Can u pretty please do a vid talking about your racing career and maybe why u got out of racing? Super interesting to me your journey in the mtb game. Love the channel and a great video for these times when lines between categories is so blurred!
@@SkillsWithPhil Would love to see this as well - I know it'll add a lot of effort, but if there's any old footage you can find of you racing from those days that'd be awesome to see.
I would love to see this, personally I enjoy watching your races as another racer, maybe even more than your usual videos. I know the rest of TH-cam might not think the same but I find this topic super interesting
I took my 130mm hardtail to a DH park last year not realizing their green trails were still insane. I rode carefully and a little slow and had a great time. The best bike is the one you will ride.
Modern bikes are just so dang good these days that most bikes will handle anything the average rider does. This is me saying I just ditched the 180/165 bike for something less. I feel like a lot of us (including me) think more travel is better because it’ll unlock more potential. The reality is we’re not doing massive sends frequently.. The 160/150 is the sweet spot for me. Has some insurance for big hits, yet still lively on the after work trails. Can race enduro, bike park, and pedal all day when I want to explore some backcountry.
@@SkillsWithPhil If I didn't ride any park I would even lean towards a 140/150 travel rowdy trail bike, the all mountain bikes are kinda getting edged out from both sides with good pedaling enduro bikes on the bigger end and rowdy trail bikes on the smaller end that descend as well as a 150 travel bike. In my case I rode an Ibis Ripmo for 3 years then moved up to a Rocky Mountain Altitude, virtually no sacrifice in pedaling efficiency, but way better pointed downhill (it also helps the Altitude is on the small end of the enduro segment).
Same. Jumped from a Pivot Firebird 275 (170 rear with a 180 zeb) to downsize to the new Shadowcat. 140 rear 160 front. Super efficient climbs just like a ST trail bike but has enough cush at the front that on the oopsies it feels like a LT trail bike. And its light enough (28.6lbs with EX511 hoops and Oneup EDC) that it jumps and skittles like a full-on 120mm ST. No regrets. Superenduro is overrated for most of the riding majority of riders will experience at local trails
I run a Switchblade with a cascade link, coil and 160mm Zeb. It still pedals well and rips gravity riding at the bike park. The only thing it doesn't crush is technical up and down desert riding.
I’m currently running 150/150 but my fork has a token that I’m gonna remove to bump it to 160. I think that will be the sweet spot jack of all trades bike. Eventually I want to get a 140mm travel hardtail though.
I love short travel trail bikes. I currently have a Canyon Spectral 125 CF8. It's 125mm in the rear, 140mm up front and its geometry is pretty aggressive. Total shredder of a bike!!!
I think that's the sweet spot for most of us. I had a 130 front and rear and it was great except in a few spots. I do ride park quite a bit so I've push to bigger bikes but I do miss my trail bike. I also have the Canyon Trail Lux 120/110. It's a great bike but the geometry is more xc so it can't handle some of the bigger features in our local trails.
I am shredding bikeparks with trailbike with 650b wheels and 150/140mm suspension for 4 years now and from my experience I can tell that if you want to push yoursefl go for enduro bike. Thats all. Thank u for your attention and God bless u.
A good enduro bike will give you more “balls” ie confidence which is very valuable if you’re coming up in mtbing. Head angle has a lot to do with it. Chain stay length. Top tube length and reach. And travel obviously. When I got my Norco sight, I did trails I couldn’t even imagine doing on my trek Remedy.
150/140 mm is all-mountain... ie. Long travel trail bike. I agree it is the sweet spot for most riders and terrain that most of America is... rolling hills and gullies. I have a 2023 Rocky Mountain Instinct carbon 150/140. It is good at most everything.
Things definitely get a bit more complicated these days too. A lot of your 160/170 travel enduro bikes pedal just as well as a 150/160 travel all mountain bike, but are dramatically better going down hill. On the other side you have a lot of 140/150 travel trail bikes that descend just as well as a 150/160 travel bike but pedal a lot better. Add in that the 3 primary 150/160 travel bikes (Ibis Ripmo, Specialized Stumpy Evo, Transition Sentinel) are getting a bit dated it's no longer the "150 travel bike as the ultimate do it all bike".
My bike is same color as your Sensor(jade), so far love it! Little bit heavier so still getting my shock set up for my weight. But damn glad i found your channel
Feel like the best advice lately for mtbs is get less travel than you think you need lol. Meet so many more people that regret buying such a big bike than people wishing they bought more bike.
I’m pretty new to mtb on a 130 canyon neuron, absolutely love that bike! It’s just what I need to learn how to pick my line well without spending a gazillion dollars on a big enduro just yet (emphasis on yet ;))
Got lucky with my bike choice... Got a devinci Troy that stayed on the shelf forever. ... I'll call it my 29er Enduro BMX. ... Big wheels, really progressive and poppy 140mm out back and 160 squish in the front, combined with a really stiff and short-ish frame. You can throw it into the tightest corners and down chunky rock chutes and I even did a fun 24h race in a relay of four posting the fastest laptime of our team. (granted we were all on our trailbikes running minions or the like, were the others where on lightweight XC bikes😂) Only limitation is that the bike is a little easier to unsettle than a full on Enduro if you go really fast... But it makes up for it by triple the jumping opportunities and the eagerness to get airborne and pumping every corner. But I guess that's also an age old question of riding style and how it's better to spice things up... long travel/short geo VS short travel/long geo
That was cool. I ride a 2019 GT Force comp , no carbon fibre here, I bumped up the fork to 170. Running Sr Suntour Tri air & Durolux 36. I'm 56 years old and I love it
I’m on a 2019 Sensor comp (aluminum), w a 140 pike ultimate/super deluxe, enduro spec wheels, platforms, saint brakes…a mini enduro. I’m also 56 too. It’s a fun bike to get away with questionable lines
Love you Phil! I’ve used your skills videos with my kids club. We’ve all learned a lot from you. But… “the most general mountain bike” is not a full squish. It would likely be a hardtail or even a full rigid. It’s all relative to our riding discipline, too, I guess.
