Pinkbike Poll: Is the DH Bike Dead?

Apr 29, 2016
by Mike Levy  
There was a time, not long ago, when I would have confidently wagered that the large majority of Pinkbike readers spent their time daydreaming about a shiny new downhill bike rather than any other kind of two-wheeled machine. Now, I'm not so sure that I'd take that bet.

What do you think?




RIP, Downhill Bikes

The best of today's modern all-mountain and enduro race bikes are simply ridiculous. The kind of ridiculous that makes you question the laws of physics when talking about rigs like the Transition Patrol, Trek's Slash, Ibis' Mojo HD3, the Nomad, and a handful of others that climb and, more importantly for most of us, descend like someone turned gravity's power way up. Each of these bikes has their own strengths, of course, but the real advantage, so long as you're not troubling the likes of Graves, Rude, Jerome and company, is that they are far more versatile than a slacked-out downhill bike could ever dream of being. Relative to their travel and angles, many are far better climbers than they have any right being.

Canyon Strive CF review test Photo by Paris Gore
A bike like the Canyon Strive makes owning a DH rig silly. Paris Gore photo

These all-mountain magic machines might not have the legs of something with 40mm less travel and a three-degree steeper head angle, but they can climb all day and then let you point yourself down things that don't even look rideable. I know you think you're hot shit on a DH bike, but 160mm is all you really need. Capable and fun, they've made it silly for the average rider to own anything with 200mm of travel. The modern all-mountain rig has finally killed the downhill bike.
Enduro Shmenduro

Hold up. Anyone who thinks that an all-mountain bike could ever make a 200mm travel monster redundant clearly hasn't had the chance to ride one on worthy terrain. We're talking about a specific tool for the job here, okay. You don't see surgeons digging into people with spoons, and you also don't see Josh Bryceland racing World Cups on a Nomad. Sure, the Nomad ain't no spoon, but it might as well be on a Sunday afternoon in Europe when those beeps go off in the start hut. Get some steam behind you when you're on a Session, V10, Demo, or a Wilson, and the thought of pedaling an all-mountain bike up anything might not seem like how you want to spend your weekend.


Ratboy Skidson
Nothing can compare to riding a DH bike at speed. Paris Gore photo


Yes, the only elevation a downhill bike usually gains is when you lift it up to put it in the back of your truck, but the feeling of near endless traction and suspension that practically encourages flat landings is something that can't be beaten. Simply put, riding a downhill bike on proper terrain makes you feel like a rockstar, and there's no way that a bike with a lot less travel and steeper angles is ever going to replicate that.



Has the modern all-mountain and enduro rig killed the DH bike?



Author Info:
mikelevy avatar

Member since Oct 18, 2005
2,032 articles

537 Comments
  • 585 15
 You will never be able to go as fast on as gnarly terrain on a 160mm enduro bike as you can on a DH bike.
  • 124 276
flag ninjatarian (Apr 2, 2016 at 21:24) (Below Threshold)
 Tell that to Jared Graves.
  • 152 20
 Components of bike choice: Enduro vs DH

Speed: variable - DH faster
Skill level: constant
Experienced Fun: relative/personal
Tree hardness: constant
  • 149 38
 @ninjatarian: is Jared Graves winning WC DH races on his 6c or enduro? I think not.
  • 205 34
 @Nobble: Jared Graves placed 3rd at the 2013 DH World Championship on a 6" Yeti SB-66 and 1st in the 2015 Australian National DH series on a 6" Yeti SB6c.
  • 83 15
 @ninjatarian: he placed 3rd in PMB but still @Nobble, drawing conclusions on what elite racers use is not a smart thing to do. What does it change if DH bikes are better at winning downhill races? Off course they are. Downhill bikes are better at riding DH tracks in general. The issue is that this is the one and ONLY thing they are good at. If you live next to a lift with plenty of trails then it is more than smart to own a DH bike, but if you don't then it is hard to justify owning something that an average human being struggles with pedaling on flat asphalt.
  • 209 19
 PMB doesn't really count as a DH track...
  • 9 51
flag reed1 (Apr 14, 2016 at 22:05) (Below Threshold)
 Yes you can.
  • 63 0
 I've been DHing since 2000 and will continue to do so on a DH rig. Although these new trail/Enduro bikes are the $hit these days (2016 Canfield Balance cough cough) and yes I have ridden my Balance at the lifts but you can't beat a good DH rig for lift access, I just feel at home on my DH rig at the lifts
  • 30 7
 @WAKIdesigns: But they do look brilliant, and the get you fit by pushing them uphill without a lift. And they are super fun going down, that`s my take.
  • 5 1
 You never say Never...
  • 20 4
 @ninjatarian: And probably would have placed 10th a dirt jumper. Were talking about what us mere mortals need in order to make it down the mtn. And if you take $ out of the equation there's simply no reason not to have DH bike. They are just too much fun provided you have a place within a reasonable distance from where you live to ride then. Anyone who says you don't need one is is just lying to themselves.
  • 57 12
 i have both. it's called a freeride bike.
  • 4 0
 @sourdiesel: Damn straight! I have a '15 Balance and a '11 Operator. I love my Operator, but phuck me if the Balance isn't that far behind.
  • 11 2
 It depends on the terrain. on tighter downhills, I'd take a 160mm bike. On fast gnarly big drops, a downhill bike. On groomed bike park downhills, i doubt there is much of a difference.
  • 43 1
 It's a loaded question that assumes you have to pick one bike. Of course this is a reality for a lot of people and so then of course the answer is ... barring living on a DH mountain ... you own an "enduro", it's the most versatile. Do modern trail bikes render DH bikes obsolete? Absolutely, positively, no.
  • 60 2
 yesterday RC's eagle article and now this today. PB be tryin to wake up some trolls for sure.
  • 11 1
 I agree and a DH bike is like a pow day on my snowboard, we call pow ego snow, I'll jump stuff I won't jump on my trail bike and I'll keep the brakes off more. Another change I see happening is the short travel trail bikes with bigger bike geo and I thinks it's awesome, I'm riding a bike like that now, 130 rear and 150 front, but I'm worried the rear shock cant take the abuse with out more maintenance then a longer stroke shock would need. I Also find I'm hitting some stuff slower, drops and chunder, but over all the bike is a lot faster on a trail ride. Just hope I'm not having to service the shock more than a few times this summer. If I do it's back to a longer travel trail bike.
  • 58 0
 I'd say it mainly depends on where you live and how many bikes you can convince your other half you need/ can hide from them/ fool them into thinking it's the same bike.
  • 30 1
 @ninjatarian: Two thing to consider there.

1) Pietermaritzburg is questionable to many as a DH course.

2) Jared said he rode his Enduro bike because he'd been riding it all year and didn't see a reason to change.

I'm willing to bet however that he would've ridden something else at Val di Sol or Andora.
  • 40 7
 It really pisses me off that both of the answers are in favour of trail/enduro bikes, what the actual f*ck pinkbike...
  • 54 3
 Don't tell me I don't need a downhill bike. I don't need such negativity.
  • 15 5
 Unlimited money, unlimited bikes. Money (and time) for one bike: 160mm for sure.
  • 62 0
 Remember when DH bikes had 160mm travel or less? Pepperridge Farm remembers......
  • 20 1
 @Jhou: i remember when DH bikes were rigid
  • 64 2
 @shakeyakey: As long as I keep buying black bikes, she will never know....
  • 10 0
 @shakeyakey: that's easy, I'll just tell her it was only $500 and I just sold my other bike for $600.... win win
  • 14 3
 @DARKSTAR63: Here's the question, though: If the only people who can justify a DH bike live next to a resort, when 10 years ago we were all riding DH/freeride bikes, maybe that does make them dead?

If you're a bike company, how small is the number of DH bikes you sell now, especially in relation to your other bikes? At what point do you stop breaking even on R&D? I can think of a few brands that don't bother with offering a DH bike in their lineup.
  • 2 5
 Amen to that!
  • 3 0
 @keystonebikes: I don't. I started biking after I got married to get out of the house!!
  • 31 0
 @groghunter: I am a solid 2 hours from the nearest resort... I still own, race and ride DH bikes. I know I am in a minority. I guess that's a different question then ... has interest declined as a direct result of modern trail bikes? Perhaps... But does that make a DH bike obsolete for the take at had, I maintain no it does not. It's still the best tool for the job. I still had two bikes ten years ago, but back then the lines weren't blurred. My trail bike couldn't handle DH tracks period. Now my trail bike can hack them... but on the true gnarly ones ... it's still a hack. With all that said too.... My current DH bike is an absolute demon compared to what I was riding back then so maybe they really are the same distance apart - it's just that they have both shifted toward being more capable. In summary, are they dead? I hope not. They are too much fun.
  • 7 1
 @cholla: Never ever... "will you be able to go as fast on gnarly terrain on a 160mm enduro bike as you can on a DH bike."
  • 6 1
 @ninjatarian: Graves said he would have preferred to ride his DH bike but that he'd been on the enduro bike a lot and didn't have the time to get completely comfortable racing his DH bike again. Graves also said if the course were rowdier he'd have selected the DH bike
  • 2 2
 @DARKSTAR63: so, here's some perspective for you: I live 5 hours from a fairly tame resort, & 10 hours from one that actually merits a DH bike(Angelfire.)

For me, renting a bike make a whole lot more sense than owning one. but until 2012, all I had was DH bikes. Because you still needed something that big to have fun on the gnarlier local trails.

As less & less trails merit a DH bike, at what point does the whole thing collapse on itself? At what point do brands stop sponsoring race teams because DH bikes aren't even working as a halo product anymore?

I don't know. but it's interesting to think about.
  • 11 4
 Why DH bikes wont die? Four words : FEST series and Rampage
  • 28 1
 @darren853: also World Cups!
  • 9 1
 @ninjatarian: he ran a fox 40 on his sb6c and a boxer on his Enduro, when racing DH races....
  • 6 1
 @groghunter: The dilemma for bike companies is that WC DH is the best platform for advertising your brand so the real question is at what point do the costs developing a DH bike and fielding a DH team out weight the added sales from that endeavor. Not in the near future but maybe someday the bike industry could go the way of our 4 wheeled counterparts. Bike companies might start just making DH bikes for WC racers and producing shorter travel bikes for the public like car companies make F1 cars for their pro racers and street cars for the rest of us.
  • 6 2
 @vincenzo-nomad: ..."As long as I keep buying black bikes, she will never know...." ....until you come home one day and find her using it without you
  • 16 0
 I guess PB will just keep putting this poll up every 2wks until they get the result they're looking for...what's this, the 3rd time now? lol
  • 2 4
 @freestyIAM: For sure. I think the question especially with how non-specific "dead" is, is at what point along that timeline are DH bikes functionally dead? When only half the brands still sell them? When nobody does? Only if the races go away? Or is it now, when they probably account for less than 1% of sales of MTBs?
  • 3 2
 @ninjatarian: OMG they have to introduce road bikes with 160 travel Razz
  • 23 1
 Mate nailed it. I sold the DH bike and old trial bike to get a 160mm bike. While I love the 160mm bike and have raced DH on it, nothing compares to a full blown DH rig. When shit gets rowdy the 160mm travel starts to come undone where a 200mm bike with DH geometry starts to get sweet! Going to get another DH bike to be honest. Will still keep the 160mm for sure as many of my local trails warrant it as to some sweet riding over the ditch in NZ. But when I come back to Canada for a holiday and to start racing again nothing beats a DH rig. Long live the DH Bike I say old chaps!!!!!!!
  • 39 1
 Poll... Is Pinkbike on crack?
Feel free to discuss and down vote Smile
  • 9 1
 @ninjatarian: This is all and good but I'm pretty sure he was sporting Fox40s on both occasion. That would make the biggest difference between a DH and Enduro rig.

The 2" lost in rear travel is nowhere as big a deal as moving up from say a pike/36 to a Fox40.
  • 16 0
 I think this is a loaded question. The enduro bike isn't replacing downhill - if anything, it is bridging the gap between XC and DH much much better. There were some things that you couldn't do on an XC rig, and there were some things that a DH rig was too much for. Now we have a happy medium between them that incorporates the best of both worlds.
  • 12 0
 @darren853: It's actually six words : World Cup, Fest Series, and Rampage...
  • 2 1
 @groghunter: how big of a difference do you think a downhill bike would make over a 160 bike doing the Lemmon Drop in Tucson or Geronimo in South Mountain? I personally shuttle Geronimo on an intense tracer and sometimes on a 10 year old Turner RFX. I don't feel outgunned on either one.
  • 4 0
 @ninjatarian: he's also Jared f*cking Graves at it was at pedalmeretzberg
  • 1 0
 @DARKSTAR63: Not every one is build to be a hero Wink
  • 6 0
 Has the meaning of the word ridiculous changed without anyone telling the dictionary?
  • 5 3
 @Nobble Duh, nail head hit. Some people are just going to feel butthurt because they might not have a need for a DH rig, thus their "mtb ego" feels cut down. I wish I could ride my DH bike every day, but for me it isn't practical. However, I will always own one because I spend a solid 20-30 days a year on trails that are undeniably much better on a true DH rig. My trail bikehas a 64* HA, and it's probably the must "fun" bike I own, but still - LONG LIVE THE SLEDDDDZZ

@ninjatarian, I encourage you to do so. He will tell you what @Nobble just said
  • 3 0
 @WAKIdesigns: don't forget big lines.... like skis, I would just prefer something big and stable when riding down the spines of Gooseberry mesa or the like. Yeah, you can ride it on a trail bike but for gnarly ass lines, why not grab the DH rig?
  • 3 0
 @DARKSTAR63 and @groghunter this skit from Monty Python seems apt
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jdf5EXo6I68
  • 7 0
 Buying and flipping bikes used (or getting unbelievable deals on new frames) has given me the opportunity to grow my stable. I'm down a xc/trail bike right now, but for sake of arguement, Avid cyclists can be satisfied with 3 bikes:

XC or Trail 100-140mm
"Enduro" or Freeride 150-160mm
Downhill 180-220mm

Sure you could go for road bikes and in betweens, hardtail and CX bikes, for me having a bike in each of the categories settles my thirst and satisfies and trail in the continent.
  • 2 0
 Typo 150-180mm
  • 1 0
 @Keyboardkilla: thought the same thing. I had to scroll the survey options. There's more than two.
  • 3 0
 @keystonebikes: For sure. They are banging on the bridge with pipes and throwing empty pots on the rocks. Pot-stirring clickbait whores. But we love PB, don't we?
  • 2 0
 @jdendy: Haven't ridden somo, cause for some reason I always end up missing it. ridden every part of the Lemmon drop though, & honestly, some segments are so tight, & there's enough hikeabike, that a DH bike is probably a liability on 90% of it. Green Mountain, for instance, gets a lot more traffic than it did 10 years ago due to people hating the hikeabike on the back half with 45+ lb DH bikes. For places like Tucson, where you have long segments that you have to traverse parts of under your own power, but still have sketchy downs, modern bikes make life about 100% better.
  • 1 0
 @groghunter: thanks. i need to get down that way and ride those trails.
  • 1 0
 @somismtb: So you're saying I need an xc bike?
  • 1 0
 PERIOD.
  • 8 0
 i'll say this much... i had a 170/160 - 66* HT bike for a few years. then decided to trade it up for a 29er trail bike, and a 64* short stay DH bike. i used to pedal the 160 bike everywhere, slow up but still made it, jumps and downs but a little rough... it just doesn't compare, i don't care if my DH bike is above my skill level.

the 29er on trail days is much more enjoyable to ride, and the DH bike is consistantly the one that puts a smile on my face every time i touch it. between the travel and the Minions, it lets me attack like i never did previously. as long as my knees and bones can handle it, i'll always have a DH bike and look to push those skills. its the best.
  • 23 1
 CAN SOMEONE EXPLAIN TO ME THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN ALL MOUNTAIN BIKE AND AN "ENDURO" BIKE?!!?!? THERE IS NONE! f*ck PEOPLE, ENDURO IS A RACE FORMAT, THAT'S ALL!!!!!

