5 things I LOVE and HATE about my bikes!

Рет қаралды 8,097

3 ай бұрын

So hands up if you've come straight here to find out about my injury?
It went like this:
I was doing some front wheel stunts on a banking and feeling pretty good, I then decided to do a downside foot jam whip, I did it the BMX way which I'm a little more sketchy at and I ended up going over the bars...nothing unusual there, it happens all the time but for some reason when I tried to bail I ended up tripping on the bike which sent me face first on top of the bike.
I landed with my eyebrow on the bar-end which cut me and gave me my black eye. I didn't know how bad it was so decided to go to A&E to get it checked out. While I was waiting to be seen I noticed my jeans were wet with blood (they were black so it wasn't super obvious) and when I pulled them up to take a look I found a huge gash in my knee!
Turns out my eye wasn't serious at all but the doctors were fairly concerned with my knee as I had cut all the way through my flesh and partly through my ligament. They were considering whether I needed surgery but after lots of inspection decided stitching me up would be enough.
Oddly the knee cut never once hurt and even now I feel totally fine.
So frustrating after having month off due to shingles!
Injury aside, I hope you liked this video, it took quite a bit of editing but I'm happy with the outcome. Let me know if you agree with my points.
Hex Build video:
• Building my New 2024 I...
Pivot Shadowcat build video:
• This MTB Was Worth The...
Pivot Shuttle LT build video:
• Building My Pivot Shut...
Cheers!
Ali
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Saddleback saddleback.co.uk
Troy Lee Designs troyleedesigns.co.uk
Inspired bikes www.inspiredbicycles.com
Pinnd Components www.pinnd.co.uk
Schwalbe Tyres www.schwalbe.com/en/start
Hayes Brakes hayesbicycle.com
Industry Nine industrynine.com/
Ride Concepts rideconcepts.com
Rimpact Tyre Inserts www.rimpactmtb.com/

Пікірлер: 72

@mcspikesky 3 ай бұрын

Love - maintenance Hate - unplanned maintenance

@Ferrari255GTO 3 ай бұрын

This is relatable as fuck XD

@Peak_Mid 3 ай бұрын

Speaking of saddles, one of those new brown leather Title dj saddles would look so good on you Shadowcat and no more leg bruises

@Ali_Clarkson 3 ай бұрын

Doesn’t look great for days out riding up hills though :( Fraser has a DJ saddle on his MTB and it’s torture! 😫

@justincouper2652 3 ай бұрын

Your purple brakes & levers match really well on the new Hex. Looks sick.

@Ali_Clarkson 3 ай бұрын

Agreed!

@mikedwiles 3 ай бұрын

Regarding the lag in response of the ebike motor: there is a learning curve with that. However, I really like and take advantage of the delay to shut off. Riding where you need to ratchet the pedals to avoid pedal strike, the lag will push you through the rough spot when timed correctly. Regarding the Shadowcat: Even though you found some dislikes, I'm thinking, "Yeah, but it's a trail bike and does trials too. That in itself is pretty amazing." Not that I could do the trials stuff. I'm a shorter rider and really like the 27.5 wheels. I put a set on my Pivot Switchblade and am enjoying riding it that way. But the shorter chainstay on the Shadowcat would be awesome.

@Ali_Clarkson 3 ай бұрын

I get what you mean and can understand how that might help, I find the delay to shut off the most difficult to get my bread around! That clip where I wheelie off the sloped concrete is a great example as the bike continued to give me power and I didn’t expect it which made me bail off the back.

@mikedwiles 3 ай бұрын

@@Ali_ClarksonI can see how that delay would seriously mess with the kind of accuracy needed for the riding you do. Still, I'm sure you can make it go places I can only dream of!

@dansacco1964 3 ай бұрын

On my ebike I pull the brake lightly during tech moves to keep the motor off. Like any machine you just learn new habits. I cant imagine a control system capable of true no lag torque based pedal assist for trials. Theres mechanical backlash in one way clutches at the crank and instant pickup on crank torque would make for a violent ride. There would almost have to be a button or throttle that would activate instant mode.

@Ferrari255GTO 3 ай бұрын

@@dansacco1964 if it was optical rather than magnet based it could be pretty much instant, BUT the optical route is not as reliable and can't take too much abuse, if something goes slightly wrong inside or it isn't reinforced enough you may just loose all power to the wheel spontaneously. To be honest i actually expected the higher end bikes to work with optics with thoose prices...

