suspension overkill
#1
wonderer, wanderer
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: portland, or
Posts: 1,712
Bikes: surly crosscheck, yeti 575, salsa moto rapido, kona ute
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times
in
2 Posts
suspension overkill
i have been noticing a trend in people buying bikes with way more suspension than they need with the type of riding they use them for. is this just another form of the "bigger is better" mentality, like people needing the biggest suv's just to get around town? or is it that people are expecting to be hitting bigger drops when they finally grow the balls to do so? my 3.5" rear suspension allows me to ride aggressively, dropping 3-4 feet at a time, while also allowing me to get up the hill efficiently. i have ridden with guys before who have 6 inches of rear travel and are hesitant to follow me down hill. props to those of you who use them for what they are intended for and go big. if you don't, is it really worth it to have a 40lb beast with 9" of travel to ride the local trails?
__________________
Bicycle-eye
Bicycle-eye
#2
New to bikeforùms.net
Join Date: Jan 2001
Posts: 2,202
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
This is something that can be approached from about a million ways. I have a 6" travel bike, and I do hardcore riding on it but I am positive that some people could go alot bigger than me on the same bike. Some people dont deserve the bike they have, especially the trail rider on a long long travel bike. Some bikes now are long travel, are super light and really couldent be used for freeriding.....so now what are we going to say?
#3
Wood Licker
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Whistler,BC
Posts: 16,966
Bikes: Trek Fuel EX 8 27.5 +, 2002 Transition Dirtbag, Kona Roast 2002
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 23 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times
in
2 Posts
I agree..but for some it is a mental thing. Bigger travel makes them feel happier. I have no issues doign a drop on a ht (3 to 4 ft) but stick me on a 3.5" rear suspension and I would be scared to do anything. At my weight I would blow through that little sus in no time. I also don't see the point to small travel bikes, why not do a ht in that case. (a different approach).
I don't know too many guys with big travel bikes that don't use all of their travel so I can't really say but I do know what you mean. I go back to Ontario and see some kid riding an A-line around Guelph. What is up with that. The A-line is very specifically designed for dh and is heavy, can't be pedalled and is just plain a beast.
Anyways in the end I just let it go and watch people ride what they ride. Everyone needs a different comfort level for whatever they do. If they want to invest on a 9" inch travl bike for 4 ft drops so be it. Next year the bikes will be cheaper
I don't know too many guys with big travel bikes that don't use all of their travel so I can't really say but I do know what you mean. I go back to Ontario and see some kid riding an A-line around Guelph. What is up with that. The A-line is very specifically designed for dh and is heavy, can't be pedalled and is just plain a beast.
Anyways in the end I just let it go and watch people ride what they ride. Everyone needs a different comfort level for whatever they do. If they want to invest on a 9" inch travl bike for 4 ft drops so be it. Next year the bikes will be cheaper
#4
WallaWalla!
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Walla Walla, WA
Posts: 823
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
If they want to invest on a 9" inch travl bike for 4 ft drops so be it. Next year the bikes will be cheaper
__________________
Jeff
Jeff
#5
#GoatRidesBikes.com
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: SW MO
Posts: 472
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
My 6" travel free ride bike weighs 30.5 lbs...I've gradually started ramping up and now huck 6 footers. I still ride it for XC too.
I started with a super light 3.75" XC Full Suspension bike and realized slowly over about a two year period that it was too light for the riding that I started to enjoy (light DH, hucking, freeriding, etc.)...
I started with a super light 3.75" XC Full Suspension bike and realized slowly over about a two year period that it was too light for the riding that I started to enjoy (light DH, hucking, freeriding, etc.)...
__________________
GoatRidesBikes.com
GoatRidesBikes.com
#6
wonderer, wanderer
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: portland, or
Posts: 1,712
Bikes: surly crosscheck, yeti 575, salsa moto rapido, kona ute
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times
in
2 Posts
Some bikes now are long travel, are super light and really couldent be used for freeriding
I also don't see the point to small travel bikes, why not do a ht in that case.
i don't have any problem with people using these monsters to drop 2-3 foot drops, just wondering why they would want to.
__________________
Bicycle-eye
Bicycle-eye
#7
Wood Licker
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Whistler,BC
Posts: 16,966
Bikes: Trek Fuel EX 8 27.5 +, 2002 Transition Dirtbag, Kona Roast 2002
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 23 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times
in
2 Posts
Originally posted by gonesh9
i don't have any problem with people using these monsters to drop 2-3 foot drops, just wondering why they would want to.
i don't have any problem with people using these monsters to drop 2-3 foot drops, just wondering why they would want to.
#8
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Paducah, KY (40 minutes from Canal Loop trail at Land Between the Lakes)
Posts: 114
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
All depends on where you're riding. If you're not sure, make sure you get something that's adjustable. I just bought my Haro with 5" suspension, and now wish it had less and was lighter, because I mainly do cross-country. I love it on rough downhill sections, but those sections are few and far between. I spend alot of time bouncing up and down when I try to get out of the saddle.
