XC on a DH bike?

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flag herramorkkis
Posted: Oct 8, 2012 at 11:56 Quote
Yes i am really asking this.

Before the weight fanatics start flaming the whole concept please let me get my point out.

As the main thing i want to do is downhill but at the same time i would like to occasionally join my friends and do some light xc trips. We are all downhillers so those trips mostly end in searching for something funny and going trough known descents.
Doing downhill where i live is really tricky becouse the closest thing to a downhill track i can find within about 200km is something that takes less than a minute to come down.
to actually get something decent i need to go +1000 km.

I owned an enduro bike for a few years but then got rid of it when i realized that it fell too much in between and i really could not enjoy the riding in eighter dh or xc.

So to get to the actual question.

If i would get a really light (round 15-16kg) downhill rig and then get some enduro tires on it , 2.35 ardents for example and set the angles as steep as possible would it be even a bit rideable.
i know the climbing part will still be a pain but that doesnt worry me too much.

is there something else i should be worried ?
anyone got some experience on this kind of riding ?

i know i will be getting a xc/am/enduro bike sometime in the future but just now i cannot fit one into my budget.
flag hallroder
Posted: Oct 9, 2012 at 3:01 Quote
I'd just look at a 6 inch all mountain rig that depends well tbh I ride my mini dh xc am and dh so it can be done its just tough at times
flag SoCalMX
Posted: Dec 25, 2012 at 15:50 Quote
I'm thinking a perfect bike is a heavy AM, light FR bike that pedals well like the Knolly Delirium!!!
flag ClydeShredder
Posted: Jan 3, 2013 at 17:16 Quote
Man I can tell you its doable, but its not much fun and you'll probably be hiking a lot. That is not to say the experience isn't fun overall, but the slack head angles on DH bikes makes your low speed stability horrible, which will be a pain on the climbs. I speak as a guy standing 6'4'' @ 240lbs, additionally I have ridden the epic Womble trail in Arkansas (30 miles),on a 46lb Trek session 7 with a marz 888 on the front. It was pain for the most part, but some of the longer descents just about made the whole thing worthwhile. I guess in short, if you are very strong and don't mind hiking, yeah take your DH bike, but you'll have so much more fun on a lighter AM bike.
flag stucon
Posted: Jan 4, 2013 at 1:41 Quote
sounds like you want my bike.... or somthing like it.

XC on a DH bike is not going to be fun... (knife & gun fight)
flag Jota-Torres
Posted: Jan 4, 2013 at 4:28 Quote
I have the same Question, I dont know If I build a XC, DH or AM bike....

after upgrade
flag hallroder
Posted: Jan 4, 2013 at 17:49 Quote
by the looks of things i think you'd be goin am direction you really don't need anything more than 6 inches unless your going fully pledged dh
flag Jota-Torres
Posted: Jan 4, 2013 at 17:52 Quote
hallroder wrote:
by the looks of things i think you'd be goin am direction you really don't need anything more than 6 inches unless your going fully pledged dh
Thanx for your answer !
flag tylerthegiant
Posted: Jan 5, 2013 at 21:26 Quote
Jota-Torres wrote:
I have the same Question, I dont know If I build a XC, DH or AM bike....

after upgrade
a fast way to the ER is what you built. new frame time!
flag Jota-Torres
Posted: Jan 6, 2013 at 5:51 Quote
tylerthegiant wrote:
Jota-Torres wrote:
I have the same Question, I dont know If I build a XC, DH or AM bike....

after upgrade
a fast way to the ER is what you built. new frame time!

Long time ago was time to change frame bro haha... no money, no frame :/ I hope to change it on July.
flag tylerthegiant
Posted: Jan 6, 2013 at 12:30 Quote
Don't do drops I saw the before fork
flag Jota-Torres
Posted: Jan 6, 2013 at 12:43 Quote
tylerthegiant wrote:
Don't do drops I saw the before fork

Sad... I reduce 30mm travel... I thnk I should reduce 60mm... and have a 120mm travel fork... and be safe to do a coupe of things riding it ! Whip owned
flag stratmastertj
Posted: Jan 6, 2013 at 18:36 Quote
I've done a couple short xc rides on my session 88. The idea of it is more fun than the reality. The slack seat tube angle makes pedaling very hard work. Pedaling sitting down on a DH bike is very tiring, so any climbing done has to be off the seat, while the rear shock bounces up and down with each pedal stroke, while you wish you had more easier gears. On flat sections of trail, you really can't ever get any speed going due to the low gearing and weight. The traction going up hill was amazing though. The extra sag and weight helped with traction going up hill. However, the climbs were only short and nothing that steep. If you have steep climbs, you'll be walking up them with a DH bike. Going on long xc rides on a dh bike is this: Push your bike up the hills, suffer on the flats, and finally get to catch your breath on the downhills. If you want to ride cross country, get a xc bike.
flag Jota-Torres
Posted: Jan 6, 2013 at 19:12 Quote
stratmastertj wrote:
I've done a couple short xc rides on my session 88. The idea of it is more fun than the reality. The slack seat tube angle makes pedaling very hard work. Pedaling sitting down on a DH bike is very tiring, so any climbing done has to be off the seat, while the rear shock bounces up and down with each pedal stroke, while you wish you had more easier gears. On flat sections of trail, you really can't ever get any speed going due to the low gearing and weight. The traction going up hill was amazing though. The extra sag and weight helped with traction going up hill. However, the climbs were only short and nothing that steep. If you have steep climbs, you'll be walking up them with a DH bike. Going on long xc rides on a dh bike is this: Push your bike up the hills, suffer on the flats, and finally get to catch your breath on the downhills. If you want to ride cross country, get a xc bike.

You described it very well !!! i think a telescopic seat tube will help going up hill and going down it...
flag SoCalMX
Posted: Jan 6, 2013 at 19:35 Quote
stratmastertj wrote:
I've done a couple short xc rides on my session 88. The idea of it is more fun than the reality. The slack seat tube angle makes pedaling very hard work. Pedaling sitting down on a DH bike is very tiring, so any climbing done has to be off the seat, while the rear shock bounces up and down with each pedal stroke, while you wish you had more easier gears. On flat sections of trail, you really can't ever get any speed going due to the low gearing and weight. The traction going up hill was amazing though. The extra sag and weight helped with traction going up hill. However, the climbs were only short and nothing that steep. If you have steep climbs, you'll be walking up them with a DH bike. Going on long xc rides on a dh bike is this: Push your bike up the hills, suffer on the flats, and finally get to catch your breath on the downhills. If you want to ride cross country, get a xc bike.
EXACTLY! Thats why I bought this! Can handle most DH but can be ridden XC and everything in between! There are purpose built bikes and there are jack of all trades master of none do it alls, heres mine! Knolly Delirium FR frame with a more AM build! Pedals fast and climbs everything!!!
utf 8 B Qmx1ZQ
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