[ChrisRobin]

The last time I rode downhill was in 2007 or 2008. Because of work, having to relocate...etc, I lost interest.

As of this week, I decided it's time to get back into it (moving back into Vancouver helped that idea...and making a trip up to Whistler this week also helped a bit!).

I want to play it safe for next season by getting myself an older but reliable bike and see how things go from there. Plus having a mortgage in this town really taps into any extra $$$ you might have. Based on my budget, everything I've looked seems to be from these years: 2005-2008.

From these years, what models do you guys remember being the most popular in terms of suspension design, reliability...etc??

I've seen a few Turner DHR's (just before they switched to round tubing), Foes 2.1 DHS mono's and Sundays to name a few.

Any ideas? Thanks.

 

[ChrisRobin]

BTW, I don't expect to get a perfect bike... the plan is to find one soon and then spend the fall/winter changing out parts, figuring out suspension...etc.

 

[no skid marks]

Balfa BB7. Make new plates(easy)and set geo to whatever you want.
Not super stiff, but an awesome bike.

 

[scottishmark]

Old Giant Glory. Near indestructible and loads around to choose from, will probably outlast the human race

 

[Kevin]

How about a v10?
Been riding mine since 05 and shes still going strong!

 

[MrPlow]

There is a reason why the Sunday tuning thread is still at the top of this forum. They are a great bike. And cheap now too.

 

[Harry BarnOwl]

There are some incredible deals on sundays at the moment. With angled reducer cups to bring them up to modern geo, I still find it difficult to justify wanting a brand new bike. Love mine to bits and will ride it till it dies!

 

[motobutane]

I rode a square tube Turner DHR for a while and they are great bikes. Just riding up the Sea-to-Sky highway towards Squamish/Whistler will make any bike seem better.

 

[Uncle Cliffy]

Old Giant Glory. Near indestructible and loads around to choose from, will probably outlast the human race

Ding Ding! Winner!

 

[Jon Dexter Tan]

exactly what i did, after deciding on getting back into downhill after years of not riding a bike (was into other downhill stuff) i just got me a used square tubed Turner DHR, i'll get me a new, current-tech rig as soon as i'm sure i'm going to be doing it for awhile. for now i'm happy with something i can go ride and bring me down fast and in one piece. har.

 

[canadmos]

If you know you will enjoy doing it, I would personally skip the used bike route, unless you find a super nice one for a great price.

Reason I say this is that you can find some really good deals on brand new bikes that have pretty decents components.

 

[BmxConvert]

Whats your price range?
I need my downhill bike through the 6th of September for a riding trip and then I'll be selling it.
It's a well spec'd US made Sunday with an Angleset, 3 rear shocks, X0 drivetrain, XT brakes, 2011 Boxxer WC or WB Groove 200(new in box).

 

[Downhillbiker23]

That is a well spec'd Sunday fo'sho!^

And ya Sundays are amazing bikes. Some call them the best bikes ever made!
The m1 is a bombproof machine!
Older glories are also amazing!
Older intenses aren't the lightest, but I am pretty sure they are the strongest!
JUST DO NOT BY A KONA!

 

[ChrisRobin]

Thanks for the replies so far... As far as the Sundays go, yeah I remember everyone saying how amazing they were but is it 'forgiving'??...can a hack ride it and plow through things?

 

[Jon Dexter Tan]

canadmos has a good point though, i've seen deals on frames or bikes that are priced comparable to used ones. if you have a budget over 2k def go brand new. if you can get a used but great rig for less than 1.5k i wouldn't hesitate at all.

 

[xy9ine]

aww, you sold the nucleon? would still love one of those, for a wall hanger if nothing else. borg bike.

 

[sbabuser]

Sundays are pretty versatile - with the right shock tuning, they can plow and are pretty forgiving, but also jump decently. I'm starting to think I should keep my eye open for one in good condition for next season, too.

 

[Big J]

Thanks for the replies so far... As far as the Sundays go, yeah I remember everyone saying how amazing they were but is it 'forgiving'??...can a hack ride it and plow through things?

in that case a v10 would be your friend....ChrisKring may still have his orange '08-'09 for sale though I'm not sure if it's whole or frame, you'll have to ask him.

J

 

[Jon Dexter Tan]

there's a Sunday up on the classifieds just incase...

 

[CBJ]

There are some incredible deals on sundays at the moment. With angled reducer cups to bring them up to modern geo, I still find it difficult to justify wanting a brand new bike. Love mine to bits and will ride it till it dies!

I just put mine up for sale and it's still in geat shape

http://www.ridemonkey.com/classifieds/cat-2/ad-21374/

 

[Downhillbiker23]

I have an M3 for sale

 

[ChrisRobin]

Haha, alright... Any thoughts on a Foes 2.1 mono?

