We had a few years of really pathetic entry numbers in DH (as low as 70) and at the time I'd have put the reason almost entirely down to the popularity and hype of Enduro racing but this year I hear the SDA DH series sold out the day entries when live (*350). Not exactly sure what's changed TBH. mtb in general definitely still seems to be growing though.
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- Thread starter djjohnr
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Chopping up trails on private property isn't really an option, eh.
All the best trails around here are on private land. And none of them are "legal"...
I've been forced to recognize they are a luxury not all my friends can afford and many people can't find enough days to use, but yes, they are so sweet. Maybe affordable DH bikes is a market companies should persue with the angle that you are buying this to save your trail bike from the damage of park and jump days.
To be fair if you built a DH track that actually necessitated a WC-level DH bike to ride, you'd find half the field would nope out. Either from not owning the requisite equipment, or from the level of gnar that track would need to be.
Around here Enduro got popular half because they're just easier races to put on. Don't need a shuttle road, there's no chairlifts in QLD, the bikes are actually usable for more than a few weekends a year.
DH is regaining popularity though, even a few of the field are just running an enduro bike. We had a real lack of venues for a few years and quite a few headaches with getting event insurance etc, but that seems to be less of an issue now.
Companies like Commencal doing both a Supreme race bike and less complicated, more affordable FRS (or Fury) is a good option. Sure a 15kg Canyon Sender is lovely to race, but something about that just seems to raise the alert level for a season of park laps or multiple weekend of shuttles.
Yeah true about a true DH track, they'll get used less frequently.
Even with the advent of enduro bikes, I'm talking strictly at lift access bike parts. Majority of bikes are enduro or trail bikes, aint nobody climbing. Heck even the e-bikes are taking the lifts sometimes.
But that said, from what I see, very few new blue level/mellow trails are built or created, compared to roller flowster trails.
ACTUALLY, i'll shut up now, because the true trails are usually less crowded and whatnot, like what you describe, so yeah, MOAR FLOW TRACKS!! Keep everyone over there while I enjoy the non-chewed up natural single track. Much easier to stop and take a leak on single track as well.
One thing I never understood here when Enduro became so popular it shat all over DH was that folk were prepared to pay pretty much the same entry fees to ride their bike uphill to do LESS descents with far LESS on course safety precautions in place than a DH race with uplift all day on practice day and 2x practice runs and 2x race runs on race day.
I kept hearing an argument for enduro that it's better because you get to ride your bike MOAR and spend MOAR time with your mates. Aye, riding your bike UPHILL. The only real downside to DH racing for me was always lift queues but even then the banter in a lift queue was usually better quality than most chat you hear while climbing. Plus there's still plenty queueing at an enduro race anyway.
my theory is that enduro took off because they didn't need a specific bike for it, like with DH. where i live, with maybe one exception, all DH is lift access at a ski resort. that's the only place it'll get ridden. with bikes costing what they do now, the number of people owning multiple use-specific bikes has likely decreased.
with only 2 chairlift accessed tracks and one or two vehicle uplift services here pretty much everyone who ever owned a DH bike had another more versatile mtb to compliment it. But yeah. I suppose alot of the folk who sold their DH bikes may well have put that money towards a better enduro bike. and a nice Fanny pack obviously.
My mantra has always been, if you are pedalling up hill at anytime it’s XC. Enduro races are a sort of XC racing. I have an “enduro” bike but DH will always be why I race.
i went a period a few years back of trying to race the small travel bike on DH tracks and it was fun. But where I live we have big mountains and getting the DH bike on a proper tech gravity track is, to me, the pinnacle of Mountain biking.
i prefer to do solo push runs than pedalling the up trails.
But yes I’m seeing a trend of DH bikes coming back with a few younger guys riding the proper DH track that I brought back from the dead. Just need to wrangle them up for some manpower to help make some adjustments now the tiger snakes are packing themselves away for the winter…
i went a period a few years back of trying to race the small travel bike on DH tracks and it was fun. But where I live we have big mountains and getting the DH bike on a proper tech gravity track is, to me, the pinnacle of Mountain biking.
i prefer to do solo push runs than pedalling the up trails.
