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Mini dh or a real dh bike, your thoughts?

descente

descente

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Jul 30, 2010
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Sandy Eggo
It's time for me to start looking for a new DH frame, and I just got a job at a shop with access to a really good selection. Most of the stuff we cater to is xc/am stuff and it seems like trail bikes have made leaps and bounds across the board the last couple years.

I'll always be a racer at heart, but I'm more and more stoked on the idea of just riding as much as I can, including the ride back to the top (cause hiking kinda sucks). I have no illusions about turning pro late in life. The problem is, all the latest race bikes are just so much fun to shred on, especially in the rocks that I find in so cal. I rode a new DHR and it was super fun to just shred trail on all day, but it's a full-on high dollar race bike...

I've been looking at the tr250 and other mini dh bikes a lot, Seems like a perfect balance between race and fun, burly enough to hit big lines and shred the park season after season but still reasonably easy to pedal up fire roads, and fast enough for a race or two a year. Or I could have my logic completely wrong, and its just a heavy poor pedaling bike that's slightly awkwardly less capable than a full 8" travel "race" bike...

Or should I be looking at something more like a commencal meta, the blindside, yeti asr7? I just don't see the point in even entering a real dh race on any of those bikes, even if I'm not in it to win it anyway?
 
dfinn

dfinn

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Jul 24, 2003
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I'm really, really liking the SX trail I just got. I've been riding it lately on some trails that I normally ride my DH bike on. When it gets super rough and rocky you can tell you're not on a full on DH bike but for most of the stuff it's plenty of bike. It pedals pretty damn well too.

It's definitely not replacing my DH bike but I see it getting a lot of use. If I could only have one bike, it might be my choice.
 
Tetreault

Tetreault

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Nov 23, 2005
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For me a full on race ready (slack, low, and plush) 8" bike only serves the purpose for whats its intended to due, thus why they are so good at it. If you want to race, go fast, shuttle, or lift they are fantiastic, but for that reason is why i've never kept such a bike for more then a season, and then maybe go a year or two without getting another one.

I've found that within the last couple years, the 5-7" travel bikes have come leaps and bounds, so since then i have stuck with a allround bike like a Giant Reign X, Knolly Delerium, Specialized Sx, Banshee rune, ect. They are light and small enough bikes that i can ride some smooth flatter single track with some xc guys, go up and down on all mountain rides, or full on flat out spend all day sessioning whistler, mt.7, kicking horse and so forth.

A dedicated DH bike is a better performing bike going fast and down the rocky and rooty stuff without a doubt, but its a very focused bike, so you just need to decide do you want a dominating machine, or a jack of all trades master of none bike?
 
davec113

davec113

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May 24, 2009
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Tetreault said:
A dedicated DH bike is a better performing bike going fast and down the rocky and rooty stuff without a doubt, but its a very focused bike, so you just need to decide do you want a dominating machine, or a jack of all trades master of none bike?
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I agree, especial the "master of none" part... With full on dh bikes getting so light and pedaling so well, I have put a mt. cassette on my dh bike (Session 88) a couple times and while it still sucks to pedal a dh bike it's not as bad as you'd think and then you have no compromises on the dh. Then I have a 31 lb Remedy to handle everything else, and the Remedy is no slouch on the dh either.
 
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climbingbubba

Monkey
May 24, 2007
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Nothing like a full DH bike. You may not be able to ride it on every trail but the ones you do are typically the most fun ones anyway :D

Maybe check out a Canfield One. It is pretty much a DH bike but you can change the travel and it has a full seat tube so you can actually extend your seatpost for the ups. Maybe get an extra lighter wheelset for XC days and you would have an awesome DH bike and an OK all mountain bike in one.

