I want bike with RIDICULOUS amounts of suspension travel.

[laynehip1]

But where do I find one?
It seems as though all new downhill bikes are more "race" oriented and there isn't a single one I like (even if they made a new one with this much travel it would be way beyond my budget anyway).
I have been looking for used ones for the better part of a year and had zero luck finding one.
Is it futile to think I will ever be able to purchase a bike like this?








Of course I would never "need" this much travel. I would just be riding it around the street jumping stairs and gaps (probably the same ones I do on my hardtail), but it doesn't change my love for these bikes and if I had one I would probably start commuting on it.

[TurboNasty]

So you want a dh bike with retarded travel to commute in Saskatchewan? Check pinkbike.com, but you'll probably have to head to Alberta to pick it up.

[laynehip1]

So you want a dh bike with retarded travel to commute in Saskatchewan?

yes. haha
However I don't want to buy one to commute on it, but if I had one it would be to tempting not to take it over one of my other bikes.

Check pinkbike.com, but you'll probably have to head to Alberta to pick it up.

There is a lot of downhill bikes but the typical downhill bikes like V10's and such


I want something with even more travel and a high BB.


I have seen a few of these on there before

They were in pretty bad shape but I guess I will just keep searching.

[LostBoyScout]

That's weird. But then again there are all kinds of perversions I don't understand out there.

What about tracking down one of those forks, then getting an older DH bike and sticking a way-too-long shock on it with an extra large stroke? That should do it.

[fullmetalrabbit]

top pic is Bender isn't it?

[UKGTI]

I can't tell if you are serious or not. Those bike suck.

Trust me, as someone who lived through all the early DH experimentation in suspension the bikes we have nowadays are so much more advanced that they make the early models look like junior high science fair entries.

The direction travel went in the beginning was to go large. My first DH bike (in 98) had 6 inches of travel. When I bought a super 8 a couple years later the travel was up to 8 and it was basically just a simple single pivot. The bike also weighed 54 lbs. It was ridiculous.

Riding back in the day was about hucking and cliff drops, and everyone "thought" you needed suspension to stick it. Turns out no matter how much suspension you put if the skill isn't there and the drop is ridiculous you are screwed either way. Look up Bender and Jaw drop if you need more proof.

The suspension now is so refined and butter that a 4 inch 32 lb bike will perform better than any of the early "DH" specific designs. Look at what the Cannondale Jekyll is accomplishing.

If you are looking for one of these bikes from a purely collectors standpoint, I would suggest looking for an old Kona Stab Primo, early Karpiel designs or maybe early brooklyn machine works. That Rocky Mountain you posted is another good one but like you mentioned they are most likely all going to be beat as that was their purpose in life.

The forks were usually custom, but the Marzocchi shiver was a favorite. Go with a Zyzzx fork if you want to be true old school. T

[laynehip1]

Haha its funny you mention Bender because I was watching NWD greatest hits and his part is basically what got me on this kick.

But yeah I am just looking for one more for the look and the feel of one, not really for the "performance".
The riding it would see is the same as my hardtail, so just riding around the street and jumping stairs and riding down dirt hills in construction sites.

I may look ridiculous riding one on smooth paved roads jumping stairs but I would be having fun so it doesn't bother me.
I just am not interested in the "racey" low bottom bracket with <200mm of travel which seems like that is really all thats out there.

If anybody knows of newish (anything made in the last 5 - 10 years) bikes that has more of a "freeride" type geometry let me know!

Also here are some more mega travel bikes: (both Bender haha)



And here is my bike now that just isn't cutting it!

[Dubstatic]

its funny you guys mention bender. I used to race DH and was into free riding when I was younger. Bender was nuts hahaha, used to fling himself off anything. The last bike I have was a built turner DHR that I loved. I brought it to whistler twice. As fun as it was and all the expensive parts I had the thing was a pain in the ass to ride anywhere but down hill.

[canucker]

i remember seeing bender on drop in- do they make that anymore? i dont bike much anymore and havent kept up (although i still use PB)

I rember heading to the skatepark here in calgary with my friend and his Norco A-line with monsters he droped into the large pipe (12' ) and almost went straight to the flat but his monsters svaed his stupid ass.

[klaxed]

[Brett VR6]

Haha its funny you mention Bender because I was watching NWD greatest hits and his part is basically what got me on this kick.

But yeah I am just looking for one more for the look and the feel of one, not really for the "performance".
The riding it would see is the same as my hardtail, so just riding around the street and jumping stairs and riding down dirt hills in construction sites.

I may look ridiculous riding one on smooth paved roads jumping stairs but I would be having fun so it doesn't bother me.
I just am not interested in the "racey" low bottom bracket with <200mm of travel which seems like that is really all thats out there.

If anybody knows of newish (anything made in the last 5 - 10 years) bikes that has more of a "freeride" type geometry let me know!

And here is my bike now that just isn't cutting it!

Well there's your problem; your not on a 20 inch!

-Brett-

[laynehip1]

Ended up buying an older pretty beat up specialized big hit (frame is in perfect condition though so all is well).



Picking up a 10.5 x 3.5 shock for the back and just need to start the long, hard search for a super monster T for sale.

Then my dream will be complete

[StabPrimo]

....whatever floats your boat.

