Quantcast

Demo 7, 8, or 9 for a 140lb girl?

DirtMcGirk

<b>WAY</b> Dumber than N8 (to the power of ten alm
Feb 21, 2008
6,379
1
Oz
For some time the wife has been wanting to get into going on downhill trips with me. While I believe this is some sort of secret way to control the madcap spending that goes on during these weekends, but none the less I'd love to have her come join.

There are a lot of nice Demo's for sale these days. I used to ride a Demo 9, loved the bike, hated the stoppers.

Are most of the Demo's too much bike for a 140lb girl who has done mostly XC her entire life, with brief jaunts into Super D?

If I resprung one of these to her weight, and got her some good stoppers, you think a Demo 8 or 9 would be a good first DH bike for my Mrs?
 

DirtMcGirk

<b>WAY</b> Dumber than N8 (to the power of ten alm
Feb 21, 2008
6,379
1
Oz
That's sort of what I was thinking.

Right now I am leaning towards a Demo 7 I found for her. God awful paint, but good looking bike.
 

DirtMcGirk

<b>WAY</b> Dumber than N8 (to the power of ten alm
Feb 21, 2008
6,379
1
Oz
She has a Stumpie FS for most everything else she likes to ride.

I just wanted to get her into the whole thing, maybe get her into a few beginner races somewhere.

Be good for Whistler too...
 

bdamschen

Turbo Monkey
Nov 28, 2005
3,377
156
Spreckels, CA
I've never understood why people think someone who weighs less (kids, emo people, girls, midgets, etc.) needs to have a shorter travel bike. I would imagine it's not the travel you need less of, just a softer spring.

That said, what lighter people do need is a lighter bike since they usually have less upper body strength then a 210lb adult male, and I think the demo 9 was a pretty heavy bike.
 

sriracha

Monkey
Jun 9, 2006
496
0
805
have you thought about a bullitt or a V10? much lighter and better pedalling.


or maybe the new vp-free that might be released in a year or so...if you get your order in now, i bet you'll get a frame from the first batch.
 

WBC

Monkey
Aug 8, 2003
578
1
PNW
At the same time, there is less force on every impact with lighter weight riders. I'm 240, and when I go fast, **** gets ****ed up, so bigger shocks make sense. The best smaller girls DH bike I've seen is a 6.6 SS w/ a lowered to 7" Boxxer WC. Seems like a D7 would be similar. The fact is, while I'm sure lighter weight riders would like to have the extra travel, 8 and 9" setups are only available on the heavier and less agile end of the spectrum. It takes power to push around a sub 14 BB and 64 HA

That said, I'm starting to see a thick little 140lbs treat right now that I don't think would have any issue rallying my DHR.
 

DirtMcGirk

<b>WAY</b> Dumber than N8 (to the power of ten alm
Feb 21, 2008
6,379
1
Oz
have you thought about a bullitt or a V10? much lighter and better pedalling.


or maybe the new vp-free that might be released in a year or so...if you get your order in now, i bet you'll get a frame from the first batch.
Eat me...
Never ordering anything again from SC.
Ever.


I've never understood why people think someone who weighs less (kids, emo people, girls, midgets, etc.) needs to have a shorter travel bike. I would imagine it's not the travel you need less of, just a softer spring.

That said, what lighter people do need is a lighter bike since they usually have less upper body strength then a 210lb adult male, and I think the demo 9 was a pretty heavy bike.
I was thinking the same thing. The Demo was a tank. Good for 225lb me, not so rad for 140lb her. I think because of the fact that we carry more weight by necessity we have more strength then someone lighter, just from moving the fat around.

I think this Demo 7 I found used might be just the ticket. Has a nice parts list, and as things get slammed we get her new bits a time dictates. There's something about your first real DH bike being used that appeals to me.
 

Nick

My name is Nick
Sep 21, 2001
23,928
14,450
where the trails are
For some time the wife has been wanting to get into going on downhill trips with me. ... a 140lb girl who has done mostly XC her entire life, with brief jaunts into Super D? ... a good first DH bike for my Mrs?
Any chance an SX Trail would fit the bill a little better than a Demo 7?
 

Nick

My name is Nick
Sep 21, 2001
23,928
14,450
where the trails are
no ... but reading your description of your wife it sounds like that would be a better pick. (IMO)

Low, slack, nimble, totally DH worthy and certainly lighter than an D7 you would find/build.

No??
 

DirtMcGirk

<b>WAY</b> Dumber than N8 (to the power of ten alm
Feb 21, 2008
6,379
1
Oz
I was really hoping to get this done for less than $1500.
 

norbar

KESSLER PROBLEM. Just cause
Jun 7, 2007
11,346
1,587
Warsaw :/
Post 06 Demo's 7 and 8's are very good. Nice dh geo. Previous ones suck imho. For a light girl 7 would be enough but why not just go with sth else with less speculative value.
 

TWeerts

Monkey
Jan 7, 2007
471
0
The Area Bay
Any chance an SX Trail would fit the bill a little better than a Demo 7?
i think that the sx is not-as-downhill as you would like, and more of an all-rounder. i haveone, and i love it. but i also only have one bike. if the rider in question already has a stumpy, i think an sx would have too much overlap, and not as much plush, DH for you(i assume you want your best $'s worth)/her.
 

DirtMcGirk

<b>WAY</b> Dumber than N8 (to the power of ten alm
Feb 21, 2008
6,379
1
Oz
I am trying to get the most bang for the buck, so I have to agree with you that the SX might be too much of a compromise. I think a full ringer DH bike might be good for her, something about how the suspension makes a hero of us all.

I found a 7 I really like. Now I just need the money.
 

bushrider

Monkey
Jul 4, 2006
146
0
NYC
Demos are all pretty burly.
A 140lb rider dishes out a lot less force than a 200lb rider (you dont need the strength of the Demo series).
I'm 6'2" 190lbs and ride a demo9 built to 45lbs (very light for a demo9).
On flat DH tracks its a lot of bike to pedal.

I would look for a light weight DH race bike like:
Orange: 224, 223, 224 or Patriot 7+
Morewood Izumi or Shova LT
Cannondale Perp, Gemini DH
Intense Socom
 

norbar

KESSLER PROBLEM. Just cause
Jun 7, 2007
11,346
1,587
Warsaw :/
Demos are all pretty burly.
A 140lb rider dishes out a lot less force than a 200lb rider (you dont need the strength of the Demo series).
I'm 6'2" 190lbs and ride a demo9 built to 45lbs (very light for a demo9).
On flat DH tracks its a lot of bike to pedal.

I would look for a light weight DH race bike like:
Orange: 224, 223, 224 or Patriot 7+
Morewood Izumi or Shova LT
Cannondale Perp, Gemini DH
Intense Socom
Gemini Snaps. It would be hard to get the rest except for perp and shova for that price.


BTW. New demo's are not that heavy. Avreage dh bike weight. Demo 7 was like 4.6kg or sth similar (with shock if not wrong)
 

Boxxer

Monkey
Jul 18, 2005
856
2
Dirty South
Id try and find something lighter. As a percentage of our body weight, 35-45 lb bikes arnt much for a 200lb dude to throw around(or pedal) however being as light as she is, almost every aspect of a demo is wayyy overbuilt for her. Id look for something slack and small for her built with XC parts(which will be strong enough for her even in most DH applications). The TBC Siren comes to mind as well as a few others.

Budget? Well thats a whole nother bag of worms.
 

Slater

Monkey
Oct 10, 2007
378
0
Haha SX Trail is "DH worthy". If you've ever riden a demo and a sxt through the same rock garden you'll immediately rescind that comment.

If you're going for a d7 you might as well get a d8, Not any heavier and has an extra half inch of travel.
 

bikenweed

Turbo Monkey
Oct 21, 2004
2,432
0
Los Osos
I weigh 15lbs more than your GF... And rode 05/06 Demo8's for almost 2 years.

A current 7 or 8 would be just fine. The 2005-2006 D8 would also be just swell. Even if it's broken, it's still going to last forever. Those older Demo 8's are great with 7" or 7.5" of travel in front.

Get her a real DH bike. She'll figure it out. Women who do well figure out how to ride like Sam Hill- they use their leg strength to the max, and make their toothpick arms do little more than hold them to the bike. Sam is super agro, but most girls aren't. Most girls like steep head tubes, low BB's, short rear ends, and long wheelbases... The Sun Radical is very much like this, and so are the old Demo8's with a 7/7.5" fork.

How tall is she?
 

ZHendo

Turbo Monkey
Oct 29, 2006
1,661
147
PNW
i agree with the points made about the sx trail. it's my only fully, so i'm stoked with it and it can be ridden down pretty much any trail. that said, a dedicated dh rig will keep her far less fatigued at the end of the day. the specialized bikes seem to work well for women because of the short stays and fairly low bbs all around, it makes them a little easier to maneuver when stretched out dh bikes would feel a little cumbersome to a light rider.
 

dhkid

Turbo Monkey
Mar 10, 2005
3,358
0
Malaysia
Demos are all pretty burly.
A 140lb rider dishes out a lot less force than a 200lb rider (you dont need the strength of the Demo series).
I'm 6'2" 190lbs and ride a demo9 built to 45lbs (very light for a demo9).
On flat DH tracks its a lot of bike to pedal.

