Don't take this video too seriously, it's supposed to be fun. These were just the two bikes I had on hand and I thought it would make a fun comparison. I set each challenge on the bike I was most comfortable on and kept it consistent throughout the video. Had I wanted to do a scientific comparison I would have randomized it. That being said, had I tried a 26 inch hardtail trail bike the results would have been similar. Trail bikes 99% of the time have longer chainstays than dirt jumpers to make them feel more stable when flying down steep hills, this will vary by the make and model a bit. Also hardtails will be designed around a longer fork, generally 120-150mm which affects many aspects such as wheelbase, headangle, stack and reach. Another things I didn't talk about was bottom drop, and seat tube length. All these little things play into the overall feel of a bike and it's why a Dirt Jumper and a Hardtail feel completely different.
there is rays in cleveland, and pittsburgh has the wheel mill, its about 3 hours drive from rays to the wheel mill. both are amazing parks. i live near rays but ive traveled to the wheel mill and both are amazing. it's cheap to get to cleveland or pittsburgh and an airbnb cost like $40/night in each place. It's worth a $150 plane ticket to come ride these spots
I love that you are sponsored by GT! I have always had Big Box bikes, and this year I got my GT Pantera/Ricochet (Still sort of a BB Bike, but much more upgrade-able!) I love it, and can already tell a difference in using a better bike and that my skill is improving. I would love to get even better, but there aren't very many places like this close enough to me to visit on a regular basis, so I just work on parking lot skills! I love seeing you ride, and I love your videos! Keep putting up the good content!
@@larrybanks2403 It's amazing the difference a good, or at least decent, bike makes compared to the boat anchors they sell at Walmart and call them bikes! LOL!
Hey Paul, I ride a ricochet to, granted I eventually upgraded it to full XT, 130mm rockshox recon, etc.. nothing but frame and feont wheel is stock. I'm 250 and logged over 1300 miles so far in the past year... frame is rock solid.
Good comparison! Ray's is a blast pretty much no matter what bike you're on! That said, I've rode multiple styles of bikes at Ray's and here's how I'd rate them (from pretty good to best): 1. Dirt Jumper (easiest to pump and maneuver, can handle the technical MTB section well enough) 2. 26 or 27.5 inch Mountain bike (less maneuverability than dirt jumper or BMX, but can handle everything in the park) 3. BMX bike (similar to Dirt Jumper, but the technical MTB section is not much fun on a BMX) 4. 29er (real good for the technical MTB section, but maneuverability is worse than 27.5) 5. 26+/27.5+/29er+ (It's still fun, but just too much bike for the terrain compared to everything above) Also, opting for street tires over knobby tires makes a world of difference. Street tires grip the plywood surface far better and reduce rolling resistance. If for whatever reason you can't afford or don't want (!!?) another bike, swapping out those knobbys is perhaps the best "Ray's upgrade" you can make. Shorter handlebars could help, too. The Green Flow Trail has some tight spots that are no fun to ride through with big, wide bars. P. S., It was cool meeting you! Thanks again for making my son's day! He's absolutely thrilled that our family's bike fleet makes an appearance at 1:11. Now he's got something else to brag about to all his biking friends, lol
What kind of bikes are in the rental fleet? I'm debating on whether it makes more sense to bring my 27.5" old-style-geometry (seat doesn't even go down as far as Phil's 29er) XC hardtail, or rent one of yours...
@@kevinvermeer9011 To be clear, they're not my bikes to rent (I don't own or work at Ray's), but they've got Kink BMX bikes and Trek Dirt Jumpers & 26 inch mountain bikes in their fleet. Check out their options: raysmtb.com/about/rental-bikes/ I've rented their Trek DJ. It's a real nice bike.
These are the kind of comments I like seeing, constructive, meaningful and useful to other viewers. Thanks for taking the time to share your experience. I can't pick out who you are based off your comment alone but I had a blast meeting people this weekend. There's a healthy riding community in that area with some rad people!