#9
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Gainesville, Florida
Posts: 1,791
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I think the POINT is to have more suspension than you need. If you had just enough all the time you wouldn't feel like you could go big. Nobody likes bottoming out!
#10
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: US:AZ
Posts: 362
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Jim raises a good point. I think also, the different niche's of riding are ever changing. There was a time everyone thought a bike for what we call 'urban assault' today should have no shocks and slicks. Today they're about as beefy as DH bikes. Mountain biking in general is always changing. You look at forks and frames from but a few years ago and you see some pretty strange things.
I'm sure there is a trendiness factor too it though. Like the OnePointFive standard Manitou started a while back. People found that it was a fairly good idea, and looked kinda nifty too. Today we're seeing bikes with 1.5 head tubes that really shouldn't have them, XC bikes for example.
The fact is, companies will do whatever they think will make more people buy their bikes. Its a business after all.
I'm sure there is a trendiness factor too it though. Like the OnePointFive standard Manitou started a while back. People found that it was a fairly good idea, and looked kinda nifty too. Today we're seeing bikes with 1.5 head tubes that really shouldn't have them, XC bikes for example.
The fact is, companies will do whatever they think will make more people buy their bikes. Its a business after all.
#11
wonderer, wanderer
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: portland, or
Posts: 1,712
Bikes: surly crosscheck, yeti 575, salsa moto rapido, kona ute
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times
in
2 Posts
maybe what is also happening is people are getting more interested in hucking off small cliffs than 4 hour rides. don't get me wrong, i love the adrenaline of being in the air, and admire those who go big, but it takes a lot of power also to ride hard for 4 hours on hilly, technical terrain.
what do people think regarding their geographical area? i'm sure that plays a big role in what people are riding. are there current trends in a certain style of riding? i know that in places like the north shore, freestyle is the core. here in oregon there seems to be a wide variety, from big downhill, to serious cross country. what is going on in the flatter areas, like the midwest?
what do people think regarding their geographical area? i'm sure that plays a big role in what people are riding. are there current trends in a certain style of riding? i know that in places like the north shore, freestyle is the core. here in oregon there seems to be a wide variety, from big downhill, to serious cross country. what is going on in the flatter areas, like the midwest?
__________________
Bicycle-eye
Bicycle-eye
#12
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: US:AZ
Posts: 362
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Where I live I would say its definately more of a 'trendy bikes' case. Its a mesa were I live, so most everything is flat. And all you see are FS bikes, tripple crown forks, everything that makes you say, "Oooooo." If you travel a few minutes south you'll hit a big tourist trap. Its even worse there. I've had people laugh at my hardtail on the trail, as if I were riding some archaic piece of technology.
#13
Wood Licker
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Whistler,BC
Posts: 16,966
Bikes: Trek Fuel EX 8 27.5 +, 2002 Transition Dirtbag, Kona Roast 2002
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 23 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times
in
2 Posts
Originally posted by DiL
Jim raises a good point. I think also, the different niche's of riding are ever changing. There was a time everyone thought a bike for what we call 'urban assault' today should have no shocks and slicks. Today they're about as beefy as DH bikes. Mountain biking in general is always changing. You look at forks and frames from but a few years ago and you see some pretty strange things.
Jim raises a good point. I think also, the different niche's of riding are ever changing. There was a time everyone thought a bike for what we call 'urban assault' today should have no shocks and slicks. Today they're about as beefy as DH bikes. Mountain biking in general is always changing. You look at forks and frames from but a few years ago and you see some pretty strange things.
I'm sure there is a trendiness factor too it though. Like the OnePointFive standard Manitou started a while back. People found that it was a fairly good idea, and looked kinda nifty too. Today we're seeing bikes with 1.5 head tubes that really shouldn't have them, XC bikes for example.
#14
Wood Licker
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Whistler,BC
Posts: 16,966
Bikes: Trek Fuel EX 8 27.5 +, 2002 Transition Dirtbag, Kona Roast 2002
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 23 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times
in
2 Posts
Originally posted by gonesh9
what do people think regarding their geographical area? i'm sure that plays a big role in what people are riding. are there current trends in a certain style of riding? i know that in places like the north shore, freestyle is the core. here in oregon there seems to be a wide variety, from big downhill, to serious cross country. what is going on in the flatter areas, like the midwest?
what do people think regarding their geographical area? i'm sure that plays a big role in what people are riding. are there current trends in a certain style of riding? i know that in places like the north shore, freestyle is the core. here in oregon there seems to be a wide variety, from big downhill, to serious cross country. what is going on in the flatter areas, like the midwest?
#15
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Gainesville, Florida
Posts: 1,791
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Yeah, my dilemma right now is what exactly is going to be most practical for me. I have 2 cross country bikes (One is a full suspension with 4.5 inches of travel) and one hardtail. I use the hardtail alot to do urban assault, but I'm starting to think it doesn't have enough suspension travel and is far too rigid for the things I'm riding. So I can't decide whether to switch to a big hit full suspension or to buy a beefy hardtail with a big fork up front and some flat pedals. So far I'm leaning towards the hardtail, but the stair gaps are getting bigger and bigger... and I'm getting more and more bold. There's a specific bike for practically EVERY type of riding these days. Doesn't seem like you can just RIDE WHAT YOU BROUGHT!
