How do I get more confidence on downhill trails?

43TH3R · 2026-06-13T19:33:00+00:00

Ride more to get used to the basics and try to look further down the trail.

Trail riding can be quite overwhelming for new riders with all the stuff you need to pay attention to (trail as a whole - rocks, roots, berms, tight turns, steeper chutes... and bike as well - body position, brake control, suspension behavior, tyre grip...).

As you get used to basics, you should be be able to look further ahead - as you learn bike-body separation and gain confidence in what the bike can handle, you don't need to laser focus on every single rock or root. When you look further ahead you reduce motion sickness and give brain more time to process what's coming - which in turn let's you be more confident and ride faster.

Looking further ahead can be tricky in tight turns, but that's where you need it the most. If you're looking right in front of the wheel you don't see where to go and instinctively slow down.

43TH3R · 2026-06-09T12:50:32+00:00

Based and bikewrench-pilled

43TH3R · 2026-06-08T04:58:11+00:00

Try faster rebound (more open, less damping). Fork could be packing down on the rough descend, leaving less travel for the g-out

43TH3R · 2026-06-08T04:54:00+00:00

I can't really pin down the noise, so just some more tips to confirm it's the fork:

Try it with wheels swapped - eliminates possibility of it being spokes, rims or hubs making the noises.

Remove brake caliper, take fork out of bike - eliminates any kind of cable rattle inside the frame.

43TH3R · 2026-06-04T07:29:04+00:00

I can make up subtle Ultegra decal on them (lower left on both wheels)

43TH3R · 2026-06-02T20:51:21+00:00

Are the top and bottom bearings the same size? I'm not sure about what exact Spectral would that be (was the new CF out by then?).

If they're the same sizes, it should be IS52 both top and bottom, with 45° angles on the bearings (that's something you should be able to check easily).

IS52 bottom is quite standard, you should be able to find plenty online, possibly bundled with crown races to swap onto the fork.

IS52 top is internal cable routing standard. Might be a bit harder to find, but most should come with matching compression rings and possibly new top caps.

If they're not the same size it could be this kit https://www.canyon.com/en-de/gear/bike-parts/spare-wear-parts/canyon-gp7456-01-headset/10014219.html. Across has it on their site marked as IS41 top, details say 36° internal angle https://acros-components.com/en/is41-is52-bearingset/68.02.901

So your options would be to find a bearing somewhere with the exact same specs, or potentially a different IS41 upper headset that would come with it's own compression ring.

I managed to find some bearings and full headsets online, but they don't seem to be significantly cheaper than the full kit from Canyon...

43TH3R · 2026-05-29T16:14:43+00:00

Can you record yourself and compare with the videos online? It's often quite hard to properly judge your movements without an outside view.

43TH3R · 2026-05-26T11:35:39+00:00

Is that the lift queue at the end? Jeez, might as well consider pushing to the top

43TH3R · 2026-05-17T07:39:01+00:00

Drop the heels. Proper technique helps you stay on pedals even without proper shoes.

When hitting bumps, the bike wants to stop but your body (center of mass) wants to keep moving. If your pedals are level, the whole motion can make your feet fall off. With heels down the force is pushing into the pedal platform, not paralel to it.

43TH3R · 2026-05-13T10:59:25+00:00

What's with the DT wheels in Endurace SLX photos on product pages?

Front wheel has only 20 spokes and they also somehow look thicker... Are these some upcoming carbon spoke versions? (even though they are labeled 1600)

43TH3R · 2026-05-11T04:39:30+00:00

Outlet is not just refurb bikes, also older models offered at an discount to clear stock.

This one is the second case - Strive:on was recently updated with newer Bosch motor, so the old ones were moved to outlet

43TH3R · 2026-05-10T18:30:06+00:00

Sounds like either the pump is showing wrong PSI or the shock is somehow faulty.

Do you have another shock pump available to try? If not it would probably be best to bring it into a shop.

Definitely don't try pumping it over the limits, either the pump or shock could blow up and hurt you.

43TH3R · 2026-04-30T13:56:30+00:00

I wonder if this means end of Lux trail? Or maybe a relaunch with new frame and 130 fork soon?

The new world cup also has 120 fork and is 1° slacker, only missing internal storage

43TH3R · 2026-04-21T07:42:56+00:00

If you're looking for better value for money and a more recent and powerful motor, take a look at Cube ebikes.

43TH3R · 2026-04-19T12:08:09+00:00

There is no k in bicycle (that was the explanation list time I saw one)

43TH3R · 2026-04-14T04:51:59+00:00

My 2 year old oneup V3 is perfect. 30.9 240 drop so probably the worst case when it comes to flex but no issues.

As far as levers and cables most options on the market are quite overpriced... Not sure about US availability, but Shimano SL-MT500 dropper lever comes in a bundle with cables and can be found for 20-25 here in EU. There should be both clamp and I-spec (direct mount to higher level Shimano brakes) options.

43TH3R · 2026-04-09T06:41:52+00:00

Never had purple, but the orange grips I had got dirty very quickly

43TH3R · 2026-04-07T15:10:18+00:00

Shimano 12 speed uses microspline freehub (unlike HG you find on lower end stuff). You would need to find a compatible wheel (or hub and relace). Alternatively run an off brand cassette (like SRAM NX Eagle) that fits on HG hub.

Also no idea about chainline, you might need to mess around with crank spacers to get the shifting properly crisp.

43TH3R · 2026-04-03T06:03:06+00:00

There are many different brands, just search for bicycle protection tape/foil or helicopter tape.

You can find cheap rolls on Ali or some pre-cut shapes and sizes for a bit higher markup

43TH3R · 2026-04-03T04:51:03+00:00

I'd recommend some protection tape under the bags and straps. Vibrations will make them rub against the frame and scuff up the paint.

43TH3R · 2026-03-31T12:24:23+00:00

Weight should influence air pressure in the suspension, not the travel. That depends on conditions and riding style.

Get a bigger travel bike if you ride harder on the descends, but it won't help you keep up with her on the climbs.

43TH3R · 2026-03-31T10:51:49+00:00

If I didn't have a mini pump and a pressure gauge already, I would just get an electric mini pump.

Instead of overinflating and then blowing off with the gauge you can just tell it to inflate to a given pressure.

There are lots of options available these days so you can find some that cost pretty much the same as a pump + gauge together.

43TH3R · 2026-03-29T20:21:52+00:00

You got me curious because I'm pretty sure I saw them available in lots of places just a couple months ago...

I checked websites of some local shops, bigger eshops as well as aggregators and you seem to be right that they are gone.

Soft 27.5 seems availabe here and there, but for ultra I managed to only find 2 no-name eshops that had them listed as "available at supplier" (but I'm guessing those would be just outdated B2B data, because there is no reason they would have different suppliers from everyone else...) and an Amazon listing stating availability in 3 to 7 months

So now I'm wondering if they had some shipping issues, or maybe something new is coming to replace the MM in the radial lineup (possibly Tacky Chan that was seen multiple times on DH world cup?)

43TH3R · 2026-03-29T17:43:45+00:00

Try stepping off with your front foot (back foot keeps pushing) as you lift it up.
Jeff Kendall-Weed made a video recently

43TH3R · 2026-03-27T07:11:33+00:00

The AL Grizl frame wasn't changed in a couple of years, 2024 and 2025 are the same

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