That's almost as stupid as saying DH bikes are dead. Good grief.
  • 5 1
 theres also the reliability of taking your trail bike down stuff it wasnt meant to do day in and day out. My buddy used his trail bike as a dh rig and it lasted about 1.5 seasons.
  • 34 2
 Asking this question on Pinkbike is basically like asking "is pussy out of style ?" on a porn site.
  • 3 1
 @keystonebikes: 180mm ftw! Can't agree more!
  • 2 0
 I want it all! A big one is next!
  • 1 0
 pretty sure troy showed him that at aussie champs
  • 2 0
 @sourdiesel: amen brother!!!
  • 7 0
 @groghunter: maybe it's subjective, but as far as I see it, dh bikes are the formula one cars of the bike industry. Take a look at companies like BMW, Nissan, Audi. Okay different industry, But let's take the odd man out... Acura. Years ago they made the NSX. It was Hondas answer to the GTR. Though never in the same league, it was still something unattainable by many. Fast forward 20 years... the NSX is dead. What do they do??? They spend millions developing the LFA. Correct me if I'm wrong, but we're taking about a half a million dollar car produced by a company that sold very few. Why? Image... Pedigree... Sex appeal. DH racing is still the most intense sTyler of racing there is. As long as there are riders to ride them, they will build them. Which in turn brings brand loyalty, and aids in the sale of bikes not even relevant to that aspect of the sport.let's not forget that in order to be truly successful, you have to love what you do. Who doesn't love a nice downhill bike??? DH bikes will never die, they will only become less necessary for the majority.
  • 1 0
 @captainsketchballs: Yep! It's quite evident. Haha!
  • 3 5
 @AllridersAgency: PB readers would rather believe that one day gearbox would be as cheap as cassette/derailleur and sticks on one holy standard than believing that 29ers would actually help them go faster.
  • 4 0
 The real issue I find more and more is that bike parks are mostly only building trails for AM bikes, I guess it's partly for insurance reasons, partly because this enduro/AM thing has been pushed so hard and partly because a lotof people are afraid or do not enjoy proper rough natural DH trails.
  • 2 0
 @vincenzo-nomad: haha we ALL know at least one person who has done this! Also used to work with a guy who kept his bikes at work so his misses never knew when he got a new one.
  • 3 1
 @sourdiesel: those great 'eBay' bargains "it looks brand new?" "Yeah the guy never used it that's why I got it so cheap" ;D
  • 8 0
 @DARKSTAR63: I am the same I live at least 2 hours away from any uplift service but I still have a DH bike .I decided last year to sell my DH and do it all on an "All mountain" but the Uplifted tracks here(The ones that are not built for all the family) in the UK are too gnarly for the "All Mountain" to come down without having the body feel like its been kicked around a football field all day.And no I don't own an xc bike with 32's on (Its a 650B Spesh Enduro".To me its like having a car for commuting and a Landrover for off-roading at the weekend and then selling both and getting a Freelander to do both,Yes it will do both adequately but all the real fun will be gone.This is why I only lasted six months and then bought another DH rig.
  • 1 10
flag WAKIdesigns (Apr 30, 2016 at 7:36) (Below Threshold)
 @SteelCityMTBer: I live 4 hours drive from the closest DH bike worthy track. It's not like DH bike is dead for me, it's just that it's never been born. Hence a quick look at several statements here, like your one, show that this poll is useless. However, EWS opened eyes of most people out there, they got a proof that you don't need a DH bike to ride the toughest trails in the world. Some of them got that hint already in 2006. Where I come from in Poland, from times I was starting to ride, any form of a DH bike used to be as abstract thing to afford as 10k Nomad cc Enve is for most people here. We were racing DH on hardtails on same tracks as elite guys on DH bikes. So there are people who know what's possible and they do it comfortably. Before EWS they apart from best racers were a very small group of MTB world who knew that. Noe bike tech changed so much that I have no doubts that todays Enduro bike would deliver faster times than 2008!l DH bike. So statistically DH bike is dead.
  • 2 0
 @jomacba: You're talking about "halo product." Here's the thing about halo product: you don't build them to make money on the individual units, but to drive sales of other cars. Now, did the LFA do that? I think you can make a pretty strong argument that it didn't. It wasn't that well received.

Now look at MTB. are people buying Enduros because of Demos? Not really. They're buying Enduros because enduros are good bikes. Spec can't keep the demo around as a halo product, it has to stand on it's own. considering how much R&D went into the latest one, how many do you think they have to sell to recoup those expenses? If they don't, when it comes time to develop a new one, do they put the money in, or do they pull a Lapierre & exit DH WC?
  • 3 0
 @groghunter: DH racing bikes bring losses on their own, they are there to show brands name on the podium, or in podcasts. Provide publicity for the company. Then they are also meant to showcase technological possibilities of the company to make the potential client feel that the same tech is used in other bikes. Simply, they contribute to sales of all bikes of the company. Net profit.
  • 7 0
 @WAKIdesigns: I know what your saying and agree with you ,I am fortunate enough though to be able to own both styles of bike so rather than push an Enduro bike to its limits down a track I would rather ride a dedicated bike down the track.Yes today's Enduro may deliver faster times than a 2008 DH but it wouldn't beat a 2016 DH bike down the track.My point being there will always be a place for a DH rig but if you can only have one bike then an Enduro will certainly do the job and very well at that.Dh rigs are definitely alive and here to stay.
  • 1 2
 @SteelCityMTBer: sorry I was meant to say that "ethos" of DH bike is dead. We no longer need it to take us through the terrain we are affraid of. People used to ride those because they needed error margin and confidence boost. My 6" bike has 65 head angle and 1230 wheelbase. If I switch piston in my Lyrik to 180, that number goes to 64 by 1250. And it pedals god damn well as compared to Cannondale I bought in 2006.

Dh bikes are not exactly "here" to stay, they are to stay and flourish as rental sleds at the bike parks. Off course they will also stay in hands of people who are very practical and truly riding the gnar (some connesseurs as well) As capable as Enduro bikes are, they are fragile. Unless you put DH tyres and DH worthy rims on them which in most cases negates the purpose. I ride in terrain that perfectly justifies use of trendy 125 bikes. But I got one In 2013 and just sold it because all I did through those 3 years was to bulk it up.

If I'd live close to the lifts I'd totaly have a dh frame with coils, beefy rims and 2 ply tyres with DH tube on the rear.
  • 4 3
 There is one more issue about this "ethos" of a bike carrying us through hell of rocks and roots on insane steeps, let's be honest many bought them for that reason. Modern DH bike is no longer a guardian angel, it is a ticket to hospital for those who are not confident enough to commit. Like me. This slack geo and hard suspension is cool on straights but anywhere else it requires skill and commitment. It allows us to go faster by inspiring confidence but for unskilled it is only a false sense of security. You can go faster on DH bike than on Enduro bike with ease but your bag of skills stay the same while trees stay as hard. So apart from obvious fashion with Enduro bikes, I think many chose them because they can still go crazy fast but inform you a bit in advance that you may about to die.

So big respect to those who can and dare to use them Wink
  • 4 2
 @SteelCityMTBer: dh rig = speedo nut huggers. Enduro rig= Bermuda board shorts.Smile
  • 4 0
 So true...have enduro bikes killed dh bikes? Even if this was a good question the four offered answers are sh'te!
  • 3 2
 @WAKIdesigns: The more of us buy DH bikes, the more lift assisted resorts there will be.

Everybody needs to buy DH bikes based upon this logic!
  • 2 3
 @ninjatarian: @ninjatarian: Both those tracks actually somewhat favored trail bikes.
  • 2 0
 @Jhou: well done sir
  • 1 3
 @groghunter: f1 cars =/= dh bikes. DH bikes are more like an off-road vehicle (or a very nice firearm, etc); total noobs do better on one than if they were in something less, and the best guys can push the limits of the sport on them. The noobs don't need them, but a lot of them will feel way more comfortable on them, hence the rental fleets at bike parks.

Plus, to make the best bicycle, or close to it, you don't need to pour millions into the manufacturing process. Bikes are much simpler. Even at $20k, a handful of rich guys will still buy the sweetest bike. The difference between an f1 car and a street car, or even a race prepped track car (e.g. lotus elise) is monumental, as is the price increase. Not so much for bikes.
  • 1 1
 @AllridersAgency: I was just thinking of that!
  • 3 0
 @BDKR: I'm in a similar situation, but my DH rig is older (2005 Devinci Johnson). Last year I got a Tracer 275. I thought about selling the Johnson but;
a) it's not worth much, and
b) it's a hell of a lot of fun at bike parks!
  • 2 2
 Steve Smith. Air DH 1st place on a Devinci Troy...a 5" bike
  • 2 2
 @madmon: Again, that was a ridiculously pedally and very smooth track, with more jumps than rough bits. More like a long 4x track than a dh track. Yes a shorter travel bike is going to be faster on this sort of track in a top pros hands. However on a real dh track, the dh bike is king. Trail bikes are perfectly welcome at all stages of the dh wc, but you only ever see them at the tracks that the pro's and spectators alike complain are really boring like PMB. Even at cairns with its loooong flat sprint at the end, everyone rode dh bikes. Ever wondered why that is?
  • 1 2
 @gabriel-mission9: yup, the problem with people making assumptions about Graves run in PMB is that it the man himself said that he thinks people on the internet talk sht, track is brutal and he'd rather have a DH bike on it but is used to ride his Enduro bike because this is the bike he spent most time on that year.
  • 3 2
 @trialsracer: Couldn't agree more and I've seen the evidence on numerous occasions. My better half was suddenly riding the chunder at the bike park when we put her on a 2014 Spesh Demo. Still won't go near it on her AM bike.

F1 cars and MotoGP bikes OTOH aren't for the faint of heart. Watching Richard Hammond (who is actually a pretty good driver) try to drive one and make a fool of himself really puts a point on how a noob isn't going to just get in one and start knocking off laps, however slow.
  • 1 1
 @mikeyrides: I will say that my Operator, in spite of being 5 years old and a generation behind, still has a pretty modern geo. It's long, has a low BB, low stack height, and still slack enough.

AND IT'S STILL FASTER THAN ME!

Just buy a new or newer used frame and put your existing crap on it! It's the geo of newer bikes that makes more of a diff than anything.
  • 1 2
 @madmon: Not at all a difficult track as long as you like hitting jumps. There is only one kind of techy section on it and that's near the bottom through the trees, but even that's not difficult.

The choice of using a Troy was a good one. If all you have to worry about is scrubbing jumps and carrying speed through the berms than not having a DH suspension soaking up energy is a good thing!
  • 1 2
 @WAKIdesigns: Well then he is the only pro to call that track brutal. Brutally tiring on the legs maybe
  • 1 0
 @WAKIdesigns: Totally right dude ,a DH rig is not a weapon to choose if your DH skills are not up to pushing the bike to it's full potential.There was an article on PB the other year about how a lot of riders who ride DH rigs do not need them.It got a lot of criticism but I totally understood what he was saying.He said that people were buying them to go downhill but there skill level was not good enough to ride the bike how it should be rode,resulting in a not so good experience on the trail.They would find that the bike would be very unresponsive and cumbersome down the trail because they were not pushing it as the bike needs to be pushed.An all mountain would have suited them better but because they were going downhill they assumed they needed a DH bike.
  • 3 0
 @SteelCityMTBer: I say yes and no to this.

We haven't factored in trail difficulty and rider comfort. A newb isn't going to hit something that's uncomfortable for him or her (we hope), but on a tech green or blue trail a big bike with all of that soft squish (unless you got on Aaron Gwins bike) can increase the comfort level big time. Enough for them to have faith in the bike doing what it can do.

That doesn't mean they couldn't do it on a 165mm or 140mm bike, but it's hard for a rider that hasn't accepted what the bike can do before he or she believes they can hit it on something less than a pillowy DH bike.
  • 1 0
 @trialsracer: That wasn't a comparison I made, that was Jocamba. If they're analogous to anything, it would be high end sports cars (not even supercars like the LFA.) Like a Viper or a Corvette.
  • 3 1
 Maybe you guys just dont ride gnarly enough trails?
  • 4 0
 @SteelCityMTBer: I read that article. It worried me slightly. I thought to myself "shit have I been lying to myself and riding too much bike this whole time?"

