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I rode my first trail centres in about decade last weekend so I'm not the right person to comment really. When people say trail centre, I picture high volume hard-packed singletrack trail with the odd rock 'feature' every 10-15m. Like you say, perhaps the places I rode (Whinlatter, Grizedale) were not representative, but my 5010 was overkill there. Unless there are some trail centres with loose rocks the size of melons, I don't understand why you'd want a monster-truck bike. People are free to make different decisions, of course.
In general, I think people make poor decisions about bikes, and go for longer travel that they think they might one day benefit from at the expense of the riding they do 90% of the time. But who am I to have an opinion on other people's decisions? MTB is just for fun!
I think you would need to visit some more trail centres before making that sweeping judgement (I’ve not been to the ones you mention though). I also don’t think you need rocks the size of melons to justify a bit more travel than a Tallboy.
At the end of the day it’s different strokes for different folks.
I don’t understand why you’d want a monster-truck bike.
Beacuse they're riding trails that you aren't riding, that need those sorts of bikes? But your point; tailor your bike choice to the riding you're mostly doing, not the other way around, is a sound decision.It sounds like the riding you're doing doesn't need long travel.
👍
Beacuse they’re riding trails that you aren’t riding, that need those sorts of bikes?
I doubt that - I ride mostly in the dark peak, so it's not like I'm riding smooth trails all day. I don't know what other people class as rough trails. Outside of some of the bigger bike park drops or big jumps that I might skip out of mechanical sympathy, there's nothing I wouldn't ride on a 5010. In fact, when it gets to the nearly-impossible-to-ride tech stuff I love, it's sometimes easier on a shorter travel bike.
Don't get me wrong, I think a HighTower is perfect for the peak. 29ers definitely make it easier to cover ground and the extra travel gives you a get-out-of-jail free card sometimes. And I understand that most people don't get off on riding silly trialsy lines so it's horses for courses.
It's the 'need' in your sentence that I disagree with because it implies that the better, more hardcore, gnar-shredders need a bigger bike. You must be THIS rad to get one etc. Yes, modern bikes can give you more travel with less of a weight penalty than ever before. BUT the longer travel (in and of itself) can make the bike less engaging.
I think you would need to visit some more trail centres before making that sweeping judgement
Sorry I wasn't trying to make any judgement on trail centres! I was just answering the OP's question as I understood it! If I'm wrong (or even if I'm not!) then feel free to ignore my opinion.
V1 hightower here - trail centre monster that climbs impeccably and is good for hammering down confidently on most downhill - though can get a bit out of its comfort zone in really rough/steep - and for that I have a megatower. V2 Hightower is designed to be a bit more aggressive with that extra travel and might better suit your purposes.
Outside of some of the bigger bike park drops or big jumps that I might skip out of mechanical sympathy, there’s nothing I wouldn’t ride on a 5010. In fact,
Doesn't this kinda hit the nail on the head though, you're pretty much saying that there's stuff in your own riding spot that you're avoiding because you current bike just isn't enough.
when it gets to the nearly-impossible-to-ride tech stuff I love, it’s sometimes easier on a shorter travel bike.
Again it depends doesn't it? For picking your way down a section maybe, but for others the joy is doing it fast and for that you'll need mor travel. But again, you're previous comment is spot on, pick the bike for the riding you do most of, If your LBS mechanic hates you because you keep bringing in your broken wheels and blown shocks to fix; then to mangle Chief Brodie "You're gonna need a bigger bike"
New Hightower https://m.pinkbike.com/news/the-2023-santa-cruz-hightower-gets-tweaked-not-transformed.html
Pretty much the old Hightower but with a glovebox from initial impressions. Shame they don't seem to have modified the shock tunnel to allow for coil.
