what is a slopestyle and dirt jumping bike?

can someone clarify for me what exactly a slopstyle bike and dirt jumper is used for? where do you guys ride these bikes at? do they serve another function that a trailbike cannot?

there are so many catagories of bikes now... seems like they overlap in function.

xc
trailbike
all mountain bike
freeride bike
slopestyle
dirtjumper
dh

 

For some reason, Slopestyle is a term that irks me. I took off the "slopestyle" stickers off my wife's Intense SS. Slopestyle is something 90% of us will never relate to.

You should probably include urban assualt vs. street in your clarification list.

For back-flipping-jibber-jabber's sake, what do I know. I'm just a mountain biker.

 

Slopestyle is when you bust big jumps in baggie pants with a big belt and buckle, a t-shirt, you have long-ish hair in your face, and wear a full face helmet. DJ is the same, except you're wearing a bumpcap.

 

personally, hard to clarify since you see people doing pretty big stuff on all types of bikes. for instance, the s#@tbike in bike magazine. for me i call it day dreaming........

 

you're so famous you're 'in' famous.

 

all sarcasim set aside, a dirt jump/urban bike is exactly what the name implies, they are designed for doing bmx style jumps and street riding, just with 26 inch wheels, steep head angle, low standover, short chainstays, a big bmx bike. you normally run a very short travel front fork just to smooth out the ruff take offs, park and street riders like the rigid fork cause there is no need for the squish.

26 inch dirt jump bikes are also alot more stable in the air than a 24 or 20 inch bike making in a little easier for blasting big doubles.




AS far as slopstyle goes, they are an evolution of dirtjump and downhill/freeride bikes, having a kid. Designed for bike park riding, i.e crankworks. similar geometry to dirt jump bikes but with slacker headtube angles and squish.

guys that where riding the slopestyle/bike parks and trails that started having more of a bmx type flow to them with jumps, smooth landings, etc did not need the mass and travel of a dh rig, tailwhips and backflips are not as difficult with the smaller less travel bikes from what i have been told.

From watching the trends in slopestyle bikes and talking to riders even less travel is more desirable like the new Kona Bass, 4 inches just to take the sting off of hard landings.


hope that helps if you need more info, I would be glad to help you further, coming froma bmx backround I love the new slopstyle bikes. The handling and feel is very comfortable to me.

these bikes were designed for riding like this,

[youtube]7GwToj9MBH0[/youtube]

 

what kind of gearing do the slopestyle bikes have it seems like they wouldnt need more than a 1x9/10 set up?

 

Most will be anywhere between 1x9 and single speed.

 

slopestyle is more like 4x and freeriding mixed, most of the time they have rear suspension

dj is more like bmx and most of the time the bikes are vary simple(1 gear no/suspension)

both have low stand over for throwing tricks more like a bmx geom