[denjen]

I bought my first DH bike in 10 years last weekend. Not the latest and greatest, but I bought an almost new 2013 Demo. A buddy of mine had bought it and then got hurt and hadn't been able to ride in a while. He made me an offer I couldn't refuse. Rode 3 days at Snowshoe last weekend and couldn't stop grinning. Now I can keep up with my son with out feeling like I'm going to die. Sorry no pics was to busy riding.

 

[TrumbullHucker]

I bought my first DH bike in 10 years last weekend. Not the latest and greatest, but I bought an almost new 2013 Demo. A buddy of mine had bought it and then got hurt and hadn't been able to ride in a while. He made me an offer I couldn't refuse. Rode 3 days at Snowshoe last weekend and couldn't stop grinning. Now I can keep up with my son with out feeling like I'm going to die. Sorry no pics was to busy riding.

 

[SuboptimusPrime]

Welcome back!!

I have yet to forget how (fucking) fun a real DH bike is....which is why I still own one despite it being utterly impractical for any riding within 3 hours of where I live. I'll always keep one around because no matter how much or how little I am on the thing, those are the best rides.

 

[cecil]

Got to love the DH

 

[kickstand]

View attachment 123278
Got to love the DH

windham?

 

[Huck Banzai]

windham?

Got to be! Love that jumpline because Ive always been a timid jumper, but since I wrecked my shoulder in 12 I hadn't even tried jumping; Windham and Thunder have me easing into it and enjoying without absolute terror.

I still smash the DH pretty hard tho! DH **IS** awesome.

 

[kidwoo]

Yeah I don't know man. Everyone knows that modern enduro™ bikes are pretty much just as good as dh bikes these days.









I hope you've learned your lesson. There is NOTHING in mountainbiking as rad as pounding the shit out of bikes genuinely made for the purpose.

 

[rollertoaster]

I am in a currently shitty situation. I love dh but I've gotten used to huge trail bikes and at this point don't enjoy riding my large tr500. I rode 3 bike parks last week on my Nomad just because it fits better. I sat on huck's v10 on Sunday and if I can sell the tr500, I'm definitely getting one.
I don't ever see myself not owning a dh bike, that would be awful

 

[kidwoo]

I am in a currently shitty situation. I love dh but I've gotten used to huge trail bikes and at this point don't enjoy riding my large tr500.

Go rip some ruts and manual some shit man. Long ass 'reach' measurements on dh bikes are stupid. That shit's for climbing and giving a sense of stability to hacks.

 

[Kanye West]

I am in a currently shitty situation. I love dh but I've gotten used to huge trail bikes and at this point don't enjoy riding my large tr500. I rode 3 bike parks last week on my Nomad just because it fits better. I sat on huck's v10 on Sunday and if I can sell the tr500, I'm definitely getting one.
I don't ever see myself not owning a dh bike, that would be awful

Yeah I had a similar experience this weekend. Trail bike I'm on now is faster than snot, even on rough DH stuff. The DH bike seemed kinda pointless when riding back to back.

Go rip some ruts and manual some shit man. Long ass 'reach' measurements on dh bikes are stupid. That shit's for climbing and giving a sense of stability to hacks.

Hmmm what's that noise I hear down there? Can't hear you over the sound of how much of a hack I am.

 

[kidwoo]

Hmmm what's that noise I hear down there? Can't hear you over the sound of how much of a hack I am.

Just hurry up and get to the bottom of the trail. I AM waiting for you. It's not much further down.

 

[canadmos]

DH bike is better than all else. I've ridden my trail bike at Bromont and while doable, uh yeah, no where close to the feeling, control and plowability of a DH bike.

 

[cecil]

windham?

Yep Saturday

DH is teh crack cocaine of MTB

 

[Gary]

I am in a currently shitty situation. I love dh but I've gotten used to huge trail bikes

Why the fuck would you do that? Oh...

