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When You Started DH/FR

DroppinaNorco

Monkey
Mar 4, 2004
158
0
Sac Town
I dont know how many of the people from the dh or fr forums come here but im just wondering, when u guys started out in your respective disciplines, did you go straight to having a big travel bike and doing shuttle and lift accessed stuff, or did you start with more of a trail bike? Stupid question but just wondering. Thanks
 

eknomf

Monkey
Apr 23, 2004
211
0
Nanaimo, BC
I think if you are looking at getting into that type of riding the best way nto start is with a heavy duty hardtail. It will teach you how to choose lines and be a smooth rider in general. I've noticed some of my friends who started off on big bikes have alot of trouble riding smooth. It's also not as big of an investment if you decide you dont like it.
 

Slugman

Frankenbike
Apr 29, 2004
4,024
0
Miami, FL
Started with a fully ridig XC bike... then a 3" fork on the same frame... then a 5" fork (on a replacement of the same frame)... finally got a short travel FS... then put on a bigger fork and increased the rear travel.

Progression is nice - but if I had the $$, I'd have gone a more agressive bike earlier on.
 

Ciaran

Fear my banana
Apr 5, 2004
9,839
15
So Cal
I started much the same as Slugman. I've been riding bikes since I was 4, and was riding my old BMX in the hills above my house when I was a kid. My first "real" Dhing was in the early 90's somewhere... I had a hardtail with an Answer ProForx on it (3inches!!!) and went to Snow Summit because I heard they took you up on the lift. Took my buddy with me and had him on a fully rigid Cannondale.

I agree that if you are new to the whole biking thing then start with a hardtail. Learn to ride well and be smooth. Then get 10 inches and plow through everything.
 

***MTB***

Monkey
Dec 19, 2004
278
0
SoCal
eknomf said:
I think if you are looking at getting into that type of riding the best way nto start is with a heavy duty hardtail. It will teach you how to choose lines and be a smooth rider in general. I've noticed some of my friends who started off on big bikes have alot of trouble riding smooth. It's also not as big of an investment if you decide you dont like it.
Thats what i would do. I started with a dirt jump bike though and was free riding with it. Now i have a fully.
 

sunny

Grammar Civil Patrol
Jul 2, 2004
1,107
0
Sandy Eggo, CA
June 2003: started riding a FS XC bike, riding local NJ trails with guys who raced DH (they said by the end of the summer there were 12 trees left in that state park that I hadn't run into).

Feb 2004: Move to SoCal, take the 4"-travel bike to try out "downhill" at Fonatana. I survive and decide to invest in a bike.

May 2004: I buy a used 2002 RFX with a JrT and start racing DH on sport courses.

A 6"-travel bike has done fine for me, because so far I haven't been interested in doing anything big, I'm not on expert/pro courses, and I'm only 135#. That said, if I were under 30, I'd be ready for some greater challenges, and a full-on DH rig (and who knows... I may get a real DH bike anyway). :D
 

DroppinaNorco

Monkey
Mar 4, 2004
158
0
Sac Town
thanks a lot guys. i was just wondering because i started with a norco fluid 2 and its working out well butt im thinking that i could use the extra travel of a bigger bik even though im still not very good. i was wondering whether the extra travel would help me progress or not.
 
Jan 7, 2004
686
0
D.C. area
I started mtn. biking on a rigid single speed. Then two months later, rode freeride on Evil Imperial (hardtail) with a Manitou Sherman fork. Two months later I bought my current bike: Cannondale Gemini 900.
This was last year.
 

Five

Turbo Monkey
Mar 8, 2003
1,506
0
West Seattle, WA
When I was making the transition to DH/FR I had a trail bike - older SC Heckler. I put a dual crown fork on it, disk brakes, etc. Then stepped up and bought a SC Bullit, then the following year went full-blown DH w/ a Kona Stab Primo.
 

ncrider

Turbo Monkey
Aug 15, 2004
1,564
0
Los Angeles
DroppinaNorco said:
thanks a lot guys. i was just wondering because i started with a norco fluid 2 and its working out well butt im thinking that i could use the extra travel of a bigger bik even though im still not very good. i was wondering whether the extra travel would help me progress or not.
Depends. I've seen people ride sections on a HT that I wouldn't do on my DH rig. However, I know I progressed a lot once I went from a small travel bike to a DH bike. It also helps to ride with more advanced riders. It sound like you probably have the basic skills down so if you want the big bike then go out and get one.
 
Sep 7, 2001
99
0
Copenhagen- Denmark!
Started seriously with FR/DH in 2000, on a Apecialized FSR Dualslalom frame, but had raced some Dualslalom and general FR on my trusty Litespeed Obed TI frame, a fullblown 18 pound xc hardtail, but what the heck.... better ride it on something, than wait on the "right" ride purpose built...

