# XC to Freeride conversion... Tell me what you think



## Urb-dirt (Apr 26, 2012)

Please excuse what may appear to be a NOOB type post, but here it is...

So, about two months ago, based on trying to get back into biking after about 14 years of down time and without spending a small fortune on a new bike, I bought a 2011 GT Avalanche 2.0, cause hey... I had to start somewhere! (you can stop laughing now )

Anyhow, I bought this entry level bike because I new that I wanted to get into mountain biking somehow and wasn't quite sure where to start or what I would really want to end up doing with it. I have a solid 14 years of a BMX background with a touch of MX. Amateur racing, DJ, street, you name it... I did it. So with this background, I figured I would buy an entry level mountain rig and build it to specifically fit my style of riding. For the last month my style of riding has basically been Freeride/Urban Freeride, DJ, and occasional trail rides. I've busted a replacable derailleur hanger, flattened about 5 tubes, knocked my front rim out of true, and tacoed the rear!

That said I wanted to get everyone's opinion on what I've done already to this sled to solve these problems and what I'm lacking still. Some of it is pretty obvious, but I want to get other opinions.

Also, I've seen posts that were similar to this that got responses like "...get a new bike dude", and all that. *I'm obviously not looking for that kind of response here, but feel free!* I realize this Avalanche (as it is "stock") isn't worth a **** really for anything other than a ride around the block and through the grass from what I hear, I get that. However, I also know that when you have to, you can build a bike as you go to find out what works for you. So here's what I've done so far and what I have on order at the moment. Pictures are soon to come. Thanks for the help in advance 

The bike as of now after current upgrades:

BOTTOM BRACKET: Shimano cartridge sealed 
BRAKES: Tektro Draco Hydraulic disc brakes 
CASSETTE: *PG 950 9 speed 11-28 (that I changed)* 
CHAIN: SRAM 9-speed chain *(that I changed)*
CRANKSET: Shimano FC-M311 42/32/22T *(only running a 22T and a 32T)*
FORK: Suntour XCR-LO hydraulic fork with chromoly 30mm stanchions, magnesium lowers, preload adjust, 100mm of travel and lock out 
FRAME: GT NEW Triple Triangle design 6061 butted aluminum with Hydro formed top and downtube, zero stack head tube. *(cut off and shaved down the seat tube about two inches to give more clearance)*
FRONT DERAILLEUR: *Not one (I removed it and manually change on the front ring)*
GRIPS/TAPE: *Odi "Ruffian" Lock-on grips (I replaced)* 
HANDLEBAR: *Truvativ Holzfeller Riser, 40 mm rise, 730mm width (I replaced)* 
HEADSET: Tange Seiki system for 1 1/8" 
LEVERS: Tektro 
PEDALS: *Forté Convert Platform Pedals (I replaced)*
REAR DERAILLEUR: Shimano Deore Shadow 
REAR SHOCK: NA 
SADDLE: WTB Pure V, with stitched cover and protective corners 
SEATPOST: *Alloy micro-adjust 31.6 mm (slammed ALL THE WAY DOWN!!)* 
SHIFTERS: Shimano SL-M430 9-speed RapidFire shifters 
STEM: *Azonic Barretta Stem, 6061 AL, 45mm, 0 deg rise (I replaced)*
TIRES: *MAXXIS Holy Rollers 2.4 in front/2.2 in rear (I replaced)* 
WHEELSET: *Transition Revolution 32mm wheelset (I replaced)*


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## saturnine (Mar 28, 2007)

you will destroy that bike doing that kind of riding. however, you're gonna do it anyway so i'd first upgrade the fork. maybe an argyle or a marzocchi dj depending on how much you want to spend. might need a burlier headset. but when your frame snaps, the parts on it won't matter much. the wheelset was a good upgrade. wheels, fork and frame are gonna take the most abuse.


