[Closed] Getting into downhill/freeride....Bike suggestions?

Transition Bottlerocket for me

Already have a 150mm travel bike, hence looking at 200mm, something for the more gnarly tracks 🙂

*Waits for lots of people to tell you you don't need a freeride bike* 🙂

Seriously though, isn't the Devinci more of a downhill race bike?

http://www.devinci.com/bikes/browse_18#18_55_145

Depends exactly what you want to do I suppose, and whether it's only going to be used for uplift or if it would be handy to be able to pedal it as well.

I feel like I should be on commission with the amount I've been going on about them recently but YT Industries bikes look like great value. They have a few freeride/DH options. Never seen/ridden one though.

http://www.yt-industries.com/shop/index.php?page=categorie&cat=21

Just looking at downhill racing style bikes, and those yt-industries, cannot believe the price! They're all mostly under £2000! Anyone got/ridden one?

Thoughts here;[url= http://www.pinkbike.com/forum/listcomments/?threadid=110984&pagenum=2 ]
Pink Bike...not super informative[/url]
[url= http://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/yt-industries ]Single Track thoughts[/url]
[url= http://www.yt-industries.com/en/terms-and-conditions/warranty/ ]Warranty Info[/url]

Well from what I read on pinkbike, the chainstay was an issue from 2010, and since then they have changed the problems, would be helpful if anyone had one and could give their thoughts!

Saw a Devinci Wilson yesterday at Cannock and it was a thing of beauty, if that's any help...

Dartmoor Wish? Lovely bikes.
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NS Soda?
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Scott Voltage FR?
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Intense Slopestyle 2?
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Bikeactive have some cheap morewood kalulas, if its a freeride bike you want.

The yt bike is well regarded by dirt i think. worth a punt and just get a different frame if you need to?

Friends love their kona operators. there is a freeride version called the entourage now too which looks fun.

That dartmoor looks well nice! If your kind of freeride is jumps and fun stuff like that then don't go for something really slack and long otherwise it might not be as fun for jumping imo. For me a 67-68 degree ha is about right.

Intense M9
[img] [/img]

Realistically, what will you be riding? What sort of standard are you at? What are you looking to get out of the bike? Where is your 150 bike actually lacking? Looking for a security blanket or to shred hard?

I mean if you're riding somewhere like woburn/chicksands, freeride jumps etc, anything from a 100mm hardtail through to a 160ish freeride bike will be ideal.

If you're planning on riding fort william, llangollen/any proper DH track, you'll be wanting a DH bike.

General riding in the woods with some DH features, some drops, some jumps, some rough bits, ala FOD or stile cop, your 150mm bike won't be holding you back one bit.

Me, myself if i was looking for a purpose built freeride bike, i'd be going for a kona entourage or ns soda, a burly 160ish bike which is agile/good in the air.

grum - Member

*Waits for lots of people to tell you you don't need a freeride bike*

You called?

You definately don't need a freeride/dh bike- a good trailbike will do the job, at least well enough to give it a go. If even a relative knobber like me can race at fort william on a 160/100mm frame...

But, that doesn't mean it's not nice to have a big bike- I got one eventually. Just don't feel you need to, especially if you're just starting out.

i am looking to buy a full on dh bike.
rode my 2nd uplift last week, it was fantastic, even on a 160mm forked steel hardtail.
but, i cant ride uphill properly now, so dont need a triple set up, or forks that i can wind down to aid climbing.
and i no longer need to save weight to aid climbing, cos i wont be doing any, it will all be uplift stuff.
so what dh bike for a soon to be just under 20 stone rider?

Im looking at real tracks, next year alps, also fort william, practicing in wales, real gnarly tracks

so what dh bike for a soon to be just under 20 stone rider?

The one with the best warranty...

Just learn how to ride your bike properly. It'll save you lots of money. You'll still be shit on a 200mm travel bike.

The YT Tues is a great bike, I tried one in Morzine last summer and it was brill.

Check out BikeActive, they're really helpful and friendly and had some good value Morewoods a while ago.

Ton, think about a Kona Operator. Park bikes at Whistler get a battering through the season and are still fit for sale in the fall. Kona generally have a good size range too.

Forget the new crap for a start or you will get pissed off when you don't use it.

Have a look at the Pinkbike, Southerndownhill and Descent world classifieds. Plenty of used stuff around going cheap.

Get something a few years old, see how you go then when you really know what you want get the real money out

What ever bike you get you can be sure that some clown on here will tell you that you are overbiked. Regardless of that, get whatever bike you want. For what it is worth friends of mine ride the Scott Voltage and that seems to do the job very well and has a good frame upon which to hang better bits when you feel like an upgrade. Plenty of choice out there, look around and get the one that you like.

so what dh bike for a soon to be just under 20 stone rider?

Litespeed.

😉

Ive just recently got into downhill/freeride and settled upon a 2nd hand Norco Aline off a chap on this forum. its in craking condition, 2nd hand is the way to go, i grabbed a bargain. will try and post pics later

nick

Ton, I think you'd be fine with any of them mate. It's not like you're gonna be doing 20ft huckster to flat at 40mph is it?

Im 6' 6" and currently 17.5 stone. In the past 2 years I've had:

Banshee / Mythic Scythe - large but was way too small

Orange 225 - Ben Cathros ex race bike, custom built for someon of my size. It was brilliant until it cracked on a weld. Recently had it rewelded by betd and gonna build it up again

Morewood Makulu - large - solid bike with ace suspension system, far superior to the orange - would be great for you Ton

I'd steer clear of any thing carbon really, if you're gonna uplift it will get battered and I don't think I'd want a carbon frame rubbing on some ally forks for 20 mins x 8 times a day.

Best thing is to go and sit on a few. Cockpit size is my issue, none of them are big enough really.

deanfbm - Member
General riding in the woods with some DH features, some drops, some jumps, some rough bits, ala FOD or stile cop, your 150mm bike won't be holding you back one bit.

or

davidtaylforth - Member

Just learn how to ride your bike properly. It'll save you lots of money. You'll still be shit on a 200mm travel bike.

or a TR250

Second the Voltage FR suggestion for lapierre191. A 36 van shod FR10 will be ideal. Our guides will mostly be running 36 Vans for whistler bike park guiding duties this year.
Or, [url= http://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/scott-voltage-fr30-2 ]this (not mine)[/url] and throw some better forks on it. Upgrade as you go.

Scott Gambler for 20 stone Ton.. you will not be able to break that frame even at your clydesdale weight.

i had a conversation with the folk at mojo and tftuned today.
both said the only forks for me were the fox van 36 or the bomber 66's with a extra firm spring.
quite excited at speccing a build again, and just waiting for numbers to book for another midweek uplift somewhere.
cheers guys 8)

32mm stanchions would be fine i reckon, i used my pikes when i was learning to jump and about 18 stone and they're still going strong!

The easiest big bikes to get to grips with are Big Hits and Kona Stabs - plenty off cheap ones about, no need to be precious a bout uplifting, crashing etc. Get the brakes and suspension set up for you weight, get some decent tyres and enjoy! if you love it then look at the lighter, fancier options.

Hi ton I could well be up for some midweek uplift. Especially if you are passing Lancaster on the way up to Scotland 🙂