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I know it's fairly unlikely, but i thought i'd ask. I'm debating picking one up this weekend to use for things like Pearce uplift days and general semi-dh arsing about i fancy do. But i don't want to spend millions on a bike as the odds are i won't get to use it often as we're always away. But it'd get some time at Morzine etc.
For those who don't know it's the DH Version so comes with Boxxers (selects) coil on the back, Maven bronze and a 7sp non-dropper setup.
I cant comment but I’m sure it’ll fit your remit. As you had the 160 it’s going to ride like that with triple clamps, I.e built for uplift days
Just ride one of your lads bikes
Brand new Weeksy?
Being no help whatsoever but assuming it’s new and looking at the price most are being sold for online, I’d be tempted to go for an airdrop slacker for around the same price.
https://www.airdropbikes.com/collections/airdrop-slacker-bikes/products/slacker-core
maven silver, vivid coil etc…decent build and they seem a very sound company to deal with.
no, there’s one on eBay he’ll take £1500 for.
so a lot cheaper than a new one
Good shout on the Slacker - I think if you sign up to their news letter you get another 10% off code too.
Giant Reign SX is similar to the Status and on offer too:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/297679950508
Not similar to the Status he'd take £1500 for though.
We all know how this story ends 🤣
We all know how this story ends 🤣
I'm not sure we do at the moment. Mrs Weeksy and Weeksy jnr are putting me off the idea, somewhat fairly/unfairly with comments about how little i'd actually benefit from it... Somewhat naively i think i would actually be able to ride some things i can't usually ride or would stall at... but that may be pure optimism.
However, if they're correct, i don't see it being too tough to re-sell at £1500.
I could throw a set of forks in his Session frame when the Atherton arrives and that would be built up pretty quickly.... but i would in some ways prefer my own one.
Let's be honest, just because you are the dad of a super fast lad with amazing bike handling skills, any bike regardless of how good will not make an iota of difference 😂 to you as a middle aged chap with a full time job, full time Dad job, awareness of injury, awareness of risk.
**This is tongue in cheek and not designed to be serious so no need to get mardy**
Let's be honest, just because you are the dad of a super fast lad with amazing bike handling skills, any bike regardless of how good will not make an iota of difference 😂 to you as a middle aged chap with a full time job, full time Dad job, awareness of injury, awareness of risk.
**This is tongue in cheek and not designed to be serious so no need to get mardy**
It's funny at races/days as the parents of the fast kids are usually fast themselves.... I often see a look of "are we sure he's the father" after doing some riding 🙂
In truth i'm not a terrible rider and get down plenty of stuff at a fairly reasonable speed. But i have no doubts i'm not the best by a long stretch... Although me and the boy are working on that at the moment, but it is trying to teach an old half blind half crippled dog new tricks 🙂
Never ridden a downhill track, but if I was ferrying my boy every week to those sort of tracks I’d 100% get something I could ride terribly down whilst I was there. So I don’t think it’s a bad idea at all
Never ridden a downhill track, but if I was ferrying my boy every week to those sort of tracks I’d 100% get something I could ride terribly down whilst I was there. So I don’t think it’s a bad idea at all
Despite being at the locations, obviously on race weekends i can't ride them. Well i could but it'd mean strapping on a number and breaking bones at most of them. But over winter there's trips to Dyfi/BPW/Shropshire where i could ride them.... but i guess the argument is that i already DO ride those places on my Fuel ex8 anyway... But i do feel i'd potentially enjoy it a bit more on a DH.
I'm tempted to take his Session to FoD this weekend and do some timed runs to compare with my Fuel and see where i am, it could be i ride exactly the same speed on both types.
Mrs Weeksy and Weeksy jnr are putting me off the idea, somewhat fairly/unfairly with comments about how little i'd actually benefit from it
This is partially true, they have one purpose and don't pedal uphill well. However, so what if it doesn't get used every week, you are always taking your son and his DH bike places at least take your own as well and enjoy it
I use my DH bike about 5 times a year, the rest of the time its hung up the garage crying out to be ridden
Not tried one but looks good.
