[stoney]

Or should I call it a quiver? I think I am starting to hit the threshold of 'old guy'. I have found that the realities of my risk/reward from biking are changing quickly to fitness and weekend warrior rather than charging headlong into whatever. The thrill of beating my buddies all the way around a trail system rather than just down, is starting to become more appealing.

I currently have a 303DH, DJ and 575 with the SB-66 on order (yes, I'm a Yeti whore).

I've had my 303DH for just over a year now and it has a whopping four ride days on it - two at a local DH trail and two at Northstar. I am no longer racing and the courses that I would race locally can all be comfortably slayed with a bike like the SB-66 (which I have on order).

I have limitations in that all of my friends who ride DH are too damn busy to get regular rides in locally and going to Tahoe is a full weekend excursion at $200 minimum. I won't ride DH alone, as I have too many injuries and risk of a seizure if I crash too hard, so it's difficult to get a ride in otherwise. Generally most everybody I ride with has been switching down to 6" all mountain bikes with a DH flavor. A lot of Nomad's and such with stronger wheels and short cockpit setup.

When I put in my order for the SB-66, I was intending to sell the 575 because it would become redundant. The SB-66 would also allow me to use my current parts to setup the bike how I would like for more aggressive DH on my local trails. I think the SB-66 will allow me to ride the more DH focused trails locally with ease vs. my 575. The downside being that I would end up in a similar situation to what I currently have with the 575 - a bike that is okay at everything but not good at anything. I also just built up a set of Mavis 823/Hope Pro2 wheels for the DH that I can interchange with the SB-66 if I need stronger wheels for any given ride/trail/course.

I'm debating selling the 303 outright and flipping that cash over into an ARC or Big top. By getting the ARC or Big Top, I will be able to actually hammer out real XC vs. a suffering climb for a DH that's not worth the effort and can easily be ridden on a hardtail. Plus, I can do it for what looks to be cash neutral or even somewhat positive.

Does it seem out of logic to sell my 303 and 575 to replace them with an SB-66 and ARC/Big Top? This is a complete re-adjust of my quiver towards the more 'old guy' categories. However I can't seem to find a fault in my logic, especially because I can do it cash neutral.

Any thoughts? ibgolgisays29'er

 

[Pesqueeb]

ibgolgisays29'er

Get something where you can run big boy wheels.

 

[stoney]

Get something where you can run big boy wheels.

My only hesitation on the 29'er is the lack of compatibility between all of my bikes then.

 

[CrabJoe StretchPants]

TL; DR

Last year I contemplated selling my DHR, as my Burner and RFX get 98.95% of the saddle time (yes, I'm a Turner whore). Wound up keeping it, thinking I'd regret selling it, and knew full well building up another DH out of pocket would wind up costing more than I could sell the DHR for. Alas I've yet to ride the DHR this year....though I think Saturday will be the day. Certainly don't regret holding onto it though, because the 3-4 times a year I ride it are fun as hell.


Long story short; unless you're tight on cash (which I know you're not), keep as many bikes as you can. For what used bikes sell for these days, it's really not worth it IMO.

 

[stoney]

Long story short; unless you're tight on cash (which I know you're not), keep as many bikes as you can. For what used bikes sell for these days, it's really not worth it IMO.

I get your point on keeping it because the replacement cost would be so high. I also lose opportunity cost by keeping it. Knowing that I can be flat on both my sale and purchase prices really does make it a hard call though.

 

[jimmydean]

I have always loved the 303, but can't justify a full blown DH rig, either. I keep telling myself I will race again and here I sit unraced, again.

I guess I think the 575 is more capable than you. The SB-66 looks cool, I would be interested in how it rides.

 

[CrabJoe StretchPants]

If you're 100% positive you would be fine without it I would say sell the big bike for sure. I was only about 75% sure I could do without it.....then of course every time I ride it it assures me keeping it was the right choice.

Being that there's at least a dozen lift-assisted DH mountains within a 4hr drive of me also made the decision to keep it easier.

 

[stevew]

given your seizure problems....fvck downhill.

 

[stoney]

I guess I think the 575 is more capable than you. The SB-66 looks cool, I would be interested in how it rides.

The 575 is very capable, don't get me wrong there. It's just too steep and long for how I tend to ride when I point downhill. The fit is *just* a touch too long in the top tube which is why I was going to replace it. Hell, the only reason that's on the table is because the SB-66 is available.

 

[OGRipper]

If you've got the space I don't think it's unreasonable to have three mtn bikes in your quiver even if you don't ride them all very often. It's your passion, indulge. In the grand scheme it's not that much cash - it's not like you're blowing tons of dough on yachts or ferraris or something. That may be easy for me to say, but it doesn't make it less true. If you like that 303, keep it until it sits unused for a year. You'll get less cash when you eventually sell it but you'll have a dialed bike ready to go when the chances arise.

With that said, it sounds like the only thing keeping you from getting rid of the 303 is the fact that it's not easy to put something that was a huge part of your life behind you. But guess what? You're getting old regardless of whether there is a DH bike in the house.

 

[-BB-]

I think I am starting to hit the threshold of 'old guy'. I have found that the realities of my risk/reward from biking are changing quickly to fitness and weekend warrior rather than charging headlong into whatever. The thrill of beating my buddies all the way around a trail system rather than just down, is starting to become more appealing.



