[Closed] 'Play Bike'

Your not weird...but am actually building a 'Play Bike' as we speak. What does that mean to me? Well my Orange Five is an awesome bit of kit & extremely versatile, XC, Trail, Enduro, Mini DH, however it's a bit much for just messing around in the street and no good for messing around on DJ or 4X which to me is purely playing as is taking my 4 year old daughter around the park.

So yeah my play bike is a budget build of my previous Blender Frame, mix of 2nd hand & new...Lyriks, saint/Zee drive train, Thomson & Hope finishing kit...fun times!!

It's all play unless someones paying you to do it.

TheArtistFormerlyKnownAsSTR - Member

I keep reading this term.

Do people actually have a bike to go and 'play' on?

I have a bike, which I ride - in fact, I have a couple. I'd never take one out just to 'play' though, or have one that I would call a 'play bike'.

Am I weird?

No, just old.

PSA; the pipe and slippers message board is that way -------->

I think this has something that has come across from kayaking...eg a play boat.

I've seen the term used for short travel bikes that are slackish and still reasonably nimble handling/poppy that emphasise fun eg descending/jumping over climbing.

Do you not go out and just have fun in the woods jumping, railing turns and berms, and getting sideways? It's a bike for this.

I have 4 bikes all are good for the above.

Wanting a play bike has always just been an excuse to build up old frames innit? I have my 10 year old Scott Voltage frame waiting to be shown some love, maybe this summer.

I have a plat bike and use it exactly as nwill1 does, bit of street riding, bit of 4X, bit of downhill, that kind of thing. Mine is a small hardtail with big brakes, strong wheels and stiff suspension.

What is riding if it's not play? Training?

A play bike is what my Chameleon and Trailstar were. A couple of hours XC that was just linking up local DH and jump runs, a bit of 4x messing about at the track, some jumps or runs on a DH built in the woods. Basic street stuff etc. Simple bikes and riding for kicks. I do less of that these days (age> more fear, realised I'm no 4X hero and less heal-able) and more distance/XC but the handling balance of the bike needs to be similar. It's probably why I never got on with big forks on HTs that well, good for a big-mountain day out but takes that 90s 'little jumpy HT' feel from a bike for me.

I've always thought of a play bike as a short travel slopestyle type bike. Something that is 'playful' in it's handling. Something that is a jack of all trades, master of none but is able to take the hard knocks. I've always considered the DMR Bolt a very good play bike. Short travel, burley with fairly slack angles that, with the right build, can be very lively and just good fun.

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Example of a play bike.

I'm sure there is an xc eliminator forum out there somewhere for you.

Swiss Tony, A play bike can be a beautiful hard ride, you can spank it, rag it in a fast and furious fashion. Get all sweaty and not give a damn. A quick wipe with an old rag should be sufficient at the end of your session.

I'll get my coat.:-D

I'm sure there is an xc eliminator forum out there somewhere for you.

I'm pretty sure there isn't. I ride a Spesh Enduro - everywhere

It's not the bike that's playful, it's the rider.

If you need a bike that flips a switch in your brain giving you permission to play, so be it.

No bike ig oing to stop you from messing around (within reason) even an xc 29er is amazing for playing about on (as long as it has a dropper or you put the seat down).

Slight tangent, when working in a shop and leading some rides, lots of riding related FAQs such as "how do you wheelie", "how do you hop" etc etc. Saying that you need to treat a bike as a toy, get out on the road in front of your house and mess around, instead of arse in the saddle turning those pedals, look for means of entertainment, to get good at that stuff, build it into your riding, the suggestion generally went down like a lead balloon followed by "why would i want to ride out in the road". Yea, cos defaulting to your olds bad habits is goign help you progress 🙄

People tended to look for a one line answer which wasn't you need to practise and put in hard work.

Do people actually have a bike to go and 'play' on?

Yep! As long as I'm included in "people".

It's not the bike that's playful, it's the rider.

Partly agree, partly don't. Met someone recently who is really a great rider, but has no idea how to have fun cos he's all about the win. He can ride a "playful" bike in a way most people can't.

Intense M1 wouldn't often be described as playful by the most fun-loving peoples.

Its a term made up by the marketing men and pushed by the specialized bike press to make you think that you need more than one bike.

I prefer 'razzing' bike.It does the stuff a 20lb xc 29er can't.
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I want a dialled holeshot to build into a 4X/dj/play bike. Something small with big brakes and fast tyres for the local skatepark and dirt jumps maybe even proper 4X

I still have my 17" '98 Chameleon frame. Cracked but kept for reference in case I wanted another razzer/ragger bike that can be pedalled. It was perfect for that sort of thing. What's the current equivalent A+E ticket for using up old 26" kit and 100mm forks? Bfe/soul in M is really close in size, angles and reach but I'd want something cheap, SS-able would be good. They all seem to be very small jump bikes or pricey frames for long forks.

'Play bike' is exactly how I think of Duncan, my Duncon (Pitbull).
Prefect for an hours thrashing about at the track or in the woods (then being put in the back of the truck and driven home, as actually [i]riding[/i] it anywhere is a job for a younger man than me these days).

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I'm pretty sure there isn't. I ride a Spesh Enduro - everywhere

Plenty of old mincers ride enduros, you'll fit in fine on xce-world.com

mine is ace! gets used at dirt jumps and pump/BMX/4X tracks... could do with an angle set I think.

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[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/66541880@N03/12651137614/ ]Untitled[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/66541880@N03/ ]passtherizla[/url], on Flickr[/img]

To me my Slackline is a "play" bike.

For me it's a bike built for fun rather than distance. Chunky rather than weight weeny parts and saddle slammed low - that's my philosophy. With a young baby I just don't have the opportunity to use my "trail" bike on long rides so much now, so wanted something for quick razzes round the BMX track round the corner from my house and trips to Chicksands for 4X/DH-lite/jumpy fun.

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play biking is the only biking i do..

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All mountain biking is play no?

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All mountain biking is play no?

Correct, it's not 😆

See: Professional mountain bike racers - it's their job.