Official North Shore thread

PB Forum :: Canada - West
Official North Shore thread
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flag CarrotCorn
Posted: Jul 16, 2020 at 1:01 Quote
sup doods. I got a question for all u guys that pay for the ride up a hill in lactic acid and sweat. Whats a good amount of suspension travel for the shore/squamish? Im born and raised in vancouver and have always just got a seasons pass to whistler cause im a lazy f*ck and just wanted to get as many laps in as possible, but lately ive with the rona i havent bought a pass this season and just started to ride road and im loving it. every week ill go for a 50km ride from richmond, around ubc, to kits, south on arbutus, and ive kinda gotten a taste for just burning my legs and feeling like im breathing glass. anyways, im finally thinking its time i start riding the surrounding area/ squamish/ whistler valley, ive just never wanted to because of the uphills, but now im not so scared of them, and kinda enjoy it.

im looking at the 2021 range of commencal META's and im torn between the 29er AM or TR. AM with 170mm upfront/160mm out back with 63.5 HA, and the tr with 160mm front/140mm back and a 64.5 HA. im pretty torn because I have a 2017 650b devinci wilson that i ride the park with, so i feel the AM will feel too similar, but im also worried that the tr would be lacking if i got into some super gnar. i dont really know. ive always have ridden a DH bike and never had anything that could go up hill. i just figured since i always buy a seasons pass, might as well just dump all my money into a super awesome DH bike. now im thinking I could go for a ride during the week, not drive 2 hours, enjoy super awesome trails ive never ridden, etc. i dont have anyone to ride with so id be pedaling up hill, so id most likely ride fromme 80% of the time riding. because of that, im thinking have lesser travel, but i dont wanna be under biked when i ride in squamish or whistler valley. Ive been riding my whole life and did race (albeit terribly) for a couple years, so im fairly confident in riding super gnarly terrain, just not super fast. I do like riding tech more than jumps, so thats why im thinking 29er.

so yea, i dunno guys. im about to drop around 5k on a bike during covid, and i am financially good, but not great, im definitely scrounging for the cash and making some sacrifices to buy this new bike, so any advise or personal experience on bikes similar to the meta AM or TR would be super awesome. Love you all and stay safe out there my doods. shaka brahh
flag adam-finlayson-1990
Posted: Jul 16, 2020 at 4:26 Quote
I rode Fromme for my first time this past weekend with a 2014 Kona Process which has roughly 140 mm travel in the front/rear. I have a similar background racing DH and primarily riding a DH bike and for the past 5 years only riding Whistler. I only did single black diamond, blue runs and climbed and found this was enough bike for me, although I wasn't doing any drops or jumps, yet. Also, I just picked this bike up and my budget was 2G. One thing I found helpful with my new Kona was that it has adjustable suspension and a dropper post so that you can very quickly modify your bike based on the part of the trail that you are riding, I would recommend these features more so than a specific amount of travel, but hey I'm also a newb Smile

Good Luck!

CarrotCorn wrote:
sup doods. I got a question for all u guys that pay for the ride up a hill in lactic acid and sweat. Whats a good amount of suspension travel for the shore/Squamish? Im born and raised in Vancouver and have always just got a seasons pass to whistler cause im a lazy f*ck and just wanted to get as many laps in as possible, but lately ive with the rona i havent bought a pass this season and just started to ride road and im loving it. every week ill go for a 50km ride from richmond, around ubc, to kits, south on arbutus, and ive kinda gotten a taste for just burning my legs and feeling like im breathing glass. anyways, im finally thinking its time i start riding the surrounding area/ squamish/ whistler valley, ive just never wanted to because of the uphills, but now im not so scared of them, and kinda enjoy it.

