Official mountain biking thread

13709714:cornholio said:
survey: flats or clips (clipless? idk the proper term is)
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I've been riding clipless for about 10 years now. Any time I'm on flats, I feel like I lose control of my bike.
 
13709714:cornholio said:
survey: flats or clips (clipless? idk the proper term is)
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Technically "clips" refer to the old toe clip pedals where you put the front half of your foot into a leather or plastic strap system. It gave you efficiency but with a super unsafe degree of retention. The pedals you snap into are called "clipless" because they do away with the toe clip.

Clipless (about 20% of my riding): road, XC, enduro

Flats (about 80% of my riding): DH, BMX, dirt jumping
 
well on that subject what are peoples opinions on clipless for downhill? see a fair amount of people riding them in the park. i've never ridden clipless pedals so it just seems fuckin sketchy to me. would be nice knowing you aren't going to come off your pedals though.
 
13709773:250r said:
well on that subject what are peoples opinions on clipless for downhill? see a fair amount of people riding them in the park. i've never ridden clipless pedals so it just seems fuckin sketchy to me. would be nice knowing you aren't going to come off your pedals though.
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I came into mountain biking from freestyle BMX (not racing), so I was always used to flats. My balance and handling was all based around flat pedals, so naturally I started using flats for DH when I first got into it. Other friends of mine got into DH via XC, so they used clipless pedals because flats felt weird to them and they didn't really know how to use them properly.

My DH friends who raced with clipless pedals always told me how much more connected they felt, especially through rock gardens or other super bumped out sections of the track. They also said it would teach me how to more properly balance the bike in corners without taking my inside foot off all the time. Both of which were totally true and I raced a full season of DH with clipless pedals because of it. But I ended up going back to flats because jumping with clipless just felt really weird to me. Because of my BMX background, I was so used to the way my foot engaged and controlled a flat pedal, that jumping was way more natural to me with flats than with clipless. I can jump way more fluidly and controlled with flats than with clipless pedals. Plus if you invest in nice flat pedals and nice shoes, it takes a ridiculous amount of force to come off the pedals unexpectedly (I use E-13 pedals and 5-10 Sam Hill Impacts and it's sometimes even hard to take my foot off the pedal when I want to haha).

TLDR: if you are used to flats, stick with flats. If you are used to clipless, stick with clipless.
 
13709773:250r said:
well on that subject what are peoples opinions on clipless for downhill? see a fair amount of people riding them in the park. i've never ridden clipless pedals so it just seems fuckin sketchy to me. would be nice knowing you aren't going to come off your pedals though.
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I mean there's a reason riders on the Rampage and what not use flats.

As long as you can control yourself and be safe, whatever you want I guess. I will say I know people who use clip less then switch to flats and have no idea how to pop/jump because on a clueless where you're connected you just jump, no technique. But man I've had some scary wrecks where I'm glad I'm not connected to my bike. I totally understand clipless for climbing, but anything like enduro, DH, jumping you should be on some flats.
 
13709753:saskskier said:
Flats with 5.10's.
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i rode flats with skate shoes for a while, kept tearing up the soles and finally bought some 5.10s a couple years ago and was very impressed with the switch. they gripped the pedals a lot better and are held up great. i didn't give clipless much of a try before (borrowed some shoes from a friend for like 2 rides) but am i'm considering giving it another try now that my cardio sucks
 
13709778:.lencon said:
I mean there's a reason riders on the Rampage and what not use flats.

As long as you can control yourself and be safe, whatever you want I guess. I will say I know people who use clip less then switch to flats and have no idea how to pop/jump because on a clueless where you're connected you just jump, no technique. But man I've had some scary wrecks where I'm glad I'm not connected to my bike. I totally understand clipless for climbing, but anything like enduro, DH, jumping you should be on some flats.
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90% of the folks i know that race cat 1 DH or above ride clipless. You tend to have better bike control and pedal security with clipless, but it sure is nice to be able to dab a foot at a moments notice or jump over your bars when you stuff the front wheel haha.

