# Hardtail + Whistler =



## perttime (Aug 26, 2005)

(also posted in the Nicolai forum, even if it is a Chromag bike)

edit:
it is not me: never been on that continent...


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## SamL3227 (May 30, 2004)

good fast line choices. kinda gotta with the HT tho. 

crazy wide bars lol. is that your only whistler bike? dont clip your hands


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## essenmeinstuff (Sep 4, 2007)

cool.

Slightly ot, that looks like the same trail that guy did at mach chicken on the elsworth in the wet in the "on the line" movie??


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## tmarkos (Jan 18, 2008)

Smooth. Now I want to see a 20inch.


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## suicidebomber (Feb 10, 2007)

Mad skills. Wow.


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## toowacky (May 24, 2005)

Just saw the other day, too, just sick skills. HT represent!


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## Err (Mar 21, 2005)

That is one sick vid!

Heh, looks like he's rockin a HammerSchmidt on there. Frame appears to be a Chromag Stylus but it's hard to tell for certain.


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## Demodude (Jan 27, 2007)

*really nice vid*

Top to bottom feel. Great riding shot. Lots of work. Must have taken you forever to shoot all that.


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## mullet dew (Jun 4, 2008)

That guy must have hands of steel, probably feet of steel, and come to think of it, maybe a back of steel. Most definitely balls of steel. That stepdown at the end is pretty big, its also on a DH track, so you have to ride into and out of it with the speed to hit it on a HT, sketchy for sure.


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## SHIVER ME TIMBERS (Jan 12, 2004)

very nice ability


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## LCW (May 5, 2008)

awesome vid!


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## 006_007 (Jan 12, 2004)

Nice vid - give a great idea of what can be done on a ht


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## Topgun514 (Feb 2, 2008)

dang man, that was real impressive


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## EDizzleVR6 (Oct 4, 2007)

thats super impressive, some clips look fast forwarded? maybe its just youtube


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## CharacterZero (May 19, 2004)

CHromag w/ a 140mm Lyric?!


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## tacubaya (Jan 27, 2006)

Looks flexy


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## GearTech (Mar 3, 2009)

Whew, that is indeed impressive. That's what being a smooth rider will do for you.

Even more impressive since the little guy was wearing pants that are 2 sizes too small  .


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## Flystagg (Nov 14, 2006)

now why would you say that? (looks flexy)

awesome vid


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## 08nwsula (Oct 19, 2005)

I hate when people ride hardtails just to look tough. Do it on a full rigid beach cruiser and I'll be impressed.


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## Gruntled (Jul 7, 2008)

He's a good rider. He doesn't look tough, he just looks fast and somehow smooth while getting his rear end kicked all over the joint.

Who is this secret hardtail bandit?


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## The Dude (Jan 19, 2004)

tacubaya said:


> Looks flexy


/bltchslap


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## juan pablo (Jan 17, 2007)

I tried hardtailing DH to prove I could handle it if it was my only bike. On the smooth flowy stuff it was wicked fun but at the end of a 5 minute run with a rocky section to finish off, my knees/ankles/wrists basicaly everything ached. 

He looked super smooth, mad props.


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## suntzu714 (Mar 10, 2008)

*advil pleassse..*

gives me joint pains just by watching this video cool vid tho.


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## perttime (Aug 26, 2005)

Gruntled said:


> Who is this secret hardtail bandit?


I only found out that...
- Chromag guys call him Jinya
- He is an engineering graduate from Japan 
- Recently Jin competed in the Red Bull Exodus and was the first hardtailer to finish the event.

http://chromagbikesblog.blogspot.com/search/label/jinya


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## Ojai Bicyclist (Nov 4, 2005)

I followed him down a section of A-line a few months ago. Most impressive rider I have ever seen in person. He was incredibly smooth and in control.


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## L. Ron Hoover (Feb 1, 2006)

Anyone who can ride a HT that smoothly down Goat's Gully and In Deep gets eternal respect from me. :thumbsup:


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## Uncle Six Pack (Aug 29, 2004)

Reminds me of a kid we ride with sometimes. We were out on shuttle runs and swapped bikes. He was doing OK on his hardtail... on my FS, he just flew!


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## slothoncanvas (Mar 6, 2007)

Damn... Very nice. I'm wondering what kind of gnarr super thick DH tire and DH tube combo he has to run to pin it like that on a HT and not get flats every 15 feet.

Not that this makes it any less impressive... but I'm guessing he def comes from the bmx world. Those kid's ankles/wrists/whatever are so used to the abuse... might take the edge off for him.


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## altadank (Mar 19, 2006)

which bike is it....Stylus maybe?


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## Jim311 (Feb 7, 2006)

Have we all been so wimped out because of dual suspension that smooth riding in technical terrain is now some incredible feat? I am no trying to diminish the guys riding, but there are tons of dudes out there pinning it on hardtails. Just about everybody started on one!


