# Freeride bike that can climb?



## E.L. (Oct 21, 2009)

Im looking for a bike that is under $2000 that can do light freeride/dh, but i need it to climb as well. What do you guys recommend? Thanks in advance.


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## vaelin (Sep 3, 2009)

For $2k, you should probably look at used all-mountain rigs. 160-170mm travel single crowns, a platform rear shock, maybe a TALAS or U-Turn fork. Look for a dual-chainring setup with a granny gear to spin all that bike uphill. But "climbs well" will be very subjective.

BTW, this is the equivalent question: I'm looking for a sports car that looks hot, costs $10k new, gets 50mpg and can carry 4 DH bikes plus riders + gear to the local trails. (aka a non-existent hybrid STI/Evolution/RS4 with racks)

Ain't going to happen.


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## IronHorseWarrior (Aug 23, 2008)

Get stronger legs, thats what i did with my iron horse sohon bucho. You get used to it


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## E.L. (Oct 21, 2009)

vaelin said:


> For $2k, you should probably look at used all-mountain rigs. 160-170mm travel single crowns, a platform rear shock, maybe a TALAS or U-Turn fork. Look for a dual-chainring setup with a granny gear to spin all that bike uphill. But "climbs well" will be very subjective.
> 
> BTW, this is the equivalent question: I'm looking for a sports car that looks hot, costs $10k new, gets 50mpg and can carry 4 DH bikes plus riders + gear to the local trails. (aka a non-existent hybrid STI/Evolution/RS4 with racks)
> 
> Ain't going to happen.


well konas got some bikes under 2k like the kona stinky at wheel world.....but then again i was looking at the coilair but i heard its not too good wen it comes to dh.


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## thealmightywes (Dec 13, 2008)

http://www.canfieldbrothers.com/products/the-one-closeout

only a frame, but its a start.


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## 11053 (Sep 19, 2009)

Giant Reign X
Climbs very well, descends even better.
Not too painful as far as $$$$ when new-good value really. Lots of them used too at good prices.

Always been a fan of Santa Cruz Bullits too. Plenty of deals there on used bikes as well.


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## SirChomps-a-Lot (Nov 18, 2007)

ironhorse 6point for $1200


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## FloridaFish (Mar 29, 2004)

SirChomps-a-Lot said:


> ironhorse 6point for $1200


ditto, even with all the shenanigans and shady dealings Ironhorse made a damn good bike in the 6point and up (sorry MKIII owners). Climbs like a monster, feels like 99% of you energy is getting to the ground.


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## screwyouguysimgoinghome (May 20, 2009)

Norco Manik?


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## Fury25 (Oct 22, 2008)

*Corsair Maelstrom*

Love mine - and I hate climbing


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## Jayem (Jul 16, 2005)

The engine is all that matters. This is one screwed up picture though.


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## V.P. (Aug 26, 2007)

Intense - Uzzi, or Canfield Brothers - Can Diggle?


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## bquinn (Mar 12, 2007)

Here is my old thread of the same material: https://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=586541

This is what I ended up buying: Santa Cruz VP Free, sent the shock to Avalanche and specifically told them to set it up slightly stiffer for less DH and more heavy AM use. 2x9 setup. Weighs 39.5lbs and climbs well as long as you can pedal efficiently. I could easily drop weight by going full air front and rear, but I love the plushness of the coils. The previous owner had it full air some lighter components and it weighed ~34lbs. I have less than 2K invested and it's got XO shifters/rear der, Marz 66RC3, Hope Mono 6ti's...etc...no cheap stuff. I also have a S-Works Enduro SL as my AM bike, but this ride is so much fun I will definitely be riding it more than I anticipated.


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## NS-NV (Aug 15, 2006)

Intense uzzi vpx (last gen). Find one used, get the slacker drop outs or angle reducing cups). Zero history of frame issues. Pretty good climber, great descender. Mine is at 36lb and can handle anything on the 'shore.


