Downhill mountain bike for the road?
Discussion
How suitable would a downhill bike be for the road?
My situation is, that when cycling last year, my biggest problem was my wrists. The trouble is, I have a lot of weight placed on them, as I'm obviously leaning over on top of them all the time.
Looking at the shape of a downhill bike, the geometry would put me a lot more upright.
But, will it be too spongy etc?
My situation is, that when cycling last year, my biggest problem was my wrists. The trouble is, I have a lot of weight placed on them, as I'm obviously leaning over on top of them all the time.
Looking at the shape of a downhill bike, the geometry would put me a lot more upright.
But, will it be too spongy etc?
I have ridden my Demo 8 on some short road sections and it is pretty horrendous. Despite being carbon it is still very heavy and I doubt I could get the saddle up to a proper pedalling height. And as you say the suspension is very soft. Feels like nothing else downhill, on the road no. Would keep you fit though!
To be honest it is a struggle on flatter pedaly downhills.
To be honest it is a struggle on flatter pedaly downhills.
Edited by dogbucket on Thursday 29th March 10:18
Where do you normally ride?
A gravel bike might be the answer, a more upright position with bigger comfy tyres.
A down hill bike would be terrible on the road.
I have a 29er XC hardtail that I ride that on the road a fair bit and you can keep a good average going but it's not in the same league as a road bike for it,
A gravel bike might be the answer, a more upright position with bigger comfy tyres.
A down hill bike would be terrible on the road.
I have a 29er XC hardtail that I ride that on the road a fair bit and you can keep a good average going but it's not in the same league as a road bike for it,
Just get a sit up and beg style hybrid if you have bad wrists. DH bike will be a massive waste of money and effort!
That said I see some guy riding a Specialized BigHit on slicks cycling in London almost every day so if you're a glutton for punishment it can be done.
A marginally more sensible option would be to get an all-mountain style bike on air suspension and pump that up really hard and fit slicks. AM bikes are at least designed with half an eye on pedaling performance.
That said I see some guy riding a Specialized BigHit on slicks cycling in London almost every day so if you're a glutton for punishment it can be done.
A marginally more sensible option would be to get an all-mountain style bike on air suspension and pump that up really hard and fit slicks. AM bikes are at least designed with half an eye on pedaling performance.
It's definitely not the right answer for you, there will be trail bikes that are far better on the road and just as good for your wrists. I doubt they're really the answer to your problem either though.
Hypothetically though, they're all horrendous to pedal, apart from the GT Fury, the i-Drive suspension does just about make the pedalling acceptable. With 1 x 11 gears and a dropper post mine could be ridden as a trail bike if you were in decent shape, wouldn't be a bad option for Lakes riding.
Still definitely not the right answer for you though.
Hypothetically though, they're all horrendous to pedal, apart from the GT Fury, the i-Drive suspension does just about make the pedalling acceptable. With 1 x 11 gears and a dropper post mine could be ridden as a trail bike if you were in decent shape, wouldn't be a bad option for Lakes riding.
Still definitely not the right answer for you though.
Even the XC full suspension bikes with about 100mm of travel would be ok to ride on the road but does seem overkill for the riding you are doing. Having rear suspension is not very efficient uphill. If you are riding mainly roads and tracks and are worried about comfort then tubeless tyres on a hardtail or gravel bike would be very good. You can then run them at much lower pressures, my 29er runs about 25psi and it soaks up pretty much everything this side of braking bumps on a steep downhill singletrack, that combined with a carbon seatpost reall makes for a comfy ride. Tubeless is one of the best upgrades you can make to an off road bike
If your budget will stretch there are soft tail bikes too, what is your budget?
If your budget will stretch there are soft tail bikes too, what is your budget?
Also getting a proper bike fit may sort your wrist troubles, from a quick google:
There are several reasons why you might be putting too much weight through your hands and wrists. A saddle that is too high will be throwing your weight forward, and handlebars that are too low may cause you to rest more weight through your wrist. A bike that is slightly too big, with a top tube that is too long, will leave you stretched out and can also strain your wrists.
More reasons that just the bars being too low
There are several reasons why you might be putting too much weight through your hands and wrists. A saddle that is too high will be throwing your weight forward, and handlebars that are too low may cause you to rest more weight through your wrist. A bike that is slightly too big, with a top tube that is too long, will leave you stretched out and can also strain your wrists.
