Forum

PMSL!!
This can go on forever............
HT or FS..... you cant tell people by doing one disapline, will make you better at another. thats just wide brush strokes.
look at it this way. if i learn to write with my left hand for 10yrs,will that give me the skills to write even better with my right. it's all about comfort an control. ( different for us all ) people may have a PERSONAL preference but thats all it is. we are individuals. so big brush strokes wont work..
i dont agree with any of the statement!!!
We can ask for advice on set ups ...... yep ADVICE, but we are the ones riding the thing so im pretty sure we know what we want out of it. NOT a magazine artical.

MuZzA

"YET AGAIN, NOT A RANT"

I CBA to read the past 4 pages. do you want a Full sus or a hard tail?

, Full sus around the 2.2k mark. NEW! slope style-ish geometry. 180mm MAX front end shortish in length if can be helped.... head slack around 63-64% not to fussed if the rear is air or coil as long as it's not a jelly.

MuZzA

NS Soda FR2 2012 Bike £1699.99

•Frame: Soda FR w/152-177mm (6-7”) adjustable rear wheel travel, A6061-T6 custom formed and butted tubes, internal cable guide routing option
•Rear Shock: Marzocchi Coil R, 450 spring, 216x63mm (8.5x2.5”)
•Fork: Rock Shox Domain R CL w/180 travel, 20mm axle, 1-1/8” steel steer tube
•Cranks: Truvativ Ruktion, steel 36t chainring, 170 mm
•Bottom Bracket: Truvativ Howitzer 73 mm
•Pedals: NS Aerial (sealed bearings)
•Rear Derailleur: SRAM X5 medium cage rear
•Shifters: SRAM SX4 8spd
•Cassette: SRAM PG-820, 11-32
•Chain: KMC Z-72, 1/2” x 3/32”
•Hubs: NS Rotary 20 disk (sealed bearing), NS Rotary Cassette (sealed bearings, alu cassette)
•Rims: NS Fundamental
•Tyres: Kenda Kinetics 26x2.35
•Brakes: Avid Elixir 1 180mm rear, 200mm front
•Handlebar: NS Terra
•Headset: FSA Orbit 1.5B ZS, loose ball
•Stem: NS Quark 31.8mm
•Grips: NS Sam Pilgrim signature grips w/o flange
•Saddle: Octane One Rocker
•Seat Post: Octane One 30.9
•Extras: E13 LS1+ chainguide
•Weight: ~18.5 kg


Ticks all my boxes
MuZzA

I have ridden one of those sodas, Top notch bike. Adjustable, reasonable weight, looks good and the quality is awesome! Go for it!

I will , ive been looking for somethig very similar to the bottlerocket, nice clean un-complicated lines, simple to maintain & within budget. If i had the cash for a Transition id of got one of them in a heart beat. But this is a very good 2nd option IMO.
Also judging by that video it's also more than capable for anywhere in the uk.

MuZzA

If you are looking for a bike like the Bottlerocket then the NS bikes are probably one of the closest. The new ones will be about in Jan too

Just buy this one!
http://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/1231165/

Good find & good bike but it's a different bike than the one above.

MuZzA

on the DC!

I had a flick through this thread and agree to a point.

Most stuff in the uk can be ridden on what you want 160 to 180 ish travel. However most of that is true if you know how to ride and know the lines and the speed you need. For most stuff in the UK now I will use my Nomad, and I am selling my down hill bike because I am just not going to use it enough now.

However for the last 3 years I have ridden that bike (40s on the front and 200+ at the back) all over the place and loved it, it has been a massive aid in my progression. If all you want to ride is danbury then 160 will be more than enough, however if you want to go for the bigger stuff at Herts, Chickie or Woburn then a bigger bike can really help with learning - have you ridden a bike with Fox 40s on - they give you a certain confidence? A good big bike well set up for your weight will feel prety nimble but will also give you a bit of get out of jail travel for all the times you case or overshoot the landings. As an example I would happily throw my down hill bike around the pump line and the dirt jumps at herts.

I would make sure you have visited the places you want to ride (and progress to) and then decide what bike you need to learn it ( I would suggest a visit to Woburn and Aston Hill for sure if you havent been already as they are very different to Danbury which you may love or hate). I bought my big heavy down hill bike to learn and progress on so that I was able to look at something and never have to think " I dont really have the bike to run this" and it did that brilliantly for me. Even the guys at Herts spend a number of years on Demo's before moving the bottle rockets.

What ever you end up getting - decent geo and a bit of bounce will put a smile on your face for sure.

If I were in your shoes I would seriously look at a Voltage which can go 140-180 on the back and take anything from a 140 to double crown fork on the front, sorted geo and playful size. They pretty light and chuckable but also take the big stuff. They have also been around long enough for a load of good buys on Ebay. Here's 2 examples

Built up for play
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Scott-Voltage ... 416e869655

Built up for a bit more aggro
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Scott-Voltage ... 23257cb7b9

Good points Evil.

Good to hear all sides of the debate.

Nice post evil. Im pretty new to biking and Downhill is what I love the most, you saw my green kona coiler deluxe at FoD (160mm travel) . And it is doing me brilliantly for a 1st bike, the suspension is set pretty stiff and is definately not as bouncy or plush as some other peoples rides, but it suits me down the ground atm because its helping me get a feel for the terrain under me and lets me know when im not unweighting the back or front enough when rocketing down the rough stuff.

Im not sure what bike I will progress to next, considering runs like the rough and gnarly FoD runs and aston black and downhill 3 being my favuourite kind of runs (really rooty or rocky w/e) Im not sure just getting a similar set up bike with a slightly lower Bottom bracket, Or just getting something like a voltage or orange patriot which would be similar travel just a bit newer and smoother? Considering I wouldnt ride a DH bike anywhere locally, with the exception of Aston.

Great video, Really shows off the bike, but this is the NS soda slope with 140mm front end. A great bike by all means but limited unfortunatly.
Thats why i chose the NS soda FR2 , 180mm adjustable front end, with a rear end that is also adjustable. So pedaling up hill is achivable.

Evil has a good way of putting the point across maybe he should write for that magazine.

MuZzA

Kellboy - welcome to the world of DH if it is the black run that you love and other steep rooty tech that floats your boat then you have a number of friends on this website.

I would soften your suspension off so it can do its job and your riding will improve more than if you keep it firm!

I am no expert but here is my take on it. Riding a bike well is a bit like driving it is where and how far ahead you are looking that counts. I do agree with article a bit in that a lot of people limit their fun by not having the base skill ( e.g looking up) and as a result they ride great bikes at the same speed they would ride a hard tail and are limited by their too low expectations of what that bike can do.

We all know when we are in the air we should be looking at the next lip (not the landing) or when we are in a berm we looking we should be looking at the next one ( not the middle of the one we are in). It is hard to have the confidence to do that and not think about what is going on under the wheels.

Suspension gives you the confidence to look and ride thinking well ahead of where your wheels are ( the suspension can deal with that). You are in the air into some routes who cares, the suspension deals with it - my head is looking at the exit of the next berm.

A downhill bike gives you the ultimate in this confidence and reassurance, the travel softens the blow and gives you the most traction so you have no worries. In my head as well the moment i hot on that bike i knew that was how i was going to ride it and felt comfortable with that. Now my eyes are opened I know my Nomad (160) is exactly the same so 160 probably is enough.

The reality is I now (try to) always ride every bike I have, including hardtails looking and thinking in this way and am amazed how much a bike can deal with under the wheels if you stay loose. It took me riding the 200mm downhill bike to develop that skill though.

Wether it is 160 or 200, I would say suspension makes you a better biker by helping train the mind!