Oct. 27, 2014, 10:35 a.m. -  boomforeal

#!markdown hi angie. the stumpy 650 seems like a both a good and bad bike for a novice rider. i imagine you are greatly appreciating how stable yet maneuverable the bike feels, but i'm not surprised pedal strikes have been an issue. technique wise you can work on your timing, and learn to ratchet/put in short strokes for power rather than trying to pedal through rough terrain. mechanically, depending on your height and the length of your legs, i would look into shorter crank arms/and or thinner pedals than what you are currently running, and make liberal use of the shock's CTD-lever, which will keep the bike riding higher in its travel