@dansacco1964 3 ай бұрын

@@Ferrari255GTO The issue is not so much the type of sensor but the logic controlling it. If it responds instantly then any crank adjustments or even setting your foot on it would power the motor. They use pedal torque, time, and pedal speed to determine the assist but usually it takes a lot of revolution to start. So a trials pedal kick or ratcheting the pedals is a hard thing to use for control. Same issue happens in reverse with motor overrun. it has to keep running for a second after pedal torque stops because cranking is not smooth torque all the way around. Pedaling is multiple impulses since some parts of the stroke are just bringing the pedal back around. So the motor has to keep powering in the absence of foot torque or it would feel like constant surging. If it were me designing a control system for a trials Ebike I would have a button that switches the motor throttle to entirely torque based and instantaneous. So while pedal kicking you hold the button and get only instant crank force based response. No overrun and no minimum rotation required to activate the motor when the button is held.

@cefnonn 2 ай бұрын

I found your videos via wheelbuilding. Anyway, I had never heard of trials riding for bikes, and certainly not e-bikes. It was a very interesting watch. You're an amazing cyclist and mechanic!

@lesliewiltshire4519 3 ай бұрын

Hi Ali, mate, really sorry to hear about your knee and I hope you get well soon. You forgot to mention the 'hate' serious injuries and 'hate' revalidation bit about your bikes.

@HUKIT. 3 ай бұрын

One of my main bikes is my 21 Remedy 9.8 and like you prefer to mess about on 27.5. Sad to see that model go the way of the dodo.

@Ali_Clarkson 3 ай бұрын

Make 27.5” great again!

@Freddy454x72 3 ай бұрын

Happened the same to me but x5 times harder,r,got titanium plates on my nose and broke my kneecap really bad,buy i completely recover and eventually back riding. Nice videos, cheers from Argentina 🤘🏻

@Ali_Clarkson 3 ай бұрын

A titanium kneecap would’ve been cool, you could’ve broken rocks with it rather than the other way round! I’m glad you recovered though :)

@thomas930409 3 ай бұрын

About my bike I like: -tubeless -20 inch wheels -freecoaster -CroMo steel -incredibly short(chainstay, wheelbase, fork offset, toptube) what I hate: -to buy new parts every 2 years -9tooth driver fuck up chains -heavy as fuck compared to size(10 kg) -have to wear a helmet to not to die -even the smallest injury prevents me from riding I ride street BMX with street trial ideas as being tubeless with an insert, or the double wheel, spring loaded chain tensioner which is incredibly rare in this genre.

@Ali_Clarkson 3 ай бұрын

I love it when people build stuff that’s outside the norms!

@DIA4000 3 ай бұрын

My compromise to riding trails and jibbing without adjusting: hardtail.

@jugaloo5873 3 ай бұрын

Heal up well and fast!

@dimensionsofearth 3 ай бұрын

Lucky you didn't seriously hurt yourself, taking a bar to the eye is: yikes! I love how you covered different things on different bikes that applied overall. Definitely feel the harsh ride of the Hex and the gigantic adapters for 203 rotors, which I have also. Going from a 160 to a 203 the adapter is smaller, go figure. Otherwise I can't fault the bike! Love the big wheels, the incredible strength, tapered fork, light weight and amazing looks. Its a wonderful thing. I never did notice the stem, I would like some bling-er options after you mentioned it

@Ali_Clarkson 3 ай бұрын

Yeah one inch lower and it would’ve been my eyeball! 😮

@Dirtdaredevil 3 ай бұрын

Anyone else notice the purple hayes dominion brakes he took off the 2023 bike one and put on the 2024 bike

@Ali_Clarkson 3 ай бұрын

Ah yes I cut out my explanation in order to make the video snappier. I wasn’t going to put purple brakes on this bike as I was concerned it would be too much. The T2 brakes honestly felt awesome too so I was quite happy to carry on using them. Hayes then sent me a new set of purple brakes so I put a poll on instagram on what besides I should use…purple won by a big margin so on they went. They were right, purple was the correct choice as they match the same perfectly and doesn’t go overkill with the purple.

@watsonthedog264 3 ай бұрын

I was stoked seeing you had gotten the pivot sponsorship, between them and santa cruz are (IMO) the highest quality frame mfgrs in the bike industry. Super easy to replace bearings, solid to ride and work on. Sorry about your knee and eye, hope the time flies by and you can get back out there again soon!

@Ali_Clarkson 3 ай бұрын

Couldn't agree more!

@Ferrari255GTO 3 ай бұрын

Well, the things i love and hate about my bike are fairly obvious once you know i ride a DH one XD. The first thing i like is that despite being from 2009, the Demo 8 often fools MANY people onto thinking it's newer than it is, nobody expects it to be 14 years old. The second thing i like is the finish on the frame, as it has no paint on it, it's completely anodized in red and i absolutely LOVE how it looks. The fourth is the handling: i've been developing my setup over time tryng stuff and i'm at a point where i'm very happy with it, great handling, very stable, lots of support from the rear shock for jumps... The things i dislike are that the frame geometry is so convoluted that cleaning and maintaining it can be REALLY annoyng, if i wanna put some more air for the rebound on my rear shock i need to use my torque wrench because allen keys or screwdrivers don't reach (i have a DHX2 Factory Series) and it's an absolute BRICK uphill, wich is to be expected

@Ferrari255GTO 3 ай бұрын

Wish you a good recovery dude!