So I tried something smaller. It sucked. I bottomed out all the time, I dinged rims in rock gardens, I slid round corners I usually railed. I had to brake more. It was kinda fun, but it was also slow. I consider myself an ok rider, but I'm not fast by any means.

A mate of mine is far faster than me. He bought a 160 recently. Took it out to our local trails instead of his normal 200. Suddenly he's not faster than me on my 200 any more. My conclusion? That article about how only pro's benefit from DH rigs was a load of old bollocks.
  • 1 1
 @gabriel-mission9: we all have different reasons why we ride. Not everyone is competitive enough to buy a bike to beat his buddy Wink Not everyone measures mountain biking experience in seconds or km/h. Many think so, someeven pretend to. I hope they at least fight for podium in masters category on local race. Long time ago I came 56th on Polish DH cup and I realized that this is not my piece of bread. DH bike, faster than Enduro bike with same bag of skills - trees stay just as hard. Speed is a subjective experience. If your friend rides away from you it feels slow. One day you ride a new section of a trail it feels crazy fast. Then you practice it, feels crazy slow after you stop progressing. You win 5sec anyways. You come back few years later with more skills. Instead of getting bounced around be just letting off brakes and finding a slightly better line, you can pump terrain, corner better. Feels comfortable but slow. But clock says you are faster. I hope the clock on that local race shows right things for those who truly believe they are so concerned for a cause Wink Trees are still as hard. Trees always win. Some people chose hardtails for that reason
  • 1 0
 @ninjatarian: he actually managed a 3rd place podium in pietermaritzburg a couple years back...in the DH event..
  • 1 0
 @WAKIdesigns: fighting for podiums yes, getting podiums....no Frown

Im improving with age tho. Or just getting worse slower than those around me, one of the two...:P
  • 2 1
 @gabriel-mission9: I don't have it Razz practice before the race kills me, my minority complex takes over, can't stand the thought of a guy I don't like beating me. And I don't feel I need that for riding my bike. Learning new skills is what is great for me. Ability to break less, jump further, play around more. Simply being better at controlling my bike and body. I don't need racing to motivate me. I also like physical exertion coming from pedalling. For that HT is enough for me but then I have a sweet tooth for toys and suspension feel.
  • 2 0
 When I did my first race a few years ago I honestly thought that a) I would be really annoyed about not winning and b) I would get ridiculously nervous on the start line and crash. But a friend had been hassling me to join him at the races for ages so I bit the bullet and signed up. To my surprise the nerves never came. Yes I spent days prepping my bike and body. I made sure I ate right, I got a good nights sleep, I got my tyre pressures spot on, I strapped my race plate on in the most aerodynamic way I could, but on the start line I realised that all I was doing was going for a ride like any other day. It really surprised me, I thought I'd be a sweaty shaking mess but I couldnt have been more relaxed. During my run, whilst flying of a large kicker, I made momentary eye contact with this hot girl on the side of the track. She was looking right at me, waving her hands in the air and screaming "Yeeeees! Come oooooon!" God damn that felt good. Suddenly I knew how rock stars felt. Then I landed, realised I should be looking where I was going, put in a few crank strokes and she was gone. But that feeling stayed with me.

That day I came 40th and beat 51% of competitors. I couldn't believe it, I must be Mr. Average. All my planning and prep had put me bang in the middle of the bell curve. I had to laugh really. Again this surprised me. I had imagined I would go into a week long depression, set fire to my bike and vow never to ride again. But I didn't. I now realise however that I have completely changed the way I ride. I used to just hammer along. Try and go as high as possible off every jump, try and rail every berm as fast as I can and get my back end to step out on every flat corner. But now a few weeks before race day something changes. I think "If I go slower here, will I be faster there?" "Should I pedal this bit, or will my legs be tired for the gnarly root section?" "will going round that kicker and turning in earlier for the next corner be faster than hitting the jump and having to slam on the anchors?" I love it. I am a geek at heart and racing lets that side of me come out to play. And the best bit is when I see the results I get to see if all the geekery paid off rather than just thinking "well it felt faster that time so it must have worked". There arent many times in life when you can let the inner geek out AND have hot girls scream at you to go faster at the same time Razz

I came 14th at my last race. I had been aiming for top 20 so I was over the moon with this. Although that didnt last long, now I want top 10 Wink

And what you say about not being beaten by some guy you don't like? Funnily enough I did happen to notice this guy I don't like was racing that day. Some meathead wanker, bodybuilder type with an ego who I remember had screamed blue murder at me about a year ago at a completely different trail center because I had stopped to look at a jump. The fact that I was stood at least ten foot from the track didnt matter to him. He had screwed up the jump and was looking for someone to blame, so I was that guy. He didnt like it when I refused to apologise and called him a twat, so he shouted for a bit. At the race I noticed him at the start line and took note of his race number. Couldn't resist checking out where he placed. 29th with consistent times for both runs so no crash. That made me smile.
  • 2 0
 @BDKR: that's exactly what my point is, thanks for the anecdote.
  • 1 0
 @groghunter: my bad, I just saw you discussing it and thought I would chime in
  • 2 0
 @DARKSTAR63: I`ve got a Kona Process 153 which I rate very highly and can hold a lot of speed on, but I`ve always wanted a downhill bike. Luckily for me my 16 year old son has just had a big growth spurt and is now the same size as me, so we sold his bike, his motorbike and all the stuff he`s grown out of, and pooled the lot to buy him a Morewood Makulu. He obviously thinks this was the best idea ever, and so do I because now I can pull rank and take his bike when I feel the need for extra speed!!
  • 5 0
 @westcoastmassive: The other thing too which I think some touched on and is a very vaild point - fatigue. I have brought my trail bike to resorts and had a lot of fun - but I had to work some of those trails hard. I was shot at the end of the day. Meanwhile I can ride causal pace all day long on my DH bike with minimal aches and pains. That and the geometry ... I don't fully agree with all this "you have to be pro to use that much bike" nonsense. A low, long, slack bike is going to be helpful on a really steep descent, I don't care who you are. Should you tailor the bike to your needs ? Absolutely. Can too much bike be a bad thing if you aren't riding anything but beginner trails, sure. But this idea that DH bikes are only for racing is nonsense.
  • 1 0
 @scott-townes: Enduro bikes have about 1.56 more mm of travel and .0865 degree slacker head angle
  • 1 0
 @madmon: yea it an "air DH" race
  • 2 0
 @jomacba: LFA is a Lexus, Acura just released the new NSX and the first NSX was produced long before the GTR. Not saying your point is wrong just correcting some mistakes.
  • 1 0
 @TheMastodon: the R32 GTR came out in the fall of 88 as a 89 model. The first gen NSX didn't come out until 1992.
  • 2 0
 @qduffy: they added two more answers after I posted that, which still favour enduro/all mountain bikes hahah, pinkbike is sold out
  • 1 0
 @somismtb: You are a smart man. I use the same formula to solve the requirements of the trails I ride.

Trail/XC - 120mm Spesh Camber
All Mtn/enduro/free ride - 160mm Spesh Enduro Evo
DH - 200mm Norco Aurum

No carbon, all PB Buy N Sell bargains. Total cost for all three bikes less than the cheapest Endo choice. Knolly is lovely, just a bit hard to reach.
  • 5 1
 My DH bike, along with the 2x drive-in on my AM bike are both not dead. The day that one bike is suitable for every trail is the day that trail builders should hang up their shovels and retire. Stop pandering to the masses, as bike tech improves we should be riding rougher, tougher, steeper trails. Progression not submission please. Don't build trails that suit the bikes the manufacturers make, ride trails that challenge bikes and drive real development, not just this seasonal gimmick-riddled marketing shite we're currently being fed.
  • 1 0
 @vincenzo-nomad: Brilliant!
  • 1 0
 @SteelCityMTBer: I am thinking to do just the same, so your experience is valuable to me. Can I ask what area you live in? I live in London.

What trails did you find too hard for your AM and made you regret selling the DH?

I often ride Aston Hill and Surrey Hills and think a DH is an overkill. But I grew up in the Alps so maybe "gnarly" means something different to me Smile
  • 212 2
 Pinkbike Poll: Who's Better At Generating Site Traffic With Silly Polls?
- Mike Levy?
- Richard Cunningham?
  • 39 2
 Seriously this is the biggest try-to-stoke-the-fire poll ever. Whoever is repsonsible for this, you are a jackass. A fucking jackass.
  • 15 0
 Desperate stuff from Pinkbike.
  • 12 0
 Apparently Pinkbike needs more World Cup stops just as much as I do.
  • 4 7
 @anchoricex - It sucks so badly to be a part of something so huge, intense, giving you a sense of heroism and then someone comes and shts on it as if it was just another hobby, at the same time pushing the interest of other group of people (weak sheep with no balls) above it.
  • 2 0
 @yerbikesux: I would upvote until my mouse broke if I could
  • 207 2
 Downhill bikes will never be obselete simply because they are faster down hills... Science
  • 14 1
 ^THIS
  • 43 1
 Yes. This question seemed kind of dumb right from the beginning. A downhill bike is a specialty tool, made for going downhill. Its not a bike that is interchangeable with any other type of bike, no matter how capable it is. Its not made to be your only bike. Its made for taking lifts and shuttle to the top and riding down. Thats it.

If you have the chance to regularly ride shuttle/lift service trails and bike parks, and are lucky enough to be able to afford
one, your likely going to want a DH bike.
  • 5 32
flag RedBurn (Apr 29, 2016 at 13:30) (Below Threshold)
 Hey everybody, the future is 160mm 29" ... Just look at Luke Strobel. pretty sure that if YT comes out with a capra 29" gwin will ride it at one WC to try it...
  • 13 1
 @RedBurn: I have a 140mm 29er and love it. Its a very highly capable, awesome bike. But I sure as hell would not want to be riding that thing on any of the trails I ride my DH bike on.
  • 9 0
 I love my 160mm rune for everything, but still I want a true dh bike
  • 9 0
 You truncated your sentence leaving out, "bitch."

-Jesse Pinkman
  • 1 0
 @freerabbit: hmm i know a guy selling a nice one for cheap.
  • 1 0
 With or with out a rider? Which is faster down the hill
  • 1 0
 @sashamtbrider: Why yes it seems it is old chap...
  • 2 0
 this guy speaks truth
  • 6 0
 If we continue to let IMBA build trails for us then yes, any bike with suspension will be obsolete. Hardtail BMX all they way.
  • 124 1
 I own a 160mm bike because it's practical. I lust after DH bikes because they're so goddamned fun.
  • 54 0
 I own both. Love my trail bike, but on steep fast rough trails nothing is better than a big bike.
  • 12 0
 Destroyed my slash 9 at the park, lesson learned, bought a big bike and also an aggressive hardtail for everything else.
  • 2 0
 That's one of the reason I want a dh bike@TugboatComplex:
  • 3 0
 @TugboatComplex: What is your hardtail and how is it set up?
  • 3 0
 I went from DH Bike, to slopestyle bike as a trail bike, to trail bike, and now I'm back at DH bike + a hard tail. I might not use my DH bike year round, but when park season happens, and whistler bike park opens.... it's so worth the money I pretty much burned for it.
  • 1 0
 So fun!
  • 10 0
 I have a downhill bike and an all mountain / Enduro bike..
Anyone who says an Enduro bike is just as capable as a full on DH bike at a bike park is full of shit..
  • 2 1
 @BeerGuzlinFool: Depending what trails we're talking about.
  • 1 0
 RIght. My Nomad is great for almost everything. I actually haven't ridden a DH bike but have lusted after one for years. Haven't pulled the trigger as I am not sure I will get my moneys worth out of one as the majority of my riding is not lift or shuttle served. I would like one, I know it would be silly fun. I would also like one to take the abuse away from my primary 160mm bike when used at a bike park. I believe a full on DH bike is just more durable and designed for the abuse seen at bike parks or hard core DH tracks.
  • 1 0
 I own a 130mm travel endorphin. With a 150 fork up front I think it's pretty capable, and I regularly ride dh with friends on it, and I also race dh on it. The reason I got it is because I can only afford one bike, and this one is fun and capable. Am I faster on a dh bike? Probably. But I ride everything on my endorphin, and it's damn fun. My point is you can really ride most bikes down some gnarly stuff, just a dh bike might make that a little less sketchy. Idk if that made any sense at all
  • 1 0
 @BeerGuzlinFool: also on all the trails that are gnarlier than a bike park.
  • 2 0
 @acali: 2016 NS Surge with a 160 talas
  • 103 11
 I've always thought 160 was the pointless one, unless you race enduro. In my head 200m will always be best for days when the aim of the game is to get to the bottom of a hill as fast as possible. 140mm for days where you wanna go up and down and around and back again. 160mm is long enough to be a hindrance on the climbs, but not enough to go full balls to the wall on the downs.
  • 11 4
 Damn that's one way of looking at it, what about travel adjust forks and lockout?
  • 9 0
 Good point...
  • 6 9
 @beatjumper: travel adjust forks and lockout. How about don't buy or use suspension it it's not correct? My fork has it, but I never use it cos it's crap. Alters all of the angles and you'll always forget to turn the crap off when you aim back downhill. This guy has a point!
  • 7 1
 Bingo. The 160mm enduro bike is a great compromise and can be pushed into other types of riding. If you do resort riding, there is no substitute for a DH bike with the extra travel, stability, and DURABILITY.
  • 2 0
 @gabriel-mission9 totally with you on that point, I can still ride a dh course ok with 140mm and get up hills fine, 160mm bikes always seem like a drag for me
  • 2 1
 @cunning-linguist: I wouldn't spend thousands on a bike to not use its features, would you?
  • 3 1
 @ctd07: While you guys make some compelling arguments for shorter travel rigs, I just don't mind pedaling supposedly less efficient 150-160 mm bikes because they just seem to be the better tool for the job for what/how I like to ride. (don't give a shit about strava) I'm in the western US, where trails are fast, steep and rocky. (and I'm 25 minutes from lift served DH so I can justify a dedicated big bike)

Like Chris Rock said "you can drive a car with your feet but that don't make it a good idea". Saw a dude on a CX bike on a rocky trail the other day. He proved it was possible but nothing about it looked fun.
  • 1 0
 @kingsx: I ride a cx bike on trails well out of its depth sometimes. It turns every little pebble into a "trail feature" and in my head that is fun. I like the challenge. However sometimes I just want to go as fast as humanly possible. That is also fun. A different kind of fun. And for that the DH bike is indispensable. No matter what people say a DH rig will always be faster on dh trails than anything else. To me this makes it worth it pushing it places rather than pedalling something smaller.
  • 1 0
 I gotta agree
  • 70 0
 i don't understand why the question was asked. are steep mountains disappearing?
  • 23 0
 No they can't sell enduro bikes any more overproduction
  • 10 7
 They kind of are disappearing. Not literally, but what was considered "steep" 10 years ago, & motivated people to buy a DH bike, is no longer steep enough to justify a DH bike.