My favorite all around bike is a trailbike with DH tires and rims. Bikes are made to ride, when it's flimsy like a noodle I'll say it had a good life 🎉
My first FS was a 130 front / 120 rear Trail bike. It goes up really nice, and the geometry allows me to go down some pretty gnarly stuff. But I can't take big hits and the breaks really start to fade when I pickup speed. I got a 8" front/rear, old-school DH bike for park & shuttle days. It's like landing on a cloud and plows over roots and ruts. But she HATES to go up, or even peddle for a sustained flat section. I am eyeballing something in between for when there's pedaling involved, but also some crazy downhill features. There's a defunct trail we're looking to bring back with 2 km of up & down trail, and then 2km of DOWN! Neither of my bikes work. So a proper enduro (160 range with beefy breaks) seems the optimal choice.
im in my 40's i am somewhat serious with mountain biking , i can only afford one bike , so i got myself a santa cruz nomad v5, it just makes me happy to be overbiked
Hey Phil I love your vids!!! Can you do a video about suspension setup and how you set up your own suspension and what you prefer and look for when dialing in your shock and fork! Thanks bro! Keep up the good content!
What a great video. Answers an important question. However, the big question to me has always been: Do you pick a bike for the best part of your favourite trail; the stuff you love the most? Or, do you pick a bike for the trail conditions you actually ride 90% of the time? I’ve never found an answer. BTW, you’ve become an excellent presenter over the years Phil. Congrats!
I don't have a formula, i go based off how I'm feeling. Sometimes I'm just curious to see how different bikes feel on the same trail. If I'm on a multi day trip, I primarily based my choice off my preferred trail type, but it can also change based off other things I'll be doing in the area.
@@SkillsWithPhil well your breakdown was perfect. Makes me feel like I made a good choice when I bought my Hightower back in 2017! 140 front/135 rear for Ontario trail riding. Yeah, I know it’s getting on in years, but so am I !
Ive been riding a 140/150mm trailbike on my local trails for the last 3 years, and ever since last week, when i picked up my first enduro bike, i ride my trails 2x as fast
Obviously the bike you should get is for the type of riding you most complete. I’m fortunate to have two bikes both purchased used. An all mountain/trail bike offers comfort and performance for most conditions. 120/130 travel. I’m not in bike parks riding big air or overly rocky technical terrain. Then I have an XC race bike but that’s strictly for XC or race events I do.
I ride a trail which starts mainly downhill and there are some super technical sections where a long travel bike would come in handy, but you end the ride with a climb and it’s not fun on a 170mm travel bike. Nowadays, bikes have better geometries, but it’s still tough. So I stopped taking my enduro bike out there (Canfield Balance) and started using my 130mm travel, 29er trail bike (Marin Rift Zone) and it’s been a such more enjoyable ride.
Great video. Thoughts on Hardcore Hardtails? I'll be riding Highland on a Hello Dave to switch it up a bit, you'll see me stuck in a breaking bump on Cat's Paw.
I'm not a hardtail person unless I'm doing trialsy stuff, I find hardtail to be a bit too harsh for my liking. That being said, hard tails will never go out of fashion, they'll always be cool.
Ritchie Rude won loads on the EWS….with 150mm travel in the rear. Appreciate the Yeti SB150 has morphed to the SB160 now. The margins are blurred, more so between heavy hitting all-mountain and enduro racing. Also appreciate there’s only one Ritchie Rude 😂
I have a Nukeproof Scout 275. A good trail bike. Currently have 140 Revelation on it. But going to mullet it soon with a 130-140 fork. Just to help me roll over roots etc better with a tad more speed. We'll see!
These bikes have a fairly progressive (technically degreesive) linkage so im not running as many volume reducers these days. My shocks are a bit more linear that in years past, but i used to do everything on one short travel bike from trail riding to bike park. So as to not bottom out harshly id run it super progressive. These days im lucky to have multiple bikes and i can set up each bike for their intended purpose.
@@SkillsWithPhil thanks for the response, I have a Santacruz Hightower that feels fairly linear during large drops. I’ll thing about adding some spacers
I think if you wanna get better, go with an enduro bike. It’ll give you boat loads of confidence which is exactly what you need at that stage. Slack head angle will give you balls on the trial.
I’m lucky to own a few discipline from DH,Enduro,Trail, trail/Enduro HT and Trail HT. On my local trail with lots of climbs I’d rather use my hardtail trail. I find enduro more suited for bike parks only now lol.
