All downhill bikes can be freeride bikes, but not all freeride bikes can be downhill.

Dirtjumper999 · May 7, 2006

If you want to do more freeride than dh, i'd say get the vp free, if vise versa, get the demo 8. If you are going to be doing a lot of both, get a sunday. The foes fly is more of a straight all mountain/freeride frame. They do pedal great though. By the way did you sell that kona yet?

Dirtjumper999 · May 7, 2006

To kind of contradict myself, above all of those i would recommend one of these three.

Morewood Izimu DH
Orange 223/224
Cannondale Gemini DH

or something close to them. Single pivots are awesome for both dh and freeride.

Dirtjumper999 · May 7, 2006

m3's are great, they pedal pretty well. where do you live, or where are you going to be riding the most.

Dirtjumper999 · May 7, 2006

If you are going to be riding hard freeride, and hard dh, you should get the intense. They have a good wheel path, and they can float over rock gardens. But if you are going to get an m3 you might as well go the extra mile and get a v10.

What kind of shock will you be putting on it?

tlproject7 · May 7, 2006

id go with the giant, flip the links, can easily be pedaled, i know people who use it for xc bike and downhill it. great bike

Radarr · May 8, 2006

Who do you know that actually rides their DH bike UP the hill. I don't, nor have I ever seen anyone ever do it. 38+ teeth in the front with 7+ inches of travel and a 66* HT angle is something that is made to ride down the hill.

Just buy a bike and ride it already. :dead:

iridebikes · May 8, 2006

You have to understand that you can't have a bike that will do everything. If you want a bike that will downhill well, then it's most likely too much to pedal uphill, and if you can pedal uphill on your "dh" bike, then it's most likely going to suck on the downhills. Having an all around bike is very hard to find.

I know most people will say the vp free will be a good choice, and yes, it does pedal very well. But how much are you going to be willing to work on yourself, or have someone else work on your bike? If you want a simple, easy to maintain bike, then get a single pivot like a gemini, If you're ok will overhauling your bike every few weeks, then sure get a vpfree(bearings and pivots are a pain sometimes)

you also need to take into consideration your riding style as well, what kind of trails you're goign to be riding, that sort of thing. How much travel do you want? what kind of weight do you want? how much money are you wanting to spend? If your trails are pretty smooth, then you don't need a v10. But I think out of your choices, I would go with the sundays. They pedal quite well, and are great dh bikes.

bjanga · May 8, 2006

My friend has a VPfree and rides it uphill.

keen · May 8, 2006

That's a tall order a full DH rig that pedals well uphill. Most full blown DH rigs are going to suffer due to weight, geometry, and gearing. You could find a frame that will accept a front derailleur, run an adjustable suspension (DHX rear, WC front) and build it w/ lighter components ($$$).

rigidhack · May 8, 2006

Of that list, I 'd say to look at the Sunday, but the slack geometry will make it a b**** to pedal up anyway. (You might be able to compensate if you run a super adjustable fork, such as the Boxxer Ride). The Gemini might be a good choice if you run it with a decent rear shock. The Morewood is stiffer, but its seat tube is so short it will be hard to get it comfortable to pedal. It is all compromises.

A Gemini or Sunday with a DHX 5 and a Boxxer Ride might be a good balance.

You need to look at a Sinister R9, not because it pedals well (it does OK) but because everybody should be looking at an R9. Sick, sick bike.

Monkeybidnezz · May 8, 2006

I would think the D8 would be decent, along with the VP. I've heard of guys buildnig D8's in the 38-39lbs range which isn't far off of the Enduro SX trail. Of course I've always been an advocate of better having too much than not enough. With a single crown and lighter wheel set both rigs would rock.

M3 is sweet, but not having 2 rings up front would really suck. I ride my Demo almost everywhere, including long uphill trail rides. Does it suck, yeah it does but it's that much fun going down.

If I sell my older Enduro and get the newer one I may actually ride my second bike more. It's just so hard to give up the plush ride.

sanjuro · May 8, 2006

btw, didn't you buy a Maverick a month ago?

SXtrailrider · May 8, 2006

he bought it for his dad's 50th

Kntr · May 8, 2006

My 9" travel Fly is my DH/FR/XC bike. I pedal it uphill all the time. My buddy pedals his Turner DHR uphill.

SCABRIDER · May 9, 2006

get the fly or the vpf i have friends with both bikes and both or them are good pedalers and can be built pretty light. if i were you i'd forget the bike and use the money on more sandwiches...

SXtrailrider · May 11, 2006

no get the fly

wikitypooshlag · May 12, 2006

http://www.versuscycles.com/trigger_detail.html

Support a company that's not in it for the money (yet). Versus is a SoCal company that is 100% rider driven. Their quality to price ratio is untouched by any of the big companies. Also check out the Blitz. Unreal build quality. 7 inches. tough as nails. good all around geo.

iridebikes · May 13, 2006

test ride a few bikes, feel them out. get to know how they pedal and how the corner. Honestly that would be your best bet. Anyone on the internet can tell you that something works better than another. I could tell you that a single pivot bike with a fox vanilla r feels better than a v-10 or a sunday... doesn't mean it's true. it might be what I prefer because that's all I've known and it's what I'm used to, but it doesn't mean it's the best out there. I could tell you to get a sunday over a v-10 because the v-10 has horibble small bump compliance... doesn't mean it's true. The sunday is a rad bike, it pedals well and corners on rails. I ride a Canfield Brothers Formula 1 and I love it. I've ridden v-10's and I will never own one of those or a m3. I might try out a sunday next year, but I have my own opinions on how I like my bikes to feel and how I like them set up.
You need to get off the computer, get out there and test ride a few bikes and figure out what you're looking for. That's the best way that you're going to figure out what you want. you can take everyone's opinion on their bike choice and their setup, but it's what they want and it's what fits their style, not your's. So figure out what YOU want, not what everyone else thinks you want.