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## Archi-Magus (Feb 22, 2010)

IronHorseWarrior said:


> Get stronger legs, thats what i did with my iron horse sohon bucho. You get used to it


I ride the exact same bike and jesus christ if you can make that bike climb you're a god damn hulk. That's one bike that not only sucks climbing, but sucks on the flats in comparison to most bikes as well. I love the bike and probably will keep at least the frame forever, but it's a dual crown, down hill monster through and through, climbing is its arch nemesis, and yours too when you ride it. I usually throw it on my back and just hike up the mountain. Then again, you shouldn't be able to peddle up the trails you ride with the lightest XC bike if the trail really requires the use of a straight up DH bike like the Sohon Bucho.

To the TS. You should probably get an all mountain based on your description. Banshee makes an all mountain/freeride hybrid that gets amazing reviews. There is no such thing as a DH bike that climbs well as they're not supposed to. If you ride a downhill bike you should be doing what it's designed for and riding down hill.


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## scocra (Jun 4, 2007)

I'm riding a Cannondale Moto for everything and am real happy with it. I do huge climbs and regular XC as well as take it to Whistler and local DH / FR stuff. The 2010 bikes have a more slack Head angle (67 vs 67.5) and lower BB and the carbon frames now come with ISCG tabs. You should be able to get one off eBay for less than 2k and you can put on the updated linkage for the '09 frames to get the new geo.

RIDE!


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## gurp (Jan 20, 2004)

http://www.downcycles.com/store/2008-mongoose-black-diamond-triple-p-700.html
http://www.downcycles.com/store/2009-marin-quake-p-1052.html
http://www.downcycles.com/store/2008-mongoose-khyber-super-p-701.html
http://wheelworld.com/product/kona-2009-stinky-7058.htm
http://wheelworld.com/product/specialized-2009-big-hit-fsr-i-48824-1.htm
http://wheelworld.com/product/specialized-08-demo-7-i-38091-1.htm
http://taylorsbikeshop.com/product/giant-glory-0-37832-1.htm


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## fawndog (Nov 19, 2007)

I use a ReignX, strong and cheap, It pedals really easy even at 35lbs.


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## PepperJester (Jan 2, 2003)

Fury25 said:


> Love mine - and I hate climbing


No kidding eh! It's amazing how little bob they have. I've got a 888 ATA on mine, I drop it down to 160 for climbs and it does very well. Just need to get a longer seat post for my Maelstrom so I can get full extension for longer climbs.

To the OP, are you looking for a full bike or frame only?


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## DeepseaDebo (Oct 20, 2009)

rule #1 cardio


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## Tim F. (May 22, 2006)

Buy a beater pick-up and shuttle. Or buy an all-mountain bike because thats what your really doing by light freeriding/DH.


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## jcook1989 (Mar 16, 2008)

Hey don't ask for advise on here cause you're a weakling. Get a heavier bike and it will make a man out of you. Stop crying cause you don't have super strong leg muscles. Riding a 50 pounder up the hill will give you stupid ripped calves like Superman or some **** like that.



But really the Reign X is a great bike. I've ridden one and have a friend that rides one. Does the uphills fine and does the downs better. Solid pedaling platform and lighter weight for going up and good geo and sold components for going down. All it really needs is a dual ring chain guide although I think some of the newer ones might have them already.


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## pmaddy (Feb 27, 2006)

VP-free is a solid suggestion considering your budget and desired use. You can find them pretty cheap these days if you look around. I built mine for under 2k and it weights 32.8 lbs which is pretty good for a 7-8 inch travel bike. It climbs fine for what it is.


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## Delay1234 (Sep 10, 2008)

I second the Reign X. I have a 2008 with a 50mm Thomson stem and Easton DH MonkeyLite carbon bars. Goes up great, goes down even better. Great all around bike. I throw it off jumps at Black Rock and Post Canyon all season long.


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## b-kul (Sep 20, 2009)

in a round about way you are asking for an all mountain bike.


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## Shamrock1079 (Jun 4, 2008)

as a bunch have already said, go all-mountain. I have a Specialized Pitch and I love it, works good for climbs and bombs downhill great. happy hunting!


