# Slopestyle bike recommendations



## genemk (Sep 15, 2009)

Hi,

I'm considering getting a slopestyle bike for my next bike. I have a DH bike that I really enjoy riding on steeps and big freeride terrain, but wanted something lighter and more playful to work on my jumping technique. My DH bike weighs under 40lbs so I want the slopestyle bike to be significantly lighter, probably low 30s at most so maybe 28-33lbs. 

I'd like the bike to handle some smooth freeride trail riding well with sizable features (e.g. Blackrock, Post Canyon, etc.), but I also want it to work for some occasional dirt jumping or trips to the Air Dome at Whistler so I'm thinking something in the 4-5" travel range would work well. 

Anyway, if anyone has a bike that they like for such riding I'd love to hear about it. So far I'm considering:

1. Banshee Rampant
2. Blackmarket Killswitch
3. Transition Double
4. Kona Bass

I'm leaning towards one of the first two, but want to make sure I'm not missing something good.

Thanks!


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## OffCamber (May 29, 2005)

Specialized SX. My favorite bike. Does it all. Low BB. Short Chainstays. Really low stand over height.


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## schlockinz (Feb 6, 2009)

I'm riding a banshee wildcard and I think with the right diet it could meet your weight requirements. It's a fun playful bike that can do it all and is very well balanced in the air. It probably won't be as great of a slopestyle bike as the rampant but you can abuse it more and it uses bearings and not bushings. Plus it can run a 2x9.


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## climbingbubba (Jan 10, 2007)

Here is my do everything bike.

GT Distortion










I looked forever to find a slopestyle bike I could still ride XC/AM/FR/DJ's on and never could find one that had everything I wanted in a bike like that. I have been on this bike for about 6 months and it is my favorite bike yet. A bunch of local riders are buying them since they are so versatile. I have hit 18 foot doubles in the middle of a XC loop with this bike and haven't felt the bike was out of its element for either of those. Pedals better than any bike I have owned and sprints like a hardtail.

Some of the specs on it

66 degree HA
13" BB height
4.5 rear travel
can run a FD if wanted or iscg 05
super stiff
mine weights 31lbs with a lyrik and dropper post

Only slight complaint would be the 17" chainstays but the benefits of everything else outweigh that. Tyler McCaul rides these for his slopestyle comps.

I now only have this bike and a full blown DH race bike and its got me covered for whatever I want to do.


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## schlockinz (Feb 6, 2009)

Good review on the rampant

Banshee Rampant Review | NSMB.e.MAGAZINE - Freeride, Extreme and North Shore style Mountain Biking

I really wanted one of these as my do it all bikes, but I weighed 270 at the time, I think that I would have punished it a little too much


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## delnorte (Aug 10, 2006)

Transition Bottlerocket. A bit bigger than the Double.
Jumps like a champ. Not gonna be light, but will be tough as hell, extremely whippable, and incredibly nimble on the dirt. 
The customer service from Transition is off the charts.
When you have any questions, you will talk directly with the small staff/owners who are all into slopestyle/freeride/jumping. They'll gladly tell you everything that you need to know about how to set it up for what you want from your slopestyle ripper.


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## rowdstar (Jun 7, 2009)

i had a double and it was a great jump bike. it didnt suffer foolishiness lightly... but if you wanna get smooth on jumps and in the air, go for it.

i would not cal it a do everything bike though.


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## Simplemind (Jul 17, 2006)

delnorte said:


> Transition Bottlerocket. The customer service from Transition is off the charts.
> When you have any questions, you will talk directly with the small staff/owners who are all into slopestyle/freeride/jumping. They'll gladly tell you everything that you need to know about how to set it up for what you want from your slopestyle ripper.


If you're going this route, why not the Transition SS?


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## delnorte (Aug 10, 2006)

Simplemind said:


> If you're going this route, why not the Transition SS?


What is a Transition SS?


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## Simplemind (Jul 17, 2006)

delnorte said:


> What is a Transition SS?


That's a damned good question...I dunno.:crazy:

I mean't to say Intense SS.


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## Rudster (Jun 25, 2008)

Don't rule out;

Diamondback Assault (2012)

Dartmoor Shine


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## cicatrix (Nov 15, 2010)

Out of your list, Transition Double. I'm quite frankly surprised I haven't bought one yet.

That said, you should definitely consider a Rocky Mountain Slayer SS. I love mine. I put on a 600 lb spring and run Kenda Kinetic 2.35. It is absolutely perfect now. Check out the link to my blog in my sig. I wrote a post about my slayer.


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## Moosey (May 18, 2010)

If you want a do everything bike, I'd look less at true slopestyle bikes, and more towards short travel freeride bikes, Like the bottlerocket, or Rock Mountain Slayer SS. They will still jump okay, not as well as a true slopestyle bike, but they will be better at bigger FR stuff and riding rocks if you occasionally want to.

