Official mountain biking thread

Let's try that again

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Nino and Julien batting it out up at the front again. Weather looks good but the track looks ultra slick still. Nino is just fucking slaying this one tech off camber section that is eating everyone alive.
 
Aha Jesus I think these guys are even catching the lead moto. That has to be hellish driving that thing around on the course.
 
Rode up Icarus at winter park today, had to wait out a storm up top so I came down a combo of trails in trestle on my 26er hardtail and no pads to the confusion of all the downhillers. Definitely more of a trail/XC guy, but I get the appeal of DH more now
 
I jumped a flight of steps with a ~4.5 foot vertical drop on my 160mm carbon enduro bike and the frame broke. Thinking about getting an aluminum frame and swapping over all the parts. All enduro bikes should be able to handle 4.5 foot drops, but obviously that doesn't always mean they can. Would aluminum stand up to this kind of use better than carbon? Considering Specialized Enduro alu frame because I can get a pro form on Specialized. Thoughts?
 
13493744:Cats. said:
I jumped a flight of steps with a ~4.5 foot vertical drop on my 160mm carbon enduro bike and the frame broke. Thinking about getting an aluminum frame and swapping over all the parts. All enduro bikes should be able to handle 4.5 foot drops, but obviously that doesn't always mean they can. Would aluminum stand up to this kind of use better than carbon? Considering Specialized Enduro alu frame because I can get a pro form on Specialized. Thoughts?
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what bike was it?

Carbon is significantly stronger than aluminum.

Do you resemble Jarred, pre-subway?
 
13493762:californiagrown said:
what bike was it?

Carbon is significantly stronger than aluminum.

Do you resemble Jarred, pre-subway?
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Cannondale Moto 3.

Carbon is stronger in some ways for sure, but to my understanding it depends on the type of force being applied. I work at a LBS and all three coworkers I talked to advised switching to alu, they think it will hold up better to jumping stuff than carbon. Just asking here to get some second opinions.

Not sure who Jarred is.
 
13493763:Cats. said:
Cannondale Moto 3.

Carbon is stronger in some ways for sure, but to my understanding it depends on the type of force being applied. I work at a LBS and all three coworkers I talked to advised switching to alu, they think it will hold up better to jumping stuff than carbon. Just asking here to get some second opinions.

Not sure who Jarred is.
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Ah, cracknfail.

I know plenty of people who beat on carbon bikes that are all holding up great. Carbon has come a long way in the last few years. More depends on the quality of the frame manufacturer then the material IMO. He was asking if you're a bigger dude.
 
13493763:Cats. said:
Carbon is stronger in some ways for sure, but to my understanding it depends on the type of force being applied. I work at a LBS and all three coworkers I talked to advised switching to alu, they think it will hold up better to jumping stuff than carbon. Just asking here to get some second opinions
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Hah no, carbon is almost always stronger for that sort of impact. I mean it will get scratched and dinged up probably easier. what kind of jumping are you doing? if dirt jumps, yeah it probably would get more beat up, its the nature of doing that.

 
13493824:byubound said:
Ah, cracknfail.

I know plenty of people who beat on carbon bikes that are all holding up great. Carbon has come a long way in the last few years. More depends on the quality of the frame manufacturer then the material IMO. He was asking if you're a bigger dude.
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Yeah, the bike is from 2009 or thereabouts so I suppose new carbon frames will be better. I don't really have the money for a new carbon frame right now, but I could get my broken carbon frame fixed. There is a place near here that will do it for $300-400 and apparently it will be at least as good as new. I just don't want to risk breaking it again.

No, I'm pretty skinny.
 
13493825:JuliusJ said:
Hah no, carbon is almost always stronger for that sort of impact. I mean it will get scratched and dinged up probably easier. what kind of jumping are you doing? if dirt jumps, yeah it probably would get more beat up, its the nature of doing that.

