Your choice-5" or 6" Bike for Socal?

I dont know about nothing. Yeah most don't require that big of a bike but it can me so much more fun on it.

 

I like the way this guy thinks. The good thing about some rigs (5 spot) is that it will take different travel forks depending on what your riding and what you are looking to do. Also the efficiency of climbing with the suspension is second to none. Im also not biase either...I ride a 5 spot and a Sultan.

 

I find the Santa Cruz Blur LT2 to fit all of my needs. Easily the best all around bike I have ever been on. I run 140mm up front but may change that to 160 in the future. Climbs well and has no problems with my aggressive riding style when pointed down hill.

 

I started with 5" K2. I agree that if you can push more travel, do it. But dont get a bike that you have to walk uphill because it's too heavy to climb unless that's what you want the bike for. Mine is getting a bit heavy under me and have been wanting a lighter 6 " but maybe I'm just itching for the new new!

 

It all come down to your preferences and priorities.

4", can be built down to 24-26 Lbs, better for racing and endurance.

5", 25-30 Lbs, little more confident DH but a little slower up.

6", 28-32lbs, 8-9/10ths of a DH bike but climbs better.


Basically if you want to do 50 mile rides, 30 mile rides, or Most everything locally and shuttle runs respectively. I shop on Geo for fit and handling, really 4-6 inches is pretty much the same category in that it's nether a race hard tail or a DH sled so find one that fits you and your budget or just get one in a pretty color.

 

I would have to say the differance is durabilaty and wieght. You can ride anything on a 6" travel bike that you could on a 5". But you couldn't ride every thing on a 5" travel bike as you could on a 6" bike.
5" = Trail/AM 28-30lbs
6" = AM/FR 30-34lbs

 

frankly I just think the whole thread is funny. People are lumping the amount of travel a bike gets into categories such as XC AM and FR/DH.

For example, back in the day a 5" Kona Stinky was a heavy duty FR bike, because it was a beefy, full suspension bike with slack head angles and folks were hucking mad drops on it.

The (4") Kona Bear Dee-Lux was rated as a "top light-duty Freeride bike" by one or two famous magazines.

I know I'm using some pretty dated examples, but frankly It comes more down to HOW you ride the bike. I don't know why everyone tries to pigeon-hole the amount of travel into a certain category.

 

Yah, so the 3" travel Rockshox Judy was considered a DH fork but those were the standards then, we're talking now. There's no way I'm going to take the same jumps or drops on my Chumpa XCL as I would on my Foes FXR. They're completly different bikes and most bike companies have set the bikes up as such. We're talking in general of course. There will always be exeptions.

 

I have about 5.5" all around (5.7" front 5.5 rear) and I find it perfect for pretty much anything from the more DH trails at Aliso to pure XC at Whiting.

 

Or you could always try an Rfx

 

Well said! That's why I ride all my bikes the same. They're ALL mountain bikes! :lol:

 

For most SoCal riding - Yeti 575 with TALAS 36 (or Lyric) or even TALAS 150 w/ 15mm QR. Good for almost everything. Climbs well, light, descends like mad - 67* head angle with 160mm fork. For those calling Art23 out on where he (and his S.T.U.P.I.D.A.S.S. friends) ride, go with him some day. Bring an Uzzi and a full-face and make sure your insurance is paid up.

 

It's tough to beat the versatiltiy and handling of a 5 Spot.

 

just ride whatever you want. but my moto is "once you go slack, you don't go back!"
my only bike is a 41 pound 7 inch travel bike at 66 HA. i do any climbs up to 6000 vertical with it.

ps. someone said here a nomad is 69 degrees? wrong, we measured a friend of mine, it was 67 degrees. i have friends that ride demo's at 64 degrees. i'm about optimizing the descent!