el_richo

Since my wife (and my aching body) has banned me from all motorbike racing activities, i'm looking to acquire myself a shiny new Mountain Bike (thanks to BristolUK for the reminder) and start learning how to ride properly without an engine.

Now the question is, what should i be looking for in regards to style. Are there huge differences between Downhill, Trail, and All Mountain for example?

What make (Specialized, Five, Scott etc) should i look out for?

Any recommendations of places to buy the bike from, in the Vancouver area?

And where are the great places to ride?

I'll also be asking about Kayaks at some point soon

iaink

Yes, in Weight, Durability and Gearing

Downhill, heavy and largely indestructable, but you dont want to be riding uphill on one, thats what chairlifts are for

All Mountain...does what it says on the box. More heavy duty suspension than a trail bike, more of a weight penalty.

Trail, probably what you are after for general trail riding.

Trial... often single speed, big front suspension, low saddle... for showing off in urban areas far as I can tell!


I have a specialized hard tail, had it 10 years now, no problems, well worth the money I paid for the brand name. You know how it is with brands...there is a premium to pay, some of it hype, some is guaranteeing decent quality. Specialized, Trek, Norco, Rocky Mountain, Kona, Giant, Fisher, Cannondale...all reasonably available brands. Not to rule out other more boutique brands.

Check the Kijiji adds for bargains too though.

Basically you should decide where you are likely to be riding, and if you need/ want full suspension and the extra weight and complexity (and cost), or whether a hard tail would be better.

Look for front forks with a lockout feature, makes for more efficient climbing (assuming you intend to go up as well as down hills)

If you are going to go exploring the trails around there then I would get clip in pedals and shoes..., that and a decent comfortable saddle too!

el_richo

Huge thanks for that. Very helpful indeed

mandymoochops

I know about these things. You need water. HTH

iaink

Dunno about that... I see them on top of cars all the time.

el_richo

I knew you'd be along to ruin my thread, you thread ruiner

dboy

I was an avid biker till a few years ago (one too many wipe outs). The terrain here can be very challenging and offers all levels of mountain biking. Depending on what level and type of riding will dictate the bike.

Downhill is the most extreme and is very popular on the north shore and has a reputation as being amongst the most extreme mountain biking in the world. For downhill you need full suspension and lots of clearance on the front forks - also XTR components and as light as frame as you can get. Add in clip-less pedals and you are looking at $4000 for a reasonably good rig - 12000 not unheard of. When you consider speeds of well over 120 km you have to be able to depend on the rig.

Cross country or trail riding does not need full suspension and a hard tail is fine. Good shocks on the front and a aluminum frame is fine. XT components are fine. I'd still go clipless for good control on technical sections

Cross country will have some up and down grandes, technical sections such as roots, logs and rocks. A decent rig can be add for about 1500 but expect closer to 3 k.

If you just want to pop around the seawall and stanley park then an entry level chromoly frame with basic components will suffice - don't even think of taking one of these bikes on a technical trail it will literally fall apart - I know I've tired it! You can get a good trail bike for around $500 or even less. if you go up to about a $1000 you will get a really good trail bike that you could use on easier XC sections.

Kona are good bikes. I used to like GT (which is what I still have a Zaskar that I paid $2500 for 12 years ago). Rocky mountain is another reasonably good rig that is sold locally but I'd go Kona. Cove is also getting a very good reputation. Others included Specialized, Klein and GT.

There are tons of bikes on Craig List here so you can save a packet if you don't want new. Size is everything though so make sure you get measured for a proper fit and don't deviate from the frame size etc.

There is tons of good riding here, tons of it. There are also a number of clubs. SFU, Delta Water Shed, Seymour and many others are all good areas to go.

nichburton

*Edit - Doh, dboy just added loads of similar advice too. Can't be bothered to re-edit my reply, so ignore any duplciation!*

Good advice from iaink.