Im thinking about trying a clipless setup because i have skiing tendencies when biking and sometimes make my feet too light when trying to float over rough stuff and my feet come off the pedals. no bueno. Also, id like to be able to confidently hammer on the pedals when the trail isnt buffed out... i cant do that with flats.
 
13709971:californiagrown said:
90% of the folks i know that race cat 1 DH or above ride clipless. You tend to have better bike control and pedal security with clipless, but it sure is nice to be able to dab a foot at a moments notice or jump over your bars when you stuff the front wheel haha.

Im thinking about trying a clipless setup because i have skiing tendencies when biking and sometimes make my feet too light when trying to float over rough stuff and my feet come off the pedals. no bueno. Also, id like to be able to confidently hammer on the pedals when the trail isnt buffed out... i cant do that with flats.
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I used to be super light as well, came

Off on almost any jump. Just have to practice
 
13709975:.lencon said:
I used to be super light as well, came

Off on almost any jump. Just have to practice
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Nah, spending a few days at whistler got my jumping relatively on point. It's high speed rough stuff I'm talking about. I ride an enduro with a rather shitty shock that gets overwhelmed a little too easy on that kind of stuff. 99% of the time I'm totally fine, and it's usually more annoying than scary when it does happen.
 
13709991:californiagrown said:
Nah, spending a few days at whistler got my jumping relatively on point. It's high speed rough stuff I'm talking about. I ride an enduro with a rather shitty shock that gets overwhelmed a little too easy on that kind of stuff. 99% of the time I'm totally fine, and it's usually more annoying than scary when it does happen.
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yea ive got the ctd on my 650 enduro, and i ride it in the bike park most days. probably going to pick up a float x2 for it, or i could just save some more and buy a dh bike...oh so many decisions
 
I am currently riding a diamondback axis sport and wanted to upgrade to a full suspension. I found a diamondback atroz frame for sale and wanted to know if it would be compatible with my bike
 
anyone in whistler wanna spin some laps or ride some trail? been here riding when im not filming and mostly been solo. hit me up!
 
13710223:250r said:
yea ive got the ctd on my 650 enduro, and i ride it in the bike park most days. probably going to pick up a float x2 for it, or i could just save some more and buy a dh bike...oh so many decisions
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This guy spins laps there everyday.

13712603:GANDALF said:
anyone in whistler wanna spin some laps or ride some trail? been here riding when im not filming and mostly been solo. hit me up!
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I can vouch for GANDALF being a ripping rider and rad dude.
 
13712603:GANDALF said:
anyone in whistler wanna spin some laps or ride some trail? been here riding when im not filming and mostly been solo. hit me up!
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yea man id be down. park, trails either way. its only my first year up there, so i haven't really been touching the double blacks yet. ill ride pretty much everything else though.
 
13712639:250r said:
yea man id be down. park, trails either way. its only my first year up there, so i haven't really been touching the double blacks yet. ill ride pretty much everything else though.
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Sick! I'm here till Saturday. Staying at the Aava. Give me a pm if you wanna link up. I gotta check my schedule because I have to film some events. I've got black fox gear an orange camelback and I'm on a carbon stumpy. Blue smith goggles
 
Starting work tomorrow as trail crew at thunder mountain bike park. Always been a casual XC guy mainly cause I can't afford anything else but I'm stoked to get into downhill. Free rentals for days
 
This isn''t mine but if I ever get enough money this will be the mountain bike I get hands down

Kona-Bikes-2017-31-of-39-2000x1333.jpg


Ready to Slay
 
13722138:happygaper said:
Just getting into mountain biking!

In an hour I am going to pick up the Giant Talon 27.5 4 I purchased from the local shop yesterday.

Figured it would be a good beginner hardtail.

This thread is pretty big... Anyone have any advice for total beginners? Maybe a YT channel thats quality to look at or something?

Thanks!
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Global Mountain bike network is the YouTube channel you want.

Where do you ride, what do you want to ride, what MTB stuff other than a bike do you have?

Crashing on a bike is much different than skiing. Every crash hurts, and will leave you cut at a minimum. Progress slow, get in good shape and have fun.
 
13722138:happygaper said:
Just getting into mountain biking!

