[Closed] Any Downhillers in here?

i ride all mountain but race DH so mountain biker is what i am, carbon v10 to race with and a alpine 160 for the rest.

Another Downhiller and Nuke Proof Scalp owner here.

I've nearly finished making a new DH/freeride video. It should be done and uploaded sometime next week so I'll stick up a link on the forum for ya.

I'm primarily a DH'ller. Although I probably shouldn't be with the amount of time I end up on the floor lately

has made me want a bigger bike somewhat!

I have an old Santa Cruz Bullit frame for sale (maybe some 55s to go with it as well) if you're after something cheap and reliable 🙂 Not really slack/low like modern frames but it's a really fun bike to ride, just too much for me. Better for jumps and that I reckon as it actually requires rider input rather than just soaking it all up!

And yeah i'm with you _tom_ I'm the same. I can see the attraction to xc, but it just doesn't float my boat. I use my road bike a lot so theres just no point me owning an xc bike because it bores me stiff.

Do you all ride year round or are there summer only riders (cough cowards cough) here? :p I'm ill right now and i'm absolutely craving a ride. Torture.

I do enjoy a good XC ride every so often (love the long mynd) but since getting a road bike I just hate putting in miles on a mtb as it's so slow and inefficient haha. And I ride all year round, I actually prefer woburn in the wet as it's less beach-like and it's normally nice and tacky when its had some rain on it. Love working 5 minutes away, so convenient to go for a ride after an early shift at work!

Might as well add in my cheesy posed photo from last summer in Whistler 🙂

[IMG] [/IMG]

I ride anything and everything really. My BFe hardtail gets the most use, but I'm all about the downhills and try and get out on my DH bike whenever I can. Here it is after a wet as hell day in Les Gets this summer:
[img] [/img]

She's actually for sale though, as I want an enduro bike, and I don't actually race DH so it's a little unnecessary (but sooo much fun).

PocketShepherd - Lush bike, How do you rate the wheels?

I've ridden more DH than XC in the last year , my poor old P7 has hardly seen the light of day. Do most of my riding at Wharncliffe/Grenoside but we have a lads long weekend up at Fort Bill every year. Until recently I was using an '06 SX trail with triples but I upgraded my frame to this--> (steel content)
[img] [/img]
I'm loving it ,the 3lb extra weight over the SX is worth it IMO.

Been riding dh ever since shift, super 8 and kranked were the newest riding vids. Iv always had a big bike in my fleet and although I only ride It a few times a year it makes my normal riding much quicker. Rarely get to play anywhere other than warners and occasionally Scotland. Should really sell it but somehow can do it.

Love working 5 minutes away

Another nice commie! Love that atherton blue.

I'm loving it ,the 3lb extra weight over the SX is worth it IMO.

Do you even notice the difference in weight?

Only when I'm loading it into the back of the car to come home. The big problem is a proper DH bike is making me brave ,I've started launching drops that I used to roll and I'm even getting air of jumps. At 42 I just don't bounce well anymore.

I dabble in a bit of DH, not done much this year due to injury but also enjoy XC and Gravity enduro's so here is my pic

[img] [/img]

Bike 2012 Specialized Demo 8 II

Pic of mine:

[url= http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8020/7670148126_027ddcecf7_b.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8020/7670148126_027ddcecf7_b.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/53860438@N06/7670148126/ ]IMG_0778[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/53860438@N06/ ]Northwindlowlander[/url], on Flickr

The white doesn't photograph well normally, too shiny. Easy fix for that Just replaced the forks with 2010 Teams purely because I'm a tart.

chiefP - Member
I dabble in a bit of DH, not done much this year due to injury but also enjoy XC and Gravity enduro's so here is my pic

Nice positioning of the right foot 😉

Rosss - Wheels are good. Not quite as bombproof as mavics as i've had a couple of dings in them, but they stand up to being bent back into shape/repaired pretty well.

nukeproofriding - cheers, it is a lovely colour. even moreso when clean!

