[iridebikes]

Hey, i'm thiinking about getting into downhill racing, I've been up to whistler a couple times, and i've always wanted to race. and last time i was up there, i was stuck behind some guy who looked like he was a patrol guy, and i heard those guys just rip it up coming down the hill. i want something that pedals well and would be a good race bike. i'd like to keep it light, well, light for a dh bike that is. I'm really looking to get a giant dh comp, those seem like they're outfited really well and they're pretty cheap. i might be able to get a good deal on a v-10, but that's more than i was hoping to spend. I'm also looking at a gemini. i've ridden one of those and it pedals really well, so does the v-10. i think i'd be looking at the gemini 3000 with a few parts swaped out so its more race specifit(i.e. front der.) if anyone has any suggestions, please let me know. I'm not looking at getting a specialized, or norco, or rocky mountain, or a kona. pretty much, i'm choosing between the v-10, gemini, and giant dh.

 

[chicodude]

Giant DH team is a great race ready bike, But the gemini isnt a bad choice either. If you want more info about the gemini, PM Dexterq20

 

[vitox]

between those two id choose the v10 for racing, might end up being a bit of an expensive bike fully race dressed, you might also want to look at the iron horse line, seems they have got the best value on complete dh bikes and also a really firm finger on the pulse of dh componentry.

 

[iridebikes]

ya but i hate the specialized horselink 4-bar suspension. it pedals like crap in my opinion. I find no point in that style 4-bar. it sucks all around. i don't think it rides very well, and i don't think it pedals well at all. i've ridden a gemini, and it pedals really well, and i've ridden a v-10 and it pedals really well. i've also ridden a super 8, and that really wasn't that bad either, exept for the fact that they aren't made anymore, and i don't want to buy used. oh well.

 

[CBJ]

Well informed and substantiated post are always appreciated.

 

[buildyourown]

Not to discourage you from racing, but the patrol guys usually aren't that fast.

That said, racing can be fun, even if you never make it to the highest level. You can start with just about any bike. I started on a 5" GT and moved quickly to a S8. I progressed well on that bike and became competitive in expert class on a bike that was a horrible pedaler. I've since moved to a BB7.

You really can't go wrong with any of the bikes you've mentioned. I might lean toward the giant based solely on price. Those bikes will never hold you back.

 

[Curb Hucker]

personally i'd wait a bit (til interbike) and get an IH Sunday, which uses DW-Link suspension. It is nothing like a 4 bar or single pivot, its just amazing, cant really discribe it. Cheap, strong, and spec'd well too

 

[Jeremy R]

Buying used can be the way to go.
You can get a top notch bike that has been used for less than a year.
Its just important to trust who you are buying it from.
Sometimes you can find deals from trusted RM members just by checking their signature.

 

[-BB-]

personally i'd wait a bit (til interbike) and get an IH Sunday, which uses DW-Link suspension. It is nothing like a 4 bar or single pivot, its just amazing, cant really discribe it. Cheap, strong, and spec'd well too

Or guy an Ironhorse SGS on blowout from supergo.

 

[Zark]

Or guy an Ironhorse SGS on blowout from supergo.

Ohh but he hates FSR bike
I'm sure its well developed opinion based on riding one in a parking lot.... once

 

[Curb Hucker]

Ohh but he hates FSR bike
I'm sure its well developed opinion based on riding one in a parking lot.... once

i think so too, because all 4 bars ive ridden pedal better than a single pivot (not going into the whole shock choice thing)

 

[mobius]

i think so too, because all 4 bars ive ridden pedal better than a single pivot (not going into the whole shock choice thing)

Really? I have a bighit dh with a fox rc and a heckler with a 5th element and the heckler feels money compared to the bighit in terms of pedalling. Bighit just squishes to much guess its the shock and spring weight too.

 

[dexterq20]

ya but i hate the specialized horselink 4-bar suspension. it pedals like crap in my opinion. I find no point in that style 4-bar. it sucks all around.

Yeah, that makes total sense, seeing as how there are about 10 different bike companies who all license that design from Specialized. That means it must be pretty crappy, huh?

i've also ridden a super 8, and that really wasn't that bad either

WRONG, try again.

 

[Curb Hucker]

Really? I have a bighit dh with a fox rc and a heckler with a 5th element and the heckler feels money compared to the bighit in terms of pedalling. Bighit just squishes to much guess its the shock and spring weight too.

like i said, lets assume they have the same shock, and near close travel

 

[JRogers]

like i said, lets assume they have the same shock, and near close travel

Or at least shocks that are somewhat comparable and not the most efficient coilover on the market compared to an older shock with very little compression damping at all.

 

[trailhacker]

Really? I have a bighit dh with a fox rc and a heckler with a 5th element and the heckler feels money compared to the bighit in terms of pedalling. Bighit just squishes to much guess its the shock and spring weight too.

mmmmm..... I think you could be on to something here? My buddies 5e Heckler pedals way better than my old Fox equipped M-1 ever did........