More reasons that just the bars being too low
Dont bother keep the DH bike and get another bike
Get a SH hybrid or a SH road bike, I bought a single speed for £25 off ebay which is great for road use, in the past I bought a Kona Dew SH for £80 great for road and gravel
Plenty of decent SH road bikes for £100-300
A 29er with front fork lockout would be OK for the odd bit of road use, but a DH bike will drive you nuts and be very slow!
Get a SH hybrid or a SH road bike, I bought a single speed for £25 off ebay which is great for road use, in the past I bought a Kona Dew SH for £80 great for road and gravel
Plenty of decent SH road bikes for £100-300
A 29er with front fork lockout would be OK for the odd bit of road use, but a DH bike will drive you nuts and be very slow!
Definitely worth looking outside the usual MTB/road/hybrid bikes that most shops stock. A downhill bike on the road is a horrible prospect.
One of my local shops (Compton Cycles) stocks Gazelle bikes from the Netherlands, some of them are what you'd think of as old-style "dutch bikes", some are more modern, like a hybrid but with a much higher hand position, bigger more compliant tyres, the kind of thing you could hop on and ride comfortably (albeit not super quickly) all day.
https://www.gazellebikes.co.uk
The germans seem to do this style of bike well too. Few places seem to stock them over here because almost everyone seems to think of cycling as a sport that's all about going as fast as possible.
One of my local shops (Compton Cycles) stocks Gazelle bikes from the Netherlands, some of them are what you'd think of as old-style "dutch bikes", some are more modern, like a hybrid but with a much higher hand position, bigger more compliant tyres, the kind of thing you could hop on and ride comfortably (albeit not super quickly) all day.
https://www.gazellebikes.co.uk
The germans seem to do this style of bike well too. Few places seem to stock them over here because almost everyone seems to think of cycling as a sport that's all about going as fast as possible.
Legacywr said:
I only ride to keep fit, mostly on poor roads, and fire roads, so a full suspension bike is a must for me.
I had a Scott full suspension bike, but maybe the frame was too small for me? I tried different bars, stems etc, with no difference to my problem
Have you tried adjusting the angle of the brake levers? ie, if they are broadly horizontal to the bars (and you ride with one or two fingers covering the brakes) your wrists will be at quite a jaunty angle.I had a Scott full suspension bike, but maybe the frame was too small for me? I tried different bars, stems etc, with no difference to my problem
However, if the brake levers are pointing down (towards the front wheel) your hand should be broadly in line with your forearm, putting less stress on your wrist.
The "angle of the dangle" should depend on where you spend the majority of your time - for example on my full-sus mountain bike its quite a severe angle as a lot of the time i'll be out of the saddle.
I am not a bike-fit specialist though - its just an idea.
I suspect you would not have sore wrists with a better fitting bike, or better posture/positioning on the bike.
A downhill or enduro bike will be horrible to ride on the road, even with the front and rear suspension on climbing mode/locked out - they don't lock solidly.
I used to make good pace on my old hardtail Rockhopper in comfort with 80 mm front suspension travel that had a solid lockout. I suspect you would be even be OK on a road bike though if it fitted well and your posture/position on it was sorted.
A downhill or enduro bike will be horrible to ride on the road, even with the front and rear suspension on climbing mode/locked out - they don't lock solidly.
I used to make good pace on my old hardtail Rockhopper in comfort with 80 mm front suspension travel that had a solid lockout. I suspect you would be even be OK on a road bike though if it fitted well and your posture/position on it was sorted.
Legacywr said:
I only ride to keep fit, mostly on poor roads, and fire roads, so a full suspension bike is a must for me.
(
Um, I would say you don't need ANY suspension for those kind of roads. I have an old hard tail mountain bike which I use on the South Downs; most of the time it is fine. Sometimes after prolonged dry spells that make the ground really hard I wish I had a full suspension bike, but I don't think I need it for "proper" off roading near me. I don't do big jumps or drop offs though.(
Sounds more like a bike fit problem, than having to get a new bike.
I suspect your saddle is too far forward and your stem too long. One or both will put pressure on your wrists.