No problem, Phil! Hope the comment assists someone. I should also add that it's probably worth paying the $18 to rent a bike if you're in doubt about what to ride. The staff is usually cool with you testing out multiple bikes, so if the dirt jumper doesn't feel right, you can give the mountain bike a go, etc. As for jogging your memory, maybe the picture I took with you & the little guy will help: instagram.com/p/BvX5rzYlgYV
Thank you so much, Phil Kmetz, for the nice mention, I'm just honored to help a bro rider who inspires riders around the world! Keep up the great work 🤘🤘🤘
I think size is really important. I have (and had) many bikes. There is nothing like a good dirtjump to ride park like this. I love riding these feature with any bike. My full suspension is a small SC 5010 (130 mm travel, 27.5" wheel), sized for 5 foot 4 maximum, which is way to small for me, but I much prefer smaller bike with really short reach and low standover that make it easy to hang around
I can barely manual my Avalanche, it feels near impossible on that bike. Seeing a pro struggle to do it after smashing through first try on another bike was oddly inspiring. Thanks for showing it can be done on that bike!
Where I live, we don't have an indoor mountainbike park, so I just got used to riding in cold weather and sometimes even snow. However when you ride in winter, it's closer to XC riding than to trail riding, becouse all the trails are closed. Awesome video as always!
Hats err helmets off to you and guys like Berm Peak. I'm still riding a 21 year old Schwinn Moab 3, which only has original frame, seat post and handlebars. I've been looking at making a change to a 29er. Channels like GMBN seems to consider 2000 dollar hardtails cheap, and Vital don't seem to consider hardtails at all. But guys like you bring that all back down to earth and make things more welcoming. I'm now in Vietnam, and crazy for a country that is 50 percent mountain, mountain biking isn't a thing here. the 1000-1200 dollar range bikes deem really limited, with only Giant really here, Trek a little, and maybe Scott. But coincidentally my eyes are also on the GT Avalanche Expert, and maybe a flight to dealers in Philippines when covid allows. Can't seem to justify a full sus when I have to do some serious road miles just to get off the road.
Man this country would be ideal for setting up bike pars along the mountain range. I think GT could make a killing here setting up about 5 centers between HCMC to Ha Noi. Providing entry level bikes for hire and selling more range. Vietnamese spend some serious money on road bikes.
Yo, Phil! This video was sweet and I feel like it was one of your best in the way of presentation! Speech was really well delivered and pacing was great! Might not have been the most exciting video you’ve made but I really think it’s the perfect step for you as you grow in film making. Keep it up!
I love ur style, but I did struggle to hear the speech clearly over the music...seemed like the music/sound balance was to much on the music...but otherwise great...always love ur stuff...
@@rupedog It was done on purpose. I had to drown out the music they were playing at Rays which could lead to a copyright strike if I included it in the video. I did a little processing to lower the background noise, but I still had to mask it with music to air on the side of caution.
Phil, I really appreciate your videos. You, Seth, and Alex all present in a different style. I enjoy all of y’all because you are all different. Your pseudo-instructional videos are great and have helped me to improve. Keep up the good work! And!thanks!,,
Great video. Thanks for showing Ray's indoor park. Come back in the summer and try the trails in Medina (30mins south of Ray's), he helped design and build. #RideforRay
yo man, i'm dating a girl who lives in medina right now, so i assume ill be there a lot this summer. any tips on where i should ride? its close enough that id be down to help build trails as well, if thats an option
@@jakecremean9533 look up Huffman/Reagan this is the medina trail system that Ray had been working on. It has a good variety of options from drops, jumps, wall rides and a skinny that snakes down a hill. Also Austin Badger is a reclaimed golf course in Medina with fast flowing trails with jumps and they left the cart paths to ride when it's wet. As far as trail work check out the CAMBA Facebook page for trail days. Or you can ask the owner of Spin Bike shop in medina, Ray... he would know more.
Would love to see a video on how to buy a bike for beginners… suspension, brakes, grips, tires, gear to wear, gear to bring along … thanks for the videos!
DJ bike all day at Ray's! Yes, the XC green trail has some climbing, but still very doable on a DJ! Great video, I really missed riding with you that day!
Great video as usual👍🏻 but i was thinking next time you go you should say something before hand and maybe do a subscriber meet up or something. I was literally just there about a month ago, great place and i have a ton of fun every time. Love the channel and keep up the good work.😀😀
Yeah, I dirt jump with a 27.5 hardtail and it's not a problem. I'd say for versatility to go with a hardtail because they provide the gears necessary for climbs, and the pop on the read end to send it long
great video, makes me miss my old GT 24" Cruiser (Mountain Bikes didnt exists like they do now 86-92) on the then new jump tracks. be safe out there! :D
I'd rather get a DJ because i've already got a decent All Mountain bike(Trek Remedy), but also because I think that the simplicity of it makes it a lot cheaper to replace parts and harder to break, also I think having a nimbler bike would make my skills on the trail better as well.
Sean Walsh yeah ... I also learned to bail on my DJ ish bike much better because I was less worried about breaking it. This then translated to my trail bike which fares much better smashing into the ground without my weight on it as well and my body appreciates not being tangled with hard metal at the same time.
This park is in my backyard. I want to start putting out some riding videos here. Not to mention, Ohio trails are closed very often due to the unpredictable weather. What a sick place! Love your vids man!
I have a Diamondback Mason 2 and the problem is the geometry is horrible for jumping. I do however take it to my local dirt jump park and jump it. I have borrowed my buddies dj and can really launch with it so i guess the hardtail makes me better at the dj. I would like to get an actual dj but my money is going to a fs here soon. Great edit and awesome comparison Phil.
Larger wheel radius has a higher linear speed for the same angular speed of the hubs, assuming all else being equal. Thus, the 29er will carry more speed over the jumps. To keep up, a smaller wheel will have to increase the hub angular speed, which increases internal friction. So, smaller wheels have more bearing friction, so maintain a lower speed. Additionally, the larger wheels have higher angular momentum, which helps carry you over obstacles.
Yes of course. I can usually get on any bike and ride it pretty comfortably. I set everything on the bike I knew the best (the la Bomba), and then wanted to see what I could do on the other. But this wasn't scientific or anything.
Great video, very informative . I have Scott Voltage LTD , and I use it for literally everything - from DJ to Enduro/ Freeride ( with two tipes of forks and two tipes of tires) . Tnx
It might be the weight difference plus the dirt jumper loses a little energy through the suspension. I find i have to pump harder to get smoother jumps on my enduro. I do still more comfortable jumping hard-tails, but that's what i grew up jumping, my enduro gives me more confidence in bigger jumps (or course). I enjoyed that video : ) wish we had a Ray's in the UK. Any millionaire out there with a huge stack of timber, take note. We now have a surfing lake near by and miles of amazing trails in Wales so things are looking up. We don't get the severe winters here though.
I have the same bike (the GT avalanche) and I’m very interested in the changes you’ve made to the drive train. Can you list the components that you’ve installed on it?
Now I have ridden a 29er and a dj before, and from my experience I found that the dj and 29er can do most anything. Have you tried using a 29er street tire to ride the park with? I personally won't ride a dual suspension bike cause of my weight and that's how I came to my conclusion that most hardtail bikes can do similar things, it just depends on how you set things up on your bike that works for you. Excellent content 👍 keep it up!!!✌️
I think it's pretty cool that my favorite mountain biking youtuber is riding for GT. I've been Riding GT since 1994 in fact I'm riding the same GT backwards I bought in 94. Gonna upgrade one of these days I I'm just too attached to It bought it when I was 18 and now I'm 44
I just picked up an old DMR Trailstar that really seems to split the difference with low TT and 26" wheels. It even has swappable dropouts to run SS. Have to say I love it. So much so that I'm considering selling my full sus (that I always felt over-biked on on the sort of stuff I ride).
It's still going to feel different than a Dirt jumper. a bike designed for riding trails and a bike designed for dirt jumps will always have different geometry to better suit the terrain. That's not saying you can't ride one bike on the other's terrain.
Really like the video, and at 6'4 i have a problem i hope u might help me with. I like dirt jumping but at djs are too small. I ride a polygon trid. I'm now thinking about building a mtb as a dj, e.g a marin sanquentin with street tyres.. so i can go a larger frame, what do you think/ recommend? Thanks
Don't take this video too seriously, it's supposed to be fun. These were just the two bikes I had on hand and I thought it would make a fun comparison.
I set each challenge on the bike I was most comfortable on and kept it consistent throughout the video. Had I wanted to do a scientific comparison I would have randomized it.
That being said, had I tried a 26 inch hardtail trail bike the results would have been similar. Trail bikes 99% of the time have longer chainstays than dirt jumpers to make them feel more stable when flying down steep hills, this will vary by the make and model a bit. Also hardtails will be designed around a longer fork, generally 120-150mm which affects many aspects such as wheelbase, headangle, stack and reach. Another things I didn't talk about was bottom drop, and seat tube length. All these little things play into the overall feel of a bike and it's why a Dirt Jumper and a Hardtail feel completely different.
So the same would apply if you'd tried a freaky 29" dirt jumper too?
Great comparison. Next time take the Mini Rocker! 🤘🎸🦐🚲
Skills With Phil you look like a girl whos selling scout cookies
@@Hugo_Helgas what kind of girl scouts are you buying cookies from?!
@Phil are you left handed? When you write?
The title should just be: I know I can do it on my dirt jumper, now can I do it on my hardtail
lol ya
haha
Hardtails rule. Especially hardtails with short chainstays. Thanks for another great video Phil.
I think you're a little biased :P
@@SkillsWithPhil just a little. :) I consider DJs hardtails too. I love DJs, and it would be my bike of choice at a place like rays.
Yupp, Fun and playful. My chromag has 16 inch chainstay
I love my full sus bike but the technical stuff kills me
Best is a 26” hard tail with a short travel fork
Dang this indoor park is crazy! I've honestly never heard of an indoor MTB park. Nice video Phil!
there is rays in cleveland, and pittsburgh has the wheel mill, its about 3 hours drive from rays to the wheel mill. both are amazing parks. i live near rays but ive traveled to the wheel mill and both are amazing. it's cheap to get to cleveland or pittsburgh and an airbnb cost like $40/night in each place. It's worth a $150 plane ticket to come ride these spots
0:51 no way that’s my friend and I at the foam pit!
Nice
Troy Conner how could’ve that been you if it was me
@@kenkieboi122 lol
Prove it!
Lol
Love the GT sponsor. Use to race a 1994 GT Mach 1 mini back when I was little. Lost the bike in a lake house fire 😭
I had a mach 1 at one point too, sucks to loose it they way you did though :(
I have a Mach one definitely not as old thougj
I love that you are sponsored by GT! I have always had Big Box bikes, and this year I got my GT Pantera/Ricochet (Still sort of a BB Bike, but much more upgrade-able!) I love it, and can already tell a difference in using a better bike and that my skill is improving. I would love to get even better, but there aren't very many places like this close enough to me to visit on a regular basis, so I just work on parking lot skills! I love seeing you ride, and I love your videos! Keep putting up the good content!
Paul Sergile similar story hear rode Walmart bikes till I got my gt agressor pro
@@larrybanks2403 It's amazing the difference a good, or at least decent, bike makes compared to the boat anchors they sell at Walmart and call them bikes! LOL!
Hey Paul, I ride a ricochet to, granted I eventually upgraded it to full XT, 130mm rockshox recon, etc.. nothing but frame and feont wheel is stock. I'm 250 and logged over 1300 miles so far in the past year... frame is rock solid.
Good comparison! Ray's is a blast pretty much no matter what bike you're on! That said, I've rode multiple styles of bikes at Ray's and here's how I'd rate them (from pretty good to best):
1. Dirt Jumper (easiest to pump and maneuver, can handle the technical MTB section well enough)
2. 26 or 27.5 inch Mountain bike (less maneuverability than dirt jumper or BMX, but can handle everything in the park)
3. BMX bike (similar to Dirt Jumper, but the technical MTB section is not much fun on a BMX)
4. 29er (real good for the technical MTB section, but maneuverability is worse than 27.5)
5. 26+/27.5+/29er+ (It's still fun, but just too much bike for the terrain compared to everything above)
Also, opting for street tires over knobby tires makes a world of difference. Street tires grip the plywood surface far better and reduce rolling resistance. If for whatever reason you can't afford or don't want (!!?) another bike, swapping out those knobbys is perhaps the best "Ray's upgrade" you can make.
Shorter handlebars could help, too. The Green Flow Trail has some tight spots that are no fun to ride through with big, wide bars.
