Advice on bike setup

deceit

Hi, I am new to biking having only started biking after stopping around 13 (20 years ago).
I purchased a Cube LTD Pro 2017.
https://www.cube.eu/en/2017/hardtail/ltd/cube-ltd-pro-2x-blackline-2017/
I'm loving the bike but have one issue, when I'm going downhill in the hardest gear the pedals spin too fast and find I'm spinning my legs too much. Would their be anyway I can resolve this? I've no issues purchasing bits if needed.

Miklos

The gearing of this bike is set up to get up steep trails off road, where do you use it mostly?

Cee-Jay-Cee

I have the same bike but mine is the 2015 model which has triple front ring and so a slightly higher top gear but I still spin out on very fast descents (on the road) but to be honest the speed I spin out at is around 55kmph and that's quite fast enough to be doing on a MTB and I don't feel the need to pedal much at those speeds.

There's not much you can do about it without changing the front chain rings which isn't ideal especially if you use the bike off road.

Is your bike a 29er?

deceit

Miklos wrote: »

The gearing of this bike is set up to get up steep trails off road, where do you use it mostly?

I use it 80% of the time commuting to work from Sandyford to townsend street in town.
Its a lot of fun for the trip bar this one issue. I never use the front small ring even off road, would it be possible to get a new set of front gears that would have the small gear like my big gear and a second even bigger gear. If its possible is their shops that I can buy from and have it fitted?

deceit

Cee-Jay-Cee wrote: »

I have the same bike but mine is the 2015 model which has triple front ring and so a slightly higher top gear but I still spin out on very fast descents (on the road) but to be honest the speed I spin out at is around 55kmph and that's quite fast enough to be doing on a MTB and I don't feel the need to pedal much at those speeds.

There's not much you can do about it without changing the front chain rings which isn't ideal especially if you use the bike off road.

Is your bike a 29er?

I do be doing similar speeds to the cars while going down hill into work and that's when it spins out a bit (Not sure of exact speed).
I'm more wanting to push myself for exercise rather than speed as I'm using this to skip the gym so I prefer to push myself until I'm too tired to go harder.
Yea its a 29er bike.

C3PO

You can change your crank from your current 36/26 setup to a 38/28 - this will give you an additional 2 teeth on the front which will make a noticeable difference. You will probably also need to put a new chain on the bike to accommodate this.

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/ie/en/shimano-xt-m8000-double-11-speed-chainset/rp-prod135837

deceit

C3PO wrote: »

You can change your crank from your current 36/26 setup to a 38/28 - this will give you an additional 2 teeth on the front which will make a noticeable difference. You will probably also need to put a new chain on the bike to accommodate this.

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/ie/en/shimano-xt-m8000-double-11-speed-chainset/rp-prod135837

Perfect thanks I will get that.
Will that connect on with the smaller one or will it replace both? (Sorry if its a silly question)

C3PO

deceit wrote: »

Perfect thanks I will get that.
Will that connect on with the smaller one or will it replace both? (Sorry if its a silly question)

If you order the part I have referenced you will receive a complete crankset ie. 2 crank arms and the two chainrings (already assembled) but you will need to fit them!

deceit

C3PO wrote: »

If you order the part I have referenced you will receive a complete crankset ie. 2 crank arms and the two chainrings (already assembled) but you will need to fit them!

Thanks for your help, I will order this and get it fitted to my bike .

07Lapierre

What about fitting a smaller cassette and chain? (cheaper than a new chainset?)

C3PO

07Lapierre wrote: »

What about fitting a smaller cassette and chain? (cheaper than a new chainset?)

According to the spec. the bike has an 11-42 cassette fitted - not sure you can readily get a smaller cassette?

steamsey

Not sure why you'd need new cranks. Assuming your cranks are ok, you can try to find new ring(s) and put them on the existing cranks - will save you money and yield same results. If it's a new bike, no need for new chain as it won't have stretched too much yet.

You could even ditch the smaller ring if you're not using it ever, remove front shifter and mech and stick on one narrow wide ring. (narrow wide means that the ring can hold your chain better and is crucial if you remove front mech and don't want a chain guide)

steamsey

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/ie/en/race-face-narrow-wide-single-chainring/rp-prod109723

Something like this might work for a single ring set up - you need to make sure the BCD distance matches your cranks

steamsey

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/ie/en/race-face-narrow-wide-single-chainring/rp-prod109723

Something like this might work for a single ring set up - you need to make sure the BCD distance matches your cranks

C3PO

steamsey wrote: »

Not sure why you'd need new cranks. Assuming your cranks are ok, you can try to find new ring(s) and put them on the existing cranks - will save you money and yield same results. If it's a new bike, no need for new chain as it won't have stretched too much yet.

You could even ditch the smaller ring if you're not using it ever, remove front shifter and mech and stick on one narrow wide ring. (narrow wide means that the ring can hold your chain better and is crucial if you remove front mech and don't want a chain guide)

2 new XT chainrings will cost nearly as much as new complete crank - personally I'd much prefer to have a complete new set! The OP could sell the old crank easily too if he wanted!

Going for a single ring setup would make no sense to me - why limit your options on a bike that's used for both on/off road?

steamsey

C3PO wrote: »

steamsey wrote: »

Not sure why you'd need new cranks. Assuming your cranks are ok, you can try to find new ring(s) and put them on the existing cranks - will save you money and yield same results. If it's a new bike, no need for new chain as it won't have stretched too much yet.

You could even ditch the smaller ring if you're not using it ever, remove front shifter and mech and stick on one narrow wide ring. (narrow wide means that the ring can hold your chain better and is crucial if you remove front mech and don't want a chain guide)

2 new XT chainrings will cost nearly as much as new complete crank - personally I'd much prefer to have a complete new set! The OP could sell the old crank easily too if he wanted!

Going for a single ring setup would make no sense to me - why limit your options on a bike that's used for both on/off road?

My thinking is that as the OP said he never uses the small ring, it would make perfect sense for him to move to a single ring. He can improve his gearing, which is what he wants to do, for about 40 quid (based on a Raceface 38T narrow wide). As the bike is a 2017, I'm assuming his cranks are in good nick so he will not see any benefit if he gets new cranks.