For me personally.. Obv budget is a real thing so this is just my quiver. 1-2024 Santa Cruz v10 2. 2023 Santa Cruz Heckler SL (enduro'd out) 3. 2021 Trance X 29. 4. 2015 KHS DJ50 If I would add one bike it would be a full power EMBT.. Which one, with the new tech I'll have to wait and see... but honestly the Heckler SL I could easily have as my all around bike.
I had a 170:160 rocky mountain altitude. Converted it to a 150:140 instinct. Much better climber and still descends well i live in powell river and mahoney has no lift!
You live in a beautiful area! When I rode my 170/160mm enduro bike there, I found it to be a bit much, especially on some of the lower trails there. I think I'd choose the same bike if it was my daily ride.
I've got one bike i currently ride a Banshee Titan 160/155mm pedals really really good. Wheelbase is 1300mm 452mm chainstay high stack around 662mm I love it local trails when it gets slow it feels a bit much but I just gotta get better and going to the bike parks are great
Yeah, some people call that All mountain, it's not a nomenclature I've use myself but it's in the grey area of almost too small for Enduro but too big for Trail. If you have lighter wheels/casing tires I'd probably call that a trail bike, but if it's built up with hefty parts I wouldn't bat an eye if you called it enduro either. What ever it is, it's still fun :)
My quiver is based on WB. I can have three 140-160mm bikes, one with 1150 WB (Canfield Toir), another 1220mm WB (SB150), and another with 1290 WB (Pole Evolink), and they'll all ride differently enough for me to justify them all. Though, clearly, the one in the middle will get the most ride time, with me leaning to the longer bike over the shorter bike, which hints to me that my sweet spot WB is 1220 to maybe ~1250. The way I like to ride, I know that I'd just be pointlessly tiring myself out with bikes that don't do as much work. I have great pedal endurance, but not so much with bump absorption. I'm the type who simply stiffens up under bumps that would overwhelm me and my suspension. I don't mind doing work if the bumps were spaced out far enough for me to recover, but I'd rather have the extra capability and make my work optional.
i got a 2020 salsa spearfish/ 2019 cannondale habit/ 2016 cube fritzz....i find i ride the dale the most the thing is a trail monster and on 27.5 it's fast compared to most of todays bikes on trails....the salsa is an all day epic machine but has it's limits with 100mm of rear travel i did put trust message fork on the front and made it a flow machine....the cube is an beast even for an 8 year old rig 180mm all around goes up hill ok but man it's just steamrolls down hill nice solid wheelbase good geo and a bit of weight to it- i kitted that out with azonic goodness
Depends on the budget. But hardtails have less moving parts so i usually steer people just that direction if they are strapped for cash (also easier and cheaper to maintain). A Hardtail with good parts is better than a FS with crap parts (within reason). If money is no option, FS bikes are more enjoyable to most people.
Hey chat, I need some bike help. I currently own a Giant trance X that I am looking to sell in the future, probably worth about 1400 now. However, I have a slight problem. I am currently racing XC and have been using my trail bike as a race bike. I am looking to buy a XC bike, but I still want to be able to do downhill / Enduro on the east coast. Any suggestions on what to do / buy / what prices might be?
Maybe just get a set of wheels for XC racing and another for enduro. If your Giant has suspension lock outs, then the only major disadvantage to XC bikes is the tire rolling resistance.
My Mk 2 Bronson with 150/150 ticks most boxes, would putting a 160 fork on it make much difference, maybe a bit? It does me for local rides and the majority of bike park uplift days, although a longer travel bike is on the wish list for the more challenging bike parks and our annual trip to the Alps. Lot of money to spend on something that's going to get ridden about 10 times a year. Then again a large majority of my riding pals now have circa 150 travel ebikes...
im stuck between choosing a long travel trail or enduro bike. mostly i ride big jumps, fast flow trails and big drops. i rarely ride hard tech trails, what would you recomend?
These awesome bikes aren’t inexpensive, so personally as an older rider (50+) I chose to get an enduro bike (Fezzari nka Ari Timp Peak EMTB) with 170/170 travel because it gives me the versatility to ride everything with confidence. I can ride flowy blues and quickly transition to black and double black trails without worrying if I have enough bike to save my butt on steeps and gnarly chunk. My last bike always had me wishing I had more travel and geo. Now, I’m set and always grinning from ear to ear after a ride because I’d much rather ride blues a little slower than avoid DB’s because I’m underbiked. 😊
Enduros bike ideally, those rocks aren't friendly on the hands and it's easy to get a billion laps in. I raced DH there frequently in my teens and after a weekend i would literally have to pry my monkey hands off the handlebars.
I have a 2020 Commencal meta ht with a yari with 150mm. Commencal lists it as trail enduro. Crashed it at highland and fractured collar bone and right elbow. Barely ridden since, need to get back on it. Maybe get a full squish soon.
I exist soley in the long travel trail category. The best all rounder and for me i only have time to ride one bike and want be as comfortable as possible on it. I have two wheelsets exactly the same raceface arc carbon 30 on dt 240s with sapim dlight spokes, with the same cassettes and discs the only difference is tyres, for normal trail riding nobby nic 2.4 super trail soft front, speed grip rear. For park and enduro style magic mary 2.6 super gravity soft front and rear.
Assuming you're talking about the same year Force (Technically "Force Carbon"). I think I have a patch of velcro there because I've gotten cable wear there too. The Industrial 3M stuff you can find at Home Depot is my go to cable damping.