P. S., It was cool meeting you! Thanks again for making my son's day! He's absolutely thrilled that our family's bike fleet makes an appearance at 1:11. Now he's got something else to brag about to all his biking friends, lol
What kind of bikes are in the rental fleet? I'm debating on whether it makes more sense to bring my 27.5" old-style-geometry (seat doesn't even go down as far as Phil's 29er) XC hardtail, or rent one of yours...
@@kevinvermeer9011 To be clear, they're not my bikes to rent (I don't own or work at Ray's), but they've got Kink BMX bikes and Trek Dirt Jumpers & 26 inch mountain bikes in their fleet.
Check out their options: raysmtb.com/about/rental-bikes/
I've rented their Trek DJ. It's a real nice bike.
These are the kind of comments I like seeing, constructive, meaningful and useful to other viewers. Thanks for taking the time to share your experience.
I can't pick out who you are based off your comment alone but I had a blast meeting people this weekend. There's a healthy riding community in that area with some rad people!
No problem, Phil! Hope the comment assists someone.
I should also add that it's probably worth paying the $18 to rent a bike if you're in doubt about what to ride. The staff is usually cool with you testing out multiple bikes, so if the dirt jumper doesn't feel right, you can give the mountain bike a go, etc.
As for jogging your memory, maybe the picture I took with you & the little guy will help:
instagram.com/p/BvX5rzYlgYV
Glad to have you back Phil ... Don't watch many TH-camrs, not sure exactly what it is, but always enjoyed your content. Keep it up!
Ray's is the best! Literally impossible to not have a good time riding there, regardless of skill and or experience
I agree, there's a little bit of everything for everybody!
I used to not be able to hit jumps, now I’m starting to hit the pro jump line
Thank you so much, Phil Kmetz, for the nice mention, I'm just honored to help a bro rider who inspires riders around the world! Keep up the great work 🤘🤘🤘
I think size is really important. I have (and had) many bikes. There is nothing like a good dirtjump to ride park like this. I love riding these feature with any bike. My full suspension is a small SC 5010 (130 mm travel, 27.5" wheel), sized for 5 foot 4 maximum, which is way to small for me, but I much prefer smaller bike with really short reach and low standover that make it easy to hang around
Size definitely makes a difference, I like riding medium size frames for that similar reason.
I can barely manual my Avalanche, it feels near impossible on that bike. Seeing a pro struggle to do it after smashing through first try on another bike was oddly inspiring. Thanks for showing it can be done on that bike!
Wow that place looks awesome. Now l have to see if there are any indoor mtg parks here in Australia.
Thanks for the video mate.
Where I live, we don't have an indoor mountainbike park, so I just got used to riding in cold weather and sometimes even snow. However when you ride in winter, it's closer to XC riding than to trail riding, becouse all the trails are closed. Awesome video as always!
Why not the 27.5? Seems waaaay more comparable
Because I don't have the 27.5 version, I have a 29 version.
@@SkillsWithPhil fair enough lol. It would just make a lot more sense but thanks for continuing to make great content
27.5 version is only the smallest body size iirc
Why not a 26"?
CoderShare 26” is basically a dirt jumper
Top stuff ! From Australia love your info and how you show and explain . Thank you !
Great video Phil! I was not surprised at the results because you can do anything on any bike including Wal-Mart specials and Mini Rockers!😆👍
Haha thanks for the vote of a approval! I was pleasantly surprised with how well it rode at Ray's. It was more fun than I expected to be honest!
Hats err helmets off to you and guys like Berm Peak. I'm still riding a 21 year old Schwinn Moab 3, which only has original frame, seat post and handlebars. I've been looking at making a change to a 29er. Channels like GMBN seems to consider 2000 dollar hardtails cheap, and Vital don't seem to consider hardtails at all. But guys like you bring that all back down to earth and make things more welcoming. I'm now in Vietnam, and crazy for a country that is 50 percent mountain, mountain biking isn't a thing here. the 1000-1200 dollar range bikes deem really limited, with only Giant really here, Trek a little, and maybe Scott. But coincidentally my eyes are also on the GT Avalanche Expert, and maybe a flight to dealers in Philippines when covid allows. Can't seem to justify a full sus when I have to do some serious road miles just to get off the road.
