Why would you ever run cranks that low on a Dh bike?santacruzer87 said:
How low is too low?
- Thread starter Eurotrash
- Start date
Yeah but we don't ride 24" wheels, either...santacruzer87 said:
I don't think BB height is as big of a deal as everyone makes it out to be. There are plenty of kids out here who ride Mondrakers, these crappy M1 imitations, that have 16" high BB's. Most of these kids pin it pretty damn fast, too, even in fast corners. I really don't think it's all that big of a deal.
I was thinking about motorcycles the other day- super motards have a really high center of gravity than MotoGP race bikes, and they still go pretty quick through them corners. I think it's more personal style than anything else. A super low BB would not make me anyfaster. Another 15lbs of muscle, a couple years more of experience, and a bit more confidence are far more key.
5mm crank length difference = 0.2 in...
i can't imagine that it makes that much of difference to go from 170mm to 165mm cranks if you are really running such a low bb...
i can't imagine that it makes that much of difference to go from 170mm to 165mm cranks if you are really running such a low bb...
It actually makes a surprising difference. I gather it is more to do with where a 165 forces you to pedal vs actual length. The torque on 175s will allow you to crank through rock gardens, whereas the 165s you need to keep them level and carry your momentum? At 12.25" though...ouch. My 224 is at 13.5" in the lowest setting and it worries me.narlus said:
Just a guess anyways. I almost always run 165s on my DH bike and have 172.5s on my XC bike, 175mm on my 4x bike.
I always run a road cassette. I run a 38t for my trails, I have a 40 for mammoth, and I also sometimes run a 44 for big mountains. All w/ a road cassette. On a true DH bike you don't need tall gears, just run a road cassette and you'll love the quick shifting.Laaz said:
So did you have to grind the frame in any way? I measured my (large) DHR the other day. At full bottom out (links hitting) the shock eyelets are 163mm apart. With a 9.5 * 3" stroke shock, it'll bottom at 6.5" = 165mm. That's not a lot of room for reducing the length! Although granted some of the stroke length is inevitably taken up by the bottom out bumper etc...Cave Dweller said:
I don't think I'd want a BB lower than 14" tbh. I rode a buddies PDC the other day and it was horrid. Just pedalling along the flat you had to stop if you wanted to lean the bike over at all. That's on a fireroad with no rocks etc getting in the way. I like being able to lay the power down out of corners/technical sections etc knowing you can just open up, without worrying.
Hey hey hey.. lets not insulte my bike!bikenweed said:
Mine is 14.5" and sometimes I wished it was higher, specialy cos I run 175mm cranks and flat pedals. On Vigo my feet were constantly flying cos I keeped on hitting rocks..
Oh.. And I run a 9.25" shock, they now come with a 9" which I suppose makes them even lower.
I don't want to insult your bike, it's a great ride, especially for the price. I live pretty close to the Mondraker head quarters, and know a bunch of people from Team Bike, and they're all good folks. Mondrakers are catalog bikes imported for the right price. I think it's great that decent bikes at fair prices make their way into the peninsula. Mondraker is honest, too, and doesn't claim to be innovating stuff, just making regular old bikes. :thumb"LokiLopez said:Hey hey hey.. lets not insulte my bike!
Mine is 14.5" and sometimes I wished it was higher, specialy cos I run 175mm cranks and flat pedals. On Vigo my feet were constantly flying cos I keeped on hitting rocks..
Oh.. And I run a 9.25" shock, they now come with a 9" which I suppose makes them even lower.
Check that BB though:
That is one highass BB though. Spec'd at 41cm, or 16.14". Hopefully there was a slipup on the shocks spec'd. I do know that every single Mondraker Petrol I've seen and ridden has been at least an inch higher than my Demo8. It's not a big deal, Pascual, Himar, Edgar and Javi all continue to rip. I think the effect a low BB has on how a bike handles is mostly mental. I'm stoked on my 12.25" Enduro SX, but those Mondrakers don't feel bad at all on the trail.
J
J5ive
Guest
I call bull**** on all these low bb's. 
Lowest I've gone is 13.8 on an avanti d8 (same as a kiwi). That thing would hit the ground riding around the streets, I went through 2 pairs of cranks in the few months I had it. My current ride, an 06 norco team dh- sits a 14.2" and theres no way I want to go lower.
