avid 3s can be a bit tempremental, nines are powerful but heavy. Deore would be my advice, but watch which year you purchase as one of the recent ones got terrible reviews I think.

nor will an 80mm travel bike with xc components last very long if used on Fort Bill for example, day in day out. You might feel faster but I promise you you aint

I think you misunderstand (if that's the word) me, obviously I'm not saying that a 80mm bike would ever be quicker on a dh course I just meant that it could 'do it'and that a 140mm bike could do it well as well as other things well(all round, no real compromises). I'm more getting at the concept of I want to do this attitude that a bike is incapable of something because it's not got enough travel/the right geometry etc. I also fuly agree that an xc whippet bike would, most likely fall to bits as would your joints after a few runs!

It was fine apart from the super thin grips and only thing it couldn't handle was the big drops(as far as my skills go) on the Champerey DH

Sorry meant Mont cherry not Champery

Its hard enough to push an out and out xc bike to it's limits short of Fort Bill or Inners

I'm not saying it would be fun or as fast and obviously an 80mm hardtail is going to take a biker of bitchin' skill to ride it down there but the bike would be fine. I'm just confused as to why such extreme bikes are necessary and furthermore considered all mountain when they are really not an all rounder. In my humble opinion the orange 5 and its peers are all mountain as can be seen from their capabilities. There might be a dozen world cup DH courses where they wouldn't cope but for everything else they would be fine.

Dude you must have been battered to shit. And big bikes are only tank like when they're going slowly!

It was fine apart from the super thin grips and only thing it couldn't handle was the big drops(as far as my skills go) on the Champerey DH.
It was nice to have a lighter, balanced bike for the jumps but I'll definately be taking something burlier this Summer… so excited already!

I cant see the need for anything beyond a 5 or zesty for UK riding unless you're the ugly side of 14 stone. Its hard enough to push an out and out xc bike to it's limits short of Fort Bill or Inners. A fuel ex 7 served me fine in Morzine/Les Gets this Summer but then I don't like the tank-like point and go of a DH bike.