Mountain bike

[Smitty]

Bought a new (to me) mountain bike last night. I got a 1998 Klein Mantra Comp, full suspension (single pivot), Fox Float shock, Manitou fork ("C" I believe), 24 speed, and Panaracer tires. The thing has not been ridden at all off road and still has the little nubs on the tires, not a single scratch to be found. I paid $740 and got a set of Wellgo clipless pedals and some additional fork and shock springs. This is the first mountain bike I have had since my Giant Iguana when I was fourteen. I planned on buying a hardtail, but I couldn't pass up a deal like this (retailed ~$1500 or more) and I read plenty of reviews which said it was an excellent climber.

Anyone have one of these? I bought to cross train for cross country on Monday's and Friday's since I can't logistically fit a ride in after work due to my commute. For some reason my employer won't let me store my MX bike in the office. :think

Here's a pic of the new model, only difference is some componentry and mine is Yellow with black subframe.

http://www.kleinbikes.com/bikes/mantra/comp/index.html

 

[KXsteve]

Cool! Nice bike Smitty!

I Just bought another MTB, this time a Giant ATX 860. Its not a dually, only hard tail, but I like it that way :) Heres the specs and a pic, hope this link works :)

http://www.giant-bicycles.com/au/bikes/030.000.000.asp?bikes=cataloguestep4&bikeid=9638

Man, I love riding down hill :):) At the moment its raining cats and dogs down here in south australia, and I'm just getting over a cold.....so no riding for me :( (MTB or the KX!)

Enjoy!

Steve

 

[fatty_k]

Man, I love riding down hill

If you like downhill so much you should have a full squish bike. You'll be surprised at how much faster you'll go. My brother races downhill and his bike has inverted, 8" travel forks on a 10" travel frame. I think its worth around $4500-$5000 and he still breaks somthing every ride:confused: Downhill MTBing is an awesome sport but I would ride down the trails he rides down on my dirtbike before I would even try them on my MTB.:eek:

 

[JTT]

Congrats on a great bike. I know the model and have heard nothing but positives.

Have you used clipless pedals before? They are the "way to go", but practice in your driveway before venturing onto the street/trail. Make sure they are set to full soft (lightest release) to start out, as you get more accustomed to them you can increase tension to where you are comfortable.

MBs are great fun and a good way to get into shape. Enjoy! If you have any questions, ask away. I've personally been riding/working on MBs since early 1980's (yeah, back in the beginning...), and there are several others here with extensive experience.

 

[Smitty]

JTT, I just installed the clipless pedals that came with it (Wellgo's) and bought some shoes. I have not been out on the trails yet, but they feel much better than the toe cages. Friday I did a quick five mile trail in about 40 minutes and had a blast, despite a toad strangler thunderstorm near the end. One of the guys I ride with is/was a MTB Mechanic for about six years and was helpful in getting the bars and seat adjusted so I don't damage anything. Looks like I might get into this since it's much more entertaining than the elliptical runner I use in the gym.

 

[JTT]

The thing about MBs is that as your fitness improves, it becomes more and more fun, as pedalling becomes less of an issue and the riding aspect comes through. Glad to hear you have some experienced help. LOL, it's a lot more entertaining than the stationary trainer ;)

 

[KXsteve]

Heh heh, yeah, I know fatty_k. I couldn't afford any of that sweet machinery like that, and I like to ride on the street, too. So, for my ability (not much!) my bike does everything that I want it to!

Steve

 

[fatty_k]

and I like to ride on the street, too.

Ya, my brothers bike is useless on the street! The 3"wide tires and the abundants of suspension travel just soak up every ounce of pedeling (sp?) energy. Hardtails are the way to go if you ride trails and roads and stuff. Those big clunking downhill bikes are so damn heavy you cant do aything but serious downhill racing. I think my brothers bike weighs like 40lbs!
well here is a pic of his forks HERE
If you wanna se a pic of his frame click HERE
go to the "DH full suspension" section and click on either bike to see his frame.
enjoy;)

 

[Kyron]

If your just getting into Mountain bikes be sure that your seat and bars are adjusted right. Even mounting the clip to the bottom of the shoes is a science!
Don't be afraid to have a shop or someone els help you!
Try to do all your own maintance, there are some good books on it, and find a good local shop and buy all your stuff through them (it will be worth it in the end)

 

[DanS]

I got back into MTB's a couple months ago mostly to cross train for riding dirt bikes. It has really helped with fitness and skills. The thing I didn't count on was just how much I would enjoy it! The new full suspension bikes are great and a blast to ride. Just glad I don't confuse the hand controls! That would hurt.

 

[Smitty]

DanS, I switched my brakes from left to right, so that my front brake is the right hand lever and left is rear. Feels more natural.

Kyron, already got the seat, bars, etc. relationship worked out with the help of my buddy in the previous post. Went out last night with the clipless pedals and had no problems.

 

[DanS]

I ride my XR600 to work every day and spin the wheels on my MTB 3-4 days a week. I've found that riding each several times a week has left me with 2 modes, one for the MTB, and one for the motorcycles. I've have yet to confuse the two (maybe it's just a matter of time). Thought about swithching the MTB around but that would probably confuse me now. Here's a link for MTB's http://www.mtbr.com/ It's a really good site that's kind of like DRN. Enjoy!

 

[WR 250]

The Klien Mantras are nice bikes and the people who own them usually swear by them. You may notice a stinkbug effect when you hit the brakes, especally when going down hill. This is inherent in the design and nothing to be concerned about. It just takes some getting used to. When coasting over bumps you will notice that it will ride better sitting down rather than standing up. This is because of the unified rear triangle (URT) design that acts as a rear suspension lockout when you stand up. The URT is also responsible for the bike's excellent climbing charicteristics.

The Mantras are nice, simple bikes that don't require a lot of maintenance and hold together well because of the large, single pivot.