I'm 46 and there is a downhill track 300yds from my house
Discussion
snowdude2910 said:
Unless it's a proper downhill track with uplift I'd go for something a bit lighter with less travel. I've heard these 200mm things weigh a ton and don't go uphill very well.
Agree with this, pushing 46lbs of 200mm dh bike up a hill will get boring very quickly. Have a look at the Commencal Meta AM Origin as an alternative whihc you can at least ride on the flat/uppy bits.http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/commencal-meta-...
Just get it bought. I've had dozens of bikes over the years and tried to get one that does it all, and they never do. My 2011 Spesh Enduro Evo was the closest I ever got to a do it all bike, but even with 170mm travel it still wasn't a patch on any of my DH bikes, and didn't climb as well as my XC bikes. If I had a dh track that close to my house I'd be buying that Nukeproof for sure!
Ignore those talking about pushing it up hills, that's part of the charm. You get to chat for 10mins whilst pushing up, watching other people come down so you can see their lines and think about how you'll get down it next time.
Dh bikes are great fun. No, you don't need one, you might take a little while to get use to the geometry, but you will definitely love ploughing into stuff. You don't need it, but you do want it, so if you can afford it just buy it. £1600 is a billy bargain!
Ignore those talking about pushing it up hills, that's part of the charm. You get to chat for 10mins whilst pushing up, watching other people come down so you can see their lines and think about how you'll get down it next time.
Dh bikes are great fun. No, you don't need one, you might take a little while to get use to the geometry, but you will definitely love ploughing into stuff. You don't need it, but you do want it, so if you can afford it just buy it. £1600 is a billy bargain!
I'mm 33 and am very jealous that you have a DH track so close.
I have a 46 or so pound DH bike, and love trying to kill myself on it at the weekends.
Do it! Do it now!
Nukeproof is a good choice. If you can stretch to it, and I am biased, an Operator is a really splendid piece of hurl yourself off cliffs kit. http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/kona-supreme-op...
EDIT: s
t no I'm not, I'm 34. bks.
Buy a full face helmet - comment unrelated.
I have a 46 or so pound DH bike, and love trying to kill myself on it at the weekends.
Do it! Do it now!
Nukeproof is a good choice. If you can stretch to it, and I am biased, an Operator is a really splendid piece of hurl yourself off cliffs kit. http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/kona-supreme-op...
EDIT: s
t no I'm not, I'm 34. bks. Buy a full face helmet - comment unrelated.
I'd be getting a Mega... I had one when I lived in the Alps and 90% of the time I preferred riding the AM bike (proper lift assisted stuff) over my DH bike.
I lived in Chamonix and only ever preferred a proper DH rig when riding in places like Morzine where the braking bumps batter the hell out of an AM rig.
Aside from a few of the bigger DH courses in the UK (Fort Bill etc), an AM rig is all you need
Disclaimer - an AM rig is what you need, but probably not what you want
I lived in Chamonix and only ever preferred a proper DH rig when riding in places like Morzine where the braking bumps batter the hell out of an AM rig.
Aside from a few of the bigger DH courses in the UK (Fort Bill etc), an AM rig is all you need
Disclaimer - an AM rig is what you need, but probably not what you want
^ I ride a fairly burly 170mm travel AM rig for all my DH riding.
Yes - it can and will do pretty much everything that a DH rig will ride in the UK.
However - a DH rig is far more forgiving when you cock something up - such as a heavy front wheel landing, or when you case a big gap jump, the extra travel and slacker geo will let you get away with a lot more than on an AM bike - but the AM bike will probably make you a better rider.
A DH rig will also be far less tiresome and will reduce the soreness in forarms and shoulders when you spend all day smashing out runs. The components will also hold up better to abuse.
Whilst I've never felt underbiked on my AM I will buy a proper DH rig as soon as YT start making the Tuesday in XL later this year.
Yes - it can and will do pretty much everything that a DH rig will ride in the UK.
However - a DH rig is far more forgiving when you cock something up - such as a heavy front wheel landing, or when you case a big gap jump, the extra travel and slacker geo will let you get away with a lot more than on an AM bike - but the AM bike will probably make you a better rider.
A DH rig will also be far less tiresome and will reduce the soreness in forarms and shoulders when you spend all day smashing out runs. The components will also hold up better to abuse.
Whilst I've never felt underbiked on my AM I will buy a proper DH rig as soon as YT start making the Tuesday in XL later this year.
Tidworth free ride should really be called Tidworth Dirt Jump and long travel hard tails are most suited to it on the whole. The "DH track"(s) are fun I went and played on my Commencal Supreme FR (180mm) and enjoyed the main DH track, the one they use as the race course the best, don't remember the name, it is the most like a normal DH track. The others, over to the right of the hill from the top were not steep or rough enough for a down hill bike and the central one was more slope style inspired jump track and whole bottom area is jumps, some rather large I admit I didn't ride them all. I do need to go back and practice my dirt jumping there and build up to doing all the bottom ones. When I went last summer it was all teenagers in neck braces doing the bottom jumps, did feel quite out of place as a 37 year old more at home going down the side of a Welsh mountain, as well as not not being able to just turn up and ride everything. It's a total contrast and nothing like a typical down hill venues such as Aston Hill, Cwmcarn, BPWs, etc that I can smash down all day.
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