[sbabuser]

I actually agree with this, wholeheartedly in fact.

One of the points I was making earlier, and perhaps I did not spell it out well enough is that a big travel bike allows for the rider to make all kinds of basic mistakes - poor line choice, sloppy technique - which, when you combine them with the speeds a big bike allows means big injuries.

Funny thing is, they don't make rigid motocross bikes so people learn "correctly". They make slower ones with lesser suspension, but no one forces anyone to start on those, either.

This guy's already probably got the basics from riding motocross anyway. I took a 45 year old with me last weekend for his first time riding lifts (on a borrowed fsr xc) and his motorcycle (trails mostly) background helped him to get down the mountain in one piece, and actually at a pretty good pace, especially considering the equipment he had.

 

[clamber]

Yeah, Ill take your advice and keep an eye out for used bikes.

But there's still a part of my that wants to get a new bike.

For example, a Blindside build seems like it may be a good idea because I can get a double-ring crank, and still have a lot of travel. But I know that wont help the pedaling... Same with the Uzzi VP, but Im not sure if a large is big enough. The Bullit frame is really cheap, and I could get some top-end components, but its a single pivot.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------

rigidhack for the win!

"clamber" seems like a dude who's all about the image. he wants his MTB to "say something about" him.

if he was serious about "getting into MTB" then he would buy a decent used bike for about $2000, and get to riding about 15 hrs per week.

instead, I predict he'll spend all $5,000 on a blingy bike that he will put on his car/truck/SUV and hang out at the trailhead with a beer in his hand, pretending to have just finished "a gnarly ride."

but I'd be very positively surprised if he went the real route and actually became a bike rider.

Ahh, assuming that much about someone you don't even know? That just shows your level of intellect.

Thanks for thinking about me so much though, Im flattered.

 

[Transcend]

but its a single pivot.

so what? You just pointed out that you don't know a great deal about MTBs, but now you can pick out the differences in suspension type?

Do you really want advice/help, or do you just want to hear yourself talk? You have been offered, surprisingly, plenty of constructive advice from the peanut gallery. Take it.

 

[clamber]

so what? You just pointed out that you don't know a great deal about MTBs, but now you can pick out the differences in suspension type?

Do you really want advice/help, or do you just want to hear yourself talk? You have been offered, surprisingly, plenty of constructive advice from the peanut gallery. Take it.

People have been telling me that single-pivots dont pedal well at all. So ive been looking into VPP bikes more.

Sorry.

 

[blackohio]

A SP might not pedal AS WELL as a DW, VPP, ABP, APP or whatever. Now that doesnt mean it doesnt pedal just fine. People have been riding some seriously janky designs for a longtime and right now suspension design is at the best its ever been and people are really making good use of their available options.

 

[LOOnatic]

People have been telling me that single-pivots dont pedal well at all. So ive been looking into VPP bikes more.

Sorry.

Thats why u need to try to ride some bikes 1st.
Dont try so hard to buy/build the perfect bike when you could already be riding instead.
A single pivot is insanely easy to maintain and i cut my teeth on an older bullit and that what i think you should do on a newer/better one.
Slap 2 rings and a chainguide, a stout singlecrown fork and go riding ALREADY

I still have that bike although i've moved on and have made it into the bro-bike...

 

[jekyll991]

Thats why u need to try to ride some bikes 1st.
Dont try so hard to buy/build the perfect bike when you could already be riding instead.
A single pivot is insanely easy to maintain and i cut my teeth on an older bullit and that what i think you should do on a newer/better one.
Slap 2 rings and a chainguide, a stout singlecrown fork and go riding ALREADY

I still have that bike although i've moved on and have made it into the bro-bike...

Bingo, my first REAL bike was a cannondale jekyll 400. It did bob pretty bad and I had it raked out like hell with a 130mm fork but I could still out-climb my dad's friend on his 26 lb $3000 cannondale scalpel. There's no need to get caught up in that yet.

 

[clamber]

Ahh okay, well in that case. Ive made my decision.

SC Bullit + SRAM/Truvativ components + Fox Talas + Mavic Deetraks = my future bike. Maybe a Joplin if money permits.

Thanks guys, and sorry for being an annoying, indecisive bastard.

 

[Leppah]

So, if i see your bike out on the local trails, are you going to be trying to go faster than you actually can? I'd hate to see you riding over your head because you have a bike that is supposed to be good for everything.

At 250 pounds, and a moto rider, i'm curious. How are you built?

Are you built like Alistair Overeem at 250?

Or more like Roy Nelson at more than 250?

Either way, pedaling 250 pounds around on a freeride bike isn't going to be fun at all. I weigh 212 and ride a 42 pound bike for everything and it's a beeyatch to get up the hills.

 

[clamber]

So, if i see your bike out on the local trails, are you going to be trying to go faster than you actually can? I'd hate to see you riding over your head because you have a bike that is supposed to be good for everything.

At 250 pounds, and a moto rider, i'm curious. How are you built?

Are you built like Alistair Overeem at 250?

Or more like Roy Nelson at more than 250?

