Overbiking

MacAndCheese

nwmlarge wrote:

riding a steel rigid bike with no brakes

That is one thing i'll never understand - no brakes, genuinely can't see why you'd want to do that, a lot of BMXers used to do it when I was into BMX as a nipper,but again if that's how they like it then it's p to them...

BigJimmyB

I saw a bloke on the road in the City of LOndon this AM riding a Scott Spark in Chinos and a blazer.

Overbike? Nah - if that's what he wants to commute on, who am I to knock him?

Besides it might be his only bike and he uses it off-road all weekend.......

'Overbike' is b0ll0x. Ride whataver works for you and don't be dragged down by anyone who doesn't approve. Life is about freedom of choice.....

miss notax

supersonic wrote:

GHill wrote:

If they enjoy it then who cares? Their money, their business.

Spot on.

I don't really care what people think about my bike - I enjoy riding it, which is surely the point

clodhoppa74

i'd like the opportunity to 'overbike' tbh. i'v enever even sat on a solid, decent full sus bike ever. not because i don't like em, but i cna't afford one that's worth the money.

there's a lot of currency put on the newest/shiniest/lightest thing out there, we're blokes, we do that kind of thing.

if anything i almost always think i'm 'underbiked' as, from what i read on here and in a few mags, i have a bike i bought from halfords (so obviously, according to some i'm an idiot for not paying over the odds at the only lbs i knew of at the time) it's got suntour forks on (when i can afford new forks, i will) and a crud catcher on. there are times on red rusn i lose confidence due to the bilge i hear from some corners about what's suitable for what...

but it's yet to let me down in pinch. it rolls over rocks, the odd small drop, i even got airborn from a bunny hop on a trail last week (other than in a car park)... i jumped a pothole and a root. i had fun. that's all that counts.

CycloRos

Interesting thread, completely pointless but it makes for a fun debate.

I reckon if you're really into your biking then you'll have felt underbiked/overbiked in certain situations (I know I have, riding fully rigid on DH runs or my FS along the canal towpath).

so, do these terms exist? yes, for the purpose of debate and poking fun
does it really matter? hell no, just do your own thing and have a blast!

*AL*

Bregante wrote:

IMO far too many people spend far too much time worrying about what other people ride .

+1


I'm never over-biked, but I'm often under-talented

bregante

or under-kahuna'd

*AL*

Bregante wrote:

or under-kahuna'd

Plenty of kahuna's, little talent.

Scars to prove

toasty

Maybe he thought your friends were all arrogant? Sneaky comments behind his back and riding this months niche bikes.

Did any of the have OFS stickers and spend the ride harking back to the good old days of steel?

fletch8928

Just had a laugh at some of the posts here.

My take on the subject is that people buy a bike, then look at upgrades as parts wear out or just because they can. Does upgrading make the bike better? more than likely. Eventually you look at a new bike. You buy a better bike, its all to try and get a better, smoother, lighter more competent bike. You may go for a full suss, you may go longer travel or rigid SS. What I will say and stick by is that no one tends to buy a new part or bike to make the riding worse. Different maybe In effect we all "overbike" ourselves or we wouldnt buy nicer parts or bikes and would stick with what we had when we first started riding. Whe nthat broke we would buy exactly the same.

Off to commute and I shall take my FS

Northwind

clodhoppa74 wrote:

here are times on red rusn i lose confidence due to the bilge i hear from some corners about what's suitable for what

Not long after I got my Scandal I got absolutely monstered on glentress red by a guy on a smashed up carrera vulcan v-spec Only because I was s**t, mind, but it was cool to see. That whole bike would've cost less than my forks but any bike's a good bike in the right hands.

ste_t

Isn't part of the fun of being out on the trails being able to perve on other peoples bikes? Bikes that you yourself would love to have but would probably never be able to justify buying?

Maybe it is just me then....

RealMan

butcher of bakersfield wrote:

You buy something you love. And you cherish it. And maybe it makes your penis feel bigger. But you need something to spend your money on at the end of the month to justify working 40+ hours a week.

Oh dear. You're not suggesting the more travel you have, the smaller your penis is, are you?

Better go out and dial down my fork..

ste_t wrote:

Isn't part of the fun of being out on the trails being able to perve on other peoples bikes? Bikes that you yourself would love to have but would probably never be able to justify buying?

Maybe it is just me then....

Maybe you should just go off to a bike shop and drool for a half hour or so lol. You get to a point where bikes are just bikes, you've seen them all after a while. Out on the trail I think the only things that can really interest me are really weird things. 36ers etc.


Of course, someone being overbiked doesn't matter in the slightest, to anyone but them. Don't know why anyone would think otherwise. However, if they have overbiked themselves to the point when they can't keep up (group riding) and everyone has to wait, it can get a bit annoying. Especially when they've kept up before on their old, more suitable bike.

