vlicon

There are several mtn bike rides in our area that are awesome downhill runs. Why is it that so many riders shuttle to the top to ride only the downhill. Today there were numerous large pickups, vans and cars taking riders up. Most of these folks look to be in their 20s, very capable of climbing the 1500' in 6 miles.

I know I'm being judgemental here, but jeez, I feel guilty driving to the trailhead. Get out of your cars and earn your turns.

Flip Flop Rider

I read this somewhere

vlicon

You probably did, but I couldn't find it anywhere.

wipekitty

Same thing as downhill skiing, right?

I'm not sure why anyone would pass up a nice climb That's where the FUN is!

jefnvk

Maybe they're just downhill racers and riding uphill is a waste of forty five min (or whatever that takes on a MTB) of good practice time?

I've never understood why any folks get upset at what others are doing. There are literally millions of folks in America that can't understand why you waste your time riding a childs toy, whether it be downhill or uphill.

HerrKaLeun

This is the world where most people are totally into sports.... they end up going is go to a sports bar to watch a game while drinking booze and eating junkfood into their 300 pound bodies.....

a world where Golf is considered a sport where you have caddy carry your gear, drive in a golf cart and also drink soda and booze.

In that context those downhill people actually are working out more than the average person

DrIsotope

I see the dudes at the ski resorts riding the lifts to the top to bomb the black diamond runs on their full-suspension downhill bikes, which they don't ride to the top most likely due to a combination of two factors: first, their bikes weigh like 40lbs, and second, there's a machine to take you to the top. A buddy of mine races downhill MTB, and says that on many courses he doesn't pedal more than 4-5 times. There are people who are into it for the bombing downhill part, and that part alone. I don't fault them for it.

Clem von Jones

The slack geometry, tall headtubes, long top tubes, and floppy offset forks make climbing pretty much impossible on current mountain bikes. Obviously they're only designed to run downhill at ski resorts, and I hate it. A mtb designed for climbing would look like the very first rigid mountain bikes from the 1980s. I live and ride in the mountains and what I see are people trying out their new bikes on the hill once or twice, and then they're never to be seen again. The really ambitious guys keep lowering their forks, then eventually install rigid forks, but they can never overcome the flawed geometry inherent in the design and eventually give up. This insane geometry has even infected touring and gravel bikes. Meanwhile there are new cross bikes with aggressive aero road geometry that will fit 27.5 fatties, yet they're carbon and will no doubt break the very first time you fall over. Everything is designed for maximum frustration and to waste money.

elcruxio

Wut...?

Even enduro bikes can climb and they're almost DH rigs. A modern XC bike is a helluva climber but of course it takes a rider with some skill to climb mountains. I mean my xc bike climbs way betterthan my road bike. And then there are new approaches to MTB geometry which I'm not a fan of but make mtb's climb better than ever before (longer chainstays, steeper seat tube angle)

Clem von Jones

I doubt that many people who purchase mountain bikes are savvy to the fine points of frame geometry. Most probably assume that a "mountain bike" is designed to climb mountains. They're in for a rude surprise. The advertising should state outright "Ski resort and lift not included".

trailangel

Well, I have to agree with ya^^
The have pretty much killed off mountain bikes.... unless you want suspension. Try finding a MTB with quality components and no suspension fork.
And when I pick one up it's heavy.

Canker

LOL no. Modern full suspension bikes even with a lot of travel can climb great. I just demoed a Pivot Firebird with 170mm of travel and the thing climbed nearly as good as my Surly Karate Monkey rigid and it weighed less than 30lbs, also cost over $6k lol. They have done a lot with modern geometry, rear suspensions, and shocks to make them climb well. My main bike is a Intense Spider with a 140mm front and 130mm rear and again it climbs nearly as well as that Surly, climbs better than my on-one hardtail. Now a full on downhill bike isn't going to climb for crap but nobody would expect it too. Oh and MOST people that purchase mtn bikes and know nothing about geometry are noobs buying your standard 100mm XC hardtails that have the same old steep head angle geometry that has been around forever and again climb without any problems.

As for finding a rigid it isn't that hard. Most people want at least a suspension fork so you have to look a bit and most are more niche brands but they are out there. Specialized even sells one, think it is a version of the Fuse? I ride with somebody that has one all the time setup single speed and it weighs 20lbs. It is nothing special or expensive, just an aluminum frame and stock everything. Half the people I ride with are on some rigid single speed bike.

As for shuttling people do it because they can and it gets them more downhill runs in a shorter amount of time duh. Downhill is more fun than uphill at least to most people. Seth's Bike Hacks over on youtube just did a video on this lol.

trailangel

lol

Grasschopper

Pretty sure you just mean America and not the world.

Troul 

Wouldn't surprise me if those in this world are drinking booze/soda & consuming other empty calories while enroute to the top for their downhill bombing experience.


Until it becomes a 'real'ity world problem in conjunction to someone's wheels squeaks loud enough for the right folks to address it, the trend will continue.

Hoopdriver

One of my life rules for transportation is to not go from one place to another unless I can return the same way. The only time I can recall breaking that rule is tubing on a slow river. I suppose I could have paddled my tube back, but the folks I was with would not have been so patient.

Oh...And I remember getting in trouble a lot in the elementary school playground for climbing back up the slide instead of using the ladder.

A side bar is the practice of driving to the gym so you can use the treadmill to run.

WizardOfBoz

Neko Mullaly took 4th in the World Championship after his chain broke. So he didn't even pedal down the hill.

trailangel

Too stoned to stand up?

Brooke1687

Most people do this on the Virginia creeper trail. They drive halfway up, shuttle the other half way up, and ride back to their cars. Why? Because it’s fun. And easy. A lot of people who do it aren’t regular riders and almost anyone can do the ride, which is 17 miles as described above. I’ve ridden up it once, and it was also fun, but I didn’t do it until I had been riding for a while and gotten into better shape.

mstateglfr 

I rented a full suspension DH bike at Aspen/Snowmass last month.
Took the gondola up a few times and took the chairlift up even higher a couple times.

1- i could have spent the day riding up the mountain and never made it to where the gondolas stop. Demanding DH riding to also be UH is absurd. Tjat isnt the poojt of the activity. There is XC riding idf you want to ride everywhere.

2- i rarely pedaled for the entire day and that was easily one of the most full body workouts ive had in a long time. It takes a ton of core and shoulder use to balance off the saddle while hittong the jumps, making turns, etc.

3- nope, this thread is not worth more typing time.

forresterace

You call that typing?

Scarbo

Not to mention, balls.

I presume we are allowed to mention them?

mstateglfr 

Ha, it was certainly a thrill. I ride singletrack, but iowa singletrack isnt even in the same league much less ballpark as DH riding. Whole other game.

I cant imagine doing some of the stuff i saw others doing. They were fearless.
I flipped over the bars going about 17 after my front tire hit the ground from a jump. Have a couple scars from it, and i smile when i see them!

Its something i would say everyone who loves to ride should try at least once. I doubt ill do it again, but damn it was worth it.

pickettt

Or........you ride your bike and let them ride theirs.

friday1970

As a roadie, I enjoy the climbs up. Because this entitles me to the reward, the downhill run itself.