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## fattireridereric (Jul 12, 2006)

altadank said:


> which bike is it....Stylus maybe?


Gypsy. Discontinued but the Stylus is about the same.


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## Freerydejunky (Sep 21, 2006)

Great rider! Thats for sure. 

I just see alot of money invested in rear wheels...


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## bryan_d (Mar 16, 2009)

Jim311 said:


> Just about everybody started on one!


Unless mommy buys the sweet FS DH bike to start off with. 

AWESOME vid!!!


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## suicidebomber (Feb 10, 2007)

Jim311 said:


> Just about everybody started on one!


Yeah, tell that to the starting-out DHers in my country.


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## b4 stealth (Sep 9, 2007)

As a Vagrant owner with plans to hit up some DH Parks next summer, this video gets me so pumped. Major props to that guy. If he is that fast on a 140mm hardtail, what would happen if we put him on a DH race rig? :eekster:


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## FM (Apr 30, 2003)

Jim311 said:


> Have we all been so wimped out because of dual suspension that smooth riding in technical terrain is now some incredible feat?


That's pretty much my take on it.
I think it's about perception more than skills required. This guys obviously a total shredder, but what I'm gettin' at is most good riders will do fine on a hardtail once they adjust. Too many people just presume a hardtail will suck so they won't try one.



slothoncanvas said:


> I'm wondering what kind of gnarr super thick DH tire and DH tube combo he has to run to pin it like that on a HT and not get flats every 15 feet.


I've been riding a HT exclusively this year- granted more AM than FR/DH but still plenty of techy gnar DH. I got 5 flats in the first 6 rides after switching back from 6"+ full suspension... I kept thinking tires were the issue. Anyways I made some adjustments to my riding style and actually haven't gotten a flat since. There is definitely a technique thing... hard to describe but I think it has to do with "placing" your rear wheel, kind of part of pumping the terrain. If you just stand on the pedals and coast through the gnar then "_psshhhhhhhhhhhhhhfffffffff... aw fvck, again! _".


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## longdrive55 (Oct 7, 2007)

That's just flat out bike handling skill. The kind of skill most people that start on FS bikes never develop. 

Mad Props.

HT LIVES!


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## drew502 (Feb 12, 2007)

GearTech said:


> Even more impressive since the little guy was wearing pants that are 2 sizes too small  .


Maybe that's why he's so fast?


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## SuperKat (Mar 27, 2005)

Hemorrhoids?
Sorry, I thought we were supposed to fill in the equation you put in the title line there.


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## d.n.s (Jan 18, 2008)

that guy kicks ass)


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## slothoncanvas (Mar 6, 2007)

FM said:


> I've been riding a HT exclusively this year- granted more AM than FR/DH but still plenty of techy gnar DH. I got 5 flats in the first 6 rides after switching back from 6"+ full suspension... I kept thinking tires were the issue. Anyways I made some adjustments to my riding style and actually haven't gotten a flat since. There is definitely a technique thing... hard to describe but I think it has to do with "placing" your rear wheel, kind of part of pumping the terrain. If you just stand on the pedals and coast through the gnar then "_psshhhhhhhhhhhhhhfffffffff... aw fvck, again! _".


Maybe my local mountain is just a huge mound of tire eating rocks or something, but no one (who actually rides fast) is able to run single-ply tires. Talking pro class riders etc. For all mountain stuff it makes a bit more sense to go single ply and just nurse it on the way down super high speed rocky stuff. But when you're going mach-10 down a rockgarden with sharp pointy rocks all over the place, unless you're running really high tire pressure which will make it sketchy as anything, downhill case tubes are almost a necessity for 'real' downhill riding. Or at least that's been my experience from observation.

There is definately major technique to riding a hardtail like that though without a doubt. Something I think we all loose touch with riding long travel fullies so much.


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## danyiluska (Sep 20, 2006)

this guy and hardtails rule!


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## ebxtreme (Jan 6, 2004)

I have a very similarly setup hardtail and I've ridden every single trail in this vid many times. Sure, I could ride them on my hardtail, but there's absolutely no way I'd ride those trails nearly that fast on my Trans Am and a couple of them wouldn't be that fun (Canadian Open course, wtf?). Sh!t, I probably barely ride them that fast on my DH bike (I'm not fast). Dude has the skills to pay the bills.


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## wedge (Jun 24, 2006)

*jinya*



altadank said:


> which bike is it....Stylus maybe?











chromag gypsy
rs lyrik 2step
king
chromag cutblock2 40mm
chromag fubars 30" uncut
saint brakeset
saint shifters
saint rear derailleur, short cage
hammer schmidt fr crankset
dark cycles archnid pedals
pro2 laced to 721 with ardent 2.6 for front
pro2 laced to 729 with minion 2.5 for rear
chromag seat and thomson post for park riding
chromag seat and chromag post for trail riding

as described here:
https://forums.mtbr.com/showpost.php?p=5968925&postcount=1092

and the rider:










not the typical "lumberjack-bodytype" canadian rider...

