Maybe DH isnt for me?

[Ridenparadise]

I have one of those mid travel bikes and have ridden the Youeys and Thredbo among others on it. Had a blast going DH at Nerang yesterday in the mud but not up and going up is part of the deal with mid travel.

Keep your DH rig. I came home with a broken pedal and one of the bearings in the BB has reached its limits. If you ride terrain which needs a DHer, then you have it and it won't break when you do need it.

So, yes you should buy a mid-travel rig and yeah, also HTFU.

 

[indica]

im back to work tomorrow so didnt want to break my self.

I was at work at 6am this morning - sore....

I saw reuben from the chair just after his off and in the car park just as I got off the chair.
Everyone has off days - and obviously all your crew at the same time.

I bought a second hand Stab a few years back, rode it a few times then went to Youies for a virgin expedition. First ever roll down bandages fold in the down tube, crack in the top tube - me no DH bike for 2 years. Only just got back into it in October with a new job and a bike well beyond what I can push.

Come ride with me and the wife @ Maldon sometime. I'll take you down Rockin (have you been down that track before?).

DO NOT give up the Dh bike... if you feel the need, put it away and get a AM / XC bike (I call them trail bikes) and ride for fun, pedal and get fit and enjoy the trails - soon enough you will all go Fuck me, it's time to get jumpin!

 

[muskimo]

indica- i made two silly mistakes at the end of the day. little wash outs. always stick by the same rule, if im making silly mistakes, its usally because my body is spent, and i call it a day before i do some real damage.

i ride at maldon quite a lot, really enjoy it, and since all the work has been done, its been much better, though the ride days are always on the same weekend as shepparton is on, so i dont make it as often as i would like.

 

[indica]

and i call it a day before i do some real damage.

I do that when I'm starting to go too fast ... I have self preservation issues (as you could see by the lack of protection).

Have you been to Apollo Bay yet? I'm gonna book for the 5th Feb if you wanna come along. My wife will be there too.

BTW I am happy to shuttle anyone when I am @ Maldon so come and join in and avoid the ride day crowds.

 

[merc-blue]

Come ride with me and the wife @ Maldon sometime. I'll take you down Rockin (have you been down that track before?).

Once by accident.
I have a score to settle with Maldon. last time I was there I snapped a set of fox40 lowers and ate it hard. smashed a mech, bent bars. killed my bb and chainguide. etc etc.

 

[indica]

dubble postage

 

[indica]

Once by accident.
I have a score to settle with Maldon. last time I was there I snapped a set of fox40 lowers and ate it hard.

On that waterhole track? With Rick behind you?

 

[merc-blue]

not sure who was behind me, but. possibly.
will look at apollo bay for the 5th

 

[muskimo]

good chance ill be up for the 5th also.

 

[Nerf Herder]

Getting your fitness up both cardio and arm muscles helps heaps.

Nothing worst then getting flogged, whilst your fading ... and can't hold on to the grips because of arm pump.

+1 for sticking with it and a cup of cement

 

[MARKL]

And don't be afraid to have a decent rest between runs (a good time to have the steaming hot cup of HTFU). We all used to go and do our runs back to back and you end up completely shagged, your runs become worse and you start making mistakes all over the place. Less runs but better quality - a chance to think about different sections of the track, rest, hydrate, food etc.

 

[GTBoy]

I was also up there on Saturday for my first ride in 4 years (not just DH, haven't really touched a bike in that long), and found it really tough. It didn't help that for my first 3 runs I had my forks setup terribly, once that was fixed things were much easier.

I used to live in Merrijig and rode Buller every chance I could, and I'm pretty sure back then (10 years ago) ABOM was not nearly as rough as it is now. You can tell the people building the tracks are "hardcore" DH riders, as they are not beginner friendly at all, and they are just thinking about what is fun for them. I think there should be at least one run that is pretty easy (a proper green run), and that someone on an XC bike could do without having too much trouble. That’s how I got into DH, riding Buller on my old Avanti Hammer, and really enjoying it. From a commercial sense I think you would have a lot more people heading up there if they knew it wasn’t too tough, and that beginners could come away thinking that was awesome fun, not that was too hard for me.

All that said I had a great time, even though I can barely walk now, and am planning on heading up again in a couple of weeks.

 

[---Matt---]

I think there should be at least one run that is pretty easy (a proper green run), and that someone on an XC bike could do without having too much trouble.

That track is/has been in the works for the last few years but funding has been the major issue. Apparently they are getting closer to starting it. In the meantime there is home trail which, while it's not a proper DH track, is available for those who want to ride an easy trail and still catch the chairlift back up.

As for the track work, everything that has been done on the track in recent times has been put there to reduce wear and erosion on the track, not just what's fun for "hardcore" DH riders. The rock armouring and large rollers might seem like a pain in the ass but it's a major improvement over deep ruts and tracks that blow out on boxing day.