I have sold my DH bike a few times thinking that a 7" travel bike will work good enough but always regret it and come back to the DH bike. Just that much more fun.
 
descente

descente

Monkey
Jul 30, 2010
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Sandy Eggo
The funny thing is my current dh bike only has 180mm of travel. I definitely notice hanging up in the rocks compared to my buddies on v10s, yetis etc but all around it's hard to fault the bike as it pedals great and still hauls ass in the "smoother" sections of most dh trails

Good point too about the remedy, I already have an ndiza which is a hard bike to classify. It's 28 lbs with saint cranks etc, but pedals like an xc bike yet I can ride it down nearly anything except the rockiest of the rocky trails
 
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Mr Lahey

Monkey
Sep 23, 2009
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I sort of found myself asking the same questions as yourself. I sold my 303 rdh and picked up an intense tracer 2. It is faster than my 303 was on 90% of the terrain and is generally just more fun to ride. I have no regrets other than waiting half a summer to do it.
 
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marshalolson

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May 25, 2006
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If you ride real dh trails, you want a real dh bike. If you shuttle xc trails, get a mini dh bike. If you pedal for your vert, get a 6-7" bike and build it to 30-32lbs and shred that thing up and shred that thing down.

But a mini dh bike is still going to be low and slack, have a single ring, and pedal about as bad as a real dh bike.

If you go trail bike, Giant reign x, commencal meta am, chilcotin, enduro, nomads, all are sweet.

Stay away from the yeti 7. That thing is not going to descend like the rest.
 
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norbar

norbar

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New spec enduro seems like a very good option. That new commencal meta proto also looks pretty sweet. All depends what you want to ride. Id not build it 30-32lbs if you want to ride it in the park though. Just get proper gear ratios and build a 34-35lbs burly bike.
 
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marshalolson

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May 25, 2006
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i dunno man, my (large) reign x is at 30.5 lbs, and other than switching out 840g tires to DH tires, everything on there is legit to take to a bike park. vivid air, vengeance fork, formula one dh brakes, 760mm bars, etc.
 
demo 9

demo 9

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Jan 31, 2007
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If you get a min dh bike you might as well get a full dh bike, whats the point of taking a dh bike and getting rid of some of the travel, its like buying a V6 mustang.
 
norbar

norbar

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marshalolson said:
i dunno man, my (large) reign x is at 30.5 lbs, and other than switching out 840g tires to DH tires, everything on there is legit to take to a bike park. vivid air, vengeance fork, formula one dh brakes, 760mm bars, etc.
Click to expand...
Wheels?
 
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TortugaTonta

Monkey
Aug 27, 2008
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Big bike xc is really fun if you ride rocky terrain.

My xc bike is a 04 bighit dh with a betd 26" rear end conversion, travis single crown, isx-6 shock, hope pro2 36h with 321 rims and butcher 2.3 getto tubeless. It weighs 42#. With the chainguide and 38t chainring+low seat height in means you have to stand up on all the climbs but its totally rideable.

Its hella fun being able to monster truck through any rock garden, just lean back and pedal as hard as you can.

By the way, I have a Enduro too and it is no where near as fun to ride.

I have been thinking of setting up a session 88 for xc, fox 36 with a angle set to steepen the HA for climbing. Just not sure if the bb would be to low to pedal through the east coast rocks.
 
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marshalolson

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May 25, 2006
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norbar said:
Wheels?
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crossmax sx. not for pinning rock gardens, but 1750-1850g is going rate for nearly dh strength wheels (i.e. flow, ex500 etc). frankly, if the speeds were fast enough through rough enough terrain that i HAD to have a stronger wheel, i wouldn't be on a trail bike anyhow. but sure, add 250-450g if you want a real deal DH strength wheel set. but whatever, the bike would be 31.5lbs with deemax wheels and 840g tires, and 33 with minion 2.5's
 
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-BB-

-BB-

I broke all the rules, but somehow still became mo
Sep 6, 2001
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Livin it up in the O.C.
While I also have a full-on DH bike, I find myself riding my IH 7point most of the time. If can certainly climb almost anything out there (though slowly) and I've taken it down some of the gnarliest DH trails SoCal has to offer. So if having two rigs is out of the question then I think that a 7in "full length seat tube" mini-DH is a great option.
What about a Pivot Firebird?