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## Clozedeyez20 (Apr 17, 2011)

I'm assuming you purchased the bike from Performance (unless you got the forte parts elsewhere). I actually work at a Performance shop and deal with the GT Avalanches a lot. It's a good frame and the 2.0 isn't equipped with the _best_ components but it's better than the 3.0, even the 1.0 isn't the best. The nice thing about those bikes is that they can handle AM riding pretty well but getting into Freeride territory may be a risk but if you're like me, take the risk and learn. I don't see anything wrong with getting an entry-level bike like you have and see how far you can go. I think it's better than dropping thousands on a Demo-8 and finding out later that you don't like this style riding... although a Demo-8 might change your mind haha.
As far as _your_ bike goes, IMO, you're gonna need a better fork. 100mm is kinda short for FR. I've never used a Suntour fork but I've always trusted my Fox forx and never had a reason to veer from them. A Fox 32 Float 150mm would be great. That was my first fork and it worked great, Im using a 36 now, love the beefier sanctions. 2 big issues with the 150mm fork though, it will throw the bikes geometry out of whack, changing the angle of the bike and the Avalanche might not have the clearance to take the 150mm of travel. I've never seen it happen, where a wheel actually hits the frame but then again I've never seen 150mm fork on an avalanche. Also, full suspensions are more ideal for FR and I know you don't wanna hear that you should get a different bike but it would be ideal. I'm sure you'll get many other opinions and tips for what to do but my biggest would be to see if you could upgrade that fork, see if it works and then go from there wheels, etc etc.


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## Iceman2058 (Mar 1, 2007)

Clozedeyez20 said:


> I'm assuming you purchased the bike from Performance (unless you got the forte parts elsewhere). I actually work at a Performance shop and deal with the GT Avalanches a lot. It's a good frame and the 2.0 isn't equipped with the _best_ components but it's better than the 3.0, even the 1.0 isn't the best. The nice thing about those bikes is that they can handle AM riding pretty well but getting into Freeride territory may be a risk but if you're like me, take the risk and learn. I don't see anything wrong with getting an entry-level bike like you have and see how far you can go. I think it's better than dropping thousands on a Demo-8 and finding out later that you don't like this style riding... although a Demo-8 might change your mind haha.
> As far as _your_ bike goes, IMO, you're gonna need a better fork. 100mm is kinda short for FR. I've never used a Suntour fork but I've always trusted my Fox forx and never had a reason to veer from them. A Fox 32 Float 150mm would be great. That was my first fork and it worked great, Im using a 36 now, love the beefier sanctions. 2 big issues with the 150mm fork though, it will throw the bikes geometry out of whack, changing the angle of the bike and the Avalanche might not have the clearance to take the 150mm of travel. I've never seen it happen, where a wheel actually hits the frame but then again I've never seen 150mm fork on an avalanche. Also, full suspensions are more ideal for FR and I know you don't wanna hear that you should get a different bike but it would be ideal. I'm sure you'll get many other opinions and tips for what to do but my biggest would be to see if you could upgrade that fork, see if it works and then go from there wheels, etc etc.


The amount of travel on a fork has nothing to do with frame clearance. You could run a 400mm travel fork, the position of the wheel at the END of said travel would still be determined by the crown (which is more or less always in the same place...). :thumbsup:

OP: seriously, you don't want to hear it, but you should shop around for a used FR hardtail. It will double your enjoyment, and will cost you LESS in the end. Don't start throwing more money after bad money...


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## Moosey (May 18, 2010)

Getting anew fork and burlier parts will help, but It won't make it a good bike for what you want.

I hate to be the guy that hate, but a new bike would help. But I'm just saying, check craigslist, my friend picked up a DJ hardtail off craigslist in great condition for $350, and there's an even better one up right now for $250. keep riding your bike and wait for an exceptional deal to roll around. It will be well worth it. I'm not saying drop $1500 on a new hardtail, just wait for a fun one, and keep riding your bike for now.


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## Clutchman83 (Apr 16, 2006)

I know you already discounted this opinion because you don't want to hear it but there is nothing you can do and no amount of $$$ you can throw at that frame that will "convert" it into a freeride bike. Not possible, can't happen, won't happen, you will be sorry if you pump any more money into that thing. You can easily pick up a cheap used freeride bike if you so choose by browsing craigslist or the buy/sell forum on pinkbike.com.