Also, I don't know why a lot of people are taking this personally, as if I've been calling them overbiked. I'm not really interested if you've got-so-much-travel-for-your-local-rides cause-you-can-only-afford-one-bike-and-you-go-to-the-alps-twice-a-year-so-you-need-it-or-whatever. Everyone seems to be justifying their bike choices. I'm talking about people who are without a doubt overbiked - people like the guy I mentioned, who isn't going to use his 140mm full sus anywhere but local trails which are perfectly SS rigid friendly.

I've got a copy of MBUK and a copy of MBR (someone bought them for me as a present a while ago). Just had a flick through - all the cool action shots are all riders on big, long travel, full sus machines. Then you've got all the films like roam, seasons, collective, cranked, etc. etc. Everybody wants to be steve peat. What I think a lot of people don't realize is that steve peats bike is set up for speed, not fun. That's why its got lots of travel. That's why its often got slick tyres. For me, stuff like this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wv7TyakE8qw looks a lot more fun then downhill courses on big travel machines.

But of course, manufacturers want people to buy full sus. It means they get more money on services and spare parts and such. So all the marketing is aimed at trying to get people to buy too much bike, by convincing them that they are a trail god, and their trails and the speed they take them at demands a big bike. I've seen people on all mountain machines, upwards prices of £2k, pinch puncturing trying to get up a kerb. Completely from lack of skill.

And just noticed from that youtube video comments, I absolutely love this..

wrathlog wrote:

awesome dude awesome but there you really need a downhill bike!

ellsworth1986 wrote:

haha well, I just don't

toasty

RealMan wrote:

Went on a nice night ride today with some mates, bit more of a training ride, but still good fun. I was the only one there with gears.. and suspension..

However, I was also the only one to ride the "stairs of death". A long flight of stairs in a local wood, really steep, quite twisty, bit slippery. Never managed it before, was quite pleased.

RealMan wrote:

Everyone seems to be justifying their bike choices

Indeed they do, let it all out.

The original guy you mentioned definitely sounds overbiked, I bet he even rode all the trail. Real men ride early 80s style mountain bikes and get off and walk down hills, it's more exciting. We've all biked down hundreds of hills, walking down them keeps it fresh.

Buying an Orange 5 definitely sounds like he's trying to just follow the pack as well, you should be unique, get a single speed rigid bike like all your friends!

spodomodo

Singlespeeds with rigid forks are for lightweights - I've given up pneumatic tyres as well now.

mick_cornick

Unicycle - two wheels are for poofs! :twisted:

spodomodo

Nice.....

yoohoo999

Pah, overbiked?

Sounds like an argument along the lines of "yeah, but is a big penis really necessary, it's what you do with it that counts surely? I can please a girl with my small penis, so why would I want a bigger one?"

Smacks of people that spend far too much time thinking about what they ought to be doing and justifying their own choices in life (while inappropriately judging other peoples') rather than just keeping their nose out and getting on it.

If you ever see me on the trails, whether I'm on a mountain side or canal path, hard tail or Dh bike....I can guarantee you I'm having fun and not giving a second thought to what bike you think I should be riding.

monkeylizard

RealMan wrote:

I've seen people on all mountain machines, upwards prices of £2k, pinch puncturing trying to get up a kerb. Completely from lack of skill.

The original point seemed to be about being overbiked for where someone was riding - if we're relating it to skill level then I'm most definitely overbiked. But then I'm a beginner so whatever I ride I would be overbiked - what am I supposed to do in this situation?

Thinking about it, though, shouldn't we all be overbiked in terms of skill level? The alternative (assuming that we haven't got bikes which are perfectly suited to our skill levels) is to be underbiked. Would you really want a bike that was capable of less than you are as a rider? Why ride something that would hold you back?

And no, I'm not justifying what I ride. And that's because I don't have to. I enjoy it - end of.

cat_with_no_tail

Toasty wrote:

RealMan wrote:

Went on a nice night ride today with some mates, bit more of a training ride, but still good fun. I was the only one there with gears.. and suspension..

However, I was also the only one to ride the "stairs of death". A long flight of stairs in a local wood, really steep, quite twisty, bit slippery. Never managed it before, was quite pleased.

RealMan wrote:

Everyone seems to be justifying their bike choices

Indeed they go, let it all out.

The original guy you mentioned definitely sounds overbiked, I bet he even rode all the trail. Real men ride early 80s style mountain bikes and get off and walk down hills, it's more exciting. We've all biked down hundreds of hills, walking down them keeps it fresh.

Buying an Orange 5 definitely sounds like he's trying to just follow the pack as well, you should be unique, get a single speed rigid bike like all your friends!