Any thoughts? ibgolgisays29'er

Who you you calling OLD Beotch!!

 

[-BB-]

My thought is as follows... you already spent the cash, keep teh DH bike. I went through a little period where mine sat un-used for almost a year. But then I get back into it and I'm glad I kept it. Then you also won't have a need to sell the ARs-5. And while the thought of an XC bike might be appealing now, I think you would quickly realize that the little extra suffering is worth it AND doing the same ride on the ARS-5 (vs and XC bike) will get you in better shape overall.

and who couldn't stand to lose a few Lbs?
Now is this ARC a HT? I believe it is... How would that treat your back?

 

[Silver]

A 6 inch trailbike with an adjustable travel fork up front is really really nice.

You're a bigger guy-so if you're looking to get rid of a bike, get rid of the 575. Too much overlap with the 66, I'd think.

 

[golgiaparatus]

It's a good bet too

I like the looks of that big top, thought about one myself... looks like a great hardtail... and with the different dropouts you could go SS if you wanted.

For XC the 29s make a lot of sense... in these parts 26" XC race bikes are getting very rare. From Cat2 to Pro, 95% of the bikes are 29"... for DH, jumping and things where you need an ultra flickable bike, 26 makes better sense. All depends on your riding style.

 

[golgiaparatus]

My only hesitation on the 29'er is the lack of compatibility between all of my bikes then.

Only forks and wheels. Just grab some Stans Crest or Arch factory wheels and a RS Reba... both can be had more or less on the cheap, and are solid products.

 

[ALEXIS_DH]

... in these parts 26" XC race bikes are getting very rare. From Cat2 to Pro, 95% of the bikes are 29"...

the day has come.
xc is now officially road biking on dirt.

 

[Silver]

the day has come.
xc is now officially road biking on dirt.

XC always was, wasn't it?

 

[ALEXIS_DH]

XC always was, wasn't it?

but it was in the closet.

the other day, a foreign older XC guy showed up for a long dh ride in the andes with mu group.
a steep, rough, 8000ft down, 12miles long trail.

six armored guys in DOT helmets sitting on 9"+ travel bikes, and him, in his sub 9kg hardtail topped with a carbon saddle, with skinny kevlar tires and spandex.
the guy kinda ripped though.

such a different interpretation of mountain biking.

 

[bdamschen]

I say go ride your 303 again before you sell it. You might change your mind. Don't take it racing or even worry about going faster and hucking bigger than your homies, just ride it for fun.

Then decide if you're gonna sell it.

 

[stoney]

I rode it last week, which is in part where the debate comes into play.

 

[bdamschen]

I rode it last week, which is in part where the debate comes into play.

[butthurt] WHAT?!?! No invite?!? [/butthurt]


i kid i kid

 

[Nick]

I have 24 days of DH this year, so far, and many more yet to come. If you like the 303, and I think you do, I'd say keep it until you eliminate any chance of relocation.

The redundancy seems to be in the 575/SB66 overlap. If you need to thin the herd, start there.

 

[Brian HCM#1]

Just man up and pull N* day trips. It makes for a long day, but is totally doable. I've been doing this for the last 11 years.

 

[mandown]

I got old and sold my BB7 a few years back. Too much money and too many injuries. A season or two later, I "missed" DH and picked up my UFO ST and had a blast, even regretting selling the BB7.

Of course I started pimping out the UFO last season, just before I got lucky enough to need to let it go. Some might say that the moral of the story is to quit while you are ahead, before you are just a head .

I say keep the bike and have the shock Push'd so your hemorrhoids don't flare as often.

 

[golgiaparatus]

the day has come.
xc is now officially road biking on dirt.

To each his own... you get a kick out of conquering the terrain on the way down, we like to conquer it on the way up.

 

[TheMontashu]

Just man up and pull N* day trips. It makes for a long day, but is totally doable. I've been doing this for the last 11 years.

2nd that, if I'm out by 7 I can bet on my bike when the lifts open.


I have a better idea, instead of complaining you don't use your DH bike and no one wants to ride DH with you. You can go make some new friends who DO ride DH, then you can go ride DH with your new buds, and XC with the old ones.

 

[stoney]

My portfolio re-balance has just taken a drastic change. I found two cracks under the head tube on my 303 last night. Given that the frame is officially dead, I need to play the game of finding out how much I can get worth of crash replacement from my dealer. Hopefully he plays game so I can be put in a position of making it even worthwhile to replace it.

 

[CBJ]

That sucks - its a sign that you should keep the bike or the eventual new bike. I always thought of Yeti as a company who takes good care of customers.

 

[CrabJoe StretchPants]

My portfolio re-balance has just taken a drastic change. I found two cracks under the head tube on my 303 last night. Given that the frame is officially dead, I need to play the game of finding out how much I can get worth of crash replacement from my dealer. Hopefully he plays game so I can be put in a position of making it even worthwhile to replace it.

If it was Turner, you'd get a brand new frame for free.


As least that's what they did for me.

 

[jonKranked]

the day has come.
xc is now officially road biking on dirt.

based on what i saw at the windham world cup, i'd agree.


bring back real mountain biking courses. stop dumbing it down.