NOTE : I don't know him at all, just did a bit of e-sleuthing...


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## suicidebomber (Feb 10, 2007)

damn, 30in bars? I sure would like to try that setup on my hardtail.


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## jin0824 (May 28, 2009)

hi everyone! i'm the one in the video.

it's so nice and honored to read how people who i don't even know write about me.
i think most of the people are wondering what kinda bike i'm riding and the pic and spec of my bike was posted a while ago in this thread. thats still my current set up except single ply 2.5 nevegals for trail riding.

i got this bike on late may and spent 70days and over 370laps at the bikepark. now it has the 3rd rear rim. more than 10 dents on 721 first, then 729.
but to my surprise, i've had only one flat at the bike park when i put kenda nev 2.5 single ply on the back. i'm using 2.1 xc tube in the front and a bit thicker one in the back, not even heavy duty dh tubes.

as you can tell in the video also, i'm a skinny guy. i'm pretty sure my hands are way smaller and thinner than most of guys.
i'm not even the fastest guy or something, but i found the most important thing is just keep riding.

btw, my friend took my vid and it took us 4 hours, all in a day and i spent 2 hours editing it on that night.

if interested , please check out chromag website
http://www.chromagbikes.com/

cheers!!

Jin


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## Whafe (May 27, 2004)

Great stuff Jin, that is some serious good ride time at the park, makes me envious... Keep it going hard my man.... Great video......

We get so spoilt riding FS bikes, so much so that lines hardly matter, they matter BIG time on a HT........ Need to get back out on mine.....


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## Techfreak (Feb 17, 2005)

That rocks. I have only recently switched to riding my HT on the Shore and it is a different thing. Forces you to pick lines, no plowing allowed. Jin you show an amazing level of skill and confidence. Good on ya!


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## Djponee (Dec 20, 2006)

That guy is pretty badass. I love riding my hardtail, but i need to slow down when i do. He just keeps it pinned!


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## CharacterZero (May 19, 2004)

Bump for a kick-ass feature on Jinya - Seasonaires ep. 5!





Seasonaires - Ep5 - Jinya Nishiwaki from Tom Grundy on Vimeo.

This was mosdef the first clip I saw of him (the OP here). Since then I have seen Jin post up home-grown vid stoke here on MTBR and stuff over at the CHROMAG blog.

Keep up the good work man!


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## gticlay (Dec 13, 2007)

Is that a 2-9'er?


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## perttime (Aug 26, 2005)

He's not a big guy, I think. In the OP he was riding a Chromag Gypsy 26er. In the new vid the frame is a different color but I'm sure it is still a 26er.


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## essenmeinstuff (Sep 4, 2007)

Nice vid, I love my SS hard tail (more freeride less XC) but my knees hurt just watching him ride some of that! 

Maybe I'm just too old for that kind of punishment..


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## ebxtreme (Jan 6, 2004)

It's a 2-6'er.

While I do think a steel hardtail is a rad bike for the Whistler Valley, I don't think my knees/ankles/back could handle the abuse of laps in the park on mine.

Jinya's a machine!

EB


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## alexchannell (Sep 4, 2004)

Cool video, except that he wore his sisters jeans...


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## gticlay (Dec 13, 2007)

ebxtreme said:


> It's a 2-6'er.
> 
> While I do think a steel hardtail is a rad bike for the Whistler Valley, I don't think my knees/ankles/back could handle the abuse of laps in the park on mine.
> 
> ...


Maybe with an old school 24" wheel and the big fat DH tires they were making in the 90's


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## colin1 (Jan 6, 2009)

alexchannell said:


> Cool video, except that he wore his sisters jeans...


I used to think that, but then I got a pair of skate jeans, and man, they're great! they've got the stretch built in, so even when I get sweaty, they don't stick to my knees


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## bitewerks (May 14, 2009)

I remember reading that his fork doesn't go into full travel either. Not sure where I came across that. I think it was specs of his bike in another thread.

Love his youtube videos. Def smooth & fast but looks like he'd feel it the next day for sure.


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## GFAthens (Sep 10, 2009)

Jin, you've got mad skills, keep it up!


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## longboarderj (Sep 11, 2010)

Sick


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## Lunchbox362 (Jun 27, 2009)

bitewerks said:


> I remember reading that his fork doesn't go into full travel either. Not sure where I came across that. I think it was specs of his bike in another thread.
> 
> Love his youtube videos. Def smooth & fast but looks like he'd feel it the next day for sure.


Yeah, I'm fairly sure it's a lowered Lyric


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