Well Shenzhe, you're absolutely right, everyone was basically under-biked in the old days, bike's really didn't start "coming of age" I think until about the mid 2000s and then what I consider good in the early 2010s by forward thinking companies.
Having "decent" geo is one thing, but, I think you're over biking if you buying a "Trail" bike that has a HTA slacker than most Downhill bikes, and almost as much travel, to me that's a big red flag. I think that a 66-67 degree HTA for most riders, on most terrain is more than sufficient to make the bike safe and capable enough to make it down even gnarly stuff, IF, you have the skill and/or put in the work to acquire the skill. But people don't want to put in the work/take the time, they want to start MTBing now and ride the same stuff that the guy from work, who's been riding for years is riding and so they grab one of those "sweet" new "Trail" bikes with 150mm+ travel, 76> degree STA, <65 degree HTA, Reach someone 6" taller should be riding, with 2.6" super sticky rubber and off they go.
As to your comment above, I don't seem to be able to reply directly to it, so I'll just put my response here....Yes I was talking about people who aren't even close to having the skill/competence for the more advance trails trying to ride them, not someone almost there and looking to progress.
March 17, 2022, 5:06 p.m. - Lynx .
Well Shenzhe, you're absolutely right, everyone was basically under-biked in the old days, bike's really didn't start "coming of age" I think until about the mid 2000s and then what I consider good in the early 2010s by forward thinking companies. Having "decent" geo is one thing, but, I think you're over biking if you buying a "Trail" bike that has a HTA slacker than most Downhill bikes, and almost as much travel, to me that's a big red flag. I think that a 66-67 degree HTA for most riders, on most terrain is more than sufficient to make the bike safe and capable enough to make it down even gnarly stuff, IF, you have the skill and/or put in the work to acquire the skill. But people don't want to put in the work/take the time, they want to start MTBing now and ride the same stuff that the guy from work, who's been riding for years is riding and so they grab one of those "sweet" new "Trail" bikes with 150mm+ travel, 76> degree STA, <65 degree HTA, Reach someone 6" taller should be riding, with 2.6" super sticky rubber and off they go. As to your comment above, I don't seem to be able to reply directly to it, so I'll just put my response here....Yes I was talking about people who aren't even close to having the skill/competence for the more advance trails trying to ride them, not someone almost there and looking to progress.