15 years ago, When I was much younger came from bmx xc riding at the time was the antithesis of cool. Now that I'm older XC riders are badass and i only have respect for it, though its still not my cup of tea
Got my first mountain bike in the 1980's when they started to be manufactured I would say. Before that I would take a BMX to the mountain. Ya! I'm old. LOL
I have flats on all my bikes. I started clipping in when i was 5 (for BMX racing) but when I started racing DH, i never liked the feeling of being clipped in. I found good flat shoes/pedals worked almost as good and made me feel more comfortable on the bike. I will say the sound of clipping into and SPD is one of my favorite sounds, its quite satisfying.
My hardtail Scott Scale has been a pretty decent "do everything" ride, although I wish that I'd opted for a slightly smaller frame size (L is a bit too much for me)...
Completely different bikes. Enduro bikes are big heavy and made for toughness, trail bikes are light and agile. I have a stumpy 140 mil travel And a scott ransom 170 mil of travel that I can twinloc to 120. Completely different bikes. The stumpy you can ride allday and it'll b3 fun. The enduro bike is knackering to ride
Do 20 mm of travel do all that much difference especially if the geometry is the same? I think for overwhelming majority of people it does not. Comparison between XC - class full sus (120 / 100) and 160/140 trail / enduro would have been more interesting IMO.
20mm makes a surprisingly big difference. Thats why i typically steer people towards a 150/140mm trail bike. Enough to get yourself into trouble, and also not too much travel that you can't pedal. It's a good starting point to branch put from and figure out if t you want more/less travel in the future.
I bought a YT Capra with 180mm front and rear cause in my mind i was going to spend a lot of time on lifts.....hasnt happened. Its a great bike down but not so fun up. Lot of suspension bob and the front end is very light on steep climbs. Know what i know now i prob would go 150mm and something that pedals better.
I'd love to see the old GT logo back on their bike's! I was GT everything I'm my day's I still remember when my GT performer pro arrived with that curved top tube ohh waw beautiful BMX that was! Not had their modern MTB as yet maybe next one will be if they change the logo back lol that's what's putting me of crazy I know but it's GT it just looks so little effort has gone into the design slapping that font on it like that! It's not a nice look
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Can u pretty please do a vid talking about your racing career and maybe why u got out of racing? Super interesting to me your journey in the mtb game.
Love the channel and a great video for these times when lines between categories is so blurred!
Based off the likes seems to be a lot of demand for this. I've touched on it before, but maybe I'll try doing a dedicated video.
@@SkillsWithPhil Would love to see this as well - I know it'll add a lot of effort, but if there's any old footage you can find of you racing from those days that'd be awesome to see.
I would love to see this, personally I enjoy watching your races as another racer, maybe even more than your usual videos. I know the rest of TH-cam might not think the same but I find this topic super interesting
Great video. You nailed it
Agreed. Would love to watch that
I took my 130mm hardtail to a DH park last year not realizing their green trails were still insane. I rode carefully and a little slow and had a great time. The best bike is the one you will ride.
All you need to say about Phil's skill level is "Phil rides Berm Peak and adds in extra difficulty on purpose just for fun."
I'd like to meet Phil by chance but not sure I'd be able to catch him 😂
Modern bikes are just so dang good these days that most bikes will handle anything the average rider does. This is me saying I just ditched the 180/165 bike for something less.
I feel like a lot of us (including me) think more travel is better because it’ll unlock more potential. The reality is we’re not doing massive sends frequently..
The 160/150 is the sweet spot for me. Has some insurance for big hits, yet still lively on the after work trails. Can race enduro, bike park, and pedal all day when I want to explore some backcountry.
Bingo. If I wasnt in the position I'm in and could only one bike it'd probably be 150mm travel bike. It's the jack of all trades.
@@SkillsWithPhil If I didn't ride any park I would even lean towards a 140/150 travel rowdy trail bike, the all mountain bikes are kinda getting edged out from both sides with good pedaling enduro bikes on the bigger end and rowdy trail bikes on the smaller end that descend as well as a 150 travel bike. In my case I rode an Ibis Ripmo for 3 years then moved up to a Rocky Mountain Altitude, virtually no sacrifice in pedaling efficiency, but way better pointed downhill (it also helps the Altitude is on the small end of the enduro segment).
Same. Jumped from a Pivot Firebird 275 (170 rear with a 180 zeb) to downsize to the new Shadowcat. 140 rear 160 front.
Super efficient climbs just like a ST trail bike but has enough cush at the front that on the oopsies it feels like a LT trail bike. And its light enough (28.6lbs with EX511 hoops and Oneup EDC) that it jumps and skittles like a full-on 120mm ST.
No regrets. Superenduro is overrated for most of the riding majority of riders will experience at local trails
I run a Switchblade with a cascade link, coil and 160mm Zeb. It still pedals well and rips gravity riding at the bike park. The only thing it doesn't crush is technical up and down desert riding.
I’m currently running 150/150 but my fork has a token that I’m gonna remove to bump it to 160. I think that will be the sweet spot jack of all trades bike. Eventually I want to get a 140mm travel hardtail though.
I love short travel trail bikes. I currently have a Canyon Spectral 125 CF8. It's 125mm in the rear, 140mm up front and its geometry is pretty aggressive. Total shredder of a bike!!!
