the BMB

I'm in the market for a bike for summer. Taking into account the terrain my riding buddy enjoys, I'm looking for a DH lite type setup, something that will handle lift accessed terrain but can climb okay if need be. Have found one or two newish SC Blur 4x's which seem like a good option, plus a few other options. Jamis, Specialized are other options. I'm happy to buy used, with about 2k to spend.

Enn Zed General:

I'm in the market for a bike for summer. Taking into account the terrain my riding buddy enjoys, I'm looking for a DH lite type setup, something that will handle lift accessed terrain but can climb okay if need be. Have found one or two newish SC Blur 4x's which seem like a good option, plus a few other options. Jamis, Specialized are other options. I'm happy to buy used, with about 2k to spend.

Gonna get a nice bike for 2K.  Search the net like you've never searched before.  If you want the most interesting bike, find the bike made of bambo... http://www.bikebamboo.com/

It's not full suspension but it sure is cool. 

 

Enn Zed General:

I'm in the market for a bike for summer. Taking into account the terrain my riding buddy enjoys, I'm looking for a DH lite type setup, something that will handle lift accessed terrain but can climb okay if need be. Have found one or two newish SC Blur 4x's which seem like a good option, plus a few other options. Jamis, Specialized are other options. I'm happy to buy used, with about 2k to spend.

Can't really go wrong with a Blur. The 4x is best suited for fast single track and slalom/4x (duh) race courses. It's super over built so you know it'll be strong and the VPP suspension means that it will pedal just fine. For a DH lite application it may not be quite ideal as it's got a pretty low bottom bracket height, meaning you'll be smacking pedals and your chainrings into the rocks and logs you'll find on the more technical DH trails and with only a snootch more the 4 inches of travel, you'll get thrown around a bit more on the big hits. On the more slopestyle like trails it will be an AWESOME bike (Livewire at Northstar spring instantly to mind) and it will pedal and carve turns sooooo much better than a big DH rig. Definitely consider the trails you'll be riding most.

You can still find really great pedalling DH lite type bikes with around 6 inches of travel that may suit your needs a bit better. Consider Kona, they make great bikes that aren't too expensive. Stinky's and Coilairs are pretty rad. And if you can find one in your price range, Santa Cruz Nomads are SICK.

Paulg:

\ Roadies are starting to run 10's now....that's just mind bottling.

Im running a 2x10 setup on my bike. I'm kind of suprised that MTBs haven't ditched the shitty triple setup, and gone to a 2x10 setup yet.

Campy came out with a 11 speed too, so with a triple you could have 33 gears!

ilikepie:

Paulg:

\ Roadies are starting to run 10's now....that's just mind bottling.

Im running a 2x10 setup on my bike. I'm kind of suprised that MTBs haven't ditched the shitty triple setup, and gone to a 2x10 setup yet. Campy came out with a 11 speed too, so with a triple you could have 33 gears!

Adding two cogs out back wouldn't give you the same range as having a triple up front though. Most roadies aren't climbing anything as steep as the average mountain bikers. Also, packing that many cogs onto a cassette requires a much narrower chain which would bring up all sorts of durability issues on dirt......but that's also what they said about the switch to 9 speed so who knows?

The dudes racing the All Mountain Championships at Downieville are actually running a single chain ring up front since they have to race the exact same bike in the point to point XC race and the 17 mile DH. These guys are crushing a 29 mile race with over 4400 feet of climbing in less than 2 hours on bikes weighing 30 lbs, have a single ring up front and 7 inches of travel....unbelievable.

Paulg:

ilikepie:

Paulg:

\ Roadies are starting to run 10's now....that's just mind bottling.

Im running a 2x10 setup on my bike. I'm kind of suprised that MTBs haven't ditched the shitty triple setup, and gone to a 2x10 setup yet.

Campy came out with a 11 speed too, so with a triple you could have 33 gears!

Adding two cogs out back wouldn't give you the same range as having a triple up front though. Most roadies aren't climbing anything as steep as the average mountain bikers. Also, packing that many cogs onto a cassette requires a much narrower chain which would bring up all sorts of durability issues on dirt......but that's also what they said about the switch to 9 speed so who knows?

The dudes racing the All Mountain Championships at Downieville are actually running a single chain ring up front since they have to race the exact same bike in the point to point XC race and the 17 mile DH. These guys are crushing a 29 mile race with over 4400 feet of climbing in less than 2 hours on bikes weighing 30 lbs, have a single ring up front and 7 inches of travel....unbelievable.

Thats crazy. I don't understand DH mountain biking.
What I understand is that a compact double (50/34 VS the standard 53/39) has about the same useable number of gears as a 52/42/32 gear ratios with a 10 speed, due to cross chaining issues and redundant gear ratios. I wonder if you could do the same with a "compact" mountain bike? I dunno. I saw a mountain bike magazine this winter with a 2x10 SRAM setup off a road bike i think, and thats what they did.

http://www.mbaction.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=&type=news&mod=News&mid=9A02E3B96F2A415ABC72CB5F516B4C10&tier=3&nid=430181D23F03472C8BFD4CEBE835237F
Yep, SRAM is making 10 speed MTB now.

Same number of usable gears isn't the same as giving the same range. Switching to a 2x10 set up you'd either sacrifice low-end or high-end. Having a cog out back with one or even two more teeth on it isn't the same as dropping down 10 teeth up front. On my freeride setup, I did run a double ring setup (24-34-bash guard) and it worked great on techie stuff but on fast trails I was constantly "winding-out " as I just didn't have enough gear to pull. Depending on the trails you ride (not to mention your level of fitness) I'm sure a 2x10 setup would work great but for me, I like my granny gear.

Thats the problem on road bikes too. I can spin out my 53x11(although I shouldn't, it's fucking scary going 35-40+mph in lycra shorts) but my lowest gear (39x25) isn't enough to get up long hills without having to mash up. I'm probably going to go to a compact ASAP.

What would be interesting would be to get a 29er with that SRAM XX. If you had the right brakes you could switch between road tires/rims and mtb tires and rims..that would be cool.

I have a Triple on my road bike and I wouldn't have it any other way. Call me a sissie (and many Roadies have) but for me, having that little ring up front is the difference between a 40 mile ride and not making it up the first climb.

ilikepie:

Thats the problem on road bikes too. I can spin out my 53x11(although I shouldn't, it's fucking scary going 35-40+mph in lycra shorts) but my lowest gear (39x25) isn't enough to get up long hills without having to mash up. I'm probably going to go to a compact ASAP. What would be interesting would be to get a 29er with that SRAM XX. If you had the right brakes you could switch between road tires/rims and mtb tires and rims..that would be cool.

I really want to build up a 29er single speed.....but with looming unemployment, I don't see that happening anytime soon.

I want a new bike!!

i am accepting donations through paypal: anewbikeformax@gmail.com


thanks

Max...if I had a Nickel for every time you've said that you need a new bike, I'd buy you a new bike.

Just go get one....going into debt for things like bikes is perfectly acceptable these days

It's the American way!

Word!

And we all know the American Way is the right way......