The Best Downhill Hardtail.

stoff

stoff

Likes Dirt
I ride a GT Ruckus DJ, and the frame has got to be one of the most bullet proof things ever made. Gussets everywhere. I know there is not alot of love for the 'triple triangle' from a lot of people, but it has to add strength as it braces the frame back off itself.
 
Pebble

Pebble

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Albertinho said:
Hey, I've gotta jump into this thread!

I'm from Croatia, yes I know far away, but I saw some of you guys seem to know details on Norco bikes...

I'm primarily an XC rider, but I really wanted to do steeper, rougher (DH,FR) trails sometimes, some jumps and drops for which XC geometry isn't really suitable. Something was drawing me to it. So I decided to buy a budget-priced FR hardtail, '07 Norco Bigfoot just to try it out. The first descent with it just won me over, it was so much fun, I was able to do everything with ease where I was clinging for dear life on the XC bike, then I almost felt sorry I didn't go full on and bought a Manik, realizing that spending the extra money would have been worth it!

So I decided to upgrade the forks, some girl was selling her jump bike and we swapped parts, me giving her DJ4 fork, Sun SOS rim and QR hub + 360 AUD, and I got a 2006 Pike 426 coil U-turn, Mavic EX729 rim and DMR Revolver hub. I think that was a good deal!

Btw. that Pike is very scratched from the sides, she said not from crashes but mostly from rough handling, cramming 15 DH bikes in the back of a van and driving bumpy twisty roads, the fork looked bad there but the stanchions are intact, there's no play in bushings, seals look good, no oil dripping anywhere, and it feels "healthy", I hope I bought a good thing under all those scratches to the legs, and it won't crack on me or something... :D

So now my Bigfoot has that big thru-axle fork and I hope that makes it more similar to a Sasquatch or Manik. However, I saw the Manik's frame has squared stays near the BB while mines are round, probably some more small differences. How does a Bigfoot's frame hold up to the better models? Is it also very strong? I won't be doing insane jumps and big hits, I just like to ride downhill, do a 2-3 foot drop, normal stuff. Those stunts which feel smooth when done properly, without a huge impact or anything.

I also climb with it anywhere because I'm a good XC climber, I'd basically use it as an all-mountain go-anywhere fun bike.
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Great read, especially for the sounds of someone who just plainly enjoys riding their bike.
And yeah I know where Croatia is, after all it's where I was born! So just had to say G''day!
 
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Albertinho

Squid
Pebble said:
Great read, especially for the sounds of someone who just plainly enjoys riding their bike.
And yeah I know where Croatia is, after all it's where I was born! So just had to say G''day!
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:)

I just wanted to know how my Bigfoot with Pikes would compare to a Manik or Sasquatch. Those two look so bada$$ on pics but mine looks kinda small and "cute" to me :confused: :D
 
daveproc

daveproc

Likes Dirt
I ride a Banshee Morphine and it is the best hardtail for downhill I have ever ridden. I would never bother going to anything else unless it was a full sus.
 
Mo

Mo

Likes Bikes and Dirt
travel is all subjective to me, everything is possible. travel to me doesn't determine what you can can and cannot do.

if you are considering riding dh on a hardtail then you obviously have some sort of talent.
 
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Albertinho

Squid
Mo said:
travel is all subjective to me, everything is possible. travel to me doesn't determine what you can can and cannot do.

if you are considering riding dh on a hardtail then you obviously have some sort of talent.
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Yeah I agree, geometry plays a bigger role. What was hard on my XC bike, now it's easy on the Bigfoot with it's back-swept geometry. Travel helps you plow through rocks and roots though. But I don't want to rely on suspension, but on arms and legs for shock absorption, I think that's the best way to improve your riding!
 
MJS

MJS

Likes Bikes and Dirt
I'm getting back into it all after years off, and I'm currently building a hardtail downhill machine with a Cove Stiffee FR frame. I must say this frame is awesome, though brand new quite pricy.
 
spocka

spocka

Squid
I have a couple of mates that ride hardtails for DH, one rides a banshee morphine the other rides .243 and both have about the same riding ability.They ride them hard and both frame have taken it in there stride.
 
M

mr super T

Squid
yeh i ride a 2006 da bomb molotov i think if you befed it up it would be preety deadily at dh but right now it is set up for dj,4x,fr !! morphine are awesome !!!:)
 
Pebble

Pebble

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Albertinho said:
:)

I just wanted to know how my Bigfoot with Pikes would compare to a Manik or Sasquatch. Those two look so bada$$ on pics but mine looks kinda small and "cute" to me :confused: :D
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I'm probably somewhat like yourself, not a pure XC rider at all but I like doing the climbs because of the challenge and I would enjoy going down probably even more if we had big hills here. I really like the small jumps and drops (biggest I'm game to do).

So on that note it sounds like your bike will be great for the time being, I've never had a Norco but from what I've read they are built tough. If you got more hardcore in the way of downhill, bigger drops and jumps I suppose you might looks at some of the "not so cute:D" frames, something burlier just for insurance.

