I dunno, the fork dia, the advances in damping technology both front and rear and the far superior wheels and tires of today combined w the significantly lighter and more agile package that is the modern enduro bike and its hard to draw the same conclusion...I will agree that some guys could ride rigid like it was a full suspension so no doubt many found an 02 era DH bike more than adequate...modern bikes are just so plush and bulletproof...Highway Star wrote:I'm talking about anything with a 160mm Pike and matching travel in the back. It's NOT better than a GOOD 15 year old DH bike on DH trails.madhatter wrote:maybe better than a low end 5 or 6...tires are key and circa 2000 tires were also a far cry from todays rubber...and those pencil thin stiction forks sucked...I remember my uzzi slx w the "big" 130 single crown bomber was supposedly the schnizz, but that damn fork always flexed and "stuck" right when ya needed it to not do that the most...it was way better than the chromoly fork I had on my GT corrado the first time I rode K though...Highway Star wrote:Don't believe the "Bikes are better now! They make it safe! Trust us!!!" meme. A good, well set up DH race bike from 2002 is better on DH trails than the average 5" trail bike or 6" enduro bike. Sure, bikes are somewhat better. But the biggest safety issue is that the average trail bike isn't running super soft DH compound tires (42a ST, Maxxgrip, etc), which make a huge difference.Woodsrider wrote:3Highway Star wrote:
That's the premise at least. I've never really ridden flow trails, my DH experience back in the day was when 8" travel bikes had recently come out and people were pouring into the discipline. It was cool but people dropped out after a couple years due to the cost and constantly getting jacked up on the rough trails. I've ridden Killington's traditional trails. I'm leery of this expansion of the sport, flow trails are easy to ride, but they encourage high speeds with marginal skills, which can result in catastrophic crashes if the rider leaves the trail or hits a tree.
It seems to be going pretty well so far, but it's eventually going to develop some sort of ceiling and drop in participation as people come to understand the real risks of it. I know people that recently went from XC riding to bike park with less than expert level skills and got jacked up in a bad way.
I've seen a similar thing happen with rollerblading. I've been skating on and off since the late 80's, it blew up in the early 90's for a little while. The image is of having fun on bike paths with babes in spandex. It's great if you're young, genuinely athletic, and risk tolerant. The reality is skinned knees, ass rash, broken wrists, and head injuries. That's why it's now a niche sport and the general public doesn't participate in it. I don't ski with a helmet, but I rollerblade with one, if that tells you anything.
Today’s bikes are a far cry from what you rode way back when. They are way more stable and easy to ride on rough terrain. I agree that I don’t expect pure downhill to grow too rapidly but the reason is people aren’t buying purpose built downhill bikes. Unless you live near a resort, it’s tough to justify the expense. But free ride is growing and will continue to grow. We will be seeing more bikes that can be ridden up the mountain and haul the mail back down. There are a lot of these bikes at K and the bikes are getting better and better.
And you not wearing a helmet skiing only tells us you’re a fool.
What people are doing at Killington is not Freeride. It's called "Bike Park" riding.
then my buddy got a gemini w a Monster T on it...man we were all so envious....He brought that same bike up to K 5-5 yrs ago and I was like wow I was once so impressed w that bike...a single crown lyrik is a far superior fork than that T ever was......
I know this because I HAVE a modern well set up enduro bike.
anyway the video you posted in the other thread was pretty cool...
You should check out the flow trails at K with your "modern well set up enduro bike" next season... I think you'll like it...I'll even give ya a free lift ticket...