Any Mtn Bikers on RME?

[Samersen]

I'd buy a used spot rollik 607. My buddy has a med and an xl for $3500.

Pivots run longer than a lot of other bikes (might be a good thing). Those rocky mountains are cool.

other bikes i love in that price range:
- used pivot switchblade
- used ibis mojo 3 or hd4
- evil wreckining or calling or offering (i'd get the calling or possibly the offering)
- spot mayhem 509

All the other bikes i like on paper are over $4k and too new (sb130, sb150, and firebird 29)

Ill bet santa cruz comes out with a LT 29er soon with bronson/nomad linkage.

Does he have a link for the his Spot? I would need an XL for sure!

 

[benjy]

I feel like these bigger bikes are like driving a lifted Jeep, over kill for most trails around here but there are times I am sure glad to have it when things get hairy.

I don't claim to be any sort of expert in the matter... But I have demo'd a handful of shorter travel bikes (120-130mm 650b). And I actually have had the opposite feeling as you described. I like the feeling of being outgunned a little. Being bucked around on a trail when my normal bike soaks it up a little more. Could just be the change of pace, who knows, but I always have more fun. Wheelies, popping over random rocks, etc.

That said, it's a good thing my budget won't allow for a new bike anytime soon, because I have no idea what direction I would go.

 

[benjy]

That canyon looks awesome, I'd love to throw a leg over it and see if a 170mm can really climb like an xc bike!

 

[sixstringsteve]

Does he have a link for the his Spot? I would need an XL for sure!

Contact steve at chasing epic. Tell him steve from dusty betty sent you.

 

[sixstringsteve]

X2 on what ben said. Also, in my mind, there are definitely some awful bikes in the $3k price range.


Itll all depend on your skill level, terrain, teails you ride, and what feel you like. Enduro bikes are super fun... when the trail points downhill steeply. For everyday riding, they're way more bike than most people need. Id say 15% of the trails i ride warrant an enduro bike, and the other 85% would be great on my hardtail or a 130mm 29er. My rollik is great, and it's my favorite bike, but most enduro bikes hold a lot of riders back from progressing skill-wise.

A really fun bike for all round riding is an evil following mb (its kinda heavy and isnt the nest climber, but it's fun). Also, a really good hardtail woth awesome geo is so much fun. I had a blast riding my chameleon on ahab.

 

[Samersen]

That canyon looks awesome, I'd love to throw a leg over it and see if a 170mm can really climb like an xc bike!

I agree! I don't know if it is really possible with them being a D2C company.

X2 on what ben said. Also, in my mind, there are definitely some awful bikes in the $3k price range.


Itll all depend on your skill level, terrain, teails you ride, and what feel you like. Enduro bikes are super fun... when the trail points downhill steeply. For everyday riding, they're way more bike than most people need. Id say 15% of the trails i ride warrant an enduro bike, and the other 85% would be great on my hardtail or a 130mm 29er. My rollik is great, and it's my favorite bike, but most enduro bikes hold a lot of riders back from progressing skill-wise.

A really fun bike for all round riding is an evil following mb (its kinda heavy and isnt the nest climber, but it's fun). Also, a really good hardtail woth awesome geo is so much fun. I had a blast riding my chameleon on ahab.

I agree! I have worried about that big of bike holding back my skill development, but I find myself having more fun each ride and see my times getting faster on Strava segments. I do find myself waiting for my riding friends longer and more frequently... so that's neat!

What are some bikes you would avoid in that range? I am finding some that I just don't think are speced as nice as others. Like the carbon stumpy vs a carbon 50 Rocky. The Rocky's seem to have better components for the price.

 

[Samersen]

I just bought a carbon Instinct 50. It is not the BC edition but I'm running 2.5's on it and I think it's perfect. I am loving it so far. Since the 19 models are out, you can get a screaming deal on an 18 and they didn't change a thing. I paid right in the middle of your price range for a brand new bike a month ago.

What do you like about it? Where did you pick it up at?

 

[sixstringsteve]

If youre comparing components across the board, then all bikes nowadays come well specced (except yetis and pivots which are $1k overpriced).

