"Tripper" (tripe46)
06/26/2020 at 12:42 • Filed to: None
3
32|
"Tripper" (tripe46)
06/26/2020 at 12:42 • Filed to: None | 3
| 32 |
I’m scheduled to ride downhill with a bunch of pals next Friday at Blue Mountain. I’ve been heavy into mountain biking for the past two seasons but have never been to a downhill spot. Really looking forward to riding a lift up!
I’m renting the rest of the safety gear but I decided to spring for my own full face helmet. I did this for 3 reasons (all of them pretty silly).
1. That strong wuhan rona/general hygiene ...I’m not trying to stick my face all up in some groaty rental helmet. Def not one that covers your face.
2. I’m thinking I will like down hill and thus use it often enough to justify the cost.
3. Because I didn’t buy that car the other day there was a hint of
I did about 1 hour of research before deciding on the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! Protection, ventilation, and looks were my deciding factors. Bonus! If you have a small head most helmets are a lot cheaper! I do, and rang up that helmet for $240. That’s good because I had to rush ship it to get it before we go...
Any of yall been to a downhill spot before? What things on my bike am I most likely to break?
bob and john
> Tripper
06/26/2020 at 12:48 |
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...like blue mountain
Ontario
Canada
? YOOOO
DH: you WILL max out your suspension if you arent on a 8 inch travel Dher. and you will need to lean back WAY more then you expect.
check your brake before man, make sure you have good pad material and life left.
MIGHT smack the derailuer on a stray for or something. but I doubt that.
OPPOsaurus WRX
> Tripper
06/26/2020 at 12:48 |
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get a pair of these things
after doing some serious down hill riding (with a lift) my legs didn’
t hurt but my hands killed due to holding on for dear life.
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Tripper
> bob and john
06/26/2020 at 12:49 |
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No like blue mountain a tiny joke of a ski resort in SE PA lol.
So pump that shock up?
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Tripper
> OPPOsaurus WRX
06/26/2020 at 12:50 |
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Great call, my hands hurt after agressive normal rides
VincentMalamute-Kim
> Tripper
06/26/2020 at 12:50 |
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I need a new helmet. Apparently I crashed mtn biking on Wed. I’m told it was a smooth section so I was going fast. I lost three hours of memory.
I think I’m going to get a full face mtn bike helmet as well as a regular mtn bike helmet for road use.
I saw someone posted about a removeable chin guard helmet they got but that’s discontinued.
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Tripper
> VincentMalamute-Kim
06/26/2020 at 12:52 |
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Whoa buddy, you ok? Go to the doc and everything?
Bell makes a bunch of “convertible helmets” I almost went for one but I really like mt trail helmet.
DasWauto
> Tripper
06/26/2020 at 12:52 |
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You’re on a trail bike, right? Please report back on whether you feel like the amount of travel is holding you back riding that sort of terrain. There’s a couple of local spots with some approachable looking DH trails that I’ve been thinking I should try o n my trail bike.
I’ll probably buy myself a full face when I do as well. Good move.
DAWRX - The Herb Strikes Back
> Tripper
06/26/2020 at 12:54 |
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Good choice, only complaint is lack of integrated GoPro/Light mount but that doesn’ t seem to be common on full face helmets . TLD stuff is top notch though .
I think the thing on your bike you’re most likely to break is yourself since you can get some pretty insane speed going downhill only.
I’m mega jealous, we’ve been pummeled by rain here and the closest downhill park is 4 hours away, outside of Austin. However its the only downhill park in the whole state and its been flooded with people. C onsidering that T exas is very quickly becoming the new Covid epicenter...hard pass. I’ll just do some trail work tonight and hope the rain stays away next week.
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DasWauto
> Tripper
06/26/2020 at 12:55 |
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The Blue Mountain Pete is referring to is also a joke of a ski resort, relatively speaking. ~300’ of vertical, if I recall. They’ve got some good DH trails though, they’re just not very long. Definitely want a proper DH for most of those.
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bob and john
> Tripper
06/26/2020 at 12:55 |
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sounds like our blue mountain
here (its less then 800ft tall, so its not a ‘mountain
’)
leave your rear alone, pump up the front a bit. and dont go TOOOO hard on it.
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Tripper
> DasWauto
06/26/2020 at 12:59 |
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Yep an aluminum frame YT Jeffsy. I actually thought about renting a bike but decided not to.
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OPPOsaurus WRX
> Tripper
06/26/2020 at 13:02 |
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it was terrible. I struggles to get one hand off the handle bars and then had to peel my fingers off the other.
Highlander-Datsuns are Forever
> Tripper
06/26/2020 at 13:12 |
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Helmet, goggles , knee pads, elbow pads if you care (I don’t) and you should be fine. Check your brake pads and change them if they are getting close. I can kill a set of brake pads with one day of lift served ridding. I have SRAM Avid Guide RS 4 piston brakes on my bike.
You might want to put 5-10 extra psi in your shocks and increase the rebound dampening a little to help with traveling at higher than normal speeds.
My 2 cents.
I do ride downhill trails on my trail bike, very equivalent to your YT, a specialized stump jumper with 150 mm of travel. It is perfectly fine.
PowderHound
> Tripper
06/26/2020 at 13:16 |
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I’ve done lift serviced mountain biking before (AMAZING!) but haven’t really branched in to full downhill. A few trails with small jumps and man made features but nothing too crazy. I used my normal trail helmet instead of going full face. My only real suggestions are to definitely take some breaks, riding the lift up is great but it still means you are going to tire out in a different way. If a trail is new to you do not feel like you need to blindly send stuff, definitely give things a once over so you actually know what is on the other side of a drop or jump. And of course have a
blast!
AMGtech - now with more recalls!
