Long travel XC Stories
 

Specifically (please take the time to tell the story) how has your Long Travel suspension helped you on an XC trail ride? (I'm not talking about Shore type trails)

I was riding a smooth, rolling type singletrack yesterday on my 5" travel bike because I taco'd my hardtail's front wheel. I got to a section of trail that used to have 2 routes. The shorter route was kinda blocked from the last race so the riders would all go the same way...to the left. They blocked it off with several small logs that were between 4" and 6" in diameter spaced a foot or so apart for several feet. I was coming up behind one of my riding buddies who was riding his hardtail with a 70mm fork and saw the logs and just instinctively took the trail to the right that was blocked. The suspension ate the logs for breakfast and I passed my buddy that was riding his hardtail.

I didn't really think about it, I just did it and loved it. The extra suspension and 2.35" tires on this bike just beg for agressive trails and I seem to instinctively choose the nastier line for fun when I ride it.

If you've read my other post about this ride, it did have a tragic moment when my friend (different hardtail rider) and I collided and my trail bike ate his up almost literally. (the low pt. of the ride)

All in all, it was a fun day and I just couldn't stop thinking about how much fun it is to slam through the rock gardens and take the rougher trails w/o any consequences.

How 'bout you?