Do a thought experiment and work out the number of times you'd have had the chance to ride it this year, to see if it makes sense?
Do a thought experiment and work out the number of times you'd have had the chance to ride it this year, to see if it makes sense?
Yeah i completely get you. But that can/could come down to the bike i've got to an extent. 3 times this year at Dyfi for example i went over and rode Climachx trail instead of Dyfi itself, why, well because Dyfi is at the edge of my skills, unless i stick to 3-4 trails i know and ride. But the 3-4 have got a bit samey in some ways this last few years, so i was more inclined to head over and pedal. But if hitting Dyfi on something 'more' would i then hit other trails and open up a bit more of the park ?
Places like Hopton, Bringewood etc again, i don't ride them on Pearce uplift days but that is mostly my insecurity of getting in the way... Would i get less in the way and be more inclined to do so.... Maybe.
BPW of course is fine and not an issue in the slightest in terms of what i will or won't do, i love the place. But in some ways it's not tech/focused enough for the boys racing so we don't often end up there.. maybe we need to head there more, especially as they've now got a few more options that do arguably suit his stuff better.
Places like Ponty/Tirpentwys/Llangollen i can't ride 99% of the time as i'm uplifting him anyway and places like Caersws and maybe even Revs i'm not sure i've got the skills to play.
I'd say this year i could have done 10+ days that's not including 10 days in Morzine i could have done... But whether i'd do the 10.... I remain slight wary.
But over winter there's trips to Dyfi/BPW/Shropshire
When we rode Dyfi I was contemplating whether a HT would be fun - didn't do the triple blacks though.
Reckon I might take a HT (plus a FS) to BPW next time.
Haven't ridden much in Shropshire, but haven't ridden anything at the bike parks where I wished I'd been on a DH bike tbh (in fact I'd have not enjoyed a lot of it on a DH bike) - you may be different though and fancy tackling the big stuff that I won't.
Modern big enduro bikes are that good these days, I reckon you've got to be pushing the limits of those bikes before a DH bike is going to reap many benefits. BITD there would have been a bigger gap between the two types of bike IMO
Modern big enduro bikes are that good these days, I reckon you've got to be pushing the limits of those bikes before a DH bike is going to reap many benefits. BITD there would have been a bigger gap between the two types of bike IMO
Exactly this.
On tracks like redwood, Bucknell, Hopton and Caersws there is very little difference between a good 170mm enduro bike and a DH bike and a DH bike is actually probably harder for us older people (by that i mean not youths) to ride because they need more input and take more effort to keep the speed up - DH tyres and the bike weight mean you have to really work to keep the speed high to get any benefit over a good enduro type bike. I pick my enduro bike most times at those places over my DH. I've never tried it but I think that a big enduro bike with DH tyres for uplift days would be amazing
Having said that, that status isn't a full blown DH bike being only 180mm and your fuel isn't a full on enduro bike so it would probably fill that gap nicely and at £1500 its probably worth a go so why not.
The other benefit of having a dedicated park bike is not smashing the fuel to bits when you do ride uplift.
as its second hand and could probably be sold on without too much loss if you dont
Sounds fun. Do it. As Joe says... you could have an extra strong or sacrificial (or both) rear wheel... some stupid tough grippy rubber you wouldn't have on your main bike... etc. I passed up on a bargain Saracen DH bike once... always regretted it. Wouldn't have got the use out of it though really myself. You probably would.
besides you do need another bike
I'm tempted to take his Session to FoD this weekend and do some timed runs to compare with my Fuel and see where i am, it could be i ride exactly the same speed on both types.
First thing I'd be doing tbh.
If you get a bike with tripple crown forks you loose another of the good excuses as to why he is faster than you!! 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣 At the moment you can still blame the bike
If you get a bike with tripple crown forks you loose another of the good excuses as to why he is faster than you!! 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣 At the moment you can still blame the bike
I could put him on a yr 2000 Carerra Banshee and i still wouldn't see what way he went.
