Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 46 total)
  • Do we worry too much about what our bikes are 'meant for'…?
  • DrP
    Full Member

    The thread about "fitting longer forks than the frame's specced for" got me thinking – do we worry far too much about the 'intended use' of our bikes and other items?

    Look at it this way – when I was in my teens with not much money, I used to ride a fair bit of trials…. I bough a skinny old Scott XC bike with XC wheels, Vs, and an XC crank. I fitted a bash to it, fitted Tioga DH 2.3 tyres, and rode the hell out of it! I would regularly do 5-8ft drops to flat, do the odd bit of jumping, and often fall off onto rocks etc, resulting in a bit clatter of XC skinnyness against natures finet granite…

    A few years later at Uni another bike got nicked, so on the cheap I'd built up a 'free ride hard tail' out of spare/cheap parts. I fitted MZ XC pro forks to it and rode the hell out of it. I mean, these were 30mm stantion, 120mm travel air forks with QR drop outs.

    NONE of the above components showed any sign on packing up on me….

    As I'm a bit older, wiser, and financially more stable, I start to worry that the 'all mountain' rims I'm currently running may not be suitable for the 3ft drop that I encounter on a regular loop, or that maybe I should get 36mm stantions for more stiffness and safety……

    I'll freely admit that for some uses you do need specific components (DH racing, massive hucks etc), but surely for the majority of riding that the majority of us do, bolting any component to any frame should really suffice…no?

    Of course – I (and many others here) suffer a bad case of 'upgrateitis', but I'm sure none of it is necessary!

    Discuss!

    DrP

    jedi
    Full Member

    ride what ya brung 🙂

    ZaskarCarbon
    Free Member

    Yes, yes we do, and I blame the manufacturers.

    New niches are created all the time, and this makes people feel that there is always a more suitable bike for the type of riding that they want to do. With the exception of out-and-out XC racing, or downhill racing, one bike will pretty much be suitable for anything.

    I (like a lot of other people no doubt) have been suckered into this, and have had short travel hardtails, long travel hardtails, and 4,5, and 6 inch FS bikes. And all this for 'general' riding, in the belief that every new bike I get is somehow going to be better/more suitable than the last one. And EVERY TIME, I come back to a mid-travel (5") hardtail with a smattering of strong, light, functional kit on it.

    For example, my current bike is built around a GT Zaskar Carbon 4X frame, and leans towards the enduro/freeride side of things with a single chainring, 9spd on the back, SRAM X0, Hope Pro 3s and carbon bits and bobs. It's strong as hell and it weighs just over 25lb. In fact I had 2 – I've recently sold one and I'm keeping this one for a while.

    This is just my own personal preference, but it suits me for all of the riding that I'm likely to do. I also have an Yeti 303 but that's purely for when I fancy throwing myself down the nearest mountain.

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    crazy-legs
    Full Member

    I remember the days when people would go along to the NPS series and do the trials, DH and XC on the same bike! Maybe put flat pedals on it or (if you were really flash) a second set of wheels.

    I think people worry far too much about it (and I'm probably just as guilty) but I've seen people out on normal "trail" rides refuse to do a 12" drop because "they've only got 2.1" tyres on, not their DH tyres" (actual quote!)

    ride what ya brung 🙂

    +1

    BigBikeBash
    Free Member

    When I were a lad I only had a 'racer' as they used to be called. 12 gears and skinny wheels. Still rode it across the same stuff I ride today. The only difference was I used to get more pinch punctûres and buckled wheels.

    In fact, thinking back to some of the stuff I rode then, I don't think I would ride it today even with a proper mountain bike.

    LoCo
    Free Member

    At the end of day manufacturers primary concern is to sell bikes and components, therefore the creation of new niches, sub sectors e.t.c is a good way of convincing the punters to upgrade/replace last years kit.
    I'm not sying there isn't a genuine progression in the design and performance over the last years equipment just that at the end of the day the bike industry like any other is a business.
    My bikes have slowly been reduced to having the most durable components fitted, however this doesn't mean I'm immune to the next biggest shiniest thing that's just come out!
    Eying up some Kashima Fox 15mm qr forks at the moment as it happens!

    buzz-lightyear
    Free Member

    Jedi+1

    I dislike the artificial categorisation and classification of reality. These constructs exist only on our heads while reality quietly gets on with being a continuum.

    hug
    Free Member

    I don't,i can afford 1 decent bike (sanderson life & nice bits bolted on)and it goes through the woods,streams & fields of Essex (where i live) and up to the peak district and over to affan. nearly killed me once or twice but the bikes fine,and the forks are 15mm longer than recommended wooo

    ZaskarCarbon
    Free Member

    I have to chuckle at the people who turn up to Enduros with the latest £5k wonder bikes attached to the back of their Audi RS4, and then proceed to pootle around the campsite (so everyone can see they've got one), and delight in telling their friends just how adjustable and amazing their bike is…

    And then the inevitable happens. They hold everyone up on the descents because they can't ride properly. It's like the people who travel to the Nurburgring in their supercars, and then lap slower than someone in a Ford Focus.

