upgrading the DH bike

^ definitely good to note before you buy.

I have the 2015 Kona Process 153 and also bought a 2015 Kona Operator. As a result, my pedal bike had a longer reach, shorter stem, and bigger wheels. It felt awful going to my DH bike with a longer stem, shorter reach, and smaller wheels. I got rid of the Operator for the biggest aluminum 27.5 DH bike I could find used, which ended up being the demo.

If I could do it again, I would buy the Commencal 27.5 with the high idler pulley, brand new. I'd like the warranty on the frame and brakes.

Hey Cheez1ts! I was just wondering that exact thing...I took my 2015 process153 with vivd coil shock to Whistler and absolutely loved riding it there, but I could feel the wear and tear increasing and there were sections a little more weight and travel would have been preferrable - I'm on the side of fun park not DH sled.

SO I'm wondering what's around that has the same playfulness, razor tracking and pop but with a little more burly? Was it a huge issue moving to the 26 wheels as I was looking at some used Entourages for a steal or older Operators

I personally am not a fan of the bigger wheels on the DH bike. I seem to like to be really low over the back wheel, and the extra travel brings the wheel up higher than my process. As a result I have to change my riding style slightly. I’d have a 26” park bike if I could finding something with enough reach for my liking. If you’re on a Smaller sized process, maybe a size-up operator would work. It’s  not the same same suspension platform though.

Your thougts on the larger wheels is interesting. I just picked up a commencal supreme with 650b for my son. We bought it to replace his supreme 24 that he grew out of. Initial thoughts are that he is a lot faster on his new bike. We haven't hit any gnarly tech with it yet, but I'm curious how he is going to like the larger frame and wheels.

The chain routing is really cool, and overall Commencal makes a really nice bike. Hopefully they have demos at crankworx this year.

Even the fastest pros seem to struggle with it, check for tire marks in areas you don't really want a tire mark:

Hahahahaha!

That is awesome to see. Funny thing, I've been talking to tech folks at crankworx this past week and the seat combined with rear travel make for a perfect spot to have conflicts. Add in a larger wheel, and that's even more trouble.

I secured a Commencal 29 Supreme DH for friday. Finally, I get to demo one of these awesome bikes.

Too bad I have to let it go, as I'm doing the on trail SRAM tuning seminar at the same time. Too many cool things to squeeze in this month.

Demo'ed a 27.5" dh bike last summer in the bike park & knew then my next downhill bike purchase had to be a 26. Ended up buying an older Wilson, which was the last year they offered a 26" frame. That extra little bit is crucial for me for the steeps.

Good call. 

I think today is going to be day 28 or 29 in the park for me. Having the dh bike has been a game changer. It has at least 25 days on it while the patrol takes up the rest. I don't know if I would be able to put in so much time up there without the dh bike.

6+ days of WBP/season IMO is where the need for a DH bike comes in.

I wince riding my trail bike in the park outside of TOTW/Creekside laps where it's a bit softer. Definitely looking forward to getting a DH bike again in 5 or 6 years when the kid is old enough to try the park. They better still be making them then!

hypa what did you think of the 29er?

Posted by: grambo

I wince riding my trail bike in the park outside of TOTW/Creekside laps where it's a bit softer. Definitely looking forward to getting a DH bike again in 5 or 6 years when the kid is old enough to try the park. 

I'm also hoping my offspring will be park ready in the next 3'ish years. I was close to bringing one up this year after I bought a Macride, but then my common sense took over.

I just recently started looking into a DH/park bike for the first time and pretty amazed at some of the deals available in this space especially if you're willing to consider 26's still. I've moved on from my Range 29 which while I quite enjoyed it was plenty of bike for the ~5 days of park riding I do a year, but then I also barely touch it the rest of the year for local rides as I'm a hardtail guy. While it would be nice conceptually to have a big bike that I could ride locally, I've come to terms that with where my lifestyle is at right now and for the next few years, I really don't need  a FS bike locally.

My 14yo and I have had park passes for 2 yrs now both with DH bikes. He is outgrowing his and is now pushing hard for a single wicked bike versus 2 good ones (DH plus trail bike). I dont think that we will get park passes next year so maybe a fancy enduro will serve him ok as multipurpose.

UFO, when your kid does get to the park Im warning you that once 13/14 hits, that they improve so much every single day. The time has come where we often split up for laps and meet at the bottom - the kid goes to rip the Dirt pro lines and the other nutty air lines, and I do tech.....thats my preference but they advance so crazy fast at that age it is mind blowing. Its been a WONDERFUL two years riding with that kid - we spend so much time on bike together its become quite special to me. Enjoy it when your time comes

Posted by: Ddean

My 14yo and I have had park passes for 2 yrs now both with DH bikes. He is outgrowing his and is now pushing hard for a single wicked bike versus 2 good ones (DH plus trail bike). I dont think that we will get park passes next year so maybe a fancy enduro will serve him ok as multipurpose.

UFO, when your kid does get to the park Im warning you that once 13/14 hits, that they improve so much every single day. The time has come where we often split up for laps and meet at the bottom - the kid goes to rip the Dirt pro lines and the other nutty air lines, and I do tech.....thats my preference but they advance so crazy fast at that age it is mind blowing. Its been a WONDERFUL two years riding with that kid - we spend so much time on bike together its become quite special to me. Enjoy it when your time comes

#goals

First he's gotta learn to walk and hang onto the bars so I can get a Macride and strider bike haha.