# DownHill bike for trail riding???



## yellowpasta2000 (Nov 22, 2008)

Whats up guys i ride a hardtail mainly on xc trails and recently found krazy DH trails. i'v heard many people say dont use DH bikes for trail riding, y is this? id like 2 do both types of riding but with 1 bike. 

Thanks
Anto


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## redspotff (Dec 5, 2005)

Then you need to start looking for a Santa Cruz Nomad. They rule.


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## lornibear (Aug 14, 2006)

redspotff is quite correct. You need a bike with about 6.5 inches of travel that can do the XC thing or the mild DH thing. There are many bikes on the market that could fit this niche, such as the the SC Nomad, Nicolai Helius FR, Tuner RFX, Foes FXR etc. I have one of these bikes and with a couple of specific wheelsets, you really can have two bikes in one (IMO), dependant on how you build it.

Although you will never beat a XC bike for XC and a DH bike for DH.


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## darkest_fugue (Sep 25, 2007)

i use an SXT for all sorts of riding, it pedals really well and handles everything but at 37 pounds its heavy for xc and you really notice it if your with other xc bikes, im going to try and bring the weight down in the future


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## brillantesdv (Oct 24, 2007)

yellowpasta2000 said:


> y is this?\


generally pure DH rigs have lots of travel (8+") which makes it a pain to pedal efficiently. also they generally have slack head angles, again which makes pedaling not so fun.


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## nightnerd (Mar 5, 2007)

The Reign X(0-1-2) is an option too. I own a X1 and bought it exactly for that reason. I wanted to ride the trails around the city but I also wanted to go with my friends ripping the shuttled mountain like Bromon or Mont-Saint-Anne. Man, that bike is really a do it all and so far, for my level, it does it without forcing me to sacrifice any fun.


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## Linga115 (Mar 23, 2008)

i was in your boat as well. i like going downhill but i cant afford to pay for lifts and shuttles all the time. so i gotta pedal up. im a college student as well so i can only really have one bike based on my budget. i got the kona coilair with the magic link. if you are into weird suspension design gadget kind of stuff check it out. it was cheap and does everything so i like it. if i had all the money in the world i'd go for a SC nomad for an AM bike. 

if you are looking for a category of bikes... you're probably going for the All mountain part of the spectrum.


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## essenmeinstuff (Sep 4, 2007)

If you ride a DH bike to DH trails, then its ok, but if you ride a DH bike on "normal" trails with no DH the MTB police will come and take your bike, then you have to walk out, and no one likes walking...


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## venom600 (Jul 10, 2006)

nightnerd said:


> The Reign X(0-1-2) is an option too. I own a X1 and bought it exactly for that reason. I wanted to ride the trails around the city but I also wanted to go with my friends ripping the shuttled mountain like Bromon or Mont-Saint-Anne. Man, that bike is really a do it all and so far, for my level, it does it without forcing me to sacrifice any fun.


Agreed. The Reign X is a great option for this. Some other good options in this category:
Santa Cruz Nomad
Specialized SX Trail
Knolly Delerium-T

--Ben


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## redrook (May 16, 2008)

essenmeinstuff said:


> If you ride a DH bike to DH trails, then its ok, but if you ride a DH bike on "normal" trails with no DH the MTB police will come and take your bike, then you have to walk out, and no one likes walking...


Yeah I hate those guys.


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## Raptordude (Mar 30, 2004)

Krazy DH Trails? Just how crazy are these Krazy DH trails?


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## bmxconvert (May 17, 2006)

The slacker geometry and wheelbase of a full on downhill bike puts it at a disadvantage. It's just not a comfortable and effecient riding position. I have taken out my Foes Fly with full race setup(boxxer WC, durace cassette, dual plys) for trail rides and done quite well keeping up with the others(partially due to its 36lb weight, sub 36 with singleplys), but when you stand up to do a climb and try to weight the front tire with bars in your lap it's not as great as a trail bike. The lengthy 45+ wheelbase makes turning tight technical corners more difficult.