Seriously! I just don't get it. Every fucker round here has become a "reach" fashion victim and now rides a boat like 160mm travel bike basically just to ride round in little dayglo uniforms together riding traditional Scottish XC* loops.
It's a rare sight to actually see one of them riding FAST... Which is the ONLY plus a really loooong wheelbase gives.

[*Our natural XC descents have always included steeps/roots/rocks/tech]

 

[jackalope]

Why the fuck would you do that? Oh...

Seriously! I just don't get it. Every fucker round here has become a "reach" fashion victim and now rides a boat like 160mm travel bike basically just to ride round in little dayglo uniforms together riding traditional Scottish XC* loops.
It's a rare sight to actually see one of them riding FAST... Which is the ONLY plus a really loooong wheelbase gives.

[*Our natural XC descents have always included steeps/roots/rocks/tech]

If I didn't know better, it almost sounds like there really are dentists in the UK.

 

[denjen]

Yeah I don't know man. Everyone knows that modern enduro™ bikes are pretty much just as good as dh bikes these days.









I hope you've learned your lesson. There is NOTHING in mountainbiking as rad as pounding the shit out of bikes genuinely made for the purpose.

The funny thing is that my buddy that I bought the bike from replaced it with an Enduro. We rode together one of the days this weekend and he was trying to convince me how much more he liked the Enduro over the Demo. I really think he was trying to convince himself, so he wouldn't feel to bad about selling it.

 

[jackalope]

Another plus sized™ aspect of having a DH bike is giving substantially less fux when you stop, drop & roll through a rock fiesta versus your daily driver cartwheeling through said rocks. And if you're like me, you have 823's front and back, which from what I can tell actually leave deep tissue bruises on rocks. Conversely, I'm sure my 'Duro rims would be le sad if treated in the same manner. Anyway, enjoy your new gravity sleigh and the subsequent enlargening of the man sack.

 

[rollertoaster]

Go rip some ruts and manual some shit man. Long ass 'reach' measurements on dh bikes are stupid. That shit's for climbing and giving a sense of stability to hacks.

Can't Manual, can't rail a turn to my satisfaction either. I am a hack indeed!

 

[Jim Mac]

I am in a currently shitty situation. I love dh but I've gotten used to huge trail bikes and at this point don't enjoy riding my large tr500. I rode 3 bike parks last week on my Nomad just because it fits better. I sat on huck's v10 on Sunday and if I can sell the tr500, I'm definitely getting one.
I don't ever see myself not owning a dh bike, that would be awful

I feel the pain, man. Not to hijack, but I hate to admit this will be year 2 off the DH bike. Kids have pushed almost all my riding to the BMX track and dirt jump spot. In fact, the only time I have ridden my trail bike has been at said DJ spot. Here's to a hopeful 2017 comeback to DH!

close to dh speed, but 0 suspension, brappish:

Kiddo #1 at jumps, notice "mountain bike":

 

[Loki87]

The funny thing is that my buddy that I bought the bike from replaced it with an Enduro. We rode together one of the days this weekend and he was trying to convince me how much more he liked the Enduro over the Demo. I really think he was trying to convince himself, so he wouldn't feel to bad about selling it.

Strange.
The same thing always happens with my friends.
They either feel the need to comment on how much more fun this trail was on their enduro while i´m on the dh-sled or they try to get me to bring the enduro to the park instead of the dh bike.
I see a pattern there...

 

[kickstand]

Got to be! Love that jumpline because Ive always been a timid jumper, but since I wrecked my shoulder in 12 I hadn't even tried jumping; Windham and Thunder have me easing into it and enjoying without absolute terror.

I still smash the DH pretty hard tho! DH **IS** awesome.

It's definitely a good line to build confidence on, super fun. I do wish they slowed you down a little less before a lot of the berms though. I like the rocky finish out in the open too.

 

[Electric_City]

Interesting topic. My buddy rode Whistler this year on a carbon Nomad and cleared all the jumps/step ups/drops on A-line, Dwayne Johnson, Blue Velvet... But on some of the rocky runs he wrecked. He said he's considering selling the DH bike.