This guy was 3s slower than my lad at the weekend.
they're just sooooo fast.
DH bikes vs enduro bikes at uplifts (Im thinking dyfi or antur and the tougher tracks at bpw)
Theres not much in it regards getting down any track, angles are pretty close and travel is rarely an issue on a 160mm bike , suspension is pretty decent, especially if you're running decent chunky tyres
the difference for me is in 2 main areas:
comfort, which means you can get more runs in , enjoy the day more, you are less fatigued and less likely to make mistakes, especially toward the end of the day
the other is that you know that if you get offline a bit theres more travel to let you soak up the mistakes, this is quite liberating and lets you concentrate on going faster and having fun
all thats said I only do a couple of uplifts a year, so buying a DH bike isnt something I can justify
I've not ridden a DH (or dual-crown forked) bike for more than 10 years, but back then they were massively confidence inspiring compared to the enduro bikes of the day.
I don't know how much the gap has closed, but I reckon a bike like this would be brilliant if you wanted to push your envelope a bit and build confidence on more difficult trails.
But if that's not such a priority, the flexibility of an enduro bike would (and does) still clinch it for me.
Next time you go to a decent riding destination go and look at a trail you've not ridden because it scares you.
Walk down it and stop and look at the features and ask yourself the simple question "if I was sat on [B]any[/B] bike would I roll into it?"
That should go some way to answering your question for you.
For me it's a straight no. A DH bike wouldn't make me want to ride anything I wouldn't ride on my enduro or trail bike so it'd be pointless from that perspective.
That video was something of an eye opener, and maybe it’s the GoPro effect, but with it deemed a Downhill race, the course looked just looked like a well groomed swoopy path through some woods. There didn’t appear to be any technical rooty or rocky sections and sounded like a lot of pedalling? Is a full on downhill bike even needed for that kind of track?
A DH bike wouldn't make me want to ride anything I wouldn't ride on my enduro or trail bike so it'd be pointless from that perspective.
This is a very sensible way of looking at it and this would be my response too.
the flexibility of an enduro bike would (and does) still clinch it for me.
And this. I've had a couple of times recently when I start browsing used DH bikes (usually in advance of a Morzine trip), then I remember how much I like a dropper post, decent range of gears and water bottle mount (hate riding with a pack). A DH bike would be fun, but it would be a one in, one out and it's far too much of a compromise for that.
Treat yourself. You deserve a treat with all the work you put in and you spend a lot of time at places like BPW, Dyfi and FOD with the boy so might as well ride a fun DH bike there.
life’s too short, buy the bike. £1,500 isn’t a lot.
Personally I really like the feel of proper DH forks, even compared to my 170 Zebs.
I've not ridden a DH bike, but do get that the extra travel and length can give more confidence.
I have ridden my Enduro bike down Fort William WC track following my Daughter on her DH bike - it coped with most of it. The bike is still more capable than I am.
My issue isn't so much the bike - it's confidence - with a knackered shoulder and spending most weekends coaching 7-12 year olds I don't ride a huge amount, so when I get to BPW or Dyfi my brain starts telling me I can't do stuff - mainly drops and steeps stuff at the moment...
I have no doubt that if I had a dedicated alloy park/DH bike I'd probably feel more confident as I won't be scared of smashing up a carbon enduro bike lol
@weeksy - just do it, you'll be able to sell if for what you paid for it no problem.
A DH bike wouldn't make me want to ride anything I wouldn't ride on my enduro or trail bike so it'd be pointless from that perspective.
This is a very sensible way of looking at it and this would be my response too.
I disagree, I think a DH bike gives you extra confidence
A DH bike wouldn't make me want to ride anything I wouldn't ride on my enduro or trail bike so it'd be pointless from that perspective.
This is a very sensible way of looking at it and this would be my response too.