I'm a big fan of the Foes FXR. Incredibly capable bike. Three of us local guys own Foes Fly's and love them for DH racing. However, since 2 of us got the FXR's it's been the bike of choice for everything. Trail riding, shuttling, even downhill racing. The bike pedals great with the Curnutt XTD coil or air or the DHX air. The geometry is adjustable via a rod end at the end of the shock to lower the bb and slacken the ht. However none of us have changed the geometry settings. Using a adjustable travel fork(we've got a 36 talas and a lyric u-turn) makes it absolutely amazing. 
One of the guys actually sold his nomad to buy the FXR.


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## One_Speed (Aug 3, 2007)

Ya people will talk you need this bike for that etc BS all day long. 

if your strong and you set your mind to it, You can actually ride a DH bike uphill and for trail riding. 

You just will sacrifice some speed for climbing and it will not be as fun on the climbs. 

DH bike has different geometery and is usually much heavier. 

SO when your climbing steep hill the front wheel will flop around easily. Again just gotta be stronger and use more balance. I have done it as well as many others.

A majority of these people aren't able to push themselves physically to the point to be strong enough to ride DH bike uphill so they will say it cannot be done. 

or the classic BS line. "You need a DH bike to ride this trail" 

Although 15 years ago the same trail was ridden by fully rigid mtb's. 

Usually an excuse by people that don't got the skills.

Yes a DH bike will be more fun and way faster. 

Some of the suggestions for AM bikes will be very fun bikes to ride yet not as performance orientated as a pure DH bike. Yet very close and way more fun to climb with.

Goes both ways:
A XC bike isn't made for DH but it can be ridden on krazy Dh trails. You just wont be as fast as a pure DH bike. Depending on your weight and riding style, also may flat or break some parts

IF your not racing you may not need (or even want) a DH bike. 

I needed a DH bike for racing and wanted to get fitter for racing so I rode the DH bike on all the trail rides. (because I also couldnt afford another bike)

Eventually I could keep up on the DH bike. And when I got a XC bike I was much faster.

Choose what is going to be the most fun for you. Time for some research and test rides


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## SHIVER ME TIMBERS (Jan 12, 2004)

brillantesdv said:


> generally pure DH rigs have lots of travel (8+") which makes it a pain to pedal efficiently. also they generally have slack head angles, again which makes pedaling not so fun.


that is why...it can be done but you get hell of a workout


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## supramk388 (Mar 6, 2007)

Canfield One! Pedals better than the Nomad and has more travel. It can be set at 7 or 8 inches but even at 7 inches this bike feels deep! 

Good luck with things. :thumbsup:


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## ducktape (May 21, 2007)

Sure why not! Most DH bikes don't weigh much more than a Wally World bike would anyway. If you don't care about speed (up the hills) or pedalling efficiency then throw a granny gear on your DH bike and go for it, like someone else has said the worst it will do is make you fitter.
Then off course if you really get to enjoy this whole "AM" riding thing more than pure DH well you can get a bike that will be ok for both DH and XC but not great at either.
Different people have different ideas of what riding is all about so if doing XC on a DH bike makes riding fun for you then go for it and don't worry about what others think.


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## MaxBS (Mar 30, 2008)

I would go for a 4X bike. Like an Ibis Mojo. Light enough for xc and can be used for hard riding. Or a blur, morewoods 4x bike etc. I ride a 4x hardtail and have ridden trails where mates have been on vp frees and stinky's. Its not as coumfortable but its do able and very fun. 
If youve got less travel your doing more of the work, your bike will bumping and drifting whilst you just keep control, stay loose and let your suspension and tyres find grip. I would go for a 4x bike.


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## OilcanRacer (Jan 4, 2008)

sometimes i ride my xc hardtail and sometimes i ride my 8" dh bike on the same rocky trails that require alot of uphill pedaling.

the uphills are more fun on the xc. 

the downhills are more fun on the dh.


a " in between" bike will only be semi-fun on both. had one and dumped it. just my "2 cents".


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## dbabuser (Jan 5, 2004)

MaxBS said:


> I would go for a 4X bike. Like an Ibis Mojo. Light enough for xc and can be used for hard riding. Or a blur, morewoods 4x bike etc. I ride a 4x hardtail and have ridden trails where mates have been on vp frees and stinky's. Its not as coumfortable but its do able and very fun.
> If youve got less travel your doing more of the work, your bike will bumping and drifting whilst you just keep control, stay loose and let your suspension and tyres find grip. I would go for a 4x bike.


I agree w/ the recommendation for a 4x bike - my sx rules on descents, and doesn't climb too badly either. But not all 4x bikes have similar geo - some are as steep as xc bikes, so they won't descend as easily. And the Mojo is a xc/ trail bike - it's not a 4x bike. Lopes' has a longer fork and shorter shock (or maybe just run w/ a lot of sag) to make it lower and slacker.


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## kenbentit (Jan 2, 2003)

I love my Canfield Balance, enough travel to handle anything short of full DH racing but it climbs too. Just look up "Mini DH", there are options now for doing what you describe. The 4X bike would also be cool if you're a fairly smooth rider. I have a Yeti DJ and while it isn't exactly the best thing for climbing it gets it done and is a blast on the DH (and of course, jumping).


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## longviewsyndicate (Dec 18, 2008)

i ride my vp free all the time


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## ironzep (Dec 9, 2006)

Another do it all type bike you might want to look into is the GT sanction, quite similar to the nomad or reign x, with a little less travel but still has the slack angles. I have one and it just rips the dh (although not as good as a DH bike obviously) as well as going up at a semi decent pace.


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## Flystagg (Nov 14, 2006)

While riding trails on a dh bike may make you a better climber, riding Krazy dhs on a hardtail, or trailbike will make yoiu a better dher:thumbsup: I'll give way more props to somone that can rip on a 5" bike than some one that can mange crank, or in most cases push a downhill bike up the mountain.


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## Orange-Goblin (Jan 27, 2008)

My SS gets trail workouts and DH beatings and laps it all up along with everythign in between, this is an age old dilemma which i've posted on many times, but its about personal choice, the SS sits in the FR end of the do-it-all spectrum, with climbing being ok, because of the relative lightness of the bike, but the high front end, slack angles and amount of travel makes it more difficult, not impossible by any means though.

I did a lot of DH uplift over the summer, with a bunch of LBS sponsered riders, a few of them used to be nationals racers, and were doing pretty damn good on the circuit.

The fastest of the lot, a guy called Wellsy, rode a Giant VT2 for the last few days and was still faster than anyone else! That bike can climb very well too!!!

My point being that you need to get a bike that suits what you do most of the time, you'll get used to it whatever you ride, as long as its set up right, and you'll be a better rider for it! I started on an Orange 5 doing DH, and changed after a year to get the SS, but riding the Orange made me a better rider and progressed me well onto the SS!!


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## TLL (Apr 28, 2008)

I know a guy who rides a VP with a Fox 40 on everything. Hasn't slowed him down.


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## essenmeinstuff (Sep 4, 2007)

Another option would be a "freeride" bike, they are usually slightly better pedalers then pure DH bikes, not quite as slack HA, but more DH oriented then a AM bike...


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## wasea04 (Apr 2, 2007)

*El Guapo is the answer........*



SHIVER ME TIMBERS said:


> that is why...it can be done but you get hell of a workout


Oh please SMT you love to pedal, that's why you enjoyed Grafton Mesa so much! :thumbsup: hahaha How're you healing up?


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## Techfreak (Feb 17, 2005)

You will hate a DH bike most of the time. Yes you can use it for trail riding, just like you can use a hammer for removing a tooth, but it is not the right tool for the job. Look into a bike with 5"-6" of travel (which is TONS by the way) and geometry that is a bit on the slacker side (67*-68* head angle) and you will be much happier. Some of the suggestions made already are good, the Specialized SXT, or even the Enduro are good choices. The Knolly Delirium T is a SUPERB bike, but you will need to mortgage your soul for it. The Sinister GRUITR has been getting excellent reviews - and Sinister bikes have definitely got a certain magic to them. But really, you could be very happy with a Kona Coiler.


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## daverach2478 (Oct 12, 2006)

I ride my 40 lb Uzzi everywhere. Certainly not as fast going up, but, I smoke everyone going down. Sure, I could lighten it up, but, I am really efficient at excercise the way it is now.....


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## tacubaya (Jan 27, 2006)

Nah I'm not a Duncon whore, buy whatever bike you want


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## Prophet bill (Feb 28, 2008)

You might want to think about a cannondale prophet cheaper than some the other bikes talked about.I ride mine on downhill runs and i love it,but also does well on xc rides.


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## Bent Wheel (Oct 6, 2007)

My son rode a Spec. Bighit for 2 seasons and he was able to ride everything the rest of us rode. And he hauled the mail on the DH. Buy what you want and ride it. Just have fun with it. CHEERS!


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## yellowpasta2000 (Nov 22, 2008)

thanks for all you advice guys!!! great help!


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## kntr (Jan 25, 2004)

Most the guys I ride with ride FR or DH bikes for everything.

My XC bike.
My DH bike.
My FR bike.


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## rmb_mike (Jun 12, 2007)

essenmeinstuff said:


> If you ride a DH bike to DH trails, then its ok, but if you ride a DH bike on "normal" trails with no DH the MTB police will come and take your bike, then you have to walk out, and no one likes walking...


Are you serious?
How do they get away with that? 
Do they post signs up that say, No Downhill bikes ?
And even then, what would they consider a DH bike.
There's no way any non-actual police officer is going to confiscate my bike.

But back on topic.
I dunno about DH bikes good for trail riding, but I can suggest two aggressive A/M bikes that are good on the trail and also excellent descenders:
-Intense SS (never ridden it but the consensus is that it is trail worthy and descends excellently)
-Chumba Evo


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## Flystagg (Nov 14, 2006)

I actually don't know why I'm responding to you, because I really hope your joking, but no *essenmeinstuff *was not serious, but ride a dh bike on xc bike paths, and you might get some funny looks.


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## William42 (Oct 29, 2006)

Flystagg said:


> I actually don't know why I'm responding to you, because I really hope your joking, but no *essenmeinstuff *was not serious, but ride a dh bike on xc bike paths, and you might get some funny looks.


There is a kid who rides a bullit around town, he has a carbon bravo full face he wears at all times too, I don't even know if he rides down stairs with it, all I ever see him doing is riding on the street. Given that Davis is one of the flatter cities ever (We have a couple hills actually, the overpasses) we give him some pretty funny looks. And words.

At any rate, I have a full DH bike - long, low, slack. 14.1BB, 65HA, 46.5WB etc. That I ride for trails. I would not recommend it. Since the majority of my riding (and summer riding especially) is full DH, and DH is the highlight of my mtb riding, I got a DH bike, and I can't afford two bikes. Trails suck balls though, to the point where its barely even fun. I'm the type of guy who says "oh just man up and pedal harder" and I'm running a 36x34 for my climbing gear, but I wouldn't recommend it to anybody else. Get a AM/FR bike like a reign x, 7 point, nomad, SXT, that duncon looks good, there is lots out there.


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## Fly Rider (Apr 6, 2005)

I rode a 45 lb foes fly for a long time, trail, dh, everything. Now on 34.5 lb nomad. excellent trail bike, super fast on all the Co front range trails and winter park. Can get down anything, but wish i had v-10 for keystone and secret dh.