Check out the Corsair Konig if you can find one used (they don't make them anymore).


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## delvis6 (Jun 8, 2007)

Intense Tazer VP. kills the Double


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## genemk (Sep 15, 2009)

Thanks for all the input guys. Keep it coming! Just to clarify, I don't want a do it all bike. I'm not too interested in pedaling (in fact I only go uphill at Blackrock and don't do XC). 

The two main things I want out of this bike are: something significantly lighter than my DH bike (which is around 39-40lbs) so I can throw it around more, and something more poppy for better jumping ability, especially on dirt jumps. For these reasons I'm not too interested in the Transition Bottlerocket, Intense SS, etc. They won't be that much lighter than my DH bike and won't do well enough on dirt jumps. For big freeride I'm perfectly happy riding my DH bike for now. 

To put it another way, I'd like a bike that can dirt jump reasonably well and is also fun to ride on smooth freeride trails. So far I've added the Specialized SX, GT Distortion, and Intense Tazer VP to the list of bikes to research.


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## .WestCoastHucker. (Jan 14, 2004)

Moosey said:


> ...Check out the Corsair Konig if you can find one used (they don't make them anymore).


and don't forget to throw a 29"er up front for ultimate all-aroundness...


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## ryan_daugherty (Oct 8, 2006)

Gene - just get a killswitch. Everything I've heard about the bike is amazing and it is exactly what you're looking for. If you don't go that route I'd get the follow in order of preference. 

1. Pivot M4X
2. Dartmoor Shine
3. Rampant
4. Wildcard (I'll send you a pic of one in SS mode


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## Moosey (May 18, 2010)

Ns has a sick slopestly bike coming put (maybe it's already out) but you should give it a look.

I still say konig. It's 4.5-5" but it's still a great slope bike.


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## rzalewski6 (Sep 28, 2008)

Best bang for the buck by far..Mongoose Nugget. Now go ahead everyone...say things about Mongoose putting their name on Wal-mart bikes.... . PM me if interested, I have a slightly used 2011 for sale and plenty of brand new ones.


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## lalocotequinta (Mar 28, 2007)

Just got me an '09 Nugget and I'm loving it, 4" of rear travel but it just feels right, can't wait to take it to Highland.


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## Bollucks (Jan 11, 2008)

I would also recommend a transition double. I have a 2011 double and love the bike! I race 4x on it, it handles dirt jumps like a champion, and on slopestyle trails its stupid fun.

I am running it 100mm front and rear, and while your not going to be hucking drops to flat, as lomg as there is a decent transition there's no limit. The build quality is amazing too!


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## dbabuser (Jan 5, 2004)

Kidwoo had a nice in depth review of the sx that you should read. I love my '06 as an all 'rounder, but apparently they changed up a few things on the new ones that make them more like trail bikes.


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## kitejumping (Sep 3, 2010)

If you mainly want to dirt jump and don't care about pedaling:

killswitch.
ns soda slope.
dartmoor shine.

All 3 can be run single speed.


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## MonsterDan (Mar 31, 2012)

I'm riding an Iron Horse Yakuza Ojiki, bit hefty but bombproof and upgradeable!


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## FreeRidin' (Dec 26, 2006)

Take a look at the new NS Soda Slope (4.2") or maybe even the NS Soda (6/7").
Soda Slope - NS Bikes 2012 - Stay True

I have a brand new Soda Slope frame that I've decided to sell after getting injured. PM me if you're interested.


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## davemas08 (Apr 22, 2012)

*nugget*



rzalewski6 said:


> Best bang for the buck by far..Mongoose Nugget. Now go ahead everyone...say things about Mongoose putting their name on Wal-mart bikes.... . PM me if interested, I have a slightly used 2011 for sale and plenty of brand new ones.


i am interested in getting a nugget. could anyone give anymore personal info about it and how to go about getting one. seems pretty difficult to get one in the states. thanks


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## davemas08 (Apr 22, 2012)

im interested in an all purpose slopestyle bike for a decent price. the mongoose nugget seems to be a good choice. anybody have any other thoughts on this bike or another that i can get for around the same price? thanks


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## davemas08 (Apr 22, 2012)

*nugget*



rzalewski6 said:


> Best bang for the buck by far..Mongoose Nugget. Now go ahead everyone...say things about Mongoose putting their name on Wal-mart bikes.... . PM me if interested, I have a slightly used 2011 for sale and plenty of brand new ones.


i am interested in getting a nugget. could anyone give anymore personal info about it and how to go about getting one. seems pretty difficult to get one in the states. thanks


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## davemas08 (Apr 22, 2012)

im looking for an all purpose slopestyle bike for a good price. the mongoose nugget seems to be the best bet. anybody have any other thoughts on this or other recommendations. thanks.


