Eldest_oab has signed up for the Gravity Camp again this year, the week with lots of uplift at FtWilliam.

Most others this year had trail bike and DH bike, but we can’t afford that or storage space.

He is outgrowing current 2012 Orange 5 with burly DH wheels on.

Choice:
– get next size up 5/Alpine (or similar), stick with big wheels and big single crown fork and accept for one week he is at the limit of it’s intended use for a week, but heavy for rest of year.

– look to do cheap DH bike purchase and resell, just for a week.

Thoughts?

Can you not hire a bike ?

Buy ride split.

Can you not hire a bike ?

£75 X 6 days…

Is that from Nevis? I wouldn’t assume the weekly rate is 6x the daily rate, but then knowing how much abuse/servicing they require it wouldn’t completely surprise me.

You should also factor in the possibility of maintenance and spares for the week in any case.

What does Gravity Camp involve?

How big is the boy?

Has he said he’d like a DH bike?

Alpine. If he’s fit he can ride it all day, and if he’s skillful he’ll not be hampered that much on the downhills.

Buy second hand dh bike from pinkbike.

Ride for a week at Fort Bill.

Sell on again for same price afterwards.

Done it for 3 years in a row for alpine trips.

A lot of enduro bikes will probably manage this ok I’d have thought.

Something like a Radon Swoop perhaps – looking online they’ve got their normal 170mm travel version or answer 200mm ‘dh’ version. In reviews I’ve read the Swoop 170mm is more than capable of winching up hills as well as smashing down them.

Obviously there are other bikes (YT Capra / Canyon Strive etc) but the Radon stands out to me as being more capable on the DH section – not having ridden any of he above however.

Like the previous person above mentioned the Orange Alpine 6 could do a job too – although they look a bit harder work going back uphill.

What does Gravity Camp involve?

http://www.abernethy.org.uk/about-us/individuals-families/scottish-gravity-camp/ (He is doing the Extra week, with DH focus)
Led and coached by this chap: https://www.facebook.com/BenCathroMTB/

How big is the boy?

Turning 16, 5’8″ and pretty handy.

Has he said he’d like a DH bike?

We are chatting about it – he gets its a very specific tool, he doesn’t really enter DH races, more enduro / trail riding is his thing. Equally, if he / we had the cash we would buy one.

Alpine. If he’s fit he can ride it all day, and if he’s skillful he’ll not be hampered that much on the downhills.

This is my thoughts.
He is a bit of an animal however, and can chew through tyres/wheels given half a chance…

Seems like an enduro bike would be a sound bet – especially if he’s not aspiring to race DH. If you buy a DH bike for the week, there’s a risk that he’ll learn to ride just stuff on that bike.

Alpine sounds good, maybe with some offset bushings for more slackness?

Or I’m selling a nice Radon Swoop frame and wheels in his size, could do you a special deal.

You could do him a deal, most of the money is his, earned on a paper round…

How much denero?

How much of the course is on the fort bill track? If it’s more than a day or two a dh bike is the the only thing that will stand up to the abuse.

Other bikes you can make it down on but they’ll take a real beating. Regardless of bike you’re definitely want dual ply tyres and some tough rims.

I suspect the week will be mainly at FtWilliam DH trails.

He survived three days there this summer on the Five, with a busted rim on last day when they were lapping the DH trail (came up short on one of the upper rocky hops I believe)

He is a bit of an animal however, and can chew through tyres/wheels given half a chance…

Suddenly, £75 per day to hire sounds cheap 🙂

But this is the issue Nevis have with hire bikes at the Range. They come back bent, twisted, marked and worn, then they have to be made ready for the next hirer. Those costs can still be incurred with his own bike of course, hence my point earlier about budgeting for repairs.

Does a hire place not bill you?