That's my $0.02, take what you want out of the information given to you, but remember, people on the internet don't always know as much as they claim... Too many people take other's opinions and make them their own without actually experiencing or testing "their" theory.

dirtyamerican · May 13, 2006

"All downhill bikes can be freeride bikes, but not all freeride bikes can be downhill. "

I disagree. IN GENERAL, dh bikes won't hold up to the rigors of abusive freeriding as well as a specifically designed FR bike. And some FR bikes will not roll down a DH course as fast as a properly designed DH bike.

If you are riding to get in shape and/or dh race/ride/whatever, through a granny gear up front and climb those mountains. Although that'd be dumb, even on a light XC bike. People don't realize that riding real dh runs involves plenty of physical stamina.

keen · May 13, 2006

iridebikes - I agree that a test ride is going to give the real low down . Problem is , at least for me, there are few FR / DH bikes to actually ride before you buy. I am 6'4" and am really interested in an XL VP free - no one has a built Free for me to sit on well as test ride. Came across a medium on the trail and the guy let me spin it, felt like a tricycle due to the size. One needs to weed thru the internet opinions, some a good some are not, but there is good info in between the lines.

Kntr · May 13, 2006

zmtber said:
bump now i am between a demo and a intense m3

For a FR bike? Um ok.

SXtrailrider said:
no get the fly

Why?

maxyedor · May 13, 2006

Don't be Ghey get a FLY, it's built right here in the U.S. of A. and pedals better than a Maverick ML7, and DHs a hell of alot better than the M3 or Demo. With the floater, and a properly tuned Curnutt you're golden for DH, it will feel like sh!t if you go slowly, but the faster you go the more stable and smooth it gets.

wikitypooshlag · May 14, 2006

Get a mongoose MGX from wal-mart. best DH bike ever made. period.

DHracer1067 · May 14, 2006

The M3 is a good pedaler but if you are planning on actually riding up some hills I definately wouldn't get one. Most every hill I encounter I just get off and walk it. It's and awesome downhill bike but it definately doesn't climb up hills with much ease. I'd get a specialized sx trail If I were you.

Bicyclist · May 14, 2006

Radarr said:
Who do you know that actually rides their DH bike UP the hill. I don't, nor have I ever seen anyone ever do it. 38+ teeth in the front with 7+ inches of travel and a 66* HT angle is something that is made to ride down the hill.

Just buy a bike and ride it already.

I ride my Demo 8 on many XC loops w/ a 38 by 12-21 gearing and 8" R/ 7" F travel.

I would get a Demo. Awesome, awesome bike. Can be freeridden and raced. I wouldn't buy a Sunday. The BB is too low for SB and my friends 7Point has had TONS of problems. On Knapps the shock bolt for the DW link totally backed out and his shock has been all jacked up from day 1.

iridebikes · May 14, 2006

Don't be Ghey get a FLY, it's built right here in the U.S. of A.

but they're so stupid expensive.

really interested in an XL VP free

How good are you at keeping your bike up? the bearings will crap out on you if you ride in anything but dry weather, and when the do crap out on you, they will start pivoting on the axle... therefor ruining the axle as well. They're just alot of work to keep working well, same with any multi link bike. Single pivot, though it might not work quite as well in a few areas, they are super low maintence, and you won't have to worry about overhauling your bike nearly as often.

I don't like how vpp bikes ride, they pedal well, but that's all they have going for them in my opinion. i think the ride isn't quite what I'd like, and I hate how they jump. Its my opinion and I know most people don't agree with me on that.

wingman24 · May 17, 2006

look into the canfield lucky, 7/8" of travel and front mech compatable, rides great on the way down and is totally manageable on the way back up.

Big B · May 17, 2006

Sorry to add another bike to the mix, but if your looking for a do-all bike, don't overlook the Knolly V-tach. I was in the market for a VP-Free / Uzzi / Faith until I test rode a V-tach. It is argueably one of the best freeride bikes around, and it has an adjustable wheelbase and head angle adjustment to rake it out if you want to plow downhill.

Not to mention they look kick @ss IMO.

Here's a quote from the owner:
"We concentrate on designing and building bikes that are highly reliable, durable and predictable in all riding situations. That means that our frames are probably on the heavier side (though not the heaviest on the market) but also feature some pretty cool attributs such as high lateral rigidity, good tire clearance, shortish chainstays for quick low speed manueverability, low-ish BB heights for high speed stability, full length seat tubes and the ability to make frames in very small sizes without "annoying" things happening (i.e. tires hitting the seat tube, poor dropped seat height or range of seat adjustability, etc...)."

I have ridden mine over 150 miles in the last 2 weeks, so when I say it's very pedal friendly, I can back it up with mileage.

Here's a quote on the bearings: The V-tach uses some of the highest quality bearings available at any price and almost certainly much higher quality than even most high end frames currently in production in the bicycle industry. Our bearings are a top tier German bearing manufacturer and cost about 3X as much as the typical ABI Enduro bearings used by most high end frame manufacturers in the bicycle industry.

Test ride one if you get the chance and decide for yourself!

All downhill bikes can be freeride bikes, but not all freeride bikes can be downhill.

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