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## essenmeinstuff (Sep 4, 2007)

rmb_mike said:


> Are you serious?
> How do they get away with that?
> Do they post signs up that say, No Downhill bikes ?
> And even then, what would they consider a DH bike.
> There's no way any non-actual police officer is going to confiscate my bike.


Gold :thumbsup:


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## dbabuser (Jan 5, 2004)

Prophet bill said:


> You might want to think about a cannondale prophet cheaper than some the other bikes talked about.I ride mine on downhill runs and i love it,but also does well on xc rides.


The xc prophet is flexy, I think for a medium or larger rider, you'd much appreciate the extra beef of a prophet 4x. Or for that matter, a gemini, which can be found on the cheap, and so long as it has the thru axle swingarm, is pretty flex free.


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## redspotff (Dec 5, 2005)

rmb_mike said:


> Are you serious?
> How do they get away with that?
> Do they post signs up that say, No Downhill bikes ?
> And even then, what would they consider a DH bike.
> ...


If you are going to build up Chumba EVO you might as well build up a DH bike. That thing will give you the weight of a DH bike with the travel of an AM bike. Without the climbing ability. Sorry, that bike is sort of a terd.


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## Swell Guy (Jan 20, 2005)

longviewsyndicate said:


> i ride my vp free all the time


Me too. When I replaced the wheelset with a lighter build and the triple-clamp with a Totem, I got the weight down to 38 lbs. Not a feather, but I can pedal it uphill.

Saw a few frames on E-bay for around $1100 and one had a 1.5" headset. Pretty sweet deals if you ask me.


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## 4JawChuck (Dec 1, 2008)

One_Speed said:


> Ya people will talk you need this bike for that etc BS all day long.
> 
> if your strong and you set your mind to it, You can actually ride a DH bike uphill and for trail riding.
> 
> ...


True Dat!:thumbsup:

Riding a DH bike on XC will make you a stronger rider everywhere, put a medium derailleur on and a 34-36 front sprocket with a 11-34 rear cassette and go with it. I have found that with my XC buddies if I can't climb it with that combo in low gear then we are walkin up anyway...a DH bike is just a little heavier to push.

I once walked past a buddy sweating and peddling like mad in low-low on his XC bike and said to him "peddling up is no faster than walkin and lot more tiring", he got off and pushed. 

I was right.


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## whoda*huck (Feb 12, 2005)

William42 said:


> There is a kid who rides a bullit around town, he has a carbon bravo full face he wears at all times too, I don't even know if he rides down stairs with it, all I ever see him doing is riding on the street. Given that Davis is one of the flatter cities ever (We have a couple hills actually, the overpasses) we give him some pretty funny looks. And words.
> 
> .


It's elitist di*kheads like you who chase people from the sport. Why do you care what the kid rides???


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## longviewsyndicate (Dec 18, 2008)

Swell Guy said:


> Me too. When I replaced the wheelset with a lighter build and the triple-clamp with a Totem, I got the weight down to 38 lbs. Not a feather, but I can pedal it uphill.
> 
> Saw a few frames on E-bay for around $1100 and one had a 1.5" headset. Pretty sweet deals if you ask me.


My vp free with some king stuff, thomson stem and seatpost, a 55r fork, a shorter (8.5x2.5) roco world cup shock, and some other 'all mountain' parts, my ultra un-reliable home scale says it weighs 35 pounds. If I ever want to DH it I have a 66 and some heavier parts for it. I saw the vp free's on ebay, I think they are all larges and x larges. The large runs pretty long. Not even sure how long the x large is. I'm 6 foot and ride a medium.


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## Desert Pig (Dec 8, 2008)

yellowpasta2000 said:


> Whats up guys i ride a hardtail mainly on xc trails and recently found krazy DH trails. i'v heard many people say dont use DH bikes for trail riding, y is this? id like 2 do both types of riding but with 1 bike.
> 
> Thanks
> Anto


The most important thing to remember when using your DH bike for XC riding is to slap on a fresh pair of SPANDEX...that's all that really matters.:thumbsup:


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## William42 (Oct 29, 2006)

whodaphuck said:


> It's elitist di*kheads like you who chase people from the sport. Why do you care what the kid rides???


