Paint Fast, Ride Slow
An Ode to Impracticality
I bought a brand new downhill bike the day before my local bike park opened for ski season. A friend immediately messaged me, saying I should have bought an e-bike instead.
Apparently e-bikes climb really well; you can go up anything. My DH bike does not. I will be pushing it, a lot. Apparently e-bikes are great grocery getters. They allow you to eliminate cars from your day-to-day life. My DH bike will not. I will continue riding my drop bar bike to get around. Downhill bikes are basically dead. There’s no point in buying one when you can just buy an enduro bike that’s as capable as DH bikes from just a few years ago, but pedals to the top, and doesn’t make you feel like a poser when you ride it with a half shell.
E-bikes are really cool and DH bikes are passé. I am not really cool. I’m an illustrator in a world of AI images. I think this DH bike and I will get along just fine.
I try to be pretty rational about my bike choices. I do my research, consume plenty of reviews, read between the lines of geometry and kinematics charts, and try to figure out how market trends are going to affect my resale value. But I’ve come to understand that, for me at least, new bike day is driven as much by the ideal self that my ego imagines, as it is by any logical thought.
Not to project, but it sure seems like that holds true for a lot of other riders. “Downcountry” bikes are in part popular because they let our legs feel as strong as we imagine them. Gravel bikes help us capture that feeling of anything-sorta-goes adventure. Enduro bikes make us feel better at both climbing and descending than we used to be. E-bikes give us the range, climbing ability, and endurance we think we should have.
But I bought a DH bike. Because the “me” I most relate to on a mountain bike, the perception of myself that gets me most excited is the 15-year-old kid who moved quickly from his first hardtail mountain bike to a 2008 Giant Glory 0. Some riders’ good old days involved a lot of pedaling, big vistas, lap after lap of climbs and descents. Mine involved a skinny teen walking a 45-pound DH bike back up for another hit on sketchy jumps on Moscow Mountain.
The Glory had 200mm in the rear. 180mm up front, with the travel adjust knob all the way out (mine had a tendency to rotate in as I rode, so I wrapped it with tape to keep the Bomber 66 at full travel). Kenda Nevegal and Blue Groove tires, narrow bars, front derailleur that didn’t work, rear derailleur that sorta worked. Code brakes that were most effective as a turkey call. Big old hole in the downtube that the shock stuck through.
I bought it from a sketchy guy who claimed Shawn White gave it to him (I still worry that it was stolen). I did not own a shock pump, never swapped the spring, never tuned anything. I blew the shock in practice before the Moscow Arms Race. I got bucked by its uncontrolled rebound in the primary heckling area, rode a nose wheelie for an improbable distance, and ran into a tree.
The closest to maintenance I got was occasionally WD-40ing all the moving parts and then wiping them down with chainsaw bar and chain oil.
That bike and I went through a lot of firsts together. First double, first real drop, first real jump line, first day at a bike park, first rock roll, first bike race, first concussion, first quasi-legal trail building, first sick homemade edit.
Home painted Red Bull helmet, but with sparkly unicorns instead of bulls, Carhartt pants, flannel shirt, old basketball shoes stuck to white pedals with the paint flaking off. I never pedaled it, and didn’t really shuttle much either. Instead I’d hike straight back up the DH trails, sessioning jumps and roots.
I sold it in 2013. Lord, I miss that bike.
My peers are buying e-bikes now. They seem to like them. My last two bikes have been enduro bikes that I’ve tried to convince myself were basically pedalable DH bikes. And they were fine, more than fine. But man, I love looking down at a direct mount stem, shifting through a tight-range road cassette, launching into the unknown, trusting my travel more than my ability. So when I had the disposable income and the itch for New Bike Day, I bought a DH bike. It’s made out of metal. It doesn’t have very much paint on it. It has more travel than I know what to do with. I love it.
Maybe someday I’ll buy an e-bike, or maybe someday I’ll convince a brand to trade me one for a whole bunch of art. But for now, I want a DH bike. I want to go big and erase braking bumps and ignore service intervals and run party trains with my friends.
I guess e-bikes are the future. I don’t look down on them or hate the folks who ride them. But man, I just got this DH bike, wanna come sit on it and marvel at how squishy it is, and how chunky the 40 looks from above as we wait for the snow to melt? Yeah, I’m gonna hit some sweet jumps on this thing.
Comments
TristanC
1 year, 1 month ago
I believe that is the greatest series of "only pictures of my new bike," that has ever been taken.
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Cy Whitling
1 year, 1 month ago
This whole trip and sequence were just really serendipitous.
