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Do you dislike shuttling?

LordOpie

MOTHER HEN
Oct 17, 2002
21,022
3
Denver
Maybe I'm too impatient -- probably -- but I just really dislike any form of shuttling.

I've been DH a few times and since I suck at it, I pretty much can't ride down anything that I can't ride up.

This isn't specific to biking tho... we were riding up in the foothills today and saw kayakers dropping off a truck at one point and just a couple miles later, we saw them putting in. Now, I have been rafting and did enjoy that and my roommate loves to kayak, but it just seems like way too much work and time to shuttle.

I dislike any form of shuttling so much that I'm thinking about going tele. I love alpine, but I spent as much time on the lifts last season as I did actually skiing. And I'm not talking about the lines, I mean, on the lift.

Anyone else as impatient/lazy as I am?
 

BurlyShirley

Rex Grossman Will Rise Again
Jul 4, 2002
19,180
17
TN
Shuttles are for the lazy.

I mean, If i tried to ride up all the things I ride down, I would have about 1/60th as much experience as a rider because It'd take so much time just to push my dam bike back up the hill, cause riding it would be impossible. Also, snowboarding sort of requires a lift...unless you wanted to unbind one foot and push yourself along like a skateboarder, but Id probably rather have cancer than hafta do that. Shuttling rocks.
 

COmtbiker12

Turbo Monkey
Dec 17, 2003
2,577
0
Colorado Springs
I like shuttling, but I'm fat and can't climb very well. Then again I'm used to riding donwhill bikes so I cant climb well. Atleast next wekk I'll be rocking a V-10 so it'll climb somewhat well compared to my other bike i just sold.
 
Feb 14, 2004
831
0
SoCal
I love shuttling. I shuttle XC rides.

You should've heard the bitchfest when we found he had to push our bikes another 150 feet after the shuttle. I swear those guys've prolly never moved more than 20 feet in any direction under their own energy.
 

Roasted

Turbo Monkey
Jul 4, 2002
1,488
0
Whistler, BC
Shuttling is ok. I do like to ride. However for pure experience vs time invested, I don't think you can beat a lift. 10 min up 15 min down and 10 or 15 runs a day (depending on endurance).

But I also grind out climbs once in a while even though I suck more at climbing than going down :)
 

Ruprick

Chimp
Apr 28, 2004
62
0
kootenay
Around here, descents are at least 2500', I don't mind riding that once or twice in a day. If I want to do more, we get five or six people, chip in for gas and take turns driving. Much simpler and less time consuming than the two vehicle run around.
 

Serial Midget

Al Bundy
Jun 25, 2002
13,053
1,897
Fort of Rio Grande
My favorite XC shuttle is a minimum of 22 miles with a 5 mile add on option if you are still feeling fine. We start with 7 miles of flowing downhill to a 5 mile climb to another 5 miles of downhill with several smaller rolling climbs and then finish off with 5 or 10 miles of typical XC.
 
4

40ozrepresent

Guest
I think it all depends on the person.Personally i like a shuttle ride because i cant climb at all on my dh bike and by the time i push it to the top of the hill im tired.But if i get a ride to the top i can use that energy to rail down the course,plus a shuttle is much quicker so you get more time actually riding dh.But if you like to climb then go for it.
 

blue

boob hater
Jan 24, 2004
10,160
2
california
I tend to like to earn my verticle...

However, if I rode DH (and I will...in good time) shuttling wouldn't be so bad. If you're shuttling XC...

Die.
 

Jesus

Monkey
Jun 12, 2002
583
0
Louisville, KY
When I have my DH bike, shuttling is the way to go. I can go to my local DH trail and push up 3 times before i'm worn out. But shuttling I can do all day. Cause riding uphill on a 55 lb single ring DH bike IS NOT an option. Monster's don't go up, only down.

But when i'm riding XC, pedaling up is part of the game. I really never considered shuttling for XC. If I shuttled it would make it DH wouldn't it?
 

LordOpie

MOTHER HEN
Oct 17, 2002
21,022
3
Denver
math2014 said:
I hate the fact that i havent shuttled in my life yet. I wish that in the future i ll move to a country where shuttle rides exist. ...
can't you take your bike on the train and be in all sorts of awesome mountains in a few hours?
 

math2014

wannabe curb dropper
Sep 2, 2003
1,198
0
I want to move to BC!!!
LordOpie said:
can't you take your bike on the train and be in all sorts of awesome mountains in a few hours?

There are no mountains to be had in England, let alone in southwest England. The only real mountains exist in Scotland (innerheilten and Ft.William) but thats 10hrs with the train from where i live. So my best ticket is to have a research post in the US, or in Continental Europe from Sept.2005.

yannis.
 

Motionboy2

Calendar Dominator
Apr 23, 2002
1,800
0
Broomfield, Colorado
For DH, and skiing Shuttling is the way to go. I don't see any reason to ride XC on your DH bike to prove a point. I have done some XC rides that you do a point to point ride and I guess you can say that it was shuttled.
There is a time for climbing and a time for shuttling I don't think that you should be against it, you just need to realize what it brings to your ride.
 

math2014

wannabe curb dropper
Sep 2, 2003
1,198
0
I want to move to BC!!!
Well my problem that keeps me from riding often is that the good trail is 7 miles from where i live (4 of them uphill) and it is 7miles (and another 7 to return) on 100% road, and it really sucks to ride a 35lbs trail-fr bike with sticky 2.3 tires that weight 1000gr each for 14 miles on the road. Hence i ride once per week at the most towards a small patch of woodland (without any kind of flow) which is 3 miles from my house.

If i had a car or at least good riding buddies i would love to ride more. But ride now i am very sad that i dont feel like riding often and i spend more time wrenching my bike and beeing online on RM.