I disagree, I think a DH bike gives you extra confidence
Oh it 100% does yes... Of that there's no doubt in my mind from the times i've ridden his Session.
I disagree, I think a DH bike gives you extra confidence
You might well disagree but to me an extra 20/30mm of travel makes bugger all difference if I want to ride something or not and wouldn't help me in the slightest.
In fact on the stuff I'm marginal yes/no can I get away with it a triple clamp fork is going to make things harder for me.
Mainly alpine walking trail switchbacks with exposure.
I have no doubt that if I had a dedicated alloy park/DH bike I'd probably feel more confident as I won't be scared of smashing up a carbon enduro bike lol
your main worry with crashing is smashing up your nice bike?
I disagree, I think a DH bike gives you extra confidence
You might well disagree but to me an extra 20/30mm of travel makes bugger all difference if I want to ride something or not and wouldn't help me in the slightest.
In fact on the stuff I'm marginal yes/no can I get away with it a triple clamp fork is going to make things harder for me.
Mainly alpine walking trail switchbacks with exposure.
It's not just the 20/30 (or 50 in my case on a proper DH) but it's the geometry, riding position, the way it soaks up the chatter/trails more, just the whole thing. Riding the Session at BPW on Rim Dinger for example you have to think about line choice on the trail bike, but on the DH bike you just ignore that and let go of the brakes and it takes care of things.
I didn't hit anything 'bigger' on the days i used it, but i only used for a couple of hours while he was doing something else, but i expect i'd hit stuff i wouldn't on mine.
I can see both sides of the DH bike/confidence thing.
But I think it's a mindset thing. That extra confidence is only useful if you're actively trying to push your envelope, otherwise it's easy to just refuse the same features you'd refuse on a trail bike.
FWIW i've decided not to buy it.. Partly i guess some laziness, but partly because i think where i am with my riding i am arguably better getting more trail stuff and pedalling in anyway. But it's been an interesting little bit of a discussion.
The feel & angles of the downhill bike would help with confidence no?
Stiffer fork, slacker, lower saddle, more forgiving?
Just an observation regarding this last weekend at BPW - I don't think I saw a full downhill bike at all on the Sunday.
When we rode Dyfi I was contemplating whether a HT would be fun - didn't do the triple blacks though.
You and I are clearly very different in terms of skill.
Maybe that's the issue. Not sure if a bigger, bouncier bike will fix that.
FWIW i've decided not to buy it.. Partly i guess some laziness, but partly because i think where i am with my riding i am arguably better getting more trail stuff and pedalling in anyway. But it's been an interesting little bit of a discussion.
Booo!!! N+1
When we rode Dyfi I was contemplating whether a HT would be fun - didn't do the triple blacks though.
You and I are clearly very different in terms of skill.
Maybe that's the issue. Not sure if a bigger, bouncier bike will fix that.
It's not a 'fix' as such i was thinking, i certainly wouldn't expect it to turn me into Brendog over an afternoon 🙂
On a more helpful note, i think if I get back to a point where im riding more id really like to got to a trail bike 140/150mm travel thing for most things and a DH bike for uplift days rather than the Nukeproof Mega ive got at the moment which does everything from trail centres to uplift days. I reckon that kinda mid travel bike is pretty great for everything I do apart from when im being driven to the top.
That extra confidence is only useful if you're actively trying to push your envelope, otherwise it's easy to just refuse the same features you'd refuse on a trail bike.
Very much this.
I've ridden with a couple of folks that were convinced they'd ride stuff that they normally didn't if they fitted a slackset to their bikes.
As predicted it made no difference what so ever. 🤣
Same old same old. Ride up to feature and stop.
That's only ever going to end up one way unfortunately.
Riding a DH bike on a normal relatively flat trail so you don't have to choose a line is somewhat missing the point of a DH bike and you'd still be faster if you did actually choose a line.
so have you bought it yet?
That's only ever going to end up one way unfortunately.