In an hour I am going to pick up the Giant Talon 27.5 4 I purchased from the local shop yesterday.

Figured it would be a good beginner hardtail.

This thread is pretty big... Anyone have any advice for total beginners? Maybe a YT channel thats quality to look at or something?

Thanks!
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the MTB subreddit is great for advice.

get a pair of clipless pedals, they're a little intimidating at first but once you get used to unclipping you'll be glad you have them. so nice for climbing

get out a lot. you'll feel yourself getting better every time you go. pick something new to work on every day, like cornering, rocky sections, etc.

read up on technique. pay attention to your body position and try to improve a little every time you go

have a fucking blast. you'll fall, it'll suck, but it's all worth it
 
13722133:DayMan said:
Anyone have a good recommendation for grips? Mine are falling apart and they really didn't last long
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i have a pair of Specialized XC contour grips and love them. i have bad wrists and they take a lot of strain off, but are small enough to feel really natural.

there's a bunch of articles online about grips. do a little research and find one that fits your riding style
 
13722153:happygaper said:
What else do you recommend besides maybe a good quality helmet?

More safety gear so I don't get fucked up crashing and discouraged??

Thank you in advance!
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you shouldn't need much more than a good helmet, unless you're going straight into DH courses, which i wouldn't recommend anyway

find some flowy xc trails and practice cornering, get a feel for your tires and learn when they start to lose grip, push that threshold until you're not totally relying on your brakes to get you through

we all suck at the beginning, just like skiing. hell, i still suck. but it's fun as fuck and is probably the best skiing workout
 
13722153:happygaper said:
I live in NYC but luckily there is a park 3/4 of a mile from my house with MTB trails.

It also has separate beginner, intermediate and expert downhill courses with varying sized jumps and stuff.

So to answer your question, I would be doing these trails, commuting to school and probably use the bike for cardio rides as well.

Your advice about taking it slow makes sense, thank you. Also, thanks for the heads up about the channel.

The only other accessory I own is this 10lb behemoth chain lock I bought so no one steals my bike.

What else do you recommend besides maybe a good quality helmet?

More safety gear so I don't get fucked up crashing and discouraged??

Thank you in advance!
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Helmet

Designated bike shoes- just get vans for now, five tens later

Decent pedals

Bike shorts with chamois

Hydration pack

Multitool w/chain tool

Tire levers

Extra tube

Mini pump or CO2 canisters

All fairly necessary IMO.

Where in NYC has DH trails?
 
13722177:treebeard said:
god damn that makes me jealous. nothing but loose sandy soil here in boise
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That's why i have been been making trips up to ride the home trails. I moved to bend in the fall and I am pretty disappointed in the biking here. Xc, sand, spandex, and blown out everything.
 
13722172:GANDALF said:
one of my buddies snapped some pics of me riding last weekend. a little loam porn for ya:
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Yessir! Was hotlapping there on Sunday. God bless hunting season. Sad the jump line got clear-cut, but folks are starting to build cool side hits off the mainlines now.

We're you up Saturday?
 
13722253:californiagrown said:
Yessir! Was hotlapping there on Sunday. God bless hunting season. Sad the jump line got clear-cut, but folks are starting to build cool side hits off the mainlines now.

We're you up Saturday?
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RIP favorite jump line

This was actually 2 weeks ago
 
13722194:GANDALF said:
That's why i have been been making trips up to ride the home trails. I moved to bend in the fall and I am pretty disappointed in the biking here. Xc, sand, spandex, and blown out everything.
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I love how you like to shit on Bend riding. Have you ridden Oakridge or anything close to Bend? I'd imagine you might change your tune a bit if so.
 
13722330:JuliusJ said:
I love how you like to shit on Bend riding. Have you ridden Oakridge or anything close to Bend? I'd imagine you might change your tune a bit if so.
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Yeah I rode oakridge. It's just not my style. To each their own.
 
13722385:californiagrown said:
What are the big differences between the Oregon stuff you've ridden and the stuff in the very general bham area?
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The dirt - in bend, it's sand with lots of volcanic rock. A lot of places kinda feel like the beach. Bend is High desert so there is not a ton of moisture. Bham has some of the best dirt in the country.

