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Going downhill fast

Watched some of it but couldn't stand more than 10secs of that music.
 
You lose nothing by turning the volume down or off Chas! :think::think::think:
 
Maybe I should have, but I just hate noise which claims to be music.
 
I really like the idea of downhill biking. Love it in a really basic sense when I was a kid in the lakes. Its just the getting to the top of the hill to start with that I cant cope with.
 
I'm lucky here, lots of mountains and there's chair and cabin lifts to the top. I'm too old for uphill mountain biking, but I can still cope with downhill. It's a bit like comparing cross country skiing with regular piste skiing.

I still like to ride cross country, but I really do show my age and lack of fitness. :icon-cry:
 
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My two favourites...

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It's a lot quicker then I'd wanna go on my mountain bike!! Get out now and again, got dalby forest about 25 min drive from here. Mountain bike has been used for the winter commute so needs some tlc before goes back on The trails. Is nice getting back on the road bike :)
 
It looks faster than it is if that makes any sense. When you know the trail, where the rocks are, the holes, the yumps and the slippery tree roots, you can go quite fast pretty safely. Well that's what you think till a pesky tree jumps out at you! I seem to have made a name for myself in my group, tree hugging! Can't wait for the snow to go off the mountain, should be good to go late-May :dance:
 
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Looks better then the trails we go on, can only push a hardtail so much tho so probably not a bad thing lol.
Trees do have a habit of jumping out! Been caught out by a few tree stumps in the past.

Looking at the pics...flat pedals? Prefer to clip in myself.
 
I couldn't get on with them downhill, SPDs are great for road and X-country, but DH not for me. Too much tangle if you slide out and on a steep it's good to get away from the bike if you come off. They're pretty heavy to have stuck to your feet in a freefall!
 
I recently sold my custom Orange Patriot DH bike as most of my mates have stopped riding DH as much and doing a bit more XC or have grown old and boring with family/children stopping them coming out to play. So I bought a Santa Cruz Nomad AM bike so I could do a little XC whilst still being able to push it on the DH runs............ turns out Im not as fit as I thought I was, this up hill lark is torture!
 
I'm opposite, can't get on with flats but not usually going too fast when come off. Tried to use them couple years ago in the snow and came off more lol. Commute to work by bike, mtb gets the winter abuse so has some tlc in spring then abused on trails in summer!
 
SPDs for DH is just asking for a face full of tree! Ive heard a lot of people coming from road biking or XC to DH say they cant get on with flats, the answer is a good set of flats with proper spikes like DMR or Wellgo V8/V12 and a pair of Fiveten shoes. Its the equivalent of SPDs but quicker bail out if needed, with this combination Ive never had a foot slip off a pedal even on the wettest, muddiest rides.
 
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I recently sold my custom Orange Patriot DH bike as most of my mates have stopped riding DH as much and doing a bit more XC or have grown old and boring with family/children stopping them coming out to play. So I bought a Santa Cruz Nomad AM bike so I could do a little XC whilst still being able to push it on the DH runs............ turns out Im not as fit as I thought I was, this up hill lark is torture!

The place local to me, straight out of the car park is the longest and steepest climb in the place! Gets it out of the way early but gets you blowing a bit lol. Loads of tight switchbacks all the way up so getting momentum is hard.
Got a giant talon (2009 model) fitted rock shox twin air forks last year and 180mm rotors, like a new bike to ride!!
 
I recently sold my custom Orange Patriot DH bike as most of my mates have stopped riding DH as much and doing a bit more XC or have grown old and boring with family/children stopping them coming out to play. So I bought a Santa Cruz Nomad AM bike so I could do a little XC whilst still being able to push it on the DH runs............ turns out Im not as fit as I thought I was, this up hill lark is torture!

Tell me about it. The guys in work convinced me to do a charity X-Country race last year. It's been a few too many years since I did any "real" XC and it was only 35 km so what the heck. My word, after 10k I was finished. I had cramps in my legs and feet during the ride! It was also very steep in parts, only walk/climbable. Anyway, I came 4th from last which was no surprise to me and I was the oldest in 4,000 entries so I got a ripple of applause crossing the finish. But man was I finished! Took me a week to feel normal again!

Is the Nomad AM a 29er? I've been offered one S/H and I don't know much about them, need to look it up on gluegle. Do you rate it?

Just searched it and it looks the biz. Is yours carbon? I've got a carbon Scott Team Strike, before the AM fashion started. It's so light after the DH bikes. All my stuff is old and out of fashion, but it's good. All Shimano XT or Sram X9. There's 6 bikes in the shed if I count the wife's Scott Tacana!
 
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SPDs for DH is just asking for a face full of tree! Ive heard a lot of people coming from road biking or XC to DH say they cant get on with flats, the answer is a good set of flats with proper spikes like DMR or Wellgo V8/V12 and a pair of Fiveten shoes. Its the equivalent of SPDs but quicker bail out if needed, with this combination Ive never had a foot slip off a pedal even on the wettest, muddiest rides.

I don't like them at all after a few tumbles at speed especially on loose rock descents. I travelled almost 10m once chin-up on my face on rocks with my feet up and almost 20 kg of bike grinding me in. Had my left hand trapped under me, took all the skin off my forearm and the back of my hand, glove shredded! I could have rolled out without the friggin bike welded to my feet!

I've got wellgo's on the old Merida Cobra (the orange one in the pics). The spike pins are screw in and I've replaced them once. They're razor sharp and never slip. Good padal, after 11 years the bearings are as smooth as glass and I've done some terrible things to them and lots of kms. You can spend a fortune on fashion crap these days. The wellgo's were one of the mid to cheap in the range and IMO the best. Acor hubs, the best ever made, again mid to cheap price range and beautifully made, not too heavy, tight seals and good races, still as good as new after 100's of kms. Not available now, but I have them on 5 out of the 6 bikes.
 
I use to be into the DH thing and loved it!

Unfortunately my bike was nicked last year and seeing as I'm moving to Namibia at the end of next year I'm holding out for dirt bike. Can't justify a couple of grand on another bike that I'll only get use out of for 18months. It is sick though and I do miss it. Good video that.

In terms of pedals, decent flats with 5ten shoes is a hard one to beat.

This was what I rolled on:
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If anyone sees it about let me know!
 
I use to be into the DH thing and loved it!

Unfortunately my bike was nicked last year and seeing as I'm moving to Namibia at the end of next year I'm holding out for dirt bike. Can't justify a couple of grand on another bike that I'll only get use out of for 18months. It is sick though and I do miss it. Good video that.

In terms of pedals, decent flats with 5ten shoes is a hard one to beat.

This was what I rolled on:
04695ed3dd158575113bf0c7926b5ff9_zpse54719a3.jpg


If anyone sees it about let me know!

Bloody shame it was nicked. Over the years Ive has 4 bikes stolen, never seen them again. Two were brand new, well only weeks old. A Bianchi XC and a Kona Cindercone. I could chop their bloody hands off myself. A bike is personal, it becomes part of you when you ride.

The old Merida Cobra (orange bike in the pics above) is about 10 years old, but faultless apart from battlescars. The suspension pivot bearings have never been touched and they're still tight. The only thing I've replaced is brake pads, chains and cassettes, disposable parts that wear out. It's got Bomber 888 200mm forks on now so I can hit anything that comes along. The rest is original. Love this sport and as an old'un, as long as you can stay sharp, you don't have to be too fit! :lol:

I'm 60 this year and all the young "dudes" on the mountain look at me sideways.... until we drop off on a run, many times I'm going past them half way down! Love it!!
 
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