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Yesterday I went for a ride on my 170/160mm bird am through the woods of Sheffield, wheels on the ground etc. Cleaning it after I thought I love this bike! But am I over biked?
What does it actually mean? Yeah I didn't use all the travel but the reach/bar position/seat angle fit me nicely so if I got another bike I'd be replicating that position?
Those who say overbiked do you also say overcar'd, overvanned, overphoned, etc?
I laugh at this sort of thing too, especially when people say how it dulls the trails. Which to me means that people want them to be terrifying and sketchy instead of fun... Weird... actually bizarre to me.
I'd say using their logic, yes you're over-biked.. But if you're happy then who cares.
Overbiked= you look too poor or too slow to be needing that bike.
I'm sure the same people who overuse that term obsess about tyre pressures and unsprung mass in their water bottle.
I'd rather be in a position where I have suspension left rather than using every bit on every ride (ICE)
It is the opposite of under biked I suppose and neither are bad things if that is what you are happy riding. I am pretty much under biked all the time as I could have a faster bike that is better suited to what I am riding on but I have tried those other bikes (geared road bike, geared and single speed CX bikes/hardtail MTBs) and at first they feel great and are a bit faster as they are the 'correct' bike but I soon get bored of them and go back to my under bike and I ultimately just enjoy it more.
I would consider overbiked when the weight/drag/position etc detracts from the ride for the rider. It's an entirely subjective test in the eyes of the rider.
Riding back lanes on an XC race bike is a bit dull for example, seriously dull on a hardcore hardtail.
A day ride in the Peak District on a downhill bike would be unpleasant
Riding a fully laden tourer on a Sunday chain gang
Underbiked, same issue in reverse. E.g. road bike round CYB.
Skill compensation/ use of abilities isn't a factor to me. If that's the case I've always been overbiked. I don't think I've ever owned a bike that couldn't have had more done on it by a more skilled rider.
Skill compensation/ use of abilities isn’t a factor to me. If that’s the case I’ve always been overbiked. I don’t think I’ve ever owned a bike that couldn’t have had more done on it by a more skilled rider.
But that doesn't mean a skills compensator doesn't mean YOU can't ride more tricky things. My Status allowed me to ride things at Dyfi I wouldn't have ridden on my Fuel... Sure, my lad would get down harder on both, but that's really not important is it ? It's what the bike give YOU as the rider, not what someone else could do on it.
The Trek Fuel 9.8 i had is WAY better than the Status... but i'd rather be on the Status without doubt.
Partially related to your OP, I sometimes ride my Bird Aeris 9 locally.
160/180mm with a coil shock and Zeb, it's pretty heavy and plodding and the chassis is very solid.
It can make trails feel easy, but it's the lack of pep and responsiveness that gives me the "overbiked" feeling more.
Also, while it's pretty good for more challenging riding in the UK, it has only really felt lively when I was going pretty fast in Pila, Verbier etc.
I took it on the Tour of Mont Blanc (no lifts) and deffo felt overbiked for that.
Those who say overbiked do you also say overcar’d, overvanned, overphoned, etc?
Maybe it's like doing the school run in a Ferrari, I dunno.
But that doesn’t mean a skills compensator doesn’t mean YOU can’t ride more tricky things. My Status allowed me to ride things at Dyfi I wouldn’t have ridden on my Fuel
That was (sort of) what I was trying to get across with more of an emphasis on you're not overbiked just because you don't use (most of) it's abilities.
Similarly to you there's stuff I'd ride on my FS that I wouldn't willing take an XC bike down. Not because the bike (my underlying skills) can't but because the bigger bike is more confidence inspiring.
Riding anything more than a steel single speed fixie is overbiked, well it was 20 years ago on here 😁
For me, it’s the pointlessly big, heavy bike with unnecessary tyres to ride (mostly) basic trails, which are faster & more fun on something more appropriate.
Usually it’s ego justification, can only have one bike, so I ride something inappropriate for 95% of things I normally ride, because y’know that 5% is so important.
With modern trail bikes being so good now, and genuinely capable of doing nearly everything, I’m amazed it’s still a thing.
Yesterday I went for a ride on my 170/160mm bird am through the woods of Sheffield, wheels on the ground etc. Cleaning it after I thought I love this bike! But am I over biked?
Is this all you use it for? If yes, then you probably are. Was it fun? If yes, then does it matter?
For me it’s about if the bike affects your enjoyment of the ride. I have one full suss bike that does all my non local riding. It’s a Transition Sentinel that’s 160/150mm travel and weighs 35lb. Not bothered about climbing speed and it fits and handles better than any bike I’ve had. Up Dunkeld, Laggan or Nevis it’s an absolute weapon, even with me on it. Like the OP, Sunday’s ride was a flatter, rolling ride on XC trails in the woods. I’d probably have been quicker on a downcountry bike but it wasn’t racing and I still had a blast.