Man this country would be ideal for setting up bike pars along the mountain range. I think GT could make a killing here setting up about 5 centers between HCMC to Ha Noi. Providing entry level bikes for hire and selling more range. Vietnamese spend some serious money on road bikes.
Yo, Phil! This video was sweet and I feel like it was one of your best in the way of presentation! Speech was really well delivered and pacing was great! Might not have been the most exciting video you’ve made but I really think it’s the perfect step for you as you grow in film making. Keep it up!
We're constantly improving. Wish the whole speaking thing came as easy as riding sometimes :P
I love ur style, but I did struggle to hear the speech clearly over the music...seemed like the music/sound balance was to much on the music...but otherwise great...always love ur stuff...
@@rupedog It was done on purpose. I had to drown out the music they were playing at Rays which could lead to a copyright strike if I included it in the video. I did a little processing to lower the background noise, but I still had to mask it with music to air on the side of caution.
I’ve been debating on buying the Avalanche. You have definitely sold me. Nice video.
Lots of Fun Phil Great video !!!
Phil, I really appreciate your videos. You, Seth, and Alex all present in a different style. I enjoy all of y’all because you are all different. Your pseudo-instructional videos are great and have helped me to improve. Keep up the good work! And!thanks!,,
Great video. Thanks for showing Ray's indoor park. Come back in the summer and try the trails in Medina (30mins south of Ray's), he helped design and build. #RideforRay
Ray is a good Dude, I wish him the best. There are few people like him, and he's had a lasting impact on the sport.
yo man, i'm dating a girl who lives in medina right now, so i assume ill be there a lot this summer. any tips on where i should ride? its close enough that id be down to help build trails as well, if thats an option
@@jakecremean9533 look up Huffman/Reagan this is the medina trail system that Ray had been working on. It has a good variety of options from drops, jumps, wall rides and a skinny that snakes down a hill.
Also Austin Badger is a reclaimed golf course in Medina with fast flowing trails with jumps and they left the cart paths to ride when it's wet.
As far as trail work check out the CAMBA Facebook page for trail days. Or you can ask the owner of Spin Bike shop in medina, Ray... he would know more.
If Phil recommends GT Avalanche Expert for an indoor bike park, I don't think I have to think that Avalanche was a bad buy
Sweet video Phil it’s amazing to see you posting again keep it up your a true legend!!
Thanks Dan, I appreciate the kind words.
Skills With Phil No problem Phil means a lot that you’ve seen my comment!!
You should definitely compare all disciplines of mountain bikes vs the entry level hard tail. That would make for a good mini series for sure!
Made my day better! Thank you Phil! I was having a bad day on my way to school watched this and boom what?? I was having a bad day?
Oh man, I'm sorry to hear you're having a bad day, those are never fun. I'm glad I could help in someway, I hope the rest of your day goes better!
It is always fun when Phil starts to get "dirt jumpy"!😁👌🚵♂️ and I love the mic clipped to the hair!🎙🐰
I was hoping he would move the mic up to his mustache! 🧔🎤
I missed that! Haha
@@ClintGriffin1 Oooh I like that!
Haha, well last time I clipped it to my shirt I could hear my hair rustling on the mic, so clipping to my hair was the logical solution! 😂
Thanks for putting out more videos man. I dig what you do
Super fun video, Phil! I'm stoked to see you and Hailey riding and having so much fun.
Have an awesome day!
Thanks you, we certainly had a lot of fun this weekend.
there is something between gt geometry and your mustache... Love it ;D
What a beautiful park. I just got a hardtail and I'm loving it!
Great vid dude! That bike park looks epic too! 🤟
This is obscenely satisfying
Would love to see a video on how to buy a bike for beginners… suspension, brakes, grips, tires, gear to wear, gear to bring along … thanks for the videos!
My first bike was a gt xc, i put some slim tyres on it, it made a decent hybrid. Many a shenanigans were had on it
Sounds like the ultimate commuter!
I never knew Dave Grohl is good at mountain biking. Great video Phil! Thank you!
DJ bike all day at Ray's! Yes, the XC green trail has some climbing, but still very doable on a DJ! Great video, I really missed riding with you that day!
