are dirt jumping mountain bikes good for just riding around and trail riding?
March 18, 2011 by pbik
Filed under Mountain bikes
I’m looking into getting a dirt jumping mountain bike. i’m gonna be using it for just riding around and trail riding. but also i will be doing a little bit of dirt jumping occasionally. i just want to make sure the bike can handle the jumping. I’m also looking at the diamondback recoil ‘08
I have a Specialized P1 and it’s not too good for riding off road, other than dirt jumping of course. Even if you change parts on it like the fork and brakes…the frame doesn’t work well for XC type riding. If you’re going to ride it on paved trails then that works. Don’t expect to go too fast though.
That bike should be alright, just be careful with the fork. It might give out if you treat it harshly. And it’s probably faster than the P1 design…it looks more like an All Mountain.
http://www.bikepedia.com/QuickBike/BikeSpecs.aspx?ItemID=10593
You do not want a dirt jumper. Dirt jumping bikes are designed to be ridden while standing. You can get around while you’re in the saddle, but your riding position will have your knees coming up above your hip joint, which is not bio-mechanically advantageous – think of getting around on a bmx bike – doable but not enjoyable.
The recoil has gotten good reviews at http://www.mtbr.com
It’s probably the most bike you can get for the money.
The only tricky thing is that while it can probably handle the jumps, it isn’t bulletproof or a $3000 downhill or freeride bike, so if you are prone to crash landing huge jumps, you might wreck it. There are reviews at mtbr.com for the similar Haro xls r3 that say they cracked their frame by dirt jumping. So long as you build your skills gradually, the Recoil should be prove to be a good choice.
If you’re unwilling to take the risks inherent in dirt jumping an inexpensive cross country dual suspension bike, you could choose to go with a nearly indestructible freeride hardtail bike, like a Cove Stiffee FR or a Norco Bigfoot. Freeride hardtail bikes are good pedaling bikes, comfortable to ride on techy trails and good off the jumps – and they have a lot less parts to break.
Good luck.