7 Downcountry Bikes vs. The Impossible Climb | 2022 Downcountry Field Test
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 พ.ย. 2022
- Hailing from a category of bicycle that puts a premium on pedaling, the seven short-travel steeds we had on test in Quebec would make short work of an Impossible Climb, right? Or, would Mike Levy's devilish course design--when paired with the nearly traction-less surface of this particular slippery slope--prove to be too much for the bikes?
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Next time it would be helpful to see the rider first attempt the climb on one of their own bikes. Especially in a case like this, where many bikes get stuck at basically the same spot (even tho it’s likely due to those tires not being designed for wet slimy climbs). This would give us some comparison of how the bikes being tested compare with not just each other, but a bike that the rider knows really well.
Too often, I find myself wondering- was the climb unsuccessful because of differences/limitations with the bikes, or did the rider just not have enough time to really learn how to maximize each tested bike?
There's no real point in an impossible climb with inadequate tyres for the terrain - or on soil that doesn't allow for traction. One was driven higher on the trail, the rest failed all in the same section. What can I learn from that?
Don't get me wrong: I love your tests and I get a ton of info out of them, but this ... was no highlight
These are the type of tires most riders will use with these type of bikes. Most riders aren't going to throw Enduro/DH tires on them.
I can’t bring myself to try super light tires. Nothing saps your energy more than crashing because you’re using tires that sacrifice grip for rolling fast.
The Impossible Climb tends to have this problem. I think they want to pick a course that some bikes will be able to climb and others won't, but because most bikes these days are quite capable, the margin for getting the difficulty just right is super thin and it's very easy to end up with a course that none of the bikes can climb. They should really consider changing the concept to a "difficult but possible climb" so they can compare how all the bikes perform on the whole course.
@@MrMojoRisin22 Maxxis DHF/DHR rolls decent w the lighter EXO casing. Every bit as good as the Specialized Ground Control/Purgatory combo. Just get a 2.3 tire, not some 2.5 or something. I swapped that very combo on my Stumpjumper, and it totally changed the handling of the bike for the better.
@@petedog9581 those aren't "DC' tires though. Heaviest I run is Dissector F/Rekon R.
The Allied bias shined strong in this video, how much did they pay for a positive review ?
Great riding Matt, that was a blast to watch.
This dude can't ride a shorter top tube bc he won't bury that nose of the saddle into his taint and drive the back wheel down. Shorter bikes w steeper HT angles climb better, if you know what you are doing. Put Levy back on the climbs. Also, why climb in mud? That really emphasizes tire spec more than the bike.
I think they all used Spec GCs.
Lols that Taint move definitely improves traction
@@323johnnybravo It works for me. I don't want anymore kids and make that climb. Win, win! Taint climbing, you aint riding. Lol.
I'd like to see a video on different techniques to climb short tech section VS long consistent climbs. If you feature some local legends that would be cool too!
you should totally change the impossible climb to not stop riding when you dab. would shed a lot more light on what a bike’s strong suits are and what it may struggle at.
I so appreciate that, this time around, there are no stupid obstacles or specific paths that must be taken for this test. The trail itself should always be the obstacle.
The XC tire was going to be the weak link. Saw this coming before the test started. Rekons or Kenda Boosters wouldn't have faired much better. Especially on damp to wet rock, without the mud to fill the tread. That was the end of usefulness with any XC tire. Although, the Karma 2 is made for muddy to loose conditions. Overall, I like XC tires, especially the transition from center to side knob feel. But this is the price you pay in loose/slick or rocky terrain.
so the takeway, the Exie is a tech climbing beast as expected and Ground Controls are crap in wet-ish conditions
Another great
Pink bike video!
I would like to see out of category bikes in these comparisons, for reference. How would these down country(ugh) bikes compare against a hard tail or a true trail bike? Make some more work for Mike.
Is there a reason they don’t drop the seat on the impossible climb? Might make it more possible.
I think it is quite unfair for the first bike in line: the rider is getting better with each try.
I think it would be fair for do a couple of tries on each bike, and may be mix tries on different bikes. Then give overall impression from all tries on each bike.
Do all the bike have the same cassette and chainring?
Espectacular
Curious how many times the rider practiced the climb on his own bike or a bike he was familiar before the test? It seems like it would also be confusing to switch bikes without a warm up period.