As for the Sunday, it's getting tempting for sure... excited at the thought of having rebuilt suspension by Avalanche.

And xy9ine, yeah I regret selling it. It was heavy but I never really cared. I would have updated the parts, suspension, had the rohloff hub serviced, and kept it going.

 

[xy9ine]

And xy9ine, yeah I regret selling it. It was heavy but I never really cared. I would have updated the parts, suspension, had the rohloff hub serviced, and kept it going.

given the adjustability of those things you could probably get the geometry pretty close to modern numbers too. wonder what they're worth these days...

rad:

 

[englertracing]

Haha, alright... Any thoughts on a Foes 2.1 mono?

As for the Sunday, it's getting tempting for sure... excited at the thought of having rebuilt suspension by Avalanche.

And xy9ine, yeah I regret selling it. It was heavy but I never really cared. I would have updated the parts, suspension, had the rohloff hub serviced, and kept it going.

Foes 2.1 mono is bomb proof. (I don't think you'll wear it out.). It really will outlast any of your other choices and just look at it!
It works great once you get it setup.
Avoid the airshock I head they feel like a suction cup.
The coil works really good but since its a 2.1 leverage ratio the spring rate choice is a little course(you could find yourself between rates). I run a stiffer spring with little preload. The manual says no lower than 50psi in the sock. Although foes will say in person its okay to go a little lower. At 45psi it rides like a moto eats anything but is a little bobby and at 55lbs it pedals amazing but is a little choppy. Over braking bumps if your not really really hauling the mail. However when you do open it up its stable goes straight feels botomless and devours every obstacle in its path like the beast it is. But below race speed it is a little rough. It's a little heavy. Built light I'm at 41lbs. But thats part of the durability and its never bothered me.

Plus Brent foes is Awsome they swapped springs for me and he rebuilt my shock free of charge when it started leaking.
Hand made in ca it doesn't get any better.

 

[ChrisRobin]

given the adjustability of those things you could probably get the geometry pretty close to modern numbers too. wonder what they're worth these days...

rad:

Actually, there's a small brace in between the seatstays near the holes, near the pivot for those arms that push the shock link. I remember having my frame set pretty low to the point where that cross brace hit the seat tube. Without an adjustable headset, you'd still be off from modern day geometry. Still a fun bike that plowed through everything though.

 

[ChrisRobin]

Thanks for the info on the Mono 2.1!

 

[WestCoastHucker]

maybe zedro will sell you his old school contraption....

 

[scottishmark]

I'd forgotten that Skynet used to make DH bikes

 

[ChrisRobin]

Zedro?? I haven't heard from that character in a while... I'm going to Montreal to visit in a month. I'll try to find him. He had broken that old school contraption a long time ago. It was fun riding with him.

Well so far we have the:
Sunday
Glory
Foes 2.1
Turner
V10

Pretty good choices so far... maybe Intense if one shows up.

 

[TrumbullHucker]

Old Giant Glory. Near indestructible and loads around to choose from, will probably outlast the human race

this

there's a Sunday up on the classifieds just incase...

I'd forgotten that Skynet used to make DH bikes

lol

or get a stinky/stab and get some killer components for it?
personally not a big kona fan ( but the new operator is great looking ) but they are everywhere and seem super reliable

 

[ChrisRobin]

Not a big fan of Kona... never have been. What used to bother me is as other manufacturers would research and develope their suspension deseigns, all Kona would do is slightly modify theirs.

Still undecided... I'd have to find a Sunday to sit on. I'm not sure if it would suit my style is terms of picking lousy lines and trying to truck over things. What's encouraging is the choice of adjustable headsets out there and even offset shock bushings to tweak the angles a bit. Plus I plan on getting a frame that Craig makes a shock for. I can always get him to mess around with the length of the shock depending on the frame design.

 

[kickstand]

in that case a v10 would be your friend....ChrisKring may still have his orange '08-'09 for sale though I'm not sure if it's whole or frame, you'll have to ask him.

J

i'm pretty sure my buddy picked that bike up. If its the one i am thinking of.

 

[Sandwich]

Yo...I went from a Racelink to a Sunday to that Zumbi that you PMed me about (but I sold). The Sunday is a pretty forgiving bike, but the geometry just fuggin' works. It's a bike that you feel pretty natural on immediately. Plus, it's really flexible with a full, short, 1.5" head tube, solid 83mm bb, iscg05, and 12x150 rear. You'll have plenty of options to choose from.