I would look for a light weight DH race bike like:
Orange: 224, 223, 224 or Patriot 7+
Morewood Izumi or Shova LT
Cannondale Perp, Gemini DH
Intense Socom
i'd stay away from the 223 and 222, amazing amounts of chain growth.
 

TtotheJ

Monkey
Jan 23, 2005
215
0
B'ham, WA
Ok I'm feeling really generous right now and happen to have two bikes that are right up your alley that I would let your wife test ride. The first is an '06 Demo 8 that is built up to about 40 lbs and the other bike is a Intense SS built up to about 35 lbs. i only weigh about 150 with gear so the spring rates and setups on both bikes should be pretty close. if you want her to try some different bikes before you buy something you can make a day trip up to B'ham and maybe try them out on Galby. Not the best DH test grounds but it should do.
 

RaID

Turbo Monkey
did you think about getting a
Giant Reign X?

enough travel, good geo, lighter?

a girl down here is running one of those and prefers the lighter more nimble bike it
provides compared to her previous full DH ride a Scott DH bike (whatever its called Octane?)
 

DHS

Friendly Neighborhood Pool Boy
Apr 23, 2002
5,094
0
Sand, CA
did you think about getting a
Giant Reign X?

enough travel, good geo, lighter?
really? have you ridden one? the headtube is much too tall. Giants Geo is getting weirder every year. feel like i'm riding a real expensive hybrid crusier bike. same feeling goes for most of the girls that i know that have tried the giants. but if thats what you're looking for, so be it.

i love how the rear end feels. just their geo is junk compared to just about everyone else.
 

Monkeybidnezz

Turbo Monkey
Dec 16, 2003
1,212
0
Pac NW
Good call on the 7. I love mine...makes missing the D9 that much easier. Much more flickable, and it rails. It's nice being able to run a 1.5 SC fork too. One thing that I did notice is that it actually feels a lot more steep than the D9. Not in a bad way because it is still slack for DHing, but maybe a better transition for your wife since she is used to a trail bike.
 

rockwool

Turbo Monkey
Apr 19, 2004
2,658
0
Filastin
I've never understood why people think someone who weighs less (kids, emo people, girls, midgets, etc.) needs to have a shorter travel bike. I would imagine it's not the travel you need less of, just a softer spring.
You're not a short fella, are you? Our lack of experiance should make us humble to what's unknown to us, and humble to how little we actually do understand, otherwise we might come out sounding intolerant and ignorant. :twitch:

But, you're totally right that in order to have a fun bike low weight being imperative and of more importance for a lighter rider, than a heavier one. Muscle mass is easy to understand. What you haven't considered is that we emo midgets also have less leverage than you that are blessed with God like length. ;)

8" or 9" instead of 6", or even 7", makes quite a difference as the bike naturally pedals less good, has more sag (more mushyness), and in comparison makes one feel like one is drounding in all that travel (even if the cockpit fits ace). Bigger bikes also usually have longer CS and WB, which make them even more difficult and less fun to manouver.

All that extra travel and sag is similarily disadvantageous to get going as walking in deeper snow/water/mud (naturally, more travel is also to ones advantage in some riding situations (like I need to point that out..). Try walking in water that are either 20, 30 or 40cm deeper to simulate 10-20cm shorter legs. Don't forget that many competitivly succesfull sleds have less that 8", the amount of travel isn't everything.



ODB, as your wife is inexperienced when it comes to DH and therefore won't be as fast as the usual lot bikes are designed for (by and for pro's many times). One has to be fast to enjoy the benefits of a 64degree HA. Such a bike will probably feel bad, specially in slow sections and while cornering.
 

DirtMcGirk

<b>WAY</b> Dumber than N8 (to the power of ten alm
Feb 21, 2008
6,379
1
Oz
Ok I'm feeling really generous right now and happen to have two bikes that are right up your alley that I would let your wife test ride. The first is an '06 Demo 8 that is built up to about 40 lbs and the other bike is a Intense SS built up to about 35 lbs. i only weigh about 150 with gear so the spring rates and setups on both bikes should be pretty close. if you want her to try some different bikes before you buy something you can make a day trip up to B'ham and maybe try them out on Galby. Not the best DH test grounds but it should do.
Really? I'd really, really appreciate that. I will see what her schedule is like with the big Navy gray weenie for the next couple weeks and give you a call.

Thanks man, really good lookin' out.