Newbie Free Rider

MTBdave · 05-08-2005

IM thinking of starting to get into free ride, and i would like a nice starter free ride bike. I was thinking of either the KOna Stinky or Coiler or Specialized Big Hit....if anyone has ridden these i want to know how you liek them and or if you have any other suggestions for a bike. I have a baout 2,000 to spend.

Also any tips for startes would be awsome too

freerider167 · 05-08-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by MTBdave

IM thinking of starting to get into free ride, and i would like a nice starter free ride bike. I was thinking of either the KOna Stinky or Coiler or Specialized Big Hit....if anyone has ridden these i want to know how you liek them and or if you have any other suggestions for a bike. I have a baout 2,000 to spend.

Also any tips for startes would be awsome too

Big hit is nice. good bike for getting into this sport.

wheelman · 05-08-2005

Have you looked at the Giant Reign. I think the Reign 2 is about that much. It has a little bit less travel than the others but you can pedal it.

CanadianHooligan · 05-08-2005

Big hit would be nice,have u done any other mountain biking or anything?

MTBdave · 05-08-2005

i trail ride everyday and so you could basically say i ride all mountain and i have been riding for about 3 years and would like to go bigger and im 14

CanadianHooligan · 05-08-2005

O alright so you want to start jumping,hucking,doing drops etc.? Would your FR rig need to be able to ride trails too?

Chikity China · 05-08-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by MTBdave

IM thinking of starting to get into free ride, and i would like a nice starter free ride bike. I was thinking of either the KOna Stinky or Coiler or Specialized Big Hit....if anyone has ridden these i want to know how you liek them and or if you have any other suggestions for a bike. I have a baout 2,000 to spend.

Also any tips for startes would be awsome too

STINKY!

imo, the newer big hit suk ass. look for a used big hit if u insist cuz the big hits of the old are nice 02-04

if u want more trail capability, go coiler

MTBdave · 05-08-2005

umm i've been thinking about that alot, i woudl say SOME trail riding, but not XC, thats why i have a '05 trek 6700 for that, so mainly free riding and Dh.

there re jsut parts on trails which i bike that i say, damn thats a PERFECT spot to do some crazy ass trick or drop off of it so thats why i would also like to get a free ride bike besides jsut basic hucking and jumping

CanadianHooligan · 05-08-2005

Quote:

umm i've been thinking about that alot, i woudl say SOME trail riding, but not XC, thats why i have a '05 trek 6700 for that, so mainly free riding and Dh.

Well all three bikes you said earlier would do the job well:

Stinky,Bighit= more FR/DH oriented

Coiler= more trail oriented but can still do moderate FR.

sreiman · 05-08-2005

TRANSITION DIRTBAG is an awsome bike, but 2600, but well worth it and u can get it with a 66 rc to make it trail rideable. or u can get a stinky or a coiler for trails/freerideing.downhill.

bhamrider22 · 05-08-2005

i have a '04 big hit comp and its great. just having everything stock u can ride it pretty hard to begin with. after some growth in skill its really easy to upgrade the fork with something nicer and rear shock with the big link upgrade etc. with some new stuff on the big hit it can handle things that r twice the price of a used one.(mine was only $1,000)

kinda sucks for long distance trail riding tho.

SHIVER ME TIMBERS · 05-08-2005

Coiler or Stinky......The Coiler is a Stinky w/less travel

Andrewpalooza · 05-08-2005

Your 14 and have $2000 to spend? Either you work a LOT, or have some generous parents. Anyway, check this bike out from supergo...http://www.supergo.com/profile.cfm?L...04&referpage=#

Gman · 05-08-2005

I'd recomend getting a used bike because you can save a good deal of money. I just picked up a nice 2003 SC bullit and I love it. do some searcing around the forums and check out the classifieds as well as ebay. good luck

cdub · 05-08-2005

ya i would get a used bike. me and my friend picked up some hecklers for around that. and they feel super strong while still being light

scabrider · 05-08-2005

spend $1,500 on a new stinky and use th' rest of your money to upgrade...

MTBdave · 05-09-2005

I really like the stinky, but if i ever take it back to my old trails, would TOO much travel be a problem?

and for andrew palooza, i have been saving up for nearly 2 years to get this bike!

TiTRD · 05-09-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by MTBdave

I really like the stinky, but if i ever take it back to my old trails, would TOO much travel be a problem?

and for andrew palooza, i have been saving up for nearly 2 years to get this bike!

I ride my stinky on XC trails every week and it's not a problem to me. The only real issue I have with it riding XC is that it's heavy and doesn't climb all that well. At first it was a big problem since my last bike was Dean Colonel, but now I'm used to it. I got mine April '04 at Performance as an '03 left over for $899. A STEAL!

JRuss · 05-09-2005

Go with a Stinky its your best bet, unless you want a more AM/FR/DH bike then go for a Coiler.

MTBdave · 05-09-2005

alright im still a bit inbetween whether getting a stinky or coiler, but i think it will end up to me testing both of them,

But i have been looking at the forums and well, are you supposed to go clipless or platofrm when you free ride,

i ride clipless SPD's now on my trek 6700, but i woudl think you would use platform for free riding.

which do you use and why,.......

MTBsSd · 05-09-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by MTBdave

IM thinking of starting to get into free ride, and i would like a nice starter free ride bike. I was thinking of either the KOna Stinky or Coiler or Specialized Big Hit....if anyone has ridden these i want to know how you liek them and or if you have any other suggestions for a bike. I have a baout 2,000 to spend.

