I have officially entered the suspension age with a new bike (the very last single pivot Sinister Splinter MX, custom welded by FTW). Took it to a local shuttle run in the pouring rain on Saturday and had a blast. Went from sessioning a series of 12"-18" rock drops to clearing a rather large stream gap (estimated at maybe 15' from takeoff to landing, but you are a good 8-10 feet in the air for it all) in about a half hour. (Talk about progression!) Sunday I went to the Iron Horse DH Series race #1 at Mt. Snow. First DH race ever (30-39 beginner), first time on a lift with a bike ever.
Here are things I did not understand before yesterday:
1.) why anybody would actually need anything more than 6" of travel?
2.) why MX goggles for biking?
3.) how anybody could think that 8" rotors were not overkill?
4.) the whole concept of "sag" - aka what's the big deal about a bike being "plush"?
5.) how DH'ers are alway breaking parts (I just assumed they were probably hacks)
I pretty much figured all of that out as I slid my way down the rocks in the mud, thankful for my 8" rotors, cursing the fact that I left my goggles at home, and wishing I had another 4" of travel. I won my category (there were only 2 riders), only drew small amounts of blood, and managed to snap a brake collar bolt (not exactly sure how).
Here are some things I still dont understand:
1.) How the hell do these guys go so fast?
2.) How do you call THAT a line?
3.) Why did I wait so long to get off the rigid with rim brakes?
If you can't tell, I'm loving this suspension thing.:love:
Here are things I did not understand before yesterday:
1.) why anybody would actually need anything more than 6" of travel?
2.) why MX goggles for biking?
3.) how anybody could think that 8" rotors were not overkill?
4.) the whole concept of "sag" - aka what's the big deal about a bike being "plush"?
5.) how DH'ers are alway breaking parts (I just assumed they were probably hacks)
I pretty much figured all of that out as I slid my way down the rocks in the mud, thankful for my 8" rotors, cursing the fact that I left my goggles at home, and wishing I had another 4" of travel. I won my category (there were only 2 riders), only drew small amounts of blood, and managed to snap a brake collar bolt (not exactly sure how).
Here are some things I still dont understand:
1.) How the hell do these guys go so fast?
2.) How do you call THAT a line?
3.) Why did I wait so long to get off the rigid with rim brakes?
If you can't tell, I'm loving this suspension thing.:love: