The Argument for Long Travel Bikes - Opinion
You've read Mike Levy's article on why he feels shorter travel bikes make more sense for most riders, and now you can can read the flip side to his thoughts. Dylan Sherrard and Mitchell Scott collaborate on an argument about why long travel bikes trump their smaller stroke siblings. Remember, all of us here at Pinkbike ride for the very same reason that you do: fun. Despite what it might read like below, they are not trying to rain on anyone's parade. With that in mind, the words beneath this disclaimer are a rebuttal to the recently aired 'Argument for Short Travel Bikes'. Have a read of Levy's Argument for Short Travel Bikes before taking in Sherrard and Scott's words, then weigh in with your own thoughts in the comment section below.
Words by Dylan Sherrard and Mitchell Scott
Talent vs. Travel
Bigger equals better. Plain and simple. That is, if you’re not holding back, and actually riding aggressively. Sure, certain essential bicycle skills are better learned on a shorter travel, easier-to-ride bicycle. And yes, newer riders may indeed find themselves in over their heads on a big travel downhill rig. But when it comes time to take those essential skills to the big leagues, when the buttercup in you wants to buck up, it’s time to go deep.
Big bikes exist for one simple reason - pushing limits. It’s that passion to ride in directions very few have ever dared to venture. Often times, this means getting in over your head and relying on your chosen tool to guide you out of the darkness. If you want to write checks that your ass can’t cash (which is really a fun thing to do) then a big bike is the buddy you’ll need to stand up against a dead pine’s punch to the face.
You’re Not a Bro
So, you think my bike is overly aggressive and limiting my riding experience? I bet you think my jeans are too tight and my music is too loud too. But you can hold your breath, because I do what I want. And that’s who big bikes are for – riders who want to get loose and do whatever they please.
Modern big bikes are slack enough to turn off the fear factor on even the steepest of slopes. Their combination of extra low bottom brackets and crazy short chain stays lets them corner on a dime. Sitting back into the flickable cushion of a big bike when approaching the scariest part of your local track simply feels confidence inspiring. You're at the helm and approaching the storm full tilt. Nothing to fear, the captain will go down this trail gracefully aboard his ship.
Get sideways, go too deep, learn things the hard way and garner a wealth of real-world shred knowledge that no mortal can scribble in a novel for you to study. If you’re against this way of thinking, it is foreseeable that if we were to one day meet in a parking lot at the bottom of a shuttle road we would not become bros.
Opening up possibilities on a long travel bike makes tame trails more fun.
While you are damn right in believing a smaller bike to be quicker handling, more efficient pedalling and snappier around tight turns, each of these characteristics shares an inverse relationship with speed. You cannot feel the surprise of pulling G’s around turns, dropping into lengthy manuals or losing what you thought was traction without the help of speed. It’s not one or the other; it’s both speed and surprise in unison that makes a ride exciting. But, once the trail turns to tunnel vision, quick handling translates to sketchy and nimble sounds a lot more like just plain twitchy. So why should I choose to ride a bike that doesn’t inspire confidence in myself? Why resist innovation? Evolution? When there is a bicycle available that will allow me to reach that sought-after state, I will choose it over its less able competitors without a second thought.
Big Bikes Going Big
Filmed and edited by Silvia Films
Skill, Elevated by Suspension
I firmly believe that larger bikes with more suspension will not hinder a rider’s skills. They will not betray us and leave us lonely on the trailside while our friends blast off down the trail, whooping and hollering about the greatness of their proper short travel bicycle. A bigger bike will help celebrate your finely tuned skills and allow your riding to push forward with more speed and more power than you may expect yourself to be capable of. Everyone has a limit, but often times I feel that riders can benefit from a slightly more aggressive bicycle. Learn how the longer stroke behaves and take time to become familiar with its characteristics. Get acquainted with twisting the red and blue knobs adorning your dampers and rediscover your trails with a sense of confidence and capability you never realized you had.
Life is short, trails are even shorter, and I don’t believe there is a single moment spent on the trail when it is acceptable to settle for mediocrity. We should all ride the bikes we find most comfortable, and enjoy them without worrying about what others think.
Have Dylan and Mitchell proven their point that long travel bikes make more sense for most riders? Or does Levy's argument that shorter travel bikes are the ticket for the average rider hold weight?
Words by Dylan Sherrard and Mitchell Scott
Talent vs. Travel
Bigger equals better. Plain and simple. That is, if you’re not holding back, and actually riding aggressively. Sure, certain essential bicycle skills are better learned on a shorter travel, easier-to-ride bicycle. And yes, newer riders may indeed find themselves in over their heads on a big travel downhill rig. But when it comes time to take those essential skills to the big leagues, when the buttercup in you wants to buck up, it’s time to go deep.
Big bikes exist for one simple reason - pushing limits. It’s that passion to ride in directions very few have ever dared to venture. Often times, this means getting in over your head and relying on your chosen tool to guide you out of the darkness. If you want to write checks that your ass can’t cash (which is really a fun thing to do) then a big bike is the buddy you’ll need to stand up against a dead pine’s punch to the face.
 |
 Dylan Sherrard writing a check that can only be cashed aboard a big bike. Small transition? No transition? No problem. |
You’re Not a Bro
So, you think my bike is overly aggressive and limiting my riding experience? I bet you think my jeans are too tight and my music is too loud too. But you can hold your breath, because I do what I want. And that’s who big bikes are for – riders who want to get loose and do whatever they please.
Modern big bikes are slack enough to turn off the fear factor on even the steepest of slopes. Their combination of extra low bottom brackets and crazy short chain stays lets them corner on a dime. Sitting back into the flickable cushion of a big bike when approaching the scariest part of your local track simply feels confidence inspiring. You're at the helm and approaching the storm full tilt. Nothing to fear, the captain will go down this trail gracefully aboard his ship.
Get sideways, go too deep, learn things the hard way and garner a wealth of real-world shred knowledge that no mortal can scribble in a novel for you to study. If you’re against this way of thinking, it is foreseeable that if we were to one day meet in a parking lot at the bottom of a shuttle road we would not become bros.
Opening up possibilities on a long travel bike makes tame trails more fun.
Sorry Bro, My Trails Are Way Too Fun
I agree that if your shuttle trails are flat and featureless then perhaps a big bike is overkill. It is highly likely that without some sort of challenging terrain a bicycle with longer stroke suspension will rob you of your optimum cycling experience. That being said, while the trails my friends and I ride on big bikes may not be the burliest, and we could obviously ride them on smaller bikes, we have a total riot smashing them to smithereens aboard our longer legged companions.
We adapt and push forward at an ever increasing pace, learning to ride with more speed, style, and fluidity each time we hit the trails. Rather than throwing down pedal strokes and clipping our feet as we’ve so wrongfully been accused, we find ourselves lost in the art of pumping and popping and feeling the explosion of speed created between our ankles when 200mm of finely tuned suspension flows through corners and sucks up the backsides of endless transitions.
And jumping? Everything is a jump and anything is a landing aboard a big bike. With suspension that makes short work of the sketchiest obstacles and the most abrupt transitions, we point our front wheels toward whatever we choose and take flight across the least likely of spaces. It takes quick calculations and elevated handling skills, but our bikes always make up for what we lack. Aboard these long travel marvels of engineering we find ourselves free to make tracks further up banks and lower down hillsides than a smaller bike would ever be able to.
Why Not a Big Bike?
Why limit ourselves? Why waste time arguing amongst each other about who has the most technical attack and who is most fluid? This is freeriding, remember? We should leave our scorecards and biased judgements at home.
Obviously, we are all undoubtedly capable of riding our trails on smaller bikes. Who knows, maybe we would become comfortable on these less adequate steeds and need to remove another inch of travel and steepen the head angle another touch further. And then someday, years down the line, we would find ourselves celebrating the use of bikes like we rode in the 90’s, slapping modern bicycle technology across the face, all for the sake of bragging that we did it with less.
I agree that if your shuttle trails are flat and featureless then perhaps a big bike is overkill. It is highly likely that without some sort of challenging terrain a bicycle with longer stroke suspension will rob you of your optimum cycling experience. That being said, while the trails my friends and I ride on big bikes may not be the burliest, and we could obviously ride them on smaller bikes, we have a total riot smashing them to smithereens aboard our longer legged companions.