    It's not what you have, but how you ride it. I always find that the "ride it like you stole it" attitude tends to work for me, no matter what bike it is!

    SiB
    Free Member

    recently rode from san francisco to LA ont he Pacific Coast Highway on a fully rigid 1998 GT Timberline, v brakes, frozen seat post, slightly buckled wheel (10 of us all on 'retro' mtb's)…….Ive got a carbon road bike and a half decent hardtail (P7)and if I had to do it all again it would be on the old GT.

    Far too much emphasis on 'suitability' of bike for the likes of the 'amature rider', different for the 'pro's' out there or those using bikes for a living.

    tinsy
    Free Member

    When I invented MTBing on my old 26 raleigh racer with cowhorns I didnt even realize you could get knobbly tyres..

    saxabar
    Free Member

    In this one particular case I'm an ardent freemarketer. Let everyone decide what they want for themselves, let businesses innovate and let the prices of quality kit fall!

    RustySpanner
    Full Member

    I have a bike designed for 'Cross Country' supposedly. Which is nice, as that's where I usually ride it.

    However, I ride a little Free-mince and JheyCoreLite as well, and it's not broken yet.

    (I've no idea what that means BTW, but this thread was making me feel a bit old, so I thought I'd join in).

    BigDummy
    Free Member

    We do certainly seem to buy a lot of things as a precaution against our existing things breaking. I never break "XC" bits personally, but that doesn't stop me upgrading to "All Mountain" bits. 😀

    ZaskarCarbon
    Free Member

    Rusty Spanner – to be fair, a lot of the people who claim to ride "Freeride" tend to "FreeMince" anyway!

    PeterPoddy
    Free Member

    I've seen people out on normal "trail" rides refuse to do a 12" drop because "they've only got 2.1" tyres on, not their DH tyres" (actual quote!)

    Nooooooooooo!? 😯

    I've come to realise that all my riding could be done on my Inbred, hence getting rid of the expensive Yeti 575 and the 'not cheap' SS Inbred last year.

    OK, I've got a Pitch which is getting heavier and gnarlier as time goes by and a classic Kona Cindercone SS, but neither cost me that much to buy or run, and I 'downgraded' the Yeti to the Pitch simply because the Yeti was an expensive bike sitting there doing nothing which I can't justify.

    RustySpanner
    Full Member

    ZaskarCarbon:

    If you see any of them, please tell them to bugger-off and get their own niche.

    Free-mince is a state of mind, they just wouldn't get it.
    It involves riding down not very steep things very, very slowly, pulling a face like that Diddy from MUCK whilst you're sphincter does an impression of a Morecambe bay prawn.

    It's gnurly, maan, as I belive the kids say.

    stumpy01
    Full Member

    Can't say I have ever had too much choice.
    The previous Stumpy was used for everything I could throw at it (which to be fair isn't very much), and was used as normal weekly ride bike, road bike, race weapon (pea shooter), Spanish mountain conqueror etc.

    The new Stumpjumper will have to put up with the same, apart from the road bits as I'll be using the Inbred (with old Stumpy bits) for that purpose.

    I've never really thought about whether the components were up to the job; more my lack of skill & sometimes the geometry of the old bike, which always had me over the bars.
    But, my rad is probably a competent riders Sunday afternoon pootle.

    rOcKeTdOg
    Full Member

    RIde my 4"travel trail bike on anything but the towpath. Are you flipping serious? 😯

    soobalias
    Free Member

    do i look worried?

    and yes, i do realise that its a complete overkill 'riding a DB alpine with 150mm air(?) forks and the saddle at a that (useable) height…. in the chilterns!'
    but pointing it out to me made me smile and made all my mates chuckle while we enjoyed a pint.

    adstick
    Free Member

    Funny how it's turned into a 'my type of bike is better than yours' thread!

    I went out the other night with about 12 riders to ride the local singletrack. Between our bikes we had 29ers, fully rigid, hardtails, XC FS bikes, more 'freeridey' FS bikes, and everything else in between.

    We still had fun! And the riders more often at the front weren't all on one type of bike…

    Unless you have the time and money for a shedfull of bikes, ride the bike that most suits most of what you do and get on with it! They're all mountain bikes.

    thisisnotaspoon
    Free Member

    Dunno, but my DT 4.2 rims are holding up supprisingly well to the pasting I dish out to them (mainly dirtjumping and twisty/jumpy downhill (no rocks though at swinely) ! Need to get the 'XC' bike built up so they can go over to that for a nice ride and fit the jeycorefreeride wheels back on the 456.

    big_scot_nanny
    Full Member

    This is a good thread, and has made me hold fire on new forks.