Mine:
-2008 7point
-Totem Coil
-Coil rear shock (FOx RC since I don't need platform on the DW link)
-X9 drivetrain
-Shimano 4-pots

Weight: 34 lbs
 
Sandwich

Sandwich

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May 23, 2002
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demo 9 said:
If you get a min dh bike you might as well get a full dh bike, whats the point of taking a dh bike and getting rid of some of the travel, its like buying a V6 mustang.
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If you don't need it, why bother? At someplace like highland, you very rarely need all 8" of travel. If I rode there more often, I'd buy myself a 6-7" travel bike like a slopestyle or TR250. That would give me all the juice I need for highland, plus a little extra for days elsewhere, without carrying around too much weight.


To the OP, you have to decide what you want to do. If you ever intend on riding the bike to the top, from the bottom (ie not suffering from peak to peak to ride different trails) then do yourself a favor and buy a lighter bike with <8" of travel. If you're riding a chairlift, nothing replaces a genuine DH bike. No amount of technology or shimz or patents or squats completely eliminates having 8" of travel or the weight it carries with it. I really, really enjoy having a DH bike, and being able to ride badass DH trails with it at mach holy ****. I have a 5" trailbike for going up, and that fits the bill pretty well. I think if I had to give one of them up, I'd pick up a 6" travel bike, but no more than that.

tl;dr mini dh bikes are very capable, but not as good as real DH sleds.
 
rigidhack

rigidhack

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Aug 16, 2004
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Personally, I 'd look at a beefy 6"-7" bike, like the Specialized SX Trail, or perhaps one of the brand new Treks. More on the FR side of an AM build, if you know what I mean. I run a full on DH bike, a 6"/7" FR bike, and a hardtail. If I could have only one, it would without question be the 6" bike. Mine is particularly hefty, and I sure would not complain if it was 7 or 8 lb lighter than it is. The Blindside is a good bike, and more in line with what I would go for, but it may even be on the big side. With a Totem it may be a good choice though.

It seems to me you want something with slightly different geometry (a bit steeper HA, a bit shorter chainstays, a slightly higher BB) than a mini-DH bike, especially if you want to pedal it up anything. On paper, the TR250 comes close, but I might even want it a degree steeper in the HA - an angleset perhaps?
 
norbar

norbar

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marshalolson said:
crossmax sx. not for pinning rock gardens, but 1750-1850g is going rate for nearly dh strength wheels (i.e. flow, ex500 etc). frankly, if the speeds were fast enough through rough enough terrain that i HAD to have a stronger wheel, i wouldn't be on a trail bike anyhow. but sure, add 250-450g if you want a real deal DH strength wheel set. but whatever, the bike would be 31.5lbs with deemax wheels and 840g tires, and 33 with minion 2.5's
Click to expand...
Yeah I was a bit silly since I forgot I got my bike to 36.2lbs with one of my wheelsets but it is still a burly build and dropping 3lbs with a lighter frame/shock/fork would not be a problem. Stupid metric vs imperial conversion.
 
demo 9

demo 9

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Sandwich said:
If you don't need it, why bother? At someplace like highland, you very rarely need all 8" of travel. If I rode there more often, I'd buy myself a 6-7" travel bike like a slopestyle or TR250. That would give me all the juice I need for highland, plus a little extra for days elsewhere, without carrying around too much weight.
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Maybe so, but my opinion is that with DH bikes becoming almost the same weight as minis (low 30s on full race bikes) and usually only having an extra inch to two inches, IMO, i think its a given to get the big bike, it may not be necessary but at least you have the option, i dont think that a TR250 jumps and corners much better than a 450. DH bikes have become very nimble and light, i dont think of them as very "cumbersome" anymore, I ride my 6.5 inch banshee and love it, but i think that (even at highland) i would have more fun on my 8 inch DH bike, that has the capability of going bigger and faster. To me the argument was usually about DH bikes being heavy and cumbersome, which i think is becoming a thing of the past. Maybe its just me
 
