This video brought me back to GMBN. I stopped watching after countless videos of presenters just doing moderately difficult stuff around the woods. It was neither extreme riding nor regular mountain biking. It was mostly mucking about or lap times. This video above isn't great, but I'll stick around if they'll be doing more XC content, particularly if it covers the 'epic long ride' element of XC rather than the 'how fast can I blast through my local woods' element, which is already covered by a lot of their 'trail riding' content. If you're looking for other youtube XC content, I can recommend BKXC, if you like first-person camera.
Even as a seasoned xc racer who is pretty fast on the downhills, I changed to a dropper post this season and it has transformed my riding, and taken it to a whole new level, even If I am not that much faster, it helps me recover on the downhills and be fresher for the uphills.
Oh that brings back memories. Can you do another run old school with 560mm handlebars, 135mm stem, 60mm travel on the front and nothing on the rear? And yes, rim brakes only of course. What do you think? Challenge accepted?
I've ridden several major trails on a full-suspension XC bike without a dropper like the Barr Trail off Pikes Peak Colorado, Ribbon Trail in Grand Junction, the Whole Enchilada in Moab, and the Tahoe Rim trail. I started mountain biking in the early 90's when there were no such thing as a dropper post and had cantilever brakes. My XC now is better than what most DH bikes were back then.
Boy do I need this....I've been riding my XC bike for 2 months while my Enduro is in the shop. I had 3 crashes this weekend....perfect timing....well, actually this is 2 months late
@@ellislowry6646 That was the plan. They had the shock at the beginning of last week, but they could not install it. If I didn't have a service plan with them, I'd find another shop.
I just love fast light XC bikes, really good for training. My is the Track Supercaliber and as a motorcycle rider all I want is speed up and down the trails.
I do all my DH on a Scott Scale 740 and I love it. I must confess though, I run Minion DHF & DHR II, dropper, 25mm rise bars, 60mm stem, 180mm f disc & metal pads on single pots.... all this keeps me honest on the trails
I don't even think my Claud Butler CBR 1000 has anywhere close to a 100 mm of travel on the front forks. used to have two seats for it as you cant drop the seat due to the frame set up. A modern XC bike will run rings around it. I bought the old girl in 1998. After 22 years I am thinking it may be time to upgrade it for something nice and new.
Alternatively they could do one, is a modern geo gravel bike(think Salsa Cutthroat with or with out the optional 80-100mm sus option) a late 90-early 00s XC bike?
Nadav Stein Yeah but the posture is too much agresive, the seat is literally in his chest. Having the opportunity to change it to a dropper post and have a better posture is the right choice
You need some guts to do those down hill sections without a dropper. I'm so addicted to dropper posts at this point that I would almost put it on my trekking bike as well. And it's all GMBN's fault of course as I had no idea they existed before (thank you!). As somebody said long ago: I'd rather take an hard tail with dropper than full sus with a rigid post
LOL......I was thinking the same thing. I still ride my '87 Jamis Dakota this way; seat in the stomach. But now also have a more modern Jamis Dakar Sport, and have been wondering if I should step into the modern world and get a dropper.
ToddM do it man. Droppers are the greatest invention for increasing the fun of riding ever. And they make descending safer too. - PNW Rainier weighs 575 g. A Raceface Next Carbon is 250 g. That’s 325 g or .71 lbs difference of non-rotation, sprung weight, which is not as bad as adding rotational or unsprung weight. Unless you’re an elite racer who counts every g of their bike and body where that matters, IMO the weight gain is worth it.
ToddM my first ride was a Mongoose Hilltopper in 1990. Upgraded to XT everything soon as I could afford to after my first race. Hit Moab on that rig. Got a Santa Cruz Bronson in 2018 after getting back into in after 15 year layoff. If you ever bmx’d back in the 80s you gotta demo one of these new slack, like 150mm travel bikes. They allow you to play like on a bmx yet climb and pedal all day like a mountain bike.
@@dadventuretv2538 Thanks for the advice. I'm 57 and an avid distance/trail runner, training year round on the same trails I've started riding. I have a pretty strong climbing game, so I'm not concerned about the weight of components. First upgrade on this bike was to get rid of the SPD clipless pedals (after trying them out for a couple weeks) and go to FiveTens and flat pedals. That alone transformed the experience for me. I can see where a dropper would be a cool trick.