But yes I’m seeing a trend of DH bikes coming back with a few younger guys riding the proper DH track that I brought back from the dead. Just need to wrangle them up for some manpower to help make some adjustments now the tiger snakes are packing themselves away for the winter…
Thank you for your service.
I hear you, I am in the same situation many of my friends only have 1 bike and have plenty of fun riding lift spots without a dh bike. It's not a necessity it's just damn fun if you have one.
i've always (past 15 years) just had one solidly built long travel "enduro" bike and dealt with it when i rode locally. never held me back at bike parks (my favorite trails at windrock/snowshoe are the chunkiest/jankiest - not the flowiest/jumpiest) and have always been mid-pack in group of friends w/dh bikes) and also perfect for mountains rides which make up ~75% of my riding. at dh parks, i'm not getting tireder either-usually one of the ones out until the lifts shut dow . if i was racing or riding dh every weekend, i might invest in a full dh rig, otherwise, i don't see the expense being justified.
Yeah we got heaps more actual descending time here at the Enduros than the DHs. Our uplifts are always a joke. Plus the DH tracks were usually part of the enduro course as well so its all pretty similar.
Now we have better shuttle trailers and a sealed road lift for our two main venues it is looking heaps better for DH bikes. I've been keeping an eye out for a second hand rig so I can give some of the events this year a proper nudge. I used my Mega 275 for the last DH race I did but do miss the proper smashy smashy of a good DH bike.
but if you sell your dh bike someone else rides it. so where are they then ridden if not at races?
i still debating if i should rebuild mine. needs a new rear wheel. but the hubs are 36h. there are no new 26“ rims available anymore
Light Bicycle will make any of the different width 26" rims in a "heavy duty DH" layup and 36h. Some friends and I run the 40mm wide model 36h on the front of our Surrons with no problems.
Shame you aren't in Oz, I have some new DT 26" rims that I have been swearing at as I have moved them around the garage for the last five plus years.
Or stock up on these..
www.ridewill.it
Rim 545D E-Bike 26'' 21mm 36 Holes Disc Brake DT Swiss Wheels - Acces
- Rim diameter: 26 inches- ETRTO: 559-21- Rim inner width: 21mm- Rim outer width: 27mm- Rim height: 19mm- Holes: 36- Brake: Disc Brake- Weight: 530g- Material: Aluminium-
www.ridewill.it
Sh*t mate, that could have been much worse. Glad to hear you're OK. What helmet was that? Obvs a Specialized....
It was a Specialized Echelon II. Bought it Saturday, crashed it Wednesday. I took it back to the shop and they have me a new one at half price. Fingers crossed this one lasts longer.
Barf.
nah, I'm good, but thanks for asking.
New dentist cranks by CC have also emerged:
www.bikeradar.com
Cane Creek launches £1,450 3D-printed titanium ebike cranks
New Electric Wings cranks claimed to weigh 383g
www.bikeradar.com
Maybe, probably.
How many Gazillions will it cost?
500 for the cheapest RD.
400 for the cheapest cassette.
100 for the cheapest chain.
150 for the cheapest shifter.
So ~1150 without cranks.
those actually look better than the regular eewings IMO.New dentist cranks by CC have also emerged:
Cane Creek launches £1,450 3D-printed titanium ebike cranks
New Electric Wings cranks claimed to weigh 383g
Not that I'm looking to update any of them, but I have 5 MTB's and only one of them is UDH. So also limiting on who can fit the stuff to existing bikes.
Yes, of course!
I just meant that considering the absence of derailleur hanger standards prior to UDH, they did a pretty good job of rapidly gaining acceptance from several brands on many of their new bikes, paving the way to this new direct mount Transmission system.
SRAM's product line managing in charge did quite a decent job IMO.
Not that I break stuff, but from watching/reading the PB coverage, the strength of that rear mech is impressive.