"How does the chassis have to be adjusted?", "What is the ideal tire pressure for a bike?" or "How do I bleed the bike brakes?" Finding the right bike set-up for the trail is not that easy and requires practice. We asked the MTB legend from Salzburg, stevefuckingschneider, for you and give you interesting insights and Stevie Schneider bike tips 🤙
Stevie Schneider, how often do you bleed your brakes per season?
"I can't really answer that question per se. That really depends. I usually bleed the brakes like this once a month. I ride Shimano brakes and if you have less brake pads on the brake shoes, the oil sinks in and the pressure point moves closer to the handlebars. I like the pressure point relatively on the outside, so I often top up oil and bleed them regularly. That’s also really easy with my braking.”
And which tire do you use in mud and which in very dry conditions?
“When I used to race, I made very big differences in tire selection. But now I don't race anymore and I don't change my tires anymore and I always drive the same tires in all conditions." 😉
What tire pressure do you normally run?
"It varies - depending on whether I'm jumping big or not. When I jump big jumps, I have 3.5 bar inside. When I ride downhill normally, I have 1.8 to 2.2 bar in it. Depending on how prone the track is for a flat tire. Most of the time I have around 2 bar inside and 3.5 bar for jumps, because you need maximum speed for that.”
Stevie Schneider, a question that downhill riders are very interested in: What's your shock set-up like? Do you drive your dampers tight or soft?
“It all depends on whether I'm riding downhill or somewhere else, for example at the Freeride Fiesta or at the Flat Out Days in Slovenia. I usually ride with 15% sag and relatively tight and not particularly fast because I don't have clipless pedals. If I plan to do bigger jumps, then I ride with maximum pressure in the shock. That's 300PSI in the Fox shock and low speed/high speed compression fully closed and maximum hard and the rebound relatively slow so that it doesn't spring away. You need that for the jumps, so that you can jump that far at all. I used to ride with an air shock. But sometimes I tore them up. That's why I'm now switching to spring damping, because I think it can withstand more. I have a very stiff suspension fork because I ride over the arms and front tire a lot. In general, the chassis is designed for a rider weighing 85/90 kg. I weigh 70 kg."
Do you actually adapt your suspension to the route ?
“It all depends on whether I plan long jumps, generally jump a lot or want to ride fast. Then I either let air out or air in. If I only ride downhill, then I change the pressure in the fork relatively little.”
What kind of pedals do you actually have on enduro and downhill bikes?
“When I used to race, I always rode with clip pedals. This makes you faster and you can pull the bike over your feet. Since I've actually only been freeriding, I only ride with flat pedals. You can then do no foot tricks with it. This just makes the whole thing funnier and looser. Flat pedals also suit my riding style better.”
Stevie Schneider: Mudguard yes or no?
"Sometimes yes and sometimes no. I haven't actually worn it this season :D If I do use one, I'll take the Tire Fire 5000 from Super Logos in America. I actually prefer to drive it.”
What other equipment shouldn't be missing when biking?
“Clearly: helmet, goggles, knee pads and, for me, ankle pads are very important. If one of the things is missing, then I'm usually pretty annoyed and I can't fully concentrate on cycling." 😀
What was the worst damage you suffered from a crash on your bike?
“I've snapped frames and suspension forks completely, and I've twisted tires and rims. But I really have to say that I'm very happy with the material I'm riding with now. RAAW , Pancho and e*thirteen . you almost never break them unless you throw something in the woods. But if you fall, you should be safe with the material I use.” 😊
One last question: Stevie Schneider: e-bikes - from what age are they acceptable?
“I actually think that e-bikes are acceptable for people of all ages, especially if you have a disability. But what I don't like are children's e-bikes. When I think back to my childhood, it was always fascinating for me that I can be my own engine and I think that is currently being lost. But if the parents own e-bikes and they go cycling with the children, then of course the children also need an e-bike because otherwise they won’t be able to keep up, and I think that’s a shame. I think that uphill is just part of it and if it's exhausting, then you deserve it. That’s why I can say that I think e-bikes are great and I’ve had a lot of fun with them, but the fun kind of stops when it comes to children.”
Would you like more Stevie Schneider bike hacks?
If you haven't had enough of the steviefuckingschneider bike tips and insights, you should stop by our interview. Here you will find more advice and exciting information from the route cobra from Salzburg. 🤙
Credits: Florian Dorn