I agree with Moosey, with your BMX background you probably would like a DJ hardtail with a proper geometry and dedicated components. That Avalanche wants to be a XC bike no matter what parts you put on it. Get a cheap DJ bike, sell the Avy for a few bucks and get what you actually want!


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## Urb-dirt (Apr 26, 2012)

Ok! So first of all... thanks for all the replies! I understand that the frame and forks aren't built for this type of riding. I know the geometry's not really "ideal" for FR/DJ/Street, but what does this effect? What are the other reasons that this frame won't work? Is it beacause it's aluminum? I know of a few "freeride" bikes that have aluminum frames. I just figured since these styles of riding originated from XC, that it shouldn't be that big a deal, at least for the time being, that I don't have the "ideal" frame. I might add that, although I have experience and ride pretty well, I'm not a pro freeride rider by any means. No 20ft drop-ins for me! Not yet anyway, and when I get to that point I can assure you I'll be getting the right set-up for it!


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## Pädi1 (Jan 2, 2012)

The frame ain't strong enough for that kind of riding 'cause it's got thinner and a weaker aluminium than in real FR/DJ bikes, welding isn't as strong either but I'd reckon some tube will crack before a weld gives up. If you'd want to make the frame hold this kind of abuse you'd have to weld some strengthening tubes to it, this adds much weight though so it would be wiser to just buy a bike that is meant to be abused.

And that thing that FR, DJ, street etc originated from XC has nothing to with what bike you should have, just like you would say electric trains originated from steam trains so you might as well use steam trains still today or something..


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## fryed_1 (Nov 8, 2010)

I've seen those forks and I wouldn't trust them to handle many jumps/drops even at intermediate levels.

I know you didn't want to hear this, but personally I would just put together a dedicated bike. For the price you would spend on buying a new fork ($400-600ish), you could easily pick up an entire bike that would be a MUCH better starting point. Save the GT for XC and beer runs and have you a decent start on a DJ that would be worth upgrading.

That said it sounds like you don't want to spend a lot of money and want to keep what you have, dump the gears and go SS with a $20 kit for the rear. Dump the tectros and get a set of Avid BB7's. Make it simple as possible and less to break. Find a used Marz DJ fork in the $150 range - not the best, but not the worst and they'll take a hit and they're cheap and you can find them them pretty easily as people replace them off their OEM bikes. Couple other small odds and ends and you're probably talking $400ish or so to work over the bike you have.

Let me just say... I wanted a HT for bouncing around same as you. Nothing extreme, but an occasional DH/FR trip and having general fun around town. Picked up a rocky mountain flow 2.0 for $100 (frame), spinner 150mm fork (junk, but beefy and good for what I needed it for) for $100, XT/MTX31 wheelset built for $150 and pieced the other odds and ends together from spare parts. The thing is a tank and I spent less than $600 on it and it's a blast to ride. Just something to consider that when you start upgrading what you have, making it work for something it wasn't intended for could end up costing you a lot more in the long run than just doing it right the first time.


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## schlockinz (Feb 6, 2009)

Sorry, but the best/cheapest way to go is to sell, not upgrade.

Get a hardtail (morphine, .243 racing, NS surge, rocky flow, 456 summer season etc...or with your BMX background, maybe a banshee scratch) find a marzocchi 66 rc or 55rc, if its a 66, drop the travel to 150. These forks are cheap, still amazingly good by todays standards, and will take a beating, plus they are simple to work on.

You can find and build a good AM/FR hardtail for less than upgrading your current rig if you look hard for used parts/bikes. Plus it won't be as likely to fail. I suggest getting a steal frame so you don't have to worry about metal fatigue.

Lastly, the geometry is a big deal. Jacking up the front end and raising the bottom bracket can make it feel like you're riding a wheel barrel. It won't be as easy to rip the corners. Trust me, when you point the bike downhill and get ready to hit drops and jumps on it, you'll want geometry with that in mind, or else you maybe re-learning the joy of eating sh*t as you crash.


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## Urb-dirt (Apr 26, 2012)

These replies definitely all make sense and I truly appreciate them all!