I think that's the sweet spot for most of us. I had a 130 front and rear and it was great except in a few spots. I do ride park quite a bit so I've push to bigger bikes but I do miss my trail bike. I also have the Canyon Trail Lux 120/110. It's a great bike but the geometry is more xc so it can't handle some of the bigger features in our local trails.
Same here my bike is a 140/125 and i enjoy it better than my old dh bike with 200/200 travel. I can climb and it handles the downhill just as good.
Super fun bike! It goes so well on those fast flowy trails
I am shredding bikeparks with trailbike with 650b wheels and 150/140mm suspension for 4 years now and from my experience I can tell that if you want to push yoursefl go for enduro bike. Thats all. Thank u for your attention and God bless u.
A good enduro bike will give you more “balls” ie confidence which is very valuable if you’re coming up in mtbing. Head angle has a lot to do with it. Chain stay length. Top tube length and reach. And travel obviously. When I got my Norco sight, I did trails I couldn’t even imagine doing on my trek Remedy.
From the horse's mouth. There you have it. What I wouldn't do for a coaching session with Phil. I really like how down to earth and humble he is.
150/140 mm is all-mountain... ie. Long travel trail bike. I agree it is the sweet spot for most riders and terrain that most of America is... rolling hills and gullies. I have a 2023 Rocky Mountain Instinct carbon 150/140. It is good at most everything.
hey Phil, really good breakdown on the different bike types. You basically nailed it.
Things definitely get a bit more complicated these days too. A lot of your 160/170 travel enduro bikes pedal just as well as a 150/160 travel all mountain bike, but are dramatically better going down hill. On the other side you have a lot of 140/150 travel trail bikes that descend just as well as a 150/160 travel bike but pedal a lot better. Add in that the 3 primary 150/160 travel bikes (Ibis Ripmo, Specialized Stumpy Evo, Transition Sentinel) are getting a bit dated it's no longer the "150 travel bike as the ultimate do it all bike".
That’s why I’m feeling almost overbiked on my L Sentinel here in Utah.
Outstanding video Phil!
My bike is same color as your Sensor(jade), so far love it! Little bit heavier so still getting my shock set up for my weight. But damn glad i found your channel
Feel like the best advice lately for mtbs is get less travel than you think you need lol. Meet so many more people that regret buying such a big bike than people wishing they bought more bike.
I can say I’m in the field that wishes they bought more bike lol
I’m pretty new to mtb on a 130 canyon neuron, absolutely love that bike! It’s just what I need to learn how to pick my line well without spending a gazillion dollars on a big enduro just yet (emphasis on yet ;))
I think that bike is a magic spot. A bigger bike makes going down easier, but you need to learn what a bigger bike can do.
Honestly, big travel isn't that helpful in many bike regions to go fast or have fun
Fantastic video! Excellently done! I love how you explained things 👌🏼
Phil! Do a video about your race history ✌
Got lucky with my bike choice... Got a devinci Troy that stayed on the shelf forever.
... I'll call it my 29er Enduro BMX.
... Big wheels, really progressive and poppy 140mm out back and 160 squish in the front, combined with a really stiff and short-ish frame.
You can throw it into the tightest corners and down chunky rock chutes and I even did a fun 24h race in a relay of four posting the fastest laptime of our team. (granted we were all on our trailbikes running minions or the like, were the others where on lightweight XC bikes😂)
Only limitation is that the bike is a little easier to unsettle than a full on Enduro if you go really fast... But it makes up for it by triple the jumping opportunities and the eagerness to get airborne and pumping every corner.
But I guess that's also an age old question of riding style and how it's better to spice things up... long travel/short geo VS short travel/long geo
The Troy is one of the best bikes ever made.
Im still riding my 26" Devinci Dexter. They know how to make fun bikes.
That was cool. I ride a 2019 GT Force comp , no carbon fibre here, I bumped up the fork to 170. Running Sr Suntour Tri air & Durolux 36. I'm 56 years old and I love it
I’m on a 2019 Sensor comp (aluminum), w a 140 pike ultimate/super deluxe, enduro spec wheels, platforms, saint brakes…a mini enduro. I’m also 56 too. It’s a fun bike to get away with questionable lines
Love you Phil! I’ve used your skills videos with my kids club. We’ve all learned a lot from you. But… “the most general mountain bike” is not a full squish. It would likely be a hardtail or even a full rigid. It’s all relative to our riding discipline, too, I guess.
Phil trying to explain how awesome he is without sounding rude. You’re great Phil, we know that.
My favorite all around bike is a trailbike with DH tires and rims. Bikes are made to ride, when it's flimsy like a noodle I'll say it had a good life 🎉
My first FS was a 130 front / 120 rear Trail bike. It goes up really nice, and the geometry allows me to go down some pretty gnarly stuff. But I can't take big hits and the breaks really start to fade when I pickup speed.
I got a 8" front/rear, old-school DH bike for park & shuttle days. It's like landing on a cloud and plows over roots and ruts. But she HATES to go up, or even peddle for a sustained flat section.
I am eyeballing something in between for when there's pedaling involved, but also some crazy downhill features. There's a defunct trail we're looking to bring back with 2 km of up & down trail, and then 2km of DOWN! Neither of my bikes work. So a proper enduro (160 range with beefy breaks) seems the optimal choice.
Nice colour coding on the titles, matching them to the bikes behind you
Excellent video! I had no idea GT went D2C!
