[Kornphlake]

I've developed a set of rules to determine if a bike is a freeride bike or not. By nature freeriding will break components, either because things break when you rag doll off that 20 footer or when you pin the 18 foot to flat drop. Freeriders don't have money to continually replace $400 components like racers do so, for a bike to be considered freeride it has to have cheap components that are strong, being heavy or technologically outdated is optional. My freeride bike has the following eligible components:

2002 super T (I paid $450 for it in 03, it was worth twice that brand new and is probabally worth $200 now)
Ritchey seat post (some pot metal, worthless clamp, black anno over a bead blast finish, paid something like $18)
Wellgo Pedals (came new on a BMX bike I bought for $180 and only rode a handfull of times, they must be worth less than $20, they don't even have removable traction pins.)
XT disc rear hub (The cheapest freeride worthy rear hub in existance)
Marzoochi 20mm front hub (the cheepest freeride worthy 20mm hub in existance)
Avid mechanical discs and levers (much cheaper than hydros, more reliable than any other mechanical disc)
Rhyno Lite XL rims (I can buy two of these for the price of any mavic rim)
Sram x? cassette (Paid about $20 for it)


What are your favorite freeride picks?

 

[Ciaran]

Hmmm... I'm don't think I am a true freerider but I'll give it a whirl and list some of my components...

Azonic 454 cranks. Got em off of e-bay for 40 bucks and these things are never going to break.
XT rear disc hub.
Front wheel is a sun doubletrack laced to a WTB momentum 20mm hub. Also off of e-bay for a song.
2001 Cove g-spot. It's a Cove, it's from B.C. I bought it from another monkey really cheap.
.243 frame - Another monkey aquisition. Bombproof steel. aquired for 250.00
Kalloy seatposts - I am not sure you can get a cheaper post.
XT 4 pot disk brakes - NOS from e-bay - paid 60 for the front, and 70 for the rear. Both new. with rotors and hoses.

Edit: My .243 hardtail weighs more than some full squish bikes.

OK, so maybe I am not so much a freerider as I am a cheap e-bay whore.

 

[H8R]

Freeride to me means my heavy self won't snap it.

On my SS "XC" bike:

Bontrager crowbar XXXDH - $30
Azonic 454's 180mm
dhrings.com "Gladiator" chainwheel - 36t X 3/8" thick
Trailpimp rims
QR20 front hub
SDG Bel Air saddle - 2 for $15 off pricepoint
Atomlab XXL BMX stem
Hayes HMX 8" front, Avid single digit V's rear.
Free Agent $15 pedals
Whatever 3.5 or bigger tires that are on sale

 

[pangeist]

I just always have a rotation of decent used parts around. Enough to build 1 1/2 bikes. If I find a good deal, I buy it knowing it WILL get put to use.
I ride a Transition Dirtbag, just got it, traded a SC Bullit frame for a d-bag frame
laserdisc wheels- came on the cruz
hayes mags G2-$120 for set w/rotors on ebay
kore strictly d bar-so strong it will never break, has now been on 3 different bikes
northshore cranks
no name seatpost
velo seat-cheap
oh yeah, 03 SuperTPro (from RM buy and sell) $350 it was mint, great price


derailleurs break alot so I keep them around. think you can go cheap and fix or buy moderatley priced stuff that is less likely to break. or you can buy whatever is burliest.........

 

[Liam]

I too ride a Dirt Bag. Super sweet frame... got a last year model but still paid 800.
Figure I made up for the cost of the frame by getting an 03 super T for 300. Had less than 10 hours on it. No scratches and looks sweet on my freshly painted DB.
I'm in total agreement about going cheep on the "easy to brake parts" i.e. rear derailleur (just picked up 15 LX's from Adrenaline bikes for $17 bucks each. Sold 9 and have already destroyed 3), pedals, rims (we ride 50% rock garden here in Korea), and hubs. But everything else I'm trying to buy once. I've just realized my $30 xt rear hubs just can't hold up to the sh!t we throw at them. So I've gone all out (for me) and bought a Gusset Jury hub mounted to a Double wide rim. Put one day on before busting my foot in 5 places that night on my motorbike.

 

[punkassean]

Freeride to me means my heavy self won't snap it.

On my SS "XC" bike:

Bontrager crowbar XXXDH - $30
Azonic 454's 180mm
dhrings.com "Gladiator" chainwheel - 36t X 3/8" thick
Trailpimp rims
QR20 front hub
SDG Bel Air saddle - 2 for $15 off pricepoint
Atomlab XXL BMX stem
Hayes HMX 8" front, Avid single digit V's rear.
Free Agent $15 pedals
Whatever 3.5 or bigger tires that are on sale

dem's is sum BIIIG tires yo!

 

[H8R]

dem's is sum BIIIG tires yo!

Lemme tipe thet mor slooer.

2 . 3 5

There.

 

[lovebunny]

mines a draco industries v3
mrp bones cranks
block 8 chromo bars
profile bb
hayes hmx1 rear brake that dont work
rhynolite xl rear, mag 30 front.
yeah its pretty friggin hefty too. my guess is almost 40 lbs

 

[vtrider]

mines an AC2
super t
atomlabs trailpimp rear, dhx front
swinger 4way
sram x9
e13

like 34 pounds, not bad at all. :evil:

 

[binary visions]

XT disc hubs are a staple.
Odyssey Twisted Pro pedals from my LBS. $25.
Titec Ringleader bars.

 

[PatBranch]

What do you think of hussefelt cranks? What is a strong Shimano 8spd rear derrailer?

 

[pangeist]

decent cranks, check them for tightness before riding if they are Isis, they get loose pretty easy. any derailleur works, lx deore, xt......... .02

 

[DROP]

I think I went cheapest of all with a set of platform bmx pedals form canadian tire for 5 bucks...... suprissingly I love these things.

 

[TamaSKA]

we know since kona that the ultimate freeride rear hub is the Deore (hb-m525 or hb-m475)

they use them in ALL bikes.

it must be good. :nuts:

 

[seismic]

Well, - talking Freeride for me it is about products that will hold up and result in good riding expreiences. On the other hand I do not care much about weight since a FR bike should hold up......for me a FR bike equals a bike made for drops and tough landings. Therefore I ride:

Avy DHS shock: (it will pig up the tough landings, it dosent break and only needs service once a year).
Avy MTN-8 fork: (again, very relaiable, nver bottoms out due to a hydralic cone, very little service and tough as hell).
Azonic M-frame: (big n' burly and even though your foot should slip, the platform is big enough to save you).
Ultegra SS rear mech: (it never get caught in all the sh#t lying on the groud because it is so short).
Arrow DHX rims: (have taken somuch beating from rocks and keep on being straight...and I hate messing with wheel lacing).

....and "yes", - I know some of it are expensive components, but if they hold up in the long run I guess it is ok anyway

 

[MDBullit]

instead of buying cheap components that I will have to replace, I just use the burliest parts. You could huck the bike off nearly anything and it would be fine.
Diabolus cranks
Mag 30s
Hadleys
Shiver
Diabolus bar
Foes Fly
XTR shifters, cassette, derailleurs
Evil DRS