I have been keeping an eye out for a better suited frame and fork (steel/DJ&FR geometry), but until I get to the point where I have them, I am gonna have to deal with what I have! All the parts that I've upgraded, thus far, with the Transition Revolution 32 wheel set, Truvativ Holzfeller Riser Bars, Forte platform pedals, Azonic stem, etc. can always be transferred to a better and beefier frame/fork setup. 

I do plan to ride this thing the way it is at least for a little while, but I guess I'll just try and stay away from those "super drop" to flat kind of stuff. I am hitting jumps though.... I can't help that, it's just what I like to do and if the frame or fork fails while doing this, then I suppose I will have been warned!!! Lol!

So that said, with the current set up I have, what would you guys say the breaking point is for this frame/fork?


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## arkon11 (Jul 26, 2009)

This just a bad idea.

GT Avalanches are nice frames, and great for some hardtail XC and light all mountain riding, but that is what they were designed for.

Bikes these days are faily purpose built, for example in a downhill bike you'll find stronger welds, thicker tubing, and obviously rear suspension. XC race bikes are much ligther, and less able to handle big hits. They geometry is much less "relaxed" and have much steeper head tube angles because they are meant to be used with a 80-120mm fork. 

If you really want to get into "freeride" while sticking to a hardtail, I'd just look at picking up a used NS Surge of a On-One 456. These are plenty strong, cost effective, and are pretty versitile. Switch over some of your components, and maybe buy 140-160mm fork and you'll be golden.


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## fryed_1 (Nov 8, 2010)

When you're teeth become embedded in what's left of the headtube, you've hit the breaking point. So keep an eye out for that point and stay away from it.


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## Urb-dirt (Apr 26, 2012)

Ok... so say I stay away from heavy FR and just use this thing for light to moderate DJ and AM trail type stuff. Can it handle that at least? I've had aluminum BMX bikes that I freakin thrashed and they seem to take a pretty damn good beating before my face was to ever meet the head tube or anything like that for that matter. 

I obviously bought the bike without doin my home work and it may very well have bit me in the ass! :madman: But now I'm trying to move forward with what I have and I definately don't want to restrict myself from riding until I get a new frame, that's all.


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## saturnine (Mar 28, 2007)

Urb-dirt said:


> Ok... so say I stay away from heavy FR and just use this thing for light to moderate DJ and AM trail type stuff. Can it handle that at least? I've had aluminum BMX bikes that I freakin thrashed and they seem to take a pretty damn good beating before my face was to ever meet the head tube or anything like that for that matter.
> 
> I obviously bought the bike without doin my home work and it may very well have bit me in the ass! :madman: But now I'm trying to move forward with what I have and I definately don't want to restrict myself from riding until I get a new frame, that's all.


what they're made of is irrelevant. a bmx bike is made with one purpose in mind - to be abused and beat up. this ain't no bmx.


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## Urb-dirt (Apr 26, 2012)

...agreed I guess . I looks like I'm having just as much of a hard time making the switch from BMX guy to MTB guy! When I rode BMX, MTB just weren't as cool as they are today. It shows in my ignorance in this thread.....


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## fryed_1 (Nov 8, 2010)

Use the bike for what it's made for and hone your technical XC/AM skills until you can build something right. If you decide to go launching it, just make sure you post video after you recover...


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## schlockinz (Feb 6, 2009)

How big of drops and jumps are you looking at doing?

Where do you live/ride?

What might be FR to one might be more AM in reality


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## MOJO K (Jan 26, 2007)

Dirt jumpers still popping up on Chainlove? That might be the fix short term. Cambria( I think) had some old Kona HT frames kicking around for cheap...scab or chute or something, right?


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## #1ORBUST (Sep 13, 2005)

Fock it OP! Throw it down on that bike, huck it huge. 

You're not a MTB'er or really a Man till you've broken tons of parts/frames/bones . 

Of course the best way would be to have a bike for every app but we all don't have $15K to spend on a 3 bike quiver. Upgrade fork beat the **** out of it. If it brakes it brakes just don't brake your neck.