norbar

norbar

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demo 9 said:
Maybe so, but my opinion is that with DH bikes becoming almost the same weight as minis (low 30s on full race bikes) and usually only having an extra inch to two inches, IMO, i think its a given to get the big bike, it may not be necessary but at least you have the option, i dont think that a TR250 jumps and corners much better than a 450. DH bikes have become very nimble and light, i dont think of them as very "cumbersome" anymore, I ride my 6.5 inch banshee and love it, but i think that (even at highland) i would have more fun on my 8 inch DH bike, that has the capability of going bigger and faster. To me the argument was usually about DH bikes being heavy and cumbersome, which i think is becoming a thing of the past. Maybe its just me
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Either your dh bikeor your smaller bike setup is totally wrong if the only differance you notice is weight. I've got my dh bike built up very light but it really is no fun on flatter tracks and it doesn't jump nearly as well as something smaller. Not to mention since i dont like swapping casettes it's horrible at pedaling on the flats.

BTW. Bigger meaning what? Flatlanding on a trail designed for smaller bikes. Because that is what often happens when I get overexcited on my big bike. Not to mention it is much harder to do tech jumps with the faster attitude.
 
demo 9

demo 9

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norbar said:
Either your dh bikeor your smaller bike setup is totally wrong if the only differance you notice is weight. I've got my dh bike built up very light but it really is no fun on flatter tracks and it doesn't jump nearly as well as something smaller. Not to mention since i dont like swapping casettes it's horrible at pedaling on the flats.

BTW. Bigger meaning what? Flatlanding on a trail designed for smaller bikes. Because that is what often happens when I get overexcited on my big bike. Not to mention it is much harder to do tech jumps with the faster attitude.
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What i mean by bigger is that (at highland) you dont need much more than a 5 inch travel bike, many of the trails are so smooth you can ride a bmx down them, they do however have 2 gnarly dh trails (that are possible on a small bike with some adequate skill level) My dh bike can rip the jumpline fine (and its pretty soft) My banshee can do it as well, albeit a bit more snappy. My DH bike can also take a race run down these 2 trails in 3 minutes, where i dont think that a smaller bike could. In my experience DH bikes get more traction and can be ridden more aggressively on their type of terrain. Think of it like specialized a few years back, the demo 7 with a single-crown was a freeride bike with a reducer chip in the shock while the demo 8 was a race-bike with a triple without it. Yes there are other differences. It is my opinion that my DH bike "plays small" way better than my small bike "plays big"
 
DirtyMike

DirtyMike

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Aug 8, 2005
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I did the MiniDH thing before....... I got over that. I would pick either between a full blown DH ride, or a burly AM ride.......


And for the record.... the blindside with a 66 absolutly rocks
 
descente

descente

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Jul 30, 2010
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great points, i'm starting to lean towards the real big bike. now that i think about it, of all the new big bikes i've ridden (the yeti, the legend, demo 8, DHR, tr450) they all pedal so well the extra fun on the days at the big mountains will really pay off. i really wanna check out that new vert rail yeti...
 
demo 9

demo 9

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descente said:
great points, i'm starting to lean towards the real big bike. now that i think about it, of all the new big bikes i've ridden (the yeti, the legend, demo 8, DHR, tr450) they all pedal so well the extra fun on the days at the big mountains will really pay off. i really wanna check out that new vert rail yeti...
Click to expand...
this, and if you are talking about the 303RDH its a real "fun" poppy bike, gfisher on here has 1 and ive ridden it plenty, its a ton of fun
 
norbar

norbar

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demo 9 said:
What i mean by bigger is that (at highland) you dont need much more than a 5 inch travel bike, many of the trails are so smooth you can ride a bmx down them, they do however have 2 gnarly dh trails (that are possible on a small bike with some adequate skill level) My dh bike can rip the jumpline fine (and its pretty soft) My banshee can do it as well, albeit a bit more snappy. My DH bike can also take a race run down these 2 trails in 3 minutes, where i dont think that a smaller bike could. In my experience DH bikes get more traction and can be ridden more aggressively on their type of terrain. Think of it like specialized a few years back, the demo 7 with a single-crown was a freeride bike with a reducer chip in the shock while the demo 8 was a race-bike with a triple without it. Yes there are other differences. It is my opinion that my DH bike "plays small" way better than my small bike "plays big"
Click to expand...