> VincentMalamute-Kim
06/26/2020 at 14:04 |
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I’ve got a Leatt convertible helmet that I love. I preferred it over the Bell and Troy Lee ones for to weight and comfort.
nermal
> Tripper
06/26/2020 at 14:16 |
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I’ve been to a few others near there, but never that particular one. The concept is pretty simple - ride lift to top of hill, ride bike down, repeat until worn out.
For the bike, m ake sure you have a shock pump to play with shock / fork pressures, you may need to add air if you’re bottoming out too much. Same for tires, you’re better off running a few extra lbs of air. Give everything a quick check and make sure it’s all tight.
For gear - full face helmet, elbow pads, knee pads, and gloves at a minimum . Also real mountain bike shoes. Torso and shoulder protection is up to you, depending on what type of things you’re hitting. Lots of people out wearing just a helmet and no extra padding , who will dearly regret it when they crash.
Figure out the lift procedures so you don’t screw that part up.
Start slowly . Make your first run down a green or blue trail to warm up. Always take a scouting lap before going full send on the bigger stuff as well .
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nermal
> VincentMalamute-Kim
06/26/2020 at 14:21 |
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That’s.... not good. I run the Fox Proframe all the time. It’s definitely warmer than an open face on regular trails
, but I’ve also tested
it 2 or 3 times and would have smashed my face without it.
Get your head checked out if you haven’t already to make sure you didn’t bork anything in there. Concussions and brain injuries are bad, bonking your head too soon after one is even worse.
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Tripper
> nermal
06/26/2020 at 14:46 |
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I keep my tire pump and shock pump in the car always. Tire pump usually goes in the camelbak for trail rides. Not sure if I would wear a pack for DH.
I’ve got the helmet and gloves. I rented elbow, knee, and “body armor”.
I ride clipless pedals on the trail but was planning on riding my flats for DH. Thoughts.
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DasWauto
> Tripper
06/26/2020 at 15:59 |
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Cool. I think that’s about the same travel as my Trek Fuel EX (130mm F/R). Your experience will be very relevant to my interests.
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Tripper
> DasWauto
06/26/2020 at 16:20 |
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140mm rear, 160mm front on the Jeffsy. it’s a little more sluggish than other FS bikes I have ridden uphill.
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DasWauto
> Tripper
06/26/2020 at 16:24 |
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Ah, that’s kind of between my bike and an enduro. I’ll have to be mindful. Still curious how you end up liking it though.
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VincentMalamute-Kim
> AMGtech - now with more recalls!
06/26/2020 at 17:11 |
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I’m going to write down Leatt, Bell, Troy Lee, Fox and see what they’re about. Thanks
for the
input.
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VincentMalamute-Kim
> nermal
06/26/2020 at 17:13 |
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My friend said I hit my jaw too but that’s OK. My right shoulder rotator cuff got dinged, symptoms are appearing today.
yeah, not happy about the concussion. I never felt like I had enough brain cells that I could afford to lose some.
Do you road bike? If yes, do you have a separate road helmet?
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VincentMalamute-Kim
> Tripper
06/26/2020 at 17:16 |
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I feel fine. Although I apparently said that afterwards too. It’s really really weird being told stuff you said, most of it very sensible and logical and having no memory of it.
Why did you not go with convertible? I’m thinking convertible makes sense so I can use the same
helmet for road biking too. After this,
I wouldn’t mind having the increased coverage that
a convertible minus chin guard gives than
standard road helmet gives.
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nermal
> Tripper
06/26/2020 at 18:33 |
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Ride whatever pedals you’re more comfortable with, people will be on both clips and flats. Just don’t wear your old New Balances that have been retired for grass cutting duty. You need the extra stiffness from specific bike shoes, otherwise your feet will get beat up.
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Tripper
> nermal
06/26/2020 at 18:36 |
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Hmm, the clipless shoes are all I’ve got. I’ve was going to rock vans on the flat pedals...Clipless it is haha
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nermal
> VincentMalamute-Kim
06/26/2020 at 18:38 |
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I’m mountain only. I prefer showing my wiener to others via unsolicited phone messages, not thru spandex bike shorts. So, it works out.
Have both the “enduro” full face and an open face helmet, never wear the open any more though. I wear downhill grade knee pads all the time, and elbow pads if going to a bike park or doing something extra dumb.
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nermal
> Tripper
06/26/2020 at 18:53 |
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I like the 510 Freerider, the same thing everybody and their brother recommends. They’re great on the bike but a little rough if you need to walk / push up a hill for an extended period of time due to how stiff they are .
The problem with Vans is that the soles are thin, so they’ll get chewed up quickly. They’re also a lot more flexible, which is what you don’t want when bouncing down a hill all day .
HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
> Tripper
06/26/2020 at 22:36 |
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Yeah, I have several pairs of vans. Mostly sk8hi. I do not moutain bike in them for long periods of time. You’re feet will hurt.
I’m a believer in flat pedals. I wear Etnies Maranas for MTB. They are a BMX engineered shoe, they work for skating too, but now they make a MTB specific mid top version that I want to pick up. I’m on muni 3rd pair of them and I’ll buy a 4th.
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bob and john
> DasWauto
06/27/2020 at 08:45 |
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the Dh up there is surprisingly good , I’m not gunna lie. Some of them are VERY technical and the flowing ones are pretty well balanced
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DasWauto
> bob and john
06/27/2020 at 09:04 |
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Have you done DH at Horseshoe? From a few of the vids I’ve watched it looks like I should able to ride a reasonable amount of it on my trail bike. I’m probably gonna give it a go at some point, and if I find it too much for the bike I’ll just go across the road to Copeland forest for normal trail riding.
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bob and john
> DasWauto
06/27/2020 at 09:18 |
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I havent done horse shoe no.
even blue, I havent been in YEARS.