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## Urb-dirt (Apr 26, 2012)

#1ORBUST said:


> Fock it OP! Throw it down on that bike, huck it huge.
> 
> You're not a MTB'er or really a Man till you've broken tons of parts/frames/bones .
> 
> Of course the best way would be to have a bike for every app but we all don't have $15K to spend on a 3 bike quiver. Upgrade fork beat the **** out of it. If it brakes it brakes just don't brake your neck.


NICE!!!  I was waiting for someone to come out and give me a little encouragement! Haha. I agree with the money thing for sure, which is why I'm in this position in the first place. Not enough knowledge and not a kazillionair. I should just go all out and test the limits myself huh? Who knows, I may just need to upgrade my video cam and go for it like you said. Pretty ballsy from what I can tell from most responses though.


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## saturnine (Mar 28, 2007)

Urb-dirt said:


> NICE!!!  I was waiting for someone to come out and give me a little encouragement! Haha. I agree with the money thing for sure, which is why I'm in this position in the first place. Not enough knowledge and not a kazillionair. I should just go all out and test the limits myself huh? Who knows, I may just need to upgrade my video cam and go for it like you said. Pretty ballsy from what I can tell from most responses though.


pretty unrealistic logic. you don't need to buy a bike for every situation, you just need one. unfortunately, you don't have it. the reason that everybody keeps telling you to upgrade your frame is because everybody is right. there are plenty of decently priced frames that will do everything you are looking to do.


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## Apache249 (Jul 30, 2009)

Clozedeyez20 said:


> I'm assuming you purchased the bike from Performance (unless you got the forte parts elsewhere). I actually work at a Performance shop and deal with the GT Avalanches a lot. It's a good frame and the 2.0 isn't equipped with the _best_ components but it's better than the 3.0, even the 1.0 isn't the best. The nice thing about those bikes is that they can handle AM riding pretty well but getting into Freeride territory may be a risk but if you're like me, take the risk and learn. I don't see anything wrong with getting an entry-level bike like you have and see how far you can go. I think it's better than dropping thousands on a Demo-8 and finding out later that you don't like this style riding... although a Demo-8 might change your mind haha.
> As far as _your_ bike goes, IMO, you're gonna need a better fork. 100mm is kinda short for FR. I've never used a Suntour fork but I've always trusted my Fox forx and never had a reason to veer from them. A Fox 32 Float 150mm would be great. That was my first fork and it worked great, Im using a 36 now, love the beefier sanctions. 2 big issues with the 150mm fork though, it will throw the bikes geometry out of whack, changing the angle of the bike and the Avalanche might not have the clearance to take the 150mm of travel. I've never seen it happen, where a wheel actually hits the frame but then again I've never seen 150mm fork on an avalanche. Also, full suspensions are more ideal for FR and I know you don't wanna hear that you should get a different bike but it would be ideal. I'm sure you'll get many other opinions and tips for what to do but my biggest would be to see if you could upgrade that fork, see if it works and then go from there wheels, etc etc.


OP, do not put a 150mm fork on your 100mm frame.


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## Urb-dirt (Apr 26, 2012)

saturnine said:


> pretty unrealistic logic. you don't need to buy a bike for every situation, you just need one. unfortunately, you don't have it. the reason that everybody keeps telling you to upgrade your frame is because everybody is right. there are plenty of decently priced frames that will do everything you are looking to do.


I realize that now. I'm just taking all opinions equally. Haha! I know it's kind of a "fock it" attitude. I guess I'm just trying to cope with a spell of weak ass judgment!


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## Urb-dirt (Apr 26, 2012)

Apache249 said:


> OP, do not put a 150mm fork on your 100mm frame.


What's your reasoning?


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## saturnine (Mar 28, 2007)

Urb-dirt said:


> What's your reasoning?


because it's meant for 100mm max. 150mm is obviously more. it'll ride like sh*t, and it will likely crack at the headtube.


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## saturnine (Mar 28, 2007)

it doesn't have to be steel, it just has to be meant for the riding you'll do.


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## Urb-dirt (Apr 26, 2012)

Again, it looks like the frame is the issue here. So I guess I'm officially on a hunt for a stronger, used steel frame??? At this point, until then I think I'm just gonna take it easy (somehow?) and keep riding cautiously.