The fact that you can ride a dh bike over something doesnt mean it will be fun. You just come from a dh racer perspective so you are biased. I thought the same untill I rode with some ppl on smaller bikes. Yes some trails were harder for them but some were much more fun, they could boost the jumps higher, ride some tech jumps, wallride etc while on the same track my dh bike felt a bit more dead. A dh bike plays small the same as a small bike plays big. All depends on the perspective and the trails you ride. I know some trails where a dh bike makes no sense. Hell I even know one race track where a dh bike makes no sense and is less fun.
 
descente

descente

Monkey
Jul 30, 2010
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Sandy Eggo
ok, so we've established some good ground rules for what i'm expecting in a bike, now my question might shift a little more towards matching a bike to the intended terrain.

my wife and i are planning on doing some serious traveling in the near future (i've got france, UK, and switzerland square on the list, as well as new zealand, and possibly south america) if you could only have ONE bike to take to all those places and planned on being able to do a lot of the alpine type stuff (3-4 hour descents, all day saddle time etc) and still be able to go to a bike park (like Les Gets or any of the WC courses i could find) and have fun...

would you still go for a full on DH bike?

i do like the idea of the tr250 for this aspect: you travel with 2 forks (say a boxxer and a fox float 160), you can build the bike as a fast 6/6" bike as well as a pretty damn confident 8/7" bike with minimal swapping. it sure opens up a lot of versatility to what you can do...
 
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marshalolson

Turbo Monkey
May 25, 2006
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are you going UP ever?

if YES, then new blindside, reign x, firebird, endorphin, etc
if NO then just get a dh bike, and build it how you need - i.e. wheel set weight, tire selection, single or dual crown, etc

why would you want a 38lb 6/6 bike when you could be on a 39lb 8/8 bike? neither are going to climb anyhow, you have chopped seat posts, slack head angles and a single front ring regardless.
 
descente

descente

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Jul 30, 2010
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Sandy Eggo
i guess i was posing that last question as more of a "what type of terrain" because i've never been to any of those places. i know quite a few people here have, i have no idea what the UP to DOWN ratio is across the pond, but i seem to see a lot of pictures of guys at bike parks just riding burly alpine bikes (but not full on DH sleds). i do see the point about mini DH bikes being in a rather odd niche both weight and geo wise. i still remember my first real MTB was a 42lb kona coiler with a 7" travel boxxer on the front and dual rings. now that was an awkward bike!

i've already got a 28lb 5/4" bike, and it climbs great even with a 1x8 setup lol.
 
Jeremy R

Jeremy R

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descente said:
great points, i'm starting to lean towards the real big bike. now that i think about it, of all the new big bikes i've ridden (the yeti, the legend, demo 8, DHR, tr450) they all pedal so well the extra fun on the days at the big mountains will really pay off. i really wanna check out that new vert rail yeti...
Click to expand...
I think I might can help you here as I have done the "mini dh bike" twice now as my only DH race bike. Almost everything I race is tight and twisty so I thought I could get away with it.
And to get to the truth I could not.
To be perfectly honest, it slowed me down and screwed up my confidence.
I was on the Morewood Kalula which is very similar to the tr250. It was a good bike for its intended purpose, but it did not do ANYTHING better than a pure DH race bike. Plus, the last thing in the world you want to do is climb on a bike like this. I know there are other 7 inch bike out there that you can climb on, but these park specific bike are just like climbing on a DH rig with an inch less travel.
And what is really ironic is that the sole reason I got the kalula was because I wanted a bike to be more flickable and fast on tight courses but it wasn't. I just built up a yeti 303 rdh, and it is exactly what I was looking for all along while still being a full on DH race bike. Lively, poppy, and quick.
If I were you, I would get a full on DH bike if you need one, and if you don't, I would get a lighter 6 inch bike that you can actually ride everywhere.
 
