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XC bike for the downhiller

saruti

saruti

Turbo Monkey
Oct 29, 2006
1,173
75
Israel
so, what XC bike do U ride if any?

I ride an Orbea OIZ. 100mm. its an amazing bike. but, not too durable...
its a single pivot. but I dont think that its relevant for 100mm of travel.
I added a chain guide. and this bike is amazing.
the main problem is, the rear main pivot always get loose (2018 OIZ)


what do U use?
 
norbar

norbar

KESSLER PROBLEM. Just cause
Jun 7, 2007
11,503
1,719
Warsaw :/
I'd just get a 140mm trailbike to be honest. If its built light it's just as capable at climbing. Right now I'm on a 2001 Ellworth Joker XC (a one year special Joker redrilled to have 10mm less travel and sold as a different bike...) with 44rc3 evo ti's and it does the job well.

But from the days I wrote about bikes Rocky mountain tunderbolt or something like that with 120mm of travel was really capable.
 
SuspectDevice

SuspectDevice

Turbo Monkey
Aug 23, 2002
4,204
429
Roanoke, VA
Been loving a Marin Hawk Hill lately.
It’s basically a size large DH bike from 2003 but with 120mm of travel out back and 140 up front.
DB IL rear to keep it spicy. perfect machine for making ruts in the back yard

CF8C6D73-7565-4A71-B055-0B2FB0CDFED0.jpeg
 
jonKranked

jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
88,634
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if i was in the market for that kind of bike, there's this new category called "downcountry". stupid marketing name, but it's definitely worth looking at. its basically a slightly burlier XC bike with slacker geometry, but not quite as burly/heavy as 120mm trail bikes.
 
SuspectDevice

SuspectDevice

Turbo Monkey
Aug 23, 2002
4,204
429
Roanoke, VA
Yeah but “downcountry” bikes are “too capable” and too stable to be fun-enough.
FFS I gotta run nearly 40psi in my tires if I want my bike to skid and slide around on “xc” trails these days...
jonKranked said:
if i was in the market for that kind of bike, there's this new category called "downcountry". stupid marketing name, but it's definitely worth looking at. its basically a slightly burlier XC bike with slacker geometry, but not quite as burly/heavy as 120mm trail bikes.
Click to expand...
 
jonKranked

jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
88,634
26,881
media blackout
SuspectDevice said:
Yeah but “downcountry” bikes are “too capable” and too stable to be fun-enough.
FFS I gotta run nearly 40psi in my tires if I want my bike to skid and slide around on “xc” trails these days...
Click to expand...
OP asked for xc bikes. i provided XC bikes. sometimes its better to not ask questions.

ps waddup mickey
 
ZoRo

ZoRo

Turbo Monkey
Sep 28, 2004
1,224
11
MTL
SuspectDevice said:
Been loving a Marin Hawk Hill lately.
It’s basically a size large DH bike from 2003 but with 120mm of travel out back and 140 up front.
DB IL rear to keep it spicy. perfect machine for making ruts in the back yard

View attachment 143704
Click to expand...
Is it a Rift Zone or Hawk Hill? If they were selling frames they would be a nice fuck around bike to build for cheap with spare bin parts.
 
Jm_

Jm_

sled dog's bollocks
Jan 14, 2002
20,059
10,623
AK
Since I do XC racing, a Pivot 429 SL. Very stiff laterally. I switch between a 100mm and 120mm front fork, depending on training or racing or how rough the course is.

If I was just looking for an "all around" XC bike that would pedal significantly better than my DH/enduro rig to take on big rides, I'd be looking more in the 120mm area, 29er. I wouldn't be looking for more travel than that, IMO the sweet-spot for 29er is around 120 and any more and it's going to get bogged down pretty well without giving much more benefit for roll-over, etc.

Downcunty is marketing bullshit for the most part. If they really were "DC", they'd be coming with in-line coil shocks or at least reservoir air shocks with decent tuning ability. What they are is simply XC bikes dressed up with a longer fork and heavier parts, since those same companies use them as their XC racing platform for XC pros.
 
