Hi

I need some advice on buying my first DH bike, there are some good deals out there at this time of the year. He are three of the bikes I am currently looking at, all are 2014. I am 6"1 and will need a large frame.

1. Scott Gambler 20. $3169 Obession bikes
2. Specialized Demo 8 1 $3499 Steed Cycles
3. Devinci Wilson XP $3699 Dunbar cycles

I see that the 2015 bikes are running with the 27.5 tire, like on the Giant Glory 2 which will be $3000. Should I get one of the three bikes from 2014 or wait and get a new 2015 with the tire size change. Any ideas and thoughts from everyone will be of great help!

Cheers

Paul

Do you plan on competing in elite level DH races with realistic podium expectations? Or is this bike to be used for shuttle and bike parks days as to not beat down your other ride?

All three '14 bikes should have better parts spec than the new Giant, and people will argue which is better.

If you had no issues with buying a used bike, there is a kitted out large Demo 8 in the buy[HTML_REMOVED]sell as of yesterday that warrants a serious look at.

Imo, all the bikes made today are good. Any of the ones you listed area good and plenty more to consider. The only real mistake you can make is buying a bike and asking it to do more than it was meant for. Want a dh great, use it for downhill, want a trail bike, use it for a/m trail riding. I realize not everyone can afford 2-3 bike or even 1 but as long as you buy a bike and use it for what it was meant for, what you buy doesn't really matter.

If you can't decide or they are all very similar, look at the parts (shocks, brakes, and other comps - check out the specs some reviews) and use that to factor in which is the best value in your price range.

I've ridden two of the three bikes on the list. I wasn't fond of the Demo, couldn't seem to get it balanced in the air, the Wilson is too far removed from memory, plus it was my first proper DH bike I rode. But I recall I liked it, good all-around. Tried to get on a Wilson again last year, no luck, went with a different bike altogether.

If you haven't ridden any of them, I'd go with the one with the best suspension components and wheels, so long as you know you have no plans (1-2yrs) of swapping out those parts.

Punky's given you some great advice. I'd only further ask, are you going to be doing Whistler DH? ie: Single-track AND flow trails?

If you want to spend a lot of time on the flow trails and are over 200 pounds I find I have to get the Wilson up to very high speeds and preload really hard on lips to get sendy. Mind you, I'm running it in the long mode (but I doubt it makes that much of a difference).

That said, I love the bike. That that said, I wouldn't stress over it too hard, any of those are going to be a blast.

The Shop you buy from is important. You'll be visiting a shop a lot and its great to get service thrown in for the year on a new bike.
You might want to consider a used bike for your first DH. It'll get beat down pretty good. Whistler Bike park is selling their fleet. Of course they'll be used, but you can grab one and sell it after a year or two.

From what I can discern, the 650b wheel on a "DH Race Bike" is a pure "DH Race" application. It will be faster in a race scenario, but they are harder to jump/pop/flick than a 26" DH style bike for the average rider. Besides, how often do you feel like you can't go fast enough on your 26" DH bike? Hell, most DH Race bikes are overkill for 90% of the people in the market, but with the death of "Freeride" it is hard to get any other bike that is applicable to what we are doing out there.

Summary: you'll be fine with a 26" wheel

Question for OP: Do you own any other bikes? If so, what are they and what wheel size are they?

I have a Devinci 29er hardtail, I think the 26" tire size will be fine. Just noticed that a lot of 2015 DH bikes are coming out in a 650b size.

myself if i owned a 29"ht and was looking for a 2nd bike it would not be a DH bike it would be a 160/180mm trail bike , now if i had the above and wanted to add another it would be a Gambler IMO

IMO, you shouldn't be focusing on the parts if they're all fairly similar. Focus on:

1 - The fit, primarily reach and stack but also the angles and even the saddle position. If you don't like the fit then you won't like the bike.

2 - The fork and shock. These are the most expensive bits to replace and can really dictate how a bike rides.

3 - The suspension design. Is there a particular suspension design that you prefer (better pedalling, better shock absorption, stiffness, …).

Everything else can be easily changed.

I'm also 6'1", and have spent a good amount of time on two of three bikes. The large Demo feels bigger than the Large Wilson, so keep that in mind. The Demo is a fantastic park bike, nimble, playful, likes to pop and get in the air, but I find I'm scrambling to hang on in big plow scenarios.

The Wilson is the opposite, super stable and comfortable at speed and plows, but feels a bit heavy and dead on the jump trails.

The Gambler seems like it's even more plow/race focused, given its 62 degree head angle, but can't say I have ever ridden one.