Beautiful explanation 👍🏻
im in my 40's i am somewhat serious with mountain biking , i can only afford one bike , so i got myself a santa cruz nomad v5, it just makes me happy to be overbiked
The Druid is a prefect example of a bike that kind of blurs the lines between Trail and Enduro.
That summery is the only thing anyone needs to know about buying a bike. It's not the info you want to hear, it's what you need to hear
Hey Phil I love your vids!!! Can you do a video about suspension setup and how you set up your own suspension and what you prefer and look for when dialing in your shock and fork! Thanks bro! Keep up the good content!
I love over built mid travel bikes. 160 front, 150 rear with DH brakes and suspension. It’s perfect for my home Santa Cruz CA
What a great video. Answers an important question.
However, the big question to me has always been: Do you pick a bike for the best part of your favourite trail; the stuff you love the most?
Or, do you pick a bike for the trail conditions you actually ride 90% of the time?
I’ve never found an answer.
BTW, you’ve become an excellent presenter over the years Phil. Congrats!
I don't have a formula, i go based off how I'm feeling. Sometimes I'm just curious to see how different bikes feel on the same trail.
If I'm on a multi day trip, I primarily based my choice off my preferred trail type, but it can also change based off other things I'll be doing in the area.
@@SkillsWithPhil well your breakdown was perfect. Makes me feel like I made a good choice when I bought my Hightower back in 2017! 140 front/135 rear for Ontario trail riding. Yeah, I know it’s getting on in years, but so am I !
Ive been riding a 140/150mm trailbike on my local trails for the last 3 years, and ever since last week, when i picked up my first enduro bike, i ride my trails 2x as fast
Obviously the bike you should get is for the type of riding you most complete. I’m fortunate to have two bikes both purchased used. An all mountain/trail bike offers comfort and performance for most conditions. 120/130 travel. I’m not in bike parks riding big air or overly rocky technical terrain. Then I have an XC race bike but that’s strictly for XC or race events I do.
An enduro bike (commencal meta AM 29er)and aggressive hardtail! (Canyon Stoic) For the win! Let’s goo!🔥🔥 Hardtail’s for Hardmen😤
I ride a trail which starts mainly downhill and there are some super technical sections where a long travel bike would come in handy, but you end the ride with a climb and it’s not fun on a 170mm travel bike. Nowadays, bikes have better geometries, but it’s still tough. So I stopped taking my enduro bike out there (Canfield Balance) and started using my 130mm travel, 29er trail bike (Marin Rift Zone) and it’s been a such more enjoyable ride.
I was wondering if the sticker on your seat tube was a SDM season pass. Looks like it is! Quite a commitment if it wasn't given to you 😂
You have a good eye! They did indeed give me one last year :)
Great video. Thoughts on Hardcore Hardtails? I'll be riding Highland on a Hello Dave to switch it up a bit, you'll see me stuck in a breaking bump on Cat's Paw.
I'm not a hardtail person unless I'm doing trialsy stuff, I find hardtail to be a bit too harsh for my liking. That being said, hard tails will never go out of fashion, they'll always be cool.
No wonder you rip, bmx background.
But seriously World Cup Downhill racing? I had no idea.
Makes sense now.
Cheers from New Zealand 🇳🇿
160/150 in my opinion is best for almost every trail.
That’s basically an enduro bike. That bike would be slug on green and blue trails. This is coming from a guy with an enduro bike and a trail hardtail.
@@joshuaallswang8016. Awesome! Good for you my friend!
I'm just waiting for the crosstraildownduro rig... :)
It's been done! I've atleast seen a FS drop bar gravel bike, and i think it was actually a production bike. I can't remember who made it.
Phil you are looking beefy man arms and legs that trailbuid bulked you up bro
Ritchie Rude won loads on the EWS….with 150mm travel in the rear. Appreciate the Yeti SB150 has morphed to the SB160 now. The margins are blurred, more so between heavy hitting all-mountain and enduro racing. Also appreciate there’s only one Ritchie Rude 😂
Well said Phil
I have a Nukeproof Scout 275. A good trail bike. Currently have 140 Revelation on it. But going to mullet it soon with a 130-140 fork. Just to help me roll over roots etc better with a tad more speed. We'll see!
Another amazing video! Would you say you run a linear setup or more progressive/stiff setup on the trail systems in Vermont?
These bikes have a fairly progressive (technically degreesive) linkage so im not running as many volume reducers these days. My shocks are a bit more linear that in years past, but i used to do everything on one short travel bike from trail riding to bike park. So as to not bottom out harshly id run it super progressive. These days im lucky to have multiple bikes and i can set up each bike for their intended purpose.
@@SkillsWithPhil thanks for the response, I have a Santacruz Hightower that feels fairly linear during large drops. I’ll thing about adding some spacers
I think if you wanna get better, go with an enduro bike. It’ll give you boat loads of confidence which is exactly what you need at that stage. Slack head angle will give you balls on the trial.
Could you also touch on seat tube and head angles, chain stay length, and why some bikes Might turn better or be more stable.
I’m lucky to own a few discipline from DH,Enduro,Trail, trail/Enduro HT and Trail HT. On my local trail with lots of climbs I’d rather use my hardtail trail. I find enduro more suited for bike parks only now lol.