This past weekend 9-12 of us teamed up @Creek and wanted to hit all the techy rock runs. It was crazy, but a F'ing blast! We were all on DH bikes. We cleared BMW to Ripper, Slayer, Utah, Deceit, Monarch... Stuff that an Enduro bike couldn't "necessarily" handle. I'm sure people have done it, just to say they did, but it wasn't fun.

My conclusion is if you're new to the "lift assisted" lifestyle, DH, pushing your limits or into riding/trying anything on the mtn(rocks, drops, steeps), then get a DH bike. Also applies if you're going to frequent parks. If you're going for the jump runs, berms and drops, bring an EndurBro.

 

[jonKranked]

i'm in the "debating selling the DH bike" group. 2 herniated discs last year and a kid have put a damper on riding DH for sure, but when it comes to lift access riding on east coast rox a full on rig can't be beat.

 

[Udi]

giving substantially less fux

LESS FUX, MORE RUX.

 

[Nick]

I live within a short drive of both trestle & keystone. The past two seasons i rode trestle over keystone 3:1. I got burned out on 'those' trails, much more park than gnar imo. This year I've been only shuttling and riding keystone and remember what my dh bike is for.

Plus it's an unrideable 26" obsolete dhr, it's not like I'm going to sell the bike anyway so i may as well beat the hell out of myself on it

 

[Jm_]

The right way to do this is bring your 120mm 27.5 or 29er with a ctd shock and then ride or attempt to ride and skid down 50 foot sections, then stop on the trail for 5 minutes until your forearms un-cramp, repeat until you feel you've gotten your $40 worth.

 

[Kanye West]

The right way to do this is bring your 120mm 27.5 or 29er with a ctd shock and then ride or attempt to ride and skid down 50 foot sections, then stop on the trail for 5 minutes until your forearms in-cramp, repeat until you feel you've gotten your $40 worth.

"To truly know a gaper.....one must BECOME a gaper".

 

[Bikael Molton]

NEVER FORGET

 

[4130biker]

Hmmm what's that noise I hear down there? Can't hear you over the sound of rubbing brake rotors.

Fixed!

 

[Harry BarnOwl]

Why the fuck would you do that? Oh...

Seriously! I just don't get it. Every fucker round here has become a "reach" fashion victim and now rides a boat like 160mm travel bike basically just to ride round in little dayglo uniforms together riding traditional Scottish XC* loops.
It's a rare sight to actually see one of them riding FAST... Which is the ONLY plus a really loooong wheelbase gives.

[*Our natural XC descents have always included steeps/roots/rocks/tech]

So much this. It worries me what the middle aged jerries up here class as technical/gnarly/steep (which, to be fair, will still be better than the rest of the UK with their sandy bmx tracks down south). I'm glad that I can still go and race at dunkeld/glencoe black/fort bill to remind me how much I suck.

But completely agree that downhill bikes are and always will be better when you're wanting to go full send. The racing element of downhill is also so much better than enduro. I've never seen a more serious atmosphere at a race than an enduro, it sucks so much. At the glenlivet SES round this year I carried my bluetooth speakers in my bag for practice and had the hot rod sountrack on repeat all day just to lighten the mood. The many frowns and disapproving expressions filled me great delight.

 

[kickstand]

While I have found my trail bike and other long travel trail bikes to be super fun to ride, none of them put a smile on my face the same way smashing into, over, and through rocks and roots the way my DH bike can.

Enduro is all the rage, and it appears "fun", but DH racing and riding is the ultimate for me.

On the fun run side of things I am more comfortable jumping my DH bike, I am more comfortable, and i can go enjoy nearly any trail on the mountain without thinking twice. It's just a dickload of fun.