Moved on to a Ellsworth Joker in 2001, and then a SC V10 since 03'... been doing it intensively for the last 5 seasons... right now, i'm out of the game due to a dislocated shoulder which needs surgery to get back in 100% good shape!

Steen.
 

boostindoubles

Nacho Libre
Mar 16, 2004
7,839
6,145
Yakistan
i ride dh with a hardtail. but i started riding at 11 with bmx. didnt move up to mountain bikes until i was 18. I ride anything and everything. Its all in the skill of the rider. not saying i'm skilled, but i know how to ride my bike.

having lots of travel on your bike doesnt up your skill level. its in the nuts :)
 

Heath Sherratt

Turbo Monkey
Jun 17, 2004
1,871
0
In a healthy tension
Yeah, hardtail first, heavy duty. Learn how to draw lines like an architect and then your skills will outgrow the hardtail and you will "need" long travel. That's my experience and I have been riding three years total and I will be raceing semi-pro next year. Just ride at your pace and do your thang, you'll progress safely. I read a lot too. Visualizing is as important as trying if not more so. Watch videos, ride with better people, and ride on your own often so you ride at your natural level and then hook up with others to see where you are at. Have FUN!!!!!!
 

FBTMILF

Monkey
Aug 27, 2005
294
0
Colorado
To say the least, i just started downhill/ freeride about 4 months ago. I have a XC full suspension from Novara. It's nothing special, it has about 5" travel in the back, it's not really enough, i bottom out on a lot of the bigger 6ft-7ft drops, but the way I see it, if you start out with a 5" travel bike, then once you hop on a new 8", you'll kick. Have fun.
 

bballboy388

Monkey
Dec 4, 2004
812
0
i think im in that transition from my hard tail to a fs bike i have a gt ruckus that ive been riding for 2 years now and ive went from being scared of thos big cracks in the curb u jump off to doing the biggest jump at the local trails and not being scared of it( witch im pritty proud of lol) and i think it was a good idea to start on my ruckus i donno if im a flowey guy but i am happy with the way i ride and every jump seems to give u the best feeling in the world. its awsome stick with biking and progress and youll have a BLAST!!!
 

dogwonder

Nitro
May 3, 2005
1,849
0
Walking the Earth
I just started DH this year. I got into mountain biking jeez three years ago when I got a smoking deal on a Specialized Enduro (4 & 4 travel). That frame was a little big and traded out last year to a Yeti 575 (5 in the front, just under 6 in the back). Both were solid trail bikes. I brought them both to Killington, Plattekill, & Mount Beacon. I had fun and started learning the new skills. Just for kicks, I rented a KHS Fetish at PK and my God what a difference. The bikes ride completely different. I then went out and bought a GT DHi (7 in the front, 9 in the back) and started racing. It's been a learning experience for sure, all new skills (when NOT to brake, how to look ahead, and as stated before, reading lines). These are all skills that will need to be learned no matter what bike you're on.

The way I see it, you either start on a HT and work on some skills and slowly keep moving up/improving or you get a full DH bike and force yourself to learn the skills and NOT let your bike compensate for poor habits (which is easier said than done).

I chose the latter, but that's just me.
 

BrandonWatts

Monkey
May 4, 2005
190
0
raymond, WA
i started rideing mountian bikes 7 years ago. my fisrt real bike was a 98 giant ds1 it was my do everything bike. i did everthing from dh,fr,xc and everthing in between. but i broke the frame after like 2 years of riding. the it was a 2000 giant ds1 which agian was a do everhting bike i had a lot of upgrades on that one. now i ride a haro hartail for urban/dj and a cove g-spot for fr/dh. :thumb:
 

zmtber

Turbo Monkey
Aug 13, 2005
2,435
0
hey i recomend geeting and decent trail bike that has been used don't spend a lot of money but don't be cheap ither it will pay off later definatly good trail bikes for aroung 800 bucks but they are used
 

PepperJester

Monkey
Jul 9, 2004
798
19
Wolfville NS
Back when I started getting more agressive i was riding a '99 Giant SedonaSE with a 70mm fork. That bike was getting beat, so I got my self a 2000 Kona Roast, that came with a 100mm z5 witch i layer repaced with a 130mm 02 Dj1. By this time i was hooked on free ride. I road that bike for a little over two years. then in late 03 i got my BigHit Comp (6.2" rear 6" front) Im glad i keep the hard tale until my skills got to the point where i could eastly wip the bike around in the air and properly j-hop. I know guys that skipped the hardale steep and when right to a 8" travel bike. and they still have troubble with basic riding skills.