For me personally.. Obv budget is a real thing so this is just my quiver. 1-2024 Santa Cruz v10 2. 2023 Santa Cruz Heckler SL (enduro'd out) 3. 2021 Trance X 29. 4. 2015 KHS DJ50
If I would add one bike it would be a full power EMBT.. Which one, with the new tech I'll have to wait and see... but honestly the Heckler SL I could easily have as my all around bike.
9:44 bro was on Endor. Lol
You da GOAT Phil!
I had a 170:160 rocky mountain altitude. Converted it to a 150:140 instinct. Much better climber and still descends well i live in powell river and mahoney has no lift!
You live in a beautiful area! When I rode my 170/160mm enduro bike there, I found it to be a bit much, especially on some of the lower trails there. I think I'd choose the same bike if it was my daily ride.
I've got one bike i currently ride a Banshee Titan 160/155mm pedals really really good. Wheelbase is 1300mm 452mm chainstay high stack around 662mm I love it local trails when it gets slow it feels a bit much but I just gotta get better and going to the bike parks are great
Do you consider 160 front and 140 rear still a trail bike? My bike is labeled as an All Mountain bike, which to me is a beefed up trail bike.
Yeah, some people call that All mountain, it's not a nomenclature I've use myself but it's in the grey area of almost too small for Enduro but too big for Trail. If you have lighter wheels/casing tires I'd probably call that a trail bike, but if it's built up with hefty parts I wouldn't bat an eye if you called it enduro either. What ever it is, it's still fun :)
@@SkillsWithPhilI agree. Thanks for everything you do!
My quiver is based on WB. I can have three 140-160mm bikes, one with 1150 WB (Canfield Toir), another 1220mm WB (SB150), and another with 1290 WB (Pole Evolink), and they'll all ride differently enough for me to justify them all. Though, clearly, the one in the middle will get the most ride time, with me leaning to the longer bike over the shorter bike, which hints to me that my sweet spot WB is 1220 to maybe ~1250.
The way I like to ride, I know that I'd just be pointlessly tiring myself out with bikes that don't do as much work. I have great pedal endurance, but not so much with bump absorption. I'm the type who simply stiffens up under bumps that would overwhelm me and my suspension. I don't mind doing work if the bumps were spaced out far enough for me to recover, but I'd rather have the extra capability and make my work optional.
i got a 2020 salsa spearfish/ 2019 cannondale habit/ 2016 cube fritzz....i find i ride the dale the most the thing is a trail monster and on 27.5 it's fast compared to most of todays bikes on trails....the salsa is an all day epic machine but has it's limits with 100mm of rear travel i did put trust message fork on the front and made it a flow machine....the cube is an beast even for an 8 year old rig 180mm all around goes up hill ok but man it's just steamrolls down hill nice solid wheelbase good geo and a bit of weight to it- i kitted that out with azonic goodness
There’s gotta be some mathematical formula for this, like: terrain ± skill level = ideal travel
Just passing by
Phil, if you were just starting mtb would you go hardtail or straight to FS? (disregarding the money part) Tnx
Depends on the budget. But hardtails have less moving parts so i usually steer people just that direction if they are strapped for cash (also easier and cheaper to maintain). A Hardtail with good parts is better than a FS with crap parts (within reason). If money is no option, FS bikes are more enjoyable to most people.
Hey chat, I need some bike help.
I currently own a Giant trance X that I am looking to sell in the future, probably worth about 1400 now. However, I have a slight problem. I am currently racing XC and have been using my trail bike as a race bike. I am looking to buy a XC bike, but I still want to be able to do downhill / Enduro on the east coast. Any suggestions on what to do / buy / what prices might be?
Specialized Epic Evo 8, Transition Spur, Santa Cruz Tallboy, YT Izzo
Maybe just get a set of wheels for XC racing and another for enduro. If your Giant has suspension lock outs, then the only major disadvantage to XC bikes is the tire rolling resistance.
Thanks for the suggestions guys
Who here wants to see Phil do some BMX riding? I do!
Have you ever thought about an enduro e-bike such as the Orbea Wild? I have one. It's an amazing bike and I prefer it over my trail bike.
Knolly chilcotin with 160/151. Have a 170/167 setup I can throw on in about 30 min when I'm feeling frisky.
it feels illegal to be so early
It's illegal in my wife's book for sure 😂
My Mk 2 Bronson with 150/150 ticks most boxes, would putting a 160 fork on it make much difference, maybe a bit?
It does me for local rides and the majority of bike park uplift days, although a longer travel bike is on the wish list for the more challenging bike parks and our annual trip to the Alps. Lot of money to spend on something that's going to get ridden about 10 times a year.
Then again a large majority of my riding pals now have circa 150 travel ebikes...
im stuck between choosing a long travel trail or enduro bike. mostly i ride big jumps, fast flow trails and big drops. i rarely ride hard tech trails, what would you recomend?
These awesome bikes aren’t inexpensive, so personally as an older rider (50+) I chose to get an enduro bike (Fezzari nka Ari Timp Peak EMTB) with 170/170 travel because it gives me the versatility to ride everything with confidence. I can ride flowy blues and quickly transition to black and double black trails without worrying if I have enough bike to save my butt on steeps and gnarly chunk. My last bike always had me wishing I had more travel and geo. Now, I’m set and always grinning from ear to ear after a ride because I’d much rather ride blues a little slower than avoid DB’s because I’m underbiked. 😊
Hi Phil, what gloves do you prefere?