We adapt and push forward at an ever increasing pace, learning to ride with more speed, style, and fluidity each time we hit the trails. Rather than throwing down pedal strokes and clipping our feet as we’ve so wrongfully been accused, we find ourselves lost in the art of pumping and popping and feeling the explosion of speed created between our ankles when 200mm of finely tuned suspension flows through corners and sucks up the backsides of endless transitions.
And jumping? Everything is a jump and anything is a landing aboard a big bike. With suspension that makes short work of the sketchiest obstacles and the most abrupt transitions, we point our front wheels toward whatever we choose and take flight across the least likely of spaces. It takes quick calculations and elevated handling skills, but our bikes always make up for what we lack. Aboard these long travel marvels of engineering we find ourselves free to make tracks further up banks and lower down hillsides than a smaller bike would ever be able to.
Why Not a Big Bike?
Why limit ourselves? Why waste time arguing amongst each other about who has the most technical attack and who is most fluid? This is freeriding, remember? We should leave our scorecards and biased judgements at home.
Obviously, we are all undoubtedly capable of riding our trails on smaller bikes. Who knows, maybe we would become comfortable on these less adequate steeds and need to remove another inch of travel and steepen the head angle another touch further. And then someday, years down the line, we would find ourselves celebrating the use of bikes like we rode in the 90’s, slapping modern bicycle technology across the face, all for the sake of bragging that we did it with less.
While you are damn right in believing a smaller bike to be quicker handling, more efficient pedalling and snappier around tight turns, each of these characteristics shares an inverse relationship with speed. You cannot feel the surprise of pulling G’s around turns, dropping into lengthy manuals or losing what you thought was traction without the help of speed. It’s not one or the other; it’s both speed and surprise in unison that makes a ride exciting. But, once the trail turns to tunnel vision, quick handling translates to sketchy and nimble sounds a lot more like just plain twitchy. So why should I choose to ride a bike that doesn’t inspire confidence in myself? Why resist innovation? Evolution? When there is a bicycle available that will allow me to reach that sought-after state, I will choose it over its less able competitors without a second thought.
Filmed and edited by Silvia Films
Skill, Elevated by Suspension
I firmly believe that larger bikes with more suspension will not hinder a rider’s skills. They will not betray us and leave us lonely on the trailside while our friends blast off down the trail, whooping and hollering about the greatness of their proper short travel bicycle. A bigger bike will help celebrate your finely tuned skills and allow your riding to push forward with more speed and more power than you may expect yourself to be capable of. Everyone has a limit, but often times I feel that riders can benefit from a slightly more aggressive bicycle. Learn how the longer stroke behaves and take time to become familiar with its characteristics. Get acquainted with twisting the red and blue knobs adorning your dampers and rediscover your trails with a sense of confidence and capability you never realized you had.
Life is short, trails are even shorter, and I don’t believe there is a single moment spent on the trail when it is acceptable to settle for mediocrity. We should all ride the bikes we find most comfortable, and enjoy them without worrying about what others think.
Have Dylan and Mitchell proven their point that long travel bikes make more sense for most riders? Or does Levy's argument that shorter travel bikes are the ticket for the average rider hold weight?
Author Info:
Must Read This Week
Sign Up for the Pinkbike Newsletter - All the Biggest, Most Interesting Stories in your Inbox
PB Newsletter Signup
Keep this in mind; buying a super nice bike that is way better than you, can spoil you. You might end up relying on the bike to do all the work for you. Buying a less capable bike teaches you many things, and then upgrading feels like gold!
Just don't spoil yourself when you're just starting out.
You gotta have a long travel bike for shuttle days, freeriding, trip to Whistler, etc...
A short travel bike is necessary for long XC rides or maybe even the occasional race.
Then you've gotta have your trail / AM bike, cause they are the best all-around bike for having fun when you have to climb but also get some air.
Next is the old hardtail that is good for winter rides, riding to the store for beer, or just staring at it and remember the good old days.
If your young you might also want a dirt jumper, if your old like me then you probably might despite a road bike or CX machine to mix things up.
If you care about the environment or want to stay in shape them you need a commuter bike with fenders for riding to work.
Almost forgot about the old bmx bike from the kid days, can't give that up cause that's where it all started.
Anybody who only rides one bike is missing out on the important things in life.