New Hightower https://m.pinkbike.com/news/the-2023-santa-cruz-hightower-gets-tweaked-not-transformed.html/blockquote >
Or a bit closer to home: https://singletrackworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/details-of-new-santa-cruz-hightower-3/
Pretty much the old Hightower but with a glovebox from initial impressions. Shame they don’t seem to have modified the shock tunnel to allow for coil.
Seems a bit of a missed opportunity that. Coil on my Sentinel is really nice and plush on the jank vs the Float X that it came with.
Seems a bit of a missed opportunity that. Coil on my Sentinel is really nice and plush on the jank vs the Float X that it came with.
Yeah, and also strange since the 5010 is coil-compatible. Apparently it's to do with seatpost clearance issues and honestly I'd prefer a 200mm + dropper to a coil shock option (that personally I probably wouldn't ever use).
If I'd just bought a V2 HighTower I wouldn't be too upset by this latest update.
Pretty much the old Hightower but with a glovebox from initial impressions.
It would seem that the big changes we've seen to geometries over the last few years are slowing to small increments once again.
The cynic in me wonders what the 'big thing' the industry will come up with, to get us all buying new bikes.
The cynic in me wonders what the ‘big thing’ the industry will come up with, to get us all buying new bikes.
Does Santa Cruz have that much control over you then? They release a new bike and you just hand over your card?
The cynic in me wonders what the ‘big thing’ the industry will come up with, to get us all buying new bikes.
It's ebikes. It's already happening obvs, but there will be proportionally more "half fat" options coming, I predict.
These SC threads aren't the same without inbeforemike and nobeer leaping to their defence, eh?
It’s ebikes. It’s already happening obvs, but there will be proportionally more “half fat” options coming, I predict.
I agree on this. There's plenty of money to be milked in the ebike market drip feeding updates.
These SC threads aren’t the same without inbeforemike and nobeer leaping to their defence, eh?
Says the resident Orange defender in chief 😉
Akers
The cynic in me wonders what the ‘big thing’ the industry will come up with, to get us all buying new bikes.
Still expecting eBikes to drive gearbox innovation. Motors already have gearing, and bikes have gearing, there's weight and complexity to be saved by combining the two in one sealed unit and ditching the derailleur
Says the resident Orange defender in chief 😉
I've partially moved to Starling now, but otherwise guilty as charged.
Not sure anyone can defend Orange pricing though.
Joebristol - I don’t particularly like the red at FOD – but it’s not groomed and is covered in loads of roots.
Funny, neither the blue or red are especially interesting, but ai thought the roots were its redeeming feature!
tomhoward
Full Member
Being under-biked is fine, right up until the point that it isn’t.
As I have found with my Aether 9C recently - the geometry allows a style of riding that allows you to reach the end stops of the suspension.
i had a v2 5010, great bike, loved it,
hired a bronson v2 for the day and thought it was dull
moved onto a orbea occam fox36 150 / 140 rear 29er. (covid = lack of bikes et al)
its definately quicker and longer, rolls over stuff better, not quite as playfull, corners fine.
can handle a big ride and climb, ok descender .. ride west yorks/peaks and a few enduro's.
wouldn't buy another
get the bike that you ride 90% of the time, if you can pick a good line you can tend to get away with less travel, but thats not to say riders with big travel aren't riding harder.
can you demo the new hightower,
have requested a demo on new HT so waiting to hear back.
My 5010 V2 is from new (6 years or so). 3 sets of bearings, no other issues and its not like it sits in the shed all year, so well used. I'd say i've got my moneys worth and would keep my next bike same amount of time if not longer all being well
As I have found with my Aether 9C recently – the geometry allows a style of riding that allows you to reach the end stops of the suspension.
I guess that’s the danger with the newer breed of mid travel bikes with enduro ish geometry - same with the optic / reactor / Spur (although that’s less trail perhaps) etc.
I found the same with my Aether 7 - it was on Antur Stiniog type trails I found the limits of getting battered through the shorter travel. The bike was capable - my battered body not so much. However it was such a good all rounder for 90% of my riding it was the best bike for me. Now on a Sentinel which is 29er and a bit longer travel and it’s definitely more work on pedally / twisty flat stuff but it’s faster / more capable on the tech off piste I’m now doing more of.