Great video as usual👍🏻 but i was thinking next time you go you should say something before hand and maybe do a subscriber meet up or something. I was literally just there about a month ago, great place and i have a ton of fun every time. Love the channel and keep up the good work.😀😀
It's more fun to show up unexpected. :)
Yeah i bet it would be kinda annoying having a horde of people following you around
What a cool place. I like how the columns are paited like trees.
Love how u have the mic connected to your hair😂
This video was so much fun Thanks for your hard wrk and dedication! Also I am glad I bought a hardtail to ride on the trails and hit the pump track.
i love the mic clipped to his hair!
Gotta put it to good use! :P
Great video , well filmed 👍
Thanks for the kind words Col! :)
Your riding skills are awesome...so are your videos!
This is my favorite place to go! I live in Oberlin
Yeah, I dirt jump with a 27.5 hardtail and it's not a problem. I'd say for versatility to go with a hardtail because they provide the gears necessary for climbs, and the pop on the read end to send it long
Love the music man!!!! Gets me stoked!!!
Awesome video! Really good comparison and some surprising findings.
The jump results definitely surprised me as well as Hailey.
great video, makes me miss my old GT 24" Cruiser (Mountain Bikes didnt exists like they do now 86-92) on the then new jump tracks. be safe out there! :D
Nice comparison, great content. Thumbs up!
Thanks mah dude!
That park is way better than anything local here in Portland
Hey man,Thanks for making this video !
I'd rather get a DJ because i've already got a decent All Mountain bike(Trek Remedy), but also because I think that the simplicity of it makes it a lot cheaper to replace parts and harder to break, also I think having a nimbler bike would make my skills on the trail better as well.
Sean Walsh yeah ... I also learned to bail on my DJ ish bike much better because I was less worried about breaking it. This then translated to my trail bike which fares much better smashing into the ground without my weight on it as well and my body appreciates not being tangled with hard metal at the same time.
The best : dirt jump mtb
Pd: I not speak english :)
This park is in my backyard. I want to start putting out some riding videos here. Not to mention, Ohio trails are closed very often due to the unpredictable weather. What a sick place! Love your vids man!
I have a Diamondback Mason 2 and the problem is the geometry is horrible for jumping. I do however take it to my local dirt jump park and jump it. I have borrowed my buddies dj and can really launch with it so i guess the hardtail makes me better at the dj. I would like to get an actual dj but my money is going to a fs here soon. Great edit and awesome comparison Phil.
It's funny how big of a difference it makes and it's hard to explain until you try the two bikes back to back.
@@SkillsWithPhil it really is. They are honestly to different pieces of machine.
So entertaining and so much talent! Keep up the good work!
Thanks for the kind words :)
Thanks for riding for me while I'm sick. I just got one-hand one-footers on my bike, but I can't have fun with it yet!
Depends what size wheel hard tail you have the bowl could be done on a 27.5 maybe
It was super cool seeing you and meeting you there Saturday
Likewise Craig, I had a blast this weekend :)
Omg the avalanche I have the same bike and I am still learning the manual very nice video
Just cool to see you at Rays having fun, nice
Enjoyed this alot!
Larger wheel radius has a higher linear speed for the same angular speed of the hubs, assuming all else being equal. Thus, the 29er will carry more speed over the jumps. To keep up, a smaller wheel will have to increase the hub angular speed, which increases internal friction. So, smaller wheels have more bearing friction, so maintain a lower speed. Additionally, the larger wheels have higher angular momentum, which helps carry you over obstacles.
That full suspension gt frame 😍
We'll be building it up soon!
I love that place!!!! By far the most fun biking ive done there
Neat comparison video Phil, I still want a dirt jumper!
Thanks BTG, and I hear you on that!
Phil, do you think the fact that you got the feel of any of those runs on the 1st bike gave the 2nd bike an advantage?
Yes of course. I can usually get on any bike and ride it pretty comfortably. I set everything on the bike I knew the best (the la Bomba), and then wanted to see what I could do on the other. But this wasn't scientific or anything.
@@SkillsWithPhil Yeah I knew your goal wasn't exact science. My question was more centered on just the layout of the tracks you were using.
Finally an upload!!!
