Want to get into gravity/downhill mountain biking however can’t justify a purchase order that usually requires you to disclose your credit score historical past?
Yeah, me neither. But, such as you, that doesn’t cease me from daydreaming about large sends and deep loam.
I didn’t know diddly about downhill driving once I went to my first Red Bull Rampage. Then after only a few hours of watching all of it occur, I used to be hooked. How may I stoke the brooding, darkish hearth, and gaudy, eruptive psych of the professionals? How may I discover the elusive validation that appears to reverberate from those that experience this magnetizing, terrifying model?
Well, the reply regarded apparent: Do it. Learning by way of main expertise was clearly the way in which. But with a steep studying curve and a substantive tools threshold, the large query was equally apparent: How?
I thought of my different bikes and partials. There are the $100 finds on Facebook Marketplace I’d Frankensteined along with donations of throwaway elements from buddies, then pridefully ridden with a toxic view towards top-end gear. During my complete grownup life, principally lived as a dirtbag rock climber, I’d shunned dear gear. I thought-about it elitist and distracting.
Forget the stuff you might have, I assumed, go do cool issues; that’s what counts.
Now, to do the cool factor in any respect, I’d want the proper stuff. And for the primary time in my life, I couldn’t cheapen or faux it.
So I did what another over-stoked, under-resourced, PBR-swilling, downhill mountain biking aspirant would do: I opened my laptop and bought on the web.
Here are the outcomes.
First Take: Cost and Complexity Demand Passion
Let’s be practical. You’re not going to get right into a sport the place the principle tools prices as a lot as a strong used automotive with out some buy-in money. And to get psyched about spending that money, just a little inspiration will help.
Maybe you’ve already bought that lined. If not, I recommend watching some movies and/or placing on some music. Where do you wish to experience? How do you wish to experience? And who do you wish to experience like? We’ve all bought our methods of getting hyped on a sport, however you owe it to your self to determine what it’s going to appear to be on you.
Basically, I used psych as a survival tactic for 2 duties:
- Justifying the amount of cash I used to be about to spend on downhill mountain biking
- Compiling the mechanical information I would wish with a purpose to select the proper bike and be taught the way it labored
Anyone who’s made a significant buy is aware of the adrenal stimulation that comes together with it. At some level, it’s quite a lot of bucks. But we’ve lined that, so I’ll transfer on to the opposite cause you’ll need the psych: the complexity of discovering the proper absolutely suspended bike.
Despite being easy machines by definition, bicycles are sophisticated. And trendy suspended mountain bikes are essentially the most sophisticated of all. For the common newcomer, creating the acumen to even know what you’re taking a look at can really feel exhausting — not to mention determining what’s going to be just right for you or the way it’s going to work. Even if it’s simply tuning the suspension of a used bike, there’s nonetheless quite a bit to be taught.
I discovered that to keep up traction, I wanted some inventive inspiration.
Riding is extra enjoyable than wrenching — keep in mind that. So you’re gonna wish to combine in loads of slasher stoke content material alongside your path. (Don’t overlook this. It’s additionally necessary to maintain your self from changing into unbearable.)
Watch: Heli-Mountain Biking Volcanoes in Russia
If you’ve already bought your inspiration, nice. If not, I might take into account the Rampage lineup a very good place to begin. It’s a who’s who of the world’s finest freeride, downhill, and slopestyle riders — try their clips and go from there.
Where Do I Live and What Do I Look Like?
Appropriately amped on Sum 41 playlists and professional Andreu Lacondeguy footage, I texted some buddies who had been already within the recreation.
“Ok, I’m over-stoked on downhill mountain biking. Have no money. Any ideas?”
The first reply I acquired most likely helped my pondering essentially the most.
“Where we live, an enduro rig is better.”
Bare-bones because it was, the recommendation drove residence one key idea: shopping for a motorcycle you’ll be able to’t experience the place you reside is pointless.
The cause a pure downhill mountain bike wouldn’t work for me is I’m in Austin, Texas, and there’s not sufficient pure downhill terrain right here to make it price it. Downhill bikes are heavy and cumbersome to climb with.
So I checked out enduro bikes as a result of they’re extra agile. I’m going to spend so much of time driving on the flat or uphill or carrying my bike up hills I can’t experience. Whatever you do or don’t find out about Texas, I wager you’ll be able to guess how few ski lifts there are right here.
On reflection, I spotted this precept is perhaps roughly universally true. Statistically, it’s very possible you reside nearer to a path than a ski mountain. Even if you will get out to the large drops often, you’ll most likely experience hills much less epic extra usually.
Considering that, the most important distinction between downhill and enduro rigs apart from weight is geometry. It’s the facet of a motorcycle each gravity rider ought to take into account most intently. That’s as a result of the bike wants to suit you and your experience preferences intently sufficient so that you can really feel linked to it and to the path by way of it.
Riding a motorcycle that’s too large or places you too far out over the entrance axle can breed concern on downhills. You’ll find yourself with a tippy, unstable sensation. A motorbike that’s too small could make you’re feeling like a clown pedaling a tricycle uphill. Too lengthy, and also you’ll really feel such as you’re attempting to whip corners in a limo; too brief, and steering inputs can be on a hair set off.