Negatives, the BB is low, which means it handles well, but you'd be wise to use short cranks (165mm). Short cranks pedal funny, or at least I thought so, but you get over it. The worst thing is the lack of shock options. Be prepared to grind the link for an RC4, or get a custom tune, or whatever. The Zumbi felt weird coming from the Sunday, tall and short, but the suspension was worlds better- in that it was more progressive and plush and did what it's supposed to do- absorb bumps. I suggest if you have the cashola- grab a sunday and get an RC4 and grind the link. Supposedly it makes up for the sundays shock rate, which combined with the DHX, was the worst thing about the bike IMO. Also, the shock packaging makes tuning difficult, but you figure it out.

tl;dr sundays are cheap, common, and well reviewed, but I had trouble with mine.

Barring that, I think I'd love a Yakuza or Airborne whatever it is with a great shock on it.

 

[ChrisRobin]

Thanks for the info... if I do go with a Sunday, I'll be going with an Avalanche shock for the rear and catridge for whatever fork is in front. Hopefully that works out well. Hey, maybe it'll teach me to fly/jump/roll over things as opposed trying to bash through everything.

 

[Sandwich]

one more thing, I would definitely say that the sunday is not a "plow" bike but a finesse bike. That being said, it's not a bad thing, it makes you want to become a better rider and will allow you to do so. My RL was really comfortable, but slow as balls and difficult to handle. I don't have a ton to compare it to, but it certainly made me a better rider.

I'm making myself want to get another one...sheesh.

 

[bullcrew]

WOW! Lol welcome back .....you kind of disappeared there....

You can't go wrong with the Sunday it rips....yeah its not as forgiving in the chunder but the curve of the bike falls off allowing for it to blow through the travel which is good as long as it has good damping.
The thing corners and tracks amazing which makes up for a lot of sloppy riding by allowing you to turn at will and swap lines in the middle of a chute or garden.

I have a m9 now and a pivot phoenix to ride side by side I hope the phoenix feels like a Sunday that progressed and advanced. The m9 soaks up everything it is a trophy truck race bike for sure bit not quite as nimble as I'm liking. I'll play with settings and
ial it in for sure but it does move....

 

[ChrisRobin]

Thanks! Yeah, I noticed I never visited the site when I sold my Nicolai. My join date was 10 years ago!!...holy crap how time flies.

"Trophy Truck"... good way of putting it! That's the type of bike I've always had. I'll for sure keep my eyes open for something. There are a lot of good choices now and will be for a while. I can't wait!

In the meantime, I need my trailbike up and running. I need Craig to get on it and make the cartridge for the Fox 36!!

edit.
bullcrew... I just checked the avalanche site and he has the cartridge ready for the Fox 36. Awesome.

 

[Udi]

Well so far we have the:
Sunday
Glory
Foes 2.1
Turner
V10

I think the Sunday is a tough one to beat all things considered - just make sure you get an 07+ one if you go that route as the linkages are a much better design and the frame is lighter.

I found the VPP bikes a little wallowy, and pre-current versions of the V10 and Intense M bikes are geometrically inferior to the current offerings, enough that I'd avoid them (moreso the V10, Intense are OK).

The Glory works well, only caveat being it doesn't pedal as well as the Sunday, however makes up for it with improved square-edge performance. IMO durability isn't quite as good but most seem to hold up. If you go this route check sizing, for example I personally feel comfortable on both an L Glory and M Sunday, however an M Glory is too small.

Round tube Turners work well, have excellent geometry, and the progressive shock rate makes for a good bike if you like popping and jumping. Rearend is a bit flexy though.

Only place the Sunday falls behind is it's a little rougher in square edges and is sensitive to shock setup as already stated by a few, but excellent acceleration, good geometry (easily modernizable with slacker headtube cups if needed) and above-average durability + stiffness make it pretty hard to beat for an older/cheaper bike.

 

[Sonic Reducer]

I thought my sunday was a bit flexy. went through DU's a lot. annoying to work on the linkage. no denying they are a good buy though. I sold my sunday frame for $600 last winter with a fresh roco wc and ti coil. I'd spend a little more like 800-1000 on a used frame; new style glory, yeti 303rdh, morewood makulu, cove shocker, etc. there are some good buys out there, better deals than a sunday for little more money imho.

 

[ChrisRobin]

I've checked around and yeah, the Glory is a good choice although I'm 5'10.5" or 179cm tall (last I checked), and a hefty 210lbs before equipment (all beef, baby!).... and I of course fit in between medium and large right across the board. From what I've read, the medium is really small. I could go with a large but once I put in an angleset, I'll be stretching out the wheelbase which is already big.

The El Cuervo is nice but again, medium is too small so I'd have to get a large from what I've read. I read the large El Cuervo fits like the medium pre-DW DHR.

I think over all a medium DHR or medium Sunday would be the way to go based on the sizing and being able to use an angleset.