What frame for this scenario?

ajoten

Imagine, if you will, that you weigh 15 stone and are hurtling downhill @ 35mph. What frame would you prefer to be sitting on when you encounter the mother of all potholes?

No silly mountain bike suggestions please.

Anonymous

A sensible mountain bike?

I'd be quite happy on any well made frame be it carbon, steel, aluminium, bamboo, magnesium, scandium etc etc.

Now the wheels, well, I'd rather be on a 36 hole open pro...

rake

it doesnt matter. most will have carbon forks. the wheels will give out anyway.you will have a hideous accident and the bike is written off. learn to look ahead.

alan_sherman

A stable one that bunny hops (and lands) well

Monty Dog

My Colnago! For instance descending the Tourmalet at speed and not realising that as you pass through the town of Bareges, the downhill section detours you through a large, rough car park complete with foot-wide and deep storm drains to cope with snow-melt run-off. Last minute realisation that the only clear route crosses an uncovered section of drain requires bunny-hopping in extremis - at 50kph you can go very high and very far! The pedestrians walking across the car park certainly got a hussle-on too!

cougie

The forum seems obsessed with hitting potholes at the moment ? Why ? Thats the last resort surely ? I dont hit that many - by looking ahead.


Options are to ride round it, or bunnyhop. Clattering through it is my least favourite - but it shouldnt be a disaster ? Usually worst case is a pinch flat ?

If the roads are that bad, or you ride like Mr Magoo - get some fat tyres to take the impact.

ajoten

1. You can look ahead as much as you like but if there's a 50 mph lorry on my shoulder I ain't gonna weave around that hole into its path.

2. Yes the roads are that bad round me.

3a. Note the section of forum this post was in. When buying a bike you're looking for all sorts of things, incuding peace of mind, so irrespective of whether I intend to ride over potholes or not, I don't want to get something and have the constant worry that I might have chosen the wrong thing.

3b. If you can ride any frame, of any price or any material, over any pothole, and they'll all survive equally well, that's cool - I can base any purchase on different criteria.

rake

1. slow down until passed.

2. buy a suspension mountain bike.

3a. most road bikes will break equally well over potholes.

vorsprung

NapoleonD wrote:

A sensible mountain bike?

I'd be quite happy on any well made frame be it carbon, steel, aluminium, bamboo, magnesium, scandium etc etc.

Now the wheels, well, I'd rather be on a 36 hole open pro...

I agree.

I've done pothole hits on various bikes and the only thing I ever broke were some 28 hole wheels.

I weigh 13 stone (82kg)