Northwind - Last herb DH, yes? I am a fan. Something a bit different! So close to ordering a Herb 160 as my enduro bike.

chiefP - Member
I dabble in a bit of DH, not done much this year due to injury but also enjoy XC and Gravity enduro's so here is my pic
legend - Member
Nice positioning of the right foot

Haha yeah i did notice later, safe to say nothing went wrong 😉

That's it, aye... it's good, not the best pedaller and it doesn't pop off things as much as some, but the amount of traction is ridiculous. Better than I am, anyway.

Sizing's weird though- mine is a medium but it's titchy, the medium falls much closer to the small than to the large. TBH it's a little short for me but it does the job. So, I'd watch for that if you're looking at other Lasts.

Some more Scalp riding - FoD last Jan.
[img] [/img]

Gold black and white! Looks beast. I've only been on this forum a few days... there are a lot of fools. None of them are DH riders. Strange that. lol

I'm currently deliberating on whether to buy a Bell Sanction, a Bell drop or another THE. Because my current THE is pretty badly beat up. But I loved that helmet. Anyone tried the Bell sanction/drop?

DH bike is making me brave

Remember the Troops Urban X 2012.
today at warncliffe cracking Mini DH( not the car )lol
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Good thread this, the nobbers seem to be keeping away - horrified no doubt!
Another Scalp rider, ride Gawton, Woodlands and Cwmcarn when I can, and went to Morzine for fist time this year - outstanding. Don't think I'l be able to swing a repeat trip next year though due to impending wedding.

I'm liking the idea of this "post downhilling stuff thread", much nicer than reading about people pootling around between various pubs to drink warm brown beer and eat obscure cheeses 🙂 Haven't got many action shots of myself but I was pleased with this one from a-line, apart from my bow leggedness and lack of any real style. Have since worked on getting my left knee tucked in and looking approximately 90% radder

[img] [/img]

oh and all of the helmet cam stuff I've bothered to do so far - http://www.youtube.com/user/todgemistro?feature=guide

I like your hardtail vid Tom, good riding

Is this thread still committed to actual mountain bike discussion? I'm almost gobsmacked. No pedantry, no snide remarks, no vitriol, just like minded folk talking about mountain biking for 2 whole pages.

A first surely?

Downhill riders I salute you. Some nice footage there tom. Whistler looks maad.

Another Scalp rider

I wouldn't call myself a DH rider, but only ride up to get down and have ridden done a few gravity enduros. I went to Grizedale this weekend, and chose to loop the black rather than do the the Northface trail! So not got quite sure what that makes me - DHcurious?

Problem being, have an AM bike and can't justify buying another bike yet 🙁

fervouredimage - Member

Is this thread still committed to actual mountain bike discussion? I'm almost gobsmacked. No pedantry, no snide remarks, no vitriol, just like minded folk talking about mountain biking for 2 whole pages.

A first surely?

I definitely won't mention how my neck brace definitely saved me from a bad case of whiplash, or worse, yesterday then.... 😉

This my old-school gravity bitch....

Frame is 10 years old, forks 8 years, and rims 10 years (D521 36H!).

170mm each end.

Brakes are from 2003 era (still work fantastic).

Survived the Fort Bill DH Endurance (previous pic) intact - 6hrs back-to-back down the Fort...

[img] [/img]

nukeproofriding, great shout on this feed. Last few months I started using this alot more to build my bike and realised that the real downhillers / guys that push back up (like me) and few and far between!

So this wales road trip your guys hitting the downhill parks or doing enduro stuff? my bikes a converted hardtail jump bike with 8 gears so its pretty naff at long distance but great on built trails!

Another Dh'er here! A few trips over to Les Gets for the passporte du soleil gradually pulled me back into the need for DH speed.
I'm sure the XC crowd, given a day on an uplift would be buzzing enough to to hooked. After all, one of the most fun aspects of XC riding is tackling the flowy, twisty, techy sections of a ride. It certainly is for me.
So it's another Norco team for me. With riding places such as
FoD
CwmCarn
Hopton
and then more local places like Aston

What ever bike your on, can't be wrong!

Following the clip on another thread, I'm thinking of heading to Antur Stiniog before xmas (maybe coupled with a day in Betws). I'm assuming full-face / goggles are absolutely essential here?

Anyone else based in Manc on this thread?

