Downhill Bike Buying Advice Please...

Blind Danny Johnson

Hi guys,

My budget isn't massive and I'll probably wait till the 2013 bikes come out and try and buy a 2012 model for cheaper but I was looking at these two as a good downhill starter bike which I could gradually upgrade if I feel the need:

http://konaworld.com/gravity_dual_suspe ... =entourage

http://specialized.com/ca/en/bc/SBCProd ... e=Mountain

I think both bikes look amazing and seem to have all the travel I would need but in particular I was wondering about the forks and shock on the Specialized, I don't know anything about them and the Kona seems to be better specced in that respect, but it's also more expensive!

Thanks in advance.

benpinnick

Lol, one uplift day and you're hooked!

Horton

Worth having a look at some of the internet based ones - Canyon Torque/Torque FRX are blinding value and there's a few others which get good reviews over with Dirt Magazine..

http://www.canyon.com/_uk/mountainbikes/bike.html?b=2579

http://www.yt-industries.com/shop/index.php?page=product&info=201&xf1baf=re54ku1a7gcf25g6lkspjpiajnic9cc7

I can vouch for Canyon - I got a Torque FRX 9 last year and it is amazing value and I've had zero problems so far

Blind Danny Johnson

benpinnick wrote:

Lol, one uplift day and you're hooked!

Ha ha big time! Actually been thinking about this since I first went Aston Hill. The Stumpy is lovely and perfect for Swinley Surrey Hills etc I just don't want to smash it up and possibly have to keep replacing stuff if I ride downhill on it too much. I kind of figure if I get something like the bikes I've posted I have two great bikes, one for each style of riding I like to do.

Anyway looking at those two bikes what are your opinions on them?

Blind Danny Johnson

Horton wrote:

Worth having a look at some of the internet based ones - Canyon Torque/Torque FRX are blinding value and there's a few others which get good reviews over with Dirt Magazine..

http://www.canyon.com/_uk/mountainbikes/bike.html?b=2579

http://www.yt-industries.com/shop/index.php?page=product&info=201&xf1baf=re54ku1a7gcf25g6lkspjpiajnic9cc7

I can vouch for Canyon - I got a Torque FRX 9 last year and it is amazing value and I've had zero problems so far

Thanks for that, they both look like really good spec for the money.

rockmonkeysc

The Canyon is ok but I don't like the look of their frames & suspension design. I have never actually seen a YT anywhere & have heard bad things about their pre-sales customer service. Personally I would go for a Moorwood Izimu
http://www.kustombikes.co.uk/bikes/more ... _bike_2012
Amzing bike for the money
Or a GT Fury http://www.winstanleysbikes.co.uk/produ ... _Bike_2012
I wouldn't buy either the Specialized Status or Kona Entourage, both have poor suspension & when you have 200mm of travel you really notice poor damping.

benpinnick

Bike active have a really good spec more wood for just 2250. Got to be on the list I would say!

styxd

I wouldn't buy either the Specialized Status or Kona Entourage, both have poor suspension

Do they have poor suspension? Or do they just "look" like they have poor suspension?

Blind Danny Johnson

benpinnick wrote:

Bike active have a really good spec more wood for just 2250. Got to be on the list I would say!

Good spot, thanks. I'm super tempted to go 0% finace route and get a big bike sooner but then I think perhaps I should just not be so impatient and wait for the 2013 bikes when 2012 bikes presumably go down in price.

Blind Danny Johnson

styxd wrote:

I wouldn't buy either the Specialized Status or Kona Entourage, both have poor suspension

Do they have poor suspension? Or do they just "look" like they have poor suspension?

I'm interested in the same thing actually re suspension, is the suspension on these bikes really bad? If so fair enough but why? Both brands are good and therefore you'd think the frames are decent, which is why I thought the bikes might be a good starter point to potentially build on.

rockmonkeysc

Mostly the lack of compression damping will mean that you are constantly blowing through the suspension travel which then also means that the rebound damping has a lot more work to do so you need to set it faster than would be ideal to stop the suspension packing down. On a bike with short travel suspension you won't really notice it but with 200mm travel & riding DH tracks it is a problem. With the Kona you can get a motion control damper fitted in the fork but there isn't much that can be done with the shock.
For the same money something like the Morewood Izimu is vastly better, the Boxxer fork is a million times better than the fork on either the Kona or Specialized & the Fox Van RC shock on the Morewood is basic but pretty decent.

nferrar

I'd go second-hand to start and if you really get into it can either keep it as a backup or flog it cheap (around this time of year) as an Alps bike, should be easy enough to shift if it's not trashed.

Blind Danny Johnson

RockmonkeySC wrote:

Mostly the lack of compression damping will mean that you are constantly blowing through the suspension travel which then also means that the rebound damping has a lot more work to do so you need to set it faster than would be ideal to stop the suspension packing down. On a bike with short travel suspension you won't really notice it but with 200mm travel & riding DH tracks it is a problem. With the Kona you can get a motion control damper fitted in the fork but there isn't much that can be done with the shock.
For the same money something like the Morewood Izimu is vastly better, the Boxxer fork is a million times better than the fork on either the Kona or Specialized & the Fox Van RC shock on the Morewood is basic but pretty decent.

Thanks, the Morewood does look like a good buy I was just hoping that the Specialized would get the thumbs up by people in the know because of the price! Also the Specialized is actually my favorite looking frame out of the choices mentioned so far but obviously spec and ride quality is more important than looks.

miss notax

When I was looking for a more gravity-orientated bike I went for a Kona - completely bombproof and (for me) I find the suspension soaks up everything beautifully. Compared to my 5 which is bouncy and agile and fun, the Kona just blasts through everything steadily without twiching about. Still fun, but exactly what I wanted.

