Ste Wilson Posted June 3, 2008 Report Share Posted June 3, 2008 Ws thinking of getting a DH bike and starting downhill mtbing this summer.. only i do not have a clue where to start Just wondering if anyone does it and where all tracks and events are, it would be really helpful if someone could point me in the right direction.. Also what are some good DH bikes e.g. GT Glory... Specialised Big Hit 3 Kona Stinky... thats about as many as i know.. thanks ste Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forteh Posted June 3, 2008 Report Share Posted June 3, 2008 Ws thinking of getting a DH bike and starting downhill mtbing this summer.. only i do not have a clue where to start Top of the hill Just wondering if anyone does it and where all tracks and events are, it would be really helpful if someone could point me in the right direction.. All the tracks are in hilly places Also what are some good DH bikes e.g. GT Glory... Specialised Big Hit 3 Kona Stinky... thats about as many as i know.. I believe 2 wheels and suspension is a good start Sorry pretty useless reply, all I know about downhill tracks is stilecop near rugeley and I can fly down there on my santacruz chameleon so its hardly challenging Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ste Wilson Posted June 3, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 3, 2008 Top of the hill All the tracks are in hilly places I believe 2 wheels and suspension is a good start Sorry pretty useless reply, all I know about downhill tracks is stilecop near rugeley and I can fly down there on my santacruz chameleon so its hardly challenging haha found that quite amusing actually haha... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sidehop Stuart Posted June 3, 2008 Report Share Posted June 3, 2008 An Orange Patriot ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craigjames Posted June 3, 2008 Report Share Posted June 3, 2008 right i dont know too many tracks in cumbria as ive never ridden there myself, but i've heard that theres quite a few! get yourself on southerndownhill.com and descent-world.co.uk and check out the ride, tracks and in your area threads. theres always loads going on. regards to what bike to get, it depends on your budget. what are you working with? ive had a few dh bikes over the years ive been riding. my kona was very solid and reliable, but not the most amazing bike riding wise, my giant glory was the best riding bike i've owned it was just a bit heavy. my last bike ive jst sold an Intense socom, rode almost as well as the giant but nearly 9lbs lighter was so much easier to throw about and pedal. i did have specialized, and the new bighits although not the most fashionable bikes, are damn good for a starter bike. solid and the ride pretty well for the money. if you spot anything for sale then feel to ask on the forums (or myself) for an opinion. craig Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ben_travis Posted June 3, 2008 Report Share Posted June 3, 2008 (edited) Iron Horse have some pretty handy dh / free ride bikes.... http://www.alpinebikes.co.uk have them in stock (i think they might be the importer in the UK for Iron Horse) others to maybe consider are; Honda ( if u have a spare £60000+) Santa Cruz (steve peat / greg minnar) Orange (although i have never rated them as any good) GT (available through halfords (easy to get i imagine) but again i have never rated these) This is the knowledge of someone who doesnt ride DH and never has, however i did work in alpine bikes a couple of years ago, and have had some training on them (iron horse), and they are renowned as very good bikes, after all they are ridden by a world beater in the form of sam hill.... EDIT: If you want tracks check out: http://www.fortwilliamworldcup.co.uk/ http://www.7stanes.gov.uk/ (not sure if there is DH here though) http://www.descent-world.co.uk/ (UK's DH home...so to speak) http://www.southerndownhill.com/ Edited June 3, 2008 by ben_travis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craigjames Posted June 3, 2008 Report Share Posted June 3, 2008 Iron Horse have some pretty handy dh / free ride bikes.... www.alpinebikes.co.uk have them in stock (i think they might be the importer in the UK for Iron Horse) others to maybe consider are; Honda ( if u have a spare £60000+) Santa Cruz (steve peat / greg minnar) Orange (although i have never rated them as any good) GT (available through halfords (easy to get i imagine) but again i have never rated these) This is the knowledge of someone who doesnt ride DH and never has, however i did work in alpine bikes a couple of years ago, and have had some training on them (iron horse), and they are renowned as very good bikes, after all they are ridden by a world beater in the form of sam hill.... if you have the money and someway of uncrushing them! honda's policy on all prototypes is to crush them after use. they were all scrapped at the end of last season, as honda realised they werent a financially viable thing to produce. shame really. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
26inch Posted June 3, 2008 Report Share Posted June 3, 2008 Where do you live if you want tracks as for bikes get something 2nd hand for your first, i built up a stinky for 700, been dh on it for bout 5months and its fine, if u want something new norco orange scott ironhorse specialized kona prob a load more too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ste Wilson Posted June 3, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 3, 2008 right i dont know too many tracks in cumbria as ive never ridden there myself, but i've heard that theres quite a few! get yourself on southerndownhill.com and descent-world.co.uk and check out the ride, tracks and in your area threads. theres always loads going on. regards to what bike to get, it depends on your budget. what are you working with? ive had a few dh bikes over the years ive been riding. my kona was very solid and reliable, but not the most amazing bike riding wise, my giant glory was the best riding bike i've owned it was just a bit heavy. my last bike ive jst sold an Intense socom, rode almost