I run the IXS carve gloves. They are simple and relatively affordable.
What are you riding if you were to go to mountain creek nj?
Enduros bike ideally, those rocks aren't friendly on the hands and it's easy to get a billion laps in. I raced DH there frequently in my teens and after a weekend i would literally have to pry my monkey hands off the handlebars.
I have a 2020 Commencal meta ht with a yari with 150mm. Commencal lists it as trail enduro. Crashed it at highland and fractured collar bone and right elbow. Barely ridden since, need to get back on it. Maybe get a full squish soon.
I stick with my 170 travel Enduro for every thing, except Gravel. I have a Gravel bike for that. 😂👍🏻
I exist soley in the long travel trail category. The best all rounder and for me i only have time to ride one bike and want be as comfortable as possible on it. I have two wheelsets exactly the same raceface arc carbon 30 on dt 240s with sapim dlight spokes, with the same cassettes and discs the only difference is tyres, for normal trail riding nobby nic 2.4 super trail soft front, speed grip rear. For park and enduro style magic mary 2.6 super gravity soft front and rear.
Over/under biked are easily the most over used terms in MTB.
Do you have any tips on preventing the cables from rubbing the seat tube on the force frame?
Assuming you're talking about the same year Force (Technically "Force Carbon"). I think I have a patch of velcro there because I've gotten cable wear there too. The Industrial 3M stuff you can find at Home Depot is my go to cable damping.
If your in the Midwest. Short travel trail bike
Just built an Sworks epic and its perfect for my Ohio trails.
Cross country is also cool , Phil!
15 years ago, When I was much younger came from bmx xc riding at the time was the antithesis of cool. Now that I'm older XC riders are badass and i only have respect for it, though its still not my cup of tea
how about hard tails?
Hi Phil. I have my gt force 2022. Can you explaine riding with the flip chip short and long chain stay.
Underbiked on a XC ride? No problem. Underbiked on a DH ride? Problem. / Overbiked on a XC ride? Problem. Underbiked on a DH ride? No problem.
Got my first mountain bike in the 1980's when they started to be manufactured I would say. Before that I would take a BMX to the mountain. Ya! I'm old. LOL
overbiked > underbiked
What do you like better flats or clipless
flats!
I have flats on all my bikes. I started clipping in when i was 5 (for BMX racing) but when I started racing DH, i never liked the feeling of being clipped in. I found good flat shoes/pedals worked almost as good and made me feel more comfortable on the bike. I will say the sound of clipping into and SPD is one of my favorite sounds, its quite satisfying.
@@SkillsWithPhil thanks that was very helpful
My hardtail Scott Scale has been a pretty decent "do everything" ride, although I wish that I'd opted for a slightly smaller frame size (L is a bit too much for me)...
I have 2 bikes I use my stump jumper when I’m starting at the bottom of the mountain and my Capra when I start at the top..
Any tips on getting/riding rigid frame bikes? Like a Surley Ice Cream truck or Tern’s new cargo eMTB (the Orox)
I don't spend much time on rigid bikes; they are outside my main riding interests.
Moral of the story: you’ll need at least 3 bikes
My favorite park bike is a unicycle…
Completely different bikes. Enduro bikes are big heavy and made for toughness, trail bikes are light and agile. I have a stumpy 140 mil travel
And a scott ransom 170 mil of travel that I can twinloc to 120. Completely different bikes. The stumpy you can ride allday and it'll b3 fun. The enduro bike is knackering to ride
Do 20 mm of travel do all that much difference especially if the geometry is the same? I think for overwhelming majority of people it does not. Comparison between XC - class full sus (120 / 100) and 160/140 trail / enduro would have been more interesting IMO.
20mm makes a surprisingly big difference. Thats why i typically steer people towards a 150/140mm trail bike. Enough to get yourself into trouble, and also not too much travel that you can't pedal. It's a good starting point to branch put from and figure out if t you want more/less travel in the future.
Do you still have your tokul 3?
Pro tip...cheaper and less drama to have one spouse and multiple bikes...than the reverse. 😅🤣😂
cheaper to stay single and then do whatever you want, whenever you want.
@barfo281 there will always be a cost... 😅🤣😂
I consider most bikes with 160+ travel as enduro
I bought a YT Capra with 180mm front and rear cause in my mind i was going to spend a lot of time on lifts.....hasnt happened. Its a great bike down but not so fun up. Lot of suspension bob and the front end is very light on steep climbs. Know what i know now i prob would go 150mm and something that pedals better.
nothing is substitute with Suspension Travell, only with more Travell
What would the 2023 GT force be classified as ?
The Force falls under the Enduro category
You should try frick park in Pittsburgh pa go to the trail iron gate to the slags
i'd ride a small travel bike too i if rode broken valley too
Under biked is more fun. 140 front 130 back. All you need
I'd love to see the old GT logo back on their bike's! I was GT everything I'm my day's I still remember when my GT performer pro arrived with that curved top tube ohh waw beautiful BMX that was! Not had their modern MTB as yet maybe next one will be if they change the logo back lol that's what's putting me of crazy I know but it's GT it just looks so little effort has gone into the design slapping that font on it like that! It's not a nice look
Ew that GT logo!!! Jkjk hqhqha 😅