However if you enjoy it at the level you are currently at with no real desire to always go harder / bigger better than down the track when funds allow you may want to look at bikes that can be built both XC light and DH tough at the same time, something like Banshee Scirocco, Santa Cruz Chameleon.

As you may notice the above are pretty expensive ($1000 frame only), hence for my riding of maybe a bit of everything (you know jack of all trades master of none) I'm going for the Giant STP. It's popular and unpopular at the same time, I don't care, all I know is that in all consideration it seems to be the perfect bike for me at the moment without the hefty price tag compared to others I would have chosen. Norcos are also great value like that with the top of the range Rampage being just over $2000, I did consider it but it became obvious that it's a dh/fr rig and too much bike for what I would do.

I say just enjoy your bigfoot, you will probably know when your ability is starting to outshine the bike. And since it looks so "cute" you'll have to post a picture for us:D
 
dcrofty

dcrofty

Eats Squid
If you're feeling patriotic go Aussie and get a Craftworks Rail. Very tough.

Can be Downhilled (see pic), although the SS setup, hawaiian shirts and Hookworms are optional.
 

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Albertinho

Squid
Pebble said:
I did consider it but it became obvious that it's a dh/fr rig and too much bike for what I would do.
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Well I think it's actually more versatile, I'd say it can be used as an all-mountain bike too especially because the fork has ATA (120mm low travel setting). My Bigfoot and my mate's Manik (the '05 one with 170mm DO Triples!) can climb uphill on forest trails and keep pace with XC riders when there's no hurry, pedalling them just makes us very strong b@stards :D. That's what it's all about, it doesn't climb like an XC bike but it still climbs almost anywhere you want it to! I kind of became more powerful on XC races because of it, kicked butt on some power climbs that were hard before, with clenched teeth and evil grin instead of a suffer face. :cool: :D God I love that bike! :) But I have luck that I live next to a 1000m mountain...

Pebble said:
I say just enjoy your bigfoot, you will probably know when your ability is starting to outshine the bike. And since it looks so "cute" you'll have to post a picture for us:D
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Hehe... You can buy lots of bike goodies for a price of a measely peasely camera, that's why I still don't have one but I'll borrow it for a bike photosession!

And I think I figured the "cute looks" out... Manik, Rampage and Sasquatch look so hardcore because of a small frame on the pics, and I've been looking at big XC frames all my life so it looks like these bikes are 50% bigger when in pictures. And mine has a 18,5" frame so the rest of the bike doesn't look that big compared, hence it being so cute! :D
 
T

takai

Eats Squid
Im a big fan of the Scott YZ0 after the weekend, short and twitchy, just how i like it.


For the record, i lost it pretty majorly a split second after that photo. Landed on a rock which moved.... Not a scratch on the bike :p
 
Pebble

Pebble

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Albertinho said:
Well I think it's actually more versatile, I'd say it can be used as an all-mountain bike too especially because the fork has ATA (120mm low travel setting). My Bigfoot and my mate's Manik (the '05 one with 170mm DO Triples!) can climb uphill on forest trails and keep pace with XC riders when there's no hurry, pedalling them just makes us very strong b@stards :D. That's what it's all about, it doesn't climb like an XC bike but it still climbs almost anywhere you want it to! I kind of became more powerful on XC races because of it, kicked butt on some power climbs that were hard before, with clenched teeth and evil grin instead of a suffer face. :cool: :D God I love that bike! :) But I have luck that I live next to a 1000m mountain...
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Oh don't say that! I've already put a deposit down to secure the STP!
Seriously though, versatility was the reason I first looked at the Rampage, adjustable fork, nice components absolutely nothing I would have wanted to change (except the strokers for XT's).Absolutely bombproof frame.

In the end several factors influenced my decision. I'm not likely to do very agressive dh - too scared to go too fast, and I'm sure STP could handle it with my entire 65kg (well hoping to get that down to 60kg with more riding!). Weight wise the rampage wouldn't have been below 15kg, probably only half a kg lighter for '08 than before.
Throw a Pike U-Turn on the Stp 0 and it will be great for any riding I'll want to do with it. If I knew that I was going to enjoy mostly downhill along with other types of riding then I would have got the Rampage. But fact of the matter for me is that one of the kids will still be home most of the time, I'll probably have a job for the two days she's not and that leaves riding to every other week when my husbands home:( Apart from the potential to build jumps or trails on our newly acquired block of land, hopefully we can afford to build a house too.:) ). I'm going by the now, and the kind of riding I do now rather than speculate too much into the future, the wishful thinking and stuff that may or may not eventuate. Hah if we all had our way I'm sure we'd be riding the sweetest tracks every day of the week, and they would all be right near where we live too!
 
ya_frizz

ya_frizz

Likes Dirt
06 norco manik

ive got an 06 norco manik
its awsome it takes a beeting the back is stront and it has triples,
so its got a fare bit of travel,
its not to bad for jumping either
overal its a great bike
 
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