Pick Your Bike For Wildcat

[JTK37]

If you were to do the majority of your riding in Wildcat and the immediate surrounding area what style/type of bike would it be and why?

Fully Rigid
Hardtail
Full Sus. XC(100mm or so, Epic, Fuel, SB100),
Trail(130-150mm, SB130, Ripley, Fuel EX, Stumpjumper)
Long travel- 150mm+(Ripmo, Enduro, SB150)

 

[Soundguy]

I ride a long travel enduro there (and everywhere else) and it eats it up, but the climbing definitely takes its toll after a while. I think a trail bike in the 140-150mm range would be the sweet spot.

 

[pooriggy]

if
you were to do the majority of your riding in Wildcat and the immediate surrounding area

There is no one do all bike, but based on Wildcat and surrounding area trails I'd go trail bike, 130-150mm. If you ride for about 2hrs or more I'd lean toward 130 mm. If an epic ride is 1.5hrs long go towards the 150 mm range.
These are generalizations, ideally you want to demo a bike and get a feel for going up and down on a bike. We all want to go down, but like James Brown says...you gotta get up to get down!

 

[jklett]

@JimN

 

[JimN]

@JimN

Of those choices, trail bike

 

[mattybfat]

Ripmo is 147mm, just saying

 

[Patrick]

@scotth wants to know if the rigid bike is SS.

 

[Jmann]

I ride a 140mm hardtail. It rides great for everything except for new way down. I can’t quite plow through the rocks as fast as I would like, but maybe when I get cushcore that will change. I’m an outlier as I just don’t like the way full sus climbs or reacts in certain scenarios.

 

[JTK37]

Ripmo is 147mm, just saying

Probably the most capable 147mm. But I like to round

 

[mattybfat]

Probably the most capable 147mm. But I like to round

Yeah you had it in the 150+ so I thought I say hey. It feels like much more when the hits happen but climbs like a much less travel bike.

 

[serviceguy]

Missing the most obvious (to me) choice:

- stay at home (comfy couch)

you’re welcome.

 

[extremedave]

Although I voted trail, my rigid fatbike was an absolute weapon today. Really depends on the route. Ames Super D, Oreland and New Way Down definitely squish.

 

[JTK37]

Not gonna lie, I was really hoping everyone would point to an XC bike. I'm really digging the upcoming Epic EVO, assuming it's a much more sprightly climber than the Stumpjumper I'm on. A little subliminal reinforcement of a purchase I don't really need.

 

[Santapez]

I'm not sure where my 120mm bike fits into the above survey. So confused.

 

[pooriggy]

I'm not sure where my 120mm bike fits into the above survey. So confused.

I'd like the think my skillz make up for mm.?

 

[Patrick]

I'd like the think my skillz make up for mm.?

???

truer words are rarely spoken.

 

[A Potted Plant]

I do it on a hard tail, old bike was 120 new bike is 150, if you let me pick from a stable not at my expense it would be FS <150

 

[John Baumann]

Not gonna lie, I was really hoping everyone would point to an XC bike. I'm really digging the upcoming Epic EVO, assuming it's a much more sprightly climber than the Stumpjumper I'm on. A little subliminal reinforcement of a purchase I don't really need.

I've ridden my Superfly there including Fugawe for several years quite satisfactorily. Still do once in a while, but I now prefer my Fuel EX.

 

[extremedave]

Not gonna lie, I was really hoping everyone would point to an XC bike. I'm really digging the upcoming Epic EVO, assuming it's a much more sprightly climber than the Stumpjumper I'm on. A little subliminal reinforcement of a purchase I don't really need.

Get what you want and enjoy it. There was a guy who did some wildcat Wednesdays on a rigid SS. It's not so much travel as geometry. People are picking big bikes cause when sh@t gets real up there it's nice to have a little extra head angle to maybe keep you from deeth.

 

[JTK37]

Get what you want and enjoy it. There was a guy who did some wildcat Wednesdays on a rigid SS. It's not so much travel as geometry. People are picking big bikes cause when sh@t gets real up there it's nice to have a little extra head angle to maybe keep you from deeth.

Sometimes I just feel like the Stumpy is too cumbersome in the tight stuff and slow to climb(100% rider). It's really been great in the rough and descending. It's entirely my lack of skills, but new toys always make up for that