"Penny Farthings rock. With their ridiculously steep and twitchy geometry, and obscenely high centre of gravity, the Penny Farthing is the ultimate tool for developing balance and bike handling finesse. Not to mention, all the women love to see bad-ass dudes hucking their meat on these beasts. Penny Farthings FTW!"
1. A Dh bike - They have their place on Dh trails and are fun.
2. An AM/Enduro bike - They have their place on the trail, and are slack enough to be thrashed
3. An XC bike - Make your own speed, travel and enjoy the world of flatter trails (Saddle up, skinny tyres and clipped in of course)
4. A HT -HT's are great for the skills, and for thrashing, getting loose etc on more simple trails
5. A DJ bike - They have their place from their name.
6. A BMX - 1 brake or no brakes, take it to the DJ's, Pump track or skate park for giggles
7 A road bike - Get real, roads are for cars, god made dirt, and made it to be ridden
This is what I tell the wife anyway, I don't have a road bike coz it was rammed down my throat as a kid until I turned senior when I saw the light, getting my first MTB. Road bikes now can be ace, my bothers all carbon one is ace, but you gotta be going 60mph+, 70mph if you have the melons, then it is fun.
I can somewhat relate to this mentality, because that's how I used to feel towards mountain biking. Yeah sure the very (very very) occasional XC ride was fun, but never so much as Sundays on the hills riding down as fast as you could. 25-30 days per summer of just roots, rocks, mud and berms was all super sweet but I just felt my skills plateauing after a while so I decided to buy an AM bike, a mid-range travel bike that climbs well and descends more then decently... GOD did I just discover what I was missing. Not only did AM make me discover a part of mountain biking that I had overlooked, it made me a better rider all-around, especially when hoping back on my DH sled.
Smaller bikes (like AM bikes, which we're the focus in the first article) force you to think more while riding, not always saying "ah screw it, i have more then enough travel to rough it out" and actually realizing that there are smoother and faster lines on the mountain and even finding jumps and trannies you'd overlook on a big bike. Bring those new found skills to your DH riding and you have a winning formula right there. Better line choices and crazier transitions then ever before.
All in all, it is about what makes you have more fun, but all I can say is that owning two bikes is what made my riding more fun, small bike to train and push your skills and then big bike to exploit and improve those skills even more.
m.pinkbike.com/video/290816
OK, done venting. Sorry 'bout dat :-}
She was 32lb at the lightest and 367lb for racing. 75 mile coast to coast 1 week, Fort Bill racing the next.
Air shock for XC/AM and a Avalanche coil shock for Dh.
She was good, but always a compromise.
"Obviously, we are all undoubtedly capable of riding our trails on smaller bikes... And then someday, years down the line, we would find ourselves celebrating the use of bikes like we rode in the 90’s, slapping modern bicycle technology across the face, all for the sake of bragging that we did it with less."
DH/FR bikes are not the only products of "modern bicycle technology," shorter travel bikes have just as much, if not more in some cases, of technology going into their existence, so someone who rides a sub-20-pound hardtail is not "slapping modern bicycle technology in the face." They might not have as much fun but that bike is a technological marvel.
The point is that people need to be real - no big mountains, no need for 62 HA and 10" travel. But hey, if you need a DH bike because you think that you will be faster (and to show off occasionally), it's your decision.
(it is in some cases but in most not)
www.leelikesbikes.com/big-bikes-are-rad-and-heres-why.html
To me big bikes are for DH racers, some people who live in proper mountains and to be rent in a bike park.
I recently added a big bike to my menu and love it. It took a while to start getting the most out of it, but it has done two things: 1. Given me confidence to hit things I wouldn't ordinarily have done, and 2. Allowed me to the read the trail differently and open up new lines that applies to long and short travel bikes. There is no doubt I am a better rider after getting some big bike experience.
i understand where you coming from, but maybe hes right to be a bit miffed, the other article was pretty damming of big bikes, and big bikes for a lot of people are just too much fun to let go.
BTW: I in no way assume I could ever smoke the author on any trail, but I can smoke plenty of dudes who convey the same attitude that is in this article.