 

[trailhacker]

Also, with out even touching the single pivots pedal better than four bar thing, I bought a GT DHi fully intending to strip the parts to use on my 5e M-1. Once I rode the GT around a few times and felt how much better it pedaled I decided to race it instead. After the first 3 races I went back to my M-1. Yes it pedaled better, but it still felt like less of a bike for racing, or just riding for that matter.

 

[Wingnut]

I'll have to vote for the Giant. I am really impressed with mine, even with the Boxxer Race. It pedals really well, rails in the berms and turns, and feels great on the stunt laden trails. With the 05's, the new top tube looks good in my opinion, and as a added bonus, gives a little more room to save the junk on a misscue.

The V-10's feel too long for me personally. Though they pedal well, and track good at high speeds. I've heard they can have a pretty dead feel with all the neg travel and the 5e, but Ive heard the same about a Swinger equiped Giant, and have yet to notice it myself.

For the price point, the Giant is a winner. Not that I'd ever truely go by it, but MBA did put the Giant on top in a head-to-head with the DHi (Which is odd for MBA not to push a paying advertisers bike!?! Unless I'm the only one that has not seen a Giant ad in MBA!!).

 

[me89]

dude ironhorse is the way to go man got an 03 and i love it pedals really well.and if 03 was too old then they have the 04 worldcup and team and pro models available on CLOSEOUT just go talk to your lbs. stay away from the gemini's just look weak but i have never ridin one so may not be a credibal sorce about them.if i was you and you hate ironhorse (why anyone would hate them there the ****z) then get the v10. yeh its more money but you get what you pay for in my opinion.

 

[buildyourown]

dude ironhorse is the way to go man got an 03 and i love it pedals really well.and if 03 was too old then they have the 04 worldcup and team and pro models available on CLOSEOUT just go talk to your lbs. stay away from the gemini's just look weak but i have never ridin one so may not be a credibal sorce about them.if i was you and you hate ironhorse (why anyone would hate them there the ****z) then get the v10. yeh its more money but you get what you pay for in my opinion.

Wow. You need to learn to form complete sentences and thoughts.
You also made about 3 different contradicting statements in one post.

 

[jon-boy]

I think if you tried pedalling a 4-bar bike through a rough and bumpy section of trail then you'd like it more. My M1 pedals through the rough stuff so much more smoothly than my old 7" Bullit did. My times have come down too.

 

[iridebikes]

i rode a norco a-line for a full day of riding. sorry to say it was never in a parking lot, i've ridden a specialized big hit comp around a parking lot and off road. didn't think that the big hit was very good either. I've ridden a super 8 off road, true, it wasn't as nice as the v-10 or gemini, or a bullit pedaling wise, but it wasn't too bad. i thought it was better than any 4 bar i've ridden, and i've also ridden my buddie's 4" cross country bike that has the same 4 bar suspension. I just don't like it, that's all. i guess you could say i'm a picky rider thats all. the gemini i rode was on an urban ride. it wasn' too bad. I'm sure it would be alot better when i'm flying down the side of a mountain.

so dont' get pissed off at me just because i don't like 4-bar suspension. i personaly dont' like it, many people do, alot of companies use it. i'm not sure why, i think there are many other better bikes and suspension designs out there. but that's just my opinion. i've also ridden the prophet. that's a pretty good pedaler, 5" of travel, very plush.

 

[Zark]

Now that is a better explanation than "I just didn't like them". I don't care what people ride or buy, but I like more than a blanket statement Its all good! The big hit isn't my fav either, but I think that had more to do with the 24" wheel (another factor that could've tainted your opinion?)

Were those bikes set up for a similar weight rider to your self?
FSR bikes have some traits I've noticed that are fundamentaly different than single pivots and others. Instead of stiffening the shock, making the bike snap forward. FSR's tend to squat a bit, but as already mentioned, this a great thing on a broken unven trail. I could see a single pivot bike being a better pedaler in really smooth situation.

Actually I'm more of a fan of the lack of brake jack on FSR bikes. With the new shocks out there single pivot designs can pedal really well, not to mention all the other stuff (VPP, DW link, etc) FSR is sort of old hat, but I'm still a fan. You aren't, thats cool

Out of the bikes you mentioned I think the Giant is a good buy for th cash. Low center of gravity and balanced were my impressions. V10 is great, but pricy as mentioned, but I'd only look at the new ones since they are quicker handling now. I was deciding in between the M1 and the V10 when I was shopping, and geometry was the deciding factor for me, that years V10 had a pretty long wheelbase, which isn't great for the trails here.

But really the Demo9 is the only DH bike that I'd buy :love:

 

[lovebunny]

i got my bighit and i love it alot. love how the fsr dont have ne brakejack its fast and i actually dont mind the 24 rear jus runnin a nice big chainring. dooesnt matter ne ways cuz its a dh bike. the gemini is a great bike. ive ridden one and it rides like no other. definately a nice bike. you might also look at the turner dhr. they go for cheap used

 

[nicklin]

another vote for the Iron horse SGS series. great bikes at awsome prices. after that go for the v-10

 

[Spunger]

I've been there, done that. Buying a M1 was the best thing I have ever done as far as bike purchases go. I had the money and at the time it worked. Some new/used parts, got the 5th serviced, and it's money!