Gary

Gary

my pronouns are hag/gis
Aug 27, 2002
8,490
6,376
UK
Haven't had an actual XC bike since I last raced XC in 1995. for me an XC bike just has to be something light, fast rolling and comfortable for longer rides. so from '96 onwards I've just always had a dirt jump/4X hardtail with a 100-120mm fork, a small range of gears and a super long slammable seatpost.

This thing is my current XC bike.
_20200416_185839.JPG

It weighs about 25lb, That's a 250mm external lever dropper post when extended is at perfect pedalling extension and it has 36x11/25 gearing so plenty to climb on so long as you're willing to stand up and put some effort in.

Most of he UK is manky 9 months of the year so riding XC on limited grip and gearing reduces the dullness and means you actually have to think about lines/technique.

#264LYF obvz
 
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englertracing

englertracing

you owe me a sandwich
Mar 5, 2012
1,657
1,143
La Verne
Jm_ said:
Since I do XC racing, a Pivot 429 SL. Very stiff laterally. I switch between a 100mm and 120mm front fork, depending on training or racing or how rough the course is.

If I was just looking for an "all around" XC bike that would pedal significantly better than my DH/enduro rig to take on big rides, I'd be looking more in the 120mm area, 29er. I wouldn't be looking for more travel than that, IMO the sweet-spot for 29er is around 120 and any more and it's going to get bogged down pretty well without giving much more benefit for roll-over, etc.

Downcunty is marketing bullshit for the most part. If they really were "DC", they'd be coming with in-line coil shocks or at least reservoir air shocks with decent tuning ability. What they are is simply XC bikes dressed up with a longer fork and heavier parts, since those same companies use them as their XC racing platform for XC pros.
Click to expand...
the new trail 429 looks like a lot of fun
 
Happymtb.fr

Happymtb.fr

Turbo Monkey
Feb 9, 2016
2,066
1,437
SWE
My Xc/trail bike is a Devinci Django 29er, 120mm rear, 150mm front, -1° angleset, light-ish wheels.
I never tried a full-on modern XC bike TBH...
 
jonKranked

jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
88,634
26,881
media blackout
Jm_ said:
Downcunty is marketing bullshit for the most part. If they really were "DC", they'd be coming with in-line coil shocks or at least reservoir air shocks with decent tuning ability. What they are is simply XC bikes dressed up with a longer fork and heavier parts, since those same companies use them as their XC racing platform for XC pros.
Click to expand...
for the most part yes, but there are a handful of bikes in that category that are in fact what they claim to be, vs just an XC bike with some non-xc parts.
 
rideit

rideit

Bob the Builder
Aug 24, 2004
24,579
12,413
In the cleavage of the Tetons
Have to say, at the risk of brutal mockery, my Yeti SB100 fits the bill of your description to a T. That really was its entire design philosophy. It’s an amazing bike for that purpose. But TBH, If I bought again, I just would have gotten a 125r 140 f bike, I find myself overwhelming the Yeti’s travel fairly regularly. (100r, 130f).
 
Jm_

Jm_

sled dog's bollocks
Jan 14, 2002
20,059
10,623
AK
rideit said:
Have to say, at the risk of brutal mockery, my Yeti SB100 fits the bill of your description to a T. That really was its entire design philosophy. It’s an amazing bike for that purpose. But TBH, If I bought again, I just would have gotten a 125r 140 f bike, I find myself overwhelming the Yeti’s travel fairly regularly. (100r, 130f).
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Yeah, right, sure it is. I can tell by what kind of shock they speced on there. :rolleyes: Besides there being no replacement for travel, as in something like 120 would make a hell of a lot more sense, like a 120mm Evil or Ripmo, the fact that they just spec some dumbass XC shock tells me they aren't serious at all in making that SB100 a "downcunty" bike. It's just BS. If they were serious about it, they'd modify the LR to use a coil and have it split off from the non-cunty SB100 that they issue to the XC pros. Back to the Ripmo/Evil Following...THAT is a downcunty bike, especially the Evil. Just enough travel to get rowdy, but not over-doing it, over-built and able to handle abuse, etc. Not that the SB100 is bad, but it's just annoying how "half ass" the industry does stuff..
 
