[Closed] Downhill bike recs

Specialised Big Hit is awesome value and performance. What are you riding now and just how serious are you about 'DH'?

Full on DH bikes are very focused machines and a lot of them are hard to get the most from unless you're really hustling. You might find your riding more rewarding if you start by adapting your trail bike a little e.g. Bigger tyres better damping wider bars.

If you want a bike to ride proper DH courses then I would recommend getting a dedicated bike for it. It can be very expensive to convert your exisiting trail bike into something which would resemble a DH bike plus you will probably make it a right pain to ride regular trails on.

Specialized Demo 8s are really nice, as are giant glories and 224s. Depends on your budget really. I built mine up frm second hand bits but again thats not always the cheapest way either. I have an orange 224 + wheelset and few bits for sale if you are interested in one of them.

been going to Diablo freeride park I am Nj usa and its an hour away has runs from green to double black diamond i have an old iron horse yakazu which i purchased second hand but its a great bike but once it breaks thats it as they are no longer made. I can ride the single black diamonds and the rest but my bike is heavy 50lbs or so so does make it hard work getting air and doing the shore stuff

I started with a 2007 Bighit frame as my first dh build, it was very good but a 06 - 09 Giant Glory full bike @ about $1200 would be my first choice.

If you want a bike to ride proper DH courses then I would recommend getting a dedicated bike for it. It can be very expensive to convert your exisiting trail bike into something which would resemble a DH bike plus you will probably make it a right pain to ride

I think the aim is less to replicate and more to adapt. I could pretty much ride my trail bike to within about 85% of the full on DH bike that I had. None of which matters to the OP as he/she is not starting with one.

tons of 2nd hand stuff on pinkbike thats where I would start, I bought 2nd hand as the season is pretty short here in Canada and 5k plus for a new one is a bit much for potentially 8 weeks riding, I've seen tons of Spesh demo 8's and Trek sesion 8's this year so they'll no doubt be a lot on the 2nd hand market soon,
what do you like about the bike parks gnarly stuff or groomed with stunts?

Giant Glory.

Yakuza's are pretty capable bikes with decent geometry IIRC if yours is 50lb it's down to your parts as the frames weren't massively heavy. most modern DH bikes (2007 and onwards) are good and won't hold a decent rider back.
Join Ridemonkey forum and use the search function, singletrackworld is a pretty awful place for DH advice (even more so for a US DHer).

Buy Cheap,
Buy Strong,
Buy the right size.

Having the right springs in you shock and forks is more important for DH, luckilly there are a lot of people swapping this sort of thing all the time.

Lot's of chaeap Kona's Stinkys and Stabs about, they're not a bad starter DH bike. Although As a big hit rider for about 4 years I think they're a nice beginer bike.

i would recomend something light.heavy ,slack, sluggish bikes are less fun on the short technical downhill courses that are on offer in the uk.orange patriot,trek scratch,morewood kalula,specialized sx trail. more that enought travel on those for fun ,unless you want to race?

2009 glory dh0

Love my Bullit for the bike park in Whistler 🙂 It's not too slack or sluggish (think it's about 67deg head angle, and has a short wheelbase) so it's really fun on flat out jumpy tracks as well as the techier ones. It feels controlled on ladder drops, nice and easy to unweight the front end. Hasn't really felt out of its depth yet but I don't exactly push bikes to their limits like some riders do. Was cheap as well, £395 for the frame and Boxxer plus other finishing kit. Would recommend! Oh and the whole bike weighs about 37lbs, could probably lose a bit of that with single crown forks, 1x9, lighter brakes etc.

As your from the US of A, i'd look out for a good second hand Scott Voltage or gambler.

Giant DH 2004 full build 888's and wheels and stuff £350?

Mail me need to shift it!

mikewsmith what size it is please and to you rhid size of your 224 thanks

Its the 15" version.

Here is a link to pics-

http://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/915379/
http://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/918865/

The 15" will see you up to just over 6ft. I only got it the other day but got an offer on something else and I bought that too!

I had a bullit before it and it was a great bike but on steep technical stuff I didn't get on with (there is a lot of that in north wales where I live). I had a go on a pals 224 and loved it.

Any questions feel free to ask.

rhid

med ish! I am 5'9 and it seems a little tall until you sit on it and the sag sorts it out

if you live in NJ then surely you must get yourself a Brooklyn or a Superco??

I'm puzzled as to why anyone living in the US would want to buy a S/H DH bike from the UK 😕

Am an expat who has family in uk so they can get it for me as over here as it is some damm big the bike i like could 6hr flight away and cost a fortune in shipping as i am in nj there is not alot of downhill stuff for sale locally