The terrain - it's pretty flat here. The downhills are very pedally. Nothing steep and everything is pretttttty mellow and buffed out. I'm not much of a bike park guy, but I've been spending most the summer riding bachelor because it's at least got some more challenging and faster/ steeper things to ride. That being said it's pretty pedally for a bike park.

The trails - old school. There are a couple more "newschool" trails like tiddlywinks, and some parts of Tyler's traverse, but lots of old school xc.

I've seen lots of areas here in bend where there is tons of potential for some good downhills. But apprantly the forest service is not stoked on it. Same with building wood features on trails. The dirt is really hard to work with so I don't know why there isn't more wood on the trails.

I just never really get that "holy shit I was ripping" feeling.

I probably sound super salty in this post, but look at where I moved from. It's hard to beat. I still have fun riding here and I still ride, but it's just not my style.
 
13722410:californiagrown said:
What and where?

More info is needed!!! Hopefully something fun to ride from the bottom of OTG?
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Scope the evergreen mtb Facebook page.

Easy Tiger and The Legend.

They're off NW Timber
 
13722402:GANDALF said:
I probably sound super salty in this post, but look at where I moved from. It's hard to beat. I still have fun riding here and I still ride, but it's just not my style.
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you're salty. of course its a different style of riding, but can literally ride out your front door for a good portion of the west side of bend. i live in SLC and a lot of park city trails are similar but we both have hundreds of miles to ride, could be a hell of a lot worse.

MRT/North Fork/Middle fork are also trails relatively close to Bend. if you haven't ridden them, check em out.
 
13722970:JuliusJ said:
you're salty. of course its a different style of riding, but can literally ride out your front door for a good portion of the west side of bend. i live in SLC and a lot of park city trails are similar but we both have hundreds of miles to ride, could be a hell of a lot worse.

MRT/North Fork/Middle fork are also trails relatively close to Bend. if you haven't ridden them, check em out.
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Where are your favorite trails you have ever ridden? Have you ridden much in the bellingham area? (outside of just Galby?) What are the kind of trails you really like?
 
13722970:JuliusJ said:
you're salty. of course its a different style of riding, but can literally ride out your front door for a good portion of the west side of bend. i live in SLC and a lot of park city trails are similar but we both have hundreds of miles to ride, could be a hell of a lot worse.

MRT/North Fork/Middle fork are also trails relatively close to Bend. if you haven't ridden them, check em out.
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I could also ride from my front door in Bellingham to all the trails as well :)
 
13722330:JuliusJ said:
I love how you like to shit on Bend riding. Have you ridden Oakridge or anything close to Bend? I'd imagine you might change your tune a bit if so.
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jesus H christ oakridge is the most over rated place ive ever ridden. there aren't any built jumps or berms. it's xc. you can do that just about anywhere.
 
13723021:GANDALF said:
I could also ride from my front door in Bellingham to all the trails as well :)
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yeah i think people move to oregon and think it's the end all be all of outdoor recreation. how could it POSSIBLY get better? lol

bend/oakridge/mckenzie river trail all had me going 'ok when is this going to get good' and then all of a sudden end. and that was it. it's kind of like beating off but never nutting. glad to see somebody else shares a similar opinion because complaining about trails in person makes you look like a giant douche.
 
13723044:howlongcanausern said:
yeah i think people move to oregon and think it's the end all be all of outdoor recreation. how could it POSSIBLY get better? lol

bend/oakridge/mckenzie river trail all had me going 'ok when is this going to get good' and then all of a sudden end. and that was it. it's kind of like beating off but never nutting. glad to see somebody else shares a similar opinion because complaining about trails in person makes you look like a giant douche.
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Bellingham is the best place in the states to mountain bike, IMO. But, you want a local to show you the goods, because most of the really, really good stuff is "secret" trails on timber company land.

Loam doesn't exist on popular legal trail systems.

I feel like Oregon has SOOO much potential, but no one ever digs and creates these badass unsanctioned trail systems that seem so numerous one state up.
 
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