F the price or your bike - go out and kick ass!

NRSracer · Dec 17, 2001

i had fun on a cheap pos bike for a while, now i have a new bike, but it was still fun with the crap bike

BikeGeek · Dec 17, 2001

Bike snobs suck! I used to get laughed at by a bunch of weight weenies when I would show up on my hi-ten steel bike. Sure, it weighed about 30 pounds with no suspension and I couldn't keep up with any of them, but I was riding dammit!

They stopped asking me to rides when I got a lighter bike. Turns out that all that "training" with my hi-ten made me faster than them on my 'moly.

SK6 · Dec 31, 2001

And don't kid yourself, Old_Dude's bike is STILL a piece of................................

well, some type of metal!!!!!

edoz · Dec 31, 2001

A few years ago I got a co-worker into riding. He bought a 235$ GT Palomar and rode the crap out of it. He rode every trail I did. He had just as much fun as me and for a year he never bitched about it. One day, he even hurt himself worse than anyone I know ever has riding. After a broken pelvis and a huge scar in his gut, he upgraded and sold it off to someone else who still rides it.
I use him as an example when somebody whines about how crappy their bike is.

Scotty · Jan 11, 2002

Some people show up to ride with my group in real crappy bikes but we would never turn them away. I would encourage anyway with any type of bike to ride with me. Riding on something is better that not riding at all. I give credit to those people you gut it out on a cheap bike with no shocks.

-BB- · Jan 11, 2002

Double edged sword.

If there are more people in the sport, we have more "PULL".

BUT....

As soon as all the local DH'rs find out about an area, it gets WAY over crowded and then gets shut down.

So, i'm not sure how I feel about it.
More is good, but I also don't want to have to peel some newbie off of a tree b/c he got in over his head.

-BB- · Jan 11, 2002

Originally posted by Scotty
Some people show up to ride with my group in real crappy bikes but we would never turn them away. I would encourage anyway with any type of bike to ride with me. Riding on something is better that not riding at all. I give credit to those people you gut it out on a cheap bike with no shocks.

Hey Scotty...
you originally from DE?
I grew up in North Wilmington.
Near Brandywine Creek St. Park
(Behind Concord Mall)

You ride there at all?
What about Iron Hill?

Steen Good Legs · Jan 12, 2002

Originally posted by Old_Dude
I get so f'in pissed when I hear wannabies talk about how they "can't go fast" or "can't enjoy the sport" other similar bovine excrement because their bike is so inexpensive.

You're right Old Man

I own 5 bikes worth some 15 grand in total- and i had a funny experience last summer, while my preferred XC bike was returning from Australia in a ship container... the race season was on the way, and the only "race bike" around, was my wifes 400 $ Specialized rockhopper- fully rigid, full mud fenders all over, a truly non posh style bike!

Everyone around here knows my fetish like love for exhuberant bike parts, and laughed at me when i showed up at the first 3 races on the cheap bike- and rode the hell out of it!

Eventually- i finished in the top 10- allmost like i would have expected on my 3,000$ xc bike, and had great fun in the process... and that experience will allways be with me... that you can have equal amounts of fun on a cheap bike- depending on if you don't care about posh factor plus 100!- and your own reputation!.... I know most people [guys!] will think twice- if some dude on a cheapo just hammered them!

....I the end, the old phrase here is the most effective way to end a thread like this: Shut up and ride!

Scotty · Jan 15, 2002

Het BB:

I ride back in Woodlawn Trustess ( or Brandywine Creek State Park) occasionaly. The trails are getting better because some riders have been trying to cut in some new trails. I normally ride in Fair Hill since it only takes me about 30 min to get there. I live off of Union Street near the city. Iron Hill is pretty lame, not enough trail there. When Fair Hill is so close, the choice is pretty simple. Some good climbs and hills at Brandwine though.

Riff Raff · Jan 25, 2002

I agree... However I'm in this very conversion with my wife (Not Mom) but kinda the same. My point is this, I go out all the time and have fun on my San Andaras. But this year i want to race, My point is I'm an average rider on an average bike. Having a better Bike can only help. Sooooooooo If the best riders can go out on an average bike and do well... Wouldn't the best bike help an average rider be better?

Or is this just my twisted perspective to justify a new bike....

-H

Mr. ShockWave · Jan 25, 2002

I agree on this one, almost everybody started on a piece of s**t. I've also seen some guy's (these were about 20) having $ 7000 good DH bikes but did not dare to take the real DH course where I was at the moment.

But I did better than them (but still have a lot to learn) on that same FR course where they dared to ride with an good 7.5" travel DH frame but with lousy v-brakes and an 4" travel triple clamp (so a real f**ked up geometry). so, it's not the bike but the rider on it that makes it work.

