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I know plenty of guys (including myself) that do that kind of ride on 170mm bike on a regular basis. You can set a big bike up to be more manageable on climbs; air shock, use the lockout, etc.Quote:
Originally Posted by Falcon3
Yes, a shorter travel bike is a bit easier on big climbs. But it's not the end of the world to do it on a big bike. Tires also make a big difference. I'd rather climb 3000 vert on a 170mm bike with maxxterra tires than 3000 vert on a 140mm bike with maxxgrip tires.
My Mullet Altitude excels at this. With a 170 Zeb, DD tires, an X2 Air, etc, it weighs a hair over 33#’s. Very, very manageable. Perfect for Teton Pass shredding without a shuttle.
My afterwork rides are more like 2000 feet, but I pretty regularly ride 1500-2000m (6500 feet) on a 170/165 YT Capra with MaxxGrip Assegai/MaxxTerra DHR2.Quote:
Originally Posted by Falcon3
The big days definitely feel like big days, but that’s kinda the point! I’ve never felt like the bike holds me back on how much I can climb, only how fast I can do the climb, if that makes sense.
I do a lot of 3k-4k+ climbs on my Megatrail (170/165, though light-ish at 33 lbs). If the down justifies it it's worth it. It's flatter rolling terrain type rides where the big bike will be a chore. Winch-and-plummet is all good.Quote:
Originally Posted by Falcon3
Heh, I like that term.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dantheman
Not sure I can still call myself an "expert" (despite many years of wrenching on bikes, sometimes professionally). I spent 10 minutes grunting over an SPD pedal removal (swapping for a longer hex wrench, adding penetrating oil, using a handlebar for more leverage) - only to realize that it was left hand threaded and I'd been tightening it. Doh.
+4 or whatever on big bikes being fine for big vert if the downhill portion justifies them. I spend most of my summer in the upper reaches of BCC, the usual rides start with a relentless 2500' climb on single track and dirt road. Not the fun type of climbing either, barely any flat ground and a 1.5 miles section near the top that is at the limit of what I can do without pushing. I'm barely slower on my Gnarvana than on my Stumpy and there's more than 5 lbs of difference between the bikes, not to mention the squishy coil shock vs locked air shock. A quick look at Strava for the typical evening loop says 1:34 on the GG and 1:27 on the Stumpy, 8% slower. That looks significant on paper but I'm more than happy to lose 7 minutes on the up, regain half on the down, and not rattle my teeth and brains loose in the gnar cause I'm on a less capable bike.
Yeah I think it comes down to distance. I can chop 30-35 mins off my 3.5hr/17mi/3k ft loop on the downcountry bike (admittedly clipped in and locked out) but if I just lap the major vert it's like a 5 min difference and definitely slower on the way downQuote:
Originally Posted by Dantheman
It kind of depends on whether you're riding with others and how fast/slow they are as well. I'm plenty happy pedaling my 35# Nomad on "winch & plummet", and have owned medium (Sentinel v1) and short (Smuggler v2) travel bikes in the past. The Nomad is like 2-3 lbs heavier than my Sentinel was, actually feels more efficient climbing, and is a lot more forgiving going down. I mostly ride with buddies who are slower or the same pace climbers as I am, even on the big bike. So a more efficient bike just means I sit around for an extra 30sec or so per lap at the top, and get beat up more on the way down. Each lap where I usually ride is about 850', and I don't think something like a Tallboy would make me want to do even 1 more lap than I'd do on the Nomad.
I notice tires the most out of the typical tinkering when it comes to climbing. When I put on Schwalbes in the fall instead of the usual Assegai/DHR, the rolling speed was really noticeable. Likewise for the new Contis instead of the same Maxxis setup.
If always wondered if, on a quiver of one bike (that doesn’t go to the park), it’s worth having 2 wheelsets. One mounted with faster rolling trail tires and one maybe a touch wider and with heavier tires. I assume you still have to do caliper alignment with the rotors when switching.
I tend to ride lighter and faster tires in the spring and then when things get dry and dusty and loose in late summer/fall I go to something a little chunkier and more durable. I do have the stock wheels around but never bothered putting tires on them and switching.
I’ve got 2 wheelsets for the gravel bike, one with 43 gravel tires and the other with 32 road tires. Even though I run the same hubs and rotors on both I still had to shim one wheel to avoid rubbing the pads.Quote:
Originally Posted by SchralphMacchio
Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums
The Push fork we have all been waiting for. First time seeing it in this video.
