anyone use a big old inappropriate bike all the time.
dont mind pushing up and having fun on the down kinda guy?

if so what do you ride

I’ve raced xc* and done all dayers on a 6″ bike with triple clamps if that counts! Enduro on e150 forks, reverb and 2.4″ RQs.

*very badly! :-).

I commute on my Blood

My shopping/pub bike has 160mm forks and a 2.5″ super tacky tyre.

I did Mountain Mayhem on a Scott Ransom with coil Lyrics and 2.4″ tyres 🙂 Was alright actually although that was dry year……

Having said all that I’ve gone for a more sensible 140mm bike now

I don’t use it all the time but I ride it whenever I can, even for trail riding

It weighs about 40lbs and is hard work uphill but downhill it rides like a motorbike, it doesn’t feel like a bicycle.

Great fun

I very occasionally ride with a guy who does XC rides on his demo 9. The traction is incredible, but he’s not very fast, and doesn’t really do more than 8 or 9 miles at a push.

Think you’ve seen my only mountain bike ton – Pitch with coil suspension at both ends (160/150mm). Sometimes I think I should get something more sensible but it’s great fun blatting down stuff.

I’ve taken it up some reasonable sized mountains like Ben Lomond and found it well worth it.

I sometimes cycle to work on my Genius LT and do local roadie routes on it too.

..Went on holiday in the Alps, and it certainly earned the name “push bike” on some rather extreme up hills. But also earned the “Mountain Bike” status on the downs. 😉

My other ride is a 100mm HT, I can see me riding the LT a lot more than the HT..

my only mountain bike is a Nukeproof Mega so that’s fairly inappropriate when i take it down saaaaf

I’ve done the 15+ mile round trip to work on it a few times for a change of scenery 🙂

I use my Nukeproof Mega on cheeky local singletrack trails which I used to use my HT on. It’s just faster and more fun to be honest.
Also used at Stoughton DH & Rogate DH 😀

I’ve got an inbred which I use if I’m putting miles in on the South Downs.

Orange Five for 9 mile (each way) road commute, about 3-4 times a week. It can get very boring.

I took my Pitch round 60k of cyb enduro at the weekend, complete with 2.5 tyres and a single ring. I suffered though.

so that’s fairly inappropriate when i take it down saaaaf

Why? There is plenty there for a bike like that.

Not completely inappropriate but my only bike is a Pitch on 2.3s, using it for a 7-mile each way road commute at the mo. Lock the forks, ProPedal on the rear shock and it’s tolerable – can average 14mph if I try.

Mate of mine uses a 45lbs Kona Stinky with Fox 40s as his only bike – Swinley, Surrey Hills, Fort Bill World Cup DH, uplifts, commuting occasionally, the lot.

I only have one bike – Transition Covert, super tackies, uppy downy and 1×10. I ride everything on it, just did the CyB Enduro on it this weekend.

I need one bike that will let me do the Alps one week and a XC ride in the Chilterns the next.

It actually climbs as well / better than XC bikes ridden by mates I ride with. Its slightly slower, but a lot of that is fitness.

mikey74 – Member
so that’s fairly inappropriate when i take it down saaaaf
Why? There is plenty there for a bike like that.

I should have clarified, when i take it to my parents, in Croydon and blast round the local woods.

I took my old Demo 8 on a few XC rides. Couldn’t go as far as on my hardtail, but I had a larf all the same.

Who cares what you ride…..

I rode lord of the loops (eleven hours in the peaks) on a turner six pack weighing in at over 36. Didn’t feel inappropriate.

I ride an appropriate bike but with an inappapropriate skillset.

Does that count?

Scienceofficer – Member
I very occasionally ride with a guy who does XC rides on his demo 9. The traction is incredible

Done that on a Demo 7. Traction was mental. Effort was too. Still fun.

I’ve ridden around the Surrey Hills on my Spesh SX Trail (2009 170mm travel version) with 170 coil Lyriks and it was amazing: It climbed amazingly well and was just a blast on the descents The only issue was that it is a bit heavy, which took it’s toll after 4 hours.

My 2008 Patriot with 170mm Bombers does everything – Alps and Whistler Bike Park through to local xc and 7-hour backcountry epics with long, steep, technical climbs.

If i ever ride my Five into work i always go along the canal (woody to Leeds, ton) that makes it seem slightly more appropriate!! I can ride it down some stairs that way as well, woo hoo!! 😀

Used to tow a kids trailer with an Enduro. Christ that was hard work.

I thought that this was another 29er thread….. 😉

I used to ride a 6 inch 38lb full sus all the time. It was beautiful to ride down hills but just dragged me down the rest of the time. Switched back to a hardtail.

Mate of mine rides a Foes Fly for everything, its as heavy as hell yet he climbs like a mountain goat. I hate him tbh.

I seem to be riding my Dialled Alpine with 150mm Z1s in the front most of the time. Daft really as most of my riding is on the North Downs. but it always seems to be the one nearest the door and it is a lot of fun.

Use my enduro evo for local rides with my mates. Kills me going up or on Tarmac but it just puts a huge smile on my face every time I use it

I use my Lapierre spicy for everything. I bet you don’t think it’s that bad. Well, it is when it weighs 34lb and has dual ply tyres on.

I commute on my Helius St, which has 160-230mm travel. Having said that, it’s got mavic xm819 & pro2 wheels, Bos Devilles & a Vip’r fitted that drags the weight down to a manageable 34lb. Along with the 160mm forks I’ve fitted a 215mm x 64mm rear shock, which has lowered the BB nicely.

As far as I can make out it now has 140, 160, 180 & 200 travel using the shorter stroke shock, though I only use the 140mm setting for commutes and trails. I love it..!

I use my Bullit for everything at the minute and its ok. Got up snowdon with it with boxxers on, it was fun going back down 😀

Spent a couple of years with a santa cruz vp free with triple crowns as my only bike. Used for everything including trail centres. Got some interesting looks on skyline! Then again I was super fit in those days.

I use my 05 SX Trail for everything. It’s not too bad, I’ve got it down to 33lbs but the 1×10 set up and super tacky tyres wear thin after a while on a long ride. It is bloody good fun though.

I had a mate who rode everything on a VP Free with 66’s..from XC rides in the peaks to sessions at Bolehills BMX track to DH days in Wharncliffe. Annoyingly he was quite handy at all three.

I rode the south downs way on a bullit with dualply ST highrollers on it (well, I’d heard it was flinty and might be slippy)

I wouldn’t do so again though

I regularly pedal my DH 8″ at the front 9″ at the back bike to my local downhill runs about 6 miles there and the same back.
Shortest travel bike I have is 7″ and that gets used for everything.

Good thread, 2007 Giant Reign, coil lyriks, newly acquired coil shock. Bloody rough, rocky terrain, fat knacker at the helm……….like it!

I regularly commute in and out of London on my bikes, the silliest of which is a Wolf Ridge with Wotans (try saying that after six bottles of Old Peculiar).

It’s surprisingly effective, but you do notice your momentum fall away when climbing.

Yeti asr 7 as my only bike which as long term recovery (aka on and off) it has been a ‘road bike’/xc machine 160 mm forks Talas with 7 inch rear 2.4/2.3 combo never weighed less than 31 pounds with pedals curently 34 ish.

Great climber off road, compemsates for my inabilty to descend after 5 hrs wears me down but pedals really well and never fails to make me smile.

Neevr really got on with light bikes ie anything less than 25lbs i think it was a left over from 1990s bikes always been happier on 27 lbs plus.

As above inappropiate bike inappropiatley ridden with a lack of skill, speed or finesse but i am happy 😀