For a primer, try this explainer from GearJunkie’s Mark Wilson, through which he covers the rules totally.
Bike Geometry Explained: Understand What You Need and Why
Go Try It: Downhill Mountain Biking First Licks
The second concept my buddies hit me with once I advised them I used to be psyched: Let’s go to the downhill mountain biking park subsequent weekend.
Doing precisely that labored wonders. I visited Spider Mountain, a lift-accessed downhill park not removed from Austin. I made plans with my crew, paid for my raise ticket (underneath $30), and organized to lease a motorcycle, helmet, and pads by way of the park.
I completed the day with three key takeaways:
- Confirmation that I really do prefer it, and I’m not simply heroicizing it
- A far clearer concept of how I wish to experience and what I wish to experience on
- Lingering irritation in lots of main joints and method much less pores and skin on my proper hand
In essence, these three bullet factors type the premise for why I like to recommend you attempt before you purchase.
First of all, there’s no method you may be sure whether or not you’re going to love one thing earlier than you really do it. As a rock climber, I’ve seen this a lot of occasions: The Alpinist or Free Solo blows someone away, however then they get on a rope and discover out they’re fearful of heights.
So, if you happen to suppose you’re going to love downhill driving, discover a place close by the place you are able to do it after which go do it.
Extra factors if that place will lease you tools. Because I bought the chance to attempt a few completely different bikes all through the day, I bought a greater concept of what measurement bike would really feel snug to me. I additionally bought to wrap my mind round different spec nuances — for example, I now know that HT Components pedals really feel very grippy if you happen to put on Vans to experience.
And you understand what? None of it is going to matter if you happen to don’t love what you’re doing. I’m grateful that I bought the possibility to experience with a few of my favourite individuals on my first time out. But I additionally required vindication that I might join with it in my very own method.
I arrived on the park with two objectives: crash and crash once more. I achieved each (after which some), and as I sat there afterward, nothing made me extra positive that I used to be prepared to put money into the game than this one factor: the truth that I had spastic thighs and half a proper palm and I nonetheless couldn’t wait till the following time I bought out.
Try Affordable BMX to Pass Time, Develop Skills
As I sat within the ongoing afterglow of my first day of downhill mountain biking, I spotted that it might most likely nonetheless be some time earlier than I bought my very own bike. I wasn’t within the place to spend a number of thousand {dollars} on something, not to mention a brand new, injurious pastime.
However, what I may purchase instantly was a BMX bike.
It ain’t freeride, however yow will discover loads of similarity within the skillsets you’ll want for each BMX leaping and downhill MTB.
Pump tracks may be your pal as you educate your self learn how to management your bike along with your physique (relatively than with the “controls” just like the pedals and brakes). And if you wish to get into sending large gaps, you’d most likely higher begin with a couple of small ones first.
For me, BMX additionally checks the “do it local” field. The grime park 10 minutes from my house has been in Austin longer than I’ve. And at even nearer vary, there’s nothing stopping me from goofing off in my car parking zone after work (learn: bunny hopping, doing stair units, engaged on skids and brake management).
Again, it’s not 25mph, full-suspension downhill mountain biking glory, nevertheless it’s one thing — and it’s a option to preserve contact with a sport I can’t feasibly do on daily basis.
Downhill Mountain Bikes and Where to Get Them: Suggestions for Noobs
If you wish to go to Facebook Marketplace, you’re by yourself. Craigslist, much more so.
One place I’d advocate is The Pro’s Closet. The web site’s moderators vet and regulate the resale neighborhood and the tools that flows by way of it. Look for the Certified Pre-Owned label, which ensures purchaser advantages like a pre-listing inspection, professional tuning and servicing earlier than supply, and 30-day, no-hassle returns.
(The Pro’s Closet additionally permits you to purchase your bike over time by way of Affirm, so long as you qualify for credit score.)
I once more advocate in search of a motorcycle that’s not hyper-specialized. You’d be depressing doing large climbs on a pure downhill bike. That may be true even if you happen to don’t have to truly experience uphill. Carrying your bike in your again is the truth at any path spot with out a raise, and also you’ll possible do it quite a bit — once more, DH bikes are heavy.
On the opposite hand, a brand new rider can prematurely trash a motorcycle that doesn’t have sufficient oomph. Because you’re new, you’ll possible be onerous on the tools by nature.
A closing notice on bikes: Prepare to regulate your suspension. Unless you purchase a brand new one at a store, you’ll must do it your self or pay or persuade another person to. Either method, journey and rebound solely ship their meant advantages in case your part tuning corresponds to your physique weight. Worst-case state of affairs, you’ll be able to backside out a poorly tuned shock and injury its guts.
Bike Clubs: Your Ticket to New Trails and Friends
There’s an entire different angle you’ll be able to take to work your method into the world of motorcycle know-how: the actual world.
The method I recommend you get there’s to take the web.
Google “[your city] mountain bike club” or one thing related, and see what occurs. Within minutes of looking, I discovered a membership the place I dwell that fees a nominal membership charge for waiver-accessed, unrestricted entry to a handful of native properties.
It additionally gave me entry to a neighborhood of riders I may not have met in any other case. “Your network is your net worth,” as the youngsters say.
Build it.