Not really.. Clearly not on any of the times i've ridden the DH bike before.
Clearly not on any of the times i've ridden the DH bike before.
It's a numbers game. Do it enough and your number will come up.😉
Ride a bigger bike and don't pick a line is never the answer though.
Weeksy, I reckon out of most people here, you’re going to be one of the few that has the opportunity to use a DH bike regularly. You spend so much time heading to DH venues with your son. You might not buy that one, but I reckon you’d either benefit from getting one or building up the Session and using that when the Atherton arrives.
Enjoy yourself, you’ve worked so hard to get Jnr to all these places you might as well have another toy and join in.
Surely someone else here can buy it then?
Not me though, currently working on going N-1 if I can
Not me though, currently working on going N-1 if I can
That's what I am doing, admittedly I have gone N+1 but am looking at selling 2 x bikes to give an overall N-1.
That's what I am doing, admittedly I have gone N+1 but am looking at selling 2 x bikes to give an overall N-1.
Surely someone else here can buy it then?
Not me though, currently working on going N-1 if I can
I only have N. My Fuel Gen6 and in truth, it's absolutely perfect.
To comment on some of the above, the reality is, a lot of the time i'm at DH places i'm not in a position to play. There's many reasons behind that from being up at 4.30am to drive him up while he sleeps and then home at 10pm while he sleeps most of the way home being 1 for example with Dyfi, to the fact i'm not the greatest rider so Dyfi isn't really my thing, especially as i'm mostly alone, so it's a lonely day. But there's also mechanical duties, setup stuff and testing on these days, from wheels, to brakes, to setting up suspension and fixing punctures etc.
Things like the Pearce days i worry about getting in the way of the racers pre-race testing, which puts me off these. Whilst it's a more laid back kind of place compared to Dyfi, it's still people who are trying to build their race speed for the race in 2,3,4 weeks time.
Llangollen, Ponty etc i can't uplift and ride at the same time.
Then places like FoD i'm usually uplifting after i've done my riding with mates, so that's not eating into my fun/ride time.
I don't know, it's all just where we find ourselves in the world at the moment, it probably is one of those things that doesn't make a lot of sense from the outside perspective, but for me, it makes sense.
Next weekend we'll be at Dyfi, it's my Birthday so Mrs Weeksy has offered to pay for my day, but i don't like her doing stuff like that and as i say, i want to look after the lad. So i'll end up doing 2 hours over at Climachx to get my fix for the day and then the rest will be talking rubbish by the fire..
I disagree, I think a DH bike gives you extra confidence
You might well disagree but to me an extra 20/30mm of travel makes bugger all difference if I want to ride something or not and wouldn't help me in the slightest.
In fact on the stuff I'm marginal yes/no can I get away with it a triple clamp fork is going to make things harder for me.
Mainly alpine walking trail switchbacks with exposure.
It's not just the 20/30 (or 50 in my case on a proper DH) but it's the geometry, riding position, the way it soaks up the chatter/trails more, just the whole thing. Riding the Session at BPW on Rim Dinger for example you have to think about line choice on the trail bike, but on the DH bike you just ignore that and let go of the brakes and it takes care of things.
I didn't hit anything 'bigger' on the days i used it, but i only used for a couple of hours while he was doing something else, but i expect i'd hit stuff i wouldn't on mine.
To add to this, the example Weeksy gave is talking about the ability to go faster on a trail he'd ride anyway vs the confidence to ride newer / bigger features. Take BPW as an example, I don't doubt I'd be able to ride a rough trail like Rim Dinger (or 50 Shades) quicker on a DH bike vs my 170/160 Raaw by smoothing it out more. However no amount of extra travel is going to help me personally convince myself to hit a big gap jump or drop that I am mentally not committed to. However my Raaw is arguably pretty capable anyway, I can understand the confidence gap to hit a new feature / trail being bridged more by a DH bike vs Trail bike (which I think the Trek is).