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When I broke it I was just jumping steps onto pavement at a university campus. I'm pretty new to mountain biking (not to cycling in general) but I might get into dirt jumps, small cliffs, etc. I don't really know. I just want a frame that I can jump off stuff with, be it steps, jumps, rocks, cliffs, whatever. I don't care about my frame getting dinged up and such, I just want it to remain functional.
 
Although its not the best analogy, Banshee's owner gives a goood explanation of carbon vs aluminumhttp://www.pinkbike.com/news/first-look-banshees-2016-lineup.html

Basically, what may have happened to your frame is that at some point you probably fell and hit your frame on a blunt object like a rock, stump, ect and it caused a weakened point in the frame to break at a later point. Instead of cracking from blunt impacts, aluminum dents and remains strong. However, aluminum frames tend to break at the welding points.
 
13493851:ThaLorax said:
Although its not the best analogy, Banshee's owner gives a goood explanation of carbon vs aluminumhttp://www.pinkbike.com/news/first-look-banshees-2016-lineup.html

Basically, what may have happened to your frame is that at some point you probably fell and hit your frame on a blunt object like a rock, stump, ect and it caused a weakened point in the frame to break at a later point. Instead of cracking from blunt impacts, aluminum dents and remains strong. However, aluminum frames tend to break at the welding points.
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That was a good read, thanks. I don't think I damaged the frame previously, but I bought it used so a previous owner may have.

(inb4 "don't buy used carbon", this was before I knew better and I also got a really good deal on it)
 
13493862:Cats. said:
That was a good read, thanks. I don't think I damaged the frame previously, but I bought it used so a previous owner may have.

(inb4 "don't buy used carbon", this was before I knew better and I also got a really good deal on it)
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Sounds like a classic case of just riding along... Your bike would likely be able to handle what you were doing, if it just broke then yeah the previous owner might have damaged it. And for the record, thats not just carbon, thats any used bike can have damage to it that can make it potentially fail.
 
13493868:JuliusJ said:
Sounds like a classic case of just riding along... Your bike would likely be able to handle what you were doing, if it just broke then yeah the previous owner might have damaged it. And for the record, thats not just carbon, thats any used bike can have damage to it that can make it potentially fail.
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It broke when I jumped a flight of steps, but it was a small drop and a clean landing so it shouldn't have caused it to break. And yeah of course any used frame can potentially have damage, it's just harder to tell with carbon because damage is less likely to be visible.
 
So about two weeks ago I bought my first bike, Its a Santa Cruz Blur lt2. First ride was last weekend at Duthie Hill park and i spent this whole weekend at Mt. Hood while my friend raced the Oregon Enduro final. So I will mostly be riding with him in the future doing enduro. I think I want to get a pair of padded shorts with some hip and thigh protection and maybe with a chamois pad? if any of you ride enduro what protection o you use? besides knee pads and a helmet. Also looking for a nice small backpack for my camelback. Any recommendations?

Open to any advice for other things I need getting into this sport, besides some good health insurance haha
 
13497957:TheFap said:
So about two weeks ago I bought my first bike, Its a Santa Cruz Blur lt2. First ride was last weekend at Duthie Hill park and i spent this whole weekend at Mt. Hood while my friend raced the Oregon Enduro final. So I will mostly be riding with him in the future doing enduro. I think I want to get a pair of padded shorts with some hip and thigh protection and maybe with a chamois pad? if any of you ride enduro what protection o you use? besides knee pads and a helmet. Also looking for a nice small backpack for my camelback. Any recommendations?

Open to any advice for other things I need getting into this sport, besides some good health insurance haha
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First and foremost, its not "enduro" that you will be doing. It is called "mountain biking".

Second, just get a closeout deal on some shorts that come with a chamois. Maybe a second pair if you plan on riding a couple times per week.

Get a cheap camelback, an extra tube, a hand pump, tire levers, a bike specific multi tool, and a cliff bar. Combine these things then add some water.