as well as the giant but nearly 9lbs lighter was so much easier to throw about and pedal. i did have specialized, and the new bighits although not the most fashionable bikes, are damn good for a starter bike. solid and the ride pretty well for the money. if you spot anything for sale then feel to ask on the forums (or myself) for an opinion. craig thanks mate great help will have a look at them sights Iron Horse have some pretty handy dh / free ride bikes.... http://www.alpinebikes.co.uk have them in stock (i think they might be the importer in the UK for Iron Horse) others to maybe consider are; Honda ( if u have a spare £60000+) Santa Cruz (steve peat / greg minnar) Orange (although i have never rated them as any good) GT (available through halfords (easy to get i imagine) but again i have never rated these) This is the knowledge of someone who doesnt ride DH and never has, however i did work in alpine bikes a couple of years ago, and have had some training on them (iron horse), and they are renowned as very good bikes, after all they are ridden by a world beater in the form of sam hill.... EDIT: If you want tracks check out: http://www.fortwilliamworldcup.co.uk/ http://www.7stanes.gov.uk/ (not sure if there is DH here though) http://www.descent-world.co.uk/ (UK's DH home...so to speak) http://www.southerndownhill.com/ thanks mate unfotunatly i dnt have £6000 haha wish i did though i have been to fort william before riding x-country ws good:D Where do you live if you want tracks as for bikes get something 2nd hand for your first, i built up a stinky for 700, been dh on it for bout 5months and its fine, if u want something new norco orange scott ironhorse specialized kona prob a load more too i live in cumbria n yer think a second hand bike would be a lot better ... where about do you live? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craigjames Posted June 3, 2008 Report Share Posted June 3, 2008 get on southerndownhill. there's loads of second hand good nick dh bikes at a decent price. get something witha decent frame and build up from there as you go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
26inch Posted June 4, 2008 Report Share Posted June 4, 2008 im in the midlands so have to travel a fair bit, dont know much bout cumbria, best thing is to get on sdh there wharnecliff in yorks, hamsterley and setmurthy off the top of my head, i think theyre arund that area as for bikes look on ebay, descent world, pinkbike theres loads of 2nd hand options on there Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebelistic Posted June 4, 2008 Report Share Posted June 4, 2008 Chicksands near Bedford is pretty good - more for Freeride than pure downhill but they've built some good stuff there. I'll have to get myself down there again soon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gavyn. Posted June 4, 2008 Report Share Posted June 4, 2008 i bought a cheap halfords banshee at the start of the year just to see if i liked it and it was well worth the cash. i'm about to upgrade to something a bit more special though but i'd recommend that you start on something cheap and upgrade from there. banshees are really well worth the money i only paid 375 for mine and it's lasted pretty well. until i put it on my bike rack last night and it fell off at 60mph resulting in one f**ked wheel and one f**ked rear hope Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bikeperson45 Posted June 4, 2008 Report Share Posted June 4, 2008 i bought a cheap halfords banshee at the start of the year just to see if i liked it and it was well worth the cash. i'm about to upgrade to something a bit more special though but i'd recommend that you start on something cheap and upgrade from there. banshees are really well worth the money i only paid 375 for mine and it's lasted pretty well. until i put it on my bike rack last night and it fell off at 60mph resulting in one f**ked wheel and one f**ked rear hope LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Synergy Posted June 4, 2008 Report Share Posted June 4, 2008 iron horseare awesome but if not norco are pretty well specked bikes for the price probably look at the inorco atomikk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dan_addison Posted June 5, 2008 Report Share Posted June 5, 2008 (edited) Hello! Nice to see someone else from Cumbria aswell. Not many DH tracks here a few small local ones HP woods in kentmere one at cockermouth aswell. The closet race track is proably Hamsterly in Durum which is quite good loads of different runs and a good 4x track aswell Theres loads and loads on brilliant natural decents around kentmere and longsledale valleys. Garburn pass is a killer best side is riding down into kentmere. Also Sadgill riding down into Longsleddale. And theres some kiler footpaths around the Ambleside area, Loughrigg terrace is amazing the footpaths are better for decsending than the actual bridleways Theres a few good decents on some of the 7stains trails in scotland not to far to go. AE forset proably the best and closet in scotland. If you want to travel abit further Innerletiean is awesome and not to far from Glentress which has a mint freeride jumpy track really tame though but all the jumps and butter smooth As for bikes how much do you want to spend? Theres no point in spending a shed load of money on your first DH bike. I bought myslef a kona colier and its absolutly brilliant ride XC DH freeride everything on it. I wouldnt recomend a big hit there really horrible riding bikes in my opionon(sp?) but they do just plough through everything. Wouldnt touch a norco either to beefy and burly for UK riding also incrediabley heavy, Not so bad when your riding it but the push back up is hellish!. Id recomend a SX trial if you have the budget come with a 2 ring chainset up so you can ride whatever you want Bit of a essay but there quite complicated things DH bikes and a expensive mistake if you find youve bought a bike and hate it! Edited June 5, 2008 by dan_addison Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ste Wilson Posted June 6, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 6, 