A low bb isn't going to be faster when you just end up coming to a dead stop after smacking the arse out of your cranks on a rock.
Lowest I've gone is 13.8 on an avanti d8 (same as a kiwi). That thing would hit the ground riding around the streets, I went through 2 pairs of cranks in the few months I had it. My current ride, an 06 norco team dh- sits a 14.2" and theres no way I want to go lower.
A low bb isn't going to be faster when you just end up coming to a dead stop after smacking the arse out of your cranks on a rock.
damn i can't go lower than 14 or my pedals will be mashing up against every single rock here on the east coast
And how big is the diference in pedaling dynamics; 165 vs. 170??
Yeah, I have a 6pack and I measured the BB at 14.25, I hit 4" rocks with my pedals, and those ain't very big rocks, only a few inches from the ground really. I've bent more than one set of pedals and cranks(and I've also been told by the rider behind me that he saw sparks flying off when I hit rocks with em). I run about 33-40% sag.
I have a real issue with a significantly lower BB on a bike used for riding in really rough terrain, it's those times when you're not planning correctly and you smash a pedal into a solid object, and then one of two things happens, either you keep going and break off whatever hit, or you stop instantly and suddenly, and fly off the bike.
I have a real issue with a significantly lower BB on a bike used for riding in really rough terrain, it's those times when you're not planning correctly and you smash a pedal into a solid object, and then one of two things happens, either you keep going and break off whatever hit, or you stop instantly and suddenly, and fly off the bike.
ChrisKring said:
I thinking im in the same perdicament, I just picked up a Sundaynarlus said:
and it was meant to come with 165mm cranks but it actually came with 170, i wouldnt think it was that much of a problem but my last 2 days of riding (out of 3 days on the bike) have been at the local DH race that contain quite a few rock gardens.
And i was finding my self clipping the pedals in quite few sections of the track especially trying to pedal through some the rockgardens. Now im trying to think whether actually putting on 165 cranks would eliminate alot of this pedal clipping?
Im pretty sure the diabolous cranks will sustain the clipping but i wouldnt mind pedalling when i want and can pedal.
not sure what my bb height is on my giant, but that happened to me last saturday, when i clipped an embedded rock w/ my left pedal/crank as i was pedaling hard...did the best superman/james bond ejection-seat impersonation i can ever recall...funny feeling being a few feet off the ground w/o yr bike in the nearby vicinity.Jm_ said:
amazingly enough, the only damage was a couple of ripped out set screws from my pedal body; the race face crank didn't bend. i checked out the rock, which had been dislodged from the ground, and split into two loaf-sized chunks.
No frame mods required at all.big-ted said:
Like i said i wouldn't go any lower then what it is, especially seeing i run 175mm cranks.
As for max bottom out, normally your cranks are level not straight up and down so its not really an issue. And you normally don't pedal through corners, and inside foot is usally up anyway.
But i have noticed i am clipping my pedals a bit more on super rocky courses, but i feel the bikes cornering has improved a bit.
Yes, they are normaly taller compared to a Demo8, but they also have 2 more inches of travel(yes mondraker has it wrong on the site, emailed astro cos everyone else who sells that frame claims 10").bikenweed said:
I dont know how mine is only 4mm(bb height taken from spec.com) taller than a demo8 but yesterday I changed the shock position and got it taller cos the wheel keeped on hitting the sadlle and one of the guys was telling me it looked to low
... and it handles so much better.First I thoughed it would curve worse but no. Come to think of it I did get the front angle more vertical so everyone should consider this when lowering the bike without "touching" the front.
yea thanks again for doing that to my bikeRed Bull said:
My 224 gets to about 13.5" slammed at the slackest Peatyesque setting. Haven't really hit my pedals (bromont riding) but have dinged the bashguard a fair bit. Just have to keep your pedals in mind.
Mine is in the 14.25-14.5 area. Its a good height for all the sharp pointy rocks in my area. I still hit crap constantly but at least I'm not totally hung up on it. I'd like to try one of these new 'lowrider' BB bikes in the real elements though, as I'd dig it for cornering.
165's make quite a difference....quite a difference.
"5mm is 5 inches in dh"
"5mm is 5 inches in dh"
is that a pinkbike super feet conversion?sharkdh said:
My Ancillotti sits at around 12 with 8" airs