To me, its all about the frame. Im not trying to find the cheapest bike with a full xx1 groupo because gx or even nx is good enough for me. When i search for a bike, i focus on the frame, how it rides, and it's geo. Everything else can be swapped. If you buy a bike with great parts, but the frame isnt exciting to ride, it doesnt matter how cheap it is.

 

[sixstringsteve]

Here are some of my least favorite bikes that would otherwise look great on paper. All of these are 100% due to suspension kinematics and geometry characteristics, not components.

Yt jeffsey (29 and 27.5)
Orbea occam TR
Most specialized bikes (sorry to those who love em). The new stumpy 29er is ok, but still not amazing to me.
Most scott bikes (im not a fan of suspension that will bob like crazy unless you lock it out)
yeti sb 4.5
All the liv bikes

 

[Samersen]

Awesome, thanks Steve! I guess I have limited experience riding different frames, how do you tell the differences on frames? I always thought a bike with a fox 36 160mm, dpx rear and a head angle of 65 and a seat angle of 75 would all ride about the same.

 

[sixstringsteve]

If they were hardtails, youd be right. With full suspension, you could have 10 different bikes with those same exact numbers/components that ride completely differently.

You tell the difference by riding them, and watching good reviews of each one. A good place to start is watching the bible of bike videos each year. Most dw links ride similar. Most vpp bikes ride similar, and most horst link bikes ride similar, but even then, there are differences.

Also, chainstay length, fork offset, and suspension curve make a huge difference.

An event like outerbike is money well spent.

 

[glockman]

What do you like about it? Where did you pick it up at?

I bought it at Utah mountaining biking in Lehi. Mike there is great to work with.

I have always rode longer travel 26" bikes, my last two were giant Reigns. The instinct has a slack head angle that is adjustable with the ride 9. It is pretty tall but felt lower in the corners than some other med travel 29s. It is quick and handles fast but the big 29 tires roll over things so easily. I am faster on every segment I have ridden on strava.

 

[Kevin B.]

I've watched this several times now, and I'm still catching little nuances in his bike handling that blow me away. And his sheer power is just ridiculous.

 

[sixstringsteve]

Agreed, he's an incredible rider.

 

[rholbrook]

Here is my son Harrison riding with Christian Pepper that Steve has been talking about. Harrison and Christian have become pretty good buddies and love to ride together. Harrison has been learning a ton from Christian but here are some videos of them for your enjoyment.

Harrison rides a Norco Range C9 and he loves it.
Christian rides Yeti 4.5

This was from yesterday at the Ogden Bike Park

This one was from Bountiful Canyon a couple of weeks ago. I love to shuttle because it gets me in the mountains.

If you have a cool trail and need a riding buddy (Harrison) and a Shuttle driver (ME), let me know.

 

[sixstringsteve]

Ill take you up on a shuttle any day! I'd like to ride maple hollow again with harry and colton sometime this week.

 

[sixstringsteve]

Russ. Harrison is a beast. Thode are some huge gap jumps.i dont think ill ever be anle to jit jumps that big. It's awespme to see how fast he has progressed

 

[sixstringsteve]

Rad Canyon Indoor BMX season has started. All MTB bikers in Northern Utah should give it a try. You can even race on your MTB. I usually see Cody Kelly there at a few of the practice sessions, and he's a beast to watch.

Tess and i will be there Friday night to watch the races and get stoked about winter racing seasons starting. They build a new track for every race, so it's always changing. The Utah BMX family is a great family and such a fun time. Who's in to race with me?

https://www.usabmx.com/tracks/1697/events/schedule?mode=list

I plan on entering a few races before the end of the year. I'll be racing 36-40 cruiser on my plus hardtail. The only bummer about cruiser class is that novices and experts race together, so I don't expect to actually make it to a main. I just want to have fun riding around the track and improve my skills.


It's my favorite way to get in shape and have fun through the winter.

 

[sixstringsteve]

if anyone wants to race BMX friday night or saturday afternoon, let me know. I might be able to be talked into racing this week. It's always easier when you have a friend or two at the track with you.


Here's a great quick-start guide to BMX:
https://www.usabmx.com/site/sections/3?force_mobile=1

 

[Kevin B.]

Lemme look at getting Ian into that. That'd be a great way for him to keep his legs over the winter.