DHRacer · Jan 26, 2002

I agree... get out and ride!

When I started racing I had a XC bike to DH with. the next year I saved up a little money and made some improvements... that with a year's worth of experience - the next year I was a little faster and a whole lot more confident. This coming year I sold a bunch of stuff saved up more money and now have a used Super 8. with that, and all the extra experience and confidence I have I think I will do a little better than I did last year.

So what if you don't have the most expensive gear out there... I still don't!!! to coin the phrase - " you have to start somewhere."

Yes - just do it!

RhinofromWA · Jan 28, 2002

.... Rain festival (Olympia WA) There was a man that I guessed was trying out this "DH" thing. He was on a Pacific URT with a upgraded RS Indy SL. Various parts of his bike were covered with bandanas and duct tape and the bike wasn't in the best mechanical means it could be in.

I remember hearing other riders talking about him while we were shuttling up. "he is to slow.....wouldn't get out of the way....." and various other cracks at his expense. I kept my lip shut but felt he wasn't gettting treated very well. I had talked with him earlier that day and he was nothing but smiles and excited to be doing this. He knew his bike wasn't "the best" for this stuff but it was exciting none the less. What snobs these people were with their $5K rigs and all the body armor.

The trail was XC like for a DH course but it was full of grape fruit sized rocks and enough roots and sand to make me pay attention of my full on DH bike. He even started in the sport class. So I ended up passing him being the slow guy on a fast bike that I am. He wasn't a problem. I felt sorry he had to bounce and endo like he did down that course. He had to ride much harder than me that day.

I guess what I am trying to get at are these guys with their Big $ rigs didn't have any better right to be out there than this other man did. I can only hope the snobs remember what it was like to start out and just be better people than they were that day. Everyone should be allowed to play...no matter what you brought to run the hill. Please don't forget why we ride in the first place.

Fun

and if you can win sometimes while having fun :thumb:

DHRacer · Jan 29, 2002

Preach it brother!!!! Preach it!!!

very well put :thumb:

We're all there to have fun. There was a guy last year that raced my class... it was his first year and he got passed more than once in every race. There was a race that he was 2 minutes ahead of me starting... I passed him within the first 45 seconds of my run... I looked for him after the race to talk with him and encourage him, you know, tell him that it was cool that he was coming to all the races and ask him if he was having fun.

I didn't catch up with him till the last race of the season. there were a couple of us that talked with him and told him that he was doing great and that we could see some improvement since the beginning of the season. He appreciated it and said thanks. He admitted that he got bummed every now and again, but we told him that we used to get passed too... hell I got passed at Nat's down in Deer Valley a couple months earlier (passed 3 times actually!), we told him it was no big deal and that it happens to us all. The most important thing is to have fun. He was a pretty cool guy and I'm glad I took the time to talk to and get to know him.

We should all not loose track of this and be supportive of all riders, new and old, slow or fast... we're all there for the same reason... we love to bike and we wanna have fun!!!

Olyroller · Feb 10, 2002

It's not what you got. It's how you use it.

spincycle9 · Feb 22, 2002

Some of us who ride don't have mommy and daddy to buy us a real sweet ride or are not very monetarily endowed...and I'm not bitter or anything (even thought thats how it sounds).

I started riding really just for excercise...but as we all know riding has a way of making you totally obsessed. I bought a Mongoose Hard Luck hardtail- bottom rung in the black diamond series- for $599 (us). I've been riding for about 1 1/2 years now. I finally talked my bro-in-law into borrowing someone elses bike and going riding with me, so yesterday was the first time I had someone else to ride with. My bike is not the best, thats for sure. And I certainly am not a great rider. And I may have to ride by myself all of the time. But ya know what??? I ride anyway because I love it. I love the way it makes me feel when I actually clear a log that I thought may have been too big to jump. Or when I DON'T clear that log, and realize that nothing is broken.

The point is RIDE. F all the small stuff. RIDE

<<falls off of soapbox>>

butthead · Mar 23, 2002

Originally posted by RhinofromWA
.... Rain festival (Olympia WA) There was a man that I guessed was trying out this "DH" thing. He was on a Pacific URT with a upgraded RS Indy SL. Various parts of his bike were covered with bandanas and duct tape and the bike wasn't in the best mechanical means it could be in.

I remember hearing other riders talking about him while we were shuttling up. "he is to slow.....wouldn't get out of the way....." and various other cracks at his expense. I kept my lip shut but felt he wasn't gettting treated very well. I had talked with him earlier that day and he was nothing but smiles and excited to be doing this. He knew his bike wasn't "the best" for this stuff but it was exciting none the less. What snobs these people were with their $5K rigs and all the body armor.