im looking at the 2021 range of commencal META's and im torn between the 29er AM or TR. AM with 170mm upfront/160mm out back with 63.5 HA, and the tr with 160mm front/140mm back and a 64.5 HA. im pretty torn because I have a 2017 650b devinci wilson that i ride the park with, so i feel the AM will feel too similar, but im also worried that the tr would be lacking if i got into some super gnar. i dont really know. ive always have ridden a DH bike and never had anything that could go up hill. i just figured since i always buy a seasons pass, might as well just dump all my money into a super awesome DH bike. now im thinking I could go for a ride during the week, not drive 2 hours, enjoy super awesome trails ive never ridden, etc. i dont have anyone to ride with so id be pedaling up hill, so id most likely ride fromme 80% of the time riding. because of that, im thinking have lesser travel, but i dont wanna be under biked when i ride in squamish or whistler valley. Ive been riding my whole life and did race (albeit terribly) for a couple years, so im fairly confident in riding super gnarly terrain, just not super fast. I do like riding tech more than jumps, so thats why im thinking 29er.

so yea, i dunno guys. im about to drop around 5k on a bike during covid, and i am financially good, but not great, im definitely scrounging for the cash and making some sacrifices to buy this new bike, so any advise or personal experience on bikes similar to the meta AM or TR would be super awesome. Love you all and stay safe out there my doods. shaka brahh
flag Taz123
O+
Posted: Jul 16, 2020 at 9:18 Quote
The TR may very well be my next Shore bike...that also does a few WBP days each year. With less travel than the AM, you will need to select your lines a bit more carefully and you probably can't just monster truck through everything...however I would think the new geometry on the TR will allow it to fight above its weight class with the right suspension tune + tires/inserts.

As to Shore gnar - you have a Wilson, so if you want to play on the big stuff on Cypress or on the dark side, then shuttle the big rig.

Personally, I'm riding a 160/150mm 29er on the shore, Squam and WBP - so much so that I got rid of my old DH Bike. It works for me, but there are times when a little less travel (i.e. more poppy) would be fun.


my two cents.
flag oneinoneout
Posted: Jul 16, 2020 at 18:55 Quote
That’s plenty of bike round here. I ride 140 at the front and zero at the back.

Kind of agree a dropper post is one of the biggest changes you can make. Sounds like you have a good DH rig already so I’d get something more balanced for the ups.

Get your self to Squamish, trails are running great right now!
flag gramboh
O+
Posted: Jul 17, 2020 at 10:25 Quote
I wonder how much better the TR would climb over the AM, especially if you plan on just grinding up fire roads. Tech climbing is where shorter travel is more helpful in my opinion. On the other hand, a 64.5 HTA 160/140 29er is not going to hold you back on anything other than freeride style hucks or blasting DH tracks at Cypress (use your Wilson for that as another poster said). Don't think you can go wrong, just depends what feel of bike you prefer.

And yeah if you are doing 50+ km road loops you will have no problem climbing either of those bikes up the fire road at Fromme it is very mellow compared to other climbs.
flag iridedj
O+
Posted: Jul 19, 2020 at 13:13 Quote
As someone who rides fromme on a regular basis, I've got a transition patrol with 170/160, and I bought this bike as something that I would be comfortable taking to Whistler, and since I didn't end up getting a pass as well, I wish I had gone a little smaller. The big bike is fine on fire roads, but you can definitely feel how big it is on the climbs, and fromme has a great climb from Dempsey all the way up to near the top which is way better than the fire road. If I had a dh bike, I'd go for the 140 over the 170.

And if you live in Richmond, you're pretty close to the delta watershed which has some fun short trails which you are totally overbiked for on the 170\160 haha
flag Stainer
Posted: Jul 19, 2020 at 22:44 Quote
If you're referring to the TR Sentinel as the 140 bike you'll have a blast riding Fromme/Seymour and out in the valley. It's more than enough bike to handle even the most techy trails without issue. Just keep the dh bike for riding park and cypress. 2 cents
flag wrong
O+
Posted: Jul 24, 2020 at 22:37 Quote
CarrotCorn wrote:
sup doods. I got a question for all u guys that pay for the ride up a hill in lactic acid and sweat. Whats a good amount of suspension travel for the shore/squamish? Im born and raised in vancouver and have always just got a seasons pass to whistler cause im a lazy f*ck and just wanted to get as many laps in as possible, but lately ive with the rona i havent bought a pass this season and just started to ride road and im loving it. every week ill go for a 50km ride from richmond, around ubc, to kits, south on arbutus, and ive kinda gotten a taste for just burning my legs and feeling like im breathing glass. anyways, im finally thinking its time i start riding the surrounding area/ squamish/ whistler valley, ive just never wanted to because of the uphills, but now im not so scared of them, and kinda enjoy it.