Also any tips for startes would be awsome too

When I was 15 my dad said I could have $1500 so I bought a used big hit that was totally tricked out. With 2 grand you could either get a decent new bike, or a rockin' used bike..

JRuss · 05-09-2005

Well this depends alot on your riding style. If you are more xc orientated ( you ride more XC type trails) I would go clipless as it makes it easier to hall the bike around. However if you want to do move such as table tops, super mans ect.. then you will need platforms because they allow you to take your feet of the pedale when doing a move, also when you are riding a ladder 13 feet above the ground and you run out of speed you can put your foot down fast without falling over.

flyingwalrus · 05-09-2005

if you already have an XC bike, then probably get a more FR oriented bike, so that it won't hold you back once you progress more. However, a more FR oriented bike will hold you back on trails a little. I'd say look at the Iron horse 7Point3, stinky, and maybe coiler. Or, look at used stuff. There are always big hits and stinky's on ebay

HuckMyAge · 05-09-2005

go big hit. Kona is good but i hear that there are problems with their lower on stuff. If u get a stab then no problem but a stinky can't compete with a big hit. Big hits are strong and pure FR/DH so id u got a hardtailxc y not go all out for a freeride bike. I'm looking to pick up a bog hit. I got a ttrek hard tail 820 piece of garbage i have hit some pretty big stuff with it managed to bend the handle bars. Big hit might cost more but worth it, if u can save up more liek 3000 or so u can maybe pick up a used Demo8 which is amazing.

flatulentfox · 05-09-2005

as far as flats v. clipless, its really a matter of personal preferencs as far as trail riding/freeride is concerned. for freeride oriented rides, flats are usually better, but for more xc/trail oriented rides, clipless are usually better. i keep both with me, and change them for different runs, depending on the type of trail. i find im more confident with flats on technical stuff. just try both and use what you like best.

KONA_in_SB · 05-09-2005

Buy a used FR bike. Big Hit or Stinky, either way if you buy a $2000 bike and you really get into riding you will outgrow your bike and want a new one soon. So spend a $1000 on a solid used bike, ride the sh!t out of it and in a few years upgrade to a higher end bike. By then you will know what to look for in a bike and won't spend as much money on the lower end bike that you won't want in a few years anyways.

MTBdave · 05-09-2005

now i wish i could save up 3,000 to get a demo 8, but youll remeber, im 14, im not even legally allowed to work in most places ha.

Im a bit sketchy on buy a used bike, just bc i dk where it has been or what condision it is in, also its just nice to know when you get a new bike, everyhtings new on it just for you.

Would the inch or two difference form the coiler and the stinky be a BIG difference be sides ridding, im tlkaing about like jumping and drops, will it be a big difference how the landing would be.

Now today while i was riding i came up to this 5 foot drop, it ws a nice drop, and with my free riding spirt ha, i just went for it [this is on my trek 6700].
now my landing was not to pretty, bc i dont have a rear shock so i took up most of the hit, since your mainly supposed to land on your back tire. so after that story, should i do anythign different if im doing drops on a hardtail.

marsb · 05-09-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by KONA_in_SB

Buy a used FR bike. Big Hit or Stinky, either way if you buy a $2000 bike and you really get into riding you will outgrow your bike and want a new one soon. So spend a $1000 on a solid used bike, ride the sh!t out of it and in a few years upgrade to a higher end bike. By then you will know what to look for in a bike and won't spend as much money on the lower end bike that you won't want in a few years anyways.

What Kona said. Buy used and upgrade as things break, because they will.

MTBdave · 05-09-2005

now after having a no day of school on today[ monday] for long compliucated reasons, i went biking and thougth a lot, and decided maybe its not that bad of a use, if anythign brakes soon, i would have saveed money and could replace it.

Now another quick question, i have seen tons of pics of people riding on those woulden path, suspened off the ground made out of 2 x 4's, is that also called free riding?

cdub · 05-09-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by MTBdave

now after having a no day of school on today[ monday] for long compliucated reasons, i went biking and thougth a lot, and decided maybe its not that bad of a use, if anythign brakes soon, i would have saveed money and could replace it.

Now another quick question, i have seen tons of pics of people riding on those woulden path, suspened off the ground made out of 2 x 4's, is that also called free riding?

I guess yo could call it that, but more specifically its North Shore. lots of fun to build and ride, especially teetors

MTBdave · 05-09-2005

Now i live in Northern Delaware, and if youll even know where DE is [surpsringly] you can proabbly guess there isnt that much free riding you can do around here. The most i can think of is inovation on the normal all mountain trails by going down the steep sides and sum jumps here and there, but other wise, to my knowledge, theres not much. Thats why my treck 6700 works well for here. But i would LIKE to go bigger so i was just thinking of going off the sides of the sides of the trails down some steep stuff and a coupel jumps at the bottoms, but other wise there are no lips. But i was htinking of doing some North Shore work in my yard and building that. Does that soudns like it would work, Can you use a Stinky on it once i build it. Or do youll have any other ideas about how i could do some free riding around here.

Andrewpalooza · 05-09-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by MTBdave

I really like the stinky, but if i ever take it back to my old trails, would TOO much travel be a problem?

and for andrew palooza, i have been saving up for nearly 2 years to get this bike!

Yeah, I know how that goes...

Anyway, since you saved so hard, look at a new bike. It will feel like you really earned it, which you did.