Big bikes are so good these days, I think a lot of how they feel comes down to tyre choice. Being over tyred is the new over biked.
Overbiked = using a trolley when all you needed was bread and milk and a basket would of surficed
An original mini makes 70mph on a B-road feel like flying by the seat of your pants. A new large luxury saloon car at 70mph feels very quiet, comfortable and numbs the sensation of speed.
It's about feedback levels imo and it's subjective.
It’s about feedback levels imo and it’s subjective.
Think you have it there and explains why I ride what I do as I like a lot of feedback when cycling while others may not want that as it may mean less comfortable.
I believe the solution is to have more bikes in your stable, so you have a bike for every occasion.
You don't always need 160mm travel but if you only have 1 bike then that is all you can ride,
where as if you have a bmx, a dj bike, a gravel bike, an xc bike, a trail bike, an enduro bike and dh bike you have all bases covered
Usually it’s ego justification, can only have one bike, so I ride something inappropriate for 95% of things I normally ride, because y’know that 5% is so important.
Or your post might say more about your own ego than you expected?
Who cares what OTHER people ride.
An original mini makes 70mph on a B-road feel like flying by the seat of your pants. A new large luxury saloon car at 70mph feels very quiet, comfortable and numbs the sensation of speed.
It’s about feedback levels imo and it’s subjective.
Nail + head, for me at least. I bike for fun and don't want to be going balls-out at high speed to get the same thrill level I can get on a smaller-travel bike.
yup pootling around with heavy tyres, heavy bike on trails or surfaces that are more efficient on a lighter built bike. Same for minor obstacles, that on a lighter bike may require some rider input, but on a burlier bike can just be steamrolled.
The same can be said about climbs, why waste the additional energy getting a bike to the top of the hill if you don't need that much bike to get back down it and enjoy it.
A couple of mates take their MTBS out on road rides, I couldn't imagine anything worse, prime example of being overbiked. a gravel or road bike will be faster, zipper and generally more fun in that situation while using less energy.
Now some of this might be moot depending on what you get out of riding. I ride for two reasons, the exercise and the technical challenge (it's like a computer game to me), yes i want to get down the trail and get a PR, but if that was my primary driver i would be riding something like an Orbea Wild on super gnarly tyres everywhere.
Carrying a load of unnecessary kit/weight that you’ll never really need on 95%+ of what you do.
See Range Rover as car comparison.
I've swapped between hardtail, 120mm full-sus and 160mm/170mm full-sus for boring XC and full on DH.
You can have fun on all of them and the XC was simlar speed on all. Just change the tyres and you've got 99% of the benefits anyway. The weight difference is kind of trivial.
So it's nonsense IMO
(having said that not sure I'd take a hardtail to dyfi again)
In the extreme i'd say it's taking my Rallon to the pump track. absolutely no fun at all.
Why might i take that bike I hear you ask? We ride to the park, there are MTB trails and the pump track there, and I can't help push the 5 year old along on a BMX i can't sit down on.
a V10 is a great bike but you’d have a more enjoyable ride in Thetford on an Anthem.
1.Says who?
2.Define enjoyable
Mostly I think, said by folks who want to tell you that you're doing "it" wrong. Which mostly means, "You're not doing something in a way I approve of" It's the same thing as walkers asking you if you're allowed to ride here.
Overbiked = using a trolley when all you needed was bread and milk and a basket would of surficed
Maybe, but that statement implies choice at point of use. The flip side would be only being able to use a basket for every shop, including your weekly shop with mystery item from the middle of Lidl you didn’t expect to buy.
It's definitely a preference thing.
I quite like riding on the ragged edge at times, it's fun, but as I do not have amazing trails on my doorstep, I achieve this by riding my cx bike.
However if I'm doing a long distance bike packing ride, with long hours in the saddle then I prefer to be 'overbiked' as a safety precaution.
IMO, if you're not having fun out on the trails then you're probably overbiked. A lighter, shorter travel, more responsive bike will always be more fun to ride IME, just be prepared to crash once in a while.
I used to only have one bike, so was often under and over biked. I had to get on with it as I didn't have any other choice if I wanted to ride a certain route or trails.
Definitely a first world problem 😉
1.Says who?
2.Define enjoyable
Mostly I think, said by folks who want to tell you that you’re doing “it” wrong. Which mostly means, “You’re not doing something in a way I approve of” It’s the same thing as walkers asking you if you’re allowed to ride here.