im looking at the 2021 range of commencal META's and im torn between the 29er AM or TR. AM with 170mm upfront/160mm out back with 63.5 HA, and the tr with 160mm front/140mm back and a 64.5 HA. im pretty torn because I have a 2017 650b devinci wilson that i ride the park with, so i feel the AM will feel too similar, but im also worried that the tr would be lacking if i got into some super gnar. i dont really know. ive always have ridden a DH bike and never had anything that could go up hill. i just figured since i always buy a seasons pass, might as well just dump all my money into a super awesome DH bike. now im thinking I could go for a ride during the week, not drive 2 hours, enjoy super awesome trails ive never ridden, etc. i dont have anyone to ride with so id be pedaling up hill, so id most likely ride fromme 80% of the time riding. because of that, im thinking have lesser travel, but i dont wanna be under biked when i ride in squamish or whistler valley. Ive been riding my whole life and did race (albeit terribly) for a couple years, so im fairly confident in riding super gnarly terrain, just not super fast. I do like riding tech more than jumps, so thats why im thinking 29er.

so yea, i dunno guys. im about to drop around 5k on a bike during covid, and i am financially good, but not great, im definitely scrounging for the cash and making some sacrifices to buy this new bike, so any advise or personal experience on bikes similar to the meta AM or TR would be super awesome. Love you all and stay safe out there my doods. shaka brahh

I built up a knolly delirium this season after going through a similar thought process. 180/175 it’s super fun and with a dropper and 10-50 cassette it pedals really well for a more downhill oriented bike. That being said I found it feels like too much bike for the typical seventh heaven espresso Lower digger run. I ordered a Scout Gx that I’m going to run 160/150 on which from the feedback people have given me sounds more suited for the riding I do on the shore. I second keeping the DH bike for park runs or shuttle days.
flag ThunderChunk
O+
Posted: Jul 24, 2020 at 23:04 Quote
CarrotCorn wrote:
sup doods. I got a question for all u guys that pay for the ride up a hill in lactic acid and sweat. Whats a good amount of suspension travel for the shore/squamish? Im born and raised in vancouver and have always just got a seasons pass to whistler cause im a lazy f*ck and just wanted to get as many laps in as possible, but lately ive with the rona i havent bought a pass this season and just started to ride road and im loving it. every week ill go for a 50km ride from richmond, around ubc, to kits, south on arbutus, and ive kinda gotten a taste for just burning my legs and feeling like im breathing glass. anyways, im finally thinking its time i start riding the surrounding area/ squamish/ whistler valley, ive just never wanted to because of the uphills, but now im not so scared of them, and kinda enjoy it.

im looking at the 2021 range of commencal META's and im torn between the 29er AM or TR. AM with 170mm upfront/160mm out back with 63.5 HA, and the tr with 160mm front/140mm back and a 64.5 HA. im pretty torn because I have a 2017 650b devinci wilson that i ride the park with, so i feel the AM will feel too similar, but im also worried that the tr would be lacking if i got into some super gnar. i dont really know. ive always have ridden a DH bike and never had anything that could go up hill. i just figured since i always buy a seasons pass, might as well just dump all my money into a super awesome DH bike. now im thinking I could go for a ride during the week, not drive 2 hours, enjoy super awesome trails ive never ridden, etc. i dont have anyone to ride with so id be pedaling up hill, so id most likely ride fromme 80% of the time riding. because of that, im thinking have lesser travel, but i dont wanna be under biked when i ride in squamish or whistler valley. Ive been riding my whole life and did race (albeit terribly) for a couple years, so im fairly confident in riding super gnarly terrain, just not super fast. I do like riding tech more than jumps, so thats why im thinking 29er.

so yea, i dunno guys. im about to drop around 5k on a bike during covid, and i am financially good, but not great, im definitely scrounging for the cash and making some sacrifices to buy this new bike, so any advise or personal experience on bikes similar to the meta AM or TR would be super awesome. Love you all and stay safe out there my doods. shaka brahh

I have a 170mm specialized Enduro and a Scott gambler. I use the gambler for park only and the Enduro for everything outside the park. My plan is to get a meta am 29 and I'll still keep my gambler for park. I get equal use out of both. The main reason I would keep my gambler is that the park is hard on bikes and DH bikes are designed to take that kind of abuse. It's also nice having 2 very capable bikes that I can use either for park/shore (shuttles with the DH) and not be held back. I always have a backup bike if one breaks.
flag DylanRodriguez28
Posted: Aug 14, 2020 at 8:18 Quote
greetings.