ToddM sweet- so cool you can still run in your late 50s. I used to love trail running but it has pretty much come to an end for me as of a couple years ago. I think 25 years of Rugby and other abuse and the multiple injuries and surgeries have finally started to catch up to me now in my late 40s. I got tired of something always hurting during every run. Lol. Luckily mtb’ing doesn’t bother me. I’m with you on flats- flats all the way. Flats and a dropper = hella fun on the trail. Feel like you’re 15 again!! 🤘 Aww man- I just saw your channel- some great vids but Im most jelly about Rim to Rim run. I hiked it (north to south, stayed at Phanton Ranch) and was hoping to run it in a day, but that dream is over. Still thinking of a fast hike in a day sometime. We’ll see. Being on the east coast I have to plan to get out there which with work is just an added complication. I’ll have to check out some of your other vids- they look cool. Keep up the great work.
I have both. On a typical XC trail, honestly... it doesn't make a huge difference. Yeah, the full sus is smoother over the rough and handles rock gardens a bit better. But, the hardtail really isn't all that much worse. Now, if you're talking double black diamond technical stuff... why would you want to ride an XC bike there? Do you drive a Ferrari on an OHV trail? Use the right tool for the job.
Ngl I needed this! Was planning to go to my local trails and ride them with the seatpost on the optimal height since I always put them a bit lower for the trails 😅 More videos on tips on how to ride XC or without dropper posts please!!!
Update: ended up lowering my seatpost just because i didn't feel confident with my handling skills 😅 Guess it's time for me to say goodbye to casually racing XC in the future 🤣
I have a 26"×1.90 wheels on my 2010 hardtail with a 80mm entry level... Guys I went through hell with that bike. It needs more attention and focus but we can have a lot of fun even on an hardtail!
my downhill solution...quick release seat post. Slam it at the top and go. I can still sit and pedal well enough no weight penalty, yeah I have to stop and put it down and up but I am often climbing up a mountain road and back down and if it is just short transitions I will just leave it up (or down as it may be)
Yeah baby!! GMBN are doing xc videos again. IMHO for way too long it was enduro, jumps and shredding. Give us more on riding xc and short tavel bikes. More for the riders who keep their wheels on the ground.
Fought the idea of a dropper for years. A fixated clavical and unreal medical bill changed all that. Amazing how fast you can turn with wimpy xc tires when you lower the center of gravity and weight on that outside pedal. I'll take the weight all day long!
Last weekend at an XC race, part of the DH course was used... LUCKILY, I rode a dual crown down the said trail for two weeks before the race. It was because of that, I won the expert class with my descending skills and knowledge of the course. From one end of the spectrum (DH) to the other (XC). Point is....remember to stay well rounded out there guys! Making fun of his spandex and XC when these guys could probably rip your face off going DH too!
No dropper and lycra shorts is fine and works. No dropper and loose trail shorts doesnt work as the crotch can catch much easier on the back of the saddle!
Thanks for this video, it was very helpful.. Please teach us in XC: how to use front and rear brake.. How to climb.. How to choose a better line to pass a rockgarden.. and finally.. Which skills on the bike do you have to develop for practice XC? Regards from Chile 🇨🇱👍
Nope, sorry. Descending is only a small part of the overall ride, usually. On the flats and climbs the seat post height can make a PROFOUND difference in whether you keep your speed on the flats, make it up the climb, or run out of steam and your legs start on fire. I find that even a fraction of an inch in saddle height can make a big, big difference. Honestly, I keep the seat as high as is reasonable (just on the verge of rocking hips when peddling). You get so much better power and leverage on the uphills. It's a trade-off, really. Yeah, the seat way up is going to make the downhills uncomfortable sometimes, but with practice, you get used to it. Besides, (depending on the course) speed on the flats and extra leverage in the climbs cuts times more than a bit faster descents. At least for me and the trails I ride. But then, I do lots of trails with tons of pretty steep, extended uphills and swooshy not too technical downhills most of the time. I don't ride XC bikes on double black diamonds--that's not what they are designed to do. That's for a DH or trail bike.
Alright, for all the xc people out there. Does the weight of a dropper actually matter? Like do you feel it on your climbs? A riding buddy of mine who is a xc racer literally just broke his carbon seatpost downhilling a local flow trail when he landed a jump. Still won't take a dropper because of weight. I am legit curious if the weight is worth being comfortable and fast on the descents. I would argue that the weight doesn't matter on the climbs because ya'll are fit as hell. And no matter good you are on the bike, a dropper will make you more comfortable and flat out faster coming down.
On the first rides with a dropper post, long climbs and poor fitness you will note the weight. However it doesn't matter after a few rides and de benefits are much more than the weight penalty
Been riding XC the last 20years.. never had a dropper post... u just need to shift yr weight behind yr seat when going downhill.. no traction needed on the front wheel.