Lol the delivery... Sounds like they were so bummed the Allied didn't win and reluctantly talking about the Ibis as a winner. Considering it was the ONLY bike that made it through that shit with those shit tires, that's pretty impressive. Lucky, maybe, but impressive nonetheless.
can't really criticise the tyres for being inappropriately picked. similar tyres like rekons wouldn't have really done any better in the conditions
@@ElderlyAnteater Why would you use... Similar tires? All bikes run the same tires for testing purposes so there's nothing they could do. Aside from trying to find a different spot to climb that wasn't pissing wet, but ultimately they wanted that. To make it 'impossible'. Guess it was... Least with the incorrect tires.
It's just a 'flaw' in the test design. And this feature has been criticized in the past when it gets too hard too quick, because then you learn fuck all. Go back to the older impossible climbs, they were INTERESTING. Usually starting with some more mellow cornering so you can see how shit it handles while climbing, THEN you have some impossibly steep moves. Shit Levy did a full loop on a flatter wet slab that shit was great. This course was just a poor choice, particularly since the tires can not be changed.
Seems like the bikes are all capable they just need better tires. Have any of the tester's made it up the climb with their personal bike?
Give me the bike ffs hold my beer
There aren't really many xc tires made to shed that kinda mud, can't really criticize the tires here honestly.
It's not the bikes. It's the rider.
Stalling out is a trait of the rider, not the bike. I would have guess the Exie would go the furthest, given dw link awesome climbing performance.
Most bikes would have made it further with tires that shed soil a little better. Back to Maxxis next year?
This was essentially a tire test. Dumb. All these guy cry egads! when a bike has a shorter top tube. Learn to ride it.
Sad. Sad that Exie crushed it but didn't get the cred it should have. Sad that Matt was really rooting for Allied to win which gives the whole test a bitter taste.
3:03 doesn't quite look like the top. Behind you is where the actual impossible climb is.
Bet several of them could go further with diffrent technique and lines
No banana peels necessary.
it looks more like a tire test than a bike test, ground controls are more capable in mud than the others, the nobs are more separated and taller. For a real test all the bikes should use the same tires and pressure.
I would love to know if all the tyre pressures were the same. It looks like the ibis had lower pressure in the rear tyre. Lower the pressure only a small amout and traction will exponentially increase.
That white balance...
Should of stuck some grippier tyres on all those bikes, then tried again
WOW. What was your angle here? Lets try something we can't do on any bike and compare how well we can't do something on different bikes and talk about how the bikes are different? My gosh
Should have run all bikes with the same set of decent tires..
How many years will it take you guys to listen and use more than ONE rider for this test?
maybe it would go better with spd
Honestly that test is not informative. The climb is too technical to determine the bikes qualities. It’s more telling of the riders skills then the bikes capabilities. I would simplify the test sections to determine the bikes traction ie a straight line through a root garden. Try to limit the importance of the riders skills. Even a great rider would not consistently ride through something like that, it’s so on the edge. Personally if were to ride that climb I’d drop the pressure a lot. I did not see much deflection in those tires. Soft tires are everything in those conditions. They tend to wrap around the roots rather then bounce off them.
I climb hiking trails that steep often. Don't use XC tires in mud, and this guy is not a great climber. He cannot ride a shorter top tube bike bc he doesn't weight the nose of the saddle at all. He sits neutral or he stands.
It is for fun ffs
Lets be honest, this "test" was absolutely useless
Another thing he is clipped in. and clips out in fear of falling before he can clip out...and really get going.... try with not being clipped in... and better tires.. I guarantee he will get further up the hill not being clipped in. 😎 and if it is wet and you are vertical...there aint no traction anyway...thus impossible climb...
*_Hmmm,_** IBIS **_wins again - who'd uh thot, 'eh?_*
Think woulda gone much better with better tires. Spec. Ground Controls? Yuck.
I'm an Ibis guy, and happy to see the Ibis do well, but this test was pretty lame. And the word "downcountry" is pretty lame, too.
What shoes is he wearing here?
Was I supposed to learn something?
No. You was supposed to waste precious 10min of your life.
the impossible climb was a lot cooler when its actually climbable. This segment has lost its magic.
This is absolutely climbable…
If you want to diss a bike, take it for the first attempt
These tests a BS. Do multiple runs per go or do it golf style at take a Birdie. Pick the bike up, skip that obstacle and score accordingly
The rider is the issue.
Early
yawner. how about the not so impossible climb which might highlight what the bikes are really capable of. this told us nothing.
might have as well flipped the coin
what a pointless video
Its the rider not the bike
why did i watch this....
“Downcountry” 🤦♂️
If it was GMBN they would cry until they could use a battery bike
GMBN has sold out over the last few years, and not because of the ebike, but because they are not people focused any more its all about their sponsors now. I am not a fan of the new presenters. The older content is still great for improving skills.