Get something hard on the outside to wear on your head.

Get some skate shoes or 5.10 freeriders.

Now go ride for a few months. If you still dig it, you will have figured out what upgrades you need and want. But just go ride more.
 
13497971:californiagrown said:
First and foremost, its not "enduro" that you will be doing. It is called "mountain biking".

Second, just get a closeout deal on some shorts that come with a chamois. Maybe a second pair if you plan on riding a couple times per week.

Get a cheap camelback, an extra tube, a hand pump, tire levers, a bike specific multi tool, and a cliff bar. Combine these things then add some water.

Get something hard on the outside to wear on your head.

Get some skate shoes or 5.10 freeriders.

Now go ride for a few months. If you still dig it, you will have figured out what upgrades you need and want. But just go ride more.
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thanks for the fast reply, I got a free pair of race face shorts from a booth at the race but they dont have a liner, i've also been known to hurt myself a lot in whatever sport I do so I was thinking of getting a pair of compression shorts with padding and a chamois, any recommendations? Also im riding tubeless, so should i still ride with an extra tube? in case i flat?
 
13497978:TheFap said:
thanks for the fast reply, I got a free pair of race face shorts from a booth at the race but they dont have a liner, i've also been known to hurt myself a lot in whatever sport I do so I was thinking of getting a pair of compression shorts with padding and a chamois, any recommendations? Also im riding tubeless, so should i still ride with an extra tube? in case i flat?
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Definitely still ride with an extra tube. 2 weekends ago I was riding through a loose, rocky bit of trail and a rock tore a good 5 mm gash in my tire. Only had like 10 psi left by the time it sealed. I was close to the bottom so I just rode out, but if it was on a longer ride I would have been screwed.

Did anyone ride predator at Tiger this weekend and know if the section below the road is open? Haven't ridden it yet.
 
13497971:californiagrown said:
First and foremost, its not "enduro" that you will be doing. It is called "mountain biking".

Second, just get a closeout deal on some shorts that come with a chamois. Maybe a second pair if you plan on riding a couple times per week.

Get a cheap camelback, an extra tube, a hand pump, tire levers, a bike specific multi tool, and a cliff bar. Combine these things then add some water.

Get something hard on the outside to wear on your head.

Get some skate shoes or 5.10 freeriders.

Now go ride for a few months. If you still dig it, you will have figured out what upgrades you need and want. But just go ride more.
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This. When you're first starting out, gear isn't a huge deal. Gaining the skills and having fun progressing is more important. That's an awesome bike though, and should last you a long time.

I will say though, that a multi-tool is kind of useless if you don't know how to use it, so ask your friend to teach you how to use the chainbreaker, adjust your brakes, etc. And don't foget to ad some bike lube (not the spray type) to keep your drivechain smooth.
 
Btw, the camelpak M.U.L.E. is the most popular bike pack for a reason and you can almost always find it on sale somewhere.
 
13497992:ThaLorax said:
This. When you're first starting out, gear isn't a huge deal. Gaining the skills and having fun progressing is more important. That's an awesome bike though, and should last you a long time.

I will say though, that a multi-tool is kind of useless if you don't know how to use it, so ask your friend to teach you how to use the chainbreaker, adjust your brakes, etc. And don't foget to ad some bike lube (not the spray type) to keep your drivechain smooth.
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Yeah he worked at a bike shop and has been racing for years so he helped me go through my bike and he can teach me some stuff. But I still want the right equipment so I can fix my bike when I'm not with him. Like yesterday I was alone and crashed and bent my chain ring and I had to bash it with a rock to get it so I could even pedal
 
13498013:TheFap said:
Yeah he worked at a bike shop and has been racing for years so he helped me go through my bike and he can teach me some stuff. But I still want the right equipment so I can fix my bike when I'm not with him. Like yesterday I was alone and crashed and bent my chain ring and I had to bash it with a rock to get it so I could even pedal
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Fwiw, that's what a mechanic would use too if in that situation haha.