- Buy DH bike the day the ski hill opens, for skiing
-Convince my partner and her friend that we should go to the only place with DH bike worthy riding within 9 hours of home
-Realize that spending a month off the bike has made me totally unprepared to hit anything
-Nice high school kids encourage me to send one of the biggest jumps I've ever hit, and take nice pictures of it
-I bail cleaner than I've ever bailed before in my life.
Sometimes the stars align.
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Mammal
1 year, 1 month ago
10/10 bail. Outstanding.
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Mammal
1 year, 1 month ago
After further review, it's even more outstanding that between the 4th and 5th frame, the bike has contacted the front side of the landing lip, and bounced back to almost the exact same position. Absolutely amazing.
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Velocipedestrian
1 year, 1 month ago
Went back to look, and saw the dust cloud from the bounce. Good spotting.
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Mike Ferrentino
1 year, 1 month ago
Beautiful.
e-bikes can suck it.
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Stihlgoin
1 year, 1 month ago
Wholeheartedly concur. (Both points)
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Dave_its_just_a_bike
1 year, 1 month ago
This piece is awesome! As the world shifts to video content, I find myself missing the written word and stories about riding a bike (instead of stories about a bike). The illustrations are amazing as well, lending a light-hearted fuzzy memory vibe. Please more content like this.
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Pete Roggeman
1 year, 1 month ago
We agree, Dave! The written word is safe here.
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Agleck7
1 year, 1 month ago
I want a DH bike
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MTB_THETOWN
1 year, 1 month ago
Wonderful read and paintings. If I wanted something practical, I wouldn't mountain bike at all. Where would the fun be in that?
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Cr4w
1 year, 1 month ago
I too love an expensive bike that sucks as transportation and can't reasonably be locked up anywhere. In hindsight I've structured my entire life to accommodate this peculiar love.
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Karl Fitzpatrick
1 year, 1 month ago
Excellent article.
Whatever you do, someone else is gonna call you silly.
You do you. Be yourself. Spark your own joy, learning to love yourself is the greatest love of all etc.
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Morgan Heater
1 year, 1 month ago
To be completely honest, I want ALL the bikes. What's more impractical than that?
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DanL
1 year, 1 month ago
Exactly the same reasons I bought a DH bike when I had the money. Because.
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ShawMac
1 year, 1 month ago
In 2021, after the bike park closed, age 41, I bought the first DH Bike I have ever owned. A 2018 GT Fury Garbo, ex rental, but very well maintained. The reason? I had yet to own a "big bike", and eventually I am going to be too old to put one to good use. Last winter I lovingly stripped every bolt and axle out of the bike and built it back from scratch.
I have big dreams, stupid dreams, like maybe racing in the old man class of the Stevie Smith DH. I don't care if I am last, but it will make me feel like I am doing what I should have done in my 20s. Those events sound so much fun.
Does it make sense to purchase a DH bike in a town with limited shuttling, and not much time to go to Whistler? No it doesn't at all. But shit is it fun when I do take it out.
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Cy Whitling
1 year, 1 month ago
My favorite part of all of this, is that I get to hear about everyone else's stories behind why they have, or want to have DH bikes!
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Mammal
1 year, 1 month ago
I'm 43 and haven't raced anything in 15 years... I'll see you at Mt. Washington for the SSM DH;)
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ShawMac
1 year, 1 month ago
I was thinking of putting together a team name. OFD Racing.. (Old Fat Dad)
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Mammal
1 year, 1 month ago
I'm not a dad, and I've got a buddy who'd likely demand that I joined his pseudo-team, but I'm definitely down for a couple adult beverages and a good chin-wag and about sending our old carcasses over questionable terrain.
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Cy Whitling
1 year, 1 month ago
You're all also cordially invited to join my team, we even have jerseys!
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ShawMac
1 year, 1 month ago
I was checking out your artwork yesterday. Nice! The upside down number plate is a nice touch.
KavuRider
1 year, 1 month ago
I had one of these too! 2008 Giant Glory 1. Roco shock, 66RCV fork (absolutely terrible). Clanky heavy tank of a bike. Size small (I usually ride a modern large). Ex-rental, so it was already pretty blown out.
I loved that bike! Rode it everywhere. I had one of my fastest runs down a local hill on it, completely left my buddies behind.
Love the article and the illustrations! Thank you for inspiring a trip down memory lane.