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## kitejumping (Sep 3, 2010)

Mongoose | Nugget

Not available for sale in the US.

YT industries play also seems like a decent complete. 
Play-20114000


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## kitejumping (Sep 3, 2010)

Or find a deal on a 2011 voltage fr10 and short stock it.


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## davemas08 (Apr 22, 2012)

ok great, thanks a lot.


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## juan pablo (Jan 17, 2007)

Still Love my Wildcard and it has done what I asked of it - to teach me to jump and drop. I went medium for jumping purposes but still managed to do some longer trail rides. If I went large it would have made a better mini DH/traill rig. Always rode it in 5" mode and currently with a dropped Lyrik @ 140mm. On bigger jumps or even on a 4x track its great but I wouldnt say it is perfect for DJ transitions that would be more in line with the Rampant. Love my Wildcard for the way I have it setup up now. Single ply fast roling rubber, Air front and rear, SS and did I say it rides like a rocket.

If I didnt have the Wildcard I would be on a Voltage, what a versatile bike. DJ to DH and everything in between. The new Soda looks wicked too. If the Distortion was more readily available I would probably be willing to replace my Wildcard so I could have a solid all rounder.


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## sonic reducer (Apr 12, 2010)

I ride a sinister gruitr and it rules. 
67ish head angle
4.5-6" travel
16.5 stays
13" bb

I run it a couple ways, 2.3 knobbies, coil rear shock in 6" for trail riding, or XC tires and an rp23 for more jumping. have done rides with like 3000' of vertical or big ass jump lines on basically the same setup.

also look at the morewood ndiza. nice quality single pivot that is super fun to ride and can run a full length seatpost.


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## davemas08 (Apr 22, 2012)

thanks for the help guys.


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## davemas08 (Apr 22, 2012)

you guys know where i can find a good place to ride in arizona. good trails, downhill and maybe some dirt jumps too?


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## davemas08 (Apr 22, 2012)

Alright I think I might get the nugget. They offer a regular sizr and a long. Im 5'9 170lbs. Which size should I get?


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## Urb-dirt (Apr 26, 2012)

What size tires are best for the slope style application?


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## Moosey (May 18, 2010)

Urb-dirt said:


> What size tires are best for the slope style application?


Whatever you want, but typically less than 2.5. Most people rune 2.2-2.3's, but the guy I got my porter from ran a 2.2 front and a 2.1 rear. They also usually run fast rolling tires, so i got WTB XC race tires with my bike. Most Geax athletes run 2.2 AKAs

I'm currently running a 2.5 minion front, and a 2.1 kenda in the rear (Don't know what it is, but its knobby as hell). The reason for the 2.5 front is that I ride DH on it a lot, and all the DH around here is loose and i need traction. Also, the DJs I hit are very powdery so the BMX kids with street tires slide out a lot. I've seen some nasty crashes from sliding around on the lip of a jump.

Once i get my DH bike ready, I'm swapping the minion for a 2.2 on the front.


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## cmc4130 (Jan 30, 2008)

Has anyone here put a longer fork (like 140mm) on Black Market Killswitch (or other slope bike designed for 100mm)?

I've had my 100mm Marzocchi on there fork a while and then a Rock Shox Argyle 100mm. But, I'm thinking of taking it to the mountains for DH/flow trail and 100mm seems like it could be too short when you're tilted forward going downhill.....

On the other hand, it seems like mis-matched travel could be a problem, as you'd want the front and rear of the bike to compress/rebound in a similar way. No?


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## kitejumping (Sep 3, 2010)

cmc4130 said:


> Has anyone here put a longer fork (like 140mm) on Black Market Killswitch (or other slope bike designed for 100mm)?
> 
> I've had my 100mm Marzocchi on there fork a while and then a Rock Shox Argyle 100mm. But, I'm thinking of taking it to the mountains for DH/flow trail and 100mm seems like it could be too short when you're tilted forward going downhill.....
> 
> On the other hand, it seems like mis-matched travel could be a problem, as you'd want the front and rear of the bike to compress/rebound in a similar way. No?


I've run my 831 at 120 for the last year, a little more travel and it tends to sag a bit so 120 rides around 100-110 when weighted.


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## juanbeegas (Oct 1, 2007)

Ran a 95-140mm travel adjust Pike on my Rampant, when I had it. Worked just fine. One of the favourites of all the bikes I've ever owned.


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## tahntip (Aug 25, 2015)

*Do you know of a place to buy the bike*

links would be great. i have been looking for that frame color ad i cant find it.


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## tahntip (Aug 25, 2015)

Does anyone know where i could find this exact model







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