So as you all know im looking for a slopestyle/jump bike that isn't a hardtail. After some looking around, some of the best looking slopestyle bikes, weren't even really "slopestyle" bikes. What i mean is, when i look, there are bikes deemed "slopestyle" bikes, and other bikes like xc/all mountain bikes. The deemed "slopestyle" bikes are like the kona bass (still might get one soon) and the haro porter, the corsair konig, and the Intense slopestyle. After looking the coolest bike i saw was a Giant trace made slopestyle. The seat was dropped and it had a burlier fork, and a fox dhx 5.0 air on it, and it looked ready to jump and flip. Upon further investigation i realized that Kurt Sorge's slopestyle bike is an 09 giant trance. After realizing that i looked at all the major bike companies 4-5" travel AM/XC bikes, and imagined a lower seat and some better components on them. The good bikes i found were:
Trek Fuel EX (4")
Trek Remedy (5")
Giant Trance (the toptube is funny on the 2011, but 10 and older look good)
Gary Fisher Roscoe (5" i think)
Marin Mount Vision (5" methinks)
And other technically "All Mountain/Cross Country" bikes? If you drop the seat, add some better components, re-route the brake cables and shifters, changed the wheelset and tires, couldn't most 4-5" travel bikes work as "slopestyle bikes?"
Looking for technical slopestyle designed bikes kinda limits me, but if other bikes, like the Fuel EX (its really pretty) would work, then it really opens up some options.
Bottom line: would you ride a slopestyleized Am/Xc bike? or would you only ride a slopestyle specific bike?
I don't know about you, but I ride nowhere as smooth as any of these pros and do not trust a "slopestyleized" XC bike to hold up to the constant cased landings and general hack riding that I do. If you're smooth, go for it.
Those sponsored pros get their frames replaced when they break. They also bottom the hell out of them on most landings. Watching Colorado Crankworx I felt bad for their bikes. You should stick to frames marketed as slopestyle or freeride since they're burlier. My SS bike is a medium Bullit (I normally ride large) with TALAS36 so I can change it's geo for dirt jumping or freeride trails.
i'm just guessing here...but I think a key point is the head tube angle.
Many XC / AM bikes have a steeper head tube angle...say 68, 69, 70 degrees.
I would guess a true slope style frame is much slacker...65, 66 degrees?
Slacker makes the jumps, drops and "flowy" runs much nicer....
Just my opinion.
There are many small bikes out there that are really just XC bikes. Sure they'll take a few runs and a few bad hits but they just won't be able to take that abuse day after day.
My all time favorite bike was a 575, but I decided to sell it before it broke. I could feel it flexing and bottoming in ways it shouldn't. I suggest better to get a light big bike (like an Uzzi VP) and make it small.
Just because Sorge is on a Trance, doesn't mean it's a stock frame. E.g. it may have been adapted for his riding style with any number of modifications. Certainly geometry, maybe tube thickness and design. It could be stock, but as mentioned, pros get new frames whenever they need them. To insinuate that the trail bikes you listed are appropriate for big drops on a regular basis is ludicrous. Dropping the seat doesn't make an XC bike a slopestyle bike.
I think most everyone here is confused on what a true Slopestyle bike is. I think you are all confused due to the way bikes are marketed. You never see bikes like a the transition bottlerocket, Intense Slopestyle, or any other bike people market as slopestyle bikes actually being used in slopestyle competitions these days.
In some cases people just use Hardtails but when they don't they use 3-5" travel bikes with 80-120mm forks. They are low with good standover. they typically have 67-69 degree HA. Think Crankworx. It has some of the biggest drops/jumps offered in a competition. It is a true slopestyle comp. You don't see people riding slack 6-7 inch travel bikes anymore.
Here is a list of true slopestyle bikes
Banshee rampant
Transition double
Kona Bass
Corsair konig
blck mrkt killswitch
specialized SX (not trail)
dobermann le pink
intense trazer (although maybe more 4x)
haro porter
One ghost industries (can't remember the name of it)
Atomlab trailking FS
Pretty much any bike that jumps somewhat like a hardtail but has enough squish to take the edge of harsh landings.
And to the OP, most of the time you see pro's on what look like a companies XC bike but in reality its a custom made frame. I believe cam mccaul's and brandon S's remedies are only 4-5" of travel and have custom really low seat tubes wheras remedies usually have about 6' of travel. On top of this i wouldn't doubt that they are made with stronger tubing.
And like others have mentioned, if they break a frame they will get a new one free. You won't have that luxury. Just buy right the first time and we won't have to hear about how "some company sucks cause their XC frame broke of my janky jumps"
very true. if you actually watch a slopestyle competition youl notice actually most everyone has a different bike. some short travel hardtails, some long, some are riding 4-6 inch fs bikes.
i like my porter as it feels more like a mtb when im jumping really fast and its got just enough travel to where im comfortable doing big jumps. id actually be scared like crazy to do what i do but on a 6" bike.maybe thats my bmx backround kicking in though.
my personal definition of a slopestlye bike would have to include: short travel front & rear, slack headtube, short top tube,light enough to comfortably 'flick,... along that line.
very true. if you actually watch a slopestyle competition youl notice actually most everyone has a different bike. some short travel hardtails, some long, some are riding 4-6 inch fs bikes.
i like my porter as it feels more like a mtb when im jumping really fast and its got just enough travel to where im comfortable doing big jumps. id actually be scared like crazy to do what i do but on a 6" bike.maybe thats my bmx backround kicking in though.
my personal definition of a slopestlye bike would have to include: short travel front & rear, slack headtube, short top tube,light enough to comfortably 'flick,... along that line.
nice wildcard! i should have added that to my list. I wanted to build one up last year and run it in the 5" travel mode and run a fox float 36 lowered to 5". would have been a killer SS/jump bike.
if you think you are as smooth as a pro and can get as many frames as you need then sure get a xc bike and "slopestyle" it. trek riders are on modified remedy's i think. but there a ton of good dedicated ss bikes out there: specialized sx, transition double, blk mrkt killswitch, haro porter (have fun finding one), jamis parker, banshee rampant, intense tracer, mongoose nuget... the list goes on. point is dont bastardize a xc bike an expect good results.
i think most shops just werent able to stock them because theyre such a specialty bike. they were available up untill recent and they were actually on sale. me and a co worker bought one. sometimes you just have to ask
i think most shops just werent able to stock them because theyre such a specialty bike. they were available up untill recent and they were actually on sale. me and a co worker bought one. sometimes you just have to ask
from what i understood was they marketed the bike as 'a limited pro edition bike' mostly to hype it up. i may be wrong, but the full 2011 line is currently in stock (all three porter models) and the porter pro is the same as the 2010 model.
I am was kinda confused with what a Slopestyle bike was, and thats why i asked =] thanks for clearing most of this up for me. I will keep trying to get that kona bass i was looking at, but haro porters seem like swell options as well. I dont want this bike to break on my janky jumps.
How would a haro shift be? Theres one in a store about an hour away from me for 600 with the air shock.
from what i understood was they marketed the bike as 'a limited pro edition bike' mostly to hype it up. i may be wrong, but the full 2011 line is currently in stock (all three porter models) and the porter pro is the same as the 2010 model.
the haro shift is a very simila frame design as the porter. angles are still very different, headtubes not as slack... actually last year at work we built up a previous years shift xs frame with a 100mm dj fork and it was our grocery getter untill it sold. it was alot of fun to huck around and had similar slopestyle feelings to it.
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