I've also moved to something longer travel, in my case an Ibis Ripmo. There genuinely doesn't seem to be any penalty for packing the extra travel, but its there when I need it.
I can't comment on the specific SC models, but long vs medium travel probably depends on riding style.
I have a 160mm bike and a 100mm fs xc bike. I don't think there is anything I couldn't slowly get down on the XC bike that the 160 would enable, but I would be much faster in rough stuff. Recently I did jacobs ladder down from kinder scout on the 100mm bike as the other was out of action. It was fine, but I had to pick my way down as it gets sketch with speed. I find ploughing down there on the long travel bike more fun. However, my other half likes to slowly pick lines even on her long travel bike didn't find a shorter bike much worse. For her the shorter bike makes sense as the ups are faster and boring bridleways are more engaging.
I would suggest demo days. Even if you can't get SC bikes it will still give a feel for different types of bikes (with the exception of the odd lemon most bikes of a similar type will feel pretty similar).
Once I found there wasn’t a shorter travel bike in stock frame only and without being a ludicrous price for carbon (A9 / Reactor 290 / Evol Offering / Norco Optic / Vitus Escarpe / SC Tallboy etc) I started looking a bit longer travel alloy. Was thinking Sentinel / Hightower / Ripmo AF.
Couldn’t find the Hightower alloy with a decent shock included (bottom end inline shock only) so it came down to the Sentinel vs the Ripmo. I think the Sentinel is meant to be the more capable when it gets really rowdy but is still happy to play. I think the Ripmo is a bit less stable at speed but more playful more of the time and probably pedals a touch better. I decided the Sentinel looked nicer and there was one in stock in my size at Shut Up and Ride which is only a few miles down the road. Love at first sight on the frame.
I reckon the Ripmo AF frame is probably lighter than the Sentinel - you just need to be careful on shock choice if you want to go coil because of the yoke driven nature of the frame. Go DVO as they have a 14mm shaft (oooer) - avoid Fox as they have 9mm and you’ll likely break it. Not sure about all the other makes - apparently there is a compatibility list somewhere.
I’ve just bought a hightower v2 as my only Mtb. Firmly mid pack in my annual enduro, enjoy a day at BPW and natural riding round Yorkshire and the lakes. It’s perfect.
Scienceofficer
I’ve also moved to something longer travel, in my case an Ibis Ripmo. There genuinely doesn’t seem to be any penalty for packing the extra travel, but its there when I need it.
But surely that's the drawback.... ???
Assuming you ride for fun then having a bike can roll over or off anything isn't fun..
Like driving a Ferrari through town perhaps it has some short term appeal
Joe
I don’t particularly like the red at FOD – but it’s not groomed and is covered in loads of roots.
It's a 2h40 drive each way so I usualy do uplift and stick to the DH trails.. but much more fun on a HT and zero fun on a long travel....
A couple of years ago I was riding the Mega at Dyfi and we stopped off at FoD on the way home.. kids with us so it was all rushed as we were missing uplift so I rode the Mega as it was already assembled. Total waste of a day... I usually set the old MK1.5 to minimum travel if riding a FS at FoD anyway but it just felt totally non engaging on a long travel enduro machine...
I ended up selling the Mega because I only get to ride stuff enjoyable on a long travel a few times a year... it would have been nice at Glencoe and Fort Bill perhaps and a couple of the runs at Dyfi but that's a handful of days a year.
Yeah I ignore the blue and red at FOD entirely. The red just annoys me with loads of roots without being technically challenging or having any flow to it.
