whistler on a small bike?
- Thread starter macmx
- Start date
Dude, I happily rode my hardtail in Whistler many times this year.
Just be sure to armour up well if you insist riding all day every day. You'll be tired and make mistakes, otherwise, I could hang with all my bros on their big bikes just not all day is all.
Not that I didn't try, I just was a little more worked at the end of the day is all!
Just be sure to armour up well if you insist riding all day every day. You'll be tired and make mistakes, otherwise, I could hang with all my bros on their big bikes just not all day is all.
Not that I didn't try, I just was a little more worked at the end of the day is all!
Cool thanx!
I just that, I'm actually riding a 5" fork now, and my arms can get really beat up on the steep runs, when I'm on the front brake, because I have nearly NO travel to work with.
I'm probably gonna put an a 6" if I go to Whistler though, if I don't get a DH bike before that time.
I just that, I'm actually riding a 5" fork now, and my arms can get really beat up on the steep runs, when I'm on the front brake, because I have nearly NO travel to work with.
I'm probably gonna put an a 6" if I go to Whistler though, if I don't get a DH bike before that time.
Yeah, some trails like a-line and dirtmerchant are the **** for dj bikes. Don't forget the mountaincross course. I rode all the trails except original sin on a 6" and 6" bike with 24's. I am way too big for that bike (I was borrowing it). Double blacks are no problem on a 6er.
picture heaven..and you can ride it with any bike you want 
Lots of kids (adults too) ride HT bikes there all day long and rip it up!...
Lots of kids (adults too) ride HT bikes there all day long and rip it up!...
Damn... You guys must be better riders tham me. Some of the runs off the Garbanzo lift were too tough for me even with 10in of travel. Granted, it was wet and slippery though.
oh ya...i went up too whistler this year with my cross country race bike..and i decided to do a run on the freeride course..=(....not very fun at all..
it was fun just being at whistler but man..i thought that my wrists were broken after i got half way down..(i had a 4 inch fork)
but it would have been way more fun with 6" front and rear..
it was fun just being at whistler but man..i thought that my wrists were broken after i got half way down..(i had a 4 inch fork)
but it would have been way more fun with 6" front and rear..
Dang man. 6" in the rear is tonnes. I doubt there is anything you can't ride with a good 6" travel bike especially on whistler with all the trannies. Its the only bike I have haha.macmx said:
Although...I would probably never go to a short travel fork again. I love having tonnes of plushness up front for my hands and for when I make the dreaded nose dive mistake. But, I also have friends (3) who lived on the mountain with ht's and little 4 to 5 in forks putting in 20 to 40 days each. ITs very doable.
When the 24 hour race guys were here lots of them went up and gave the mountain a try. Some on rented fr rigs and some on xc rigs. All of it can be ridden, just depends on how fast you wanna go and how masocistic you areilikebikes444 said:
Original sin would be pretty easy on a 5-5 bike imo. It didn't have any to long long long rough sections and wasnt to fast. Maybe its cause i loved it cause on my whole trip acrosss the usa it was the first time i felt normal since hte dirt was just like snowshoe.
Toshi said:i agree. the trails i'd be worried about would be joyride, national downhill, maybe schleyer too. and the a-line braking bumps...not cool even with 175mm up front and 9" of avalanche in the rear.
yeah national downhill owned me bad. Schleyer wasnt to bad nor joyride but national ate me up everytime i think it was the only trail i couldnt ride fast. Aline braking bumps when we were their were hell ****ing 8 inches in the rear and i still felt those things bad.
My bike is 6" front ('03 Slider) and 4.5" rear (Vanilla-R ProPedal). Rode pretty much every weekend, some weekends two days in a row. Had no problem hanging with the bigger bikes and the smaller travel bike is easier to push around on garbanzo. I rode a buddy's GiantDH with the 6-way swinger shock.. I felt faster (or maybe it was because I wasn't getting as shaken up) but other than that no difficulties.
Actually I think some of the tighter stuff on the upper mountain would be easier on a smaller bike. There are a lot of slower, hard turns that make you work on a full DH rig. Some short uphills too.
Whoever would have believed 6 years ago that someone would be asking if a 5 and 6 inch travel bike would be "enough". That was long travel DH bikes not too long ago!!
Whoever would have believed 6 years ago that someone would be asking if a 5 and 6 inch travel bike would be "enough". That was long travel DH bikes not too long ago!!
I go tlucky, the first ride up this year my hands got torn apart..but after that..it was smooth sailing..My DHR ate that stuff up! like a caddy-lak!
Its funny, maybe it is the riders I ride with, but I don't consider 6in a small travel bike. My bighit comp has more travel than all my buddies except 2. In fact most of them make fun of me for having so much travel. Damn being older with bad knees hahakidwoo said:
i'd defintley have prefered something abit sharper handling and lighter too.
Dm/a-line is more suited to a 4x full sus type ride than a full on dh rig thats for sure. most of the stuff seemed so well built and smooth that the only thing that ever really taxed my bike where the braking bumps and the occasional dodgy landing off some of the bigger drops/jumps
oh i cursed my gearing everytime i had to go up the little hill to get to schleyer/joyride etc etc too
Dm/a-line is more suited to a 4x full sus type ride than a full on dh rig thats for sure. most of the stuff seemed so well built and smooth that the only thing that ever really taxed my bike where the braking bumps and the occasional dodgy landing off some of the bigger drops/jumps
oh i cursed my gearing everytime i had to go up the little hill to get to schleyer/joyride etc etc too
kidwoo said:
Yeah definetly noticed when me and DBR were there that he was taking some turns on the upper mountain better then i was with his turner since my bike was a tad longer.
5-6" bikes are fighting back i love my heckler and sometimes its more fun to have less travel but a easier to flick around bike and i think lots of people agree.