2008 i bought a cheap halfords banshee at the start of the year just to see if i liked it and it was well worth the cash. i'm about to upgrade to something a bit more special though but i'd recommend that you start on something cheap and upgrade from there. banshees are really well worth the money i only paid 375 for mine and it's lasted pretty well. until i put it on my bike rack last night and it fell off at 60mph resulting in one f**ked wheel and one f**ked rear hope o not good:( unlucky mate.. my mate had a banshee he said he had to do it up a lot e.g brakes forks gears etc i just cba with doing bike up anymore well not at the moment just done my trials bike from scratch... need a rest ... dan do you have msn wouldnt mind a chat... i have pm'ed you think someone asked how much i am wanting to spend in total around £900 thats including armour and helmet... thanks ste Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davey1991 Posted June 11, 2008 Report Share Posted June 11, 2008 Ws thinking of getting a DH bike and starting downhill mtbing this summer.. only i do not have a clue where to start Just wondering if anyone does it and where all tracks and events are, it would be really helpful if someone could point me in the right direction.. Also what are some good DH bikes e.g. GT Glory... Specialised Big Hit 3 Kona Stinky... thats about as many as i know.. thanks ste Right several things, Its a giant glory not a GT, plus the other 2 are freeride bikes not downhill. kona stinky = FREERIDE specialized big hit = FREERIDE you want something like a norco, santa cruz v10, anything along those lines but make sure its a long travel downhill bike NOT a mid travel freeride bike, sorry im a bit of a DH, FR and DJ nerd. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craigjames Posted June 11, 2008 Report Share Posted June 11, 2008 Right several things, Its a giant glory not a GT, plus the other 2 are freeride bikes not downhill. kona stinky = FREERIDE specialized big hit = FREERIDE you want something like a norco, santa cruz v10, anything along those lines but make sure its a long travel downhill bike NOT a mid travel freeride bike, sorry im a bit of a DH, FR and DJ nerd. what wrong with a mid travel bike for this country? 6-7inches of travel is more than enough. 99% of the tracks in this country arent big enough, steep enough or rough enough to warrant anymore. plus they are far far too pedally. i used to run an intense socom, the geo was spot on, a little steeper than a M3 or V10 and a little less travel but it still felt excessive. so im now running an intense 6.6 witha dhx coil shock. 6.75" of travel, a little steeper HA and shorter wheelbase. but should be spot on. if you NEED a big bike in this country its only to make up for a lack of skills. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Synergy Posted June 11, 2008 Report Share Posted June 11, 2008 what wrong with a mid travel bike for this country? 6-7inches of travel is more than enough. 99% of the tracks in this country arent big enough, steep enough or rough enough to warrant anymore. plus they are far far too pedally. i used to run an intense socom, the geo was spot on, a little steeper than a M3 or V10 and a little less travel but it still felt excessive. so im now running an intense 6.6 witha dhx coil shock. 6.75" of travel, a little steeper HA and shorter wheelbase. but should be spot on. if you NEED a big bike in this country its only to make up for a lack of skills. not nessicaraly a lack of skills what if the person with the BIG bike travels about , fort william isnt exactly a cross country course and i coudnt see sam hill riding a trek fuel 9 down it because he is skilled, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ben_travis Posted June 11, 2008 Report Share Posted June 11, 2008 shovel has a trek session that he rode down the fort bill track.... for someone starting out, i would probably recommend a free-ride bike over a dh specific bike, as its more maneuverable, and probably lighter. hate to tell you also mike, your bike is a freeride bike . as its been said, i would probably say that the only track that is suited more to a DH bike than a freeride bike is the track at fort william. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Synergy Posted June 11, 2008 Report Share Posted June 11, 2008 shovel has a trek session that he rode down the fort bill track.... for someone starting out, i would probably recommend a free-ride bike over a dh specific bike, as its more maneuverable, and probably lighter. hate to tell you also mike, your bike is a freeride bike . as its been said, i would probably say that the only track that is suited more to a DH bike than a freeride bike is the track at fort william. i know mine is a free ride but i have upgraded the rear shock and put boxxer world cups on. im waiting for other parts too, my sram x-9 parts have also just arrived Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ben_travis Posted June 11, 2008 Report Share Posted June 11, 2008 i know mine is a free ride but i have upgraded the rear shock and put boxxer world cups on. im waiting for other parts too, my sram x-9 parts have also just arrived gotta love trade discount eh.....now you just gotta get to the standard of riding to warrant boxxer world cups Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Synergy Posted June 11, 2008 Report Share Posted June 11, 2008 gotta love trade discount eh.....now you just gotta get to the standard of riding to warrant boxxer world cups yeah i love discoubnt but halfords had been under paying me for a year an a bit so when i left they realised and paid me what i was missing so i thought i would splash out im practising 24/7 at mo loving the mast up here, was doing all the burms last night trying to perfect them but they are like your to fronts, they still need a bit of work Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BenLeacock™ Posted June 11, 2008 Report Share Posted June 11, 2008 Im selling a sx trail pritty cheap ? Check fs ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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