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Mammal
1 year, 1 month ago
The resonates, right to the core. I spent the bulk of my 20's working away for the sole purpose of racing DH bikes through the summer. When I begrudgingly went to post-secondary after getting about as far as I could with DH racing, I still kept the last race bike I had, but began a new chapter of increased exploration on trail bikes. It's all I had time for, and presented something new. And explore I did, riding zones all over the Island, trips with mainland friends to Tenquille, Chilcotins, 7 Summits. I convinced myself that DH bikes were dead, I was much better without the lift lines and bro-fests that came with the pure gravity side of the sport
Then I eventually moved to the mainland, joining the same friends I'd spent racing summers with, and found out some of them are still keeping the flame burning. Enough exposure that I hauled that 2007 Norco DH out of the closet, and found the finest/cheapest/most current used frame that I could bolt most of my parts to. Turns out the last 26" Aurum was surprisingly current, aside from chain stay length and wheel size, and affordable. The flame was lit, but I needed to appease my practical side, this 3rd mtb had to fit the budget.
Weekly shuttle/bbq days, the odd day or 5 at Whistler, boys trips out to Merritt, the fire was now well past the incipient stage. It turns out that I just love smashing proper terrain with dedicated DH weapons, there's no other feeling like it for me. Right back to my 20's, every time. Eyes always on the buy'n'sell for the next affordable 2.0 update, this past holiday season brought me a '16 Aurum Carbon frame, again, most of my stuff swaps over. It's perfect. Fit and performance leave nothing to be desired. My time portal to 25yo me.
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IslandLife
1 year, 1 month ago
I just went to the Buy/Sell to look at DH bikes... hmm, that 2015 Giant Glory DH for $1200 is pretty tempting...
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Bagheera
1 year, 1 month ago
Yeah, I had the 2009 version of that same bike. Can't say I miss it, really, but then, I DID pedal it uphill, all 21.5kg of it. The paintjob was kinda cool, though. Looked like a tank, rode like a tank. Even had it with me for my only stay in Whistler...
Great pictures and great read, as usual.
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Cy Whitling
1 year, 1 month ago
Yeah, 16 year old me thought that paint job was really cool. It wasn't a pretty bike, but something about that square down tube and almost anodized looking graphics gave it a rad industrial vibe.
And yes, a tank. Before the days of pump tracks in every town I'd go ride the whoops section of the local CX course over and over again on the Glory, such a workout.
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PowellRiviera
1 year, 1 month ago
Amen, this was a pleasure to read.
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Cam McRae
1 year, 1 month ago
Loved this piece Cy! Looking forward to working with you more!
This makes me wish I had never sold my demo 10 years ago.
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danithemechanic
1 year, 1 month ago
Cy, your article couldn't have better timing.
Most of my cycling experience has been done on bikes that were deemed unpopular at the time i bought them, but didn't really work any different than the ones in fashion.
The time has come and i'm ready to get my first downhill bike!
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bushtrucker
1 year, 1 month ago
As someone who thinks they're too old go get into DH riding this makes me think again. Great read!
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UFO
1 year, 1 month ago
Quality DH bikes of yesteryear are available at rock bottom pricing. I picked myself up a fantastic Knolly Podium last year, but unfortunately broke my foot before getting a chance to put some laps in.
For my intents and purposes, my rideable terrain hasn't really changed over the past 10 years so this first proper DH bike I've owned will serve just fine for the next 10 years to usher me into my 50's
26 for life!
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Mammal
1 year, 1 month ago
I've bought a dirt cheap but brand new 26" Aurum frame in 2017 (6-year warranty!), and have been happily ripping it since, but with a 27.5 fork/wheel up front. Small rear wheel but really good geo. I just found a dirt cheap 2016 Aurum carbon frame to slap my parts on, so it would appear the 27.5 DH bikes are coming into the cheap now.
No better time to buy a DH bike.
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chacou
1 year, 1 month ago
Currently shopping for a metal 27.5 DH bike, kicking myself for selling one 2 years ago. It's my 40th year, some people buy eBikes for "mid-life crisis", I'd rather have a DH bike (keeps my daily driver enduro bike in better condition)
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Ryan Donnelly
1 year, 1 month ago
Great piece Cy! I ordered a shirt and print from you in maybe 2017? And now I've been enjoying seeing your illustrations and stories on one of my favourite websites right now. Appreciate the story.
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[email protected]
1 year, 1 month ago
As someone who deeply appreciates classics and prefers to learn the method before buying an easier experience I can honestly say that all I want is a DH bike - alas I don't live in a place where I would use it much :(
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rossp
1 year, 1 month ago
Love it. As a fellow middle aged dad, my full on DH bike days are pretty much in the past, but I keep that impracticality vibe going with a 2 seater car.
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