I’ve heard the term over-biked used a few times; usually when somebody is looking to sell a longer travel bike and get something shorter. But I also read a comment recently, where somebody (I think it was metalheart talking about his rocket) said that they didn’t need a 150mm bike, but viewed it as a 100mm bike that could go up to 150mm if needed, which got me wondering what it actually means to be over-biked.

It sounds as though the bike is too good, but that can’t be it. If you are selling a bike to buy another one it’s going to cost you money. So, you aren’t doing that to get a worse bike. So, is it just short hand for too heavy, or too slack, or just a way of justifying buying a new bike?

Cheers,

Andy

I think it’s just having a bike that’s so capable that it takes the fun out of riding wherever it is that you normally go.

I mostly ride steel hardtails but I’ve got a 130mm travel FS bike too. The FS tends to make me feel like I’ve not had to work very hard on any given bit of trail. It’s faster just not as fun.

All of the above depending on who you ask 🙂

I find my CX bike perfect for a lot of local bridleways – they’re too easy and hence boring on my mtb so I’d say that I would be over biked on my mtb for those trails.

Similarly, if you ride what most people would consider XC trails, riding a DH bike on them will have you overbiked – more capable than it needs to be which can (not always though) mean it’s less fun and quite likely harder work at the same time.

impossible to be over-biked.

😉

I think it’s just having a bike that’s so capable that it takes the fun out of riding wherever it is that you normally go.

Pretty much sums it up.

Recently I rode my local trails on a single speed jump bike with about 40mm of travel. Most fun I have had in ages 😀

Its a daft expression that the hardtail or rigid ‘purists’ aim at people riding 6″+ bikes round trail centres

I occasionaly take my Pitch arround Cannock, it’s overbiked. It’s OK but it’s; slower than an XC bike, and makes the ‘downhills’ boring as the suspension works against you in the tighter corners and the jumps aren’t built big enough. On the other hand GT seemed much more even, although I’d still think something shorter travel would have been faster I didn’t feel quite so held back. So it’t no cut and dried.

Ignore it – how can you be overbiked if you’re having fun ?

I used to ride round the new forest on a bullit with a boxxer on it

Overbiked is one way of looking at it , or was I underbiked ?
It’s all xc riding and you could pretty much do it on a kids trike so the term overbiked is meaningless here. Was great for sitting & pedalling across really rutted or molehilly bits but actually pretty hard work overall and mostly slower except on very particular stretches mentioned above.

If you get more suspension travel honking up the hills than barrelling down the other side then you’re “overbiked”

IMO it’s just taking a bike thats bigger, heavier and squishier than you really need, all that effort to get up the hills and not worth it for the downs. It’s no biggy tho, i think it’s mainly said in jest.

edit I sometimes take my “Lakes” bike on local rides, draggy tyres, very soft suspension and about 5lb overweight, going up the hills I think I’m overbiked going down the hills I’m normally having too much fun to think about it 🙂

Was definitely over-biked earlier this year when I got back from Stile Cop on the big bike (I ride there and back) only to realise I didn’t have my house keys.

Quick phone call to mrs rocket revealed she was in town so I had to Ride Along The Cyclepath into town on a 200mm FR bike c/w FF, armour and all the rest of it.

Got a few funny looks along the way but the worst part was rocking up outside the coffee shop where mrs rocket was and going inside to get the keys 😳 🙂

You don’t realise what it is to be an ‘enthusiast’ until you’re surrounded by non-enthusiasts

My bikes are “under-ridered”. Sad, but true.

My bike complains about having an underskilled rider….. 😐

I own a Mega and a c456. At the weekend I rode Lee & Crag Quarry for the 5th time. I’ve always enjoyed Lee Quarry but struggled to find the flow of Crag.
This weekend I left the Mega at home and took the c456. This time Crag made sense and I enjoyed Lee Quarry just as much.

My conclusion is that on the Mega I was overbiked!

More bike than me = “over-biked”.
Less bike than me = “might as well be riding cyclocross”.

If you’re having fun then you can’t be overbiked but if you’re thinking “this is too easy”,etc then maybe you are.

(this one especially goes out to everyone who’s ever taken their 6 inch bike to a trail centre then complained it’s too smooth)

to me its all about weight, if you are riding up you pay the weight penalty of too mush suspension (usually*)
if you are only riding DH, no such thing as overbiked, maybe under-trailled

*if you can find me a snappy pedalling, fast rolling, super traction finding, 25lbs, 10″ travel full susser, i will happily reduce my stable to a single rig.

if you can find me a snappy pedalling, fast rolling, super traction finding, 25lbs, 10″ travel full susser, i will happily reduce my stable to a single rig.

I’m guessing you’ve seen this:
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZmJtYaUTa0&sns=em[/video]
Snappy, fast, goes uphill and downhill 😉

My bikes are “under-ridered”. Sad, but true.

90% of bikes are, probably 100% of STWer owned bikes 🙁

I think it’s just having a bike that’s so capable that it takes the fun out of riding wherever it is that you normally go.

Then ride faster then.

Being “over-biked” is nothing to do with what you are riding, it’s all about how you are riding it, within reason, of course.

By almost any definition I suppose everyone is overbiked except on an uplift? An XC course will have uphill and downhill sections, and an XC bike is always quickest. It’s not unless you take away those uphills in an enduro that anything else becomes faster on the timed bits.

mikey74 – Member

Then ride faster then.

There’s plenty of trails that don’t suddenly become fun just because you ride them faster… Main result is often just that they’re over quicker

I only have one bike so sometimes I’m under biked, sometimes I’m over biked however I just love being on my one bike 🙂

overbiked – underskilled – 2 sides of the same coin. FWIW I’ve got a nice hardtail and I’m probably overbiked.

I think it is up to the rider themselves to decide if he/she is overbiked though. It is nice every so often to try trails you are tiring of on a less bouncy bike, (or get rattled to bits on on a more bouncy bike) but just ride what makes you enjoy it the most.

From experience, generally used as a derisory term from people who can’t afford bikes as good as someone else’s. Standard British psychology to criticise something you secretly covet.

I suggest a good example of being over biked is turning up for a nice smooth forestry singletrack xc ride with an 8 inch travel DH monster that won’t go up hill or indeed very quick on the flat.