Which Bike
- Thread starter sut
- Start date
Well, non of the bikes that you said are full dh but will all do the job well. Personlly, I would go for either the orange patriot+ or the Norco shore. 7 inch of suspension in both. I think the main decision between both of them would be, do you want single pivot with 5th element or FSR with fox. Either way, it is a win win situation.
Single pivot has less bearings to wear, less pivots to flex, and usually (and in this case) big beefy swing arms to resist torsional flex. FSR and other multi link designs are designed to provide a more tuneable suspension set up, however with the advent of the fifth element shock, you'll notice that a lot of bikes that were previously linkage based (not necessarily FSR) are going back to single pivot designs. On the other hand the FSR linkage is being used by every man and his dog, and works well for specialised and intense among others. But, more bearings and pivots, more potential for flex, more maintainence, possibly more weight.
Im pretty keen on the Craftworks FRm 125. I almost got one, but the funds fell through @ the last so had to go hard tail. The latest AMB had a good right up on it. Its a good pedaler up hills and u can put a triple clamp on it if ya want. Pretty light but also burly. I reckon its got bang 4 ya buck. But i also really love the patriot 7, its an awesome package
Belly up the 4 bar linkage would have less flex than a single pivot. Because it is mounted to the frame in multiple spots it will decrease the amount it can twist and flex as long as it is joined together properly. (I wish I could explain it better) Orange get over the flex problem by making huge pivots and huge swingarms so really the two designs don't end up much different.
The new bike should be here in the next few days.
The new bike should be here in the next few days.
Yeah, the new FSR linkages are all pretty good in terms of flex, especially when new, but i reckon the FSR bikes would get worse once the bearings start to wear. If each bearing was to develop 0.5 degrees of play over time, the single pivot bike will have 0.5 degrees of play, where as a multi linkage bike could have up to say 1.5 degrees of play. Plus the single pivot bike only has one set of bearings to replace, where an FSR has 4 sets of bearings/pivots. But i hear what you're saying about the potential for greater torsional rigidity through multiplte attachment points to the main frame.
My bike should be here monday (fingers crossed), we'll have to go for a 222 cruise : )
My bike should be here monday (fingers crossed), we'll have to go for a 222 cruise : )
Gutty
Likes Bikes and Dirt
also something to note is the distance between the rear axle and the main pivot. On a Patriot/bullit etc this distance is alot greater than any horst link bike therefore creating a longer lever arm to create flex in the main pivot area. Not that it's gonna be a problem, just some more useless info.belly_up said:
As for which bike to get, i went through this same decision late last year. I ended up going for the Craftworks because 1, it's an Aussie owned company and 2, the price.
With the money i saved over a Bullit etc i got an Avalanche rear shock fitted and made some new linkage plates that give me a bit over 7" travel.(you can run the Avy on the standard linkage too, though only a 2" stroke, not 2.25" as i have).
Until you ride an Avalanche you haven't ridden the best IMO. I am now in rear supension heaven.(well almost, the linkages need a little adjustment)
Good luck with your decision.
Well, anything can be a used for DH, but a DH bike for me is a bike that was designed by the company specifically for DH. Ie Intense M1, Orange 222 etc. There are alot of bikes, like the orange 7+, that are very much DH worthy and are a good DH bike but it was designed more for the freeride scene. I also have a personal opinion that a DH bike should be 7inch+ to be competitive.
Ty
Eats Squid
Turley what about the sea otter where people like CK use bikes like Tazers with only 4 inchs?
it really depends on the course how much travel you need
and i'd say that a dh bike doesn't need to be a dullie, have a look at doms hardtail, big forks, rims, tires, etc it's not an XC bike thats for sure, there has been alot of growth in the hardtail DH scene and it isn't just people who can't afford dullies. DH bikes are bikes that get ridden down hills
it really depends on the course how much travel you need
and i'd say that a dh bike doesn't need to be a dullie, have a look at doms hardtail, big forks, rims, tires, etc it's not an XC bike thats for sure, there has been alot of growth in the hardtail DH scene and it isn't just people who can't afford dullies. DH bikes are bikes that get ridden down hills
Yer, just about the tazer. I see your point but I still don't consider it as a DH specific bike because yes, it is used at see otter, but it isnt' then used that much on other DH tracks. The main bike used by CK is his M1 because most DH runs in the Norba and UCI circuits are not the same style as sea otter and require more travel to be the fastest down. If the Tazer was used for the majority of rounds that the pros compete in, then yes, I would consider it a DH bike.
I think there is a big difference between a DH bike and a DH worthy bike. Any thing can be DH worthy but only a few bikes "to me" are true DH bikes.
I guess my idea of a DH bike is the best bike (ie Fastest) for most (90%) DH runs around the world. Most tracks even in SEQ are of a high standard and to have the fastest time of anyone on a particular track, you must have a DH bike. The DH bike are those that a company designs for the majority of DH tracks around the world.
I think there is a big difference between a DH bike and a DH worthy bike. Any thing can be DH worthy but only a few bikes "to me" are true DH bikes.
I guess my idea of a DH bike is the best bike (ie Fastest) for most (90%) DH runs around the world. Most tracks even in SEQ are of a high standard and to have the fastest time of anyone on a particular track, you must have a DH bike. The DH bike are those that a company designs for the majority of DH tracks around the world.