I do that on my big bike. Burlier wheelset with maxxgrip dh casings, and lighter(ish) wheelset with maxxterra doubledown rear, exo plus front.Quote:
Originally Posted by SchralphMacchio
Calipers needs aligning when swapping, but it's pretty quick. Derailleur needs like a quarter turn on the barrel adjuster too. Limits are close enough though.
Doesn't someone on here have a WAO Arrival?
This is a very tempting buy:
https://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/3593602/
Superboost. Ew.Quote:
Originally Posted by Whiteroom_Guardian
I’m trying to buy a cheap, mint, used DH bike.
I found a 2015 Giant Glory 2 locally for $1200. It’s barely been used, you can still see the little hairy/prickly things on the stock Magic Marys that are there when tires are new.
Now I’ve ridden that generation Glory 2 and I know I like it. What will I likely have to rebuild/grease/perform maintenance on? I have never bought a downhill rig this old before, however this thing is barely used.
Toast you told me bearings, anything else I should look out for?
should I avoid and go a little newer? I’m broke, but live near a bike park
Crash damage dilemma update WWYD:
Old, moderately fun bike value $2500, maybe
Crash replace cost + labor: $1200
New Frame+Fork+wheel+Labor to get desired wheel size and geo: $4500
F it, New bike - Craigslist old bike ($6700-1000) = $5700. BUT the build is meh
Pour money into the outdated money pit?
Pour more money into a build that will inevitably cost more than I think it will but maybe not?
Or swing for the fences recession be damned I'll just eat beans or something
I ride a Patrol (mullet Spire) XT build kit with a coil RS Super Deluxe shock and Maxxis DD tires (Assegai MaxxGrip front, DHR II MaxxTerra rear) and I find it fine for 1000m/3500ft rides as long as it is not technical climbing the entire way. The weight, length and geo of the bike makes tech climbing fairly labour intensive. Spinning up paved/FSR roads locked out is easy, as is double track and smooth single track, but if I am out of the saddle humping up tech stuff I get tired noticeably faster than my previous bike (YT Jeffsy 160/160 27.5, carbon frame/wheels). I'm sure the cabon Spire/Patrol make a bit of a difference here, as would faster tires.Quote:
Originally Posted by Falcon3
But the fun factor on descents vastly outweighs the say 5-10% climbing penalty. It's all winch/plummet stuff here in Sea to Sky anyway. I do have to admit I haven't ridden Lord of the Squirrels or done any 1500-2000m days since getting this bike though. I know I could do it but it will be big.
Huskydoc
Maybe buy Marshall’s gnarvana for a steal?
The Gnarvana is an XL...
Your list isn't quite clear. Is the 2,700 cost of an old but moderately fun used bike that you'd get? $1,200 to crash replace your current one (how good is that bike)? Is the $4,500 option basically writing off your current frame, buying new fork/wheel/frame and moving the rest of your parts?Quote:
Originally Posted by Huskydoc
Used market is truly awful right now. Like 40% of what it was new, assuming a relatively modern (last 3 years) bike, unless it's something people pay a premium for like Santa Cruz or Yeti. So don't count on getting much for selling anything.
It would probably help if you listed what you have / are looking at.
Sorry should've been more clear. I can replace the current broken bike for $2500, but if I fixed and sold that's probably the cap for what I'd get minus cost of repair.
$4500 to write off the frame and swap applicable parts.
I looked briefly at used but to get into something substantively better and more to my liking (HT<65 160 travel mullet with a reach in the 480-490 range) the list is short and I'm kinda gunshy now about going used w/o warranty recourse
Assuming you mean it's 1,200 for new frame + rebuild, could then sell for 2500. So only like 1,300 net that route, sounds like a bad deal.
I'd go the 4,500 route. You can probably get *something*, however little, for the 27.5 fork & front wheel, to ease the sting. Rest of your parts suit you well enough now, so no reason they can't carry over to the mullet.
You could also pick & pull parts off the complete new build, but the value isn't great there either, especially if they're not top end parts. I parted out a Levo Comp a couple months back, and was selling brand new parts (Performance 36 / Float X, Code Rs, etc.) for like 40% of retail. If it was brand new Factory / XTR type stuff, I'm sure I could have gotten more like 75%-80%. I didn't even to try and sell the Roval MX wheelset because it's only worth like $200, and shipping that shit would be like $50.
Right now even ‘brand new’ Fox Factory, XTR, etc, is going for 30% off retail if it’s not from a reputable dealer with warranty/CS.
I can’t even get wholesale for BNIB EEWings, but that’s a specialty item.
I’m getting Chi Chi parts cheaper again on eBay than QBP (but what else is new)