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To me, "Downcountry" either FS or HT has to be light. Light enough to race XC on (maybe not at the front, but competitive). It also needs to be short travel (race XC) and fairly slack geometry (the Down bit).
- Light
- Slack
- Short travel
So realistically for a HT we are looking at Aluminium or Carbon, not steel and RS SIDs or Fox 34 SC forks. Yet be around abouts 65/66deg ish HA.
No there arent many around. I think Transition made a carbon HT a while ago. Not sure on the geo for it. I think PB had a review on a downcountry HT a while back - have a search on the site.
Downcountry just means short travel but with geometry designed to make the downhills fun not a chore, doesn't it?
@kelvin, I think it was Levy on Pink Bike who coined it to originally describe full sus XC bikes that he and his friends had slightly overforked and upgraded the wheelset and brakes to make them a bit more capable on the descents?
I'm guessing a BFe is/ was the archetypal 'downcountry' hardtail, no? And Cove Handjob etc as above
I think it already existed before the "downcountry" term. It's the same thing as a trail bike.
More capable than XC on the downs, not nearly as much travel as an enduro bike. Basically a do-it-all.
Regarding the categorisation - historically the lower cost hardtails were just budget replicas of XC race bikes but without the things like xc race tyres, light weight and so on that made them good xc bikes. so you got a twitchy farm gate that was not very good off road unless you had a lot of skill and when you tried to use it as what we nerds would call a gravel bike, it wasnt very fast either.
Now however, the current voodoo bizzango - which could well be the "my first real MTB" for the masses that think Halfords is a good bike shop - has 66.5 degree head angle with a fork that works, reach round about on trend if a tad short. proper brakes, tyres that are decent, if more suited to summer trail centre than winter sloppy laps of Wharncliffe. There are similar offerings from the big brands, spesh trek etc.
I think it already existed before the “downcountry” term. It’s the same thing as a trail bike.
More capable than XC on the downs, not nearly as much travel as an enduro bike. Basically a do-it-all.
Its more what trail used to be before it got fat and ideas of grandeur. trail seems to be 150 (possibly coil) travel and doubledown tyres these days.
So we needed something else to fill the gap between trail and xc, despite how XC race bikes have changed.
I think the average new MTB rider just wants a bike to ride off-road, and maybe ride some natural trails. Not everyone is going to ride Bike Parks and shred like the magazines/ media would have you believe.
A gravel bike or basic Hardtail will suffice for them.
I'm a member of a reasonably large club that rides every week. From what i can see from our members, those with one bike only almost exclusively ride a full sus. Those that are a bit new tend to go for longer travel full sus as it aids confidence. Those of us who ride hardtails almost always have a full sus as well which we use for bigger days out. We ride the hardtails for the simplicity of week in week out maintenance over the winter and wet weather mudfest that is british mountainbiking.
We ride the hardtails for the simplicity of week in week out maintenance over the winter and wet weather mudfest that is british mountainbiking.
Personally, owning three hardtails (plus a 180mm FS ebike and a gravel bike) none of them were bought from a maintenance perspective. I just like riding HT's and have always had at least one alongside every FS I've owned
...those with one bike only almost exclusively ride a full sus. Those that are a bit new tend to go for longer travel full sus as it aids confidence. Those of us who ride hardtails almost always have a full sus as well which we use for bigger days out. We ride the hardtails for the simplicity of week in week out maintenance over the winter and wet weather mudfest that is british mountainbiking.
Agreed, same as my group. Adding one more observation - some of our group have ebikes for bigger big days out too.
Prior to Vitus disappearing I think that cheap bikes were having a bit of a renaissance. Deore, SLX and GX are all great. RS 35's are good, Z2's are great, dropper posts are cheap and the accountants have learnt to specify top end tyres even on cheap bikes.
I think the nice ones e.g. Cotic Solaris are so expensive now you might as well just get a full sus in the sales.
On-One scandal frames are (occasionally) dirt cheap, and the full bikes are good value. Whyte do a very similar model.
So realistically for a HT we are looking at Aluminium or Carbon, not steel and RS SIDs or Fox 34 SC forks. Yet be around abouts 65/66deg ish HA.
No there arent many around. I think Transition made a carbon HT a while ago. Not sure on the geo for it. I think PB had a review on a downcountry HT a while back – have a search on the site.
Voodoo Bizango Pro Carbon, BMC TwoStroke, Cannondale Scalpel HT.
The former is unobtanium for some reason and the latter are out and out race bikes, it's just the designers realized 66deg head angles were faster.
I’m guessing a BFe is/ was the archetypal ‘downcountry’ hardtail, no? And Cove Handjob etc as above
Disagree, in my mind a BFe is more at the lighter end of a hardcore hardtail., the Soul/Handjob would be trail or downcountry, and then you get to actual XC bikes.