DH "race" geo on the Shore?

How good or bad do the new trend of very slack very low bb DH bikes ride on the Shore.

Obviously a shuttle only rig, not talking about laps of Fromme.

Cypress and other steep trails.

I think low and slack are good on the shore, but the extremes of both(especially the low bb) don't provide the advantage here that they would elsewhere where the riding is faster and less technical. It also depends a lot on the skill of a rider - obviously dh race geo is not going to help someone who isn't capable of riding the bike fast on the technical trails we have up here. I found switcher to more of a race bike that it becomes a fair bit harder to ride technical trails slowly and I'd imagine this is amplified with the more extreme geometries some bikes now have. I'm currently on a shocker and I would like something a little bit lower, although I am pretty happy with the 64.5 headangle.

low and slack is fun for fast trails, but on cypress it sent my back wheel up in the air on some of the steep rocks a few times from hitting my bashguard on the upper lip of the rocks. this is on my Turner DHR

I find low and slack to be a detriment on nearly all the shore trails. Slack means slow turning at low speeds (Which some of you will argue until the end), and the low BB thing is just annoying. I understand the benefits and advantages of both slack and low, but on the shore, I think they are both a compromise that isn't worth it. That is of course my opinion and experience, so YMMV.

I have a Demo 7 and find it's better in the high BB setting. It gives me a 66* HA and just makes the slower bits easier and I don't find it bothers me at faster points in the trails. If I was going much faster I might switch to the lower BB setting.

I'm wondering about this too. I'm considering getting a DH bike next year, partly just because I've never had one and I want to try it. My current 7+7 FR bike works very well on the shore but I think a DH bike would be more fun when I'm going fawst (well, trying to at least). I too am curious if people find the 13.5" BBs a bit of a handful on the Shore. More opinions!

The geo I am thinking of is 63.5 ha and 13.5cm bb.

Bike would be a mate to a 160mm frame with 67ha and about 14cm bb. The AM 6x6 bike would serve Fromme duty.

13.5cm bb sounds a little too low shirk….. What bike are you looking at?

It definitely takes a different technique to ride a low bb bike on the shore. You have to be able to uncompress the bike to raise the bb up on steep rolls where you will bash otherwise. You also want to work on being able to use your momentum to keep your bashguard sliding forward instead of sticking when it hits things. I think running something made of plastic helps in this situation vs a metal bash.

The 2009 Norco Team DH I'm on is on the low and slacker end of the spectrum with a 64 degree head angle and a 13.5" BB height. I like the low BB, it makes the bike feel very planted on the trail. The low BB in combination with the slack head angle makes difficult sections seem easy.

Slow technical corners are more tricky than a steeper head angled bike.

I've ridden a number of different bikes on the Van. North Shore trails, and found on the more technical, slower trails that my Banshee Chaparral (with Totems) totally ruled and let me rip it up!

the worst bike I rode on the Shore was my Devinci Wilson, it was painful steering and wrestling that sledge through the tech (but it was awesome at Whistler, where the Chaparral was scary on A-Line, Freight Train and Dirt Merchant)

in addition to geometry, I'd say from my experience that the suspension plays a huge part in how the bike handles the steep, tech gnarlz with more progressive, firmer suspension with good rebound allowing more rider input and control

The geo I am thinking of is 63.5 ha and 13.5cm bb.

leave my frame alone.

64-65 degrees seems to be the magic area for headtube angles. Sub 14" bb seems a bit low for shore stuff.

Be aware of the advice. These would be the same people that tell you that 30" wide bars are amazing everywhere, especially on trails like too tight at wbp.

Note: I have wide bars, but they suck on many of the trails on the shore.

Be aware of the advice. These would be the same people that tell you that 30" wide bars are amazing everywhere, especially on trails like too tight at wbp.

he's seen the hand cast from that bit of advice. :cry:

Be aware of the advice. These would be the same people that tell you that 30" wide bars are amazing everywhere, especially on trails like too tight at wbp.
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Have a skinned knuckle to prove it…