[Aleenkagirlla]

Anyone here ride DH? looking for some reccomendations for a new hardtail DH frame and some new forks for my new build.

also i need some other advice im tempted to equip it with heavy hardcore parts, 3 piece cranks and the like, or should i go for a 4X esque build with a longish but not overweight fork?

if you have any reccomendations or experience please let me know! thanks[thumbup]

[Marc Spilkintin]

I want the Specialized Demo 9


GRRR

[Aleenkagirlla]

I want the Specialized Demo 9


GRRR

lol, i'm half tempted my self to give the hardtail a miss and go stright onto a full sus Specialized Big Hit, but hard tails improve your riding no end

[Marc Spilkintin]

lol, i'm half tempted my self to give the hardtail a miss and go stright onto a full sus Specialized Big Hit, but hard tails improve your riding no end

I just wanna go boulder hoppin on that Demo 9

haha

it looks so cool too.

[IRMartin]

The fact that you're considering a 4X/freeride style frame would seem to imply to me that you think a DH full suspension rig may be wasted. Both have their merits and drawbacks; neither is going to be amazingly useful for long XC rides, but I'm getting the feeling this will be a second, more specialised set-up.

First off, if it's not going to be a jump bike, go with a 26" wheel frame, though a lot in the market will be disc only or have changeable mounts, so it's not really a problem. Look for frame from Identiti, Da Bomb, On One and Base as a starting point, and find one with the features you want, then look for market comparisons on similar frames.

Next up is your fork choice. I've only ridden Marzocchi forks in recent years, so I can't comment on Manitou or Rock Shox offereings, but I'm sure they all offer something in your bracket for price, performance. My chosen fork is an old one: Z1 Freeride 2003, but it's the best offering I've found for smooth, progressive travel that's the right length for me. I've ridden the single crown Shiver a lot, which is also a great fork; I think it's been replaced by the 66 in the past 2 years, and I have yet to ride it. As I said, there will be offerings out there from all the manufacturers, but I think Marzocchi have held the single crown big hit fork crown for quite a few years now. Have a look around at how much you want to spend, as adding a 20mm bolt through is going to affect your wheel and brake choice, though I'd be expecting you to go disc on something like this.

Again, (assuming you meant 2-piece crank, for stiffness) going with 2-piece crank shows what kind of riding you're planning on doing, so get your drivetrain sorted. DMR rule the roost on 2-piece at the minute from talking to a few mates, but again there will be stuff from Middleburn, FSA, RaceFace etc... so take a look around. Other than that, just go with a Shimano block, rear derailleur and shifer pod, something around LX will be more than durable enough.

Now, wheels and brakes. I can't sing the praises of the M6 enough. I upgraded from the M4, which itself was phenomenal, but the M6 is even better. It's so progressive in its action. The M4 is still a great brake of you want to save some money. Both of these are open systems, so you don't get brake pump, which you really don't want on a big descent! These are just my suggestions, some people swear by Hayes or Formula, I'm a Hope man I guess. This leads me on to hubs. Again, I'm a Hope man. 20mm bolt through disc on the front, XC disc on the rear, though they do a big-un for the back as well. Rim wise, I run Mavic 321 front and back, plain 32h. I just think they offer a great balance between weight and strength, but as always, get some well built by a reputable builder. I've been running the same pair of rims on rebuilt 3 different front hubs and 2 back for 3 years now, without any problems. You can get specific DH rims, but I just like the balance of freeride rims.

Tyres, personal choice. Bars and stem, personal choice again, though I've always ridden Azonic bars, currently running Azonic single walls on an Atomlab stem. Try and keep the stem as short as possible for better control.

That's my views anyway; once you decide on a budget, post back, or give me a PM. I don't mind talking about options, though I'm not as in to the market as I used to be, I concentrate on road more nowadays.

[Aleenkagirlla]

Thanks for that help Gurner [thumbup] My budjet is going to be around £1200 and yes its going to be a specilised setup as i have been riding XC for the past 7 years and there is no way i parting with my current setup. I don't think a full sus DH setup would be wasted, i have just been reccomended by a few DH riders i know to start on a hardtail to help me get some good riding skills before i get a full sus

now on saying that my budjet is £1200, that is including full face helmet, armour etc Currently looking at this frame http://www.balfa.co.uk/catalog/produ...products_id=39 any thaughts?

[IRMartin]

That's some good advice you've been given there. I've never ridden a full-susser for more than a few runs, but I ride smooth, so a hard tail has always suited my style more as I get more out of the corners.

I can't comment on the frame specifically, I've never seen it before. From looking though, they have specific XC, FR and DH builds so they must be well thought out. Opting for a good frame and fork on what essentially will be a £1000 bike budget is a good plan, as everything else can come in stages. I'd probably pair with a similar priced fork as anything else isn't goint to cut the mustard. But then, you're going to be tight on the rest. A £300 fork will be disc specific, so you're looking at adding £100-140 for a front disc alone. Wheels are going to run in at £150-200 on normal XC hubs. That's £900 without drivetrain and a back brake!

My personal feeling would be that it might be better to drop to a frame around £200 max, maybe a £250 fork, or last year's £300-400 forks in a sale, just so that you can get the most out of the build now. The things you NEED straight away, are:

-stiff frame
-good fork
-hydraulic discs
-strong wheels

These are the things that are going to affect your riding limits and enjoyment. Outside of that, you can cut corners for later, like Deore shifter, block and mech, cheaper chainset for now etc. I reckon by shopping around for the four items above and possibly making some compromises by getting last year's gear, you should be able to get them sorted for £750-800. This would be my aim on your initial budget. Everything else can be upgraded later, but if you get a **** fork, your not going to have the confidence in it, and without the brakes to slow you down, you're not going to see how fast you can go!

I hope you don't think I'm trying to talk you out of anything here, I'm just giving you some advice based on my experiences and builds that I have put together for my mates over the years.