:eekster: are you for real?


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## weldo (Jul 21, 2008)

don't you know that you also have to raise your seat, slap some spd's on and a longer stem as well?...then you're ready to wear spandex, :thumbsup: and I will certainly laugh at you, cause then you would be a complete asshat on that killer dh bike


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## 72RATCAMARO (May 22, 2008)

I trail ride with a bunch of XC guys on my Gemini 3000 all the time. They are always impressed when I make it up the hill. LOL I am usually about 3 minutes behind but when I pass them up going down its all worth it.


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## Xave (Oct 7, 2004)

I'd like one of these.

http://www.orangebikes.co.uk/2009bikes/bike.php?model_id=116


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## mrpercussive (Apr 4, 2006)

redspotff said:


> If you are going to build up Chumba EVO you might as well build up a DH bike. That thing will give you the weight of a DH bike with the travel of an AM bike. Without the climbing ability. Sorry, that bike is sort of a terd.


i'm seen many Evos built 30 - 32lbs and still be able to take some abuse... Hatrdly heavy...

Evo frame is like 8.3lbs with a DhxA. The 2009 Nomad has a claimed weight of 6.9lbs with a Monarch...


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## juanbeegas (Oct 1, 2007)

How about something with adjustable travel that you can use for trails and DH? I've recently bought a Banshee Wildcard that I use for everything. Completely locked out and in 5" mode with a Pike 426 set at 4", I ride my local skatepark and street. Open in 5" mode with the Pike set at 5.5", I ride light DH. Open in 5" mode with the pike at 4", I ride 4X and some XC. I haven't had the chance to try the bike out in the 6.5" mode yet, but I'm currently looking into a couple of 7" forks that I might pick up as soon as I make up my mind.


*Is the OP even reading this thread any more?


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## Jayem (Jul 16, 2005)

I've had quite a few DH bikes, during which time I also had a lighter more "AM" type bike. One thing that comes to mind is how crappy the DH bikes were at anything other than DH. I know it's common knowledge, but I did ride the DH bike up roads and trails and then take it down. It was always a bear and just insanely sluggish and obtuse. 

Fast forward a bit and I have a hardtail 29er, nice heavy-duty AM bike, and a turner highline, which is a pretty heavy-duty FR bike. The thing about this bike is that I can ride it up nearly anything that I can ride up my AM bike on, and the reason is the geometry and seating position. It's an 8" travel monster, pretty slack (but not as slack as a DH rig) and it weighs more than 40lbs. I'll save you all the "it pedals so well" BS and just say that the geometry is spot on for simply being able to ride it just about everywhere. It's not going to be quite as agressive as a DH bike, yet it will climb far better and keep you in a seated-position where you can actually ride and corner with the seat at some position other than "slammed for DHing". All this stuff about suspension type A, VPP, DW, etc, doesn't make much of a difference in the ability to climb, at least nearly as much as the geometry does. From experience the only suspension system I wouldn't want on there is a high-pivot single-pivot type design with no linkage, as it would tend to break loose on the rocky uphills under power, making an already tough job tougher. Other than that, it's many times more rideable than a bike with DH geometry. 

This IMO is the primary reason people riding bikes like the Knolly DT and Highline rave about how it "climbs". It's not due to some magic suspension system or the weight (cause they're both heavy as sin), it's due to the geometry. 

I'd be carefull in what you think might be optimal, because any way you go about it you're going to make compramises. Those slack "slopestyle" bikes will suck at climbing and not give you a very good riding position for stuff other than DH. You're specifications of what you want are pretty much the entire point of freeride bikes, DH bikes you can pedal around anywhere.


