Can you still climb well on a 150mm travel bike (Spesh Evo)?
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just bimbling upa nd really enjoying the downs, and i think this is what most people want and a 140-160 offers.
Really?
160mm for uk trail riding?
In my eyes, 160mm bikes are fairly pointless for this country, if you want to ride downhill tracks properly, then get a downhill bike. Otherwise just use whatever you have, whatever it is wont be as good as a downhill bike.
But when it comes to riding "trails" I'd say 120mm of travel is probably ideal, although I ride a hardtail and never have a problem.0 -
I guess it's a difficult one, there are plenty of 150mm-ish travel bikes out there, Mojo SLs and what not, that are still pretty XC focused. Equally there are some pretty burly bikes that I'd not want to ride XC on!
You see them in places like the Surrey Hills, but as most trails are pretty pedally they just get bogged down in the travel. Guess that's what I mean about buying a bike for the majority of your riding. I'd rather have a bike that excelled in 95% of my riding and was a little out of it's depth in a (theoretical) annual Alps trip, than something that was a slog normally, and came into its own in the Alps.0 -
Njee, i can agree with that, luckily i live in the welsh hills, so steep hills followed by steeper more fun decents, most 120mm bikes soon feel like there tucking there forks up under there frames and that is disconcerting.
It is as you say dependent on what you ride
and what you have localy
And yes styxd Uk trails not trail centers 0 -
Prefer my local riding to yours ;-)0
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That's what used to be said about 100, 120, 140, etc. These used to be DH bikes, but are now XC bikes. Having 160mm doesn't mean you want to ride DH all the time. This is All Mountain territory and there are plenty of places where you can make use of it aside from DH trails.styxd wrote:In my eyes, 160mm bikes are fairly pointless for this country, if you want to ride downhill tracks properly, then get a downhill bike. Otherwise just use whatever you have, whatever it is wont be as good as a downhill bike.
Common claims are you never use all that travel, but that's not the case. It just depends how you ride. Potter along gently and sure you won't, but there are plenty of places not specifically DH where you can ride technical and hard and be using 80% at least. Chuck in the odd drop or jump and can max it out, depending on how you've got it set up.
Even round my way in the Surrey Hills, it's not technically considered "DH" but there are some serious technical trails to be found and features that can make use of it. Some DH-like bits, some freeride, some just plain technical with the odd obstacles. How you ride it is up to you and the bike.
Just got a 170mm AM big rig. Straight away gives me more confidence on the steep and rooty/rocky stuff due to the slack angles and plush suspension. The bike is for doing everything, so I can ride the local stuff which is a right mix of everything, go to rocky trail centres in Wales or Scotland, natural stuff in the lakes & peaks, do DH stuff at Aston, Cwmcarn and other such places, plus I can take it to the Alps.0 -
I agree with Kenny on this one, I had a 160mm AM bike a few months ago, and have a 100mm FS now. I'm genuinely regretting not having the 160mm again, I thought it would be nice only having the 100mm, but I was sadly wrong.
AM bikes now aree amazing, I can go uphill just as well as downhill on the old AM bike, now on my xc bike I go up really well, but have little confidence in the bike on technical parts or downhill. Doesn't help having suntour pos's though.0 -
Common claims are you never use all that travel, but that's not the case. It just depends how you ride. Potter along gently and sure you won't, but there are plenty of places not specifically DH where you can ride technical and hard and be using 80% at least. Chuck in the odd drop or jump and can max it out, depending on how you've got it set up.
I do pretty much all my riding in the lake district and theres a fair amount of rough, rocky tracks. Never really felt the need for anything other than a hardtail (although a short travel full sus would be quicker up some of the climbs)
As for drops, they are fine on a hardtail if you can land properly. Jumps, I'd prefer to ride them on a hardtail rather than a full sus. Guess it depends which riding background you come from.
I just hate wallowing about in loads of travel, a hardtail just feels much more responsive.0 -
It's all ridable in a variety of different bikes with the skills and relevant desire or effort, and I know a number of people who will hard tail everywhere, even DH. The HT vs FS thing is a personal preference.
As for wallowing, you get that with cheap suspensions
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suspension travel is only part of the equation. my canyon nerve am with 150 front, 140 back outclimbs my old stumpy with 120 travel front and back. an AM bike just means you get far more out of the downhills which is surely why we all go uphill.0
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ive a 100mm fs and a 160mm ht,
tbh im unfit so find climbs a slog anyway, well the ongoing ones,
technical climbs i like, i just position myself differently so are both as effective as each other.0
