*Mountain-Bike Breakdown :
-Traditional mountain bikes don't need the bomber construction and extended travel of a downhill bike because they're rarely contending with courses that are quite as steep and treacherous. Instead, mountain bikes feature lighter frames and can forgo full suspension for a hardtail or rigid fork, depending on the preference of the rider. These bikes are less capable of absorbing impact, but climb much faster and are easier to maneuver. A traditional mountain bike can also use 29-inch wheels.
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*DOWNHILL BIKES – THE ESSENTIALS :
-If you’ve tuned into the World Cup races or seen the viral videos of riders throwing themselves off cliffs and want a piece of that action, then you’ve come to the right place.
Here is our guide to all the basics of your very first downhill mountain bike from where to buy one, to the parts you should look out for and whether you need one at all.
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*WHAT IS A DOWNHILL BIKE ?
-The various categories used to define mountain bikes can be a minefield of marketing nonsense and confused customers, with one exception – the downhill bike. Instantly recognisable, brimming with technology and practically useless for 80 per cent of riders, downhill bikes are perfectly formed to attack the most aggressive, steep and fast trails that can be thrown at them.
They are equipped with up to 200mm of the plushest suspension, the sharpest brakes and components capable of taking the biggest hits – quite simply, there’s no better tool if you want to get down a hill faster than your mates. Watching it all come together in the hands of a capable rider is mesmerising and the speed of the professional World Cup racers defies belief. In many ways, downhill is the purest form of mountain biking – harking back to the hippies in the Californian hills that founded the sport in the seventies.
They’re not just for racing though, riding a downhill bike can also be a lot of fun. In many places such as Whistler, Canada or the Alps, people ride them on rowdy trails with big jumps where an enduro bike would leave your body battered after just a few runs. In fact, a lot of brands such as Commencal, Orange, and Transition build bike that are designed to last, as well as go fast, to appeal to this market (but are still good enough to race if you fancy it).
The only problem is, downhill bikes are useless at pretty much anything else. Up to 200mm of suspension and relaxed geometries make them a horror to pedal for extended periods of time. Taking one to your local trail centre would be a bit like driving a Formula One car through London at rush hour, so if you want to get to the top of a mountain you’re better off pushing or getting a lift.
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*FRAME :
-Like any bike, a downhill rig lives and dies on the quality of its frame. These are developed with the help of the fastest racers in the World Cup series and have pure speed in mind. Most top end downhill frames are now at least partly carbon but some, like the Nukeproof Pulse, are still fully aluminium.
The main advantages of carbon are lightness and stiffness, but it comes at a cost. The benchmark for weight is still the Mondraker Summum Carbon at 2.8kg (6.25lbs) which would translate to roughly 15kgs (33lbs) for a full build, but in all honesty weight doesn’t play as big a role in these frames as it would for an all-day trail cruiser.
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*SUSPENSION :
-Downhill mountain bikes have suspension at the front and rear. Typically they will have 200mm of travel – that means the suspension provides 200mm of cushioning on any impacts. Suspension set up is crucial for downhill bikes, have it too hard and it will feel like you’re riding a shopping trolley – too soft and there’s not much point in having it at all as you’ll just blow right through it. You can also adjust how the suspension performs throughout its travel, for example how fast it rebounds after it has taken an impact.
Forks – Most downhill bikes will use double crown forks that extend alongside the headtube. Downhill bikes need to take massive impacts so the forks are clamped in three spots to add stiffness. These forks will have around 200mm of travel, stanchions up to 40mm thick and tend to provide far plusher performance than a trail fork.
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*WHEELS :
-Downhill bikes were the last safe haven of the 26 inch wheel, but even these are starting to disappear now – in fact a 26 inch bike hasn’t won a World Cup race for two years. Instead 650b rules the roost but there are rumours of bigger wheels appearing in the near future…
Song : Alan Walker --Alone--
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