Anyone Psycho enough out there..
 

to ride a downhill for general Mt biking use?

The dh bikes look sooo good in the shop!! Went to pick one up, it felt more appropriate for doing curls.

I always try to "Use the right tool for the job". A DH bike for general riding just doesn't make sense. Can you do it? Sure! You can also do DH on a lightweight XC bike or even a 20" BMX bike.

L8R

No doubt a dh for general mt biking isn't the right "tool" and all.

Just the same I am interested in the experiences of anyone who has given it a try.

Any takers? What was your experience, would you do it again, did you do it again?

I ride a dh hardtail bike as my commuter cause i can't afford two bikes. that said, the city i live in has a cross town paved trail that is way faster than roads and I usually go smokin' by all the guys in spandex on xc bikes. In fact i've outrun on 5k inpromptu races at least weekly. I think riding a downhill bike to commute has made me stronger.when i do get on my singlespeed feore racer( no brakes), I am able to outhandle AND out accelerate every vehicle on the road. If you're willing to commit to riding that beast every day no matter what people might say, it will increase your riding ability astronomically. It's also fun to do 5' concrete flat to flats on the way to workHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAA :D

I do. I ride myt dh bike for trails and sometime pure xc. Its a bit slower but lots of fun. I find myself riding xc trails and 'seeing' stuff differently. Most xc trails can have fun stuff to rip on :)

Would I do it again...yep probably in 5 or 6 hours actually :)

I ride roads, trials as well as DH with my Haro. Get a freeride bike. I think it would be better for you. Or just an XC bike. But if you have the money and you REALLY want to. Give it a try.

I don't know about the viability of the twenty on some of today's courses...but it sure would be fun to watch. :)

Ped'lnfool, you should ride one around instead of merely picking it up or thinking it looks cool. Depending on your physiology and riding style, you may be able to get away with it.

I used to until I got my other 2 bikes. I do ride with a guy though who uses his dh rig for everything and can keep up with the xc guys even on the sickest of climbs.

It just comes down to your fitness level, skill and weather or not you would rather have a dh rig or a freeride rig if you can only have one.

:beer:

Hehe, my friend tried mt biking with me on his dk bmx bike. Almost went over his bars, but luckily a patch of rocks padded his fall ;)

At one of our DH races, 3 idiots on BMX's tried to race. They were allowed because they had a full face helmet and the organisers thought, "hey i t will be funny." All three of them attempted one of the roadgaps, about 4-5ft drop to near flat. All three stacked with the handle bars twisting down on landing.

Ahh the laughing when they came down.

There's a kid at my local trail who rides an Ellsworth Dare. I couldn't imagine riding it up some of the hills out there, but I'm sure the downhill experience makes it all worth it.

The DH bike on my 10mile XC loop is a dog. The steep descents are a blast. The whole ride takes alot longer in a smaller gear. In the end it feels like more than the 10 miler that it is.

Stopped by the bike shop today to drop off my road-bike for a bottom bracket problem. Couldn't resist taking the Specialized big hit out for a ride around the lot. INCREDIBLE!!!

I just rode back and forth over concrete parking stops like they were not there. Can only afford one off road bike the free ride type looks real good, but if I could get away with it I would consider a dh. Maybe the worst that happens is I ride slower and get stronger!

Thanks for all your input everyone, dont stop posting. Glad to know I'm not the only one who thinks an alleged "bad idea" is a good idea.

"That is a priceless Steinway!, Madam you mean it was a priceless Steinway"

Mael it cant be a pure downhill bike, I rode a friends Intense M1 for street the bike pedaled like a moped. Is it more of a freeride bike?

The bighit is an awesome all around bike i have been debating on making the purchase for a while. Our specialized rep was in at work today, I asked him about them and I think im gonna have to wait for an 05 to come. I guess thats a good thing though since i still havnt finished my build on the downhill hairdtail.

riding a 40 pound DH rig on an XC course would be hell for me. But then again i don't ride DH and in a sick way enjoy being able to climb fast

Well i do XC on my P.3, which is still a hardtail but its as heavy as some of those dh rigs, and plus the geometrys really low so you dont get the pedalling power you should be able to. In the end its making me better, faster, and stronger, not to mention making me look like an idiot! :)

I ride my Demo 9 Pro all the time on "XC" trails. The XC guys look @ me funny when I keep up with them on stuff... and my bike weights twice what there's does...

hehehehe...

I'd be confused seeing a burly Demo 9 on some XC trails. Although today I saw some XC bikes on the DH trials. Oh well.