Why are you crashing so much? MTB isn't like skiing where crashing a lot is fine when you're progressing. It gets expensive really fucking quick, and you'll get beat up pretty good.
 
13498020:californiagrown said:
Fwiw, that's what a mechanic would use too if in that situation haha.

Why are you crashing so much? MTB isn't like skiing where crashing a lot is fine when you're progressing. It gets expensive really fucking quick, and you'll get beat up pretty good.
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I just have a tendency to go a little too hard like this weekend trying to ride to downhill course at skibowl
 
13498027:TheFap said:
I just have a tendency to go a little too hard like this weekend trying to ride to downhill course at skibowl
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Think in terms of skiing. What do you think about the gaper who can barely snowplow yet insists on skiing blacks a doubleblacks while yardsaling all over the place?

Steady progression is the name of the game. You'll be shredding the gnar soon enough haha. At least you won't have the mental part holding you back when you do have the skills haha.

But for your wallets sake, please don't crash as much!
 
13498038:californiagrown said:
Think in terms of skiing. What do you think about the gaper who can barely snowplow yet insists on skiing blacks a doubleblacks while yardsaling all over the place?

Steady progression is the name of the game. You'll be shredding the gnar soon enough haha. At least you won't have the mental part holding you back when you do have the skills haha.

But for your wallets sake, please don't crash as much!
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Yeah I guess I just got a little excited getting to ride with pro athletes and trying to hang. I did progress a crazy amount which is nice but in going to try and take it easy
 
13498038:californiagrown said:
Think in terms of skiing. What do you think about the gaper who can barely snowplow yet insists on skiing blacks a doubleblacks while yardsaling all over the place?

Steady progression is the name of the game. You'll be shredding the gnar soon enough haha. At least you won't have the mental part holding you back when you do have the skills haha.

But for your wallets sake, please don't crash as much!
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And hopefully I'll make it away from this weekend at tiger mountain unscathed
 
13497985:byubound said:
Did anyone ride predator at Tiger this weekend and know if the section below the road is open? Haven't ridden it yet.
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It's fully open. Although Predator is a stupid fucking name and it should be reverted back to Eastbound and Down. Why did they change it anyways?

Hoping to get out and ride it for the first time Wednesday morning. Fucking stoked after watching a few video laps.
 
13498085:TheFap said:
Yeah I guess I just got a little excited getting to ride with pro athletes and trying to hang. I did progress a crazy amount which is nice but in going to try and take it easy
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While what californiagrown said is definitely true, and probably the smartest way to learn, I learned somewhere in between... 18 years ago when the aport was very different. Another perspective, is that there's no better way to learn than to crash and figure out wny you crashed, then try it again until you don't.
 
13498357:division.bell said:
It's fully open. Although Predator is a stupid fucking name and it should be reverted back to Eastbound and Down. Why did they change it anyways?

Hoping to get out and ride it for the first time Wednesday morning. Fucking stoked after watching a few video laps.
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From what I heard, Eastbound and Down was just what people started calling it I guess, like the builders didn't come up with it. They wanted something that was their idea. How early are you going to try for tomorrow? I was going to ride up there today, but my buddy bailed on me.
 
13498400:byubound said:
How early are you going to try for tomorrow? I was going to ride up there today, but my buddy bailed on me.
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I'm usually out there pretty early on weekday mornings. Typically depart from the lower lot around 7-7:30am. Not sure what the gameplan is for tomorrow yet though.
 
13498421:division.bell said:
I'm usually out there pretty early on weekday mornings. Typically depart from the lower lot around 7-7:30am. Not sure what the gameplan is for tomorrow yet though.
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If you end up doing that and dont mind me riding with you, let me know.
 
