Living where I live, a trailbike is what I ride at least 80% of the time.
Most of the best downhills in Pisgah and other places I ride locally need to be climbed to get to. But since I spend so much time on my trailbike, I need one that I can ride with the same aggression as my dh bike. Also, I need to be able to race this bike on some of the smoother pedally courses we have here in the Southeast, the originators of the Super D.
So, the bike has to feel comfortable for jumping, railing corners, and everything in between. Years ago, I owned trailbikes by Intense and Turner.
They worked exactly like they were marketed. Great trailbikes. Take the 5-spot for instance, it was practically perfect for trailriding, but it has an upright feel to it, like a xc bike with 5 inches of travel. It wasn't comfortable jumping and being pushed hard on something like a super d course.
Next, I rode a Specialized SX slalom bike for trail. Its geometry was great for aggressive riding, and it kicked ass jumping and ripping up small bike courses.
But I was taking this bike on rough rocky trails that a 4 inch air shock bike was getting beat on.
Next, I turned my SX trail into my trail bike, and I actually had it built to 33 pounds at one point. I loved this joker. Super aggressive geometry and the travel to ride anything at least comfortably. There are not any "Buts" with the SX trail. I only sold it because I had a full blown Dh race rig, and I wanted more or a separation between my bikes, as it was not made for riding rolling xc trails.
Which brings me to my current bike and the end of the journey.
The Morewood Shova ST, its their 5.7 inch trailbike.
On paper, the geometry looks like any other good trailbike, but this bike just rides different.
Fun is the best word to describe it.
It's extremely snappy. The bike wants to pop over everything on the trail.
And in corners, the bike loads up and pops out. The first few berms I hit, I came out with my front wheel off the ground and a smile on my face.
It livened up all the old trails I was riding.
It rides like a slalom bike, but with more forgiving travel. It suits the trails I ride perfectly, as I can be as aggressive as possible on the downhill, and it climbs back up with the lightness of a 5 inch trailbike.
This is my first single pivot trailbike. I always run a 34t single ring on my trailbike, so as far pedal interaction, I simply don't have any. The pivot location is in a perfect place for my setup. As far as brake interaction,
it is the same way that is was on all those years running a Turner DHR.
If you are dragging you brake down a steep rocky downhill, you can feel the suspension stiffen a little. Normally for me, its just a little reminder to lay off the brakes and let it run.
The bike climbs as well as anything I have ever ridden, but the reason I like it so much is simply how fun it is to ride.
It weighs 28.5 pounds.
So, I am curious to what other DHers run as their trailbikes, post 'em up!!
I've found my huckleberry.
Here are the pics:
Most of the best downhills in Pisgah and other places I ride locally need to be climbed to get to. But since I spend so much time on my trailbike, I need one that I can ride with the same aggression as my dh bike. Also, I need to be able to race this bike on some of the smoother pedally courses we have here in the Southeast, the originators of the Super D.
So, the bike has to feel comfortable for jumping, railing corners, and everything in between. Years ago, I owned trailbikes by Intense and Turner.
They worked exactly like they were marketed. Great trailbikes. Take the 5-spot for instance, it was practically perfect for trailriding, but it has an upright feel to it, like a xc bike with 5 inches of travel. It wasn't comfortable jumping and being pushed hard on something like a super d course.
Next, I rode a Specialized SX slalom bike for trail. Its geometry was great for aggressive riding, and it kicked ass jumping and ripping up small bike courses.
But I was taking this bike on rough rocky trails that a 4 inch air shock bike was getting beat on.
Next, I turned my SX trail into my trail bike, and I actually had it built to 33 pounds at one point. I loved this joker. Super aggressive geometry and the travel to ride anything at least comfortably. There are not any "Buts" with the SX trail. I only sold it because I had a full blown Dh race rig, and I wanted more or a separation between my bikes, as it was not made for riding rolling xc trails.
Which brings me to my current bike and the end of the journey.
The Morewood Shova ST, its their 5.7 inch trailbike.
On paper, the geometry looks like any other good trailbike, but this bike just rides different.
Fun is the best word to describe it.
It's extremely snappy. The bike wants to pop over everything on the trail.
And in corners, the bike loads up and pops out. The first few berms I hit, I came out with my front wheel off the ground and a smile on my face.
It livened up all the old trails I was riding.
It rides like a slalom bike, but with more forgiving travel. It suits the trails I ride perfectly, as I can be as aggressive as possible on the downhill, and it climbs back up with the lightness of a 5 inch trailbike.
This is my first single pivot trailbike. I always run a 34t single ring on my trailbike, so as far pedal interaction, I simply don't have any. The pivot location is in a perfect place for my setup. As far as brake interaction,
it is the same way that is was on all those years running a Turner DHR.
If you are dragging you brake down a steep rocky downhill, you can feel the suspension stiffen a little. Normally for me, its just a little reminder to lay off the brakes and let it run.
The bike climbs as well as anything I have ever ridden, but the reason I like it so much is simply how fun it is to ride.
It weighs 28.5 pounds.
So, I am curious to what other DHers run as their trailbikes, post 'em up!!
I've found my huckleberry.
Here are the pics: