Downhill Bikes - Nerdy Question for bike geeks
 

Hi,

I'm pretty new to 'Canadian' mountain biking, with only one season under my belt. I've rode mountain bikes all my life in the UK, but only on trails and bridlepaths, but its a completely different ball game (or bike game) over here.

Last year I bought an 'all mountain' full suspension Trek Fuel Ex 7, which has been total awesome on the downhill trails as I'm only a beginner and not doing drop offs more than waist high. It also gives me the flexibility to go for a leisurely ride without having to peddle around on a heavy Downhill beast.

However with the new season here, my confidence is higher and I'm thinking I should have bought a downhill specific bike. My question to any bike geeks is this...

Without the money to buy another bike, and not wanting to lose money selling my 2008 bike for second hand, can I adapt my Trek Fuel all mountain into a more specific downhill ride.... ie by buying and fitting a downhill fork with more travel and sticking on fatter downhill tyres? Will this affect the integrity of the frame and ride and end in disaster?

Any advice welcome.

Re: Downhill Bikes - Nerdy Question for bike geeks
 

There's always a better bike suited for a specific job, so to some extent it depends what you're riding. If you're always doing freeride/downhill and will be shuttling your bike to the top then you will want to change bikes for something more appropriate.

However, if you're only going to have 1 bike to go up & down then the Fuel Ex is a decent option. You can certainly make it a bit more heavy duty.

2.3" tyres are fairly standard for all-mountain riding, I can recommend Kenda Nevegal 2.35s (StickE on the front, DTC on the back). As long as you have space in frame/forks, then its ok, the only drawback will be more friction to push around.

Adding bigger forks needs some consideration. The frame is designed to match a fork with specific geometry. So firstly, a longer fork will slacken the bike's head angle - good for DH, not so good for everything else. If you want a bigger fork for all-round use, get one with a travel adjust feature so that you can wind it down for singletrack/climbing (Fox Talas, RockShox U-Turn).

Secondly, the strength of the bike has been designed for its intended task. The Fuel Ex comes with a 130mm fork, its designed for XC and will handle small jumps. If you stick a big fork on it and do a big jump, don't be surprised if the fork survives and frame cracks. Don't quote me on this, but I would guess it would be ok up to 150/160mm but remember that your bike warranty will be void if you put on anything bigger than the manufacturer's recommendation. Rider beware!!!!

If you do get new forks, also consider getting a new wheel with a bolt-thru axle with it. They make a big difference to stiffness and confidence on rocky stuff. RockShox and Fox make the best range of forks, although none of them are cheap new!

Does that help?

FWIW, I've got a Santa Cruz Heckler with a Pike U-Turn fork (95mm-140mm) and I'm in BC now, riding XC on the North Shore/Squamish and occasional visits to Whistler bike park. If I ever get the money, I'll be upgrading to a 160mm fork but I know that the Heckler is rated for that by the manufacturer.

Re: Downhill Bikes - Nerdy Question for bike geeks
 

Hey Diesel - my Bike geek hubby has just left for work - on one of the 4 or 5 - god knows - bikes he has - will get him to reply later . . . .

Re: Downhill Bikes - Nerdy Question for bike geeks
 

don't worry you're not alone in your frustrations. I've 4 bikes and my wife has now banned me from anymore. She has no idea that I also want a road bike and a BMX to add to the tally. At least we have room for them in the garage now. I used to have them in a tiny flat in Queens Park, and as I had no room I had to do repairs and clean them on the pavement outside!

Re: Downhill Bikes - Nerdy Question for bike geeks
 

Hey Nick,

Thanks for taking your time to give me your advice... I appreciate everything you're saying and it makes perfect sense. I think I just like the look of those big downhill forks and I want the best of both worlds in one bike.

Maybe I should wait until I'm good enough to do the jumps that will make those forks worthwhile. The Tyre upgrade could be a start though.

Your last comment gave me an idea, and I've emailed Trek directly to ask if there are any larger forks available that are compatable with this bike... lets see what they say!

Thanks again.. and happy riding. I'm out of the city in Pitt Meadows so I tend to ride at the Woodlot in Maple Ridge and Burnaby. I've been on the Northshore once, but havent done Whistler yet. Its definately on the cards for this year though.

Re: Downhill Bikes - Nerdy Question for bike geeks
 

oooh ooh - you should get together with my oh for a ride- we r in N burnaby - only just got here - so looking for good rides etc= = he has road bikes, mountain bikes, fixed gears etc..

and yes - our new house has a special Bike room in the garage!

Re: Downhill Bikes - Nerdy Question for bike geeks
 

Sounds good. I'm wanting to ride on Burnaby mountain soon. The garage is now offically my 'manland' too.

Re: Downhill Bikes - Nerdy Question for bike geeks
 

He did Burnaby mtn twice on sat - sick bu**er!! we are right by the foot of it :)

Re: Downhill Bikes - Nerdy Question for bike geeks
 

Burnaby/SFU is a great place to ride, I rode there on Sunday afternoon. I work in Burnaby too so its also the closest when I want a post-work ride. Happy to meet up if you want some company, and my wife has a new bike to try-out! (although I'm away for the next 2 weeks).

If you've not done Burnaby before, then you might find this useful:
http://www.bmba.ca/gallery/v/trail_m...ailmap2008.pdf

A good loop is to park on North Road, then climb up North Shore Trails + Dead Moped. Cut back up to the Trans-Canada and climb it steeply all the way to top (hard work!). My favourite descent is to cut through the uni and down a series of unmarked trails to the west end of Mels, then follow it along until you hit Gearjammer. Gearjammer is actually an easy black, no jumps just some steep corners, then follow down Upper Cut/Lower Snake back to the Pipeline Trail and the car. Alternatively take Mel's all the way and re-trace your steps along Moped/NST for an easier introduction to BC riding.

And if you want to meet lots of other riders, then NSRide is a great club. Mostly XC rides on Seymour or SFU, DH rides on any of the North SHore mountains. Weekend rides to just about anywhere within a few hours drive.
http://www.nsride.com

Re: Downhill Bikes - Nerdy Question for bike geeks
 

A meet up sounds good. Its always good to go with some one who knows where they're going. A bit of banter on the way up also helps take away the pain in the legs.
Lets hook up when you're back. I have the in-laws over at the end of April so its unlikely I will be given a golden pass to escape on my bike. Early May would be awesome!

Re: Downhill Bikes - Nerdy Question for bike geeks
 

Ok, lets sort something out in a few weeks, hopefully the weather will still be as nice as it is today! :thumbup:

I'll send you an email with my details.