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I'm pretty sure loads on here ride DH or ride DH tracks, but don't really class themselves as DHers, myself included. As far as I'm aware you need pyjamas to qualify, I'm not that comitted. 😉

I've been racing DH on my little bike, after selling my DH bike earlier this year due to a lack of use.

Find I can 'almost' be as fast on some tracks, but on the rougher, bigger, steeper stuff with big jumps I do tend to throttle back a bit, and question what i'm doing.

The losses in pedalling ability of a DH bike is made up on what I can get away with riding it. Some races on my AM bike have felt like a 3 minute accident all the way down, yet somehow i've held onto it, yet it's not much slower (seconds, rather than 10's of seconds).

I think I want a DH bike again. I'm glad i've been racing on the little bike, and i'm interested to see if it will make me quicker on a bigger bike now.

Antur Ffestiniog is great fun, I will have to get myself back there soon!

I would probably class myself as a downhiller now. I hardly ride XC any more, miles are done on the road any other riding is on the big bike or at the BMX track. Spend 5 weeks every summer in the mountains and last year I was in France for the whole of the summer season.

Got my son started early as well 😀

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[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/37621241@N05/7886399222/ ]Felix in Andorra[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/37621241@N05/ ]ianvincent[/url], on Flickr

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Took this to Aston Hill yesterday. Its old, massively heavy and has a steep head angle but I love it. Had the best days riding yesterday that I've had in ages and now planning the next one

I do like a bit of Aston Hill. Tend to go there when I visit my mates down Oxford way. What's the new track like?? Looks smooth, but fun.

Anyone else in north Herefordshire? My usual DH riding is Bringewood, Hopton or Bucknell. Though not the last few weeks as I've broken me collar bone.

I don't know if i fall under the DH label. I dont have a DH bike, do enter local DH races.

If im out with a xc crew, im the DHer of the group, if im DHing with DHers, im a freerider. My friend summed it up best though, BMXers getting loose on mountain bikes.

This basically means my riding does involve riding a lot of DH tracks, but not from a DHers perspective, that is getting down as efficiently as possible. I try to get down in as pleasant feeling and looking manner as possible, so minimal contact with the ground whilst always being a little bit sideways, chilled and fluid. Freeriding?

Riding DH tracks is fun.

I'm many miles away from being called a dh'er, but much prefer coming down rather than getting up. (As long as there's a pussy line next to the big stuff) 🙂 I havnt done any uplift days here yet, but had a few days in morzine & les gets on the ski lifts in the summer and now booked in for a day at antur stiniog.

Will be doing my first proper DH races this winter after completing my first full Enduro season and finding myself getting progressively faster.

Really looking forward to it as well.

Great thread

🙂

I definitely won't mention how my neck brace definitely saved me from a bad case of whiplash, or worse, yesterday then....

It's interesting to see so many people who like riding dh trails, really cool. As far as i'm concerned, and from my personal experience DH'ers as a group are really open, theres never a feeling of we are proper dh'ers and you aren't because you ride x y or z. If you like riding downhill trails and hitting roots, jumps, berms and drops and it gives you an adrenaline rush that drags you back to the top to do it over and over then you are a downhiller. Doesn't matter what bike you ride, and that's always been the view at all the DH races/trail centers i've ever been to. Of course there will always be the occasional nob wobbler but I have to say they're probably the nicest bunch in cycling 🙂

Got my son started early as well

I think I want a DH bike again. I'm glad i've been racing on the little bike, and i'm interested to see if it will make me quicker on a bigger bike now.

Took this to Aston Hill yesterday

I'm assuming full-face / goggles are absolutely essential here?

This might go without saying but the other thing you need are dual ply tyres. If you run them normally then your sorted, but if not you atleast need a dual ply on the rear. Pinch puncture territory and lots of slate.

As far as I'm aware you need pyjamas to qualify, I'm not that comitted.

I also don't have a proper DH bike so use this instead.

[img] [/img]

It hasn't seen much use this year due to injury, which is why it's so clean 🙂

I ride mostly homebrew DH trails in Ireland (but have rode Inners a few times).

For you scalp owners, the first 'DH' trials I rode were in Moneyscalp - where your bike takes it's name from. Nice bikes, crap trails.

I've no action pics but here's a little vid of Cavehill near Belfast.