The DH trails aren’t bad - there’s enough challenge but also flow on them - but the off piste is far more varied and I find more fun there I think. The uplift means you miss out on all the other cool stuff that’s around. If I’m paying for uplift I’m going to BMCC or BPW in the South Wales sort of area. Plus I don’t find the fireroad up the middle at FOD too bad - other thrown the steep bit near the start. I reckon I could pedal up that 10 times ok - did 5 or 6 runs the other day when I only cycled for 3 hours and also did one of the official enduro trails and another off piste run the other side of the road. On a 34lb ish Sentinel that for me is long travel trail / enduro light.
Could I ride my hardtail down all that stuff - yes - would I enjoy it as much as the full suss - no. I like my hardtail at natural spots like Bourton Combe and for playing round on stuff local to the house. Also ok for long natural bridleway sort of stuff. Anything really tech or fast / rocky it’s full suss all the way.
"Assuming you ride for fun then having a bike can roll over or off anything isn’t fun.."
I for one much prefer a bike that gets stopped dead by any bumps and implodes when you take it off any drops, which is why I shall be taking my elderly Brompton on my next uplift day.
Assuming you ride for fun then having a bike can roll over or off anything isn’t fun..
Like driving a Ferrari through town perhaps it has some short term appeal
That was my thought process that resulted in the Aether 9c. Perhaps its old skool dogma to think that a bigger travel bike will be more dull, or is it that certain bikes have managed to ascend past the long travel sled feeling?
I'm certainly long in the tooth enough to have the impression that big bikes are dull unless you're on big terrain.
The Ripmo has proved me wrong though.
It manages to be fun and jibby in standard™ trails without feeling like a sled.
The Ripmo has proved me wrong though.
It manages to be fun and jibby in standard™ trails without feeling like a sled.
Aside from that bit extra travel, do you find the Ripmo similar to ride to the 9c?
No, its quite different.
Although the 9c didn't feel like a sled, despite having more travel the Ripmo feels less like one.
No, its quite different.
Although the 9c didn’t feel like a sled, despite having more travel the Ripmo feels less like one.
Thanks. That wasn’t what I expected with the longer stays and travel, but then DW Link is by all accounts a very good pedalling platform, and it’s a light frame for the travel too.
A Spur and a Ripmo were my expensive ‘either side’ options when I settled on the Bird.
I for one much prefer a bike that gets stopped dead by any bumps and implodes when you take it off any drops, which is why I shall be taking my elderly Brompton on my next uplift day.
I take you point and am currently scouring eBay for a penny farthing, it should have excellent front wheel rollover but also hook up nicely on the rear to remind me to have fun.
It's all different horses for different people I think. For all day riding on trails (what the heck is 'trails' anyway) I think the definition is too broad. Do you want to to do big drops, gaps and shred the gnar to the max or ride a lot of trails quickly through the course of the day?
In the Santa Cruz line up anything from a Blur TR, thru Tallboy, Hightower (new model available) to the Megatower could fit the bill depending on what you want to ride, how long for, how quickly and where your focus is.
I'm currently enjoying my Transition Spur I will ride most stuff but won't do gaps and this is more because of my bravery than the bike.
I’m currently enjoying my Transition Spur I will ride most stuff but won’t do gaps and this is more because of my bravery than the bike.
I like having shorter travel FS bikes but I found that I would often mince out of drops/gaps/whatever and blame the bike on the grounds that I was "protecting the bike" when of course I was just a bit scared. I had a nice Yeti ASR-5 which I built up very light and it was great fun but I found myself backing out of stuff too much for my liking.
Rightly or wrongly, I feel like the SC 5010 can handle all that stuff so it's a sweet spot for me. No excuses, but still small taught enough to be rad. Maybe I've been brainwashed by seeing Danny MacAskill/Josh Lewis et al hammering theirs. But hey, if it breaks then it's got a good warranty.
JoeBristol
The DH trails aren’t bad – there’s enough challenge but also flow on them – but the off piste is far more varied and I find more fun there I think. The uplift means you miss out on all the other cool stuff that’s around.