As for the social aspect, you may be right. Guys on big bikes seem to push the stoke on each other a bit more at the trail centers. Good on 'em.
up the backsides
ride in directions very few have ever dared to venture
the explosion of speed created between our ankles
it’s time to go deep.
meet in a parking lot
lost in the art of pumping and popping and feeling the explosion
allow me to reach that sought-after state"
Totally agreed!
People might like it or not but DH bike is the least versatile kind of mountain bike. It is excellent in one thing and sucks at everything else. A sub 20lbs XC racer can cater more sorts of terrain and tasks. You can ride down a Champery DH track on XC racer but you won't do one lap on XC race without being lapped by everyone else, even if they were on enduro bikes.
Money is no object... its how you manage them. It is better to own an average do-it-all bike, even a HT with 120-140 fork, and spend the remaining money on trips to bike parks and DH rig rental
why bother? ride what you got and ride it fast!
"my jeans are too tight
up the backsides
ride in directions very few have ever dared to venture
the explosion of speed created between our ankles
it’s time to go deep.
meet in a parking lot
lost in the art of pumping and popping and feeling the explosion
allow me to reach that sought-after state"
I can definitely see both sides!
My wallet can't though :/
http://www.pinkbike.com/news/Madison-Saracen-2012-Part-6-video.html That's one of the tracks we race on in scotland, my friend used to come along on his hardtail but he's seen sense now ( he earned the nickname: mad max).
I also get to persuade non-biking friends to hit the woods with me. (priceless)
In my quiver they're all short travel though
I think a big bike on a gnarly trail is the most fun I can have. But Mikes is hands down the stronger argument. Skill is skill, Cam McCaul backflips a beach cruiser on gaps bigger than most of us even consider. You get better by riding, u can push ur limits on whatever bike u hop on, some more on hardtails, some on 8" rigs, some on motorcycles.
When the industry decides to get its head out of its own ass and start acting like a mature, respectful organization, maybe we will see real change. Change that is better for everyone, not just the sick-gnar-gromtards that see articles like this as some type of standard or benchmark in the overall progression of the sport/industry.
Take a look at any other segment of the consumer marketplace. Automobiles, computers/electronics, furniture...hell, even clothing manufacturers are doing a much better job at growing their industry in a way that has a clearly planned strategy and model for future growth. Sure, plenty of other products have celebrity endorsements and even use consumers input in their advertising and marketing campaigns. But the difference is that there are lots of very intelligent folks that have a clear vision for where they would like their product/business/company/industry to be in 5, 10, 15 years.
"We" in this sport/industry are lacking this direction and execution. 'Tis sad. The potential that we collectively possess as stewards of this fine sport is immense. The actual execution and realization of that potential...not so much.
Having said that, articles such as this are a good thing. Rider opinion, especially those that accurately and concisely convey true characteristics of bikes/equipment, are vital for this growth. HDR pics, sick "edits", exotic product picture backdrops....all these things are great and definitely grab and keep consumer interest, but there is more out there that is required for things to really take off for all of us.
As for your thoughts on the matter - what is it then? Good or bad? You say that "These 'articles' are ridiculous" yet you also feel that "articles such as this are a good thing."
There are those who want to become more skillful, that will make them faster and better rider in a variety of terrain.
And there are those who take a bigger bike to become faster, they usually are pretty fast straightlining and rather slow in corners.
point is really, have fun. just ride.
...as in forward momentum...exploration and freedom from the daily grind...a healthy escape. From $6000 carbon dream bikes to Walmart specials...we're all connected to this amazing and progressive sport...no..lifestyle. let's quit creating false divisions and go spin...
Short-travel/hardtail requires and builds skill quicker , but is it more fun ? Not necessarily , so if you need a big bike or just want one , it's cool as long as you're out riding.
It is funny though to see some champ who can't ride his way out of a wet paper bag "shred" trails on a dh bike that skilled guys shred faster on hardtails. But like I said -it's your money and as long as you're havin' fun .
that was a good time.
All those peolple who ride only 3 years or less and say: "I need a better bike, my Demo two is not that good like a trek session 9.9" should be slaped with an old tire until they realise that nearly every dh bike is a good thing. Same with crosscountry. Oh no, my bike is more than 14 kilograms. Come on dude, get strenght in your legs and do the job like a man.
Everyone should ride the one thing which he likes the most.
These aspects are far from lost on a short travel bike, dependant on track, happens far more often.