Exactly why I posted my response. It often comes from a place of perceived superiority and/or ego.
Sadly more and more gatekeepers of 'the way' in off-road bicycling.
I bet Thetford goes pretty well on a gravel bike, TBF
Some of my rides involve being over and under biked on the same ride.
But that doesn’t mean a skills compensator doesn’t mean YOU can’t ride more tricky things. My Status allowed me to ride things at Dyfi I wouldn’t have ridden on my Fuel… Sure, my lad would get down harder on both, but that’s really not important is it ? It’s what the bike give YOU as the rider, not what someone else could do on it.
The Trek Fuel 9.8 i had is WAY better than the Status… but i’d rather be on the Status without doubt.
I've read this a few times and can't work out if it's complete bollox or stating the obvious. I think it's actually both. 🙂
Talking about being overbiked ( or indeed not overbiked) at Dyfi on a Status is completely ridiculous ( or stating the obvious).
I sometimes wonder if over bikes is confused with undersprung.
Sounds like the OP has it right with travel to spare after a blast in the woods, but if you have a 6" bike wallowing around a blue trail using all the travel, I might call that over bikes. If you were sprung in such a way as you were only using half of it, that might be better.
Have you had a car that you didn't give a crap about that you would drive like you stole? Responsibly of course.
Have you had a hardtail that you could skid and slide around, properly ringing its neck?
Have you had a short travel full sus that would feel fun everywhere because you were always inches from getting spat off it intot he weeds?
The above is all being underbiked, it's getting the maximum from the gear you have, getting your money's worth.
Being overbiked is the opposite, like having a healthy bank account, it's nice, but it doesn't give you the fear to crack on and earn some monies.
It's safe, but perhaps boring?
I am pretty much overbiked at the moment, used to ride a 5010 which was hilarious everywhere, but a bit limited in terms of set up options, I now ride a stumpy evo which is far far more capable, ever so slightly not as much fun on my usual trails, but it has a wider setup window so you can tweak it (geo, cockpit, suspension, tyres) to really excel depending on where you're riding.
Carrying a load of unnecessary kit/weight that you’ll never really need on 95%+ of what you do.
See Range Rover as car comparison.
Yes and I am sure you drive a 107 for that reason.
I think the time I met another rider on my local trails and I was on a rigid singlespeed and he was on a long travel e-bike, is the perfect example of being under and overbiked. Yeah, we were both riding the same trails and both having fun, but we'd both have been better off with a hardtail.
How about gravel bikes with all them bags? When they're only riding for a few hours.
Over bagged?
To me the term means having 'too many' bells and whistles and/or travel (and the associated weight) for the use it's currently engaged in.
Obviously that varies by use, my Stumpy is often a bit more bike than I really need, my rigid MTB is less, other times either bike is bob-on.
One thing I have found I quite like from previous experiences is upping the fork on an "under-bike" i.e. 130mm rear, 150mm front seems to work as a nice in-between setup.
Like most things, there is the correct tool for the job, and then there is the tool with which you can still do the job. Do you need a 160mm suspension bike to ride to the corner shop for milk and eggs? No, but you can. Of course not having a basket on the front means you need a less optimal luggage system like a rucksack. Or reverse, can you ride that shopper round the forest? Probably a few times before it might snap, but your tools might bounce out of the basket on the lumpy bits.
If your bike reduces the technical challenges to an extent that you wish they were harder, then you are over-biked. Otherwise, ride on. BTW I ride a fixed wheel road bike most of the time. For many that's under-biked because people like/need gears. On a hilly ride with a headwind, it's the wrong bike. I also ride a rigid steel single speed MTB. For most of my rides, it's appropriate and gives me the right level of technical challenge. But when the route is black, I tend to sack as I'm definitely under-biked!
Yes and I am sure you drive a 107 for that reason.
I live in the countryside and drive i3, one of the lightest, smallest electric cars which will take 4 people (which happens several times a week) comfortably . I also ride a Spur. I could buy a 4x4 for the two days a year where it's snowing/flooded or a Sentinal for the one local descent that it might make a difference for, but why? I practice what I preach. 🙂
It often comes from a place of perceived superiority and/or ego
Well quite. If you feel like you want to tell some-one that you think they're overbiked, here's a handy chart to think about before you do...and while this is aimed at women, mansplaining to other men is just as common IME
https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20180727-mansplaining-explained-in-one-chart
where as if you have a bmx, a dj bike, a gravel bike, an xc bike, a trail bike, an enduro bike and dh bike you have all bases covered
That's a rookie list 😉 You seem to have left off TT bike, shopping bike, folding bike, track bike... to name but a few extras in the garage.