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## Big Mike (Oct 26, 2005)

Depends on a few different factors. What type of rider you are. Where you ride.

I have a Canfield Bros. Can-Diggle. It is a pretty amazing beast. I ride it for any type of riding from shuttling to xc trail riding. I just did some urban riding yesterday, dropping off of concrete walls and crap like that. Plus a little dirt jumping. It was soaking up 4-6 foot drops like nothing. The Can-Diggle does everything pretty well. Well, the dirt jumping was tough, the depth of travel front and rear make it hard to get good pop off a jump at lower speeds. There are a lot of other frames that can be just as versatile if built properly. They have drawbacks, like weight (mine is 38 lbs. w/ single-plys) and geometry (not sure what the head angle is but it's definitely less than 70) that make them a burden on the climbs but a strong rider that can adapt his/her riding style should be able to overcome.

What I really need is a light duty wheelset to switch up to for xc riding. And a Ti spring, or maybe even an air-sprung unit for the rear. 

And I need to ride more and get back into better shape. That in itself makes a bigger, heavier bike easier to deal with.

The thing about building up a do-anything bike is you need to do lots of research. Like how much stuff will end up weighing, and how slack a head angle brand x fork will give you vs. brand y. Gearing. Whether or not you want to mess with a fork with adjustable travel and lockouts and stuff (I did'nt - I went w/ a Totem coil. I never mess w/ the floodgate) And you almost have to have 2 wheelsets.

On the other hand, I've ridden with many guys who seemed to be able to power out just about any ride on a full-tilt DH race bike. Even climbing shorter hills. You just have to adapt to the suspension motion as you pedal and having the bars right in your lap trying to weight the front wheel...


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## kntr (Jan 25, 2004)

I use my Socom for everything. Mine is the 07 so it is a little steeper than the newer Socoms. I run Azonic Outlaws with Minion 2.5/2.7s for DH and the bike weighs 41.5 lbs. I swap in the I9s with Intense 2.3s for XC and the bike weighs 37.5 lbs. Four pounds of rolling resistance is a ton on the climbs. I run a 66 ETA on the front and lock it down for the long climbs. I do fine and have a ton of fun. The 66 ETA is an awesome fork for the do all bike. Do what ya like.


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## redspotff (Dec 5, 2005)

mrpercussive said:



> i'm seen many Evos built 30 - 32lbs and still be able to take some abuse... Hatrdly heavy...
> 
> Evo frame is like 8.3lbs with a DhxA. The 2009 Nomad has a claimed weight of 6.9lbs with a Monarch...


Yea. sorry about the EVO. I tried real hard to like the EVO, it looks good on paper, but....
I am not sponsored and not biased. I have ridden a Nomad as well and in my unbiased opinion the Nomad is a nicer ride. Kudos to you for being "sponsored". The F5 dh bike rules for sure and the XCL makes for a great DS/4x bike. I just think they missed the mark on the EVO. I would bet the next gen will have a slacker HA, and lower the BB a bit, and that thing would rock. The suspension action is great, and you cant argue it is a solid bike.


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## ticobiker (Jul 21, 2013)

*re*



essenmeinstuff said:


> If you ride a DH bike to DH trails, then its ok, but if you ride a DH bike on "normal" trails with no DH the MTB police will come and take your bike, then you have to walk out, and no one likes walking...


Hello sorry for the dumb question!
I am newbie fan of mountain bike rides. I used to ride BMX back then in the 90s but I am getting older and trying to exercise my self so mountain bike rides are cool and good cardio exercise.

I had this same question about use a downhill bike for tiral ridding and found this interesting topic.

I see lot of diferent opinions so I am assuming only a self experience will determinate what is best or if this is a great idea.

So my dumb question is What exactly a MTB Police is?

My country you dont have to worry about police but thieves yes for sure!

I am not from the States so this is probably a new concept to me..