NOW if I looked at all the money I spent on the M1, I'd pick up a Iron Horse in a heartbeat. You can't beat their products for the money. Their Mid line bike looks nice, and for mid $2,000 you can't find a better more complete DH bike period. Even their entry level one is excellent for sub $2000.

As far as suspension designs go everyone will have their own say. I went from a older falling rate suspension designed bike to a progressive, 4-bar bike and it's night and day. You can't really argue the suspension design too much because if you suck you suck, and if you're good it doesn't matter what bike you ride. Steve Peat rides a single pivot orange, and other riders are riding 4 bar bikes and single pivots and win as well. You could give a top rider and bike and he'll rip on it. The bike helps a novice rider but any excellent rider will agree the bike doesn't play as big of a role as experience.

So I'd check used. Turners are sweet, as well as Intense/Foes/Santa Cruz used frames. If going new though the Iron Horse line wins hands down!

 

[iridebikes]

ok, i have a couple different options at the moment. I could a) get a v-10 frame for very cheap(brand new at 1000 bucks) b)get a giant dh frame for very cheap as well(i think around 8 or 900) or c) get a gemini dh frame for around 1200 or so. what would you choose???? all frames come with rear shocks and are all brand new. i can't tell you where i'm getting this deal from though. but if you had the oportunity, what would you chose?

 

[The Mad Haderer]

ok, i have a couple different options at the moment. I could a) get a v-10 frame for very cheap(brand new at 1000 bucks) b)get a giant dh frame for very cheap as well(i think around 8 or 900) or c) get a gemini dh frame for around 1200 or so. what would you choose???? all frames come with rear shocks and are all brand new. i can't tell you where i'm getting this deal from though. but if you had the oportunity, what would you chose?

already made the choice...v-10...you wont regret it. i have, up until 3 weeks ago, owned nothing but v-10s and now that im trying a different bike i know why. it really is one of the sickest bikes around, hands down. to many good traits for me to list but if you like going fast and pinning thru the rough stuff youll love the SC.

 

[iridebikes]

ok, its all set, i'm going to be placing an order for my v-10 when i get back from vegas next week. it will be the older model, only because i can't afford the new one. the have one medium now, and 15 smalls, a couple blacks, some reds, couple blues i think, a scuba yellow... grose. sorry, but i hate yellow. I'll most likely get a small, but do you think it will be too small for me? i'm about 5'10" 140lbs. I do prefer a smaller bike. I can't remember what size i rode before, I'm not sure if it was a small or a med. my hardtail has a 21.5" top tube, and i'm running a 40mm stem on that, it seems pretty good. so the small shouldn't be too much different then should it? because that has a 21.9. i've also ridden a medium bullit, and that felt like it was a tad on the big size, it was only around the parkinglot, but it seemed a bit big for some reason.

one question that i forgot to ask them, does anyone know if the floating brake system come with the hub? i'm guessing not. so would i just have to get the hadley hub from them too? i

 

[NineFingers]

ok, its all set, i'm going to be placing an order for my v-10 when i get back from vegas next week. it will be the older model, only because i can't afford the new one. the have one medium now, and 15 smalls, a couple blacks, some reds, couple blues i think, a scuba yellow... grose. sorry, but i hate yellow. I'll most likely get a small, but do you think it will be too small for me? i'm about 5'10" 140lbs. I do prefer a smaller bike. I can't remember what size i rode before, I'm not sure if it was a small or a med. my hardtail has a 21.5" top tube, and i'm running a 40mm stem on that, it seems pretty good. so the small shouldn't be too much different then should it? because that has a 21.9. i've also ridden a medium bullit, and that felt like it was a tad on the big size, it was only around the parkinglot, but it seemed a bit big for some reason.

one question that i forgot to ask them, does anyone know if the floating brake system come with the hub? i'm guessing not. so would i just have to get the hadley hub from them too? i

V-10 for the prices you mentioned for sure!!! I had the Giant DH comp, it was a nice bike, especially for the money but my friend who also got it when I got mine has had nothing but problems with the linkage. BTW, can you score two V-10's at that price? I'll take the medium

 

[iridebikes]

no way!! its bad enough that i am getting one at that price.

 

[neversummersnow]

Pull down those prices, I'm 90 percent you're posting EP prices on a PUBLIC forum. It's just taboo to do so.

 

[neversummersnow]

oh, and if you're going to be racing it, please do yourself a favor and pick up the medium...at 5'10" you'd you haven't really raced before so you don't know exactly how a race bike should fit....I know mediums were designed around guys about your size...the small is going to feel so squirmish.

 

[E.C.]

I have an 04 GT DHI (medium) with a shiver ,Relatively light and padals great .I'm going to be posting it on buy and sell this week .PM me if your interested .$2000 shipped

 

[iridebikes]

not interested in used. sorry