James = No never ridden a jones, wouldn’t mind a go on one tho. I have ridden a lot of bikes tho and everything from 0-70mm fork offsets.

What the hell is a DH trailbike? whatever you’ve dream’t up short wheelbase isn’t going to do you any favours when you need stability for the DH part of your trail.

Hey guys I’m new to the forum and though I’d add to this. I’m from the east coast of the US and it would seem from my perspective that the uk is moving away from the trends in the US at least. Every LBS I go into has more 29ers than anything else, and they look they they are becoming the norm on the local trails. I personaly hate 29ers, they just don’t do it for me, and last year I bought a “uk specific” hardtail and I absolutly love it. Best bike purchase to date. So if that is the direction you guys are moving in, then rock on and sign me up, cause in my opinion you guys are the only ones that are making stuff that makes any sense…and thats fine with me. 🙂

bikeryder85: welcome dude

How about starting a thread posting some pictures of your local trails?

Perhaps UK riders are more cynical of marketing so things like the 29ers in the US wont sell here as well ?

Try reading the US mountain bike mags – they are just adverts, where as ours are less so. ST is a good example, other less so, but compared to the US ones Ive read they are worlds apart.

Marketing plays a massive role in determinig the direction of the sport, if your a mtb company and want to make money in a crowded market place you just come up with a slightly different product and market the hell out of it. It page one in the book of “how to run a commercial company”.

GW.

Where abouts are you?

If you live anywhere near to where I ride you’re more than welcome to have a spin round on my Jones.

Trimix – Member
Perhaps UK riders are more cynical of marketing so things like the 29ers in the US wont sell here as well ?…

Maybe UK 29ers are better setup for our conditions?

My first 29er was a bit barge like, then I got a Singular which was good (still have it), and a Scandal which is also good.

Maybe 26er’s are better suited to the UK conditions most weekend warriors ride in?

I am sure I read somewhere that 29er’s only make sense if you’re over a certain height, could it be that the US tends to have taller riders?

I think if you’re riding around a trail park with armoured single track, carefully crafted berms, the odd jump, and the accent on interesting downhill bits, you’ll want a bike with lots of suspension and the majority of them are 26″. You’re never far from anywhere, and there’s plenty of other riders if you need help, so a complex bike and a macho approach to riding are more fun.

My riding is done in the Highlands, usually isolated, tracks can be anything, there’s usually no-one else around, and the bike may have to be shouldered for peat bogs or lifted over fences. I have found that the lighter the bike the better, and the less bits to go wrong the better. Because I tend to be on my own a conservative attitude to riding is necessary – don’t want to bring out Mountain Rescue because I’ve been stupid.

Thus a rigid 29er single speed works best for me. Just about unbreakable and light. I also do 24 hour solo races and again that 29er does the job, all I have to worry about is riding not maintenance.

I think the differences are small enough for most of us to deal with, plus the power of ‘niche’ overcomes all manner of rationality.

I still think the biggest influence over the short term is marketing and sadly that often has nothing to do with the real world we cycle in. For example just look how long its taken for us to stop riding around on frames with geometry from the early 90’s – the terrain hasnt changed since the iceage, but the bikes have only changed in the last 8 years or less.

It takes ages for shite things to die and good things to shine through. Not all buyers are educated / experienced enough to make good buying decisions.

I suspect most people on the STW forum have had several bikes by now, and have probably worked out what suits them best for the conditions they ride on.

There’s been a big improvement in 29ers over the last few years in the UK. On-One seems to have done most of the original thinking on this. It’s wry how the rigid ss 29er now resembles the path racer of the 1890s – maybe our great great grand fathers knew a trick or two 🙂

The desire to be different will always overcome rational thinking 🙂

Trimix – Member
The desire to be different will always overcome rational thinking

I often wonder about the “niche” accusations that flow on this forum – I’ve always regarded it as a bit of a joke.

Maybe there are some fashionistas who do this, but they’ll be off to the next new and shiny thing as soon as they are told it is fashionable – jet propelled snow boards maybe – and probably won’t be around bikes for long. Probably to be found clustered in suitable fashionable locations posturing with their latest bit of designer clothing or toy rather than out riding and getting sweaty and dirty.

From what I can see on this forum many of the members have been riding a long time, and post up some epic rides. I doubt any of them would buy something unless they could see a distinct advantage to them for the sort of riding they do.

I often wonder about the “niche” accusations that flow on this forum – I’ve always regarded it as a bit of a joke.

I think it’s safe to say that there’s quite a few folks on the forum who play up the “niche” thing in a self pishtaking way. 😉

It’s also safe to say that the same people have also been into the whole bike thing for quite a long time and know what they want from a bike.

I don’t think there’s much deliberate bike nicheness on here, just lot of experienced cyclists who want to find their own take on the sport. All these different kinds of mountain bike work.

Who wants conformity? Viva la difference.

Yes, there are some that are different and are brave enough to do so on their own in a public forum or out on the trail. Dispite the herd mentality of most people.

Thats a good thing.

Trimix – Member
…Dispite the herd mentality of most people.

I’d sooner try to herd cats than STW members 🙂

GW – “What the hell is a DH trailbike? whatever you’ve dream’t up short wheelbase isn’t going to do you any favours when you need stability for the DH part of your trail. “

i means ‘a trail bike as it handles downhill’ rather than a DH trailbike as a new category, i wasn’t that clear i guess. as in, i know what makes a trail bike biased toward good downhill handling. there are bikes with 140mm travel (full or front) that fit that description.

and no, a short wheelbase wouldn’t come into it normally, you can generalise and say long wheelbase = stable, we all know that. but as i was saying with wheel size, one variable alone does not always dictate how a bike handles, you can’t judge a bike with one measurement. a ‘short’ wheelbase 29er could be 43″ and that’s enough to offer plenty of stability when other factors like a short rear and a slack front are considered. it’s relative and i’m not saying it equals a V10 etc, what i mean is that it will handle well at speed downhill within the linitations of say a rgid rear or a 120mm fork etc / not be biased toward climbing at the expense of fun and downhill ability to the majority of riders.