I now ride a BigHit Expert (8"R 7"F) its all the bike i need.
 

biggins

Rump Junkie
May 18, 2003
7,173
9
eknomf said:
I think if you are looking at getting into that type of riding the best way nto start is with a heavy duty hardtail. It will teach you how to choose lines and be a smooth rider in general. I've noticed some of my friends who started off on big bikes have alot of trouble riding smooth. It's also not as big of an investment if you decide you dont like it.
man screw all that. every time someone starts a friggin thread like this people jump on this "get a hard tail" band wagon and the dumbest crap i have ever heard in my entire life. First why buy a bike that you are planning on getting rid of?waste of money if you ask me. also why in the hell would you buy a hardtail to learn line selection on when the lines between big travel and hard tail are so friggin different anyway?

i just think it is horribly stupid to buy a hardtail in order to learn to ride a big bike. If ya have the chance go buy that big bike and get t work. screw all this 12 step plan for owning a big bike.
 

Snacks

Turbo Monkey
Feb 20, 2003
3,523
0
GO! SEAHAWKS!
I started riding on a FS XC bike with 3" I rode it for about a year, learned how to ride clips, then stepped up to a 5" travel bike and got a DH bike. For me a DH bike is my 6 pack, but that is really all the travel I feel I need.

I have rode a HT once and it killed my back. The only time I would EVER ride one again was if I was racing XC, never for trail riding.
 

weslaba

Chimp
Feb 25, 2005
25
0
I am still, (after 1 yr of "decent" mountain biking) on my hardtail w/ 5" of travel. I rode for quite some time when i was little on BMX, and that is a very good way to adjust to landings to make everything smooth. I can actually kinda feel myself become smoother as the days go by. Being smooth is an art that just takes some time to get the hang of. I was considering a big FS bike, but considering my small town, that would be completely not needed, especially for Dirt jumping and urban riding. I might look into a big DH bike later, but I'm more than happy with my HT right now.
 

maxyedor

<b>TOOL PRO</b>
Oct 20, 2005
5,496
3,140
In the bathroom, fighting a battle
I used to do small hucks on my 4" travel trail bike. Then I decided to get into it and fortunatly had the cash to get a 9" travel fr rig. it worked out o.k. but when I finaly got a burly hardtail and rode it for awhile thats when I realy started to improve. If I were to do it again I'd get the hardtail over the 9" because you learn the fundementals of cornering, picking a line and, landing better on the hardtail, but your short travel bike should work great. Then it can be turned into a 4x bike once you buy a big burly dh rig
 

oddblob

Chimp
Aug 4, 2004
78
0
Salem, Oregon
Get yourself a stout 5" travel (minimum) bike that is suitable for freeride but not full-on. For me it was a Switch. It was used, cheap, and you can anything on it that you're going to have the balls to try for a while. Then, as you learn and progress you will figure out what you want to ultimately go to - big ass dh bike, long travel trail/freeride hybrid, burly hardtail, etc. I'd steer way clear of getting a hardtail first - they're and acquired taste for big hit riding.
 

RhinofromWA

Brevity R Us
Aug 16, 2001
4,622
0
Lynnwood, WA
I started DH with a warmed over XC FS rig.....4"f/4"r GT STS 1500DS Then I put a Boxxer (6") on it then I bought a DH rig. Rotec DH "6f/6"r. The big change was the geometery. It was built to be a Dh bike not a XC bike.

If you are going to be DHing alot a freeride (with some slack angles) or a Dh bike is the best bet. It is what they were meant to do.

But before it was termed "DH" I was just ripping down slopes and ridge lines on my XC bikes:
Diamondback Ascent Full rigid.
1992GT RTS 2"f/2"r
1994 GT LTS 4"f/3"r

If you have a bike the best (cheap) upgrades are tires and stem/bars. Grip and tire volume help when Dhing....and a more rearward position helps keep you r weight back when pointing down slopes. Then brakes and suspension. Start getting more expensive....might be better to get a new bike to get these upgrades.

Ultimately a Dh bike is the BEST thing for dhing....it also depends on your requirements. If you aren't going to be DHing alot then the Dh bike and $$$ spent on one will be somewhat wasted.

Have fun on what ever you have, that is the most important part.

Rhino
 

wishihadmoney

Monkey
Dec 1, 2005
293
0
Boone, NC
i started fr on a raleigh fs xc thing..i just moved up to a haro x2...just riding on that lil fully helped me a ton and now riding drops i can tell so much of a difference...and if i start riding drops on a super short travel fully or a hartail, you learn to cushion the inpact with your legs...whitch is a great habit to have...no ht for me