[Closed] What do you mean by 'Over Biked'?

IMO overbiked basically means carrying a shedload of extra weight the downhills don't warrant. Think riding a downhill bike round a not very technical xc race course. You're pedalling all that extra heft up the hills but not getting the use out of it on the way down r it'll turn a fun little tech trail into a boring brakes off straight line run. Very subjective thing tho. I hardly ever take my heckler out on local trails coz it weighs a tonne and I consider it overbiked for those trails but I have a barrel of laughs if I do take it out (just not on the ups) at the same time other locals consider anything over a HT (or even rigid) on our local routes as overbiked.

Some don't mind the extra weight, some only have 1 bike, some may have secret totally GNAR awsum downhill routes that you don't know about. Either way it's prob not a good idea to accuse someone of being overbiked.

You can do drops / gaps on hardtails.... if you have the balls. And 99.9% of riders don't.

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When is a bike "too much" bike?

I've got 2 FS bikes built up. One 100mm travel and the other 150mm - and to be honest, I can't think of a trail where I'd prefer to ride the smaller bike. It doesn't mean the shorter travel bike isn't any good - but I don't see any real downside to the bigger bike over smooth trails or even road climbs. The exceptions would be out of the saddle sprints or very long, very steep climbs - so if I was racing, I'd probably feel differently.

FWIW - I think that big, soft-compound tyres will slow a bike down more than an extra inch or two of travel.

Most of my rides include bits of road, techy climbs, flowing singletrack, bits of rocky downhill and towpath. You can only take one bike per ride. You can't always be correctly biked

Will it? How are you sure? Do you ride some of the huge drops and gaps in swinley on your hardtail?

I have a HT and a 160mm bike (an Alpine as it happens!) and enjoy riding both, regardless of the terrain. Ive done all-day XC loops in the chilterns on the Alpine and enjoyed every minute of it, and had no less fun than my mates on their rigids/HTs/SS'ers on the same ride.

If I could only afford one bike and bought the alpine so that I potentially had more fun on my alpine trips, does that mean I cant ride it on less extreme terrain? Why does my choice of bike even concern others? You choose to put up with the "brutality" thats your choice, other people make other choices. If the highlight of my year is a trip to the alps is there not a logic to getting a bike to make the most of that trip, rather than my local terrain?

Its a shame in a minority interest that diversity is derided not celebrated, we all presumably enjoy riding bicycles in the mud which some of the population would consider ridiculous but despite that common interest find ways to alienate each other. I'm sat here with a broken arm going mad at not being able to ride (should be in the alps for a fortnight right now, and sierra nevada in september both of which are now ruined) and would give anything to be able to ride any bike anywhere. I'm living my cycling life vicariously through STW (and via my credit card )to keep me motivated. If we all rode the same bikes in the same way it'd be a boring world.

I was joking, although perhaps it touched a nerve. Apologies.

I rode Dalby red on an RM Slayer with DH wheels & short stem - I was seriously "overbiked" and had to walk the last 2 miles due to exhaustion

Quality!

Most of my local trails are singletrack and I find if I take my enduro it takes some of the fun out of the ride. If I ride kv downhill, rogate or steyning then riding a hardtail takes some of the fun out of it.

Who cares what anyone else is riding, as long as you are having fun that is the main thing.

The term 'over biked' or 'too much bike' relates only to me, if someone else is riding a dh bike at peaslake and they are enjoying themselves fair play.

You can do drops / gaps on hardtails.... if you have the balls. And 99.9% of riders don't.

DLT, the only nerve it touched is the depressing notion of infighting within a common interest group, but I suppose it is human nature to use differences to identify ourselves. I wonder whether people that express these opinions here feel them strongly enough to express them in real life- would they sneer at a rider they came across on a bigger bike, ride by if that rider was in some form of trouble, or stop, shoot the breeze with a kindred spirit and help out if they could?

You and xiphon (if thats "him" in his pics) may or may not be vastly more talented than me as rider, but I hope if we ran into each other on the trails that wouldnt be the subject of the conversation.

Like I said, I have a lot of time to overthink stuff like this!