If you would like to come up and help out some time it might open your eyes to how much work actually goes into the place (and get a free lift pass in the process).

 

[GTBoy]

That track is/has been in the works for the last few years but funding has been the major issue. Apparently they are getting closer to starting it.

Good to hear they are working on getting that sort of track, and I know the problems that you would be having getting things approved up there. I do know how much work is involved up there, I used to get myself a season ticket each year helping out before things opened up, its also how I know that generally the people who are working on the tracks are normally pretty damn committed to the sport, and I have huge respect for anyone willing to give up their free time to help out. That said they are normally very good riders, and I think they generally have a warped view on what they view as easy, I think sometimes you need a different perspective on that type of thing. I hope the new design of the new track isn't just being done by downhillers, but by XC riders as well.

Anyway, thats just my opinion, and I know others will not agree with it.

 

[indica]

as they are not beginner friendly at all, and they are just thinking about what is fun for them.

I call bullshit.
I took a friend who has NEVER ridden DH and he had a blast on a rental.
My wife rode there a few years back and wants to go again. She rides @ Maldon and doesn't do a lot of the harder stuff but still enjoys herself.

ABOM is one of the easier tracks to ride, it is only when you start pushing it becomes an issue, or if you ride beyond your limits.

 

[dain2772]

maybe it isn't. maybe you just don't like and won't ever like those types of rutted tracks.

lots of people have stuff that they don't enjoy riding, hell, DH is essentially people who decided that they didn't enjoy riding bikes up hill or along too much flat ground.

Ride what you enjoy riding. When you come up against something you don't like, keep trying it to see if you can get used to it, get better at it or just get to a point where you are happy to put up with it. If you still don't like it, ride something more suited to what you enjoy. Unless you are uber competitive and have to ride certain tracks for a series, there is no need to do stuff you don't really want to.

 

[merc-blue]

Sorry for the dig but its relevant.

So Im looking at building a Transition bottlerocket or Dartmoor Wish, Or possibly something else Im abit embarrassed to admit.

The concern is its gonna be an expensive choice if I do it selling out of the DH is not going to provide a great return. and buying a new bike is gonna cost alot.

So Im thinking about what I prefer riding and I know both the Transition and DM would do the stuff I enjoy better than my current bike and also allow me to go for a ride with the wife along some single track.

The only thing stopping me spending the cash is as my skill level improves am I gonna want to ride the rougher stuff like buller and is having a 160-170mm travel bike going to really hold me back from doing this? Or will it just prevent me from ploughing. I mean guys ride these tracks on hardtails right?

 

[donny70]

I've stripped a DH bike down just this week because I never used it once for it's intended purpose. I've started selling the parts to fund my other bikes which are xc oriented. It was just sitting there because I'm just too damn scared to do DH.

I'm more of a medium grade single track or cross country kinda guy and I don't like doing jumps that much either, especially big fast ones where you can get hurt. I thought I could get into it but it's just not for me and I much prefer to go out on cross country runs.

Nowt wrong with that...

 

[dunndog]

Guys ride plenty of stuff on hardtails. I believe a few years back at the first vdhs event held at the you yangs a guy came second riding a hardtail down bandages!? It depends how you like to ride. Obviously riding dh tracks on a non dh specific bike will make it a rougher tougher ride where you'll need to pick your lines better and most likely slower. If it's this technical challenge that you're happy with then fine, but you'd likely find it harder to mix it with your mates on their dh rigs unless your skills are significantly higher. but then as you said you can turn around and ride some single track on it which your mates couldnt on their dh rigs.
Personally I'd end up finding it pretty frustrating, you'd end up wishing you had the extra plusher travel and slacker geo, but it depends what percentage of your overall riding pleasure is derived from proper downhill.
And switching/swapping bikes will always be an expensive exercise, best way to justify it is to look at the cost to your finances vs. the amount of pleasure you've derived from it, and figuring out what pricetag you put on those good times? If the financial cost outweighs the pleasure derived from those expenses then it's time to look at a change..
Money aside, what is it that actually has you doubting the value of owning a dh specific bike? Is it that you don't enjoy dh immensley or is it purely the lack of versatility witha dh rig? Is owning 2 bikes not an option?

 

[merc-blue]

The reason Im thinking of getting off the DH rig.

I think the main issue is probably skills and versatility. Im a plougher because I cant do much else on the properly rough stuff, so why ride it?, also the DH bike gets a ride once a month or 2.

Also there is a element of injury risk, I need to be at 100% strength for my job.
and need to be able to rely on my body to not let me down in pressure situations.


Also reading articles there seems to be more people riding short travel bikes for there versatililty, I dont need to be the fastest down the hill, Im not racing, I just need to enjoy it.

Im also thinking it may also help me push my skills and attention to lines when Im forced away from my ploughing ways, as That was my initial frustration being forced to plough because the track offered nothing more.

I have been looking at a second ride. but i just cant afford 2 bikes when neither is really suited to what i want to ride