If I’m paying for uplift I’m going to BMCC or BPW in the South Wales sort of area. Plus I don’t find the fireroad up the middle at FOD too bad – other thrown the steep bit near the start.
Yep but I guess the point is I can pedal from home or worst case drive to SH in 20 mins so its little to no expense so if I drive and pay for fuel to FoD I just want to get as many runs for the overall cost as possible and then explore after the uplift stops (well when I can find people).
If I lived 20 mins from FoD I'd be all over the Enduro loops...
Scienceofficer
That was my thought process that resulted in the Aether 9c. Perhaps its old skool dogma to think that a bigger travel bike will be more dull, or is it that certain bikes have managed to ascend past the long travel sled feeling?
I’m certainly long in the tooth enough to have the impression that big bikes are dull unless you’re on big terrain.
The Ripmo has proved me wrong though.
It manages to be fun and jibby in standard™ trails without feeling like a sled.
I've not tried a Ripmo but I guess it would have been more accurate/easier to explain if I'd said F1 ??
To use that analogy say you can rip a F1 round some hairpins at 100mph but not at 40 mph because its just not got the downforce... (obviously these are just figures picked out of the air for the sake of explaining what I mean)
So I guess the point is that EWS bred race bikes are just designed to go FAST as ££££... and become stable at speed and if your sole purpose is time then they are faster so a no brainer.
I guess you can de-tune but then the question is why?
I'm not sure it's simply down to feeling like a sled... for me it takes away the edginess ??
I've seen a few LT eBike reviews where the bloke tests LT down a trail I wouldn't ride my FS down.. (Thick n Creamy nr Peaslake).. I get he lives local and that's what he has but I remember going out with a group of similarly senile geriatric riders and I was up for doing the trail that has a small drop at the bottom.. we decided to do something else first and I ended up smashing something on the HT so I pulled the FS out of the van... (nearly lunch)... after going back up I just lost all will to go down as it's just not edgy at all on the 160/150 (Aeris MK1.5).. you can just plop off and nothing bad happens and that seems to take the whole point away... then a boring ride up a road to get back... whereas it would have felt worth the climb on the HT not because the climb is easier (maybe marginally) but because it feels a bit like you have to actually put input into the bike or have a big crash. Without that it just feels like there is no adrenaline??
Weirdly it also then alters the whole equation of e-Bikes??? It's not really fun going down but it's actually fun going up as you can cycle up ??? It's like the fun gets smoothed out??
@stevextc - if you particularly like the DH trails at FOD then fair enough - but you’re also within touching distance of BPW and Black Mountain Cycle centre and it’s a much bigger hill for uplift type riding. Although both of those are less natural and rooty feeling so if that’s what you’re after then FOD makes sense.
For me Surrey Hills and FOD are similar ish - just maybe FOD has some more difficult stuff and variety. So I’d have thought some big South Wales hills would be more different to what you have near you.
I did an uplift day at FOD just the once and by part way through the day I’d had enough of those trails and decided to go pedalling off to see what else I could find. Hence not uplifting there again since.
Being under-biked is fine, right up until the point that it isn’t.
Being correct-biked is fine, right up until the point that it isn’t.
Under biking is a term for not reading the conditions.
Under biking is a term for not reading the conditions.
Not really. Routes and trails are not all the same, some bits are easy, some bits are harder.. So you can be both over-biked and under-biked in a given trail depending on where you are on it at the time.
If you're in Aberdeenshire, I'd recommend heading to Monymusk and chatting to Bike Bothy Pitfichie - they've got all the Bird bikes to demo which everyone that has one loves them. They also do Pivot.
Ditto Fire Trail in Aboyne - Nukeproof demo range and the Reactor gets rave reviews around here. Rich is a great guy and knows pretty much everything there is to know - he'll happily spend hours chatting about which bikes work where around the area and give you a coffee, with no sense that he's trying to sell you something.
“Without that it just feels like there is no adrenaline??”