But all it comes down to is right tool for the job and fun. I short travel bike will be wank on fort will just as a DH is wank on your typical trail centre, despite how apparently "fun" monster trucking apparently is.
2nd Not everyone lives with epic riding terrain in their back yard
3rd why freakin argue about short vs long RIDE BOTH!!!
4th JUST RIDE!!!
And by all that I mean that yes, big bikes kick ass, but where they make sense, not everywhere just for the sake of development and size.
Colin Winkelmann jumped a BMX 116 feet. Even now, I've heard of no one on any kind of suspended bicycle to go that far. I think Kyle Strait tried on snow & crashed. Mike Montgomery has big plans (150' gap & 100' backflip) but it hasn't happened yet (AFAIK). The biggest bikes on the hill are always the ones seeing the least of their potential. Even the guys hitting the biggest shit in the sport & pulling the gnarliest tricks over it are usually on a smaller bike.
That was a cool video & all, but I've seen way bigger shit on hardtails. None of that was "big" by any standard. Watch an MX video if you wanna see what big is all about. A DH bike has anywhere from 75% to 100% of the travel of an MX, & lacking the power of a motor means also lacking the weight. You come down hills big enough to match MX speeds but don't hit MX sized shit. Robbie Maddison dropped 100' on his MX in Vegas. BMXers launch 30' out've quarters. Sorry guys, but goin' big ain't something that riders of DH bikes have learned how to do yet.
I wonder what Mike is gonna ride for those records he wants to break.
That's all I need for DH to XC and everything inbetween. My hardtail goes down all the trails the big bike does
Although some of us are not as lucky to have enough terrain for DH use, and the same trails that we ride with the DH bike can be ridden no problem with an AM bike (have ridden the same DH tracks than the DHllers in Mex City with my AM Bike -of course there are limits to an AM Bike, but be careful, don't hit the big stuff and its 100% rideable), the difference is: the speed factor. It depends on what I want from the ride/weekend, just blasting at full on speeds? take the DH bike... want to throw some pedaling around and earn my turns? Take the AM rig....
It is not a case of this VS this, rather, a Long Travel Bike and a Shorter Travel Bike, are plainly and simply complementary. (When the terrain and finances allow it).
I find that if I just ride 1 bike all the time my skills do change to suit that bike, but on the Kona I can get lazy. What I love doing is doing something I haven't done before on the Kona, then do it on the Pitch, then do it on the P.1. I can ride my local downhill trails on my P1 as quick as most of my friends on a DH rig, but without a big bike I wouldn't have learnt those skills.
I also do a fair bit of coaching and I find if I put a beginner on a full suss they get up to speed quicker, confidence imprioves faster and they enjoy it more. If I'm coaching more advanced skills like pumping the terrain to maintain/gain speed, the P1 translates back sooo much better then a big bike, and the timings are more obvious.
Long and short, there's no right bike for everything, get out there ride what you got, if you have to chose one, buy one for the bits you enjoy the most, if you're fortunate to have more then one then make sure you make the most out of all of them, and don't let that BMX you have in the back of the shed go to waste, ride it and have fun.
in the 80's dirt bikes went from short travel to long travel = unsustainable ecological damage to the trails = closures.
in the 90's snow machines went from short travel to long travel = unridable trails = speed limits & closures
in the teens MTBs go long travel ... tell me how is this any different from dirt bikes & snow machines?
Gnar, rough, steep, technical downhills? Downhill bike... Climbs, fire roads, moderate descents, up, down? Shorter travel bike... C'mon, don't tell me you'd rather ride a Stumpy vs. a V10 in the park? Didn't think so.
I think it's safe to say though that we all learned to ride on a hardtail. Remember how much fun that was?
the fact of the matter is that nothing puts a bigger smile on my face than going a bit nuts on the downhill bike, i know i could probably ride the same track on my xc/trail bike a bit slower but the fact of the matter is im having more fun and as far as im concerned thats the end of it
yes short travel ones can be fun after all its still riding so its still all good,
haters can go ahead and "neg" this comment wont change a damn thing its all about the big bike,
www.leelikesbikes.com/big-bikes-are-rad-and-heres-why.html
I came across this guy a few years ago reading Mastering MTB Skills. Both thumbs up!!!
it is not attractive too go with reign on e simple trail and it is not safe to go wit kona on a speedy harsh trails (if you do that you will Increase the damage of the bike and your self)
so the best solution is go and ride the bike until the max of capability of the bike.(not less not farther)
It all depends on what you ride and how often but the right thing is to have at least 2 bikes a short travel (120mm) or even a hardtrail for all mountain long rides and a big travel (180mm) for those fun moments on bike parks or if you live close to real mountains. and of course a commuting bike to go to work but that's another story.