People are taking this super literal, but I don't think that's the intention. I think the point is more: if 160mm bikes have truly tamed everything outside of race courses (& heck, I'm riding a Spartan, which was designed for a WC course) then where does that leave DH bikes? Is park riding & racing enough to keep companies spending R&D dollars on them? At what point is something "metaphorically" dead? For instance, you can still buy a Freeride bike from a few companies, but not many. Freeride bikes may not literally be dead, but between slopestyle, DH bikes, & Enduro bikes, effectively, they're pretty done.
  • 11 3
 @BTKMADDOG: Yep, bike shops have been selling all the dentists and tradies carbon 160mm bikes for ages under the pretense that they'll be able to keep up with the youngsters on the downs and still get up the top easy enough, but then their ex-roady friend on a hardtail keeps smashing their times on strava and they're all realising they actually would be better off with less travel as 160mm is such a hindrance on the climbs and they still suck on the downhills regardless, hence why 120mm slacked out fullys are the new fad being marketed.

The mtb industry is being driven by sales, middle class weekend warriors drive the sales and trust their lbs implicitly when it comes to advice on their new years bike purchase, lbs are loving it and the spare parts industry is dying down as people just buy new bikes now instead of upgrading due to the constant standards changes.

Dh bikes and 26" wheels will never die though as dh and slopestyle are the best thing in mtb media right now, xc and enduro are boring to watch
  • 2 0
 No, steep mountains are not disappearing. But they are dumbing down our trails. In Switzerland a 160mm enduro is what we call a trail bike. Perfect for the Alps but most likely overkill for most other places. A DH bike is overkill for most of our single trails but there are a few where a DH rig is appreciated. Especially trails like Air Voltage in Chatel, try that on an Enduro. Come up short once you and your bike are toast.
  • 60 3
 Just own one of each. DH bikes for gnarly shuttle trails and bike parks. Bike parks rattle the hell out of 160 broduro bikes. Then use the 160mm for everything else.
  • 9 1
 Can't argue with that logic. I use my 150mm trail bike for most rides, but I still frequently roll out the big-rig and have a blast. Although I think the article is more aimed at those who will only have one bike, at which point a capable 150-170mm Enduro bike will cover most bases and manage most of the foreseeable terrain more than adequately.
  • 4 0
 My thoughts exactly. And yea, the 160 bikes are fully capable of riding bike parks but DH bikes are simply more fun IMO.
  • 3 0
 yup. have 200mm DH rig, 130mm bike, 140mm bike and Just bought a 160mm ride...
  • 21 1
 Downhill bike and an aggressive hardtail is all a man needs.
  • 5 0
 Exactly, being fortunate enough to own more than one bike, I ride my aggro hardtail for riding straight out the back door or if I want to do a bit of everything. Throw the DH rig in the car for a short drive to the bigger trails. Smile I guess the 160 bike is probably the better choice if you were to have one bike though.
  • 5 0
 @TugboatComplex: finally someone with the answer
  • 6 0
 You're right shred, but one must consider that a fair number of folks on this thread can't afford both, and likely just as many don't live in or anywhere close to real mountains. I'd wager a lot of these folks would love to have a DH bike and Legit DH trails, but that's just not so. In this case, the enduro bike really offers them the best solution. And maybe a clapped out DJ for shit and giggles. We are just a coupla lucky old codgers as I see it
  • 2 0
 As long as you can afford it, 2 bikes is the best way to go. I have a 2016 Devinci Spartan and a 2011 Transition TR450 and I love having both. I can ride my Spartan on any DH trail but my TR 450 is just so damn fun at the parks and shuttle runs its worth keeping.
  • 4 0
 @Camolloyd: you're absolutely right. But by that rationale, "as long as you can afford it" a CX bike is a great way to get the legs moving early in the season and provides as a good commuter. And it's fun to get out for an hour on your DJ as well, just to be on a bike. Speaking of bikes, having a dirt bike is also a hoot, as are most other types of street motorbikes.
Does this seem reasonable and fiscally responsible to everyone else as well?
  • 1 0
 @TugboatComplex: yes sir that's the truth
  • 49 0
 I spent my winter riding my enduro bike, had a single lap on my new dh bike the other day and realized what I had been missing. DH bikes are the shit.
  • 46 0
 Nothing can beat a DH bike .
  • 34 0
 Given that all four answers were basically biased towards the 160 crowd, I am proud of the pinkbike audiences choices Smile Dh is unarguably, the king.
  • 30 2
 What honestly kills the DH bike is not the all mountain bike, but the trails being built. Resorts build trails less favorable to DH bikes - many are just trails that are made for winter snowboarder use and call them DH trails in the Summer - don't believe it - look at the boarders who use and love them in the winter. Then there are the trails that are too pedally for a DH bike, that are very XC and more enduro bike suited. Who's killing the DH bike - not the bike industry, - the trail builders at the resorts are.
  • 12 2
 What parks are you talking about?

Sure, a lot of parks are building more green and blue trails, but that makes sense as it keeps people coming back after a first visit as opposed to feeling like their soul has been crushed. But most of those (those that I've been to at least) still have a bevy of single and double diamond trails.
  • 8 0
 @BDKR: Trestle.

So many more intermediate trails or buffed out flow trails. I have seen people on 120 mm slope bikes there (checkmate mike levy the enduro bike is obviously dead).
  • 2 0
 @adrennan: I've been to Trestle. And you're right! TONS OF INTERMEDIATE TRAILS AND TONS OF PEOPLE ON THEM!

So does that speak to the park, or the people going too the park?

There is still some black diamond stuff there. They aren't getting rid of it are they?
  • 2 0
 @adrennan: Forgot to add that I saw a lady on an XC bike there with the seat way up in the atmosphere! LOL

Of course, she ignored peoples suggestion that she lower the seat.
  • 1 0
 @BDKR: I mean in terms of the discussion of dh bikes. trestle and space ape are like the only two trails that really justify the big bikes there.
  • 2 0
 Give Sun Peaks a ride lol
  • 1 0
 @adrennan: Yeah. Their ratio of blue to black is way in favor of blue.
@luckynugget : Forget about that one.
  • 1 0
 This is not a problem in the North West
  • 29 3
 Downhill bikes are unbeatable. They are the best designed, best engineered and most capable bikes handling downhill terrain. You will ride harder trails, for longer durations and have a hell of a lot more fun.

I pity everyone who loves riding aggressively down hills and doesn't live near a mountain they can use a downhill bike on.

That being said; you need a trail bike, too. Your trail bike will forever be stuck trying balance the climbs and the descents and I have found that more travel doesn't automatically equal a better riding experience on a trail bike.
  • 9 1
 I can't believe you got a down vote on this. Probably PB staff.
  • 4 0
 All true.
  • 24 1
 As per usual the answers are lacking. As in : If you can afford two bikes, and live around terrain that justifies it , would you buy a DH bike? Etc. The conclusion that people who don't live around rowdy lift/shuttle access trails won't want a DH bike is kinda a no brainer and skews the poll. Seems a little set up to make DH bikes seem unworthy of the love.
  • 17 1
 Exactly, the choices don't cover some scenarios.

I have a DH bike for lift access bike parks and shuttling. Otherwise I pedal a 150mm bike. Why does it have to be either/or? Why not both?
  • 3 1
 Indeed. You touched on the money, but no one really factored in the skill part. I can afford 2 bikes but I got deals on both of them and they're not top of the line units. The immediate local terrain I ride is generally overkill for a DH bike in the right hands, but I like my DH because it feels cool and bails me out sometimes when I get in over my head (speed or technique failures). My trail bike is exactly that...120mm that isn't quite enough for some of the bigger stuff. My example tends to be Top of the World at Whistler; I wouldn't do it on anything but my DH, but a good friend of mine could do it on his 160mm trail bike no problem, and faster than me. And lets face it, if a skilled guy who can afford all sorts of bikes in his stable can ride a cx rig down some of Whistler, really, you can ride whatever the hell you want wherever you want.

The question asked is impossible to answer unless every user submits theirs as an option.
  • 4 0
 Spot on. If I lived somewhere like Whistler or PDS then I'd have a DH bike and a Trail bike for non-uplift days and exploration. Instead I have a 120mm trail bike built up lightish for XC rides and a 150mm trail bike built up tough for the rest of my riding and the odd uplift day. I could buy a DH bike for the 5% of my riding that require it but the cost would be too much to swallow so instead I use the big trail bike and stick to the blue/red runs to get my kicks. Seems a lot of people locally are thinking the same as the number of DH bikes has dropped with the likes of Capra's etc taking their place.

So the DH bike is not dead, it's just becoming more niche.
  • 26 0
 pb marketing chemtrail article to kill off dhers
  • 10 0
 P/B was an inside job! haha
  • 20 1
 Why the clickbait/troll article pinkbike? This is a stupid question and I can only assume you did it because you are getting desperate for ad revenue? In any case it makes me want to visit your site less not more.
  • 21 0
 PinkBike what have you become.
  • 17 1
 Obviously most of us need a dh bike, all mtn bike, dirt jumper and a road bike. Problem solved.
  • 7 1
 Flip road bike with fat bike and it's spot on
  • 1 0
 That is exactly the setup I have, each bike has a specific purpose and I'm not trying to make one do what the other can do more efficiently.
  • 14 1
 For me it's a matter of financial decision making. I own a 160mm bike that I ride park Saturday, enduro/dh races on Sunday and pedal xc'ish stuff on Monday.

However if money was not an issue, I would have a DH rig, a 140mm bike and a hardtail. I just can't justify owning a DH rig for the 6 - 10 rides a year.
  • 1 0
 Come to Portugal and i hook you up with a dirt cheap used DH bike then. Be miserable no more! ^^
  • 18 1
 Have fun with that arm pump on your 160 fork at the bike park.
  • 17 0
 I own a nice DH bike I own a nice AM bike I own a shit car Priorities.
  • 2 0
 We in Canada have our Priorities well placed, Same here
  • 31 17
 DH bike is a fk buddy for the weekend in a cabin by the hill side. I rent services like this, I don't want that dirty manbtch at home everyday.
  • 7 0
 So a DH rig is a whore in the bedroom and a 160 is a saint in the kitchen?
  • 1 0
 This analogy makes the most sense...DH is a dirty ass bitch.
  • 18 3
 fck off, r u cere ass, lay off the crack Pinkbike!
  • 11 1
 What we've seen is the biking world coming full circle here. It used to be AM/FR then polarization into DH/XC. Now we're getting Enduro which is the Super-D of yesterday. And lets face it, Enduro bikes are FR bikes that can pedal. Now we're getting back to AM and hopefully.... FR.

*Knock knock*
>Who's that?
Its Free Ride.
>I didn't recognize you!
Its because I learned to pedal and descend.
>Oh man I've missed you so much!
Then how come you never called?
>Because... everyone made fun of me because DH racing got huge.
Its okay, I understand.
>You really are such a good segment of Mountain Biking. Smile ....
Let have some beers.
>Yes, lets.

Freeride aint dead!
  • 9 0
 This article is classic PB click-bait at its finest. Total bullshit industry propaganda in the form of a bad analogy. The question and comparison doesn't even make sense. Keep trolling your own readers and see where it gets you. Looking forward to your next E-fatbike piece.
  • 12 0
 WTF Pinkbike ??????????????????????????????????????????????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  • 14 1
 F#ck this shit!! DH bike or die!
  • 11 2
 I love how the available answers are so obviously hinting towards what the author deems the right answer. I mean every option lists some short coming associated with a dh bike.
  • 10 0
 Never ridden a downhill bike, but rode a lot of moto when I was younger. If a DH bike is anything like that then long live the DH bike!
  • 13 1
 And I'll keep pushing my downhill bike up hills
  • 9 0
 Am I the only one who thinks there's A LOT of diference between an enduro and a DH bike? Theyre a lot more capable and it doesn't look like serious racers are going to smaller bikes any time soon...
  • 13 1
 Screw you SRAM I know you are behind this!
  • 10 0
 I'm a 45 year old mother of two, have a nice AM bike, but am in the process of building up my new big bike, the Maiden, with all it's badassery right now!
  • 4 1
 I put together a Kona Park Operator custom build for my wife last year ! I have pics on my profile page
  • 11 0
 whoever wrote article this is a f**king dumbass
  • 6 0
 lets face it if you own DH bike u definitely own another bike or more such as Enduro or dirtjump, i really don't get whats the point of this poll and on Pinkbike(most PB members are DH fanatics), out of all the bike disciplines DH is the coolest, most fun to ride and watch on video and on site so how can you say DH Bike Dead?

i quit the MTB riding thru the late 90's and the 2000's simply because mountain bike sucked as far as performance/durability, i got back to ride 2years ago when i discovered the DH bike since then my life completely changed
  • 10 0
 this topic is ridiculous....
  • 5 1
 Looks like PB whants to kill DH, why?
  • 5 1
 @mudmandhbrazil: sram wants to sell more enduro
  • 6 0
 @sandwich: Never go full enduro
  • 6 0
 I own a DS/DJ bike, a all mtn/enduro bike and a DH bike. I am a "purest".....I use a specific bike for a specific type of riding.....there is no mixing them. they could at some point over lap depending on the trails ridden but for 99% of the time, its "the right tool for the job needed to get done".
  • 7 2
 Where is the option for "I wish I had the skills and testicular girth to push a DH bike past the point where an all-mountain bike is comfortable?" I used to own one, and it taught me a lot about riding burly trails. But then I crashed a ton and got myself a nice collection of nagging injuries. At this point I get my riding thrills on a Transition Smuggler, and mostly stick to the blue trails at the resorts. There's no point in having a DH bike to ride blues.
  • 5 0
 No.