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## Jayem (Jul 16, 2005)

b-kul said:


> in a round about way you are asking for an all mountain bike.


Yeah, it is true that there is some "macho"/"suck it up" attitude, but I also think there's a little bit of truth to that. There is no magical advantage that is going to allow you to keep up with faster friends, or make climbs, or win races. That stuff is the result of hard work, training, getting strong, getting faster, and so on. The bike doesn't make nearly as much difference as one might think.

Lighter bike=easier to climb
More upright position=easier to climb
Slacker bike= harder to climb
Heavier bike= harder to climb

Ya can't change the laws of physics.


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## Trail-Shredder (Mar 13, 2010)

If your Cardio isn't up to par, even a XC bike isn't going to be climb-able. I've seen dudes on full DH bikes with 9 inches of travel crush climbs getting to the DH. Get what bike you like, and get in shape. That is my answer.


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## E.L. (Oct 21, 2009)

Jayem said:


> Yeah, it is true that there is some "macho"/"suck it up" attitude, but I also think there's a little bit of truth to that. There is no magical advantage that is going to allow you to keep up with faster friends, or make climbs, or win races. That stuff is the result of hard work, training, getting strong, getting faster, and so on. The bike doesn't make nearly as much difference as one might think.
> 
> Lighter bike=easier to climb
> More upright position=easier to climb
> ...


well truth is, i do not have as much knowledge about all the different types of bikes out there so i was just wondering if there was a bike like the kona coilair where the bike company "tried" to make the bike that does it all....by that i mean a bike that can easily climb but dhs like a dh bike.....


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## gurp (Jan 20, 2004)

E.L. said:


> well truth is, i do not have as much knowledge about all the different types of bikes out there so i was just wondering if there was a bike like the kona coilair where the bike company "tried" to make the bike that does it all....by that i mean a bike that can easily climb but dhs like a dh bike.....


Yup, there's a whole category called All Mountain (AM) that is exactly what your looking for. In addition to the Coilair you mentioned, some notable examples include -

Giant Reign X
Specialized SX Trail
Trek Remedy
Santa Cruz Nomad
Intense Uzzi

There's been a lot of bikes mentioned in this thread that fit what you're looking for. Just remember, an AM bike will always be a compromise. It won't be a great climber or descender, but it will be OK at both.


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## Magsrgod (Jun 21, 2006)

Get a bike thats got some adjustable geometry so with a few tweaks it can do a little of both. This makes you feel good when you buy it and eventually you will find which position works best 90% of the time and keep it in that position 99.9% of the time.


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## Archi-Magus (Feb 22, 2010)

Trail-Shredder said:


> If your Cardio isn't up to par, even a XC bike isn't going to be climb-able. I've seen dudes on full DH bikes with 9 inches of travel crush climbs getting to the DH. Get what bike you like, and get in shape. That is my answer.


If you can ride any bike (FR, DH, XC, AM, etc.) up a trail, the trail isn't mean enough for a DH bike.


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## keen (Jan 13, 2004)

The macho I got a 50lb. bike and can climb any hill is cool if thats what your into. I know plenty of strong riders that just don't have the motivation to pedal to the top - a 50lb. bike just makes them slower. I find there desire is to store energy on the inclines and excell on the descent.


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## E.L. (Oct 21, 2009)

Archi-Magus said:


> If you can ride any bike (FR, DH, XC, AM, etc.) up a trail, the trail isn't mean enough for a DH bike.


the trails i go to is a loop or they have fireroads that lead to the top and has a gnarly dh that goes straight through or around the fireroad


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## Tim F. (May 22, 2006)

:thumbsup:


keen said:


> The macho I got a 50lb. bike and can climb any hill is cool if thats what your into. I know plenty of strong riders that just don't have the motivation to pedal to the top - a 50lb. bike just makes them slower. I find there desire is to store energy on the inclines and excell on the descent.


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## his dudeness (May 9, 2007)

In general, everyone's opinion is just that. We're all going to recommend something a little different than the other person. None of any of this matters until you do the legwork and test ride as many bikes as you can find. Contact your local shops and see if and when there will be bike demos in your area or if they have a rental bike for you to try out. Only then will you be able to form an opinion on what you should get, and that's really the only opinion that matters.


