What's the Cheapest Way to Get Into DH?

PB Forum :: Downhill
What's the Cheapest Way to Get Into DH?
Author Message
flag yo13bo
Posted: Mar 29, 2009 at 1:26 Quote
id say buy a previous model bike if you can find one but do not go cheap on protection for any reason. helmets have saved my life a few times. the helmets were trashed but i was fine
flag face-plant-king
Posted: Mar 29, 2009 at 1:34 Quote
im in your position i want to get in to dh but im skint so what im doing is building a bike up but comprimising on the frame and getting good parts everywere else you can biuld i pretty kick ass bike for £1200 if you know where to look, frames + xtras can go for around 450 in cases so just look around
flag Liber92
Posted: Mar 29, 2009 at 3:10 Quote
hardtaildh08 wrote:
Liber92 wrote:
I've been riding about 4/5 months now. I started out on a Norco Sasquatch hardtail and I've just stepped up to an Orange 222. From what I've personally learnt myself and from other riders, 4-6 months on a hardtail is the way to go to get a feel for freeriding and some light DH, THEN step up to a fully DH bike. Some very valuable advice that if I was someone starting out again, I would definately follow.

well what fr are u talkin about extreme fr? or just dh style fr

DH style FR. I did some pretty easy DH runs on it too, but personally you could take it further and ride a hardtail DH but I'm sure the fully's would be quicker and blatantly alot safer. Unless you're just an immense rider of course. I find it so much nicer and quicker on my Orange doing DH.
flag erik74
Posted: Mar 29, 2009 at 6:39 Quote
roro4000 wrote:
i'd agree hardtails aren't a bad idea. i mean if you could afford full suspension go for it. i'll admit i didn't read the whole post. anyway i rock a hardtail. am i fast, not really, i feel that that i'm fast, but any experienced downhiller on a 8" full suspensionn beast will murder me. then again, i'm not that experienced, about 4 rides a month for about a year. first month scary as hell. last ride i did, scary as hell. but i've improved a lot. i still fall about 4 times when i do crack in pacifica. and i use an 04 4" DJ3 and 24" wheels. i'm 5'2" and 24" feels better than 26 for me, but if you rock 26 and something like a 6" fork you should turn out way capable. then again i also started with a p2 and murdered the headtube. but i got myself a nice 6.5lb steel frame with a 68 degree headtube with 4" fork, single-speed, 11.5" bottom bracket, semi slick in the rear, and i'm real happy with my $550 setup. besides the bike being baby blue. plus i couldn't imagine throwing a 40lb 8" dh bike in the trunk and backseat of a small sedan. not that it matters. oh, and try real hard not to nose dive, hardtails can be front heavy.
when i said he should start on a HT, i meant something with a little more travel. i can see why your scared as hell, dj's barely absorb anything.
flag l-lellraiser
Posted: Mar 29, 2009 at 6:51 Quote
the norco atomik is cheap entry-level DH race rig
the stinky would be the cheapist and best starter
flag joecowan
Posted: Mar 29, 2009 at 6:58 Quote
steel a bike. jokesWink i fukin hate bike theives
flag jackariusjones
Posted: Mar 29, 2009 at 6:58 Quote
l-lellraiser wrote:
the norco atomik is cheap entry-level DH race rig
the stinky would be the cheapist and best starter

bighit?
flag SpikeX
Posted: Mar 29, 2009 at 9:41 Quote
jackariusjones wrote:
l-lellraiser wrote:
the norco atomik is cheap entry-level DH race rig
the stinky would be the cheapist and best starter

bighit?

Either a BigHit or a Stinky would be very good as a starter bike.
flag ninjaty
Posted: Mar 29, 2009 at 9:43 Quote
I'd say Norco Atomik. unlike the stinky, and Big Hit, It has a duel crown fork, Chain Guide, and a more race specific Geo.
flag jackariusjones
Posted: Mar 29, 2009 at 9:45 Quote
SpikeX wrote:
jackariusjones wrote:
l-lellraiser wrote:
the norco atomik is cheap entry-level DH race rig
the stinky would be the cheapist and best starter

bighit?

Either a BigHit or a Stinky would be very good as a starter bike.

ive had both, and gotta say the bighit is 10x better
flag badbadleroybrown
Posted: Mar 29, 2009 at 12:15 Quote
jackariusjones wrote:
SpikeX wrote:
jackariusjones wrote:


bighit?

Either a BigHit or a Stinky would be very good as a starter bike.

ive had both, and gotta say the bighit is 10x better

HaHa, that's funny but it shows how much of a bike is preference cause I was just gonna say the exact oposite. I've ridden both but thought the stinky was way better.
flag kev-jones
Posted: Mar 29, 2009 at 12:24 Quote
well from experince, and starting on a hardtail (only 100mm) get yourself a cheapish hardtail,a nd once you can keep up with your mates on that wen their on full sus's which is wat ive been doing all day, then start finking about getting a full sus, as youll be sooo much smoother and quicker once your used to it, thats what im doin, just need to find a cheap DH bike
flag spahman
Posted: Mar 29, 2009 at 12:53 Quote
buy used....

save up 500$ then take out a loan

its what I did :\
flag hobbnobs
Posted: Mar 29, 2009 at 12:56 Quote
kev-roberts wrote:
well from experince, and starting on a hardtail (only 100mm) get yourself a cheapish hardtail,a nd once you can keep up with your mates on that wen their on full sus's which is wat ive been doing all day, then start finking about getting a full sus, as youll be sooo much smoother and quicker once your used to it, thats what im doin, just need to find a cheap DH bike

you my friend are better off getting short travel full suss.
flag peter16
Posted: Mar 29, 2009 at 13:01 Quote
badbadleroybrown wrote:
jackariusjones wrote:
SpikeX wrote:


Either a BigHit or a Stinky would be very good as a starter bike.

ive had both, and gotta say the bighit is 10x better

HaHa, that's funny but it shows how much of a bike is preference cause I was just gonna say the exact oposite. I've ridden both but thought the stinky was way better.
stinkys are shit the suspension design is crap

 


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