Soon to be vancouverite here. Im gonna be studying at UBC and was wondering if theres any public transport that can take me close to cypress, fromme or seymour. Its a 20km ride to get there which id only be down to do on certain days and i dont own a car so im trying to find the easiest way to get to the trails.

Thanks!
flag wrong
O+
Posted: Aug 14, 2020 at 8:41 Quote
DylanRodriguez28 wrote:
greetings.

Soon to be vancouverite here. Im gonna be studying at UBC and was wondering if theres any public transport that can take me close to cypress, fromme or seymour. Its a 20km ride to get there which id only be down to do on certain days and i dont own a car so im trying to find the easiest way to get to the trails.

Thanks!

Transiting will be a rough go, doable but 2-3 hrs and super annoying. Rent an EVO or find a buddy with a vehicle
flag DMal
O+
Posted: Aug 14, 2020 at 9:04 Quote
There are busses that take you right to the trailhead at Fromme and Seymour (210, 211 and 214). Cypress is a bit more difficult.

Using a combination of transit and pedalling, it wouldn’t be too bad. UBC is at the top of a big hill. Going to the mountains, I would pedal down the hill and across town, then catch the bus downtown. Coming home from the Shore, I would bomb down the hill in North Van then catch either the bus or Seabus (passenger ferry, part of the transit system).

I lived south of downtown and rode regularly for 6 years without owning a car. Between transit and finding rides with friends, it’s very doable.
flag kevin267
O+
Posted: Aug 14, 2020 at 9:27 Quote
DMal wrote:
There are busses that take you right to the trailhead at Fromme and Seymour (210, 211 and 214). Cypress is a bit more difficult.

Using a combination of transit and pedalling, it wouldn’t be too bad. UBC is at the top of a big hill. Going to the mountains, I would pedal down the hill and across town, then catch the bus downtown. Coming home from the Shore, I would bomb down the hill in North Van then catch either the bus or Seabus (passenger ferry, part of the transit system).

I lived south of downtown and rode regularly for 6 years without owning a car. Between transit and finding rides with friends, it’s very doable.

I was going to say that riding parts of it would help a lot. Probably a stop on the 250 bus (I think) that goes marine drive to horseshoe Bay that's somewhat in the vicinity of cypress, but not many buses in west van, those residents prefer Porsches and teslas.
flag DylanRodriguez28
Posted: Aug 14, 2020 at 9:53 Quote
kevin267 wrote:
DMal wrote:
There are busses that take you right to the trailhead at Fromme and Seymour (210, 211 and 214). Cypress is a bit more difficult.

Using a combination of transit and pedalling, it wouldn’t be too bad. UBC is at the top of a big hill. Going to the mountains, I would pedal down the hill and across town, then catch the bus downtown. Coming home from the Shore, I would bomb down the hill in North Van then catch either the bus or Seabus (passenger ferry, part of the transit system).

I lived south of downtown and rode regularly for 6 years without owning a car. Between transit and finding rides with friends, it’s very doable.

I was going to say that riding parts of it would help a lot. Probably a stop on the 250 bus (I think) that goes marine drive to horseshoe Bay that's somewhat in the vicinity of cypress, but not many buses in west van, those residents prefer Porsches and teslas.

I see i see. Do you know which stops are best? (for either one of the 4 lines you guys mentioned). Also what website can i go to for prices.

Someone else mentioned an EVO, whats that?
flag iridedj
O+
Posted: Aug 14, 2020 at 9:55 Quote
I believe there is a mtn bike club at ubc as well, I'm sure people offer rides to the mtn there, similar to how people ride share to Whistler.

 


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