Yannis
 

SkaredShtles

Michael Bolton
Sep 21, 2003
67,785
14,144
In a van.... down by the river
LordOpie said:
<snip>
I dislike any form of shuttling so much that I'm thinking about going tele. I love alpine, but I spent as much time on the lifts last season as I did actually skiing. And I'm not talking about the lines, I mean, on the lift.
Why in the world would you tele? That's like trying to reinvent the wheel and arriving at a square design........................ :D

Unless of course you like to handicap yourself.

-S.S.-
 

Skookum

bikey's is cool
Jul 26, 2002
10,184
0
in a bear cave
Meh whatever get's the job done.... Shuttling XC usually affords you the opportunity around here to get 20 to 30 miles of bitchin singletrack that would otherwise be an all day 50 plus mile loop, and there's nobody here that when faced with one choice or the other wouldn't jump in the truck. And there's not many people i know of that could be THAT fit AND technically sound to accomplish some of the rides that i have in my mind, including myself.
As far as DH, well i've pushed and rode up DH and freeride trails, but they are dangerous, you want all the strength for bombing on alot of em.....
 

syadasti

i heart mac
Apr 15, 2002
12,690
290
VT
Yeah and what's with those weenies who drive cars to the trailhead, you should ride for hours and hours to the trail and then not have enough time to ride the trail cause you haven't earned the ride if you didn't use your own energy to get there...

Don't forget to mine your own raw materials, engineer, manfacture, and assemble your own bike cause otherwise you won't have earned the right to have your bike too :p
 

manhattanprjkt83

Rusty Trombone
Jul 10, 2003
9,660
1,237
Nilbog
40ozrepresent said:
I think it all depends on the person.Personally i like a shuttle ride because i cant climb at all on my dh bike and by the time i push it to the top of the hill im tired.But if i get a ride to the top i can use that energy to rail down the course,plus a shuttle is much quicker so you get more time actually riding dh.But if you like to climb then go for it.
:thumb: exactly my opinion too, I ride XC and DH but must shuttle for DH none of this XC on a DH bike crap...
 

llkoolkeg

Ranger LL
Sep 5, 2001
4,335
15
in da shed, mon, in da shed
manhattanprjkt83 said:
:thumb: exactly my opinion too, I ride XC and DH but must shuttle for DH none of this XC on a DH bike crap...

Skookums post most accurately reflects my own thoughts on the topic.

When my trail bike is broken or being upgraded, though, I have to ride XC on my DH bike. Yeah, it sucks, but don't jump to any conclusions- better to suffer XC on a DH bike than sit at home on the sofa glued to the boob tube.
 

Serial Midget

Al Bundy
Jun 25, 2002
13,053
1,897
Fort of Rio Grande
I Are Baboon said:
"Shuttling XC"? What exactly is that?

I have never done DH shuttling so I don't know whether or not I like it. I imagine I would.
The last time we shuttled XC we did it to avoid the roads and get as many trail miles in as we could - as someone said earlier more of a point to point ride than a shuttle.
 

ghostrider

7034 miles, still no custom title
Jan 6, 2003
964
1
Shadows of Mt Boney, CA.
If you are going to use an engine to get to the top of the hill, why not just buy a dirt bike? Damn thing would probably be cheaper (and work better) than a DH bike anyway.
 

Full Trucker

Frikkin newb!!!
Feb 26, 2003
11,121
8,746
Exit, CO
SkaredShtles said:
Come on guys. If you're gonna do that, make it an epic and add in Breckenridge > Copper....... :thumb:

-S.S.-
Yeah right... that ride sans-Copper-add-on about killed me last year! I can't wait to throw it down again... if this f@#!*ing rain would ever let up. Bastids. Okay, no more whining, I'm off to ride road. In the rain. Because I can. And because I refuse to let triple-ringer Opie drop me when we ride KP>GP>Breck later on this summer.... :D
 

MTB_Rob_NC

What do I have to do to get you in this car TODAY?
Nov 15, 2002
3,428
0
Charlotte, NC
LordOpie said:
some of you shuttle XC? How epic of a ride would that be to need to shuttle?
A few REALLY good ones come to mind. From good to better in the Epic/Fun factor.
1) Hermosa Creek - Durango, CO. Dont park at the trail head, there is a spot on the gravel road leading to the trail head that adds an additional 3 miles of gravel road downhill. Trail length utilizing "Shuttling" 30 miles ~ 26 downhill with ~ 4 miles of climbing
2) Porcupine Rim - Moab, UT. Would of liked to have done this all the way from the Lasalles, but there was too much snow up there. From the shuttle point there is a short climb ~3/4miles minutes and then it is what? 11 miles downhill?
3) Kennebac Pass - Durango, CO. The locals that do this ride from town are just freaking studs. When you turn off the highway it is an 11 mile dirt road UP. We got out of our truck and the GPS said 11,700 feet. I think it was 27 miles back to town (6500 feet) with about a 4 mile climb some where about 1/2 way down. Hands down my BEST RIDE EVER.

There are also a bunch of "routes" in the Pisgah area of NC that when shuttle assisted give you much more bang for your buck.
 

Ian F

Turbo Monkey
Sep 8, 2001
1,016
0
Philadelphia area
My biggest issue with shuttling is how fricken' long it takes... Meet at the top... decide who's trucks go to the bottom... they leave... wait... they get to the bottom and get into the "transfer car"... we're still waiting at the top... they finally get to the top. We finally ride. Then everyone piles into the trucks and goes back to the top. Repeat. Too much waiting around and not enough riding, IMO.

And this is why my DH bike now has a triple on it... :)

Incidentally, I am also a telemark skier. ;)