Conflicted about the bike I have...

[UseItOrLooseIt]

I started off mountain biking this summer, and have no doubts, I LOVE mountain biking.

But the bike I have gotten, I feel like I have gotten suckered into getting it. The salesman was a very, very persuasive guy, and I don't really think he factored in what I want.

What I need is a bike that can take all the jumps and rock gardens and whatnot that I throw at it without breaking! I also need my bike to be light enough to pedal up the trail so I can go down it.

But the bike I have is a heavy, heavy downhill bike. It's GREAT for what I do with it now, but when I get back home, what am I going to do??

HELP!!!! What bike should I get? And where should I sell the bike I have?!#-o

 

[Pain Freak]

whatchu got and what chu want?

 

[UseItOrLooseIt]

Well, I have a Scott USA Nitrous 20, but it's too heavy, I need something I can bike up to the trail with and then go down it... any ideas?

 

[Jordansrealm]

Is this the same bike you have and the same components?

http://www.jdcycles.co.uk/products.php?plid=m1b0s1p1416&z=1162

The more you share with us the better we can help you.

 

[tkblazer]

whats your height and weight also? maybe look into the kona dawg series, specialized enduro's, giant reign's, etc

 

[UseItOrLooseIt]

Yeah, http://www.jdcycles.co.uk/products.php?plid=m1b0s1p1416&z=1162 that's the bike I have.

I'm about 5'11, around 145 pounds.

I was looking at the specialized enduro, and it's a sweet bike, but I intend to buy a bike off of the resale price I get.

Thanks for the help so far!

 

[spookydave]

no bike is going to do everything well. That just goes back to the can't have your cake and eat it too.
So the way I see it is you are still pretty new and you will get stronger on the climbs. So stick with it and just try to climb a little more each time.

Also you could swap out your rear cassette from the 11-32 to an 11-34. Those extra 2 teeth will make a difference.

But no matter what it will never climb like a NASA rocket and the bike that will won't decend like you want either. Just ride it man and it will all come together.

BTW, I have a 50 pound DH bike. I know when I take it out that I'll be doing some pushing. Just part of it mang.

 

[jfromlv]

I think it's important to remember that your riding is going to improve as well. If you just started riding this summer, your skills will grow by leaps and bounds, making you stronger, smoother and a more versatile rider. I am a big guy, and I have an Enduro that I absolutely love to ride, I ended up putting a single ring/bash guard on the front, and I can pedal up most things, but like spooky said, sometimes walking is the only option for the payoff you have on the downhill.

 

[UseItOrLooseIt]

Okay guys, thanks for the guidance. I think I will stick with the nitrous 20, and maybe some day i'll be able to make it up the steep sections...

 

[Pho'dUp]

Try going to some lighter tires. Perhaps a big 2.1 like a Nevegal StickE in the back and a 2.35 Bluegroove up front. That'll shave some rolling weight.

 

[Evel Knievel]

A santa cruz nomad with super bling bling light weight parts spec , with Sun rhyno-lite XL wheels on Chris King hubs . Might be what you are looking for . But it will cost an arm and your first born male child . No way you can get what you want on a resale budget.

 

[UseItOrLooseIt]

Man, that Nomad looks incredibly badass. And you're right, it's exactly what I want to get.

The lightweight one is the Nomad SPX FR, right? I love the curves on it!!!

Wheels (Ebay'd BuyItNow@$129)+ Bike($4299) + Chris King Hubs($455) (+S/H?) Around $5500!1! YEEK!

Definitely a bike to dream about...

 

[GeorgiaOfTheJungle]

FYI, a steep section is a damn steep section, no matter how light the bike. Even the pros walk some things

At least that's what I keep telling myself

 

[ka0t1c07]

Stick with your bike for now. I have a 49 pound DH bike that I used to take everywhere. I bike with guys who loves climbing more than anything. I just think of it as an extra workout. Now I got a 23 pound Stumpjumper and man, that extra workout makes you fly with ease. BY the way, I still have the DH bike.

 

[mtnbikej]

So what you are saying is that you dropped $2600 for a bike that you really did not do your homework on. Now you realize that the bike you bought was the wrong bike.

There are a lot of bikes out there that are lighter, climb better and will still allow you to descend.

SC Heckler can be built up at 34-35 lbs without breaking the bank.

mtnbikej

 

[scruffylooking]

I agree with a lot of what these other guys have said (keep riding, you'll get stronger; get lighter tires, it'll feel lighter; etc.) but I also wonder if you just got the wrong bike for what you do. I'd hate to see you sour on the sport because you're not having fun. If it's not fun, you're not going to want to keep doing it.

Questions:
*How much does that beast weigh? And how much do you want your bike to weigh?
*What parks/trails do you normally ride?

I like mtnbikej's recommendation of the Santa Cruz Heckler. It's a classic that keeps on going. And they're pretty affordable. Get a travel adjust fork to slack it out for the rocks and drop it for steeper geometry on the climbs.

Switchback carries them if you want to come down to the OC. So does The Bike Co.

 

[UseItOrLooseIt]

I Love My Bike Now!!! It Is My Object Of Deeeezziiireeeee

 

[RikDH]

Just to let you Know, I have a Scott Nitrous 10, yes they are heavy but I got use to it, will never be as fast up as the uphill whippets, but they always let me go first when we reach the downhill.
Of course you could always ride with someone of lesser fitness, won't make you faster but will make you feel better.

 

[guero]

i ride a heckler and love it. it pretty much is a utilitarian bike. i do all the same climbs that the guys are doing on lighter weight xc bikes in the santa anas(although they smoke me on the climbs), and do all the same hucks that some of the guys with the 6 inch travel or more bikes do in our group; all on my heckler. im not gonna list components, it is not blinged out, but it isn't really a budget build either, right in the middle i'd say, it weighs in just under 33 lbs. it is a great do-it-all bike.

 

[crispy]

keep the bike and start checking mtbr classifieds for a good used endura. You can get the older versioined enduros for cheap and use that for more of the xc trail riding and still have the DH bike for when you want to fly downhill.

I am in the sam situation as you pretty much. I like racing and have my specialized epic, but i also like doing the really technical stuff and at first the epic was ok, but now that I am more into racing the epic is getting lighter parts that can't handle the trail riding. So I am looking for like an 04 enduro for cheap to maybe pick up that I can take out on the trails when we do the really technical stuff. One bike doesn't do it all, thats why everyone has so many bikes.

My collection is at 4 and climbing!