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muddy_hollow
06-11-2010, 07:30 AM
What are the best trails to ride at Sugarbush for a novice mountain biker? Also, anyone got a recommendation on a full suspension bike?

gone.skiing
06-11-2010, 07:56 AM
For novice, VH traverse to reverse traverse and follow the road the whole way down (trail 1?). Even though it is a fire road, it is a ton of fun. Little park at the bottom is great for trying new things as well.

For bike unless you are planning to buy a downhill/freeride bike, I would recommend renting. I used to bring full suspension cross country bike up and ride it, but rental makes a huge difference. You can enjoy the ride rather trying to survive it.

PS: Atkinson's clinic would not be a bad investment if it is your first time up there for biking.

muddy_hollow
06-11-2010, 08:06 AM
For something like reverse traverse, do you need a Downhill bike? Aren't full suspension bikes the same?

HowieT2
06-11-2010, 08:49 AM
for downhill, I would try #18 to #8 which I believe is the one which is being lengthened to run from the top. Otherwise try the cross country trails off the gatehouse.
I regularly ride a dual suspension cross country bike and would ride it on those trails, but if you are thinking of riding any other downhill stuff, I agree, renting a true DH bike is the way to go. The CC bikes are too light. They can't handle the pounding and don't give you enough weight for braking and stability.
As for a recommendation, first see what kind of riding you are going to do with it. My regular riding at home calls for a CC bike because there is a lot of up with the downs, but the true DH stuff would kill cc bike.

gone.skiing
06-11-2010, 09:17 AM
For something like reverse traverse, do you need a Downhill bike? Aren't full suspension bikes the same?

If you are going to ride the chair, I would rent a downhill bike. The difference is like cross country skis and fat downhill skis. Slack head angle, fatter tires, hydraulic disk brakes = lots of fun. You would be riding faster and working less. You would be also more comfortable venturing into other trails as the day goes on.

You can absolutely ride a lot of stuff on cross country bike, it will just be more work and few extra emergency dismounts.

HowieT2
06-11-2010, 09:28 AM
For something like reverse traverse, do you need a Downhill bike? Aren't full suspension bikes the same?

If you are going to ride the chair, I would rent a downhill bike. The difference is like cross country skis and fat downhill skis. Slack head angle, fatter tires, hydraulic disk brakes = lots of fun. You would be riding faster and working less. You would be also more comfortable venturing into other trails as the day goes on.

You can absolutely ride a lot of stuff on cross country bike, it will just be more work and few extra emergency dismounts.

My CC bike has fat tires and hydraulic disc brakes. I think the difference is the weight and strength of the frame/components. I do recall going down the trail on domino last year and fearing for my life.

skibum1321
06-11-2010, 10:04 AM
For something like reverse traverse, do you need a Downhill bike? Aren't full suspension bikes the same?

If you are going to ride the chair, I would rent a downhill bike. The difference is like cross country skis and fat downhill skis. Slack head angle, fatter tires, hydraulic disk brakes = lots of fun. You would be riding faster and working less. You would be also more comfortable venturing into other trails as the day goes on.

You can absolutely ride a lot of stuff on cross country bike, it will just be more work and few extra emergency dismounts.

My CC bike has fat tires and hydraulic disc brakes. I think the difference is the weight and strength of the frame/components. I do recall going down the trail on domino last year and fearing for my life.
The biggest differences between a CC bike and a downhill bike are the geometry and the shocks/fork. DH bikes tend to have coil shocks which are super inefficient for climbing but absorb more on the downhills. CC bikes, on the other hand try to strike a balance between climbing efficiency, weight and absorption.

gone.skiing
06-11-2010, 01:01 PM
Here is a little video of the mentioned trails
http://vimeo.com/6998694

atkinson
06-11-2010, 03:21 PM
Good advice everyone, especially the part about taking a clinic. You'll learn more than you would in a season of riding alone, and you'll get a taste of a true DH bike. I have ridden my xc bike on some of the trails, but there is no comparison to the fun and safety of a DH rig.

John

TreeBandit
06-15-2010, 08:04 PM
It all depends on your goals. I have both CC and DH. I had my CC bike for many years before I moved up to a DH. As I feel it is important to learn good bike skills before you let a high end bike allow you to get into a difficult situation. When I ride my DH bike I take the lift ride up and I us platform pedals. When I CC I use clipless, also my DH bike is heavy and has 8 inches of travel which makes for a lot of work going up, but a whole lot of fun comming down (remember to lower your seat on the way down). If you going to do down hill my best advise is to invest in full body protection or at a minimum a full face helmet....one fall on the ledge and your wife will thank you, unless she takes out higher insurance.

I do agree before you fork over more than your first car on a new bike DH or CC, try some differnt bikes and trails to see what you really like.

Hawk
06-16-2010, 12:30 PM
For novice, VH traverse to reverse traverse and follow the road the whole way down (trail 1?). Even though it is a fire road, it is a ton of fun. Little park at the bottom is great for trying new things as well.

For bike unless you are planning to buy a downhill/freeride bike, I would recommend renting. I used to bring full suspension cross country bike up and ride it, but rental makes a huge difference. You can enjoy the ride rather trying to survive it.

PS: Atkinson's clinic would not be a bad investment if it is your first time up there for biking.

I totally agree with what GS says. Just one thing to add. People have different perceptions of what novice is. For the most part Sugarbush is not for Novices. I found this out when friends came up and decided to give it a whirl. They said "Ya we ride all the time" and went up on thier full suspension Jamis XC bikes. I tried to warn them but that was not an option. We did the suggested GS run for a warm up. Well about halfway down, the first one hit a water bar at speed and went sailing. Then on that sharp washed out corner at the merge where Murphys, Birdland and Jester all come together, the other one did a very dramatic bike separation. After that there were no more runs. The point is that if you haven't done it before you need to go very slow on the first run and get the lay of the land. Even the "Novice Trails" are challenging. Good luck!

vonski
06-16-2010, 02:41 PM
I pretty much almost died on a couple water bars on my XC full suspension bike on my first time. Full dismount over bars about 3-5 rolls, road rash, hole in helmet, blown out thumb ligaments. Lucky to be alive! :shock: Tried it one more time on a DH bike and I just cannot ride I decided. Sure is a lot steeper on bike than skis. :roll: and I was getting the benefit of my son getting an Atkinson lesson at the time, I would be dead if I did not have the lesson pretty sure of that!

ski_resort_observer
06-16-2010, 03:38 PM
Just wanted to add that this year we have a new fleet of Rocky Mountain bikes. Just a few of the kid's bikes are left to be put together, they look totally sweet.

The Skills for the Hills lesson program is not only a wise move for the beginning downhill mountain biker but it's a great value too. It cost the same as renting the bike and getting the lift tik on your own. So many people came back after and told us they were soooo glad they did the program. Even if your an experienced rider the coaches can really upgrade your skills.

Remember, this year the lift is spinning everyday from June 25th to Labor Day, probably weekends after that but that can change.

atkinson
06-16-2010, 10:13 PM
Some fresh video from this week. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHdkIFkR-M4) Come ride!

John