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## Bigbun65 (Dec 18, 2006)

I have a Med Black Brodie Damien for sale $1800 MINT condition. It was $3200 new. Its a 7" single crown bike you can throw a front Derailleur on and climb the heck out of it.


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## schoolisbad1 (Dec 17, 2004)

*preston*

If you can handle only 5 inches rear travel this bikes fun. Climbs pretty good, i have no complaints. I just built mine up, not so light, but you can get em pretty cheap


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## ridefreeride (Apr 8, 2009)

santa cruz bullit

haro x7


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## SHIVER ME TIMBERS (Jan 12, 2004)

try this


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## glitz (Jan 27, 2010)

Try one of their offerings:

http://forums.mtbr.com/forumdisplay.php?f=122


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## E.L. (Oct 21, 2009)

E.L. said:


> Im looking for a bike that is under $2000 that can do light freeride/dh, but i need it to climb as well. What do you guys recommend? Thanks in advance.


ive been looking around and im looking at the lucky 7...hmm


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## Tim F. (May 22, 2006)

Archi-Magus said:


> If you can ride any bike (FR, DH, XC, AM, etc.) up a trail, the trail isn't mean enough for a DH bike.


:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:


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## hozzerr1 (Feb 26, 2005)

The ONE by Canfiedl is a mean climbing machine for a 7-8 inch travel bike that shreds on downhills. I rode one for a few months and loved it. Wayyyyyy better than many big brand expensive bikes out there with less travel.

One of the things that really impressed me about that bike was how you could stand up on the granny gear and mash on the pedals hard, and the bike rewarded your efforts. The bike ate downhills like a big rig; drop your seat and just point and shoot. Turns are effortless and snaps out of corners without any flimsy feeling or "drag". 

A great bike overall, I would rate it up there with the x-reign, and enduro in performance.


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## altadank (Mar 19, 2006)

hozzerr1 said:


> The ONE by Canfiedl is a mean climbing machine for a 7-8 inch travel bike that shreds on downhills. I rode one for a few months and loved it. Wayyyyyy better than many big brand expensive bikes out there with less travel.
> 
> One of the things that really impressed me about that bike was how you could stand up on the granny gear and mash on the pedals hard, and the bike rewarded your efforts. The bike ate downhills like a big rig; drop your seat and just point and shoot. Turns are effortless and snaps out of corners without any flimsy feeling or "drag".
> 
> A great bike overall, I would rate it up there with the x-reign, and enduro in performance.


+1 for "the one", so long as your not a 200lber consistently hitting 20' + airs without tranny's. couple of my bud's in JH have em and love them.

+1 also on what your looking for is prolly an all mountain rig. homies ONE was a killer AM set up with a FOX VAN 36. 32.5 lbs with a nice build, air in back, 7" rear set up, I did a 1.2 mi downhill on it and dubbed it a "magic carpet ride"----> smooth and RAILED corners!! my rig at the time was a RFX, no slouch either.


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## MaxBS (Mar 30, 2008)

Best value for money. A second hand Reign X or a specialized SX trail. Youll get the older models very cheap. They were great bikes.


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## jqd001 (Apr 13, 2010)

EL, I have my Kona CoilAir currently for sale. It's a great bike. Honestly, it climbs better than my hardtail. It's not as bad downhill as you may think. It's not a Stinky, but it will do some pretty knarly stuff.

Here's the link to my ad:

http://classifieds.mtbr.com/showproduct.php?product=48519

Good luck with the search bro:thumbsup:


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## VA2SLOride (Feb 17, 2005)

SHIVER ME TIMBERS said:


> try this


Damn. Over 23,000,000 people have viewed that. And I'm sure there are some repeats in there...