@Ali_Clarkson 3 ай бұрын

I appreciate it!

@edstorey4675 3 ай бұрын

Step 4 for bikes. I enjoyed it

@sandy_knight 3 ай бұрын

Regards e-bike cables, I've seen a few riders on KZfaq relocate their e-bike console to the frame. Also, it'd be nice if they could plumb electric/wireless derailleurs and droppers into the main battery so you only have to charge the shifter and dropper lever which generally needs charging much less often as they don't have to power a servo. You'd still have the rear brake hose to contend with but at least it won't be restricted by the other cables.

@Ali_Clarkson 3 ай бұрын

Ah really? I guess they maybe used a 3D printed bracket or something? I agree that the main battery should be integrated into other electronic parts too!

@davidking3699 3 ай бұрын

But that would mean manufacturers would have to co-operate on common standards and interchangeable hardware... Why would they want consumers to have more choice, cheaper parts and better operational performance...? Profits come from proprietary products, not open source or inter-brand compatibility... I realise also that the profits help with R & D, but a pooled R & D cooperative centre would also be able to develop products, ideas, software etc. and make it available to all...

@sandy_knight 3 ай бұрын

@@davidking3699Bikes are full of universal standards which can work out beneficial to the original developer e.g SRAM UDH. We don't even need a new standard as it's only providing power, not data, USB-C?

@dansacco1964 3 ай бұрын

There are wrist watches that are powered from your arm moving so charging bike devices should be easy. All electric shifters and droppers should be able to charge from either cranks, suspension movement, braking, steering, depressing the dropper, derailleur jockey wheel, or solar. It would not be hard to add that tech. Maybe that goofy canyon steering damper tech could be a charger instead of a spring. With all the moving parts it's just silly that we have to remember to charge a shifter or dropper.

@charlesgronloh8404 3 ай бұрын

rest up! And colour matched hex looks trick!!

@KHos73 3 ай бұрын

I hope you get well /recover soon!

@Ali_Clarkson 3 ай бұрын

The mending is going well thanks, stitches came out today 👍🏻

@leletrials2458 3 ай бұрын

I'm looking forward to seeing you in the next videos with the new Hex. I hope this Hex doesn't cause you any neck pain anymore🤞

@Ali_Clarkson 3 ай бұрын

Me too!!

@sapinva 3 ай бұрын

What I don't like about the Inspired bash ring. It isn't available for Race Face Cinch, so there are no viable crank options for heavier riders where you need boost+ spindle width. My Hope Evo's have been a complete (and expensive) joke due to flex, so I'm likely left with Atlas cranks w/ a 104/64 spider as the only option. I'm hoping the Hope interface is small enough that I can re-machine the bash for Cinch. Fingers crossed.

@Ali_Clarkson 3 ай бұрын

Never say never! If there’s enough demand then maybe they’ll offer it. They recently did the shimano pattern so it seems like they’re open to adapting it to other cranks. Send them a message and let them know 👍🏻

@sapinva 3 ай бұрын

@@Ali_Clarkson Guess it can't hurt to ask. I did ask Race Face about offering smaller rings, but they have no interest, and in fact recently discontinued their 64/104 spider.

@sapinva 3 ай бұрын

@@Ali_Clarkson They very politely told me not to hold my breath :)

@draggonhedd 3 ай бұрын

Hey Ali, Have you seen the new Sram maven brakes? I wonder if they would be well suited to trials, they are huuuuge and super grabby. they dont look nearly as good as the purple hayes though. I wish hayes stuff was easier to get here in the states but its just not common.

@Ali_Clarkson 3 ай бұрын

Yeah seen them, sounds like the bite would be great for trials but I’ve heard the lever takes quite a bit of effort to pull which is an instant no from me

@greengonzonz 3 ай бұрын

Get better soon

@kingflynxi9420 3 ай бұрын

What are your thoughts on mixed wheel MTBs? I know some trials riders have a really chunky wheel and a really skinny wheel sometimes. I'd love to know what you think of a modern mullet.