@@christocr I come from Holland and ride a hard tail. On vacation in Germany, Austria and Italy this is what I have. And I get down most of trails faster and safer then lots of full DH bike riders.
Thanks. Please. Please. Please. More down hill & additional skills on a cross country. I'm not buying another bike unless I break my cross country. I don't want to break my cross country. Take care & thanks again.
Feel pretty happy descending on my XC bike, but I have the bars about the same height as the saddle so I don't get the OTB feeling too much (do on my gravel bike though!).
@@sebastiankmec472 They are decently strong, but once it gets even a hairline fracture, they can easily break. I've had my Scott scale 910 (carbon hardtail) for almost a year now and its been great. So, yes they can take a beating, but as soon as the slightest fracture is made, its terribly unsafe to ride.
My old XC bikes could have done the trails I do comfortably but I feel so much more confident with the geometry on my trail bike. And I'm really bad at riding so need that boost
Only bike I could afford was a XC hardtail with no dropper. I found, that any bike is good enough if you're a good enough rider. I did some idiotic jumps, which this bike was deff not designed for, holds up just fine.
Even with experience youve highlighted line choice is so difficult to gauge. I've ridden my regular route lots and have had to pass someone off-line and found it quicker or even lately at night with the lights its made me see different lines I'm amazed i never rode that line before..its not always the obvious line thats the fastest. Experiment with them. Cheers for the vid wish they were longer
it would be interesting to see a dropper v no dropper comparison - weight penalty v speed gain on descending - I think the benefits of a dropper is bigger than than the weight penalty
Didn't he once say that if he had a dropper on his bike he would be worried by how aggressive he would be able to be on it and he may not get it to the finish line in one piece! So effectively, he likes racing with a static post to 'hold him back'
Well... I have an very simple 29 XC bike and a 26 downhill bike. I really suggest to you guys, try an DH bike... The difference is night and day. EVERYTHING aside pedaling or climbing is wayyyyy better on dh bike.
A year ago I got into mountainbiking. Bought a 100mm hardtail, now I'm looking for an all-mountain, because these trails I ride wear down my bike too much.
Barzo is not an XC tyre. Neither Mezcal at the back. Having such aggressive tyres makes huge differences on the downhills, but are a chore to climb. Try these same downhills with Peyote or Terreno :)
You got your braking the wrong way around. You should be using 70-80% front and 20-30% rear. By applying more front brake you actually have much more traction on your front wheel because of the force planting your wheel into the trail. Your rear brake is used just before you enter the corner only and softly otherwise you lose too much momentum. The only time you going to go over the bars is not from when you brake on your front brake, but when you hit a ditch or an obstacle your wheel can’t clear, like a large rock or tree for example.
Wow! "Line Choice" must be really important since it it shown twice. (@3:41 and @ 4:47) As a teacher, I always found the best way to find my typos was to run off 150 copies of a test and then hand it out. Somebody will find your mental woopsie within 13.7 microseconds. I am now happily retired and don't miss having anyone (other than my wife) point out my idiocies.
I never use a dropper. People ask me why I’m so fast uphill, I just say it’s training hard and incredible genetics and unbelievable mental fortitude. Little do they know about what’s under my ass. Not a dropper :)
I went to finale Ligure with my epic full suspension bike and a lot of people gave me weird looks - like what are you doing here with 100m of travel here? 3 days of riding Finale Ligure trails and only few scratches on my rims and frame. It's doable.
Most people that want a bicycle capable of off road unknowingly want an xc but get sold a downhill and its ridiculous. XC is versatile enough unless your doing the discipline competitvely you can just experiment with tyres and maybe choose your lines more carefully, the latter of which adds to the fun as well especially with a hardtail. Fir p
You forgot the most important bit for descending fast on a light weight cross country bike: ride it like you stole it, the bike will handle more than you think. And then don’t complain when it breaks as it inevitably will.
Downhill on a xc bike would be an orange carrera vengeance which cost £200 brand new. With all the same parts apart from of course the brakes and tyres, fully chain less and still leaving pro riders in the dust🤙😁
Fellacious reasoning. If injecting copious amount of drugs and hormones into your body and being a sociopath is good enough for Lance Armstrong, it should be good enough for anyone!
@@HkFinn83 no reason to get butt hurt here. Point is that casual racer has no reason to think of a weight too much. May as well invest on better manouverability. Having lightest bike around may boost confidence tough.
I was scared going down hill on my Cross Country I felt super unstable felt like I was doing down hill on the back of a bull, that I may get bucked off the bike at any moment.