That said, I really am not the most gifted blasting downhill so I appreciate that others might find them heavy and a bit 'meh', but for me I am very happy with it

(I realise they are different bikes - just my thoughts on the Kona 'heavy with shite suspension' debate )

Blind Danny Johnson

miss notax wrote:

When I was looking for a more gravity-orientated bike I went for a Kona - completely bombproof and (for me) I find the suspension soaks up everything beautifully. Compared to my 5 which is bouncy and agile and fun, the Kona just blasts through everything steadily without twiching about. Still fun, but exactly what I wanted.

That said, I really am not the most gifted blasting downhill so I appreciate that others might find them heavy and a bit 'meh', but for me I am very happy with it

(I realise they are different bikes - just my thoughts on the Kona 'heavy with shite suspension' debate )

Yeah I've been looking at this too:

http://konaworld.com/gravity_dual_suspe ... t=operator

Looks amazing but the prices of what I'm looking at are steadily increasing!

Stevo_666

Horton wrote:

Worth having a look at some of the internet based ones - Canyon Torque/Torque FRX are blinding value and there's a few others which get good reviews over with Dirt Magazine..

http://www.canyon.com/_uk/mountainbikes/bike.html?b=2579

http://www.yt-industries.com/shop/index.php?page=product&info=201&xf1baf=re54ku1a7gcf25g6lkspjpiajnic9cc7

I can vouch for Canyon - I got a Torque FRX 9 last year and it is amazing value and I've had zero problems so far

If you're on a tight budget then these German bikes can't be ignored - less than £2k gets you a good bike - both featured in the Dirt 100 so probably not lemons. Main problem is you won't be able to try before you buy (you can try the YT's but you have to fly to Gemany...)

rockmonkeysc

Thanks, the Morewood does look like a good buy I was just hoping that the Specialized would get the thumbs up by people in the know because of the price! Also the Specialized is actually my favorite looking frame out of the choices mentioned so far but obviously spec and ride quality is more important than looks.

.

Although the Specialized is cheap it does have pretty poor components which is why it's cheap although the lower spec Status would be my choice over the higher spec on as it does have marginally better suspension & the higher spec Status is very poor value. The Status did get some pretty poor reviews.
The Kona Operator & Entourage share the same frame, unfortunately it's not very strong, search the web & you will find plenty of cases of failed frames like this one:
http://lp1.pinkbike.org/p4pb6834377/p4pb6834377.jpg
I would say that at around £2500 you won't beat the Morewood Izimu, I tried one & it's a awesome ride.
YT's downhill bike is a bit too unknown, I have never seen any at races or uplift days. I have seen a few Canyons but with these mail order only bikes I'm not too sure about spares back up if you trash the bearings or crack a linkage & need new parts. I know my local shop had a Canyon Nerve in the workshop for a few weeks waiting for a new shock linkage where they could have got one for most bikes in a few days.

supersonic

As usual I'll recommend this Goose:

http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/products.p ... 1b2s1p2599

Nothing comes close on spec.

felix.london

I've been going through this for the last 6 months!

My budget was about €2K (EUROS) but was slowly rising

I got it down to between the Rose Beefcake DH2 w/ upgrades, the Canyon Torque FRX Speedzone 6.0 and the YT Tues 2.0. After months of emails, web searching & magazine reading I finally decided on the Tues 2.0 and was about to place the order when I saw a used 2011 Trek Session 8 for €2K from a shop 'round the corner

€4K bike that had had 2 months use at the end of last season and the shop said any problems just bring it back 8)

Now the very happy owner of said bike and just waiting for the lifts to open in June!...happy days

rockmonkeysc

That mongoose doesn't ride very well. A mate picked one up cheap. Doesn't feel slack enough, rides like an old kona stinky. He sold it after about 3 weeks.

benpinnick

supersonic wrote:

As usual I'll recommend this Goose:

http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/products.p ... 1b2s1p2599

Nothing comes close on spec.

OMG. Straight to the naughty step for you.

supersonic

The suspension couldn't be any different from a Stinky, feels very different! Though geo is of course personal - 66 degrees HA is only 1 degree steeper than the Moorwood you list.

rockmonkeysc

Haven't looked at the Geometry but that's what it rides like. Maybe it's a high BB but it doesn't feel solid like a DH bike should & the rear suspension has terrible bob when pedalling & jacks up under braking, blows through the travel on big hits even with a DHX4 shock fitted. Not a nice bike at all.

supersonic

Odd, as Freedrive usually behaves the exact opposite. Sounds like a faulty shock.

downhillbike

i would go for the YT tues great spec for the price and is a good looking bike

felix.london

downhillbike wrote:

i would go for the YT tues great spec for the price and is a good looking bike

I was willing to spend the extra on the 'Tues 2.0' as it was quoted at 1.5kg lighter, had better wheels and had adjustable chainstays which the (2011) 'Tues Downhill' didn't

I'd stay away from the new (2012) 'Tues' even at that cheap price - cheaper shock, gears & brakes - and 18.4kg!

Looks like the middle one (Tues Downhill) is the best value out of the three. The only diff between the 'Tues Downhill' and the top-of-the-range 'Tues 2.0' is the Tues 2.0 has better wheels and RaceFace/Thomson finishing kit (and that apparently saves 1.5kg)..oh yeah, and a new frame :oops:

Welcome to what has been my world for the last 6 months...glad I'm sorted now and I can go back to searching the web for the best/cheapest ways to improve my Rockhopper

*orders XT rear mech, 11-32 cassette & 10-speed chain from Rose*

downhillbike

found a website called airborne bicycles and they have there own dh bike the taka with a decent spec for 1400 dollars good for a beginners bike