I’m not 100% sure a DH bike fits the bill for what i want.

I want-

To get loose and not worry
Ride lots of jumps
Ride steep
Trail feedback
To be able to hop when i want without putting my back out
I enjoy manualling everywhere
Make visually pleasant shapes in the air
I’d rather pick hop lines through the rough, rather than straight line monster trucking

I currently have a 160 bike, feels a little nervous at times, harsh landings and some rough, though that could be due to light wheels and tyres. I do uplifts and what not on it, so ride proper DH tracks such as wharnecliffe. Will be going to alps/whistler on it too. Maybe some regional series dh racing.

So a burlier 160mm bike build or 180mm park/mini dh bike or full on DH race bikes?

I know you have bikes blurring the lines such as demo 8s or norco aurums which still have good freeride geo. Will gladly take recommendations and experiences.

are you going to ride up any hills on it?

actually lolling at you manualling everywhere and your visually pleasant shapes.

A friend of mine got one of these recently, bit of bargain if you are medium-sized and came with a DHX4 shock. Might be just what you;re after…

http://www.freeborn.co.uk/specialized-2010-sx-trail-3

Trail feedback
To be able to hop when i want without putting my back out
I enjoy manualling everywhere

Don’t proper DH bikes have lots of wheelbase and quite long stays ?
Not sure you can get masses of feedback AND use 8″ travel unless you ride bloody fast

To get loose and not worry
Ride lots of jumps
Ride steep
Trail feedback
To be able to hop when i want without putting my back out
I enjoy manualling everywhere
Make visually pleasant shapes in the air
I’d rather pick hop lines through the rough, rather than straight line monster trucking

1. Yes
2. What sort of jumps? Rhythm sections/dirt jumping or big booters and things you find on DH trails?
3. Yes
4. No (it’s all relative)
5. You’ve got 8 inches of travel trying to keep you glued to the ground. DH bikes are not easy to hop in comparison to any other MTB, but once you adjust your technique a bit you’d be fine
6. Some designs are better than others for manualling
7. Depends on the bike, the rider and the setup

are you looking for a downhill bike? if the answer to this is yes then the answer to your question is also yes

I want-

To get loose and not worry
Ride lots of jumps
Ride steep
Trail feedback
To be able to hop when i want without putting my back out
I enjoy manualling everywhere
Make visually pleasant shapes in the air
I’d rather pick hop lines through the rough, rather than straight line monster trucking

You just described the perfect use for a dirtjump/4X hardtail.. short stays and 100mm max fork travel

What bike do you currently have ? Would seem to me the right 160mm bike could do all that.

You’re clearly a better rider than I but my experience of renting a DH bike in Les Gets (vs my 160mm Reign) – great fun, loves to go fast, hates to be ridden slowly on technical trails, flattens the trail. My Reign is better for picking a line down a technical trail at slow/medium speed, little hops/jumps (the DH bike was hard to get off the ground at my typical comfortable speed).

Commencal Mini Downhill (supreme 6 or 8

Transition TR250.

I’d go bikepark/Brit DH (if there is such a thing) stylee – Kona Entourage, etc.

How about a Bottlerocket???

Bottlerocket

Or a new Carbon Covert

Covert

I was looking for a similar bike recently. I didn’t want a full on DH bike as I rarely get to ride tracks that warrant it.

In the end I got a 2009 reign x. So far it has been great. Jumps really well, fairly easy to manual and has enough travel to get you out of trouble, but not so much that it feels like you are wallowing in it on tamer tracks.

Get a S/H DH bike to race, uplift, take to the alps/canada and a hardtail for your stunt riding.

I could sell you a complete DH bike and a stunt hardtail frame/fork (if you’re not massively tall or really short).

Sounds like you want a DH bike… The Aurum and Demo 8 are about as un freeride as it gets. They’re slack and the BB’s are on the deck. The problem with bikes like the SXT and Supreme Mini DH etc is that they weigh as much as pure DH bikes and aren’t anywhere near as fast/fun. I would buy a Status with a VAN 180 and light parts.

I went to DH bikes, but then dialled it back a little to an SX trail. If your 160 isn’t doing what you want perhaps you could lower it, slacken it and look at the tuning of your shock.

The problem with bikes like the SXT and Supreme Mini DH etc is that they weigh as much as pure DH bikes and aren’t anywhere near as fast/fun.

I’d say it’s faster, more fun but I’d agree on the lack of weight saving (saved a lot of weight in the forks though)

I’ve currently got a charge blender and a da bomb cherry bomb 6″ bike build as light as reliable permits, 32lbs (doesn’t sound awesome, but it really feels it).

The blender is a hoot, but have only ridden it with sore ribs (bruised my ribs twice in 5 months), fast and rough, not just gravel road, actual large roots and rocks firmly fixed in the ground, my ribs get shaken till they can’t take it any more. Maybe when i eventually heal it will be ok. I have to run high pressure in the rear, it gets too nervous on off camber rough. Give me a trail which is like a proper 4X track, think fort will or val di’sole, so some rough, flowy ect, it’s fun, but any steep, rocky tech, i feel too beaten up by it.

The 160 basically does what i want, but there is the wonder there whether something bigger will give me a bigger buzz due to doing bigger stuff more sloppy and getting away with it or whether it will deaden the experience and kill the buzz.

As fir the jumps im on about, big DH booters and drops, i have my BMX for proper DJs, blender for bmx track.

I’m expecting something like the demo 8 and aurum to be a good middle ground due to short CS and progressive suspension for something to push off, rather than a big magic carpet feeling barge like a summum or V10.

I’m thinking big bike or DH wheels/tyres and a coil shock for the 6″ bike when on gnar duties.

To get loose and not worry
Ride lots of jumps
Ride steep
Trail feedback
To be able to hop when i want without putting my back out
I enjoy manualling everywhere
Make visually pleasant shapes in the air
I’d rather pick hop lines through the rough, rather than straight line monster trucking

Scott voltage FR 10… not a DH bike.. a mini DH bike does everything you want.
Our guides are running 2011 FR10’s with stock 180mm fox 36 Vanilla single crowns on Whistler bike park and riding everything on the park with no concerns.
Will put them on 40’s in a while but for now the bike is still uber capable.
My Voltage FR is running 36 floats and a DHX air. weighs only a shade more than your Charge.. so you can see how verstatile the Voltage is.