them
for some 2.5" when l can.

And don't forget to look through the bend. Look down and your whole body position will adapt and be wrong + you'll decide you're going too fast and wash out !

I have a photo of Steve on the handlebars, that stops me looking down.

 

[steve_sordy]

This may prove helpful and give you confidence that the tyre is fine for your rim. Page down to the second chart for MTBs.

Tire & Rim Fit Chart

WHAT IS IT? The WTB Tire & Rim Compatibility Chart is used to determine what tire and rim width combinations provide optimal performance and compatibility. By matching your tire section width to your rim width you can determine optimal, compatible, or not optimal fitting options to ensure the...

www.wtb.com

 

[Tubby G]

Thanks for the replies, l will try out the suggestions next ride.
The bike has plus size wheels
and tyres so l don't think l could fit a narrower tyre.
l posted a thread recently asking about tyre pressures (l've not had 2.8" tyres before) and 20psi was the top of what was recommended.
One guy was running his at 8psi

When l got the bike the tyres were at 35psi.

I have a 2.8 DHR II on my rear and it clearly states minimum 35 psi on the sidewall. I was running it at 30 in the sloppy winter but now it’s dry I’ve pumped it up to 40 psi and it feels much better

Admittedly I’ve just bought a Minion SS in 2.3 width to swap it over to as I wasn’t keen on the fat tyre, but haven’t got round to it yet!

 

[Tubby G]

I have a 2.8 DHR II on my rear and it clearly states minimum 35 psi on the sidewall. I was running it at 30 in the sloppy winter but now it’s dry I’ve pumped it up to 40 psi and it feels much better

Admittedly I’ve just bought a Minion SS in 2.3 width to swap it over to as I wasn’t keen on the fat tyre, but haven’t got round to it yet!

I also run my suspension at almost maximum clicks so a nice slow rebound. Much firmer but feels better for chucking the bike around corners and landing off transitions. I’m a heavy guy though

 

[lightning]

So what's the optimum pressure for 2.8"
tyres then? lt does indeed say 35psi on the tyre, but l thought that was a maximum rating.
As l said, when l started a thread about it l
got answers ranging from under 10psi to 25psi.

 

[lightning]

Here's a thread on it, on another forum. It suggests 20psi as a maximum, and to start at 15psi

Plus sized tyre pressure

Home › Forums › Bike Forum › Plus sized tyre pressure Search Overview Chat Bike Members News Women This topic has 27 replies, 15 voices, and was last updated 8 years ago by pre…

singletrackworld.com

 

[lightning]

And this.

 

[Neeko DeVinchi]

It would be full-hearted for anyone to reccomend to you tyre or suspension pressures @lightning
Just experiment and find what works for you ?

 

[Tubby G]

So what's the optimum pressure for 2.8"
tyres then? lt does indeed say 35psi on the tyre, but l thought that was a maximum rating.
As l said, when l started a thread about it l
got answers ranging from under 10psi to 25psi.

As Neeko says, experiment and find what works for you. Park up somewhere close to a trail with a few berms, take a run at 20 psi, then pump to 25psi, take another run, then 30 psi, take another run, 35 psi etc etc - eventually you’ll find the sweet spot and you’ll just know when the bike feels right for you. Sounds like a faff but it’s worth it

 

[B1rdie]

To me, running 2.6 front and rear on the ebike, bellow 30psi at front and above 30 at rear.
how much? Well…

 

[Tubby G]

So what's the optimum pressure for 2.8"
tyres then? lt does indeed say 35psi on the tyre, but l thought that was a maximum rating.
As l said, when l started a thread about it l
got answers ranging from under 10psi to 25psi.

I can’t remember the maximum rating and I’m nowhere near my bike as I’m in a hotel 250 miles away but it was around 50-60 psi, 35 being the minimum. I agree loads of people run them at lower pressures, but I put my faith in the rubber engineers at Maxxis more than I do random people on internet forums!

 

[lightning]

Okay thank you l just needed a start point as
l read conflicting information online.
On the one hand people are saying start at 15psi
And on the other, start at 40psi.

l weigh around 65kg
l've currently got them at 20psi and the bike feels great.

EXCEPT for the issue l started this thread with !!

 

[Gary]

The sweet spot in psi between floppy lettuce and bouncy ball with larger volume tyres is a fairly narrow window. But it's a lot lower for a lighter rider than a heavier one. Dual ply (DH) casings help support and damp them a fair bit but the downside is they weigh a ton.

 

[Tubby G]

Okay thank you l just needed a start point as
l read conflicting information online.
On the one hand people are saying start at 15psi
And on the other, start at 40psi.

l weigh around 65kg
l've currently got them at 20psi and the bike feels great.

EXCEPT for the issue l started this thread with !!

Well I had to scroll all the way back to read the start ? I’m no expert at all but I am teaching my other half to ride, and one thing I’ve noticed is she can be quite rigid on the bike and not relaxed, and not turning her body, head & shoulders with the bend. I had her rolling on a flat car park with a slight gradient and just turning by moving her head & shoulders, carving from side to side. She instantly recognised how easy it is to turn by moving her body instead of ‘steering’ with the bars and now she’s flying around berms

 

[Zimmerframe]

I think I tried my 2.8's down to 5psi. They stayed on the rims, but were horrible to ride.

It depends what you want from the bike. 15 will be great for some people. A 2.8 has a lot of volume, so you can get away with a lower pressure. If you feel 20 is right for you, then maybe it is. I'd start with more fork pressure and as people have said, just sessioning a corner.

 

[flash]

I have a 2.8 DHR II on my rear and it clearly states minimum 35 psi on the sidewall. I was running it at 30 in the sloppy winter but now it’s dry I’ve pumped it up to 40 psi and it feels much better

Admittedly I’ve just bought a Minion SS in 2.3 width to swap it over to as I wasn’t keen on the fat tyre, but haven’t got round to it yet!

Thought this was strange so I had a look at the 2.8 DHRII hanging on my garage wall. At 40 psi you have a chance of blowing the tyre and hurting yourself as it's actually rated at 17-35 psi. The 35 near the logo printed is the MAXIMUM. The range is stamped into the rubber in small font on each side.

Gordon