Do I need a DH rig in VIC?

[zen]

G'day,

I'm moving back to Aus (Geelong) after 3 years in the UK. I've lived in Adelaide and Sydney where DH rigs are a bit overkill really.

I have a YT Tues Pro here (203mm F&R travel) here which is sweet and well suited to the vert of the Alps etc...will it be overkill in VIC? I'm more likely to ride locally...are the ski resorts worth the trip?

I'm thinking of swapping it for an Enduro such as a YT Capra...I don't mind a bit of uphill and I have a old XC dualie and a hardtail which I'll give some use to so I still want a DH oriented rig.

Are there many shuttle run/lift options...sounds like there's not a heap of DH runs around?

Any advice appreciated, cheers in advance

 

[Faeros]

I just moved away from Geelong aha.

To be honest anything with 160-180 front and 4-6" rear is enough for everything unless you plan to race.

I don't know every set of tracks but from Geelong you have easy access to You Yangs (some shuttles), Apollo Bay (only shuttles), Forrest (no shuttles XC mostly), Black Hill Ballarat (some shuttles) and Maldon (only shuttles).

I'm sure there are some I've missed but they are the main ones. Out of all of them Maldon is my recommendation. There are plenty on the otherside of the bay but are more day trips. At least with maldon you can head up friday night, camp and ride all saturday/sunday (heaps of other people camp there).

Enjoy.

 

[Ezkaton]

Yeah there seem to be very few tracks worthy of a DH bike here in Vic... especially with how versatile a lot the 160mm bikes have gotten.

 

[Boom King]

I would personally go with the Capra over the Tues. More than capable of any trail in Vic and way more versatile.

 

[Ezkaton]

I would personally go with the Capra over the Tues. More than capable of any trail in Vic and way more versatile.

Capra is either 165 or 170mm rear travel isn't it?
Running a Capra with a new Lyric up front would be boss for pretty much any gravity fed trail.

 

[zen]

Thanks fellas, that's sweet, really helpful.

Now if I could just get hold of a Capra...

 

[Duane]

Agree with the posters here......however, I do have more fun on the DH rig and it makes it easier for a hack like me when the going gets steeper.
Had an absolute ball at Mystic recently on the DH bike. There were some pro/expert riders that day who were still faster on AM bikes than me though.

I'm fortunate to have a choice of bikes.

 

[specci82]

I think you should just stay on the Tues just because its a DH bike and it looks sick... hope this helped getting you the right answer

 

[ajay]

If you're racing or plan to hit up buller keep the dh bike. If you're just riding locally (you yangs, appollo bay etc) get a capra Or just have 2 bikes!

 

[shake_rattle_and_ roll]

Off the Tues & bring a Capra & the hardtail. Capra's more than enough bike for 90%-95% of Victorian tracks. Likewise the Capra's a tonne of bike for Mt Buller, with minimal line sacrifices

 

[Skydome]

It would more than likely make more sense to get an all mountain over a dh rig.

 

[Waxie]

Stick with the Tues, check out the tracks and then make the call for yourself. Lots of DH in Vic between racing at Ballarat in the king of mud series, followed by the Vic DH series with lots of shuttle days and other events in between. Lifts in bulla that get replaced with a shuttle bus in summer.

If you find that you still want to pedal get a new bike but it would suck to jump the gun and wish you still had the DH rig.

 

[zen]

I think you should just stay on the Tues just because its a DH bike and it looks sick... hope this helped getting you the right answer

:hail::heh:

 

[juan]

keep the tues 100% you can go down on any bike dow the tracks but if you want to go faster a dh bike is the go.
There is shuttles every weekend at kinglake dh track too.

 

[Faeros]

keep the tues 100% you can go down on any bike dow the tracks but if you want to go faster a dh bike is the go.
There is shuttles every weekend at kinglake dh track too.

Nah I reckon if you want to go faster and chase the boys on DH bikes. Just hang on harder haha. To be honest some sections are faster on a shorter travel bike as you can launch it easier over obstacles. My2c

 

[dunndog]

The thing that often gets left out of these conversations I think is just as enduro bikes have become much more versatile, so too have dh rigs become much lighter, poppier and nimble to ride. You're not lugging a pig around, and unless you're riding reasonably tame trails a good dh rig is a ton of fun to ride.
Add to this the fact that as you ride more and meet people you will discover some lesser known man's tracks, keeping the dh bike is not a bad option..

 

[Ezkaton]

Ideally, have both.

Ride the Tues, take full advantage of this summer's shuttle and lift services around the state, while saving for a lesser travel bike for when you need to pedal around due to lack of shuttles (or funds for said shuttles)!

 

[zen]

Thanks everyone for your responses, the shuttles sound great and as I've had no-one interested in trading an Enduro rig for the Tues I'll think I'll hang onto it and hit-up the shuttles :rockon:

 

[dunndog]

Thanks everyone for your responses, the shuttles sound great and as I've had no-one interested in trading an Enduro rig for the Tues I'll think I'll hang onto it and hit-up the shuttles :rockon:

Good job. Look up Blue Dirt shuttles, Express DH Suttles, Plush, Alpine Gravity, Iride Apollo Bay for starters.