Big Bike Thread
- Thread starter Breamy
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As Crabb said above, suspension makes up for mistakes you make.
People tend to get bogged down in how much travel you need for DH, but it's mostly about Balls, Skill, Geometry and then the gear ( in that order imo)
The HT will teach you the right skills - I went straight for the full squish and learning how to ride a DH bike, in stead of "learning how to ride a bike". As a result I jump and pick lines like a bull in a china shop and just plough straight through.
Food for thought - even short travel bikes with air shocks are juuust fine for DH duties.
Look at Mr Crabs's good result here:
http://www.rootsandrain.com/race921/2011-dec-4-naked-racing-661-mini-dh-forest-of-dean/#hseniorm
If you look at a mate of mine's result (Paul Miles), he's mid pack but not that far off Crabb's time, but he raced it on a new Giant prototype carbon "XC" bike weighing in at something a touch above 22lbs! He shortened the shock on it it too, so I think his travel was around 120mm to 130mm. He rode that in Morzine too because there wasn't space for anoher DH bike in the team van (he's Danny Hart's mechanic) and it served him well. Of course in Alpine conditions, a DH bike will make things a helluva lot easier, but it's still do-able.
People tend to get bogged down in how much travel you need for DH, but it's mostly about Balls, Skill, Geometry and then the gear ( in that order imo)
The HT will teach you the right skills - I went straight for the full squish and learning how to ride a DH bike, in stead of "learning how to ride a bike". As a result I jump and pick lines like a bull in a china shop and just plough straight through.
Food for thought - even short travel bikes with air shocks are juuust fine for DH duties.
Look at Mr Crabs's good result here:
http://www.rootsandrain.com/race921/2011-dec-4-naked-racing-661-mini-dh-forest-of-dean/#hseniorm
If you look at a mate of mine's result (Paul Miles), he's mid pack but not that far off Crabb's time, but he raced it on a new Giant prototype carbon "XC" bike weighing in at something a touch above 22lbs! He shortened the shock on it it too, so I think his travel was around 120mm to 130mm. He rode that in Morzine too because there wasn't space for anoher DH bike in the team van (he's Danny Hart's mechanic) and it served him well. Of course in Alpine conditions, a DH bike will make things a helluva lot easier, but it's still do-able.
I see 2 'Crabb's there.
Both of them riding bouncy bikes. R Crabb on a transition and A Crabb on a norco(?).
Anyway, im not trying to argue, i agree that a hardtail with a decent fork is a good way to start dh.
If that's the case then everyone would be riding them for DH. The fact is more travel makes **** ups easier to recover from.
Short travel DH bikes with short shocked air shocks are for a small minority. Not something Joe Average is going to want or have readily available to him.
Why doesnt everyone drive a Bugatti Veyron, they are the fastest cars?
Unless you are backed by a factory team or you have far too much money, then you have to compromise on something. Not everybody can afford to have a dedicated bike for each discipline they ride. Also, he said a short travel air sprung bike was "fine", he didnt say you'll win the world cup on one.
The Bugatti Veyron analogy is poor.
But yes I agree.I know he didn't. But talking about short shocked air shocked short travel bikes for DH is more a minority thing than me having a Freeride bike. Neither make sense for 90% of people 90% of the time.
Think you missed the point, besides... one Crab was only a fraction slower than the other, while only then faster than my mate on an "XC" bike by 5 seconds.
No one disagrees that more travel makes up for cockups.
Agree with point, but more so - the fact that for Joe average, a big sled is NOT needed. I ride a DH bike because I think they are fun to ride, not really because it wil be much faster in 90% of the places I ride, since I do not have the ability ( the same with the majority of riders) to get the most of the DH bike. The modern mid-travel bikes have come a long way and has closed the gap tremendously between an all out DH bike and an XC bike.
Soldato
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Gorgeous bike, I always wanted the new Enduro. Don't you fancy going 1x10?
Yes with no problems at all so far.
Not really tbh....What do you run?
Im on 24 - 36 / 11 - 34 cassette and seems to work well for me.
Is it really worth going the 1x10 route as saving weight is the only real benefit isn't it?
Well, maintenance is lower, less cable clutter and yes, some weight saving.
You preferably want to go 32t front, then 11-36 out rear but it all depends on where you ride and how you ride/fit you are.
If you have massive climbs and like sitting and spinning, then maybe 1x10 aint for you.
You preferably want to go 32t front, then 11-36 out rear but it all depends on where you ride and how you ride/fit you are.
If you have massive climbs and like sitting and spinning, then maybe 1x10 aint for you.
Yo chubbyscott, I cleaned my Tracer again today and I'm getting bloody sick of all the gunk that gets stuck in there above the bottom bracket, there where the swingarm and triangle meet. You got any clever ideas how to try keep sh!t out of it?
Thinking of sticking some motofoam in there, reckon it's worth a shot?
Thinking of sticking some motofoam in there, reckon it's worth a shot?
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Yo Superfatty, I was thinking along the same lines with the motofoam. I might have some fan filters from an old Lian Li PC case that will do the same thing. Or even just a bit of an old innertube zip tied in place. I'll report back with my findings.
Might look into it in the future as cable clutter is a bit of a pain now i have the reverb mounted under the bar on the left side.
Thats another thing ive got to do is cut the reverb hose down.I know you have one SC ,have you cut your hose down? was a re-bleed needed?
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