Bike?

[MachineKillx]

I going to get a downhill bike, do any of you guys ride Downhill bikes?

[AlwaysFSX]

I did up until I flew in to a tree... :lol:

[SuperStroopwafel]

Nope. But they certainly look nice 

[Oshino Shinobu]

I did up until I flew in to a tree... :lol:

Trying to re-enact E.T?  

[Fred Castellum]

Trying to re-enact E.T?  

^ The bicycle in his natural habitat. 

 

 

*cough* @isaeko

[mansoor_]

enjoy

[Guest]

Where do you live? and what's your budget, preferred wheel size? 

[AlwaysFSX]

Trying to re-enact E.T?  

That would have been more fun.

[MachineKillx]

US, 500$ budget, 26" wheel, Hardtail pls

[MachineKillx]

Where do you live? and what's your budget, preferred wheel size? 

US, 500$ budget, 26" wheel, Hardtail pls forgot to quote

[Freaky_spider]

Front suspension and/or rear suspension?

[Guest]

GT Avalanche Comp?

 

Considering getting one myself, heard pretty decent reviews of it; not sure how much it is the US though 

[MachineKillx]

Front suspension and/or rear suspension?

Only front, hence Hardtail

[MachineKillx]

GT Avalanche Comp?

 

Considering getting one myself, heard pretty decent reviews of it; not sure how much it is the US though 

I want more of a bike for Dirt Jumping, kind of like the KHS SJ100

[SuperJeRoT]

I got a cannondale trail sl 4

It's a nice bike, maybe it would suit you. I got it one year old, used, only rode it couple of times so far. It isn't very expencive but I think it is a well balanced bike.

[Biased Opinion]

Specialized p series, giant stp, black market, avant abd, ns bikes are a few that come to mind when you say dirt jump bike. For normal riding and no stupid jumps an xc hardtail would be fine. Although at $500 don't expect the spec to be great. If you ride it even a little bit to hard the wheels will break and drive trains on that tier of bike are all crap. If you get one each time you break a part get something better. Anything lower than SRAM x7 and shimano deore ain't worth your time and I would suggest going with SRAM or KMC chains because of power link

[Biased Opinion]

If you find yourself dropping chains to much in a 2x or 3x chaining setup them maybe it might be worth it to look into going 1x in the future. I did this and it was totally worth it. With the rise of narrow wide rings you don't even need to spend $100 on a chain guide like i did as long as you have either a clutch rear mech or something like my x7 short cage which is just a stupid high spring tension

[Guest]

Why hardtail for downhill? Why 26 and not a 29er?

[Biased Opinion]

A new bike might be a stretch so try used, eBay and Craigslist are great for this. Be sure to ride before you buy and check the frame for cracks or dents. After you buy it take it to a shop and get then to service it. New cables for the brakes and shifters, brake pads, chain and cassette can go a long way to making an old bike feel like new and smooth operation makes everything less frustrating especially if you are new to the sport.

[Biased Opinion]

Why hardtail for downhill? Why 26 and not a 29er?

Because 29ers are SLOWWWW.

[Guest]

Because 29ers are SLOWWWW.

They're not that slow..

[Biased Opinion]

They're not that slow..

They spin up to slow for my liking, plus for the OP here 26ers are a good option as there might be a fair few people selling theirs to "upgrade" to a 29ers or 650b whip.

[Biased Opinion]

Right, more advice for new riders. Contact points. There are 5 contact points and 3 of them are between you and the bike. Grips, Saddle, Pedals, front and rear tire. 

 

Your priority should be the grips and the pedals. These things are subjective but i prefer thinner grips (get lockons they are worth it) and when it comes to pedals thinner is always better. Cheapo wellgos are fine but for like $50 nukeproof protons are great at 17mm thick. Shoes are also an important consideration. I swear by 5.10, they have tones of grip but cost money, any skate shoe will be better than runners so keep that in mind. Don't worry about clipless pedals unless you are riding more than 150km per week or are racing. You will be a better rider for it and wont hurt yourself as much in the short term. Saddle is next up, don't fall into the trap of thinking that more padding is better. The saddle that fits you needs no padding. Something narrower will give you more room to mover around the bike with the seat up so keep this in mind. Stock saddle on whatever bike you get should be fine but keep this in mind if you feel like getting a new one.

 

Now for the last 2 contact points, the amount of rubber than actually contacts the dirt is incredibly small, like 2 or 3 square inches. Softer rubber tires will have more grip but will also were faster. I like maxxis and conti stuff but this all depends on what you are riding and where. Ask riders in you area what they are running to give you an idea of what you should run. Higher pressure is not always better. and you should always run less pressure in the front tire because there is less weight on it and you get more grip from that. 

[Biased Opinion]

Learn to fix your own bike, this is cheaper and i find it fun. But still try and maintain a good relationship with your local bike shop. If you know them and they know you they can help you out with things at very short notice. You dont have to buy everything from them but if you need help dont be afraid to take your bike to them. This kind of thing saved my ass when i got my new bmx frame, i needed are new headset for that night and they were able to help me out in incredibly fast without to many issues. (ripped a headset out of old ass bike they had in the back and put it on my bike).

 

Tools that you want to invest in are pedal spanners, cone spanners, chain breakers, cassette lockring tools, cable cutters(pliers wont cut it, trust me), a full set of metric Allen keys and maybe a spoke wrench. More advanced stuff would include BB tools, crank extractors, torx key and other esoteric things like that. Invest in a floor pump if you dont have one, much faster and if you can get a gauge do it. I have 2 work stands but most people wont need these, just flip your bike upside down or lean it up against something.

 

WD40 IS NOT A LUBRICANT, it is a degreaser. Please for the love of god don't use this stuff to lube your chain. You can use it to clean the chain but for lube just get some finish line stuff and be happy with it. I don't care what that one GCN guy said about WD40, its not a good idea.