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Jm_

Jm_

sled dog's bollocks
Jan 14, 2002
20,059
10,623
AK
Jm_ said:
Yeah, right, sure it is. I can tell by what kind of shock they speced on there. :rolleyes: Besides there being no replacement for travel, as in something like 120 would make a hell of a lot more sense, like a 120mm Evil or Ripmo, the fact that they just spec some dumbass XC shock tells me they aren't serious at all in making that SB100 a "downcunty" bike. It's just BS. If they were serious about it, they'd modify the LR to use a coil and have it split off from the non-cunty SB100 that they issue to the XC pros. Back to the Ripmo/Evil Following...THAT is a downcunty bike, especially the Evil. Just enough travel to get rowdy, but not over-doing it, over-built and able to handle abuse, etc. Not that the SB100 is bad, but it's just annoying how "half ass" the industry does stuff..
Click to expand...
100mm coil F and R, then we'd be talking downcunty!
 
rideit

rideit

Bob the Builder
Aug 24, 2004
24,579
12,413
In the cleavage of the Tetons
I dunno, I have a KOM on an extremely technical trail in Colorado that still stands. 22 minute DH, stupid rocky. I think I would have been slower on my Altitude. Not particularly pedally, either, or I would NEVER have gotten the KOM. Maybe it only works in Colorado.
 
6thElement

6thElement

Schrodinger's Immigrant
Jul 29, 2008
17,148
14,622
rideit said:
I dunno, I have a KOM on an extremely technical trail in Colorado that still stands. 22 minute DH, stupid rocky. I think I would have been slower on my Altitude. Not particularly pedally, either, or I would NEVER have gotten the KOM. Maybe it only works in Colorado.
Click to expand...
Which trail?
 
Gary

Gary

my pronouns are hag/gis
Aug 27, 2002
8,490
6,376
UK
dafuq are you dumbcunty hipsters going on about?

Getting "rowdy" on an XC bike is down to the rider. Not the bike.
 
Jm_

Jm_

sled dog's bollocks
Jan 14, 2002
20,059
10,623
AK
rideit said:
I dunno, I have a KOM on an extremely technical trail in Colorado that still stands. 22 minute DH, stupid rocky. I think I would have been slower on my Altitude. Not particularly pedally, either, or I would NEVER have gotten the KOM. Maybe it only works in Colorado.
Click to expand...
I'm sure, unless it's a crazy steep chute, a long-travel bike bike is slower. I've done enough XC and DH racing to know this, it takes some pretty whacked out courses to ensure a DH bike is faster, and in between there's long range of DHs where you can go a lot faster on an XC bike, overall the entire distance. Now, which is funner can always be debated, sometimes going crazy fast is funnest, sometimes the lower-travel bike FEELs faster and is a bigger rush. Sometimes it's knowing you can just blast off a feature like wily-e--coyote with no serious repercussions cuz the bike will take it.

The number of people I pass on XC races on the downhills with longer-travel bikes is mind-boggling to me. I'm not talking short little dowhills, but 1000+ vert descent-at-a-time with plenty of rough sections. Some of these same trails I used to shuttle on my DH bike, because they were kinda fun to shuttle, but they just aren't the level of craziness to make a DH bike the fastest way.
 
rideit

rideit

Bob the Builder
Aug 24, 2004
24,579
12,413
In the cleavage of the Tetons
I agree. If you look at the profile of the ride, the 100mm was the right choice for the climbing (1800feet PLUS of HAB). The Altitude would have been more fun for just that DH section, but that's it.
 
6thElement

6thElement

Schrodinger's Immigrant
Jul 29, 2008
17,148
14,622
Nick said:
@rideit @6thElement have you guys ridden Croiser? It's in that same general area outside Estes.

Super good, very native and less traveled, and rowdy as heck descent.


Also, I'm glad to hear that @Gary is snarky so he MUST be feeling better! :thumb:
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Not ridden near Estes at all. I think @Full Trucker did a ride up there last year or year before, may have been Croiser, but Little Brown's is stuck in my mind too as a name.

edit: Little Browns is over by Mt Antero.
 
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