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## Fachiro1 (Nov 25, 2012)

The MTB Police are considered the best riders in the world. Most former Tour De France rudes who had worn the yellow jersey. The current director of operations is Danny Hart. It is strictly forbidden to ride your downhill bie, or any bike with more than 6 inches of travel if the trail has less than 10 percent downhill. That us why welike to ride our dh bikes at the beach.


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## ticobiker (Jul 21, 2013)

Lol I got it


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## charging_rhinos (Jul 29, 2008)

XC + DH bike. Here's the bike for you. Eleventy billion inches of awesomeness. Pedals like a carbon hardtail. You're welcome.


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## ticobiker (Jul 21, 2013)

charging_rhinos said:


> XC + DH bike. Here's the bike for you. Eleventy billion inches of awesomeness. Pedals like a carbon hardtail. You're welcome.
> 
> View attachment 819422


No way jose!

How much is a monster like that one?
looks like 450cc Suzuki special with non engine!


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## PsyCro (Jun 8, 2007)

Really depends on adjustability of the frame. I've done pretty well with mine given that i have a choice of shock size without altering geo...

















From 200-250mm DH beast to AM machine with 170x170mm of travel after changing out to smaller shock and fork, and lighter wheels (and a few other tid bits).

Basically without some kind of alteration a plain ol DH bike is not gonna be fun trail riding!


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## ticobiker (Jul 21, 2013)

Guys what about enduro bikes?? For normal trial I see them as a fusion between mountain bike and DH bike..
Again I am still researching

I see the KONAs really cool also are hard to see them in my country as Santa Cruz are also rare.. Most likely treck, cannodale marin, orbea and Giant!

Please check the link below:

KONA BIKES | 2014 BIKES | ENDURO | PROCESS 111 DL


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## Fury25 (Oct 22, 2008)

123


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## Fury25 (Oct 22, 2008)

PsyCro said:


> Really depends on adjustability of the frame. I've done pretty well with mine given that i have a choice of shock size without altering geo...
> 
> View attachment 819865
> 
> ...


Hey PsyCro,

Long time no speak.

What ever happened to your Maelstrom?

Mine's still going strong


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## PsyCro (Jun 8, 2007)

Mine's still going strong as well, but with a small crack above the BB that has been professionally welded. Sold it to my friend who has been riding it for over a year now, training at the local hill, national races, etc etc., with no problems.

The Crown is my warranty frame .
Amazing frame, really adjustable and has nice characteristics in those different modes.


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## bigskyguy (Apr 6, 2008)

Nomad. I have both a Nomad and Kona operator. I ride both here at Alyeska and can clean all the dicey sections of the hardest trails with my nomad. Difference being that I can do it all faster and floaty-er on my operator. The margin of error on the nomad is slimmer if I case a landing or pick a bad line through a rock garden. Riding a DH bike on XCish trails blows. You loose a lot of the push you get from pumping transitions and I think it can skew ones ability to pick cleaner lines. I regularly ride 20 mile trails and the thought of enduring the barrage of Mosquitos while trudging along on a DH rig sounds like hell. It's supposed to be fun. Sure it can be done. But with a camelback on I have no room left to haul a chip on my shoulders.


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## Dusky21 (Jul 19, 2012)

I ride a yeti sb66 with a fox 36 up front, mostly all mountain but I ride it XC probably 75% of the time and have no problem. My friends usually beat me to the top of long climbs but they get left in the dust coming down.


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## OhTeeBee (May 14, 2006)

I ride a 2013 stock Specialized Enduro Evo for everything. Just got back from Angelfire NM and the bike handled all of the trails out there no problem. I ride mostly XC type trails at home because they are close to my house. I also do shuttles when not at a resort.


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## jasonjm (May 4, 2011)

here is my trail bike, 34.3. lbs (really its my trail bike, Ive done over 3500 feet vertical up in a single ride no stops). Canfield one, 8 inch front, 8 inch rear, saint cranks, minion DHR 2 exo tires. Can definitely do DH, not a "semi DH bike".


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