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climbingbubba

Monkey
May 24, 2007
354
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You want too much out of a bike. No bike will be able to do 3-4 hours of XC style trails and then rail a WC DH course. Just remember compromising is just that. You can't have a bike that will be excellent in everything. I tried a 7X7 bike last year and still missed my DH bike. If all your friends ride DH bikes and you are not you will wish that you had one.

But with that said, I will mention the new Canfield One. It has adjustable from 7-8" of travel, has a long seat tube, its fairly light, and can climb really well but still hit up DH stuff. You could match it with a 180 float or vanilla and still be able to go up and down fairly well. It sounds like the closest thing out for what you want. Their suspension pedals extremely well even in 8" mode. One of the owners of the company, chris canfield, actually raced this bike and won a race or two on it. More than capable of DH stuff but can still get you to the top

If you decide you want a Banshee legend and would be looking for a medium PM me. I have one im trying to sell. Its too small for me. I want to sell it and get a large. It has been one of the most fun DH bikes I have owned. It jumps surprisingly well and has made me a ton faster this year. Really can't say enough about the bike.
 
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zdubyadubya

zdubyadubya

Turbo Monkey
Apr 13, 2008
1,273
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Ellicott City, MD
cannondale claymore?

our shop has the jekyll and the bike is amazing--the claymore could be even better.

2x10, 180mm/100mm, talas 180mm fork, crossmax sx wheels, reverb seatpost, iscg mounts.

geo is pretty good too: 14.1/13.6bb and 67/66 HA with 1.5headtube so you could go lower/slacker if you wanted.

sounds just about perfect for your wants. burly descender that can still climb like a goat.

 
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mountains4me

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Sep 18, 2009
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I have done the mini dh. When i got into mountain biking 6 years ago, i new i loved going fast down whatever i was going to ride. I did not do alot of research and unfortunately the local shop was full of more x-country guys and their advice. I got the all mountain setup and that was fine for awhile. Then i went with a little lighter setup, sold those two bikes and got a 6 inch travel bike. converted it to almost 7 in the rear and seven up front(totem). And this was a good set up for most trail conditions. Then i finally gave up and got a full dh frame. I wish i would have started with a full on dh frame to begin with. Although I am now convinced i need to build my own dh frame. Since the superco silencer is not being put into production, I have designed/built my own. If you ride dh and have not ridden a very high pivot, You have not felt how amazing you get the rear to feel in the rough stuff. And by high pivot, I mean 7-9 inches above the bb. I am now in the process of a redesign from the first protype i broke. For the most part the bicycle industry is full of bs marketing on suspension "systems". It is 95% horse crap.

If you like dh, get a dh bike. If you want to switch the weight up, get light duty rims/tires and dh duty rims/tires. Use air shocks for more weight reduction and lighter cranks. You will probably regret going to a mini dh rig if you love to dh. I climb my 43lb dh bike. I have sun ringle mtx 39 rims. Although they are beasts, I got tired of having to true/replace rims. Double ring saint crank up front with 11-34 cassette. I fabed my own chain tensioner to be able to manually shift the front.
 
descente

descente

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Jul 30, 2010
430
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Sandy Eggo
the funny thing is my old DH bike only had 180mm of travel anyway, and that bike jumped and railed turns like no other. i'd usually lose a second or two on my buddies in the rocks but catch them back in the turns.

i rode a zerode recently, the high pivot was nice for chewing through the rough stuff, but it didn't seem to turn/lay down and drift quite as nice. it pedaled pretty damn well tho.
 
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mountains4me

Chimp
Sep 18, 2009
21
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I currently run a totem still on my TR450. It is such a great performing fork I feel no need to get rid of it for a triple clamp until i kill it.