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## pablo4429 (Mar 14, 2008)

The material is totally irrelevant in your case. It could be made of steel, aluminum, carbon fiber, wood, glass, whatever! The point is that the frame will have been engineered with the material and designed riding in mind so it will handle what it is supposed to. Obviously, it should handle more, but not XC to FR type of jump, it is simply dangerous and will likely lead to a serious failure that you will not be able to control of see. 

That being said, I was a VERY similar situation when I started riding. I started with a second hand Specialized Hard Rock and realized quickly it was not built for what I wanted to ride. I ended up searching, researching, searching, reading, saving, etc for a while and bought a new old stock Jamis Komodo, an AM/DJ sort of frame and I beat the CRAP out of that thing. It is still kicking and will be soon converted to a DJ only bike. I learned to ride pretty damn rough stuff with that and it never skipped a beat. 

However, it was built around a 150mm fork so the engineers knew how to design it so it could take that kind of abuse and somewhat more and not fail. A decent judge for what a frame can take is what size fork it came stocked with. Just about any with around 150mm fork should be fine for what you want to ride and will give a decent overhead for progression. 

If you put a 150mm fork on say, a bike designed for 100mm, you rake the front end much too far and increased the torque on the head tube (torque=radius*force) by increasing the radius at which you are applying the force, very, very loosely speaking. You can easily rip the heat tube off the bike and be sent face first into something harder than your teeth or face, it makes no difference what it is made out of.

Hope this helps


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## Urb-dirt (Apr 26, 2012)

pablo4429 said:


> The material is totally irrelevant in your case. It could be made of steel, aluminum, carbon fiber, wood, glass, whatever! The point is that the frame will have been engineered with the material and designed riding in mind so it will handle what it is supposed to. Obviously, it should handle more, but not XC to FR type of jump, it is simply dangerous and will likely lead to a serious failure that you will not be able to control of see.
> 
> That being said, I was a VERY similar situation when I started riding. I started with a second hand Specialized Hard Rock and realized quickly it was not built for what I wanted to ride. I ended up searching, researching, searching, reading, saving, etc for a while and bought a new old stock Jamis Komodo, an AM/DJ sort of frame and I beat the CRAP out of that thing. It is still kicking and will be soon converted to a DJ only bike. I learned to ride pretty damn rough stuff with that and it never skipped a beat.
> 
> ...


Very interesting. So what you're saying is, not matter what I choose to do, I would be better off leaving the 100mm travel forks? To be honest, as I said in my OP, I'm used to BMX style bikes and not really used to have "travel" anyway. A little goes a long way for me. I know that this all varies because the speed at which a 26' wheel is moving and handle, but still, I'm perfectly happy with 100mm anyhow. I'm not sure that I would necessarily want more travel on this bike.


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## Urb-dirt (Apr 26, 2012)

If I were bombing down a 120 degree slope at 50mph and throwing myself off of a 30' gap, then that's another story. The biggest stuff that I do is on well manicured jumps and the transition on these are nice and smooth. Not a lot of jolting. Instead, it's pretty "flowy" stuff. I try to stay away from anything that is lacking in the "fairly smooth" transition department, it you know what I mean. Including man made.


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## pablo4429 (Mar 14, 2008)

Bingo, the rule of thumb is that you should not go beyond about 20mm of travel over what it came stock with, much beyond that it starts to get sketchy. 

The rest of the poster are dead on though, if you are dead set with a more aggressive bike right now, your best bet will be to scour Craigslist and Pinkbike for a used hard-tail. If you want to wait and save, you will be able to find a decent FR bike for maybe 1250 or so, depending on year and what you want. 

I think you should ride the bike you have now and see if you really like XC and don't have a desire at all to get a bigger bike, or if you end up wanting something more robust read as much as you can on here and other forums, not so much PInkbike for info though, and get an idea of what you want and how much travel you think you will need. 

In the end you will benefit by waiting and learning to ride good lines with your bike so you can develop skills further when you get the bigger bike. If you start on a big, FS bike it can tend to make some riders lazy since they can steamroll everything and don't really have to worry about lines. 

More suspension should be an aid, not a Band-aid.


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## Trail Addict (Nov 20, 2011)

I know you don't want to hear it, but it's the truth. 