Either way, pedaling 250 pounds around on a freeride bike isn't going to be fun at all. I weigh 212 and ride a 42 pound bike for everything and it's a beeyatch to get up the hills.

Nah, I wont be doing anything out of my level.

And Im not going to lie, Im not extremely built, but Im not a fatty either.
But Im starting to workout 4 times a week, and riding should help a lot.

I know its not going to be fun at all, but I figure that the less fun Im having, the more calories Ill be burning. And the more calories I burn puts me in a better place to have more fun later down the road with riding. And hopefully be down to 200lbs by this time next year. Maybe sooner.

For the first little while Im just going to strengthen my legs and work towards better stamina. Then slowly progress.

But yeah, with the MX thing, its a pretty crazy sight to see a huge guy whip it over a 100' table. Before my wreck last year I was doing some crazy stuff.

 

[Leppah]

Good luck to you. i've wanted to get under 200, but i can't drop below 205. I know diet has a lot to do with it, but I don't want to diet yet. Your weight loss on a freeride bike is going to be extremely hard. Extremely. I hope you're as dedicated when you get the bike as you sound. It's not going to be fun at all at first.

 

[blue]

Ahh okay, well in that case. Ive made my decision.

SC Bullit + SRAM/Truvativ components + Fox Talas + Mavic Deetraks = my future bike. Maybe a Joplin if money permits.

Thanks guys, and sorry for being an annoying, indecisive bastard.

Congrats on listening to almost none of the advice in this thread. Transcend was right.



btw - if you wanna lose weight, buy a road bike too. Any sort of physical activity is good, yes, but the type of riding you'll do on a Bullit isn't going to help you lose weight in any serious amount.

 

[OGRipper]

the type of riding you'll do on a Bullit isn't going to help you lose weight in any serious amount.

This is just whacky. I don't know you, of course, and it may be true that the type of riding YOU would do on a bullit won't help you lose weight, but if he rides his up and down all day he will get a serious work out - more than he would on an AM bike.

 

[Leppah]

^^^^^^^^^^Probably depends on how far he can actually ride the Bullit uphill as opposed to an AM bike that he could probably pedal a lot farther. I know that if i can do 19 mile XC rides on my 42 pound coilair, I could probably do 25 miles on a 36 pound AM bike. I guess it depends on intensity too though. I ride slow as molasses. But that's also why I've been popping up here and there when 29ers come into discussion. :0)

 

[Lucifer]

You're looking at getting one of those 3 bikes for your FIRST mtn bike? I remember when a Specialized Hardrock was my first MTB! But for real, please reconsider. Owning a DH bike as your only bike is a bad idea, especially seeing that you live in Utah. You have epic mountains to explore (aka ride UP and THEN ride down). Think about something like a Nomad or an SX Trail instead of a full on DH rig. Just my opinion.

I live in Utah and the only mountain bike I own is a DH bike. Having done MX and BMX for most of my life, I'm simply not interested in riding anything but a machine that can allow me to blast through incredibly rough sections as well as handle big jumps and drops. I would rather not ride a mountain bike at all than ride anything besides a DH bike. Hiking up with my bike on my back doesn't bother me because I enjoy the ride down insurmountably.

It's a personality thing. That's why you see so many guys going from Moto to DH riding as DH gains momentum as a sport. Someone interested in one "extreme" sport is going to be interested in another. Someone riding Moto every other weekend probably isn't going to fill their other weekends with a nice soothing XC ride or a friendly cruise on a road bike.

TS, if you are hooked from your first ride I STRONGLY recommend diving right into the DH scene as you will most likely have the time of your life. Having read your post and seeing "this much fun since racing motocross" leads me to believe that you will greatly enjoy this sport.

If you end up getting the AM bike you're going to have fun for sure, but (at least in my opinion) if you're coming from a moto background, you're going to find yourself pushing that bike to it's limits and short changing yourself as far as performance goes. The second you feel comfortable enough in your abilities to do some scary descent or super gnar riding, that's usually the turning point for most riders and if you're not on the right bike it's going to seem far worse than it actually is. The simple difference in geometry can be the difference between being able to roll over a drop (no big deal) or having to actually make your rear end hit first to keep from going over the handle bars (making many trails straight up impossible on anything but a full blown DH bike).

 

[clamber]

Well ****, life just took a giant piss on my parade. It looks like I wont be able to get a bike for a while now. The insurance company is being rude so it looks like I have to pay for my dad's headstone.

Oh well, someday.


Thanks for the help though guys.

 

[Leppah]

Oh man, all of that hype and no bike. That sucks.

You're better off not having only a DH bike in Utah. THere are only a handful of DH worthy trails in Utah. Most of the pros and hardcores go out of state to ride the good stuff. They only ride DH in utah about 5 or 6 times a year really.

 

[penguinofdoom]

well ****, this is your opportunity to go buy a < $1000 bike, ride the piss out of it until it breaks (or you break), and then figure it out later.

 

[Iridemtb]

People people people. It is simple. To lose weight all he needs to do is some high intensity cardio right when he wakes up to burn off fat, get to some weights three times a week and do super sets and eat 5-6 smaller meals a day.