    I ride a 29er HT, just sold my 26er full squish as, frankly, I wasn't riding it at all. I was going to use the cash to upgrade the forks (and to pay for the brakes that I have just upgraded :oops:), currently on 120mm Manitou Minute 29ers, they are QR, and I am all het up that as a bat fastard I need to get bolt throughs, and perhaps improved travel as well.

    Now, the brakes I can feel the difference in (bloody lovely Tech M4s!) but you have convinced me that until I actually have an issue with the forks, I shall wait.

    Now, I wonder if the local apple store has any iPads….

    😆

    Kev

    BigDummy
    Free Member

    has made me hold fire on new forks

    By contrast, I seem to have just bought a new frame, which is in most respects quite similar to my current frame, only heavier and a different colour. It will be more suited to FreeMince however.
    🙂

    big_scot_nanny
    Full Member

    I'm lovin' freemince. I totally OWN that style. 'pootle' to the power of 'steady'. dude.

    😛

    Bushwacked
    Free Member

    I've always loved the term "Jey-core"…

    As someone once wisely said – a new bike is only any good if it makes you want to ride more. If that happens to be some monster with 6inch travel to compliment the XC bike then so be it. Each to their own 🙂

    Its all good 🙂

    andrewh
    Free Member

    If I'm racing, yes it matters. Every little helps (carbon Yeti ASR)
    If I'm messing about, one bike for pretty much everything and it's not really specific for anything, but just a great laugh (13yr old Claude Butler, rigid steel SS.) Cheap as chips so not worried about breaing the odd bit every now and again. Would hate to break the Yeti, really can't afford to replace stuff on that.

    monkeychild
    Free Member

    I get bigger smiles from riding my rigid ss. I have no idea why??? Its a lot bloody harder to ride.

    ooOOoo
    Free Member

    Everyone spending too much free time on the internet discussing niches doesn't help either. In real life I've never looked at corner and gone "Is my bicycle just right for that? Maybe not, better give up"

    sambob
    Free Member

    i use mine for everything, but that's probably because i cant afford another bike. but i do enjoy catching people on superlights and carbon Scott sparks 🙂

    ton
    Full Member

    agree with the op………………..but if you have a bike that came with 100mm forks and was obviously underforked, ………….would putting a 140/180mm adjustable fork on it be a bad idea???

    bassspine
    Free Member

    "ride it like you stole it" – sneaking around being very careful not to draw attention from the police?

    binners
    Full Member

    Mine gets used for everything. I spent a lot of money on it. It can earn its bloody keep. Simple

    It gets on my tits when people say "what? You ride that to work?"

    Why? What should i be doing with it? cleaning it? polishing its ickle spokes? Stroking it? Taking f**king photos of it propped against my f**king sofa and posting them on here?

    If it was designed for barreling through f**king rock gardens then I'm sure it can handle a five mile daily commute. And everything else in between!

    Edric64
    Free Member

    We ride as a small group and quite often we are on a 20 year old diamond back bodged single speed ,an Indi Fab single speed ,a cx bike and a full sus Rocky Mountain.So basically ride anything anywhere

    _tom_
    Free Member

    Yep, I ride XC on the same bike I jump on. Looks small but it's comfy. I'm even going to SS it soon, I think!

    rusty-trowel
    Free Member

    I've been in your garage DrP! How many bikes? – ss, tandem, full suss… 🙂

    mrclean
    Free Member

    Just going back to the origional comments…

    i love the ride what you brung mentality! its widely true as long as folk have an awareness of what the bike / rider limits are!

    i tend to ride kit more capable that me. Especially forks! The way i see it major Dental work is defiately more painful and generally more expensive than a set of 32mm+ stanctioned ,well controlled bolt thru forks…?

    _tom_
    Free Member

    i tend to ride kit more capable that me. Especially forks! The way i see it major Dental work is defiately more painful and generally more expensive than a set of 32mm+ stanctioned ,well controlled bolt thru forks…?

    Same here. I'll take bombproofness over lightweight especially when it comes to forks and frames.

    bellerophon
    Free Member

    They're all mountain bikes

    No they're not, some are;XC, agressive XC, trail XC, then there's freeride, freeride lite, you get the picture; oh and some are all mountain bikes…

    IGMC

    CHUCKMORR1S
    Free Member

    I understand the spec needed for a downhill bike amd appreciate race bikes need to be lighter with less travel.

    I can only afford one bike which is FS XC bike. Not started jumping yet, but it's what I will be using.

Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 46 total)

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