Sell your current bike and buy a better one. Preferably one that is actually designed for the type of riding you want to do. You will not get anywhere with the bike you have right now. It is simply not designed for hard riding like that and you will most likey end up getting seriously injured or killed due to bike failure.

Look on your local craigslist for used bikes. There are so many good deals out there.

I don't mean to sound cynical, but that's just the way it is man. You NEED a different bike for the riding you want to do. An all mountain rig like a Santa Cruz Nomad, Specialized Enduro, or Giant Reign X would be perfect for your needs. Try to look for one of those on the second hand market.


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## Urb-dirt (Apr 26, 2012)

Trail Addict said:


> I know you don't want to hear it, but it's the truth.
> 
> Sell your current bike and buy a better one. Preferably one that is actually designed for the type of riding you want to do. You will not get anywhere with the bike you have right now. It is simply not designed for hard riding like that and you will most likey end up getting seriously injured or killed due to bike failure.
> 
> ...


What about a Trek Bruiser w/ an InSync Edge, 120mm travel fork, Earl stem, Bontrager Crowbar handlebars, and Bontrager seatpost w/ binder.... they're asking $150 for all of it on CL in my area. I can handle that for sure, if it's a decent deal and better suited?


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## saturnine (Mar 28, 2007)

Urb-dirt said:


> What about a Trek Bruiser w/ an InSync Edge, 120mm travel fork, Earl stem, Bontrager Crowbar handlebars, and Bontrager seatpost w/ binder.... they're asking $150 for all of it on CL in my area. I can handle that for sure, if it's a decent deal and better suited?


lateral move. spend some money. not a lot, but some. $150 is the price of a nice saddle, not a bike. save up a few hundred and go from there.


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## lew242 (Aug 7, 2008)

A HT FR/AM bike will never be as fun as a FS bike, although it does depend on the terrain somewhat. Buying a HT FR bike could also send you down the wrong route, as you might spend lots of coin that would be better spent elsewhere, I had a aluminum HT FR machine, and I hated the thing, I much prefer steel. If I were you I'd go a completely different route.

1. Switch out at least the front brake pads, think about a new front brake system, like Shimano SLX, rear doesn't matte as much, those Tektro brakes can often fade on you.
2. Switch out the tires to something wider, the Holy Rollers are killer tires on hard pack or street, but maybe think about something like Minion 2.5 (ST) front 2.3 (Maxxpro) rear on dirt, be careful, as 2.5 might not fit.
3. When you get some money maybe you could think about getting a new fork. But a good idea would be to get an adjustable fork like the Sektor U-turn. The the only problem is that you'll probably end up wanting a 20mm axle in the end, so you might want a new front hub. You might regret a 9mm QR fork later.


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## fryed_1 (Nov 8, 2010)

lew242 said:


> A HT FR/AM bike will never be as fun as a FS bike, although it does depend on the terrain somewhat. Buying a HT FR bike could also send you down the wrong route, as you might spend lots of coin that would be better spent elsewhere, I had a aluminum HT FR machine, and I hated the thing, I much prefer steel. If I were you I'd go a completely different route.


I beg to differ a little there. I have a blast on my RM Flow. I'd say it's more fun on the lift-park smoothie trails than my DH rig. It flies awesome and when you're talking dozens of tabletops and doubles, landings are smooth and not jarring at all.

That said... the aforementioned GT would not work in either situation and would likely fail rather quickly even with smooth landings, especially with a longer fork.


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## Urb-dirt (Apr 26, 2012)

I'm pretty sure I'm gonna pick up the aforementioned Trek Bruiser w/ the 120mm InStyc Edge fork that I found on Craigslist for $150. I sent the guy a text this morning. It's not top of the line, but it sounds like it should be a better option for the time being anyway and they're asking what I'm willing to spend right now. A little bigger fork and better suited frame for what I need. I like the shorter travel fork on the HT, so things will still be DJ/street friendly.


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## lew242 (Aug 7, 2008)

fryed-1 said:


> I beg to differ a little there. I have a blast on my RM Flow. I'd say it's more fun on the lift-park smoothie trails than my DH rig. It flies awesome and when you're talking dozens of tabletops and doubles, landings are smooth and not jarring at all.