On the race side of things the 1 course and building up more and more speed as you learn the lines better from the start of the weekend up until race time, then having the pressure to put one last good run together against the clock is a lot of fun for me. Riding 5 stages that I might have had a chance to ride 1-2 times prior to the race and not being able to fully open up on is not as appealing to me. And I need all the practice I can get to go full on, I'm a hack, so it takes a while to go "fast"

 

[Gary]

I agree with most of what you're saying except

which, to be fair, will still be better than the rest of the UK with their sandy bmx tracks down south

Don't kid yourself... Having also lived "down South" for a number of years and ridden/raced all over England and Wales... most of the UK has enough technical, gnar, steep to completely warrant the use of a DH bike within an hour or so drive. You just need to know where to look When I first left Scotland for the South West back in the 90s I'd fully expected not to really need a DH bike anymore. How wrong I was... in the SW alone there are far more riders, far more digging goes on and overall there's always been a better scene than the entire stale Scottish scene.
Look at Dunkeld these days?... original DH track's blown out, lacks the flow it once had and overall is actually quite flat/short/slow running since the second half of the track has very little gradient in the first place. the rest of the hill is now full of shitty (what feels like half finished) mini DH tracks with fucking awful flat/uphill/pedally/boggy sections in the middle. all in the name of Enduro/Strava. Granted. there are some really good trails in the area too.

Oh... and those sandy woodland areas you dislike? Prime for BIG dirt jump trails and a thriving scene... Something Scotland has always lacked.

We're not all Jerries BTW

Middle aged Gary

 

[jonKranked]

At the glenlivet SES round this year I carried my bluetooth speakers in my bag for practice and had the hot rod sountrack on repeat all day just to lighten the mood. The many frowns and disapproving expressions filled me great delight.

keep this shit up until those fvcks go back to road riding.


also, when in glenlivet one must ride and passing a bottle of glenlivet.

 

[kidwoo]

At the glenlivet SES round

The what?

I might need to hit that one. Some title sponsors just deserve some support.

 

[slyfink]

i'm in the "debating selling the DH bike" group. 2 herniated discs last year and a kid have put a damper on riding DH for sure, but when it comes to lift access riding on east coast rox a full on rig can't be beat.

Been there, done that. 2 kids that don't sleep well has completely taken away any of my DH time. So instead of letting my bike rot in the basement, I sold it. I still firmly believe that once I get a bit more time back, I will acquire someone else's used DH bike and hit the lifts again. hopefully my kids get into it too. my only problem will be finding people to ride with... my DH-riding buddies have all sold their bikes too, and I don't think any of them are planning on getting back into it. :'(

 

[ianjenn]

At Northstar last summer I had The Following and YT Tues. I was for sure faster on the big bike and even on the smoother jump trail carried more speed the whole way down. I also ate shit on the big bike at end of the day on the last turn that was great.....

 

[Gary]

I might need to hit that one. Some title sponsors just deserve some support.

Would NOT HIT!

and I have permaBEERgoggles

Glenlivet is not the title sponsor.
it's the name of a featureless dull pedally trail centre cashing in on the 'derp dollar
POC is the title sponsor ('course it is)

http://enduro-mtb.com/en/video-scottish-enduro-series-2015-round-3-glenlivet/

I live next to a distillery. Come over. Buy 2 bottles of malt for the entry fee and ride somewhere decent instead. For free.

 

[kidwoo]

You smash my dreams but offer an acceptable alternative at least.

 

[jonKranked]

Been there, done that. 2 kids that don't sleep well has completely taken away any of my DH time. So instead of letting my bike rot in the basement, I sold it. I still firmly believe that once I get a bit more time back, I will acquire someone else's used DH bike and hit the lifts again. hopefully my kids get into it too. my only problem will be finding people to ride with... my DH-riding buddies have all sold their bikes too, and I don't think any of them are planning on getting back into it. :'(

yea i'm on the fence. part of it is that i need to force myself to pull the trigger either way at this point. my bike is 26" of unrideable, so not many people wanna buy that kind of death trap these days. as such the values of 26" dh bikes are basically having the bottom fall out on them.

 

[slimshady]

I also ate shit on the big bike at end of the day on the last turn that was great.....

Ending the day a la Sam Hill eh?