podium, how does it pedal

[delirian]

not sure if this is going to be a stupid question or not. but here goes.
what does the new podium pedal like. would it be ok for occaisional trail rides. or would it suck.
im wanting a new bike for my next whistler trip in june. and i have just seen the piccies in dustys thread on the dh forum, and i think the new podium looks awesome. the bike would be built up for whistler mainly park use, but i dont like limiting or restricting myself, i like to ride everything. so ideally need a bike that can do trail rides to.
hence my question how does the podium pedal.
thanks in advance guys.

[rscecil007]

I think it pedals well, especially for a DH bike with 8.5" of travel. And considering it has a full length seatpost so you can run an uncut seatpost, getting your seat up to a proper pedaling height won't be an issue.

Did you see Err's older post where he threw a dropper post and a 180 single crown on his Gen 1 Podium? Dude did this as well I think.

[cheezwhip]

Bring the Podium & rent a trail bike for the non-lift-assisted trails @ Whistler. No matter how you doll it up, it's still a pig (with good pedaling characteristics mind you).

[Parabellum]

The new Podium pedals very well.....for a DH bike. Ask yourself where the focus of your riding will be. If you're going to be doing 80% lift-assisted or shuttled DH trails and 20% trail riding, a Podium with a SC fork and a lighter build kit may work for you. If you're going to be doing any more trail or AM riding than that, you may want to look at the Chilcotin instead - especially if you're going to be doing much climbing.

The new Podium is a phenomenal bike, but make no mistake about it, it is a DH race bike. IMO not many other bikes can touch it going downhill, but if there are any sustained ups you're going to suffer. If you're looking for a "one bike to rule them all", consider the Chili. And don't be too concerned about the Chili not being able to handle the gnar - VanGor put in more than half a dozen tough bike park days on his Chili last year and loved it, and even Mr. Dusty Bottoms himself used the Chili as his weapon of choice during a trip to Whistler last summer. The Chilcotin is an extremely capable bike.

[rdhfreethought]

The best "one bike" is still the DT/Delirium, in my opinion. Even with the incredible stiffness of my Chilcotin, my DT is still easily recognizable as the more 'burly' of the two. Had the Chilcotin come out first and the Delirium second, everyone would be gushing about the Delirium as the 'all-in-one' bike that was more capable in the park than the Chilcotin, and still able to be pedaled on the trails.

[Buzz]

My wife has a Podium, which we built up with a single crown (Totem). She pedals it up Fromme all the time, with no trouble. Not sure she'd want to 'trail' ride it, but it pedals well for a full blown DH bike.
It replaced a Turner Highline (which she loved, but it was kinda porky at 40lbs), and she doesnt regret it for a minute! With the single crown, we have it down around 35lbs.
So the short answer is yes it pedals well, but I dont think it fits the niche you are trying to fill. You will give up to much and suffer a fair bit riding it on the trails...

[Mrwhlr]

Don't do that. Used Delirium a more suitable/cheaper solution.

[Dude!]

Don't do that. Used Delirium a more suitable/cheaper solution.

I agree. The Delirium is what you want - just get it. I would understand if the Delirium didn't exist in some form. There are a few used Deliriums for sale, but most folks, even ones with Chilcotins, are still hanging on to their Deliriums.

Now with that said, you tend to spend two months a year in Whistler. I would get a Podium for this. The new Podium is more playful than the previous and would be so much more fun at Whistler for that duration. Even in downhill mode, the Podium can pedal uphill - no speed records. I did this last summer at Blackrock - no shuttle - the Podium seattube allows one to pedal to the top on trails that are needed. You don't want to do this often.

If your mind is set on a converted Podium - note that the Podium is lighter than the Delirium. You will most likely need an angleset to make it steeper - in reverse setup. You want an air shock.

When I built mine last year, it was me tinkering because that's what I like to do. I preferred the single crown ver 1. Podium over the single crown ver 2 Podium. The longer stays on ver 1 made the single crown setup made for a unique and fun ride.

The SC setup makes for a more playful ride, which I can understand since I am not DH racer. However, I wouldn't want to pedal that up most trails. I would only want this on trails that playfulness would lend itself toward being better, but a little more cushion for lack of skills.