Evidence? I rode my trail bike at Bromont once, due to not having a DH bike at the time. Was it doable? Sure. Would I do it again? No. Was anyone else there stupid enough to do that? No, every one else that rides at Bromont also has a DH bike......unless you're one of the fruitloops going the wrong was up the hill.
  • 3 1
 i laugh every time when a see a fruitloop climbing the 21 haha
  • 4 0
 My answer didn't make the poll. If i can afford one bike in the stable, then its a 160mm travel machine. If i can afford 2 bikes in the stable then its that 160mm (maybe a slightly more "trail oriented" 140-150 + a DH.

Currently, i run one bike but that might get to change this summer. Also worth noting i have SEVERAL bike parks within weekend driving distance of me

But i wont own only one bike that CANT be pedaled to the top.
  • 2 0
 Exactly. My son races downhill and likes going big, so when it came time to replace his Turner 5 spot (damm kid keeps growing) for local riding, I picked up a Canfield Balance thinking he would love the extra 20mm in the rear. He hated it, saying it felt dead and heavy. Fortunately, I scored an amazing deal on a Turner Burner frame (all of these are used of course) which he loves. He said it climbs way better and is much poppier off the small stuff. In the end it was a $300 reminder for me that there is always a compromise.

If I were buying new bikes, I would probably be looking hard at something like the YT Jeffsy for trail and then a DH bike. It seems that 29" bikes have come alive in the trail market and the geometry is finally there to make them fun and snappy.
  • 4 0
 DH bikes will never be dead as they are a specific tool, no compromise. They aren't trying to strike a balance of two opposite characteristic like Enduro bikes have to, with climbing and descending,meaning DH bikes have that poise and purpose about them that just looks and feels better . DH racing won't die as it is a much better format to watch than Enduro - if the racing lives on , so will the bikes I reckon.
  • 5 1
 I'm running a Survey, is pinkbike starting to piss u of with ridiculous polls?
Hit a 40 or 50 foot gap or jump on a 160 travel enduro bike and see how they holds up over time. A weaker bike doing downhill will wear out quicker witch works out well for bike shops and bike manufacturers. Who do u really work for pinkbike?
  • 7 0
 This is the stupidest thing ever dh bikes dominate. I will never give up my dh for an enduro bike EVER!
  • 4 0
 DH bikes are amazing fun and they have not needed 5+ different wheel and tire sizes to have fun on over the past 6 years.

New Enduro/AM bikes are amazing but will NEVER keep up to a DH bike and competent rider in terrain a DH bike is made for. If you've got the nuts to ride it the new DH bikes will get you down faster than ever before.
  • 8 0
 The DH bike is very much alive in coastal BC
  • 4 0
 Two mountain bikes always: DH for Whistler Bike Park and shuttling, and 140-160mm trail bike for pedaling. Do I need a DH bike for Whistler? No, I've ridden my trail bike there, but it beats the shit out of it and is nowhere near as comfortable or fun at speed as the DH rig.
  • 4 0
 Most people can't push a modern Dh bike to its limits Or have access to enough elevation to justify a Dh specific bike. All mountain bikes are sweet and capable machines But a Dh bike is a specialized weapon I'm tossed up on this one . Hard trails on a smaller bike are more of a challenge To me thats kinda fun . But when I wanna go rip whistler no way is a all mountain bike gonna withstand the Beating
  • 4 0
 Gotta love PB, one day it's an article about the damage trolls do, the next it's a total BS poll like this designed to bring them out from under the bridge. I think for the vast majority this sport isn't about what you need, rather it's about what you want.
  • 3 0
 I've never ridden a DH bike. thought about renting one at the bike park, but never have. So I guess for now I'll just take my trail bike down DH trails and hold on for dear life while the guys on big bikes plow through it like butter.
  • 6 0
 I think most people would prefer to have both if they can afford it. But let's be honest, bikes aren't cheap.
  • 3 0
 I have a 160mm am bike a 140mm dj bike and a 200mm dh bike. I am really perturbed by these articles selling ppl on enduro bixe. My enduro bike will get me down the hill at the bike park but so will a 1978 10 speed road bike. I ride my enduro bike when it suits the riding I am doing. When I bought it the hack sales person called it a mini dh. It is by no means a dh bike. Of my three bixe my AM is the most expensive I own, gets ridden the most, AND IS BY FAR MY LEAST FAVORITE BIKE.
  • 5 0
 Look you tried killing my 26 and I still got it. I just bought a new DH bike and now your trying to kill that too. Quit trying to phase me out of this sport people Smile
  • 6 1
 i ride the bike park alot, a trail bike cant keep up to the abuse this puts the bike through, hence why ill always have a dh bike and a trail bike!
  • 3 0
 I'm not sure why it is always one or the other. I have multiple bike but a good day of shitty gnarly DH is what I live for. But after work to unwind it is nice to get in the AM go for a pedal and find a little trouble to get into. I think the question should be why the industry is forcing people to choose?
  • 3 0
 this poll is f*cking STUPID and SENSELESS... i have both an all mountain bike,(OH SORRY, they call it " enduro" now..) and a tricked out DH rig, and love BOTH...the best of both worlds !!!! (and been doing both for the last 20 years !!!!!!) sorry enduro fans, but if i had to choose ill keep my DH bike...
  • 8 1
 This argument is so f#ckin trivial
  • 3 0
 The only thing that puts a bigger smile on my face than taking my AM rig to Seymour or Fromme is when the boys get together, bring out the big bikes and we shuttle Cypress! And once Whistler season starts it's nice having a bike that can spend all summer doing laps and not sound like a rusty shopping cart by the end. Yeah I don't use the DH bike as much as the AM but who cares!! Big bikes will always have a place in my heart.
  • 8 3
 Seeing this pisses me off a bit downhill bikes are the shit death to enduro and all the other shitty bikes downhill is for real men with balls
  • 3 0
 For those who can afford a few bikes, I love having my DH rig and an Enduro bike. My Devinci Spartan can handle any DH track around here and I have used it at DH races. When it comes time for big jumps, super rocky/steep trails and bike parks, the big rig is the way to go. I've also brought both my DH bike and Enduro bike to bike parks to compare and I'm amazed at how much more fun the DH bike is.

Buy a bike that suits your riding area. Since I have bike parks and lots of trails to climb, it's and Enduro and a DH bike for me. If I could only have 1, yeah the Enduro is the way to go.
  • 3 0
 Right tool tool for the task at hand.
DH = DH bike
Dirt Jumps = DJ bike
Trail = Trail bike
Road = Road bike
That being said. I truly. Feel the type of rider that gravitates to full on DH is NOT the average rider that many if not most trail/endure guys are. All bikers are not the same that's just all there is to it. Much the same as the average Harley rider in not a Moto MX rider. But in my book if your riding dirt it's all good.
  • 5 0
 Enduro bikes are like taking a Subaru in the woods, sure it can do it. Hell yeah it is fun. You can even go fast! But don't expect it to be doing it every day.
  • 7 1
 Own both enduro and DH and your happy Smile
  • 8 2
 How about a bike with 180 travel?
  • 7 2
 Seriously. What happened to the sweet 7" FR bikes that could still grind uphill. Sadly there must've not been enough of a market(ing) for them. Loved my Cove STD, may it rest in pieces.
  • 10 0
 @lostlunchbox: Scott Voltage, Kona Process 167, etc.
  • 2 0
 @lostlunchbox: They are still around but hard to come by, not many sell because a full 200 rig only weights a bit more and pedals a bit worse so they just opt for extra travel.
  • 3 0
 @lostlunchbox: they all got double crown forks........
  • 3 9
flag VPPFREEDOM (Apr 29, 2016 at 12:17) (Below Threshold)
 @lostlunchbox: there's not enough bike companies willing to compete over a market with literally ten's of people interested in it. 7"in bikes are like lifted 2wd drive trucks they're f*cking useless
  • 2 1
 @lostlunchbox:@lostlunchbox: Suspension and geo got better, and now a 160 bike rips and climbs better than the 7" bikes of yore. With more capability through refinement, a better balance between up/down is found with 160mm bikes. And yeah, the STD was a fun bike.
  • 2 0
 @lostlunchbox: '05 VP Free, not in pieces... yet.
  • 1 0
 @lostlunchbox: NS soda air. 160-180 travel and 15 kg. Gonna work this summer and hope that i earn enough for it.
  • 2 0
 @micah356: My process 167 doesn't feel any less capable than my operator did despite having less travel. It's a bigger bike too, geo matters more than a little bit of travel.
  • 1 1
 @lostlunchbox: 26wurx.com Trying hard to provide another choice
  • 1 0
 @lostlunchbox: They converted them to 6.5" bikes, dropped a bunch of weight and called them enduro. Unfortunately they lost the durability that a freeride bike had with a caoil shock, stong 180mm fork, and overbuilt frame.
  • 6 1
 "A bike like the Canyon Strive makes owning a DH rig silly" - good job i have 2 downhill bikes then Wink
  • 4 2
 Same here! Nomad and V10
  • 2 1
 @azdog: sweet! i use to have a mk1 nomad but the geometry was shit for climbing and i found it easier on a trek session.
  • 5 0
 As long as it has two wheels ride the shit out of it til yer face breaks from Laughing Smile
  • 5 0
 you CAN'T compare a 160mm to a 200mm, both have his specific job, own both for max pleasure !!
  • 4 1
 Who cares if the DH bike is dead,

I got a new DH bike this year , only used it once but will get its proper use in the Alps this summer,
Bikes are fun , own as many as you can and ride as
Many different types you can Smile
  • 2 0
 If I could only have one, since I am not near a park, it would be my nomad. Luckily I don't have to choose. I have a driver 8 for the park and shuttles. Plenty of people don't have to choose so the big bikes are not dead or dying. I am a decent rider, did 16 runs at Norhstar split among livewire, gypsy flame out, karpiel and boondocks. I would not even come close to that many runs on my nomad and I would hate to see what my nomad would look like at the end of the day.
  • 7 1
 Nobody remembers freeride bikes? They are the answer.
  • 4 0
 I built my Banshee Rune as a freeride inspired build!!! Aggressive as hell.. I love it
  • 3 0
 Viva la Freeride!
  • 2 0
 To me all mountain/enduro bikes killed the regular trail bike. Just got my first DH bike and couldn't be more pumped. No doubt the 160mm travel bikes today are insane and I have rode mine at the bike park but still decided I wanted a DH bike. DH bikes will never go away, nor should they!
  • 2 0
 To me, the most versatile, not bank breaking combo is a good hardtail trail-enduro bike that allows you to pedal fast on xc trail but also not being limited when things get rowdy, and a DH bike since after all, nothing could ever beat on your dh track bike park riding ..
  • 2 0
 PinkBike pools are great but most of the times they piss me off... !! Majority of the good answears is in the comments... In pool there is always something missing between the answears. I think Enduro bikes are Do-it-all machines which is one of the reason they are so popular. You can have tons of fun everywhere with ONE bike. Downhill is totally different. Bike that can beat so much rough stuff You can't even emagine. Time spent in woods or elswhere pushing Your DH bike up the hill is something inspirational. For me it's mental. Despite that differences between this bikes are blurred it's still MENTAL and it's always been.
  • 2 0
 With the way my kids ride, and the abuse their bikes take at the bike parks - my son cracked the chain stay on his Kona Process and my other son snap both rocker arms on his Ellsworth - I've considered getting them a DH set up that they could semi climb with..... there are a couple guys in our area that only ride DH rigs......
  • 2 0
 Bikes de enduro e as atrevidas all moutain sĂŁo realmente um meio termo bastante divertido, uma bike que te possibilita subida e Ă© razoável na descida mas ainda nĂŁo substitui uma DH do mesmo modo que nĂŁo substituirá as XC pelo simples fato, sĂŁo razoáveis em tudo e no entanto boas especificamente em nada nem subida nem descida, uma categoria a parte para mim soam assim
  • 2 0
 A downhill bike is an extreme to our sport. There's a reason why I've always wanted a karpiel apocalypse and Marzocchi super monster with hope 6 Pistons. Is it the fastest? No. Is it the lightest? No. But is it the most over the top? You bet it is. "With this I can ride down anything" is the exact feeling you get aboard a downhill bike.Imagine the first time you saw an enduro bike. Now, remember the first time you saw a downhill bike. Which one made the kid inside you go "wow. That's cool."?
  • 6 0
 Pinkbikes next poll: Are apples dead?
  • 6 0
 are you serious pink bike what in the F*k.
  • 2 0
 I will always have a downhill/freeride bike. I prefer bike parks and extra technical shuttle access trails and occasional huge drops. The industry needs to stop putting all disciplines into one bike. I may never own an "enduro" bike but i will always own a dirt jumper, a downhill bike, a beach cruiser, and an all mountain bike. I'm not sure where this enduro thing you're trying to sell me is going to fit in.
  • 2 0
 To clarify, I had an "all-mountain" or "trail"bike long before enduro bikes hit the market, and never quite understood the difference. An all mountain or trail bike was something in between a light weight cross country bike and a heavy downhill bike, and light weight XC never appealed to me. If I want to ride trails with climbs and descents, I take my trail bike. So where does enduro fit in again?
  • 2 0
 Broke Downhill bike frame, bought endurobike instead... I'm not a smart man. The idea was that I where supposed to ride more trails on it, and last year I just ended up using it the same way I used the downhill bike. The difference between the to is that an enduro bike will be used up faster. Comparing it even more, when it gets fast and rough the downhill bike puts less strain on you, it lets get away coming up to far and to short. Where the enduro bike needs to be ridden more precise. I guess I lied to my self last year with the choice I made, and endurobike will never substitute a full on downhill bike.
  • 2 0
 Yeah. Someone who can only have one bike would agree that a good all rounder is better. I own a new Nomad and a carbon Demo 8. The Demo 8 is a bombproof smasher capable of hitting more than I'll ever be capable off. The Nomad is an awesome machine but on a full on DH track or even gnarly fast rocks the DH bike wins everytime. Its burly its big it smashes stuff to pieces, the nomad will maybe get near its performance but I'll be shaking like a shitting dog. Downhillbikes aren't dead big AM bikes are a step closer to negating the need for a downhill bike but they're not there yet!!!!
  • 1 0
 I feel just as comfortable on my Nomad blasting steep and fast as I do my DH rig, but I agree, blasting through gnarly rock gardens with a carbon fiber frame scares the crap out of me. Also, I feel more comfortable hucking the DH at high rates of speed and still kind of sketchy to me on an AM.
  • 2 0
 I answered the poll a few days ago. But every time I see the headline here, it just makes me laugh a bit. I got back into DH the last 2.5 years. Every season, I'm riding the mountain almost every weekend. I rarely rode trails around me.

