What DH bike to buy for a beginner?
- Thread starter OLIVER132
- Start date
Knuckles
Lives under a bridge
This Demo should suit.
http://www.rotorburn.com/forums/showthread.php?297496-Free-for-all!-Go!
You're welcome.
http://www.rotorburn.com/forums/showthread.php?297496-Free-for-all!-Go!
You're welcome.
pink poodle
気が狂っている男
Price point is important...1000-1500 should get you a reliable shitter. Up from that will yield better and better. Find a frame design you're comfortable riding on as that is the core of your bike and will play a strong role in how much fun you have. Avoid dents and cracks.
antonfourie
Likes Dirt
Depends on how much you want to spend, if you get a old bike, they mostly have crap geometry and 26" wheels, so you would be better off on a new AM or Enduro bike, but if you do your research you can find a good design 1-2 years old for a good price, don't be a sheep and just buy a xyz because everyone else has one, there are lots of good options out there.
scblack
Leucocholic
For a DH beginner, how is the fact it has 26" wheels going to affect anything? My bike has 26" wheels and I'm far from a beginner.
I would also suggest, for a DH beginner, buying something everyone else had means the likelihood of parts and service know-how and a good low price. Such as a Glory seeing there are loads around.
Knuckles
Lives under a bridge
pink poodle
気が狂っている男
Phew. I thought I was the only one that felt the urge to buy a shitting dog.
Sorry mate this URL doesn't work for me just comes up with a blank page. Could you send it again or something, I'd like to see it
pink poodle
気が狂っている男
$2k should get you something reasonable. $2500 would give you a little more room...plenty of bikes to get misty eyes over here:
http://www.rotorburn.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?33-Complete-Bikes
If you're tall do Dozer a favour, he man has a dog to feed!
http://www.rotorburn.com/forums/showthread.php?297374-2011-Specialized-demo-8-II-Amazing-value-bike
pink poodle
気が狂っている男
5.4 what..? If that is meters, then you should look for a bigger bike. If you mean feet, I can't imagine a bigger bike feeling comfortable. But comfort is a personal thing. Some brands so feel different in size as well so you should try to ride a few different bikes in different sizes and find what you feel most comfortable on.
What is your current rig? If you are going to switch to dh personally I do not enjoy feeling stretched out. I like a tight cockpit that I can really thrash around.
FYI - next time you see a bike you like and still haven't worked out trading access...you could always shoot a pm to the vendor.
I ride a 2010 giant anthem x2 at the moment and I'm 5 foot 4 inches.
pink poodle
気が狂っている男
Hardly suited to dh...almost anything is going to feel good. Plenty of good options in your ~$2k budget. Now are you a kid or a grown up? I only ask to figure out if 5 and 4 is the end of the growth spurt or you may be about to grow to 6 and 2? If you're not going up any further grab a small. But sleep around a bit and try some different sizes.
I'm only 15, so that's why i was planning to go for a medium.
pink poodle
気が狂っている男
Yep, fair chance that you will sprout a few more inches yet! With the new DH sled, do you:
- intend to race
- want to punch out shuttles and big stuff, so need the monster
- just want a fat as pushie that looks boss?
because you may find a really well suited thrash machine that isnt pure DH machine.
hazza6542
Eats Squid
Sunday.
Sunday.
Yeah Sunday.
Going real cheap, medium fit me when I was 15, still fits now. Good spec bikes going for about $1000 on a race proven bike, can't go wrong.
T-Rex
Template denier
At 5'4" you should be on a small, but at 15 you might be going to be getting a growth spurt. Have a look at your parents, you should (in theory) grow to the average of their heights. a couple more inches and you would be on a medium.
Your $2k budget, is this just for the bike, or all up? You are going to need to buy a full face helmet, knee guards, and goggles as an absolute minimum if you are getting started in DH, and a neck brace would be highly recommended.
Second hand DH bikes can be risky. Have a close look at the seller, a middle aged guy who can afford to maintain the bike properly and isn't very fast is ideal. A teenaged kid who can't afford to maintain the bike and has run it into the ground is to be avoided, as is a really fast guy who has put a crack in the frame that you can't spot. Don't get too worried about the age of the bike, look at how much it has been ridden, and how well maintained it is.
DH breaks and wears out components a lot faster than other disciplines, so if it comes with lots of usable spares, that's a good thing.
And don't worry about 26" vs 27.5", as a beginner it won't matter to you.
pink poodle
気が狂っている男
Hey! Unfortunately I'm all out of dh bikes to sell.
scblack
Leucocholic
The 5'6" or so size is in the cusp zone for many manufacturers between small and medium. I am 5'7" and riding a small Intense. So rider preference is a big factor too. I had a riding mate about 5'9" rode a large Kona, even though within the medium standard range.
I like a small bike as it feels easier to toss around and be more responsive.