I always just thought this sort of talk was just a bit of "friendly banter". I dont think people actually take it/mean it seriously do they? Although I guess its hard to tell when its typed on an internet forum.

you can select exactly which bike is appropriate for each trail and sneer at anyone who doesn't do the same

No that's not it at all. I never sneer at anyone, ever. Ride what you brung and have fun. I saw a dad carefully leading his wife and kiddy down a local DH track the other day on some fairly innocuous HTs - having a whale of a time. Good for them.

It's just that since beefing up my FS it's now better suited to fast, rough descents and less for pedally XC. Entirely my problem for picking the wrong bike out of the two I own.

i can't even be arsed to comment.....

other than xiphon, if that's you then good job.

i would have thought the 2nd pic was the easiest of out the three to ride.....

Ha ha no it's not me! Sorry if I implied it was, it's not 🙂

Just pulled some random pics from Pinkbike of people possibly being slightly *underbiked* 😉

Whoever the riders are, respect!

I ride Leith Hill/Holmbury every week on my 575 and I can't really say I've ever felt "overbiked" Also ridden Swinley, Cwmcarn Downhill, Affan and Richmond Park cycle path with the wife. If I only rode my bike on the optimum trails I probably wouldn't get out very much. I suppose if I could afford a DH bike (which I can't) then I'd feel a bit "overbiked" popping down to the paper shop.....Then again.

went into the bike shed last time i wanted to take a bike out, it was sunny and i fancied a ride to the pub to meet a few people.

had to choose between an mmmbop HT and Cove Shocker 9" DH race bike.

guess which one i took through the park to the pub 😀

interestingly, none of my mates told me i was "overbiked" when i arrived.

When you have an XC hardtail, a 'hardcore hardtail', an XC full suss, all-mountain full suss, DH bike, 'play' bike, 29er - you can select exactly which bike is appropriate for each trail, and sneer at anyone who doesn't do the same.

Yea, and get your ass pasted by someone on a rigid SS.

Ride the bike you like/can afford/always wanted. It really does not matter in the slightest. Just don't stop yourself from getting it because of what other idiots say/think/write on the internet or in a magazine and certainly not because what you already have 'does the job'. Blurgh!

sorry to drag this up again, but thought it was relevant....

the first two lads in this film.... that is what i'd consider overbiked.

that is all....

Yes but to reiterate what's been said before, people can't afford a bike for every type of trail.
My hardtail had a puncture so I rode my freeride bike to work today, only roads but who cares!!

alpin, theyre not overbiked they are undertrailed 🙂 seriously who thought that bit of single track was worth filming, I've ridden better in the chilterns.

I was riding round cannock on my enduro and happened across a chap on a rigid singlespeed (might even have been a 29er), who commented that I looked 'a bit overbiked for cannock'.

I told him it was my only bike (because it is my only bike), and that he looked a little under geared, we had a bit more banter and then went on our way.

Each to their own and all that

I was riding round cannock on my enduro and happened across a chap on a rigid singlespeed (might even have been a 29er), who commented that I looked 'a bit overbiked for cannock'.

Oh dear. Bet he posts on here.

davidtaylforth - Member

I always just thought this sort of talk was just a bit of "friendly banter". I dont think people actually take it/mean it seriously do they?

Hits nail on head.

I've had the ego chariot phrase used to try an insult a couple of my bikes.

I thought it was funny so i put some ego chariot stickers on them. 😀

Grum.
you missed this bit.

we had a bit more banter and then went on our way.

Sound like they were both just having a bit of fun to me

Sound like they were both just having a bit of fun to me

It was you wasn't it.

Can't say it would bother me, just seems like a slightly lame topic of conversation, both on the internet and 'IRL'.

Not me. I don't ride at cannock as even on a rigid 29er singlespeed i would be "overbiked". 😉

Wonder if the guy on the rigid 29er singlespeed rides this at Cannock

Wonder if the guy on the rigid 29er singlespeed rides this at Cannock

No idea and TBH I couldn't give a monkeys chuff what anyone does or doesn't ride on any bike. 🙂