The DH bike is definitely not dead. Didn't a lot of pinkbikers here celebrated Loic Bruni's recent win? The way I see it, it seems the development of bikes is actually heading towards DH. Heck, even videos have DH themes. Which means we will have more riders getting into DH in the future.
  • 2 0
 oh my god..here we go again with another debate on what is better..holy shit people if you spent half the time riding your bikes rather then comparing dick sizes with what bike for right for what job..smh. it honestly doesn't matter..you think a poll will all of a sudden shift a way someone goes about a sport. FOR GOD SAKES STOP CALLING IT ENDURO...ITS PLAIN OLD MOUNTAIN BIKING..its shit like this that makes us all look like pretentious douchebags in a EXTREMELY expensive sport.
  • 4 0
 I know that for myself, and probably the vast majority of other riders, geometry is way more important than the actual amount of suspension travel.
  • 3 1
 I'v been a dedicated DH guy for about 12 years. just recently picked up a nomad. While the nomad is awesome and Im currently riding it more that the dh bike(still in honeymoon phase). Its not even a close comparison on the descents. Especially if its choppy. 160mm just isn't nearly enough.
  • 5 1
 WHYTE T130 + CANYON TORQUE currently just tips ÂŁ4k for the pair i.e. less than many 160-180mm enduro bikes and you have a proper tool for each job
  • 2 0
 Im finding in Australia (well victoria anyway) that they are closing more and more dh trails. anytime new trails are built they are more suited to enduro/am riding. last new (official) trail built in victoria for dh was back in '05 I think. seems more and more unofficial trails are being destroyed.
And yet despite this I'll never sell my dh rig. The very few chances I do get to ride dh trails its an absolute blast.
  • 2 0
 Dh was strong and is now dying in my country because every dh trails are destroyed or closed and that enduro trails is way more easier to creates or shape in your local woods. It came to a point where only 1 of 5 venues of our dh cup can be legally ridden the rest of the year. That explain the decrease of dh bikes being solds in Belgium...
  • 6 0
 Yes show me pinkbike how you ride a enduro at RAMPAGE please OK
  • 4 0
 Surely the missing answer in the poll is 'when 160mm enduro bikes are the majority in the DH World Cup, then yes, DH bikes would be dead'. Seems a stupid poll does this.
  • 6 0
 WHAT!?! Are groomers replacing powder days?!! Next question.....
  • 1 0
 Kinda like galibrath and lookout.
  • 6 0
 Stupid question really. Next PB will compares apples and oranges.
  • 2 0
 Mountain bikes are dying. As soon as I ride them Their fragile plastic nature Can't handle the flying Or the grinding and the sliding and the landing. New chainrings every 10 rides I'm sick of buying. Till we're tired of the money we spend that someone holds smiling. And the 6 week waits for warranty have me crying. Motorbikes are far more worth buying.
  • 7 0
 Downhill
  • 5 0
 My computer must be broken. There's only 2 options to this poll and both are that dh bikes are dead!? Whaaat!?
  • 2 0
 Answer D: It's stupid to even fathom a modern carbon bike such as the Nomad standing the test of being used as a Jack-Of-All-Trails.

1- Enduro Bikes are expensive
2- They are more finnicky and dare i to say, pricier to service
3- The used market for "modern" enduro bikes ain't that great (yet)
4- 160mm of travel may be enough for experienced riders but that doesn't mean the bike won't bottom out clearing big gaps
5- Spec Big Hits and Kona Stinkys go for as little as 500€ these days widthstanding far more abuse
6- Downhill bikes are plusher and give you greater confidence
7- Steeze

Now don't get me wrong, i have nothing against enduro bikes and one day i may buy one. All in all this reminds me of the long debate of Fixed vs. Mobile technology.

It just ain't gonna happen.
  • 8 1
 Pinkbike is trolling me!
  • 3 0
 I can only have one mountain bike. So I choose an AM rig that can ride park and XC. It just makes sense. That's not to say I don't dream of owning a DH bike again. There's nothing like it.
  • 2 0
 Such biased answers one can choose from. Bit disappointing PB! Of course modern enduro bikes are very versatile and fun, but when having lift access DH bikes are just much more appropriate, fun and durable to get the job done.
  • 2 0
 What about DH bikes getting lighter and easier to pedal? Lots of sub 35lb 200mm bikes out there, and I think mine climbs fine.

I hear a lot about how hard DH bikes are to pedal, and I don't get it. I live near a bike park and a hill with some gnarly rock gardens. I like riding the big bike because it just calms everything down, and I feel like the bike isn't getting pummeled to death. When I get to the bottom of our local hill, I ride it back to the top.
  • 2 0
 As I don't race, the whole difference to me is how many laps I'm gonna do. On a trailbike 4000 ft of descending is a big day. But at a resort that's just a couple laps. My bike and body will get worn out trying to do ride all day at a resort with a trailbike.
  • 2 0
 I've got both, 2014 Operator, 2015 Process 153. Also recently rode a mates Darkside with a 180mm Fox 36. We try to get out and ride 'real DH tracks' as often as we can. While I can, and have ridden the Process on these tracks a couple of times, nothing is a fun or confidence inspiring as a 200mm DH bike. DH4LYF lol
  • 2 0
 Steep, slick, old school DH chunk still demands a real DH rig. No question. Dual crown and real DH casings.

AM is AM, and an AM bike is an AM bike.

DH is DH, and a DH bike is a DH bike.

What is an Enduro bike though?

Enduro was originally racing on an AM bike, but seems to be morphing into DH-lite. Not that there is anything wrong with that. The bikes seem to be in rapid evolution, moving away from being trail capable.

That said, I dig running my AM bike at buffed out DH parks.

At some point, as parks get less old school, and more buffed, I'll likely drop the full DH rig, and just mod my AM bike for lift assist days.
  • 6 0
 Cool shitpost, pinkbike. You fucking dildos
  • 2 0
 Why would you even have a poll like this unless you want people to ditch their big bikes. DH bikes have their place just like all the others. (I love a DH bike for rough down. A hard tail for XC, an AM for the mix) I'm getting tired of all the " classifications" is it a attempt to divide us, or just sell more bikes. They are all just mountain bikes. Ride whatever the hell you want.
  • 1 0
 I don't think I could have put it better myself.
  • 4 0
 If the answer to the question was yes then why does DH racing/DH bike market still exist?
  • 3 0
 I have and need both...but has to be said I am practically trying to give my Gambler away at the moment and can't get rid of it...when I do it'll be another dh for me!!!
  • 2 0
 Dh bikes are great for truly rugged terrain, racing, and for keeping your other bike in good working order. My trail bike is reliable because its not getting smashed through chairlift runs every weekend.
  • 1 0
 When DH WC riders start opting for "enduro" rigs over "DH" rigs very very frequently at races then you can start saying DH bikes are dead. But you can also start arguing over the tracks being possibly simplified, or given characteristics that enduro bikes are better suited for.
  • 4 0
 I don't think many enduro bikes would hold up to hundreds of Gondola laps a season for too many seasons.
  • 1 0
 Is it just me or is this Poll slightly one sided.... seems like it is trying to get you to vote for an AM/enduro bike over a DH...

I Love my DH and wouldn't think of using anything else for racing on a real DH track... but that said... there are plenty of tracks out there that only warrant an eduro bike...

How about we all just say we would ride the appropriate bike on the appropriate tracks...
  • 6 1
 Nothing beats the feeling of a chairlift and 2.5" DH casing tires.
  • 1 0
 I don't think there needs to be a line drawn if your hitting big enough stuff then go for the dh rig if your doing all around but still going big then go with the enduro setup personal I think 160-170 is plenty of travel regardless
  • 1 0
 Depends on your riding style, if you like to pick your lines carefully than a all mtb will do in most cases but if you like smashing straight down the middle at full speed then there is nothing like the long, stable, big traveled DH bike. If all mtbs are better why dont the uci super heroes ride them??
  • 4 0
 The DH bike and the Enduro bike are totally different machines meant for different types of terrain.
  • 3 0
 I don't know, which generates more site traffic, World Cup race weekends/Rampage or these polls that have no real reflection, and just generate traffic?!
  • 4 0
 Im happy with my fully mechanical, human powered, 26" 170mm Kona Stinky Dee thanks, #26aintdead
  • 2 1
 I loved my DH bikes, all of them (I've had 8 in the last 3 years) but I've just chopped it in and built up a Banshee Rune frame... don't get me wrong I've built it to be as aggresive as hell and shes much more Downs inspired than for the peddle up!!! But my god that thing goes... I can't see me ever getting back on a DH bike while they build bikes like this.
  • 1 0
 As much as we dream of having the perfect, do it all bike that excels in every aspect, there will still always be purpose built bikes out there. "Enduro" bikes kind of remind me of an Ultra 4 car. Sure it can crawl and handle high speed desert, but there is still better cars out there for those sole purposes.
  • 1 0
 The lines a pretty blurred, when you consider some of the tracks the enduro races are held on. At an amateur level, it's not so "first timer" or "weekend warrior" friendly as the new class of racing was first pitched as. I see a huge gap growing between XC (or trail riding) and the bike you need to race an enduro. While the gap between enduro and DH is getting much tighter. Seems the need is for the enduro rig to be more bombproof and their DH rig to be lighter. I don't know about the DH bike going away, but enduro is moving towards killing the one bike quiver. But really, what fun is having (or wanting) just one bike anyway?
  • 1 0
 True but i still LOVE DH Rigg i did built up a Old bike and pimped it up to 5in travel all around wirh a agressive cocokipit no so XC but more so i can point it down the hill set up and can climb what i couldnt with my DH. dont mean i'm dumping the DH but sure is nice to be able not to Bike a Hike once in a while or have a lighter bike with a different feel ..
  • 1 0
 On my process 153 I feel like I can haul ass on burly trails and don't feel undergunned. That being said I still take my kona entourage to the park. Despite very similar geo and travel the entourage just takes abuse better. It's just a battle axe that has no problem being bashed into things. So for me DH bike always has a purpose, they are just tougher.
  • 1 0
 I have ridden exactly one dual crown downhill bike, and it was down a trail that I have ridden my "all mountain" bike down a number of times. I will say that it was quite a joy. If I could have that ability on all downhills, but not have to ride it up, that would be great. But the fact of the matter is that I would not want to ride that thing up anything. It wasn't as bad as they may seem, but I would never want it to be my main ride.
  • 2 0
 i have a 2005 tomac MOAH as mymain offroad bike. not out of choice, i just can't justify spending ÂŁ2k on a shiny new, light, fancy pants "enduro machine".