Also, this is just one mans' opinion.
This was proven to us during Crankworx at Whistler back in August. The Air DH was won by Steve Smith on a 6" Devinci Dixon. The Jeep DH was won by Steve Smith on an a "Big Rig" Devinci Wilson.
A Line may as well be a paved high way. I loved it! Fast and fun as hell, but nothing a 6" AM/Enduro can't handle. And it seems Steve Smith understood this, yet he did ride a different bike come Sunday in the Jeep DH!
Ie., laguna=4-6" sub 30#.(hike a bikes).
To me dh is like moto and xc/am is like snowboarding w/mountaineering.
You just want the right tool for the day.
But for folks like mt bike action mag to say dh bikes are for closed course only is absurd!
With this said I'd like to share my opinion, I believe that shorter travel bikes are good for light DH and FR if you're a "pro" then you must have a full sus bike. We won't become vros if I don't share your way of thinking? Nice one mate...
If you ride have enough experience for riding a good trail you'll be able to do it with both bikes(I'm not talking about WC lines, just regular ones)
"Bigger is better"
That's what she said
My rushes are different from back in the day, now I look at making it all the way to the top and pushing the bikes limits and mine all they way down plus mainly riding park. My fun consists of chasing the dh riders and seeing if I can keep up and beat them down. Plus the cool factor sets in when they see a guy with a short travel bike riding by.
For me, I can push my limits by seeing how little travel I can get away with which makes me a better rider by having to land it right everytime. Plus having family I cant afford to get hurt I dont rebound back like silly putty like I used to. Now its more like snap, crackle, pop!
I think this is why they created AM bikes (my personal fave choice) with high volume short travel shocks for whomever wants to kill it up, down and every which way. and in any situation.
Everyone has a different view on what there favorite freedom of expression is and how they can best channel it. I will never knock down guys or gals for wanting to go big or go home! They are Rad in their own way!
This is one of the most important points here. I see people always saying stuff like "back in the day we hit those trails on 4-inch bikes or hardtails etc". Or people talking about how they hit this gnarly trail or that gnarly trail on a short travel and whatnot. To me the point is that just because you can ride a trail with less bike, doesn't mean that's the only way or the best way to hit it.
www.leelikesbikes.com/big-bikes-are-rad-and-heres-why.html
upon getting back on the big rig i felt like a cross between jesus, superman, and someone that could shot lasers out of their dick. pedally bikes gave me super powers.
Big bikes FTW
I liked the first article, it wa inspiring for me as i was building my firt Pro HT trailbike. It finnsihed now & i never had so fun.
more weight=more muscle building
also, big bikes=more work
more work + more weight=more effort
more effort=better results
therefore, I desperately need a big bike
go ride and stop with the squabbling....
There's only so much you can do with spring rates/air pressure on a shorter travel bike when you're 6ft2 and 250lbs :oP
I'm starting to think enduro bikes are the best of both worlds
Please explain again how a short travel bike will hold you back?
DC is an engineering decision to balance loads and thus make the frame last better. It also allows for a longer stroke, more oilvolume, longer life. So a single crown is 2nd best in volume, stiffness, stability and a total dog when brakeforce is applied.
8 1/2 inches of good reartravel, or more, are just so nice to have. Going fast and not getting tired too quickly - as with a shorter travel bike - more experimentation to you.
no? then you probably don't need a big heavy DH bike.
I dont see them on the top 20 world cup riders.
Dont pay attention to a couple of idiots nobody knows!
Both of them have been in the big bike FR game for a very long time.
Both amazing riders, that ride a big bike in a totally different way than any WC racer.
Just nowadays they are a bit older and dont throw them selves of 40 foot cliffs anymore is the reason they ride shorter travel bikes ( plus they have super human skills helps