13498366:ThaLorax said:
While what californiagrown said is definitely true, and probably the smartest way to learn, I learned somewhere in between... 18 years ago when the aport was very different. Another perspective, is that there's no better way to learn than to crash and figure out wny you crashed, then try it again until you don't.
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Yeah there's a thin line between progressing and being reckless. Just like in skiing, you can't always land stuff you've never tried but there's a difference between a calculated risk and just hucking shit and hoping you land it
 
13498440:byubound said:
If you end up doing that and dont mind me riding with you, let me know.
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Definitely heading out there tomorrow morning just waiting on a confirmation of what time we're meeting up at the lot.

Grand ridge was rolling fast this morning and we had the trails to ourselves. I was the only car in the duthie lot this morning getting ready. That was a very strange occurrence indeed.
 
13498932:division.bell said:
Definitely heading out there tomorrow morning just waiting on a confirmation of what time we're meeting up at the lot.

Grand ridge was rolling fast this morning and we had the trails to ourselves. I was the only car in the duthie lot this morning getting ready. That was a very strange occurrence indeed.
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Sounds good. Let me know the time and I'll meet you there. Grand ridge is so much more fun when you don't have to look out for hikers around every corner.

Also, me and some buddies are going to ride noble knob this weekend. Supposed to be real good. Anybody ever done it?
 
Just got back from Interbike, it's fun riding all the new carbon wonderbikes but honestly, none of them felt that good that I would upgrade, even if I was ridiculously rich enough to afford it... Still super fun to geek out on gear though.
 
Just finished up another bike season here in Whistler. Heres a few pics.

Bike camping at the top of Cougar Mtn.

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Sunset descent from the top of Whistler Mtn. via Kyber

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And a couple bike park shots

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13493880:Cats. said:
It broke when I jumped a flight of steps, but it was a small drop and a clean landing so it shouldn't have caused it to break. And yeah of course any used frame can potentially have damage, it's just harder to tell with carbon because damage is less likely to be visible.
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You also can't make a blanket statement that a carbon frame is strong than an aluminum frame, and vice versa. What kind of frame are you talking about? How thick is it? Etc, etc.

A carbon downhill frame (like the Santa Cruz V10 in the video) has a downtube that is anywhere from 4mm-6mm thick (which is fucking insane). If you snap one of those, then your frame is the least of your concerns because you probably just rode your bike off the roof of a tall building.

A carbon trail bike from 2009 was oppositely not intended for its wheels to leave the ground. That frame is most likely built with wall thickness of 1mm-3mm where many companies simply applied their knowledge from carbon road frames and brought it over to the mountain world.

Nowadays, any carbon "enduro", freeride, slopestyle, or downhill bike will take serious punishment before it fails and normally far longer than its aluminum counterpart, just as that video demonstrates.
 
13501738:onenerdykid said:
You also can't make a blanket statement that a carbon frame is strong than an aluminum frame, and vice versa. What kind of frame are you talking about? How thick is it? Etc, etc.

A carbon downhill frame (like the Santa Cruz V10 in the video) has a downtube that is anywhere from 4mm-6mm thick (which is fucking insane). If you snap one of those, then your frame is the least of your concerns because you probably just rode your bike off the roof of a tall building.

A carbon trail bike from 2009 was oppositely not intended for its wheels to leave the ground. That frame is most likely built with wall thickness of 1mm-3mm where many companies simply applied their knowledge from carbon road frames and brought it over to the mountain world.

Nowadays, any carbon "enduro", freeride, slopestyle, or downhill bike will take serious punishment before it fails and normally far longer than its aluminum counterpart, just as that video demonstrates.
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Thanks for the input. +k
 
13502456:Loco-Deer-Slayer said:
Looking to do some mountain biking in Jackson. Anyone have any suggestions? Teton Pass? Looking for gravity trails.
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Theres so much. Hitch up Teton Pass. I need to get back there, just moved to SLC so stoked to get some riding in here and the surrounding areas.

Also a bit of trail riding photo stoke
 
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