@Ali_Clarkson 3 ай бұрын

I don’t have much experience with them so my opinion might be different from reality but I think I’d rather have both wheels the same size. I can see how it makes sense though with the bigger front wheel able to roll over stuff easier but unless you’re hitting yourself on the rear wheel often (shorter legs maybe) I don’t see a huge advantage for normal trail riding

@p199a 3 ай бұрын

Random question. From this video it looks like you will be the guy who might know the answer. I just installed new 200mm rotors (front and back) and new break pads. My rear break bed in on first day but my front break wont bed in after multiple rides. I tried doing SRAM youtube tutorial. I was doing long downhill rides on the street while using only front break to slow down but i didnt help. any advices how to bed in breaks that are stubborn ?

@Ali_Clarkson 3 ай бұрын

Is it making any howling noises that might suggest it’s contaminated? If not then it’s still a bit weird. My method is to ride around in a carpark or street occasionally pouring clean water over the rotor and pulsing the lever. Do you know if they’re sintered pads or not? Sintered usually take a bit longer to bed in too

@p199a 3 ай бұрын

@@Ali_Clarkson Pads are sintered. There are no noises during breaking. I cleaned rotors with degreaser before installing them. Ye its also weird for me i never had this problem. I will try trick with water i know it can increase friction a little bit.

@bikemad 3 ай бұрын

Which rims yu using on ebike ?

@ashleytombs 3 ай бұрын

My 2014 glory things I hate 1 A decent set of 26s is a lot of money 2 it’s heavy as F 3 don’t ride it in winter as much as I would like to 4 The price of fox 40s and DHX2 5 riding in 30° is a death sentence Things I love about it 1 it’s a DH still rocking 26s 2 it’s my pride and joy and rather sell my soul then sell it 3 Even though ally frame is 10 years old And it had four years of street abuse still feels strong 4 hitting stair gaps 5 I9 hub aka🐍🐍🐍😂😂

@Ali_Clarkson 3 ай бұрын

Good list :)

@ashleytombs 3 ай бұрын

@@Ali_Clarkson THX

@madmonkeybiking 3 ай бұрын

i gashed my knee and it didnt hurt either not a bit， real deep too。 was wearing shorts so i noticed the blood quick and felt sick***

@the_nondrive_side 3 ай бұрын

cute thief got yer lunch money. I've been wondering what people are doing to bend rotors. my 203 front has 5 other bikes banging against it and has been on 2 of them at some point. favorite fork holds the big rotor gets used often.. has not bent in many years. started on a SURLY Troll very long ago. 700c wheels.. 29er offsets can make them kind of weirdly tensioned. I prefer 7 speed geometry I prefer 27.5 over all other sizes. my 2.1 29er is a nice bikepacking rig but isn't as agile as I would like. the 27.5 I put on my 26" 930 feels identical to the Brodie Bolt 700c 35mm.. I even have similar bars on them. I imagine 26 for trials would be even better.. I want that bike I'm saying. perhaps in a green-violet shift I only have one suspension fork an old Manitou SX on my 930 converted SHX 27.5 disc. quite nice as a city cross

@Ali_Clarkson 3 ай бұрын

Well I destroyed the front rotor on my Hex that I built last week already 😂 pretty sure that’s what cut my knee as it has a knee sized bend in it lol

@the_nondrive_side 3 ай бұрын

@@Ali_Clarkson so glad I got extra sharp looking one now..

@trentvlak 3 ай бұрын

lots of cables. No more cables than on any mountain bike bro.

@Ali_Clarkson 3 ай бұрын

I’m just glad I don’t have a Scott with all the extra shock lockout cables 😂

@alimantado373 3 ай бұрын

Anything knee related is anightmare. I have water on the knee from my skate days, why Im on a bike now.

@Ali_Clarkson 3 ай бұрын

Oh yeah skating can’t be good for them!

@saefeasf 3 ай бұрын

Awesome Video! Thank you for that. Hope your injury will heal fast, and wish you the best for getting rid of your neck pain. I met an very nice dude - Stefan Eberharter - , who rides trials shows and mtb in the mountains. He build a Mixture between a Hardtail and a Trialbike, where he was riding trial shows and steep trails in the alps. He used a liteville h3 hardtail-frame in 26", with trial rims and a hope freewheel. He rides shows and mountains with it. If you are interested in what he is doing, here´s a link to his stuff: (Riding starts at 1:30 kzfaq.info/get/bejne/acWEgsdemc_RaJs.html ) Wish you the best 👋

@acedotcom 3 ай бұрын

sometimes on my MTB i come across a big gap and i ask myself "What would Ali do"? I then get off and walk the gap because if i did what Ali does I would die.

@Ali_Clarkson 3 ай бұрын

You saying I’d crash? 😂

@acedotcom 3 ай бұрын

@@Ali_Clarkson you'd crashes several times...I'd only crash once

@Ali_Clarkson 3 ай бұрын

@@acedotcom 😂