The trail was XC like for a DH course but it was full of grape fruit sized rocks and enough roots and sand to make me pay attention of my full on DH bike. He even started in the sport class. So I ended up passing him being the slow guy on a fast bike that I am. He wasn't a problem. I felt sorry he had to bounce and endo like he did down that course. He had to ride much harder than me that day.

I guess what I am trying to get at are these guys with their Big $ rigs didn't have any better right to be out there than this other man did. I can only hope the snobs remember what it was like to start out and just be better people than they were that day. Everyone should be allowed to play...no matter what you brought to run the hill. Please don't forget why we ride in the first place.

Fun

I actually know the guy you are talking about. He rides the crap out of that bike. He rides the same trails I ride on my Bullit. I know he is working harder on those descents, but he is having fun doing it. At least he is out there participating in life.

There are snobs out there in any activity. Most people I've met on the trail have been cool as hell. However, there is always that one person or group that will make fun of the guy on the department store bike. Screw them. Don't let them drag you down. Go ride. Have fun. That's why man invented the bicycle. It is a toy for all ages.

BullBiker · Mar 25, 2002

I can honestly say, I've had more fun on my first mountain bike than I've had on my current ride! Granted I've always been into bikes, I raced BMX when I was younger, first job as a mechanic..etc., so my first mtn. bike was a GT Karakorum (about $500), since then, I've had 5 or 6 different bikes. My current bike is worth close to $3,000.00. Yeah, if you're racing and you posses decent skills, then a good bike will make a difference, but not nearly as much as riding more often!

The most fun you can ever have, is taking a newbie to some local trails and showing him/her some skills, riding slower and sharing in the excitement!

Sometimes we forget to stop and smell the roses!

L8R

streetweapon_dh · Mar 28, 2002

my first year of dh was two yrs ago on a schwinn mesa hardtail. I thrashed that sucker every which way, and broke just about everything on it. I even spent a weekend at keystone dh'ing with no drivetrain. My rr d-railer broke off and i just smashed the chain over a rock until it broke off. That didnt stop me from dh'ing. neither did my trusty ol' schwinn.

(not to mention the snobs i passed comin' down-they wouldn't even look at me when they finally got to the bottom, haha)

way2jedi4u · Mar 29, 2002

Originally posted by BikeGeek
Bike snobs suck! I used to get laughed at by a bunch of weight weenies when I would show up on my hi-ten steel bike. Sure, it weighed about 30 pounds with no suspension and I couldn't keep up with any of them, but I was riding dammit!

Bah...that's nothin....i rode a 15 inch 36lb. Diamond Back Outlook rigid for three years. That bike really took a hell of a beating, I took it off 4' drops rigid. Eventually, I managed to haul some ass down a hill on the last day of the 7th grade and hit a patch of loose dust/dirt on the road and my no-name cantilever brakes wouldn't slow me down, so I ended up slamming into a parked car at 30mph. I wish I had pictures, the rigid cromoly fork bent probably 35 degrees back so that the front wheel was overlapping the downtube. That's when I replaced it with a '99 Marzocchi Z5 Air with steel stanctions for $100. While I don't ride that bike any more, I plan on stripping the frame and welding some crazy sh!t onto it just for gits and shiggles. I started with a crappy bike, and hey! what do you know, my bike is still pretty low end, but I spend my time riding, not worrying about what I ride. I roll with a group of about 5 guys, all of whom our bikes are worth well under $1500, but you never saw a happier group of idiots on two wheels. We get up there on our hard tails (all of us ride HT's) and drop the 10' drop/ 20' gap that the fancy DH'ers are afraid of. Word to the poor students on hardtails.

TzuDad · Mar 31, 2002

I raced the down hill at the Rain Festival on a Royce Union FS with a RS indy SL and got a lot of negative comments but I had fun I probably should not of been in the sportclass but I had a good first run crashed on the second I got passed alot but at least i was out there

way2jedi4u · Apr 1, 2002

right on man.

drift1492 · Apr 2, 2002

My friends and I all have hardtail bikes between the 400-900 dollar range. We went to Moab a couple weeks ago andran into some of the type of "snobs" you guys are talking about (Im pretty sure they weren't local, because the locals up there were awesome). On the climb up Amasa Back, we blew by them. We were playin around at the top on the slickrock and they made some comments about our bikes. Well, on the way back down we blew by them again. Sometimes actions are louder than words. Let your riding ability do the talking.

BikeGeek · Apr 3, 2002

Originally posted by way2jedi4u
i rode a 15 inch 36lb. Diamond Back Outlook rigid for three years. That bike really took a hell of a beating, I took it off 4' drops rigid.

Same bike. I had no idea they were that heavy. 30 lbs was a guess.

F the price or your bike - go out and kick ass!

Monkey

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I broke all the rules, but somehow still became mo

I broke all the rules, but somehow still became mo

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The Rev

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