9:25 it’s because the 29 inch wheels are much faster rolling then the 26inch on yours and mines dirt jumpers
Great video, very informative . I have Scott Voltage LTD , and I use it for literally everything - from DJ to Enduro/ Freeride ( with two tipes of forks and two tipes of tires) . Tnx
First love ur vids
Thanks Dennis!
Practice!, the second bike tested is going to have an advantage.
Love that park. So fun.
recently subed to you, loving the content !
I ride trek roscoe 8 2019 and loving it !
Would be nice to see if there's any difference at all with the same 26er wheels on both bikes.
Ooooh! That avalanche!
It's a fun bike!
Very interesting points on this video
I was just there with my"19 Roscoe 8......dropper post and gears made the ride!!!
That's awesome!
I was really hoping to see a video at Rays! It’s so rad.
I made a Rays video 5(?) years ago, and had been there once since, but I hadn't been there in long time.
th-cam.com/video/u-GCA89w39k/w-d-xo.html
Skills With Phil well I’m still glad to see an updated video. I love your vids so much because they are pretty exploring, and go at a calming pace.
I LOVE GT!!! HAVE ALWAYS OWNED ONE!
It might be the weight difference plus the dirt jumper loses a little energy through the suspension. I find i have to pump harder to get smoother jumps on my enduro. I do still more comfortable jumping hard-tails, but that's what i grew up jumping, my enduro gives me more confidence in bigger jumps (or course). I enjoyed that video : ) wish we had a Ray's in the UK. Any millionaire out there with a huge stack of timber, take note. We now have a surfing lake near by and miles of amazing trails in Wales so things are looking up. We don't get the severe winters here though.
I have the same bike (the GT avalanche) and I’m very interested in the changes you’ve made to the drive train. Can you list the components that you’ve installed on it?
At 7:31 his petal sparks, amazing video.
I think it's the reflection of my Keys on my belt loop Keychain :P
Skills With Phil oh I see
Now I have ridden a 29er and a dj before, and from my experience I found that the dj and 29er can do most anything. Have you tried using a 29er street tire to ride the park with? I personally won't ride a dual suspension bike cause of my weight and that's how I came to my conclusion that most hardtail bikes can do similar things, it just depends on how you set things up on your bike that works for you. Excellent content 👍 keep it up!!!✌️
Great video. Ray's is actually nearly 200,000 sq ft (180,000).
Man I wanna go to Ray’s so bad!! Gonna definitely have to plan a trip to Vermont one of these days...
Its in Cleveland.
Rays used to be in Milwaukee. wish it was still here.
I think it's pretty cool that my favorite mountain biking youtuber is riding for GT. I've been Riding GT since 1994 in fact I'm riding the same GT backwards I bought in 94. Gonna upgrade one of these days I I'm just too attached to It bought it when I was 18 and now I'm 44
If you are still around you should check out Mohican State park! It's some amazing singletrack
i alsow have a GT avalange 1.0 but it isfrom 2004 or 2005and i have changed the fork to a lite Fox F-series and that made the bike to weight 10 kilos.
I just picked up an old DMR Trailstar that really seems to split the difference with low TT and 26" wheels. It even has swappable dropouts to run SS.
Have to say I love it. So much so that I'm considering selling my full sus (that I always felt over-biked on on the sort of stuff I ride).
It's still going to feel different than a Dirt jumper. a bike designed for riding trails and a bike designed for dirt jumps will always have different geometry to better suit the terrain. That's not saying you can't ride one bike on the other's terrain.
Oh yeah, I'm shite at jumping anyway lol
Really like the video, and at 6'4 i have a problem i hope u might help me with. I like dirt jumping but at djs are too small. I ride a polygon trid. I'm now thinking about building a mtb as a dj, e.g a marin sanquentin with street tyres.. so i can go a larger frame, what do you think/ recommend? Thanks
He straight up murdered those humps @2:28
Hey Phil. your video got me motivated. I am planning to buy a hardtail. would you recommend GT Avalanche or a Trek Marlin 7?
The Lumber Yard Indoor Bike Park is also pretty good.
LoganDuckThomas#1 Best it’s okay
👊🤘ohh soo sick my dude
Muchas Gracias!
Skills With Phil de nada muchacho 🤘🥴
We need an indoor park like this in vermont