A lil advice choosing DH/FR bike

[Sharky]

THANKS...plan on giving this bad boy a beating!! I'll be giving him his virgin ride at Southridge tomorrow.
Very happy with my final decision.

[26'er Zen Master]

YETI ASX !!!!!!!!! F!@# THE REST RIDE THE BEST (ask Gabe he'll tell you) Oh and did you go into Adrenaline at all?

[Kid A]

congrats on bike. looks like u picked none of the above. expect to see picks of you racing and hucking your new baby soon.

[ka0t1c07]

Nice Hucking machine you got there.

[Foesnasty]

you traitor...nice bike lets go crash it

[Sharky]

I swear INCYCLE was my first choice gave me a killer deal on my last bike...made several visits but the Path gave me a deal on the IH I couldn't refuse!!

I hang my head in shame ...j/k

Looks like Del Cerro will be it's maiden voyage. Tried to squeeze a ride in this weekend but work kicked my butt with the holiday . LOVE this bike looking forward to lots of sweet carnage!!

[maxwell]

Hey Sharky,

I've got a 2004 Stinky DeLuxe and it's my favorite bike.....EVER!!

I'm going with Winston on recomending the Marzocchi 66 Light w/ ETA. I have it on mine, and it's BEAUTIFUL!

On this bike you can......

Freeride
Race DH
Race XC.... (yes, I have raced XC on my Stinky)

Do long climbs, with long descents

Pretty much anything your little heart desires.

Mine weighs 39 lbs, but it's a 19 inch, or size large.
You could also go the route that I wanted to go when I first built it up. Go with the 66 Light, and a FOX DHX Air, and it'll come out even lighter yet. I have the DHX 5.0 Coil on mine, the Air wouldn't fit due to hitting the valve on the rocker. Kona solved that problem by having Fox move the valve for their bikes.

Hope this helps a little.........

[Sharky]

Went down to ride with my nephew (Briman) at sunny Del Cerro today. Brian had a mechanical issue come up on his bike so couldn't get past the first play area so made do and took turns taking the jumps on the Ironhorse... very fun. Gave the bad boy it's maiden ride and by far exceeded my expectations. Handled like a dream and made for smooth landings!! I fealt such complete control with this bike compared to the Blur on the same runs. Couldn't be happier and ready to PLAY.
Thanks to all helping with my final decision.

[tkblazer]

time for a full face and some body armor eh?

[Foesnasty]

Originally Posted by tkblazer

time for a full face and some body armor eh?

someone needs a pressure suit

[tkblazer]

Originally Posted by Foesnasty

someone needs a pressure suit

wouldn't be a bit hard to pedal in?

[Sharky]

Originally Posted by tkblazer

time for a full face and some body armor eh?

Got em all before the bike now get your 909 pass and let's play ... thanks to the STR riders that donated some of their old gear my way!
AND what's up with those idiot boneheads dumping domestic pets...there was a tame pet rabbit hanging out in the bushes at that play area. Not good.

[BFloFoxRider.]

hhahah glad you have a bike to play on now. we are going to have to hit my trail again =)
but now i dont have a bik until i get money to buy a new one or until i demo one =/

[DownhillWebKook]

Hey Sharky,

I think I ran into you out at Aliso the other day. I was running the silver helmet with goggles (the tall skinny blindingly ultra fast super ripper on a red Enduro SX)...soooooo...

If you're thinking of racing dh, then you're going to want to look for a few characteristics in your bike that will differentiate it from other descenders: geometry, weight, pedalability, and durability.

Typically you're going to want slacker head-angles to deal with the steepness, the impacts, and the speed. The bottom bracket should be as low as tolerable in order to lower your center of gravity and allow you to rail corners.

You obviously want to reduce weight in order to minimize the energy needed to move the bike (E = F.dl). That's just physics: lighter means less energy required...also means weaker bike so optimize between weight and strength. If you are a masher then sacrifice some weight (add more) for increased durability.

You're going downhill, but you still need to pedal. In particular out of corners and in flat sections where you can grab a little extra mph. Don't expect the feel of an XC bike. Also, don't think of the same kind of fit you'd have for an XC bike. The seat on a DH bike is more of a rudder than anything else. It's not really a place to put your butt because you'll be too busy laying down the power.

Durability is always an issue. If you are a lightweight, smooth, finesse rider then you can get away with very light components like carbon bars, etc. If you're a masher, you'll want to get more robust components (a tad heavier).

It's helpful to watch videos like the Earthed series or Clay Porter's videos. Those are all dh race oriented videos and they really showcase the different types of riders and bikes out there. Try to find something that suits your riding style. Steve Peat is a big man and rides a V10. It has 10" of travel. Cedric Gracia rides a Commencal that he has reduced the travel on to 7". They both ride the same courses and do very well, but they also ride with radically different styles. Cedric, for example, won a Red Bull rampage on a bike with around 7.5" of travel proving that travel is not everything.

Finally, we don't really have a wealth of dh here in SoCal where a dedicated rig is the way to go. You might consider a "mini-dh" bike like the one Commencal makes.

As for myself, I have a Yeti ASX with a very light build kit for "medium" dh applications. I have more recently added a GT DHi with a top shelf build for "big" dh. For "light" dh I run the Enduro SX (a mountainX bike). All of them have good geometry, are light and nimble, and put up with punishment. All have 9 speeds and run road cassettes for close ratios that are good for racing.

Hope all this helps. Good luck choosing your sled.

Cheers

[CalEpic]

Um, I think she bought a bike like 4 months ago.

[tkblazer]

yea, brad's a bit slow

[Sharky]

Thanks anyways Brad...
Did we chat on Rock-it or at the bottom of Cholla? I remember the helmet. I was probably on my Iron Horse 7.7 which is what I ended up choosing and LOVE it. Where I live is close to Southridge and certain "play" areas so I've been having lots of fun on it!! It was the perfect choice and enjoy that I can still take it places that require climbing like Del Cerro and Aliso. BUT best of all it eats up anything on the DH runs like a monster!! WOOT!!
BTW I enjoy watching all the DH tapes I can get my hands on the Earthed ones kicked arse . I just returned atleast 6 I borrowed from my bike guru Dirttorpeedo. Can't wait to see Between the Tape.
Thanks for your input again and see you out there when you're not just a red blurrrrrrr .
Your post would be a good one for Jeff (Jsims) to read he's in the market now. I offered a ride on the 7 point to help him decide?? Always good to ride as many as you can...The Path gave me a killer deal on mine.

[soul rider]

the Trek would be good except for the Manitblows fork...Stinky is the deal...just make sure it has the solid rocker arm not the initial cut out ones...they bend