Yes, there are big differences in bike types. What type of bike and type of trails is largely down to your own riding preferences and experience. Are you interested in technically-easy long distance rides to see the countryside or adrenaline-fuelled downhill fun? As a general note, the riding in Vancouver/BC is technically harder (e.g. steeper & rougher) than most other places, so a full-suspension bike is better suited, but a hardtail will do just fine and makes you a better rider!

Ideal trail bike would be a full-suss with 5" suspension back & front. If you want to ride up but really like your downhill & jumps, then go for something a bit burlier, 6" back & front. You only get 7"+ suspension if you're taking a chairlift or car to the top first.

You can spend as much as you want on bike kit, as you can with anything. At full retail price, expect hardtails to start at $1000 or full-suss to start at $1500 for a decent entry-level bike. Top of the range bikes will be 4-5x those prices.

Having said that, you can get some very good deals by buying used bikes with little use on them. Try Pinkbike and Craigslist, although if you're not sure what you're looking for you'll need some advice to avoid a dud.
Pinkbike classifieds for BC

There are smooth gravel paths in Pacific Spirit Park (UBC) or running up alongside the Seymour River. But for proper mountain biking, Burnaby/SFU is probably the best place to start. Park at North Road, some easier trails at the start, then climb (steeply!) Trans-Canada to the university, then there are some fun options to descend (Mels, Gearjammer, Nicoles, in order of difficulty).
http://www.bmba.ca/gallery/v/trail_m...ailmap2008.pdf

If you want more technical off-roading, then the North Shore is it. You can buy trail maps for about $6 from most good bike shops e.g. Obsession Bikes, Dizzy Cycles, Cove Bike shop, Lynn Valley Bikes, Different Bikes.

Of the 3 North Shore mountains, Seymour and the Lynn Valley is the place for cross-country trail riding. Try Bridal Path, Camp Brick, Richard Juryn trails, etc and then work your way onto harder trails. Fromme is harder all-mountain riding; Cypress is even harder again, big bikes only.

Lots of other excellent stuff outside of Vancouver too: Squamish, Whistler, Sunshine Coast, Galbraith (Washington State).

I recommend NSRide if you want to join a club. They ride XC & DH and have great guides, its a very good way of learning trails and getting experience. http://www.nsride.com/


Ok, now what about kayaks? Sea or white-water?

Nick.

el_richo

Thank you so much you guys. This is extremely helpful and exactly what i was looking for. I'll get my head around the info and may pop back with some more questions.

I've never kayaked in my life so i haven't the foggiest. It's something i'd like to get into.

Probably starting off paddling around False Creek in Vancouver, if that's suitable. I'll start another thread about it at some point.

nichburton

No problem, if you want some more advice when purchasing, let me know.

I only check in here occasionally, so here's some kayak info just in case I don't see your new thread:

For downtown kayaking at False Creek, look at Ecomarine, who have locations at Granville Island, Jericho Beach & English Bay. Again, for a novice I definitely recommend taking one of their introductory courses to learn the basics about paddling & safety. My wife did their Level 1 & 2 courses and found them to be very good. That should be enough to get you out on sheltered water safely.

For scenery though, the best location in the area is Deep Cove.
Deep Cove Kayaks do rentals and lessons similar to Ecomarine. If its a warm, summer weekend, you'll need to book rentals a day in advance, they get very busy.

Both of those companies sell kit, but also try MEC who have their own brand kit, which can be better value. MEC also rent kayaks cheaper than the beach-front outfitters, but you'll need a car+roofrack to transport them. Its only worth the hassle for longer day trips or multi-day trips.

Jericho - My wife on her Ecomarine course


Deep Cove


Desolation Sound, a fair way up the coast!

el_richo

I've printed this thread off.

Thanks ever so much. Expect a PM at some point

Kirsty John and Dominic

If you have the money and want a really good all round bike look at the Specialized demo 7 awsome bike.