Downhill bikes

[pink]

Howdee....

Have been thinking about getting into downhill and was wondering what bikes you girls are riding on?

Also, where do you ride other than the obvious ski slopes in the summer? (eg. Buller)

Many thanks!

 

[Lizardskin]

Have been thinking about getting into downhill and was wondering what bikes you girls are riding on?

Also, where do you ride other than the obvious ski slopes in the summer? (eg. Buller)

I ride a Commencal Mini Dh and a Banshee Rampant 4X beast.

Most states dont have the luxury of chair lifts like Buller and Thredbo So I tend to ride at shuttleable trails rather than push runs.

 

[Pebble]

Orange 222, I really like the versatility and simplicity, also the fact that the bike is a lot lighter than it looks!

But after having it for a year I decided to give up Downhill so it's for sale if you were wanting to check her out....

Pebbles DH Beauty

 

[MuddyBoots]

I have just picked myself up a brand new Norco A-line so I can start downhilling. In a small frame it fits well albeit its bloody heavy ( but that will encourage me to hit the gym a bit). I found that as its an 09 model it was quite cheap (Got it 50% off the original retail price)... so If i dont like DH (suck at it) I can sell it without losing to much $$$$. I have also noted TBSM have good deald on Konas and Ironhorse 09 bikes. I got my bike up in Brissy though.

Where will you be riding?

 

[pink]

Thanks for the replies! Very helpful.

I am maybe thinking now more of a freeride machine would be the way to go... a bit lighter and more versatile..... I checked out the Commencal Mini DH which is on sale at the mo (tnx for the tip there), and was looking at a Kona Stinky...

I saw Ironhorse was having a Factory clearance and have awesome prices but heard they were discontinuing so was a little concerned about re-sale value and spare parts etc if it gets damaged.

I am in Melbourne and don't know where people go for downhill??? Anyone know???

 

[Pebble]

I know the Kona Stab Deluxe got a pretty good review in the latest AMB Mag.

Yes I thought the big sales on Iron Horse were due to whatever is going on with the company at the moment, but in reality if you are worried about losing value on a DH bike the best thing to do is buy 2nd hand. Yes the Iron Horse could be really hard to sell down the track if the brand is in the gutter, but if they are very heavily discounted I don't think you will lose that much more than you would otherwise, because as I see it the value lost will be mainly in the frame and not the rest of the components that come with the bike, and arguably since they're so discounted it's not really an issue. As far as warranty goes though I'm not sure how that works.

Anyway I'd check out Giant, Norco, Kona, Specialized and generally whatever brands your bike shops carry. Compare the specs, value for money, sizing etc and of course most important when buying bikes....the one you think looks better

As far as riding around Melbourne, I wouldn't have a clue, I'm in Western Aus.

 

[Pebble]

Are the You Yangs near Melbourne? That rings a bell.

 

[Sethius]

Are the You Yangs near Melbourne? That rings a bell.

Accessable via public transport. Dandedongs, eatons cutting etc all get some use for DH riders. Then granton/long gully/kinglake all used to get ridden until the fires. Unsure of the redevelopment of those places though.

Plenty of riders around though to join and get shuttles with.

 

[hazza6542]

Yes I thought the big sales on Iron Horse were due to whatever is going on with the company at the moment,

I've just ordered a new Sunday Team X, and apparently the deal with Ironhorse is that they're going to be a K-Mart bike in America and possibly over here, so possibly also here in Aus.

However! They will also have enough spare parts to pretty much keep the same warranty they've always had, so personally I'd say the Sunday's are the way to go. I was at a national round in New Zealand today, the amount of Sunday's there was astounding.

 

[Pebble]

I've just ordered a new Sunday Team X, and apparently the deal with Ironhorse is that they're going to be a K-Mart bike in America and possibly over here, so possibly also here in Aus.

However! They will also have enough spare parts to pretty much keep the same warranty they've always had, so personally I'd say the Sunday's are the way to go. I was at a national round in New Zealand today, the amount of Sunday's there was astounding.

Ahhh so back to the good old days then......I still remember when Iron Horse bikes used to be sold through Rebel Sport, must have been back around 2004 when I lived in Darwin. At the time I thought it was just a pretty good name for a bike.

I imagine they would go back to a similar thing....Rebel or Toys R Us rather than KMart, well one would hope anyway, they've go such good bikes it would be a shame to see them downgraded to KMart specs and budgets.

 

[hazza6542]

It is a shame really, but, remember, your buying the last of one of the greatest downhill bikes ever made, legend wise. And then theres the fact they ride great too. Worth checking one out I say.

 

[pink]

Yeah I heard about the Kmart bike thing with Ironhorse. That's why I was hesitant... but I think I will check it out anyway as the prices are so good. Good point on maybe second hand is better at this stage for me.... I have been watching online for sales for ages but finding a small bike isn't as easy as I thought, every time I see something that looks good... it ends up being a medium...

Have found a good price on a new 2010 Kona Stab Deluxe... and the Stinky... so may go check 'em out.

I live much closer to Lysterfield than the You Yangs... Lysterfield is a lot of xc.....I read about some places up at the Dandenongs too so will suss that out. Found a bike shop that lets you test ride...BONUS!

