I would lean toward just getting DJ bike. Watch pinkbike.com's DJ classifieds https://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/list/?category=3 for something cheap and put together for that style of riding.
I picked up a second bike recently. Full suspension, as I was sold after riding a couple buddies' bikes at the end of the summer. Hard tail got some faster/gravel Schwalbe tires for the longer training rides. Seems like this is how motorcycle racing kinda started ..
From everything I've done I much prefer a hardtail if it's smooth flow trails or if there are any jumps. Way more responsive and you can pump so much more. I have ran some downhill race lines at a resort on my hardtail and it was miserable. I was getting thrown everywhere while my friend just let his suspension suck it all up. I think a HT is more likely the better candidate for the riding most people do though.
I thought that too. Now I can choose, depending on the ride. I was surprised how many FS's there were at Iceman this past year (at the Pro level). I figured everyone would be on an HT. The smarts have come a long way inside the suspension.
Yup. Maybe that statement is more true 15 years ago but today? Full suspension is just so good now. I still ride my hardtail but with all the injuries over the years, full suspension let's me ride every day. Hardtail beats me up after a while.
I have a Trek ProCal that has the Iso-Decoupler setup. Figured it was all marketing hype, but it actually makes a difference over longer rides.
Around here you have to a sadomasochistic/Type II fun sort of person to ride HT primarily in the Pisgah. My 22lb Ibis Tranny just stays on the trainer since my Hightower LT pedals great and 160mm of travel allows me to be as sloppy in my line choice and spend an entire day in the saddle. New mountain bikes are magic
I'm not sure what you just said but I learned a fun new word today, "sadomasochistic". sa·do·mas·o·chis·tic Dictionary result for sadomasochistic /ˌsādōˌmasəˈkistik/ adjective characterized by or deriving sexual gratification from both sadism and masochism
You aint kidding! Last time I saw Rob was at a setra harescramble.He,david,and sean would moutain bike the entire course before each race. Those guys are in crazy great shape. I had a hard enough time finishing on a motorized bike Its amamzing how many people I know that mtn bike,yet I never got into it. This thread got me looking for my old room mate/best friend long ago. Dub Smith ex Ga, state champion still going strong in 2019. We did riders school in 1987 ,my first time with wera.Heres a link to Dubs 2nd place finish in the 45 and over https://www.cxmagazine.com/winter-weather-comes-to-georgia-cross-in-marietta-2013
I did some demo rides on "gravel bikes" on the same trails I frequent just to see if it was a "must have". The trails have a fair amount of roots. First bike I rode with a 35mm tire. I spent most of the ride wrestling the front away from errant roots and of course had too much weight on my hands. Climbs and acceleration were great, brakes were meh for trailing plus the traditional road position makes me feel vurnerable. The bike could pedal wheelie pretty effortless so momentum was easy to spin. It was a full carbon... did not want to buy it so I didnt send it...lol. I probably would get a size 54 or 52 instead of a 56 I normally ride. Over all... me. Ill continue with my 6" travel Felt compulsion which is like a couch and you can send it into a corner & it will hook/soak up imperfections easily. Im actually faster on it than my 29er... which is a cinch to keep speed up!
I often used to spend all day riding big loops solo in the back country in Pisgah back when I raced. Did 60 miles once in the Pisgah Death March enduro race. That was hard ha ORAMM also. Favorite hard loop was up Black, take Turkey Pen all the way over to Turkey Pen Gap, down to and up Mullinax, across Squirrel Gap, S Mills and Bennett Gap, over Black again. Take 6-7 hours. Used it for training for the up coming Snake Creek Gap TT every winter. Black mtn doing the loop mentioned. Deep new Fall leaves add to the challenge. Back when I was younger in my 50s.
Duckworth (spelling?) my old room mate is someone you use to go at it with in the n.Ga. mtns way back in the day. Funny how you both ended up racing mtn bikes.
Awesome. I guess he survived (lol) those days. It’s a wonder I did. I had to stop mtb racing because of 2 life flights a few yrs ago doing the same shit here in western NC. Guess I’m a slow learner haha Now it’s all hard enduro kinda terrain on dirt bikes w the occasional fair weather race. Pic a few yrs ago when I was first rider in at the Snake Creek time trail one rainy January day. The old man was 2nd overall against the young guns. That’s a tough ass race. I just ride the trainer mostly nowadays trying to stay fit.
Rob got me to go with to Blankets once when they still had one trail, it about killed me to finish while he did 3 or more laps I'm just too lazy.
That's a big day, S Mills sucks so bad with the number of downed trees and river crossings. My favorite big day is park at Turkey pen and hit Bradley creek to laurel, pilot and then all of squirrel back and then mullinax. I'm in fat Dad Bod shape so I am lucky if I can get out to do Clawhammer, left Black to Buckwhweat, Bennet, back up Clawhammer and right down Black. My other favorite when Cat Gap is open to bikes is climb up Laurel and then Butter over to Cat Gap. I remember bumping into you 4 years ago or so out at Tsali on my second ever mountain bike ride.
On that loop, where Squirrel comes out (going ccw) you hit the very end of S Mills and climb up to Bennett Gap. There’s no crossings. Then over Clawhammer and Black and back down to Davidson. Long grind but a fun adventure. First 2 is Squirrel. 1st on it just past the first real creek crossing. 2nd pic was the one time I didn’t do it solo. 3rd pic is Pilot mtn while solo.