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4X bike set up?

primo661

Monkey
Jun 16, 2008
412
0
Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
Hey guys, I've just picked up a giant stp that I want to use for 4X and hopefully race the PMB world cup if we get it back like it has been promised next year and I've got a few questions. I'm no stranger to downhill bike set up but 4x has me puzzling a bit. Right now the squishy important bits on the bike are as follows: stp frame, DJ2's, XT brakes and kenda k-rads.

Anyways, what forks should i look at? I'm looking for something lightish but should also handle the DJ's when I'm not racing. I was thinking of going for a pike? What travel range should it be in? 100mm?

What about tires? Small block 8's?

Any other tips guys have? I see Jared runs spacers under his stem to raise his bars a bit? Is that standard practice or just personal preference? Any other tips? Or am I being painful?

Thanks
 
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WBC

Monkey
Aug 8, 2003
578
1
PNW
Man, I know nothing about 4x setup, but it seems like a Pike would be a solid option if you want to be able to trailride that bike, plus DJ's and 4x. I've been riding Pikes since early 2006, and my old setup was a spec P2 mk2 with a pike, and that bike rallied BMX tracks, DJ's and all that. Having the full moco (comp + gate) was key for the BMX tracks, as you could set the gate midway and the comp high, so that it still tracked well but didn't bottom easy. For DJ's I just but ****loads of air in it so it was hard.

I'm on a 454 dual air U-turn now for my trailbike that sees a lot of jump action, and I love it. Tracks great, rallies corners, and takes big hits really well.

Stiff, great damping, and most importantly - cheap. You can definitely find a pike cheap if you look around enough.
 

Gary

"S" is for "neo-luddite"
Aug 27, 2002
7,540
5,471
UK
I run Pikes wound right down to 95mm on my STP and love it like that and even prefer to leave them at 95mm if I take it for a bit of DH.

can't help you with tyres (no idea what PMB 4X track is like)

I run a few spacers under a zero rise stem with med rise bars, the STP has a pretty low stack headset so needs a little more rise than you'd think. (Bar height is just personal preference)

<EDIT> if it's for competitive 4X racing, is weight an issue? if it is, maybe something like a 100mm thru axle Reba might be a better chioce than a Pike.
 
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sbabuser

Turbo Monkey
Dec 22, 2004
1,114
55
Golden, CO
2nd (or 4th or whatever) the Pike. I've got both coil and air, and they rock for pretty much everything you'd want a 90mm-140mm fork for.
 

primo661

Monkey
Jun 16, 2008
412
0
Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
Ok, a pike it is. I've always been very impressed with the ones I've felt and after opening my DJ2 up today, I will never buy another Marz fork(I was contemplating a 4x world cup). Apart from the damper having SR suntour stickers all over it, the internal build quality is shocking.

Back on topic, thanks for the help so far guys. I've decided on the pike and going for some small block 8's(I seem to remember one or two pro's running them at our world cup last year). At what length do bars get too long on a 4x track? I've got some 720mm bars on now, would it be a problem? And what about gearing?
 

juanbeegas

Monkey
May 6, 2008
355
2
Singapore
A number of it is really what you feel comfortable with. The trend of low, wide bars may, or may not work for you. I feel comfortable with 720mm bars and a 1 1/2" rise on my bike, but friends who have been on my bike, think it's too low and too narrow and some have felt it's too tall.
 

Daz

Chimp
Mar 5, 2008
36
0
So your Marzocchi had a SR Suntour part in it? What was off on the build quality?
 

primo661

Monkey
Jun 16, 2008
412
0
Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
The rebound damper was made by SR Suntour and that was the problem, it did what every other 08 Marzocchi DJ fork does and the rebound damper jammed up and only gave 20mm of travel. Apart from that there wasn't the typical circlip at the base of the stantion holding the "top out" rod in place, instead they had crimped the end of the stantion in. It just generally gives me the impression that whoever designed it was thinking about saving money and not selling a quality product. My boxxer and the Psylo I had on my old jump bike were years ahead of my DJ in terms of build quality. Maybe I have just been spoilt, but If thats the case, I'm staying with Rock Shox so I stay spoilt.
 

ZoRo

Turbo Monkey
Sep 28, 2004
1,224
11
MTL
If the bike is stricly for racing duties, I would recommend looking into a Reba with the 20mm axle or the new Fox 831. Of course, the fork you have will be more than capable or handling 4x duties, but it is heavy for elite World Cup racing. But the rider is way more important that the equipment! I bet Graves could still do very very good with a DJ2 fork on his bike!

For tires, the classic combo is the Minion 2.3 (or Highroller) with Larsen or Crossmark in the rear. The Shwalbe combo with the Knobby Nic and Racing Ralph also has some good reviews.

You can cheap out on brakes, a basic set will do the job. Front hub too does not need to be fancy. A good rear hub is a good idea because of the amount of engagement points (King, Hadley, DT, Hope SS).

Rims you can get away with pretty light rims if you are a smooth rider. Sun EQ27, Mavic 719 or 819, DT 5.1d or 4.2d if you're confident in you're riding abilities!!

Practice the gates and have fun!
 

primo661

Monkey
Jun 16, 2008
412
0
Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
Thanks Zoro. I know the rider is way more important than the equipment and I agree whole heartedly. I was looking at a new fork already as the DJ2 rebound is knackered and the Pike seemed to be a good alrounder. Thanks for the advice on tire choice and hubs though, it gives me food for thought.

Talking about practicing gates, I just finninshed building my own for that exact purpose after reading the "future of 4x" thread when Jared was saying how important the gate is.
 
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ZoRo

Turbo Monkey
Sep 28, 2004
1,224
11
MTL
Having your own gate is the best idea for sure! Did you build it yourself or buy one?