Cracking post! Well done sir, I lol'd

silveringsurfer

It's been real fun reading this thread. Don't you know that the whole overbiked/underbiked argument was invented by the manufacturers and propogated by the mags? They just want you to be a/ unhappy with one bike b/ unhappy with the bike you have c/ buying more bikes. Why do you think we have categories of bikes divided by 20mm of travel for goodness sake? :shock: Why do we get early in the Spring to be told that we just have to buy next years kit because it got 10mm more travel, three more gears, 7 less gears, lighter than last years etc etc etc? THEY want YOUR money :oops: !

Sadly being male and therefore a magpie by nature I know I'm a sucker for all things shiny and new and so yet again I will be drawn into discussions on how much/many bikes can I justify to myself (and my wife )

Buy it, ride it, enjoy it - it's only a bike for riding on dirt after all.

nwmlarge

that video of the dude at whistler is wicked!

tsenior

wow this is still going?

i think the fact that we all felt the need to contribute (even if its just to play it cool and say it doesent matter to us) says something.....just not sure what.

i am definetly underbiked today on my ancient apollo....an hour or 2 in the pub after work should see me overbiked again though

spodomodo

I think what we've uncovered here is a little spoken of, but deep seated psychological pathology known as 'bike envy' - it's the gnawing anxiety that your own bike might be inadequate in some way or that another rider's is better. The only known cure is years of therapy or electric shocks.

RealMan

Toasty wrote:

The original guy you mentioned definitely sounds overbiked, I bet he even rode all the trail. Real men ride early 80s style mountain bikes and get off and walk down hills, it's more exciting. We've all biked down hundreds of hills, walking down them keeps it fresh.

Buying an Orange 5 definitely sounds like he's trying to just follow the pack as well, you should be unique, get a single speed rigid bike like all your friends!

Actually a lot of riders like him (especially round my area) don't ride all the trail. They mince, and get off and walk a lot. And of course, almost always the last to the top. Which is why I mentioned the guy pinch puncturing trying to get up a kerb. And why I've mentioned people being able to keep up with a group on their more suitable bikes, until they go off and buy an all mountain rig, and suddenly everyone's having to wait for them. Everywhere. Overbiking holds you back. It stops you learning how to ride properly, and it slows you down. And it lightens your wallet.

On a bike with suspension and gears, I am unique, round here.. And I would, but I need a new road bike more.

And I know I justified my bike choice - but then I'm the OP..


I'd be very interested to see if I'd be faster down a relatively tame descent like the ones at Afan on my chameleon then a full dh bike. I think the weight and the suspension would really kill any rider induced acceleration on a dh bike. What do you think? Does more travel really make you faster?

Anonymous

im DEFINATELY faster on a fs bike. this equates to more fun for me.

Mrs Toast

Thinking about it, though, shouldn't we all be overbiked in terms of skill level? The alternative (assuming that we haven't got bikes which are perfectly suited to our skill levels) is to be underbiked. Would you really want a bike that was capable of less than you are as a rider? Why ride something that would hold you back?

And no, I'm not justifying what I ride. And that's because I don't have to. I enjoy it - end of.

Careful, we'll have none of that dangerous common sense here!

toasty

sheepsteeth wrote:

im definitely faster on a fs bike. this equates to more fun for me.

I always end up agreeing with your views on full sussers Sheeps, although I'd rather not stand either side of the fence on this one, I do completely feel the same for general trail riding

The disadvantage of very slight loss of power and extra weight, is so miniscule compared to the big advantages of traction and less speed loss on the rough stuff. Rigid singlespeeds take this to a silly level, even less traction, even more speed lost on the rough... but my bike is simple!! Look at it's bars and read my preaching stickers!

I rode a cyclocross bike to work today, I'm cool and niche. I even had blue tinted glasses on while i did it.

Penylope

I'm deffo faster on my FS than my Chameleon, not only because it lets me take more 'extreme' line choices, but my body takes less of a beating over rough train..teran....ground which in turn means i can climb a bit faster because i'm less tired.

but as to do i think i'm overbiked, no. do i enjoy it more than my HT, no, i enjoy it just as much. Its all riding innit (man 8) )
ultimately, unless you have a works crew with a van following you arround all day with a road bike, rigid, HT, FS, geared, SS whatever inside, you will always have points in your ride where the bike you are riding will not be ideal for the surface your riding on. It's down to the individual to decide (consciously or through advertising etc) where to make the compromise in what they ride. extra travel/weight/gears for when its needed, minimalist SS rigid with no maintainance worries or anywhere in between.

Thewaylander

This thread still going.

Sum up thread a few people think loads of people are crazy and have to big travel bikes (over biked)

And the rest/most others just think there appropriate to most peoples level and mixed use in terms of trails.

Thats it job done whole thread in one