I agree with you, when smooth, there is nothing wrong with an Alu HT bike, the thing is you really don't need any much more fork than 120mm, also some alu HT frames seem to absorb the bumps much better than others. Steel HT bikes really can suit up to 140mm travel. If I were the OP I'd buy a steel DJ with a Marz DJ or something on it, really good do it all option, and tough enough to survive some abuse. Other than that I'd go full squish if I had the cash.


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## Trail Addict (Nov 20, 2011)

lew242 said:


> A HT FR/AM bike will never be as fun as a FS bike


I have much more fun going through rock gardens and other technical areas on my hardtail than I did on my full suspension. The fun about it is actually using skill to get through them. With my full suspension I felt like I could just plow through every line I wanted to and that was really no fun for me, it kinda just felt like cheating.


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## Teqtonik (Jan 14, 2012)

Urb-dirt said:


> I'm pretty sure I'm gonna pick up the aforementioned Trek Bruiser w/ the 120mm InStyc Edge fork that I found on Craigslist for $150. I sent the guy a text this morning. It's not top of the line, but it sounds like it should be a better option for the time being anyway and they're asking what I'm willing to spend right now. A little bigger fork and better suited frame for what I need. I like the shorter travel fork on the HT, so things will still be DJ/street friendly.


That's great and all, but don't expect it to hold up to the style of riding you ultimately would like to do.


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## saturnine (Mar 28, 2007)

Urb-dirt said:


> 120mm InStyc Edge fork


i have never even heard of that. no doubt it will be equally bad or worse than your current fork. you get what you pay for. you're getting good advice and just ignoring it.


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## fryed_1 (Nov 8, 2010)

Here I'll do all the work for you:

Spec P2: 2006 Specialized P2 jump bike | eBay

Ready to ride, $100 reserve... start bidding.


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## MOJO K (Jan 26, 2007)

fryed_1 said:


> Here I'll do all the work for you:
> 
> Spec P2: 2006 Specialized P2 jump bike | eBay
> 
> Ready to ride, $100 reserve... start bidding.


That looks super clean...snap that one up.


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## lew242 (Aug 7, 2008)

The OP is a former BMXer on a budget. Steel is super strong and forgiving on the bumps, and cheap! A steel DJ bike with a 20mm axle and 1x8 or 1x9 drive-chain with a guide, plus a long seat post equals a perfect do-it-all. Sure it's a tad heavier, but that's what legs are for!

I'd go for something more like this.


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## mplsrider (May 3, 2012)

I'm in kinda the same position as the OP right now. I bought a 2011 Raleigh Talus 8.0 and want to get it set up for some free rideish type stuff. I had a specialized 2010 p1 AM last year but it got stolen so I got the Talus 8.0 a few weeks ago hoping to do the same thing I was doing on the P1. Is there any hope for me being able to use my Talus for freeride type stuff? I'm on a TIGHT budget because I'm 16. But reading all these posts makes it look like theres not really any hope for me and my talus...


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## Larkdalecrew3 (May 4, 2012)

So I am assuming you guys would recommend the same thing to me instead of throwing some bars/ss conversion/forks etc. on my
2012 Specialized Hardrock Disc?


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## saturnine (Mar 28, 2007)

Larkdalecrew3 said:


> So I am assuming you guys would recommend the same thing to me instead of throwing some bars/ss conversion/forks etc. on my
> 2012 Specialized Hardrock Disc?


you can certainly convert it to ss, but don't try to make it into something it's not. it is not a freeride machine. it is not an urban hucker. it is just an xc bike.


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## HungarianBarbarian (Jul 24, 2008)

For riding in TX a real FR bike would be a waste of money and probably be less fun than what you have now. Unless you're going huge or hitting jumps/drops to flat it is unlikely that your frame will fail with a 100mm fork but a 150mm fork would be dangerous. But put a decent chainguide on, if your chain comes off while your putting down full power you will be seriously off balance and if you are heading into a gap or drop it could be really bad. If you can't afford a chainguide at least put the FD back on.


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