I will say that i think transition has done a good job with the 450/250. They are solid, built to last, the leverage rate feels really good and smooth. I just wish the pivot was higher so the rough feels plusher with less hang up.

Like you said, you can keep up on 90% of the terrain with an 6-7 inch bike. It is really personal preference. I really did not save much weight because i still ran a dh set up most of the time. I rode this setup for 2-3 years

I have not put light duty rims/tires on my full dh rig yet, but i know it would help alot on less aggresive trails and help on the climb up.

I made a shock mount and converted my 6.7 incher to a 4.5 incher for a light weight second bike setup. i ride it when i do more climbing for exercise. But it just is not the same on the way down. But i guess its purpose is not to be blazing down at 35mph. I am thinking to scrap this bike and get a lighter wheel set to swap in and out, maybe an air shock too. I just love going fast. But that is me, I like having the travel.
 
4130biker

4130biker

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I think you can get away with anything, but if was me, going to such a wide range of places, I would assume both climbing and descending. Pick which one you like better and go with that. I'm guessing since you posted here that you like downhill better than up, so maybe a light dh rig which accepts two rings (izimu, rdh) , and a TALAS 180 up front? No fork swaps, similiar (if not the same) A-C for downhill, and a set of single ply tires for long days in the saddle.
The dh bike is possible for any trail, just channel your inner 14 year old!
 
norbar

norbar

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Warsaw :/
4130biker said:
I think you can get away with anything, but if was me, going to such a wide range of places, I would assume both climbing and descending. Pick which one you like better and go with that. I'm guessing since you posted here that you like downhill better than up, so maybe a light dh rig which accepts two rings (izimu, rdh) , and a TALAS 180 up front? No fork swaps, similiar (if not the same) A-C for downhill, and a set of single ply tires for long days in the saddle.
The dh bike is possible for any trail, just channel your inner 14 year old!
Click to expand...
Didnt kidwoo own a trail friendly socom or a 951?
 
Wa-Aw

Wa-Aw

Monkey
Jul 30, 2010
354
0
Philippines
I don't think the whole park-bike mini-dh bike fad is what you're looking for. You're looking for what the world used to call freeride bikes until it wasn't cool anymore.

If you're going to be pedalling up, it is very important that you get a bike with a full length seat tube or if you're willing to shell out for a hydro post, a bike that will put you in a good pedaling position even if it doesn't have a long seat tube.

The rest can be pretty much made into what ever you like between adapting as a rider, bike set up and what you're willing to compromise.

I used to have a yeti 575, a scythe and now an M9. The M9 pedals great, I could climb this thing just like a scythe if it had a full length seat tube and wasn't built like a tank. The bike being very slack was difficult at first but you quickly adapt to it, especially if you're used to climbing big bikes.

On the other side of the spectrum, I'll safely say that the 575 was the most fun bike I have ever owned but it just wasn't strong enough. It climbed great. It felt great on descents but I knew it wouldn't survive routine big drops and there's no way I could push it on a real DH course. It was more fun because you didn't feel as safe as you would on a DH bike doing stupid things but you were still traveling at relatively safe speeds. Good for fun factor, but not good for timed results!

If it were my choice I would base this decision around how I ride. Whether it's "just for fun" or like to go balls out every now and then. I'm still young and dumb so I would rather have a big bike and suffer up than have some doubt in the back of my head when I hit stuff... and I race.
If I didn't race I would most likely have a 6-7" AM bike (not mini DH) that could survive anything a DH bike could. These bikes didn't exist a few years ago. Bikes like the Nomad(c) or the new lighter Uzzi, the spesh enduro(c) the list goes on...


P.S.

I don't understand the logic behind the mini-dh fad. It has less travel, but it weighs just as much as a DH bike. The bike as a whole is simply lighter because of the components. Whether a bike rides like a tank or light depends a lot more on suspension set up IMHO. Geometry will always be a compromise, so I think adaptation on the part of the rider is a better solution for that.
 
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