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## ro55 (May 19, 2009)

Mate get a Mondraker prayer coil its £1600 and is soooo nice


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## E.L. (Oct 21, 2009)

jqd001 said:


> EL, I have my Kona CoilAir currently for sale. It's a great bike. Honestly, it climbs better than my hardtail. It's not as bad downhill as you may think. It's not a Stinky, but it will do some pretty knarly stuff.
> 
> Here's the link to my ad:
> 
> ...


I thank you very much for the info, and maybe about a week ago i woulda went for it..but imma go look at a khs lucky 7 this weekend, and i realized the coilair will not keep up with the way i downhill.


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## swan3609 (Oct 28, 2006)

not a single mention of the Mongoose Khyber Super.. I honestly think it is the best bike for the price out right now.. amazing bikes and the most versatile bike I have personally ridden.


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## jqd001 (Apr 13, 2010)

E.L. said:


> I thank you very much for the info, and maybe about a week ago i woulda went for it..but imma go look at a khs lucky 7 this weekend, and i realized the coilair will not keep up with the way i downhill.


No worries. I sold it that day anyways.


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## pdxmonkeyboy (Oct 3, 2009)

Hello... SC Nomad!! 

You can find a nice one used for 2k. Will blow away the other bikes mentioned above. 32# bike with 6" and 6". Tackles dh just as well as my dual crown bullit did. Forget about gimmicks like adjustable travel forks. You don't need the
unless your bike has skank geometry


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## gambino369 (Jan 19, 2009)

*superlightweight DH/FR bike*

As many people said U can t change the laws of physics but reconsider your priorities
go 4 AM or buy a real FR/DH bike and get some muscles...in a few weeks/months U ll be able to climb to your ride....i have a Marin quake 7.2 and it climbes surprisingly well for a lardy bike (propedal is quite efficient on DHX 5) on flat terrain it s quite fast not a rocket though but it s fast enough to take me from point A to point B without any problem, when you re done climbing and you re ready to go FR/DH you ll be rewarded and will understand why a FR/DH bike cannot weight less.There is no such thing as "do it all bike" but look for Marin quake 7.2 on the forum read the reviews , it might be the bike 4 U...+excellent frame to upgrade U may be lucky to find a used one (mine is with rear DHX 5.,0 and front marzocchi bomber 66) set the sag pump up the muscles and enjoy.......and yeah..the xlt series quad link suspension 4 bars system might save your ass since it forgives a lot and your rear tyre ,provided your sag is correctly adjusted, will be constantly in contact with the terrain (except when you re in the air )...so don t try to seat on two chairs in the same time:madman: :madman: :madman:  ..buy yourself a good FR/DH bike and taste life, taste adrenaline if you buy a short travel now or an AM bike in a few month when you ll get some muscles you ll realize that it was a waste of money since you posted that you have FR/DH intentions..good luck anyway:thumbsup:


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## E.L. (Oct 21, 2009)

Whoo, that lucky 7 is a nice bike. great for downhill and real easy on the uphill. i went to the shop and looked at the kona stinky, coilair, specialized demo, and all that other good stuff... found lucky 7 on craigslist and man its alot better than those other bikes...just wish it had more rear travel...


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## E.L. (Oct 21, 2009)

i got it for $1600 with a free carbon fiber "the one" helmet. bike was basically new. Been about a bit over a month since i got it and i got new handlebars.
























who says you cant find a good freeride bike that cant climb?


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## burgundy snake (Dec 12, 2007)

You scored! Enjoy the ride.


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## AmirBernard (Apr 25, 2010)

i ride about 3 kilometers on the road to get to the trails on mine and i climb on it too










18 kilos single ring and short cranks


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## Djponee (Dec 20, 2006)

longtravel hardtail is what i use for most freeriding and climbing.


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## tanner-d (May 26, 2010)

Ironhorse 6point6


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## SHIVER ME TIMBERS (Jan 12, 2004)

used coiler
....6 to 8 hundred


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## beatupcl (Sep 12, 2009)

+1 on the mongoose khyber. I have been on one for a couple weeks now and I love it. It climbs and decends great and at a good price too. You wont be disapointed.


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## Pedal Shop (Dec 14, 2006)

Marin Quake...


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