#16
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Gainesville, Florida
Posts: 1,791
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
On the topic of geography... around here there isn't any local freeriding or big hit stuff, so we're forced to ride the streets where there's TONS of crazy stuff to get into. If you've got the balls, you can pretty much go as big as you like. Which is another thing that's influencing my decision. As my skills get better and my balls larger, I'd like to have a bike that will take the abuse and handle what I can throw at it as opposed to having to buy a new bike.
#17
New to bikeforùms.net
Join Date: Jan 2001
Posts: 2,202
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Originally posted by Jim311
Doesn't seem like you can just RIDE WHAT YOU BROUGHT!
Doesn't seem like you can just RIDE WHAT YOU BROUGHT!
You can, you soooo can. The snow race got cancelled last weekend here and almost everybody met in town to ride. Trials bikes, cruisers, DH bikes, hardtail freeride bikes and FS freeride bikes....o yea and a few BMX bikes. It was pretty insane...
#18
Yo
I've ridden them all over the years.
Give me suspension or give me death!
Unless I'm racing XC of course, but still give me suspension, just give me a lockout to go along with it. Light weight is mostly hype (been there too). There is a borderline on where weight makes a difference though, and to me it's about 34-36 lb's. Plus it makes a big difference where the weight is, as in evil rotating weight versus not-so-evil suspension weight.
Suspension, especially on modern bikes, is not a trend. It is a necessity in some riding conditions. Even more so after you get a few boo-boos nagging at you as you get older.
Give me suspension or give me death!
Unless I'm racing XC of course, but still give me suspension, just give me a lockout to go along with it. Light weight is mostly hype (been there too). There is a borderline on where weight makes a difference though, and to me it's about 34-36 lb's. Plus it makes a big difference where the weight is, as in evil rotating weight versus not-so-evil suspension weight.
Suspension, especially on modern bikes, is not a trend. It is a necessity in some riding conditions. Even more so after you get a few boo-boos nagging at you as you get older.
#19
wonderer, wanderer
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: portland, or
Posts: 1,712
Bikes: surly crosscheck, yeti 575, salsa moto rapido, kona ute
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times
in
2 Posts
Light weight is mostly hype (been there too). There is a borderline on where weight makes a difference though, and to me it's about 34-36 lb's.
__________________
Bicycle-eye
Bicycle-eye
#20
Yo
It is definately a trade-off. On my 24 lb KHS I noticed some difference when doing alot of climbing, but not enough to offset the improved performance of suspension. I would even rather be climbing on my 40 lb Bullit in real steep rocky climbs. I have found that I can climb technical terrain better with this heavier bike since I get much better "bite" in loose rocks.
But I can think of a couple of sweet single track climbs in CO where a 10 lb bike would be nice
Overall though, even if you race, I think extremely light bikes are only going to take more cash out of your wallet.
But I can think of a couple of sweet single track climbs in CO where a 10 lb bike would be nice
Overall though, even if you race, I think extremely light bikes are only going to take more cash out of your wallet.
#21
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: US:AZ
Posts: 362
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Originally posted by Maelstrom
Who makes a xc bike with a 1.5. I know of very few 1.5 bikes and all the ones that are are freeride bike and very beefy and strong.
Who makes a xc bike with a 1.5. I know of very few 1.5 bikes and all the ones that are are freeride bike and very beefy and strong.
#22
DEADBEEF
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Catching his breath alongside a road near Seattle, WA USA
Posts: 12,234
Bikes: 1999 K2 OzM, 2001 Aegis Aro Svelte
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 6 Times
in
4 Posts
Originally posted by gonesh9
i think small travel bikes are great for cross country riding. i agree that a ht would do the trick, but my bike with 3.5" rear travel gets me down the hill and through super technical areas faster than my hardtail, and back up the hill at about the same speed as one. my arms, hands, and ass aren't all beat up after an epic ride.
i think small travel bikes are great for cross country riding. i agree that a ht would do the trick, but my bike with 3.5" rear travel gets me down the hill and through super technical areas faster than my hardtail, and back up the hill at about the same speed as one. my arms, hands, and ass aren't all beat up after an epic ride.
__________________
1999 K2 OzM 2001 Aegis Aro Svelte
"Be liberal in what you accept, and conservative in what you send." -- Jon Postel, RFC1122
1999 K2 OzM 2001 Aegis Aro Svelte
"Be liberal in what you accept, and conservative in what you send." -- Jon Postel, RFC1122
#23
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 441
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Originally posted by gonesh9
i have been noticing a trend in people buying bikes with way more suspension than they need with the type of riding they use them for.
i have been noticing a trend in people buying bikes with way more suspension than they need with the type of riding they use them for.
this dope buys one.
What does he use for ? commuting to and from work. That's it. He has absolutely no intention of riding it off road. He just bought it because it was a better bike than the neighbour's. The neighbour he tried to outdo just keeps laughing everytime this idiot rides by him, bouncing around like a loaded spring.
Justen