Interesting! Any more than a minor spike of adrenaline and I just don’t like it, I hate that scary feeling and all the emotions that rush through and my fears of having a life-changing injury. That’s why when it comes to higher consequence stuff my MTBing has stopped progressing, I just don’t enjoy bigger jumps or drops or really steep stuff where going slower as you learn it isn’t an option.
What I love about the downhill stuff when MTBing is making flow happen, especially on trails that are more tech or don’t naturally flow.
That’s why when it comes to higher consequence stuff my MTBing has stopped progressing, I just don’t enjoy bigger jumps or drops or really steep stuff where going slower as you learn it isn’t an option.
What I love about the downhill stuff when MTBing is making flow happen, especially on trails that are more tech or don’t naturally flow.
There’s nothing worse then being on the brakes and still accelerating on really steep shitty stuff - I’m still trying to work my way into feeling more comfortable on that stuff. It’s not so bad if you have a good catch berm to rely on so it doesn’t matter - but when the rest of the trail is also steep it scares the hell out of me!
I love flowy stuff - or stuff that isn’t immediately flowy but you can make flow with the right lines and technique. But I’m riding more and more off piste to hopefully get better at it.
What I love about the downhill stuff when MTBing is making flow happen, especially on trails that are more tech or don’t naturally flow.
Amen.
This can be done on traversy trails too, if they're sufficiently janky.
Making flow instead of having it given is hugely rewarding for me. Its kinda more important than what bike I'm riding.
joebristol
if you particularly like the DH trails at FOD then fair enough – but you’re also within touching distance of BPW and Black Mountain Cycle centre and it’s a much bigger hill for uplift type riding. Although both of those are less natural and rooty feeling so if that’s what you’re after then FOD makes sense.
Not really a fan of BPW ... I'd rather do Barry's sidings if in the area but BMCC (now dirt Farm) is loads of fun so we combine that and FoD... and FoD really is just what it is.
For me Surrey Hills and FOD are similar ish – just maybe FOD has some more difficult stuff and variety. So I’d have thought some big South Wales hills would be more different to what you have near you.
I did an uplift day at FOD just the once and by part way through the day I’d had enough of those trails and decided to go pedalling off to see what else I could find. Hence not uplifting there again since.
Totally get that .. indeed its a bit of like home but with uplift 😉 though not sure you can say FoD has got bigger features. SH has lots of HUGE (Brendog/ODub type) features you just need to know where they are. It's just most of it isn't travel/FS dependent - it might save you on a bad landing but it won't save you if you don't clear the gap. Ramps tend to be dug out vertically .. last time I bumped into Kerr and ODub (2-3 weeks ago??) ODub was riding some 80's Focus XC bike with what looked like elastomer forks sending huge gaps..
..anyway.. I guess that's the thing about FoD for me... all the times I'm pedalling up Redlands for the n'th time (yesterday morning for example)... indeed we stopped because my mate got knackered
chiefgrooveguru
“Without that it just feels like there is no adrenaline??”
Interesting! Any more than a minor spike of adrenaline and I just don’t like it, I hate that scary feeling and all the emotions that rush through and my fears of having a life-changing injury.
For me it's about turning that off or exerting my trust/confidence I can do it over a fairly irrational fear .. It's more about building the confidence and doing stuff progressively.
That’s why when it comes to higher consequence stuff my MTBing has stopped progressing, I just don’t enjoy bigger jumps or drops or really steep stuff where going slower as you learn it isn’t an option.
Just askin' but when it the last time you actually set aside time to learn progressively? (and scientifically)
A bit OT... but maybe this will help you and it's a bit of a passion for me?
<rant-on>
A 'for example' ... really steep stuff.