but i love her to bits. and she'll probably outlast me
  • 2 0
 sure, it takes me half an hour to get to the top of the hill, but it makes going back down all that more satisfying
  • 1 0
 Only someone who doesn't ride DH would claim the DH bike to be dead. Riding DH trails on your enduro is doable but that isn't the point. To go out and survive a day of downhill riding with only minor bike damage and a sore body is not the same thing as throwing down amazing run after amazing run. The DH bike experience is what we live for and daydream about. With the season coming up I cant wait to garage the damn enduro and head to Whistler and Stevens.
  • 2 0
 A Nomad is like an XC bike compared to the new Demo 8 (at least where I ride). Who the eff would say DH is dead. It's like people trying to ski steep powder lines with with Alpine Turing gear.
  • 1 0
 I own a DJ, XC bike, AM bike and DH Bike. My favorite discipline is trail riding/AM. My favorite thing to ride is my Demo. I DJ so I can ride AM and DH better and XC is for the winter so I don't loose fitness. I also feel more comfortable on my DH bike and take larger drops with ease.
  • 1 0
 But dh bikes look so good. Like too good. And uplift days are rife with,more riding spots turning up all the time. Bike park wakes, the 3 flyup spots revolution. There are so many good options of places to shred that uplift, I'd say if you can afford it, have both. Nothing beats the feeling of long descent on a dh bike. ????
  • 1 0
 Ive tryed the whole one bike to do it all, 160mm enduro rig thing, not saying it wont work for everyone, but it wasnt for me. i spent the entirety of almost a year trying to fool myself that i didnt need/want a DH bike, I eventually caved, I swapped the 160mm rig for a full on DH machine, i couldnt be happier since, its almost like an inner calmness has returned.
I will always own a DH bike, even if its the only bike i have, currently looking to build up a nice long slack Hardtail to deal with the long trail rides/arsing about that isnt feasible on the big rig.
  • 1 0
 Pinkbike, this comparison is so so stupid and irrelevant... How could DH biking be dead ? All of us DH riders will stop sending those big jumps, drops, rock gardens, roots and high speed berms ??? DH bikes are just made for the gnarliest and most brutal terrain which does require a lot of travel to feel a bit comfortable with. For an easier terrain there are less travel bikes, eg enduro, trail, etc. So i do not see a single reason why we are all gonna stop riding the hardest and gnarliest terrain outside as it brings the most happiness in my mind. None the less, DH racing is the most interesting and exciting for watching as it expose how extreme the bikes sports could go.
Different bikes for different likes.
  • 1 0
 A good friend of mine has a top 20 Strava time on the full Fort William DH course..... riding his 120mm Transition Scout. Rider over bike, every time. I honestly don't think I (as in me, a 50 year old late to the sport rider) would be able to do anything harder or more sketchy on a DH bike than I currently do on my 140mm bike. I just don't have the nerve or skill. Hence for me at least, the DH bike is dead!
  • 1 0
 If you´re among those guys who do "not need a dh-bike", you´re most likely just not going fast enough.
If money is a factor i see the appeal of an allrounder, but wit money taken out of the equation there´s simply no reason to not own a dh-bike, cause if the trail gets reasonably steep a dh-bike is superior to everything else.
  • 1 0
 As far as i know if you have been riding am trails and been dropn and rollin, and jumpn tables and hittinh rock gardens, switch backs and all that, you would culminate in dh mountain biking.. dh needs your trail ridding skills..
  • 1 0
 DH isn't dead, it's just returning to the limited niche it tried to escape from. Slowly but surely, impressionable kids and low skill riders are moving away from trying to shoehorn DH bikes into being multipurpose machines. On legit mountains and big resorts, DH bikes will always be superior but for the overwhelming majority of trails and for the overwhelming majority of riders, an all mountain or an enduro bike makes more sense.
  • 1 0
 I like the options for answers. Fits my opinion perfectly. Nothing beats a DH bike on gnarly, fast terrain. Living in so cal, however, there isn't much use for a dual crown bike. I actually traded my DH rig for a 160mm bike because these bikes are more than capable on just about anything around here and much more versatile. I have to be a little more careful on jumps and rock gardens and what-not, but I'm also not having to hike my bike up the Mtn or only use lifts. Can't say I don't sometimes miss the burlieness of my DH bike though.
  • 1 0
 Am I the only one who can never identify with any of the answers on the Pinkbike Polls...? Here's where I'm at: I train and ride my trail bike way more but that keeps my DH fresh for race weekends since I still prefer DH racing over Enduro.
  • 1 0
 Apart from what you can do on modern Enduro/AM bikes, I'm not. A DH bike gives me, as a weekend rider, more safety on terrains where Jared Graves, Martin Maes etc. choose the shorter travel bike. Maybe you don't need those flat angles and long travel, but it makes it a lot easier and saves your butt when you screw up again.
  • 1 0
 My nomad kills it on the trails and on dh runs at the park. Actually a bit more fun than my dh rig was. If I was racing I'd get a dh bike but I'm just riding for fun.. So I'm good with one bike for all... The dh bike isn't dead and will always be there for the dedicated racers but I do think these modern enduro/trailbikes can handle parks and dh terrain..
  • 1 0
 I try and get the best of both worlds out of my DH bike, I don't let the "downhill" aspect of the bike effect my trail riding, if theres an uphill spot, ill sure as hell climb it on my bike. I've done climbs that are up to 2 miles long, to me it beats walking up it. Then when I get to the top, I know that no matter what comes up, my bike can handle it. I don't have the money to own 3 different bikes, so I just make use of what I got. At least when I do get a trail bike, climbs will be a breeze!
  • 1 0
 In my opinion DH Bikes will not die, a DH bike with the high selin and a large cassette do well some climbs, I am fan of DH and do not change for a bike enduro because I like comfort when I get to a zone of very Hardcore, I do many long runs and some hikes with my Bike DH and I feel good. In Madeira Island this past weekend we had a race Enduro Challenge Madeira, and funny, in 2 categories, DH bike was in first place and in another category stood at second. Second place Specialized Demo 8 First place Specialized Demo
  • 1 0
 DH bikes not dead. I do own from time to time with trails climb with my bike dh and without difficulty, difficulty is psychological.


This past weekend was Enduro challenge Madeira , and in 2 categories, a DH bike came first and in another category was second only shows that the bike dh is versatile to.

www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1022809757767515&set=a.551417004906795.1073741827.100001155026891&type=3&theater

www.facebook.com/Challengeenduro/photos/a.1497459910525688.1073741832.1490995071172172/1734615456810131/?type=3&theater
  • 1 0
 Alrighty this is how we'll sum this up,take one of your flashy enduro bikes and toss it to a rider on a world class downhill track and see how slow that run is..If you just ride around in the woods get an enduro bike ,but as a DH racer i know that there is no substitute for a full DH rig on a gnarly course,with huge drops,nasty 100 meter long rock gardens.You need the real thing,Enduro is blowing up right now,i see kids trying to ride trials on them and have to lol,this has gotten a bit crazy....But hey come race me on a enduro bike if youd like,i know i would love it..
  • 1 0
 Can someone help me out, everyone is saying that dh rigs don't make sense for companies to produce because of cost??? How can that possibly be? Dh rigs are really expensive, sure they are a niche item, but I'm calling bs that bike companies aren't making money on them, and enough money to more than compensate for the cost of development. Dh rigs are awsome, and they are also way better than years past, I agree with a lot of you, it more an attack on xc bike than dh.
  • 1 0
 I have both, and being a 40 year old with limited skills: Nothing gives me more comfort than a FOX 40. The amount of stupid I have survived in the last 2 years....all because of that extra 40mm up front...

People go on and on about "fun" bikes...my Darkside is the bike that have given me more fun moments than any bike I've ever ridden Wink
  • 1 0
 I thought my all-mountain bike was a great DH bike at the resorts, till I got an actual DH Bike. The bigger rotors and spring suspension and super beefy wheels/tires combined with slack geometry and extra weight make my DH bike way easier to ride and not break on trails my all mountain bike is tapped out on. DH bikes are specialized to a fault and only make sense at ski-resorts/bike parks with lifts.
  • 1 0
 9/10 times mechanicals in the park are lightweight bikes pushed beyond its limited capability by owners with limited ability. Maybe one day we all will be able to go full speed through a gnarly rock garden in a xc weighted bike but I´m not nearly there yet and those 40mm extra feel 200% more forgiving to me. Why choosing only one?
  • 1 0
 Nothing, I mean nothing beats a purpose built bike when applied to it's designed purpose: XC Race bikes are the best for xc racing, Fat bikes are the best in snow and sand, and true DH bikes excel on all DH terrain, even modified, flawy modern bike park offerings, you'll be fast, smoother and safer on a true DH rig.

And the comments that suggest the poll is flawed are correct.
  • 1 0
 I couldn't answer this survey because I found the answers pretty biased towards the headline.....
Simple answer.. NO
Are world cup DH'ers, he'll. Even national level riders winning on 160bikes? No

I think for the (average....) rider that wants one bike for every thing then yeah, fine but. When they take that bike to a proper DH venue be it push, shuttle or chair. A full on DH rig will out perform
  • 2 1
 I will get a DH bike when the time comes , but if you take a step back these bike aren't cheap if you throwing down for a new bike. you want to get the one you'll ride the most .... and for a lot people without traveling DH bikes aren't worth the money... bike
  • 4 1
 do you know the trails around Morzine?
just think about the entrance to the "ATM secret trail".... DH? or AM bike?
I think I'll keep my DH bike for days like that.
  • 3 0
 It seems like a lot of companies these days are trying to kill even the 160mm all-mountain bike with their 140mm (or less) trail bikes.
  • 5 0
 I live in Ontario. What are these 'hills' you speak of?
  • 1 0
 I run a 160, but it is not ideal. 180-200 keeps the front end in a better position than -160 on the downs. I like my AM/endurobleh tough enough to not snap anything which keeps it at the 30lb mark.

But 20-25lbs with adequate toughness and a 180+ fork isn't yet available without selling my soul. I'd also like to see a 200mm fork with a linear type lockout/lock in. Being able to pull that fork in to a 120position for climbs and straights and keep it there, with an internal frame charge canister for the extra pressure needed for tyres, shocks, seatposts, whatever. But perhaps that will happen now electronics are finding they're way into the market and designs. Full bike presets onbar would be excellent. Hopefully before I hit 50yrs x)
  • 4 0
 dh for life! For me it's more about the added stability of a dual crown fork than the extra travel in back.
  • 2 0
 I have a Demo with Boxxer and a 2016 Giant Reign. I will never sell my DH bike and stay only with the Enduro bike never. On my private trail that is steep and Rocky the DH bike shine and the Enduro feels fragil
  • 4 1
 PLEASE MAKE UP TWO CHARACTERS TO OWN THESE FAKE OPINIONS. ONE GUY PUTTING HIS REAL NAME ON BOTH CHEAPENS THE WHOLE OPERATION. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
  • 1 0
 I own a downhill, and a trail bike. I ride my trail bike more often, and it offers a huge amount riding and handles all the abuse I can give it.
But theirs no better feeling than getting a lift up to the top of a downhill run and blasting down on a downhill bike. Yes it's a very 1 function bike, but it's just the business.

Long story short, I do more trail riding, but I still prefer downhill Big Grin
  • 3 0
 it really may be time for a reset on the terms. let's ditch a few genre designations and see if we can get by with just "mountain bike" for a while.
  • 4 3
 Honestly, about 1% of us actually live near enough to a bike park to justify owning a DH bike. Dh bikes are great but whats the point of one for the average rider if you can even pedal up the bloody hill to go downhill in the first place. Enduro bikes make perfect sense for most of us who actually have to pedal to get to the top of a run
  • 1 0
 That being said, DH bikes will never die. They may not be what your average person will buy but its the pinnacle of the sport, and always will be
  • 1 0
 When I got divorced 4 years ago, I promptly announced, I'm getting a downhill bike! However, I didn't. Fact is, riding at the lift 5 or 6 weekends a year, it just doesn't pay. I can rent one for a lot less investment and last year I rode my Nomad almost everywhere. If I had unlimited $ and space, I'd have one for sure but in the meantime, it's the Nomad or rental bike for me.
  • 1 0
 Anybody that rides TRULY gnarly trails, KNOWS sometimes there's NO substitute for 200mm of travel and 62-63deg of head angle.
To the 'writer' of this article, I encourage him to take his 160mm 'enduro' bike and enter it in the next World Cup DH race, then post the video of his quali run, 'cuz he sure as heck ain't gonna make it past qualification(s).
I own a DH bike because I have two DH runs across the street from my house(yes, I know I'm fortunate for this) that require a DH bike to minimize your time.
One of 'em has a 4-5' drop which I'd bottom the piss outta my Enduro(as in Specialized) on taking full speed, and the other has a rock garden whose rocks are big enough to where at full speed(25mph or so) I use ALL 200mm of travel on my 951. Riding the Enduro, I couldn't do it, as the spacing between the rocks and their position is such that your front end smashes into damn near every single one.
LONG LIVE THE DH BIKE!
  • 1 0
 My first time ever not riding on a road/bike path was at Keystone on my Walmart rig. Got totally hooked, thought I was riding moto like back in the day. Now, 10 yrs later I ride my DH bike as much as I can cause it is so damn fun! I also have enduro and road bikes but they take 2nd and 3rd place and always will for me!
  • 5 0
 I believe it's pinkbike that no longer has any use for DH bikes......
  • 1 0
 IMO the real downhill ripper enduro bikes like Reign, Nomad, SB6c, Enduro, Capra still suck to climb on. I'd rather have a bike that climbs better for trail riding like a Bronson or Warden + another bike for DH riding, and if I'm buying a separate bike for DH riding I may as well get a real DH bike.
  • 1 0
 You can't replace a full blown DH bike on a full blown DH track but the majority of people do not ride full blown DH tracks. I think (and this is mainly because it's what I did) that 95% of people who want a DH bike, even most of them who will get some lift access action would be well taken care of by getting a bike with slack angles 65.5-66* that is made for 160mm front/rear travel and putting a 180mm fork on it with Fox TALAS or RockShox DPA so you can drop it to 140mm for when you need to go up or on flat. It slackens the HTA well below 66*, the bike rips shit up and can be pedaled up a hill. Works for me! I also have a 100mm hard tail and 130mm FS trail bike so that helps. I also have a cross bike and a road bike, not that I'm trying to rub it in lol. suckers.
  • 1 0
 I have seen people ride there hard tails down bike parks but u think my hips wanna feel that? DH rig all day. Ride what suits you but don't think cause one person on one day was faster on a enduro that he will be every day. While you are picking your line at a rock garden I will just truck through one finger in the air lol.
  • 1 0
 Pinkbike troll post again.
We are mountain bikers. Remember there are rules. Like you can never have too many bikes.
Ride the right tool for the job.
I once rode a santacruz vpfree with totwms for everything. Just change shock and wheels depending if it was an xc ride, a day in the mountains or a Dh race. Well before the 1 bike thing was popular. It was great but always a compromise. Now I have a bike for every occasion. Some hardly get ridden, but the pinkbike troll articles said you had to go 29 then 27.5... so 26 became cheap on the 2nd hand market. Thanks pinkbike, you gave me lots of bikes Smile
  • 1 0
 I'm finding that local bike parks are making the trails smoother by removing some of the "unsafe" sections on the difficult trails and new trails are modeled after A-line. This is making my DH bike feel redundant vs. my 160mm...give me some real chunky steep trails to enjoy my DH bike!
  • 1 0
 Tell me, what is really wrong with owning both if you have the space and the motivation to go shred them at different times of the year, or different days of the week, or different hours of the day. After all the correct number of bikes in ones stable is N+1
  • 1 0
 Get in line!, catch back up with the herd, don't color outside the lines....... This was so enduro! I am now 52yrs young, I ride a 6 inch trail bike up hill while cursing the younglings, that I have moved up from originally riding a hard tail. I also ride weekly, a DH rig and will not get back in line because big box says look at our carbon, its what every one rides. Our 650b is the best. Day glo colors are in! baaaaahhhhh bahhhhh go the indoctrinated sheep. . . FREE RIDE.
  • 2 0
 I find tons of 2nd hand 26" DH rigs at great prices. I've never owned a DH bike, but always been curious about how it rides in a gnarly descend. Do you guys think it's worth getting one (as a 2nd bike) just to give it a try?
  • 1 0
 Ive been digging shorter travel bikes on gnarlier terrain lately. Sure its slower, and you seem to have to make repairs more often, but hot damn its easy on the bank account.

If i had the money for a new dh rig I would be jumping at it without much thought, however money and my interests are polar opposites so I gotta pick and choose wisely.

More interests take up more time, more riding+more surfing= less time for work

less time for work=less money

less money= smaller quivers

smaller quivers= yelling at my fiance

yelling at my fiance = even smaller quivers

I'm just going to quit everything and get into coin collecting
  • 1 0
 There is no such thing as a DH bike. A bike goes to where you go with it. I use my "DH bike" as an all-mountain bike. With a dropper seatpost, 10-42 cassette and fast-rolling 60a tires front and rear, I can do absolutely everything with it.
  • 1 0
 Each bike has its specific purpose. DH bike is for the fast and rowdy downs and the all-mountain/enduro bike can climb up the mountain and then be able to descend without compromising much. Both bike categories were designed for a reason and that's where you choose your appropriate weapon as needed!
  • 1 0
 I bought my trail bike with the hopes it could be a DH bike as well. Then I decided I wanted to race DH again. While a trail bike can be ridden down most DH tracks, racing is another matter. At least at my skill level. So last year I bought my first new DH bike since 2003. This year I bought another one (likely my last).