 

[cam-o]

(I'm assuming that you are relatively new to downhilling here, apologies if that's wrong)

I know a lot of women up here in Canberra who's first downhill bike was more of a freeride rig. Stuff like Santa Cruz Nomads, Giant reigns etc. The benefit is they tend to be lighter and much easier to wrnagle through the bumps than the full size DH bikes. I would take a look at something that's a 6-7 inch freeride bike, preferably with lighter single crown 6 inch forks. A heavy front end is more of a hassle for smaller riders.

Something like this for example is pretty cheap and would be a good 1st DH/FR bike (although the seller doesn't list the size, it looks pretty small)
http://www.rotorburn.com/forums/showthread.php?194943-07-mongoose-black-diamond-double-(near-new)

Although if you feel like a trip to QLD and want a full DH bike, this thing looks tidy:
http://www.rotorburn.com/forums/showthread.php?197060-2006-Giant-DH-Comp-Small-Good-Condition

 

[tracywhittaker]

Have been thinking about getting into downhill and was wondering what bikes you girls are riding on?

I ride an Ironhorse Team X, and it's unreal.

I ride with a few DHillers around Melbourne (including a small handfull of women riders) , if your interested in joining us, PM me.

 

[pink]

Thanks for the links cam-o. Yes I am a new to DH, this would be my first purchase so buying second hand would be a good idea. I had checked out the Giant already but it's good to know others opinions on what is on here, I just go by what I've read etc on different bikes.

Then of course there is the gear to go with it... helmet... body armour... can anyone tell me what you really need in terms of gear??

THANKS!

 

[Pebble]

Full Face Helmet, definitely....I got a Fox Rampage for a bargain from Torpedo7, there are heaps of choices out there, I went off measurements and was lucky the fit was good fit (I'm size small by the looks) and for $110 it was worth the risk but from what people say it is best to try some on.
I also wear knee/ shins (Race Face FR) however it's possibly not a bad thing to have a set of knee only for the warmer weather (like TLD T-Bones, POC, or even the 661 D30).
Elbow / Arm gurads, I picked up a set cheap Fox ones off this forum and they do the job well.....but if you're pretty searious about getting into DH and likely to go faster than I do then maybe look at body armour instead, I probably would have gone that way if I was going to progress, but that didn't happen. For starting out elbow gurads at least are a good idea and maybe wearing you Camelbak for a bit of extra back protection.....I know it's not meant for that but it would help.
Gloves, they're a basic thing but invaluable, both with still having good grip when your hands are sweaty but also hugely protective when you fall off because most of the times your hands are the first thing to hit the ground.

Goggles, most people wear them and I think they're a good idea, you don't want a branch in your eye, I wear glasses anyway so I never did try goggles.

You should talk to Bec on the HTF forum, she's recently got into downhill and rides an Iron Horse Sunday. Her user name is escher
http://www.hucktoflat.com/htf/smf/

 

[Steveneedspants]

theirs a lot of riding to be had in the dandenongs. it all depends on what u want to ride really i live in montrose (foothills of the dandenongs) if u want to come out this way for a ride when you get your bike shoot me a pm. as for bike choice i no transition have a womens specific freeride bike ive also seen a few girls getting around on the norco shores aswell.

 

[Space_Food]

I've been looking for one too, the guys at my local bike shop suggested one with 4" travel and light in weight.
If anyone has any suggestions that would be sweet.

 

[cam-o]

I've been looking for one too, the guys at my local bike shop suggested one with 4" travel and light in weight.
If anyone has any suggestions that would be sweet.

Depends on what you want to do with it - if your intent is primarily downhilling then I would recommend more travel than 4".
As a general rule a 4" dually these days is more targeted at the XC and Enduro market. The issue is not just the travel, it's the geometry that is associated with a bike of that style. They tend to be set up to be nimble, responsive and climb well. This often means a steep head angle which can make them twitchy when the going gets quicker. Take the Giant Anthem for example - phonomenal 4" XC bike. Light, fast - BUT-I would never recommend an inexperienced rider have a crack at a steep descent on one. The exception to this is 4x specific 4" duallies, they have more appropriate geometry but I still think a bit more travel is nice when bombing through the rocks.

These days longer travel bikes are pretty light. (My Yeti 575 is 6" and under 12 kilos) so you can have more travel, a more relaxed and stable geometry and still keep the weight reasonable.

 

[Space_Food]

Depends on what you want to do with it - if your intent is primarily downhilling then I would recommend more travel than 4".
As a general rule a 4" dually these days is more targeted at the XC and Enduro market. The issue is not just the travel, it's the geometry that is associated with a bike of that style. They tend to be set up to be nimble, responsive and climb well. This often means a steep head angle which can make them twitchy when the going gets quicker. Take the Giant Anthem for example - phonomenal 4" XC bike. Light, fast - BUT-I would never recommend an inexperienced rider have a crack at a steep descent on one. The exception to this is 4x specific 4" duallies, they have more appropriate geometry but I still think a bit more travel is nice when bombing through the rocks.

These days longer travel bikes are pretty light. (My Yeti 575 is 6" and under 12 kilos) so you can have more travel, a more relaxed and stable geometry and still keep the weight reasonable.

I'm intending to mainly go downhilling, I went on a XC track and it was a bit too slow for me... so maybe 6" travel is a good idea.
I really want a bike that will float over rockgardens and eat up jumps (without throwing me over the bars, like my old hardtail ).
I LOVE yeti's but they're a bit out of my price range
Are there any cheap-ish ($2000-$2500), good value for money and light weight?