Pro Mountain Bike Setup Guide | How To Bike with Ben Cathro EP 2

Setting up your mountain bike can be daunting but Ben Cathro is here to break it all down. From stem spacers to suspension settings we cover it all. Sit back and enjoy!

How To Bike is presented by:

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0:00 - Intro
1:20 - Frame Sizing
6:10 - Crank Length
7:33 - Pedals
8:41 - Suspension Setup
10:51 - Handlebars
15:43 - Brakes
19:18 - Grips
20:30 - Wheel Sizes
23:12 - Tires
25:45 - Outro

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[pinkbike]

Watch ALL the How To Bike episodes below!

[gemeni]

If everyone explained everything as good as you with the same sense of humor the world would be a better place.

[scottmclelland]

Ben is such a good presenter. I love his passion and sense of humor. Please keep him around PB!

[thomasli]

Damn this is the best series I’ve seen so far, even better than Netflix series!

[christopherhday]

I have been mountain biking since 1991 and have watched many, many mountain bike videos on VHS, DVD and youtube. This was by far the most entertaining, informative and hilarious informative video I have ever watched. You did such an amazing job of taking on the folks who "take themselves way too seriously" and addressing the issues of wheel size, bar size, grip size, tire size and every other size in the mountain bike industry. It is truly exhausting to try to keep up with the "latest" trend and I am so grateful that you addressed these issues.

Thank you for doing such a great job.

[neocrashburn]

Finally, a video from someone who not only know what he is talking about, but can back it up with real riding experience, and proven track record. Secondly, one video for things bike setup.

Great job Ben, really appreciate all your efforts in putting this together.

I have saved this video to my playlist.

[bphcjrt]

Just love Ben's talkin' things!

[BenCathro]

Got any bike setup questions 🤔 ? Reply to this comment and I’ll do my best to answer! 👨‍🏫

EDIT: A few commenters pointed out we should have talked about saddle height/droppers so I’m adding it here.

• Raised Saddle Height: I find the heel rule to be pretty accurate. Some riders will absolutely require more precision but there are articles out there covering those more precise methods. Sit square on your saddle, spin one pedal as low as it will go, place heel on pedal and your leg should be almost straight. Once adjusted ride around normally and if you have any pelvis side to side tilt while pedalling lower it until this is no longer happening.

• Lowered saddle height: If you have a dropper post the amount of drop it has will dictate this. For DH bikes or straight post riders that manually lower the post the height is personal preference. The only rule is that you don’t put it too low so that the tyre hits the saddle when the suspension moves. You can check this by removing your shock spring or letting the air out your shock and bottoming out the suspension. Always leave an extra 20mm or so as there’s a lot of flex in the system in a severe compression.

Seat angle/position: This depends on the type of riding you do and your flexibility. For DH there is no rule. Some riders find they sometimes get stuck behind the saddle after shifting their weight back so will angle the seat up to reduce the chance of that happening. Also, if the saddle is buzzing the tyre sliding it forward on the rails can stop that. For trail bikes the default is to have the saddle level but everyone’s hips sit at a different angle when in their riding position. You want to feel like your pelvis is supported in its natural position and not straining back or being pushed uncomfortably forwards.

Dropper length: This is dictated by rider leg length and frame compatibility. So first of all you need to find your preferred raised saddle height using the above rule then find out your preferred lowered saddle height through trial and error or the tyre buzz check. Figure out the difference with maths and have a look at posts with the same maximum drop. Before you buy you need to check the maximum insertion depth of your frame to make sure the post won’t be too tall at full extension.

Hopefully that covers it! 🤟

[somanysevens]

Mate, awesome explanation and some proper funny moments, a lot of work went into this one.

[gavinbrown]

Ben, you are an absolute natural in front of the camera and have a great way of describing complicated things in an uncomplicated way. Keep doing what you're doing mate, it's awesome!

[BrettEngel]

Thanks for the clarity on impact of bar rise vs stem rise. Hadn't thought about the differences. Great series so far. Looking forward to the rest.

[KonstantinOrekhov]

Finally I can tune my bike and go ride... Decades needed for this type video appears. Step by step, filtered info, no "forprouseonly" bullSh...

Thank Ben! Thanks pinkbike!

[Nizzi]

Quick info I wanted to add to brakes:

Larger Piston area (accomplished by bigger pistons or more pistons as you mentioned) will produce higher braking friction but require a larger volume of brake fluid to be displaced in order to travel the distance to the rotor. This means that you need to pull the brake lever farther not harder to produce a braking force. And as far as my knowledge of muscle memory goes (please correct me if im wrong) it is easier for us to "remember" the amount of muscle tension used than it is to "remember" the distance a part of our body has moved in a movement. This would in turn mean, that a larger piston size makes it harder to modulate your brakes, because a small change in pulling force on the lever translates to a big change in braking force. With a smaller piston size you would reduce the possible maximum braking friction (limited by your finger strength and the amount of fingers you use to pull the lever), but the modulation of that braking pressure should be easier, since the difference in pulling force on the lever is bigger between just hearing your brake pads rubbing and "oh shit i'm flying head first over my handle bars" is greater. Therefore your body would be able to gauge the muscle tension needed.

Hope that makes sense. Great job on the "How to bike" series. Been watching it a lot lately while saving up for an Orbea Laufey and practicing the skills you teach on my road bike (that poor old thing).

If anyone wants to add something to this or wants to correct me here, feel free to do so. I would be happy to hear it.

[milescoker]

As a rider who's 6'8" this video is useful on a whole new level!

[Jackofafewtrades]

I love Ben. He's the perfect blend of thorough, dumbed down explanations and humour. More Ben please.

[MrCragmire]

I've been watching Ben for years now since I started riding really and I've got to say most of what I've learned came from listening to him. I'm glad pinkbike has got Ben doing their videos now and I'm definitely tuned in, can't wait to see Ben start hitting the world cups. All the best to you dude.

[whytescotsman]

Best bit about this is the comedic delivery of useful information. :)

[petercox]

Ben I love how you make it all fun and interesting. Keep up the the good work!

[oliverbourne]

Of course "I sat through the whole thing" .... very very good and obvious how much work went into structuring the explanation of each parameter. Pure Cathro bible again

[scheinheilig]

Series is simply amazing. Ben is getting better with every format he is trying out