I was out with some less experienced friends a couple of weeks ago and one of them had a problem going down a steep chute... I understood the reason, she was afraid she'd just go faster and faster and there was a bloody big tree and 90 degree turn so I demonstrated on her bike how it's totally possible to go down at 1mph.. BUT then instead of just me riding her bike down that bit and going on we went somewhere else equally steep but with a lovely smooth rollout... then we went 1/2 way up (a flat bit at the side) and rolled down... easy.. so then we did from the top (nowhere else for her to get on) and she did that.. we did this and pushed up about 10 times before we went back to the original 'mental horror'... and she just rolled down it in control.
You can do the same for jumps and gaps and drops... though it helps to have someone knows the trails really well. i.e. learning to jump can be VERY progressive.. I've started loads of people off using a 'no pedal/no brakes from a point' method with the right sort of jump.. First run they get no air at all... repeat.. then go back up a bike length and repeat... etc. etc. just keeping weight neutral and no pop... then back up until they are getting some decent air.. then back DOWN so now they only get air from the pop... (usually that's a second session - depends on age older people like me take longer)
Again its REALLY important to find the right zero consequence jump that's rollable... but has a run in where you don't need to pedal so you can know the speed will be the same each time. It helps to go with someone who is confident they can test what happens from a spot.. then mark it with some greenery and they can hold a phone camera. Obviously it's quicker if they are good enough to spot what you may be doing wrong but not necessary if you do very small steps and get filmed..
What I love about the downhill stuff when MTBing is making flow happen, especially on trails that are more tech or don’t naturally flow.
My latest craze is not pedalling... and pumping the living daylights out of every berm and compression... I found my cornering improved no end and my temptation to comfort brake reduced.. at the same time I set aside time to practice using a similar technique to above... take a series of turns I'd usually brake and instead roll in from a fixed point and concentrate on making grip. It's amazing... I'd say I ended up doing almost everything nearly double the speed I would have before.. sometimes you have to brake so I'd set ferns out and just try and move them ...
This works really well I found for getting flow out of trails that seem determined to upset it..
OK so Non of this is really very clever... and its just some examples really. The BIG BIG SUPER LIFECHANGING THING... (clickbait type headline) is : (drumroll)
Actually taking time to practice and developing a scientific and progressive way to do so...
Yeah OK, you already know that 😉 I wanted to grab your attention but I bet like most of us (me included until recently) you haven't actually done it for ages.
SOMETIMES you do have to take a bit of a leap of faith.. but based on being rational.
I've dropped into a few big high consequence gaps quite literally shaking before I dropped in but knowing I can actually do it as long as I keep the fear in control. Then after you've done it once you realise it was easy all along but its such a massive buzz.
</rant-off>
So I guess that's the thing being over-biked. It takes away that edge but it also makes you rely psychologically on the bike. So when you say "I just don’t enjoy bigger jumps or drops or really steep stuff" then perhaps a lot of that is you don't trust yourself because you feel you rely on the bike??
and all the emotions that rush through and my fears of having a life-changing injury
I was doing a gap yesterday I've not done before but in my head I knew I COULD do it.. I just thought it might not be very elegant or clean or I might case it a bit.
THEN as I went into the take off my front wheel washed out on some pine cones... I guess what I learned a year or so ago is casing a gap with the front wheel over is never half as bad as messing up a late abortion... (even on a HT) so what went through my head wasn't "I'm going to die" so much as "I'd better try and at least get the front wheel over and it'll be fine"...
What actually happened was the back wheel was over the knuckle by a foot... I stopped anyway before the next gap.. (had conversation with mate who said he saw the front wash out and thought I'd try and abort..) then I went back and sent it to flat easily getting 2 bike lengths.. so despite me thinking it was actually touch and go getting a clean landing the reality was there was an absolutely HUGE margin and even screwing up the take off it was easy to clear safely.
On the other hand the gap itself was full of nasty, pointy stuff..
Disclaimer: I was riding the FS for unrelated reasons but it wouldn't have made any difference if I was on the HT.. I guess the FS wasn't helping as the real danger were the pointy sticks in the gap itself...
bugger... I thought I'd set-rant-off then it continued.