Try to move the saddle back, so that a plumb line run from just behind the patella will intersect the pedal spindle when the pedal is at 3 o clock. This means your core takes the weight, along with your arse bones - pulls your shoulders back.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVu5Zrktm40
You don't need the lycra, unless the wife likes it that way....
The problem is a decent full suspension bike is an expensive prospect, and cheap one will just bob as you pedal, weigh the same as a neutron star and drive you mad.
DH bikes are pretty substantial beasties - you need to look at an enduro or lighter weight XC bike to enjoy general riding.
Another problem might be your suspension forks are over inflated, which jars your wrists.
I suspect your saddle is too far forward and your stem too long. One or both will put pressure on your wrists.
Try to move the saddle back, so that a plumb line run from just behind the patella will intersect the pedal spindle when the pedal is at 3 o clock. This means your core takes the weight, along with your arse bones - pulls your shoulders back.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVu5Zrktm40
You don't need the lycra, unless the wife likes it that way....
The problem is a decent full suspension bike is an expensive prospect, and cheap one will just bob as you pedal, weigh the same as a neutron star and drive you mad.
DH bikes are pretty substantial beasties - you need to look at an enduro or lighter weight XC bike to enjoy general riding.
Another problem might be your suspension forks are over inflated, which jars your wrists.
I had a nasty landing on my left wrist last year so my wrist is pretty sensitive. I find riding mtb riser bars much more comfortable than road drops, mainly I think because I ride mtb most of the time. Rotating your wrists 45 degrees seems to work your muscles differently so stick to whichever orientation you are used to.
I ride a single speed rigid bike to work, a Cotic Roadrat. Its basically a fast mtb. I have a carbon easton haven riser bar which I have cut down to a sensible length on it, the carbon is really smooth and get rid of most of the buzz coming through the bars. Id recommend splurging on a posh handlebar rather than carrying the weight of suspension.
I ride a single speed rigid bike to work, a Cotic Roadrat. Its basically a fast mtb. I have a carbon easton haven riser bar which I have cut down to a sensible length on it, the carbon is really smooth and get rid of most of the buzz coming through the bars. Id recommend splurging on a posh handlebar rather than carrying the weight of suspension.
Legacywr said:
How suitable would a downhill bike be for the road?
My situation is, that when cycling last year, my biggest problem was my wrists. The trouble is, I have a lot of weight placed on them, as I'm obviously leaning over on top of them all the time.
Looking at the shape of a downhill bike, the geometry would put me a lot more upright.
But, will it be too spongy etc?
Utterly woeful to the point you’ll not bother. Draggy, slow, heavy and colossally inefficient. Akin to using a tractor on the road as a daily driver. Only worse.My situation is, that when cycling last year, my biggest problem was my wrists. The trouble is, I have a lot of weight placed on them, as I'm obviously leaning over on top of them all the time.
Looking at the shape of a downhill bike, the geometry would put me a lot more upright.
But, will it be too spongy etc?
Might one enquire as to how fit and heavy you are?
Unless you've got something fundamentally wrong with your bike setup, such as a saddle sloping forwards, for example, then excess weight on your wrists is as likely to come from insufficient core strength to hold your weight as it is from the bike's geometry.
Yes, there's a difference between a DH mountain bike and a TT road bike, of course, but if you come to the conclusion that a DH bike can do something an XC hardtail or a hybrid can't, it's not the bike geometry at fault.
One other thing to consider, however, is the horizontal rather than vertical plane. Having more or less sweep on the handlebars, and thus more or less angle at your wrists can also make a significant difference, as if your wrists aren't sitting in a comfortable, natural straight position, that'll cause problems too.
Unless you've got something fundamentally wrong with your bike setup, such as a saddle sloping forwards, for example, then excess weight on your wrists is as likely to come from insufficient core strength to hold your weight as it is from the bike's geometry.
Yes, there's a difference between a DH mountain bike and a TT road bike, of course, but if you come to the conclusion that a DH bike can do something an XC hardtail or a hybrid can't, it's not the bike geometry at fault.
One other thing to consider, however, is the horizontal rather than vertical plane. Having more or less sweep on the handlebars, and thus more or less angle at your wrists can also make a significant difference, as if your wrists aren't sitting in a comfortable, natural straight position, that'll cause problems too.
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