Your mountain bike’s contact points (grips, saddle, pedals, and tyres) are some of its most crucial components in terms of setup, here is why.
In our time at the local trail heads and attending races around the country we have seen a lot of riders out there who are rolling around with incorrectly set up bikes and are none the wiser on what they are missing out on!
You can spend as much money as you want on the best bike components but if you do not dial them in correctly to your body, riding style and preferences you’re not going to get the best performance out of your bike. We want to offer a bit of our expertise and knowledge on how to set a bike correctly so that you can reap the benefits! With that, we’ve sunk our teeth into the nitty gritty of cockpit setup, suspension setup, and here contact point setup.
Your contact points are unique to other components on the bike as they literally are your connection with the machine (and tires your connection with the ground). Other components on your mount bike will affect its performance for sure but the way that these guys influence your ride experience is somewhat disproportionate, and worth giving some good time to get figured out.
Below we’ll dig into how to get your grips, saddle, pedals, and tyre choice dialled in to suit your needs, from someone new to mountain bikes and trails to the more experienced riders among us just working on the nuances.
Contact Point Setup | Grips
Grips are a matter of personal preference. You shouldn’t let anyone tell you what you need or must have but you should figure out what works best for you. Some factors to consider are the width and diameter of your grips. If you have bigger hands, longer and thicker grips may be necessary to accommodate them more comfortably. Larger diameters are also known to help relieve arm pump, if that is something that you struggle with.
When purchasing a grip, it is a good idea to look for a softer rubber compound. This will not only increase the comfort of the grip but also enhance your control over the bike. Lock-on style grips that are secured with a small bolt are recommended to prevent the grips from twisting on the bar.
Foam grips such as those from ESI are popular on marathon bikes for their lighter weight and comfortable feel. They can be prone to twisting on the bar if not applied correctly. Cleaning the handlebar properly and applying some hairspray to the inner grip when sliding them on can make them easier to get on and stop them rotating.
Contact Point Setup | Saddle
Saddles can be quite tricky to get right. We have all experienced the discomfort of an improperly fitting saddle. We would highly recommend that you check in with your local bike shop or do some research and find out where you can get a proper bike fitting done to confirm the ideal saddle width for your body. The width of the saddle should correspond to the width of your sit bones which varies from person to person.
The rest of the saddle design will come down to personal preference. I have personally found that a flatter saddle with a more supportive paddling (not too soft) has worked well for me. If the padding is too soft it can start collapsing on longer rides leading to the hard plastic base putting pressure on your lower end. Softer paddings are usually good for people who don’t ride often and tend to keep their rides shorter.
When setting the angle of your saddle, set your bike on a level surface and then set the saddle to be level with the ground. Tilting the nose of the saddle down slightly can set you in a better position for steep climbs but otherwise keep it flat. In terms of moving the saddle forward and backward on the rails, a forward position will get you over the pedals and assist with climbing performance. A rearward bias is more suitable for riding flatter terrain. Adjusting this will also affect your reach while seated so make small adjustments as you go and find what positions suit you.
It can be tricky to get your saddle height optimised. We would recommend that you do this by sitting on the saddle and placing your heel on the pedal while wearing your riding shoes. Your leg should be just about dead straight in this position which means that when in your normal pedalling position there will be a slight bend in your leg. If the saddle is too high your hips will rock from side to side while pedalling and this can hurt your lower back. If it is too low, this will often put too much pressure on your knees and overwork your quads.
If your saddle is not sitting on top of a dropper post, you don’t know what you’re missing out on! There are even some great lightweight short travel options for the weight weenies that will allow you to ride faster, safer, and actually conserve energy during a ride! If you’re curious as to which one is for you, check out our buyer’s guide here.
Contact Point Setup | Pedals
When it comes to pedals, there is a great divide between clipless (cleat) or flat pedals. Flat pedals are known to be a great tool for learning skills on the bike and can allow for a more playful riding experience. They are great for learning how the bike naturally wants to move and are worth giving a try if you’ve not ridden them before. Just make sure that you’re using a decent pair of flat pedal specific shoes with them for the best experience.
Clipless pedals offer the security of cleating in and are thought to be more efficient for racing and endurance riding. Their most notable benefit is that they secure you to the bike better, especially for rough terrain and aggressive pedalling. These are the more popular pedal system for intermediate and advanced riders. Choosing between these two is a matter of preference of course and there is no reason not to switch between clipless and flat pedals!
Note: Clipless pedals, or cleats, are known as that because “clip” pedals are platforms with a sort of soft cage that goes over your foot. Modern clipless pedals replaced these with the underfoot cleat that does in fact “clip” the foot into the pedal, making the “clipless” name a bit confusing for some.
Clipless pedals are somewhat divided between the SPD style that Shimano and other similar designs use or the eggbeater style common to CrankBrothers. The eggbeaters allow more float in your foot angle before unclipping and their tension is not adjustable. SPD pedals offer adjustable tension but generally less float before unclipping. This makes for a more secure attachment but can also be easier for beginners to use.
You also have the choice of a cleat only or a cleat and platform pedal. Cleat only pedals are lighter and more suitable for marathon and XC riding. Having the platform around the cleat can be helpful if your foot is unclipped but it can also offer a more secure interface between the shoe and the pedal. These styles of pedal are more common to gravity focussed riders.
Read our in depth guide on choosing the right pedal here.
Contact Point Setup | Tyres
Lastly, we will discuss the fundamentals of tyre selection. The factors to consider are width, tread pattern, rubber compound, and casing. For a more marathon inclined rider, a 2.2 to 2.4-inch wide tyre will be optimal with a faster rolling tread pattern. Don’t compromise too much on traction though, especially at the front tyre.
On the trail and gravity side of things, you’ll be looking at a 2.4 to 2.6-inch wide tyre with an aggressive tread pattern, particularly at the front of the bike. If you are a heavier or more aggressive rider, a stronger tyre casing will give your tyre more support at lower pressures and increase your traction as well as reduce the risk of punctures.
Softer rubber compounds increase traction but will wear out faster and roll a bit slower. We recommend a soft compound on the front of the bike for optimal traction and a medium or harder compound on the rear to reduce wear and offer better rolling efficiency. To go deeper on tyre choice, these points are unpacked in greater detail here.
That is a fair bit of information to digest but take it one step at a time and make small adjustments as you got to figure out the ideal setup for your preferences and body type. I’d recommend that you keep track of your particular adjustments and measurements as a reference for when you disassemble your bike, buy new components, or are lucky enough to get a new bike sometime!
That’s all for this article. If you’re keen to learn more about cockpit setup or suspension setup, you can check out those respective articles for some more advice and guidance. Happy trails!