[laynehip1]

I thought I had a lead on buying a pair of Super Monster T's but once he sent me pictures they were just regular Monster T's.
Also having one hell of a hard time trying to find 24 x 3.0 wide tires.

It sucks when all the parts you want haven't been made since 2003

some more pictures for good measure and it includes some weird russian guy:

[UKGTI]

I had a 24 inch Nokian Gazzalodi in 3 inches wide. It weighed about as much as my current DH bike.

[laynehip1]

So I bought a Fox Van 10.5" x 3.0" shock off of Pinkbike today.
I don't even know if it will fit but I shall see.

I will get pictures of it compared to the stock one and pictures of it on my bike once it gets here (should only be a day or two).

Then Next up is a wheel set/giant tires and then will try to get a fork in the winter



Also updates pictures of what the bike looks like now (I guess this thread is now the build thread):

[laynehip1]

new shock came today!


18.5 inch high bottom bracket!

[laynehip1]

These are officially on their way to my house!

[laynehip1]

With a super plush fork and highrise bars this bike is insanely fun!

[wearyourtruth]

With a super plush fork and highrise bars this bike is insanely fun!

i know the picture is a little crooked, but your headtube angle looks WAAAAAAY off? if i were actually going to do any downhill riding, even mild stuff, on that bike, i would want my front wheel out farther in front of me. it looks like your center of gravity would quickly cross the front axle.

[UKGTI]

These are officially on their way to my house!

Had a set of these on my super 8. Decent fork. They were local guys so I would go down to the factory for tuneups and tweaking etc.

I did actually bend the stanchion during some of my roof hucking days

[laynehip1]

i know the picture is a little crooked, but your headtube angle looks WAAAAAAY off? if i were actually going to do any downhill riding, even mild stuff, on that bike, i would want my front wheel out farther in front of me. it looks like your center of gravity would quickly cross the front axle.

The headtube angle is crazy steep.
However this won't be seeing any downhill trails or anything, I will be commuting on it to school in the summer and jumping stairs and doing drops to flat on the streets with it.
I just wanted to build up a super fun bike with lots of suspension travel with a more "freeride" type geometry

[Sunil]

So err...how will you gracefully mount that thing - using the stool sitting next to it? And if you're commuting on it, what about dismounting at TLs? I hope you're amazing at track standing.

How much sag would you need to run on that thing to make it work? A normal 25% sag works out to what...100mm?

[Dubstatic]

if you going to be doing drops to flat hahha your gonna break that frame with the angle like that. if you land nose heavy once your gonna get hurt

[laynehip1]

if you going to be doing drops to flat hahha your gonna break that frame with the angle like that. if you land nose heavy once your gonna get hurt

Im not very good I can't imagine anything I could throw at this bike would cause a catastrophic failure.

Also got a 24 x 3.0 and a 26 x 3.0 in the mail to replace the skinnies I have on there now haha.

Here are some more pictures:



Now that it is winter and it will be cold as **** for the next 6-7 months I will start gathering parts and will build it back up in the spring

[azn]

so are you settling for the stratos then? or still gonna be searching for a supermonster?

[laynehip1]

so are you settling for the stratos then? or still gonna be searching for a supermonster?

Still searching for a supermonster.
I just thought it may take a couple of years (most likely never), so I wanted a nice plush fork to replace the monster T which was way too stiff.

[laynehip1]

bought a big ass tire! 24 x 3.0


my 26 x 3.0 should be coming this week hopefully (it was damn hard to find!)

Also here is a picture of the bike in the snow

[blackohio]

why? the biggest **** gets thrown down on 8" travel bikes. Those old karpel's are ****ty tanks that only roll down ok and drop off things.

[laynehip1]

why? the biggest **** gets thrown down on 8" travel bikes. Those old karpel's are ****ty tanks that only roll down ok and drop off things.

It has nothing to do with performance.
I am building one up because I like how they look and also this bike is extremely fun to ride.
It will never be near a mountain but for the short period I rode it around the neighbourhood riding over curbs and jumping stairs I was all smiles.

[blackohio]

It has nothing to do with performance.
I am building one up because I like how they look and also this bike is extremely fun to ride.
It will never be near a mountain but for the short period I rode it around the neighbourhood riding over curbs and jumping stairs I was all smiles.

To each his own I guess but you'd still have 20x the fun on a bike with proper geo.

[laynehip1]

Last picture of it together before it gets taken apart and out in a box in my room until spring


However, now I shall begin collecting parts for it and it will emerge in April/May as a much better bike

[laynehip1]

some parts came in!

[blackohio]

You've still spent enough $$ to have gotten you into something like a used Sunday. A bike that won countless world cups as well as under Vanderham at Red Bull rampage.

[UKGTI]

this build is cracking me up. I keep having flashbacks to 2000! I built up my Santa Cruz Super 8 with a 24 inch 4 cross rear wheel on a 150mm hadley hub on Sun Ringle Rims. I ran Gazzaloddis 3.0 inch tire and a Stratos up front. I ran the big ass SDG seat too and a burly ass bar.

The bike was ok, heck I won plenty of races on it, but I was racing against other 60 lb sleds.

I do have to say that your geometry is waaay off on that bike, you can do some real damage stressing the shock mounts and head tube like you are. If you look at the old Karpeils etc they were built around the travel, whereas the specialized you have is not.

I am not trying to hate, just want you to not lose any teeth! I did that too on my Super 8!!!