New jumpy DH bike

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New jumpy DH bike
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flag stevecous
Posted: Jul 31, 2017 at 5:07 Quote
So I have had my small 2014 Demo 8 for about three years now while it is an awesome bike i am having issues with it. I am not the most skilled rider and have a physical disability that hinders my riding ability, I crash frequently, a good point with this bike being it's ability to absorb my mistakes. I have read on numerous occasions that the demo although fast requires a little more skill to really use. I find it particularly difficult to get off the ground. Having recently had a go on a friends Slash 29'er which I got a PB on a flowy trail just rolling I have decided it's time for a new bike.

I primarily do uplift days with minimal ups, I do occasionally race but to take part rather than compete. So I am after a bike I can race but I will sacrifice outright pace for something jumpy and playful, I also need something small, very small by today's standards, I am 5'.3" and have difficulty climbing on the bike.

Could anybody make any suggestions, maybe even a 180 travel bike.

Cheers
flag False
Posted: Jul 31, 2017 at 12:03 Quote
stevecous wrote:
So I have had my small 2014 Demo 8 for about three years now while it is an awesome bike i am having issues with it. I am not the most skilled rider and have a physical disability that hinders my riding ability, I crash frequently, a good point with this bike being it's ability to absorb my mistakes. I have read on numerous occasions that the demo although fast requires a little more skill to really use. I find it particularly difficult to get off the ground. Having recently had a go on a friends Slash 29'er which I got a PB on a flowy trail just rolling I have decided it's time for a new bike.

I primarily do uplift days with minimal ups, I do occasionally race but to take part rather than compete. So I am after a bike I can race but I will sacrifice outright pace for something jumpy and playful, I also need something small, very small by today's standards, I am 5'.3" and have difficulty climbing on the bike.

Could anybody make any suggestions, maybe even a 180 travel bike.

Cheers
An enduro bike would suffice you well. Something like a Santa Cruz Bronson, Specialized Enduro Evo, Giant Reign 2, Stumpjumper and Santa Cruz Nomads
Most of them have 150mm or more in travel
flag stevecous
Posted: Jul 31, 2017 at 23:41 Quote
I have considered that and have a Remedy on hire in a couple of weeks to give it go.

Transition tr500 in small looks interesting
flag False
Posted: Aug 1, 2017 at 10:55 Quote
stevecous wrote:
I have considered that and have a Remedy on hire in a couple of weeks to give it go.

Transition tr500 in small looks interesting

The transition looks nice but I'm not sure how you're going to climb on that
flag Aaronz25RS
Posted: Aug 1, 2017 at 11:44 Quote
Ive got my eyes on a Banshee Darkside for someday
flag stevecous
Posted: Aug 2, 2017 at 0:07 Quote
False wrote:
stevecous wrote:
I have considered that and have a Remedy on hire in a couple of weeks to give it go.

Transition tr500 in small looks interesting

The transition looks nice but I'm not sure how you're going to climb on that

Apologies, when I said climbing on the bike I ment getting on it not climbing up hills. The only hill climbing I really do is up to the uplift bus from the bottom of a run. ????

An important factor is also weight, I did get the demo down to 15kg/33lbs and would still like it a bit lighter so DH bikes may be to heavy. I do like the dual crown though.

Has anybody had a go on the new Nomad?
flag stevecous
Posted: Aug 2, 2017 at 0:07 Quote
Aaronz25RS wrote:
Ive got my eyes on a Banshee Darkside for someday

I'll give that a look
flag False
Posted: Aug 2, 2017 at 17:00 Quote
stevecous wrote:
Aaronz25RS wrote:
Ive got my eyes on a Banshee Darkside for someday

I'll give that a look
devinci wilson carbon with boxxers
flag derekguy123
Posted: Aug 2, 2017 at 17:57 Quote
stevecous wrote:
I have considered that and have a Remedy on hire in a couple of weeks to give it go.

Transition tr500 in small looks interesting
The tr500 can be set to 180mm of travel in the rear, you can shorten the wheelbase, and you can steepen the head angle. Throw on a single crown fork and you'll have an awesome bike for jumping!!
flag mcozzy
Posted: Aug 4, 2017 at 4:58 Quote
Its worth thinking about do you actually need a dh bike. Is this the sort of riding you do & you actually need 200mm of travel.
An enduro bike is so capable now, lighter, more maneuverable, jumps better, easier to pedal on the trails, even the uplift days have some pedaling.
In fact I have now realized I am not nor will ever be Steve Peat, so have sold my dh bike & am having a blast on the lesser travel machine. I only really bought a dh bike as I never got on with my previous enduro bike & felt I needed something with with a bigger built in safety margin.

EDIT better add some suggestions, dmr sled, banshee rune, airdrop edit, canfield balance, identiti mettle etc.
flag stevecous
Posted: Aug 4, 2017 at 5:50 Quote
mcozzy wrote:
Its worth thinking about do you actually need a dh bike. Is this the sort of riding you do & you actually need 200mm of travel.
An enduro bike is so capable now, lighter, more maneuverable, jumps better, easier to pedal on the trails, even the uplift days have some pedaling.
In fact I have now realized I am not nor will ever be Steve Peat, so have sold my dh bike & am having a blast on the lesser travel machine. I only really bought a dh bike as I never got on with my previous enduro bike & felt I needed something with with a bigger built in safety margin.

EDIT better add some suggestions, dmr sled, banshee rune, airdrop edit, canfield balance, identiti mettle etc.

You are correct, I know in my head that I could use an Enduro. I am never going to win a DH race. I am hiring a Trek Remedy in a few weeks, half a day on this and half the day on the DH for a direct comparison. I guess my concern will be if I go Ft. Bill or something's my along those lines will the enduro do it for me. I generally like to ride 'My bike' rather than hire specific bikes at specific locations, get my money's worth out of the bike. I think a 'freeride' bike would fit my style I think, maybe a single crown 170-180mm. At the moment I am considering building a TR500, Banchee darkside or a built SC Nomad.

I will do some soul searching and consider the Enduro option a bit more seriously. My preference is defiantly DH although a change of bike could open some options, I fancy doing Mega avalanche.
flag Eagledeez
Posted: Aug 5, 2017 at 21:58 Quote
You could checkout a Scott voltage, this comes with the option of using 190 or 170mm travel, there is a range of three specs out bikes fr10 fr20 or fr30 the 20 uses a dual crown, the fr10 is the higher spec, this with the fr30 come with 180mm single crown forks.
flag Aaronz25RS
Posted: Aug 6, 2017 at 6:44 Quote
stevecous wrote:
Aaronz25RS wrote:
Ive got my eyes on a Banshee Darkside for someday

I'll give that a look

It also has 3 frame positions to play with, pay attention, a lot of bikes offer "flip chips" or position adjustment
flag ThunderChunk
O+
Posted: Aug 6, 2017 at 20:47 Quote
I think an Enduro bike with a low top tube would be great for you. Something like a Kona process. Downside is, even a small process may still be too big for you at 5'3" with a reach of 420mm. You could always run a 30mm stem.
flag stevecous
Posted: Aug 20, 2017 at 13:51 Quote
I demo'd a small Trek Remedy this weekend. Half a day on the remedy and half on my demo. I just couldn't gel with it. It felt tall and strangely not as nimble as the demo, might have been the wheel size. The stand over was to high for me as well. I was nice to be able to pedal some bits I would have normally pushed, but the remedy is not for me.
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