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Who's faster? Downhill MTB or enduro bike?


toofasttim
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:rolleyes: Pretty good but that enduro seemed a bit clumsy,I can think of a type of bike that would give that mountain bike a closer run?..now lets see?..a motorbike that is not as clumsy as an enduro,smaller,lighter,has no seat(major plus for downhill) hmm?

I wonder if Dougie and GasGas need some publicity ,4.51 to beat; the only problem is that the video was clearly set on Anoch Mor in the summer-time so Dougie's got a long wait for this years snow to vamoose.

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This is the thing with Enduro I just dont get.

At the Tough One the trials bike was faster to the point the organisers pulled Browny out of the race. In the NE centre keilder enduro a few years ago some local trials lads went along on their trials bikes, including a tlr 200. Yes they got blown away on the fire roads but passed the enduro bikes on the rough stuff quite easlily.

now the best enduro rider in the world has just been beaten by a guy on a downhill MTB.

I dont doubt the ability of the riders but are the bikes actually any good at what they are designed for ?

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This is the thing with Enduro I just dont get.

At the Tough One the trials bike was faster to the point the organisers pulled Browny out of the race.

:blink: :blink:

I had a neighbour (road biker) who disliked trials intensely but wanted some off-road action for the winter so he spent a fortune on an enduro bike /transport and entry fees but jacked it in 'cos the organisers kept setting up observed sections with very steep aqua drop-ins, a-la-trials :rotfl:

Imagine if the a*** dropped out of enduro market because:

(1)The organisers had to use tighter courses because of the restrictions associated with limited land use which leads to;

(2)Riders thinking ''Stuff this enduro bike malarky,I'd be better off in the twisty stuff with a low cost/maintenance trials iron''

??

It doesn't surprise me that the relevant organisers are protecting the enduro 'golden goose'.

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In some places a trials bike can be quicker but overall an enduro bike will be quicker. On single track, fire roads a enduro bike is MILES quicker. When the going gets really knarley then a trials bike is quicker but with a good rider on an enduro bike the enduro bike isn't that much slower than the trials bike.

The tough one is a short and very technical course. There isn't much road or single track work.

Have a look at these:

Edited by TooFastTim
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Those of you who know Chris know how good he is on any bike, he rode 1 of the north island trials rounds on his KTM & did quite well. He started in trials like a lot of the extreme enduro boys which gives him a major advantage over most riders in the technical stuff

Good to see he won the Roof of Africa again, third time in a row?

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It just seems to me that the Enruro bikes are really nothing but an MX bike with lights! Seem large with too much suspension, cumbersome, with no torque on the things as they are too revvy, and no flywheel! Allways spinning up, as it seems the only way to get any power to the ground is to dig a rut! Jst nuts! All seem to be a lump on the scales!

I just do not think anyone has come up with a right combination. The Scorpa T-ride looks plausable but heavy. Not sure about a Pampera.

I would not even want to go through those enduro sections on a trials bike after they go through. Seems they just destroy everyting in sight! After running the Last Man Standing here, the course and wood trails are still a mess years later! Entire hillsides look like a WWI battleground!

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It just seems to me that the Enruro bikes are really nothing but an MX bike with lights! Seem large with too much suspension, cumbersome, with no torque on the things as they are too revvy, and no flywheel! Allways spinning up, as it seems the only way to get any power to the ground is to dig a rut! Jst nuts! All seem to be a lump on the scales!

Copey: Chris Birch, DK, Taddy, Doug, Grimbo etc. I think you'll agree are all pretty accomplished trials guys yet they elect to compete on enduro bikes. Unless there's some conspiratorial agenda I reckon that because they're the best tools for the job.

Returning to the original post I noticed that DK was on his 530. I wonder if he wouldn't have been faster on a 300 2T?

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Copey: Chris Birch, DK, Taddy, Doug, Grimbo etc. I think you'll agree are all pretty accomplished trials guys yet they elect to compete on enduro bikes. Unless there's some conspiratorial agenda I reckon that because they're the best tools for the job.

Returning to the original post I noticed that DK was on his 530. I wonder if he wouldn't have been faster on a 300 2T?

Yes, I seen that on DK. I figure the only reason he did it was to get rid of that lump! Just how much Power do you need in a Downlill race?

Yes, that is what they ride, because that is what is available by the makers. Do you not think as well that they are nothing but a dressed MX bike? Not that a trials motor is totally up to the job, but you see, there is no trade here.

For an average rider wanting to do trails and woods, as an old style Enduro bike would, these things both 2T and 4T are just simply radical high maintenance WOT go fast machines, not neccerily light nor agile, nor torquey.

Top world riders may even like'em, but I have yet to find the balance here, or a use for a full on bike for recreational use!

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Yes, that is what they ride, because that is what is available by the makers.

I was hoping you'd find my red herring :D

Do you not think as well that they are nothing but a dressed MX bike?

They look like mx bikes but they are not! The suspension is much more supple, the gearbox is a wide as opposed to close ratio, they have a different rake and trail and the power delivery is very much softer.

Not that a trials motor is totally up to the job, but you see, there is no trade here.

A couple of years ago I saw a pic of the KTM that Cyril Despres rode at Erzberg and lo'! It was without expansion chamber! Just a bit of straight'ish pipe just like a trials bike. Heaven knows what they had done to the porting. Now Cyril's also a pretty good trials rider (French junior champ I think) so he was probably looking for some trials bike characteristics. There are certainly times when you'd need the pure power of an enduro bike but, in the case of extreme enduros, I think you could sacrifice some of that power for a bit more flexibility.

It would be nice if somebody like Paul Bolton (again a bloody good trials rider turned extreme enduro guy) could chip in here.

P.S. Juha Salminen was Finnish junior trials champ. Do you see a pattern here? <_<

Edited by TooFastTim
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