over vs under-biked.

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SummitFever

Eats Squid
I remember a long time ago dreaming of having a 5 x 5 (inch) travel bike that weighed 10kg, was reliable and could be ridden up and down virtually anything as well as taken on epic rides through the mountains. That's pretty much where we are at nowadays and its bloody fantastic.

I know this is a life-time ban-able offence, but I believe now more than ever you can have just one bike and do it all. The combo of wagon wheels and improved suspension (and to some extent geo) has made the 120-130mm travel bikes far more capable.
 
ozzybmx

ozzybmx

taking a shit with my boobs out
SummitFever said:
I remember a long time ago dreaming of having a 5 x 5 (inch) travel bike that weighed 10kg, was reliable and could be ridden up and down virtually anything as well as taken on epic rides through the mountains. That's pretty much where we are at nowadays and its bloody fantastic.

I know this is a life-time ban-able offence, but I believe now more than ever you can have just one bike and do it all. The combo of wagon wheels and improved suspension (and to some extent geo) has made the 120-130mm travel bikes far more capable.
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I agree, 95% of my riding is covered by my Spur which is just above 11kg with XC'ish tyres fitted, I still have them on there after the race from 2 weeks ago, probably going leave them on there... might change the front to a Vittoria Agarro or Martello when the world gets some stock in.

Would not enjoy riding it on shuttle days, play days, Derby, Maydena ect... thats where the Highlander steps in. Though that is a small percentage of my riding spectrum.
 
frenchman

frenchman

Eats cheese. Sells crack.
SummitFever said:
I remember a long time ago dreaming of having a 5 x 5 (inch) travel bike that weighed 10kg, was reliable and could be ridden up and down virtually anything as well as taken on epic rides through the mountains. That's pretty much where we are at nowadays and its bloody fantastic.

I know this is a life-time ban-able offence, but I believe now more than ever you can have just one bike and do it all. The combo of wagon wheels and improved suspension (and to some extent geo) has made the 120-130mm travel bikes far more capable.
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Nah nah nah. There’s too many grade 3 flow trails that make the middle aged white dudes think they can shred like French downhillers. The bikes got better but there’s a lot more punter friendly trails. When was the last time you saw a double that had consequences when you came up short?

380326


bring back the pirate trails that had you gapping into the abyss wondering if ur Hayes 9 would pull up before face planting into rocks. 14 yo kids I ride with shred harder on the clapped out 160 bucket than any old corporate spud on the 12k carbon super bike.
TLDR: flow trails ruin lives.
 
H

Halo1

Likes Bikes and Dirt
The max I have had in the rear is 150mm.
Post covid I am keen to get a DH and over bike for trips away. For now half my ride are the HT and it makes the little stuff more fun.
 
G

goobags

Likes Dirt
Must buy 170/160mm bike so I can ride Thredbo…



One trip to Thredbo per year with 3 runs in a day then spend the rest battling it around Glenrock standard loop.

I raced Superflow on the SS and beat plenty of mates on big duallys. I let them know about it too, just had to be an underbiked dick


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Lazmo

Lazmo

Old and hopeless
frenchman said:
14 yo kids I ride with shred harder on the clapped out 160 bucket than any old corporate spud on the 12k carbon super bike.
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Asininedrivel said:
Yeah but 14 yo kids are made of elastic and magic and zero understanding of consequences.
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Ha ha, even old dudes were 14 once. When we got telly on the farm, and I saw Evel Knievel for the first time, I said to my little brother… I can do that. And I did, but the TC100 was never the same afterwards, and I worried I’d never be able to have kids. My brother just laughed at me.

We see plenty of doubles with consequences… and then ride the B line.
 
The Reverend

The Reverend

Likes Bikes and Dirt
If I'm riding my local which while accessible (especially during lockdown) is pretty featureless then the hardtail is more than enough. Only one trail is better on FS.

The big bike is harder work everywhere else but that one trail is excellent on it.
Just depends on how many litres of sweat I want to lose.

If I had to choose one bike, it'd be a 150mm/140mm travel 29". Pretty good everywhere.
 
frenchman

frenchman

Eats cheese. Sells crack.
Asininedrivel said:
Yeah but 14 yo kids are made of elastic and magic and zero understanding of consequences.
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Nah they know the consequences, it’s more so when they are too scared of hitting a feature they will happily say so. Not default to ‘i didn’t bring my full face’ or ‘I’m only running 120mm travel’ or ‘If I had my back protector endurbro bag and pit vipers I’d hit it’.

If you want to underbike ride a hardtail.
 
birddog69

birddog69

Likes Bikes and Dirt
I am a great believer in the 95% rule with bike. Get one bike for the 95% of your rides. I have what the marketers call a "short travel" trail bike. 90% of my riding is on and around Mt Wellington. I ride it at Derby and St Helens as well. Will be taking it the the Northwest Coast in late October. I also have the Chameleon I built up as well. I use it for riding with my wife on fire roads and long days out the back on roads out past Hamilton, Tas (60-80 km days).
The 2 times a year I go tho Maydena I just hire a bike, thrash it and myself, hand the bike back, go home and wonder why I did it.
I am looking for a different frame with a bit more travel, say 130-140 mm, but that would do all I want.
 
Chriso_29er

Chriso_29er

Likes Bikes and Dirt
I found this very interesting, given I was certainly overbiked riding mostly gravel and easy skills course single track on my 140mm/150mm duelly. Expected to be and also felt much slower at the time.
Smaller wheels and High Roller tyres verse XC tyres on the 29er hardtail.

Pretty much identical ride

XC hardtail 3 rides ago.
Was daylight so a little faster on the single trail.
380350


Trail bike at night so a little slower on single trail, but not much.
Higher total average speed!
380351
 
DougalStrachan

DougalStrachan

Likes Dirt
frenchman said:
Under Biking just gives u old fucks an excuse to bitch out from hitting the doubles and rock gardens that are getting sent by 14 yo kids
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Young bloke hit up a 6' drop I've been eyeing for a quite a while that lands pretty flat on the hardtail. He then proceeded to tell me all about it as I'm on the 150mm dually. Wish I was on a SS ridged at that point (Still didn't hit it).
 
Asininedrivel

Asininedrivel

caviar connoisseur
The rather outspoken Chris Porter of Mojo Suspension and Geometron fame reckons there's no such thing as too much bike anymore - just the wrong tyres. It's why Geometron have switched from making variations (G13, G16 etc.) to just the G1 as they think it's all you need.
 
caad9

caad9

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Asininedrivel said:
The rather outspoken Chris Porter of Mojo Suspension and Geometron fame reckons there's no such thing as too much bike anymore - just the wrong tyres. It's why Geometron have switched from making variations (G13, G16 etc.) to just the G1 as they think it's all you need.
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I bet he only does one type of riding
 
frenchman

frenchman

Eats cheese. Sells crack.
DougalStrachan said:
Young bloke hit up a 6' drop I've been eyeing for a quite a while that lands pretty flat on the hardtail. He then proceeded to tell me all about it as I'm on the 150mm dually. Wish I was on a SS ridged at that point (Still didn't hit it).
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Don’t worry about hitting those features. I guarantee he’s going to get more shit from his mates when u do his mum, than you avoiding that drop.
 
P

Petero

Likes Dirt
moorey said:
Dude on our Saturday ride last weekend rocked up on old XC hardtail with FF, dianese body armour, full leg pads….for a 30km ride that’s 40% fire road and bitumen. I said he was a bit overdressed. He said he heard there’s a few jump on the loop. There is…maybe 2….maybe 1’ high with flat landings….and he went around each one anyway.
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Hambo made it down to VIC?
 
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