I'd argue the opposite, for this reason: whatever the actual origin of the term (Ferrentino debunked the fact that it was a Levy invention - originally used decades ago), the modern conventional definition Mike Levy laid out was:
"short-travel, quick handling rigs with a large majority of their DNA coming from the cross-country family but with a clever component spec that adds to their descending and technical abilities without also adding too much weight"
Now, we don't have to hand the reins over to him or say that's the only definition, however that's what he wrote back in 2018. The lemmings in marketing departments everywhere glommed onto it, and that's where the confusion starts. Because now we have bike co's and component companies calling everything they can lay their hands on 'downcountry' and it's confusing as hell. Canyon's Spectral 125 was labeled a downcountry bike, but so was their Lux Trail. Those two bikes have nothing in common other than less than 130mm travel and the word Canyon on the downtube. People also want to call both Santa Cruz Blurs and Tallboys 'downcountry'. Once again, neither one fits that category definition and, to their credit, Santa Cruz does not use the term (btw Blur is definitely a XC race bike even in TR form, and Tallboy is a trail bike - weighs too much to be DC).
It's a vague enough term that its definition has been perverted by many to mean different things to different people. The reason I hate it is because it's causing confusion, which sucks for us in the media but even more for consumers.
July 22, 2022, 12:53 p.m. - Pete Roggeman
I'd argue the opposite, for this reason: whatever the actual origin of the term (Ferrentino debunked the fact that it was a Levy invention - originally used decades ago), the modern conventional definition Mike Levy laid out was: "short-travel, quick handling rigs with a large majority of their DNA coming from the cross-country family but with a clever component spec that adds to their descending and technical abilities without also adding too much weight" Now, we don't have to hand the reins over to him or say that's the only definition, however that's what he wrote back in 2018. The lemmings in marketing departments everywhere glommed onto it, and that's where the confusion starts. Because now we have bike co's and component companies calling everything they can lay their hands on 'downcountry' and it's confusing as hell. Canyon's Spectral 125 was labeled a downcountry bike, but so was their Lux Trail. Those two bikes have nothing in common other than less than 130mm travel and the word Canyon on the downtube. People also want to call both Santa Cruz Blurs and Tallboys 'downcountry'. Once again, neither one fits that category definition and, to their credit, Santa Cruz does not use the term (btw Blur is definitely a XC race bike even in TR form, and Tallboy is a trail bike - weighs too much to be DC). It's a vague enough term that its definition has been perverted by many to mean different things to different people. The reason I hate it is because it's causing confusion, which sucks for us in the media but even more for consumers.