Oddly enough, my new bike (M16 Carbon) is so light (36.6 lbs) and pedals so well, that I swear that with a dropper post and wider gearing (currently running Zee with an Ultegra road cassette), it wouldn't be a half bad trail bike...

I am fortunate enough to be in a position where I can own many high-end bikes.
  • 1 0
 The line is blurred between the down hill bike and some of longer travel enduro/all mountain bikes.
I own a knolly podium and I recently rode a buddies Devinchi Spartan.
It felt every bit as capable as my Podium going down steep and technical and I could pedal up hill easily.
Would the AM bike take the abuse from park riding and not break down sooner than a DH...probably not.
Would the AM bike handle some of the more extreme park features and terrain at speed as well as DH...probably not.
At the end of the day you can ride almost any terrain on either style bike, with each having its advantages in different areas.
It comes down to how you prefer to approach the given terrain and how much time you intend to ride park.
The ultimate solution is still multiple bikes, but If I had to chose just one I think the modern enduro/all mountain bikes is the way to go.
  • 3 3
 And then the next big thing will come out and they'll be asking if enduro is dead..remember when freeride was dead..I think this whole conversation is dead just be greatfull for whatever bike you do have. And FYI sending it is not for the timid, and I don't huck on my pedal bike just sayin!!
  • 3 1
 I own both, a Range, for riding everywhere,and a Aurum for park days, both bikes are very capable, ones more suited to climb, the other to smash going down!!
  • 3 1
 If I didn't race downhill competitively I wouldn't own a Dh bike. But there is no better feeling than charging through something super chundery on a DH bike.
  • 3 0
 If you don't race, ride the bikepark, or freeride, then yes dh bikes are dead.
  • 5 0
 You gotta cross country on the dh bike since calories burned is directly proportional to the amount of travel. And I love watching the wind go out of someone's sail when I pass them on a climb on a dh bike
  • 1 0
 @adrennan: set your gearing appropriately and you can pedal dh rig..what doesn't kill you makes you stronger
  • 4 1
 YT Capra with the 170 Lyrik takes names on everything this side of a proper WC track. Shuttling storm troopers beware.
  • 3 0
 For Joe schmoe, Enduro has/will take up that role. For an elite level racer--- DH RIGS WILL NEVER DIE
  • 7 3
 The older we get, the more we like our DH bikes...safer! :-)
  • 1 0
 Just like the vet MX guys all ride 450's!
  • 3 0
 If I had the money I would have both. Wait if I had the money I would have a 200 150 and 100
  • 3 0
 First answer should be " It has for me. A good 160-180mm travel bike just makes more sense."

Loving my Rune @64HA
  • 1 1
 Instead of discussing if DH bikes are dead or not.
Could we spend quality time on brainstorming killer argumentation to explain to our wives why we all need at least 3 bikes (DH, trail/enduro, dirt)? That would help me, and wouldn t harm the bike /dh industry:-)
  • 2 0
 or you could, y'know, use a downhill bike for lift accessed 'downhill' trails and buy a normal Mountain bike for pedalling up?
  • 2 0
 DH bikes are not dead, DH bikes are just not trail, pedal efficient bikes, DH bikes will soon fall in the same boat as DJ bikes, only people who really want one will get one
  • 4 0
 pb please explain this bullshit of a poll
  • 3 0
 An Enduro, is a motorcycle that sucks on the road, as well as off the road!
  • 3 0
 dh bike is faster down most trails enduro bikes take you to more trails in a day simples
  • 2 2
 For most people and most pinkbike users an all mountain bike makes wayyyy more sense.

I don't know how many half-baked edit I've seen of kids on massive DH rigs riding down stuff that could easily be done on a decent trail bike. Suspension and materials have come so far that we are able to make more manageable bikes that can do almost every thing you need.

Downhill has always been a niche market, but I believe it's only going to become more niche. The necessity for a true downhill bike isn't really a thing, unless you're a pro level racer who is able to push a bike that far. For most people, even "aggressive riders" 160mm is more than enough travel when tuned properly.
  • 1 0
 speed is all about the rider...there are plenty of riders in my town who are faster than me on their trail bikes...but I like my downhill bike, put some climbing gears on your downhill bike and ride it everywhere!
  • 1 0
 I raced a couple weeks ago at the ddhd in spokane. There were so many 160m bikes on course it made me sick...that is until I watch them go through the Moto whoops and get eaten alive!!!! Dam I love my dh bike!!!
  • 1 0
 I like the dh bike because it rides like my moto. I got into dh after moto and it's so much like it by these other bikes as good as they are don't give me the feeling of being on a moto
  • 1 0
 For me it's mainly a confidence thing. I rode a 160 my entire first year of DH. There were a number of features that I decided not to hit until I bought a DH bike. Now I have no excuses and have to hit everything.
  • 1 0
 Enduros are all around more practical, but there will always be a place for dh rigs on wc courses, long days at the bike park, and the local freeride spot. Long live the dh bike!
  • 1 0
 Forget about how capable enduro rigs are getting, DH rigs are progressing just as fast... My Tu-es just beat up a bunch of old men on 4" trail bikes during Crankworx Air DH Rotovegas...
  • 2 0
 Enduro bikes are great, but when it came down to the wire for me, Fun downhill beats Fast uphill anyday. Let the shorter travel bikes take care of the strolls in the hills.
  • 2 0
 I'd love a trail bike that held up to getting thrashed on jumps and shit but in all honesty, they seem way too expensive to me
  • 2 1
 I think in 2015 at a world cup round in South africa, Mitch Rop deal this course with a Enduro 160 mm . Because it was not so hard.
For me DH bikes is useful when u have really hard trails, if not enduro can make it Wink
  • 4 0
 cough cough...FEST series...
  • 5 1
 I don't enduro - I just ride trails and DH
  • 3 0
 TWF PB is trolling hard on a Friday?!! BTW 26" is not dead, people are still riding them!
  • 1 0
 ? being able to spin to the top is great but all out speed machines will always be the ultimate for getting down the hill quickly. Anyone who says different doesn't know s**t from pudding.
  • 1 0
 Oh damn was I in the pudding again?
  • 3 0
 I ride a 160mm hardtail, if I could afford another bike it would be a dh bike. Transtion tr500!
  • 3 0
 Dear Pinkbikers. You don't need your newish size large DH bike. Sell it it to me cheap!

26" wheels ok.
  • 2 0
 mike levy is so way better at generating site traffic with poll questions than any other bike site writer. and he probly gets mega ego strokes from all the responses
  • 1 0
 Process 167 - 170mm travel bike that isn't as fast as a DH bike on a DH track or quite as easy to pedal as a normal all mountain rig, but I can enjoy myself on either terrain. Free ride is where it's at
  • 1 0
 You never hear car nuts talking about how a Bugatti is useless because you can't get the kids in. DH is the pinnacle of our sport, stop stressing people and ride whatever you have.
  • 1 0
 On DH trails I feel as good on a DH than on a enduro bike, but there's two main difference 1) I get tired quicker on the enduro, specially on multi days riding 2) Parts wear out much quicker on the enduro
  • 3 0
 DH SEMPRE ANCHE AL SUPERMARKET!
  • 2 0
 Nope, not giving up my downhill bike yet. Steep and rocky dictate the need.
  • 7 3
 26" !!
  • 7 0
 Legalize it!
  • 3 1
 You have way to much spare time for questions like this. Hate me, but it's a fact.
  • 4 1
 If DH is dying, for sure I will be the last Muhican!
  • 2 0
 That happy medium, 180mm front n rear I'm not ashamed to say Freeride till I die
  • 1 0
 Last few years i ride bigger slopestyle bike 130/130mm singlespeed with fsr, on aline like trails, easier slopestyle tracks in european mountains. Nothing better.
  • 3 0
 Its nice to have both, maybe evan a nice hardtail..
  • 1 0
 If downhill bikes die out, so would Rampage. They'd probably do it on a 6inch travel Enduro but I bet they'll be more comfortable on a BIG OL DH bike
  • 1 0
 Downhill ain't dead, as i can see everybody who posted in these coments dride downhill... So how can you tell if downhill is dead?
  • 2 1
 Looks like this pole is trying to purposely kill DH bikes. Stop this PB!!! We don't care how much you want to advertise enduro. DH bike isn't dead!
  • 2 0
 Let the DH bikes stay. DH UCI is much more fun and exciting to watch than EWS.
  • 1 0
 a all mountain bike is capable of firing down dh trails but there is no room for error .when it gets rough and steep I'd rather be on downhill bike
  • 1 0
 DH will never die! I will never give up my DH bike and even all people forget DH bike I still can say it proudly: Im a Downhill Maniac 44444 life!
  • 4 2
 Hardtail w 120mm, 6" travel trail bike, and a downhill rig...love them all to pieces!
  • 3 1
 On a mega rough trail nothing has ever felt like a proper METAL downhill bike!
  • 1 0
 C'on! waiting for the new 200mm fat bike with the monster Ts to ride massive mountains, the many wide open spaces, the free ride is to reclaim! C'on!
  • 1 0
 I own the said Strive Paris Gore compares to. And a Yeti 303 and a 2015 session 9.9 . The strive cant compare to a session in gnarly dh. If you can afford both, get both.
  • 2 0
 Yup, Pinkbike really needs these click bait articles. Nice piece of journalism right there...
  • 1 0
 It seems like Pinkbike forgot that people still 360 huge drops in Utah... The dh bike will die when there's nobody going huge anymore.
  • 5 3
 Hmmmm yesss... or yes? Silly poll. Enduro is for kids
  • 2 2
 The future is 180-200 mm travel bikes, with adjustable 65 - 63.5 ha, 26 wheels (don't argue on that haha), 13.5 kg weight and a wide spectrum of gear ratio.
  • 2 0
 Funny article after a wicked DH world cup in Cairns.
  • 3 0
 DH will never die!
  • 2 0
 dh bike looks badass. that s why people will always want to have one.
  • 1 0
 when you have a dh bike, you feel like your an hells angel with the gravity to kill. haha
  • 2 0
 The enduro bike look like a pony with no legs
  • 1 0
 You mean useless......
  • 2 1
 Fuck endro long live free ride long live Dh and fuck road bikes most of all
  • 2 0
 No mention of the durability that comes with a dh bike?
  • 1 1
 If your into many types of riding buy more bikes....neither bike crosses over perfect to each other to the point where each bikes shines in its own discipline .
  • 2 0
 What is up with all these one sided loaded questions? thats BS pinkbike
  • 2 0
 Crazy & clutching at straws.
  • 1 0
 Long live DH!!!! The industry is turning soft. Nothing even compares to a big rig.
  • 1 0
 pink bike editor has an enduro spandex fetish by sounds of it! dh is da shit
  • 1 0
 That's kind of like saying a 29er isn't gay the dh bike will be around for ever
  • 1 0
 If you want to do DH you need the right tool not a jack of all trades. Long live DH bikes!
  • 3 1
 N + 1

That is all.

{N = current number of bike(s)}
  • 2 0
 ...ENDURO WILL NEVER BE THE NEW 'DH' ..JUST LOOK AT THE PICTURES BOYZ!!!
  • 1 0
 Judging by opening Saturday at Highland DH bikes are nowhere close to dead. 98% of people were on DH bikes.
  • 4 5
 I own an enduro bike because I don't want to have to drag multiple bikes around. One bike to do it all... plus a dirt jumper.
  • 10 0
 ...and a dh bike
amirite?
  • 2 0
 One bike to do it all plus a dirt jumper..ummm that equals two bikes
  • 7 5
 DH is the new enduro
  • 6 5
 The DH bike is dead, long live the DH bike.
  • 3 1
 Horses for courses!
  • 2 0
 Troll much?
  • 1 1
 Just put on rampage with 160mm travel all mountain enduro or what ever they called,... See how??
  • 1 0
 DH bike for freeriding will never die.
  • 1 0
 I have an enduro and a DH because solidity is for DH !
  • 1 0
 If a had to choose onde to survive the choise was obvious. DOWNHILL
  • 1 0
 N+1 PEOPLE!!!...C'mon...respect the math.
  • 1 0
 Hahahaha..................no
  • 1 0
 just gotta make more gnarly DH trails that need that much bike
  • 1 0
 Nope! But they already killed FR frames!
  • 1 0
 My uzzi is so rad, but no replacement for my M9!
  • 1 0
 This poll is gay gay gay gay
  • 1 0
 Enduro most of the time, DH when lift or shuttling
  • 3 3
 It is like skys, you have good one for lift serverd resort couple tomes per year!
  • 2 1
 It all comes down to budget and most importantly - knowledge
  • 2 1
 Good trail bike and a half good moto.........my favorite solution so far.
  • 1 0
 I wish I could offer an opinion but I have a HT XC bike
  • 1 0
 "All Mountain" itself says compromises.
  • 6 6
 2017 trend: 180mm 29'r kills DH bike
  • 2 4
 lol 29er MUAHAHAHA those bikes look so awkward. Every time i see some one take a turn on one of those it looks like he will bail.
  • 1 0
 that bike has been build and tested 2 years ago and the trend didn't picked up, DH riders don't have any problems to push the bike to the top it's all about the downhill...can't pedal up with any bike on big drops and super steep any way
  • 3 2
 dead to enduro !!
  • 1 0
 oh gawd... AGAIN?..
  • 1 0
 Bruh, I only ride park!
  • 1 0
 Ridiculous !
  • 1 0
 :facepalm
  • 1 0
 None of the above.
  • 3 2
 i love bike)))
  • 1 1
 @vincenzo-nomad The most truth!
  • 1 0
 WTF?
  • 1 3
 Cute bikes though guys
  • 4 7
 And now to stir the pot... Road bike anyone? Wink
  • 1 1
 What spandex riders ROFLOL
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